Very much a first world problem.For lighting BBQs and the occasional fire (mainly log burner) I use a weed wand from Lidl with screw in gas cartridges.Gas pressures being what they are, I seem to spend most of the life of the gas cartridge with low pressure.Enough to do the job, but not very quickly.Being instinctively tight I can't make myself throw away a cartridge that is 75% used up.Now I have a spare 6 Kg propane cylinder (with a quick release adapter) and also an external gas point on the caravan.So in theory I could switch over to using a propane blow torch both at home and away, and operate mainly at full pressure with a hotter flame.I have just looked on line and the Screwfix ones are "how much?" but the Amazon ones start at around £15-20.I have regulators; haven't yet checked if they match the torch.I suspect that I will need another regulator as I'm seeing figures of 0.5 to 4 bar which is lower than the usual camping devices which (IIRC) are between 30 and 50 bar."Economy" adjustable regulator.That would bump the price up a bit.Although some items seem to include the regulator.OKAnyone have a recommendation for a cheap and cheerful (but safe) gas torch?CheersDave R

Ah.Regulators 30 mb or 50 mb which is certainly in the range of 0-4 bar.The question now is - would one of these be adequate, or is a higher pressure/volum regulator a good idea?Such asCheersDave R

OT(ish) - propane gas torch - cheapest?

Oct 10, 2021 Last reply: 4 years ago 25 Replies

Rate this thread:

Steve Walker 4 years ago

Derived from the mains AFAIK.

I'm (just) too young to remember it (we got rid of the coal fire when I was 5). My parents told me about it.

Vote

Theo 4 years ago

I'm amused by pictures of a gas fitting for connecting the poker right next to the fireplace

- when you could have just had a gas fire (and presumably some later installs used that as a supply).

Which leads me to wonder... why didn't people have gas fires and skip laying the fire altogether? Was coal cheaper, was it something about town gas that made it less good for heating (compared with cooking and lighting), or general inertia?

Theo

Vote

Tim+ 4 years ago

Well if you were a miner the coal was free (or at least was in my neck of the woods).

Tim

Vote

The Natural Philosopher 4 years ago

Gas was made from coal so coal itself was cheaper.

Vote

Robin 4 years ago

gas was more expensive than coal in terms of cost per unit energy through the 50s and 60s.

Vote

charles 4 years ago

Coal fires had a life of their own. gas fires were very boring. Firms even made mock coal fires run off gas to look better.

Vote

Join the Discussion

Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.

Didn't find your answer?

Ask the community — no account required