My last blow torch was a cheap crappy one and I feel the desire to upgrade to something with a higher output than my old propane one.
MAPP gas seems to be the magic ingredient that I’ve been missing all these years. Prices seem very variable though. Are they all much of a muchness (for a very part time solderer) or is it worth spending more on a fancier torch? Any suggestion? Are they hot enough for brazing should I ever decide to dabble in that field?
Tim
Brazing, very unlikely unless it is very small. You need an oxygen tank to get the required temperatures for that. Mapp is around 70 degrees hotter than propane, and a bit more again to butane. Getting the combined Mapp/Oxygen tanks and torch kit is reasonably priced, about £100, howver, the oxygen runs out really quickly, so costs a lot to run.
Yellow "MAP-PRO gas" cylinders no longer contain real "MAPP gas" methylacetylene-propadiene/propane mixture, they're propylene/propane mixture which does burn a little higher but not as high as the old stuff.
I inherited my Dad's Rothenberger Superfire3 torch with multiple swappable burners, which I've used a few times for different jobs, but not for brazing or silver soldering, it is capable though, and very finely controllable torch.
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