My (admittedly very cheap and rubbishy) old hand-held blow torch has just packed up. There seems to be some kind of leak that means the butane keeps escaping. I thought I would take the opportunity to replace it with something a bit more professional and wondered what brand the rest of you like the best?
Love Sam x
Iāve got a tala cooks micro torch and another one that is simply branded ācooks torchā (Iāve had that one for yonks and got it from amazon). I have to make sure that I donāt put too much gas in the Tala one unless Iām doing a larger project as the flame after filling can be a little enthusiastic. Not sure if they count as professional or not but they do the job nicely.
I have a Dremel micro torch and a Roburn MT-770 (which I won in a comp) and both have given great service for the last 5 years. I really only use the micro torch for small soldering jobs, because the quicker you can get the piece up to temp, the quicker the solder will run. Which also means less firescale.
I also have a big torch which runs on Propane for bigger soldering jobs.
Cooksongold have a selection - somewhere to start.
Hope this helps.
I have to confess to using my old cooks blow torch most of the time, but I also have a Max Flame (which I got from Cookson) which is great when I need a larger flame/more oomph. Iād like a Blazer, but they seem difficult to find in the UK and, therefore, a bit expensive (when I was looking for one).
Thanks guys! Some food for thought. Thereās a ābeginnersā Sievert torch (one which needs a propane bottle) on the Cooksonās website which looks quite inexpensive, so I might just go for a proper torch, on the other hand I could just replace my old one with another cookās one 
Hmmm
Love Sam x
I have a few different ones for different jobs, but absolutely love the little Proxon one for small jobs. Great quality.
For medium and large work I have a Sievert with a variety of nozzels. It has been going for over 30 years so I would recommend that , especially if you intend to make larger pieces.
I quite like the Proxon too! Iām a bit shy of getting a Sievert because of having to keep one of those large propane cannisters. How/where do you keep yours so that itās safe?
Love Sam x
I work in a shed in the garden , so it is out of the way . When ever I change the bottle (it lasts years and I use it every day) I paint all the connections with washing up liquid so know that it is not leaking. in the long run they are much more economical than the hand torches - as the lighter fuel is expensive compared to a small bottle of propane.
Do you think it would be alright in the garage? I would like a shed workshop (the lady who taught me had quite a large and well-appointed shed workshop), but I think that thought might make my OH go an odd shade of green.
Love Sam x
Yes it would be fine , mine has been in a cellar ,in a bedsit , in a loft and on a boat, before it got a workshop of itās own!
They have a safety regulator valve thingy that cuts out should something go wrong .
Thanks Deborah! I think in the long term a proper torch is the way to go. There is a limit on what the little ones can do (although they are handy to have around).
Love Sam x
For the first 25 years I only had the Sievert with a couple of nozzles, then the little torches came out. I wouldnāt be without now for doing tiny chain repairs and such , but the baby nozzle on the sievert is pretty good for most small tasks.
I would like something with a tiny needle flame but havenāt yet found what Iām looking for (that isnāt either scary or too expensive)