Bernzomatic® Wide Flame Brass Torch - Manual Ignition, Wide Pencil Flame Propane Torch (JT680 Torch)

I've had a Bernzomatic pencil tip propane torch for aeons, and it has been absolutely dependable. Indeed it still is. It gets used for a lot of things... like soldering pipes, lighting birthday candles, and firing kilns. It's this last use that prompted the purchase of a larger torch. My little ceramic glaze test kiln is a very simple updraft affair that uses high-tech refractory insulation and a propane torch. The little Bernzomatic pencil torch will get the kiln to a solid cone 04, but that's about it. I wanted cone 5 capability. Enter the Jumbo Flame Torch Head. The jumbo torch works perfectly. It's exceptionally solid and well-built. It also has a much higher heat output. It has breathed new life (and tremendous heat) into my little kiln. Four Years Later: I was a bit surprised that with very little provocation the brass tube between the orifice and burner head broke at the air inlet holes. I called Bernzomatic customer service. They told me this was a "feature" and that I was SOL (my term). I was informed the only recourse was buying a new torch. So I pinched the broken tube in my PanaVise (using the folded up Bernzomatic warranty to protect the nylon jaws) and soldered the tube together. Heat for this endeavor was provided by a Harbor Freight solder gun, 180 W. Burner works like new. Harbor Freight soldering gun gets five stars. Bernzomatic Customer Service gets zero stars.

I like the heat from the burner. The configuration worked really well. What I didn't like is its hard to turn off. It keeps burning even after being turned off -- maybe 3 seconds. The one i threw away was the same company and it would burn for 10 seconds. I hope the company provides me one that shuts off well. I still gave it 5 stars. Pricing was great.

I like this torch. I sometimes make stuff out of silver sheet and silver wire and gallery wire. Small jewelery like things. Silver soldering is slightly more like brazing than soldering up a fiddle's stompbox. When I set out a few small pieces of silver to get carefully stuck together, a large flame blows them all across the soldering board as is the case with most pencil torches. Not good. I don't do this often enough to warrant profesional torch/tips, so I get to use pencil type torch heads. They usually have way too much velocity for my use but the JT680 lets me adjust it, that is, until some ironman wanna be, over-tightens the valve when turning it off and damages the soft brass needle valve making a "ring dent" around it. That's usually the end of adjustability and usefulness--to me. I added that for those who have never purchased and used their own brass torch as a word of caution, if finer adjustability is desired feature. Don't tighten the knob down more than it takes to stop the flame. If leaks are a concern, remove the torch head when not in use. This torch tip has a 5/8" inside diameter and has manufactured on it cooling fins so that it can be adjusted down to a small flame without undue/unsafe heat accumulation. I presume. The cooling fins, 4 machined grooves 1/8" wide/deep do not do a very good job of keeping the torch cool, but it get's less hot than the personally modified BernzoMatic 370A Torch head that would get as warm as any Japanese nuclear event. A no-no I found out. I usually use the torch at about ½" of bright blue flame and about 2" flame in all. I LOVE the 5/8" width of the flame so I don't need to "wave" the flame as much to heat larger pieces up evenly. WOT gives you a 9" long flame (When using a full bottle of cheap/readily available Coleman Model # 5103B738T propane) and a bright-blue flame that is 1½" long x 3/4" diameter approx. 3/16" past the end of the tip, giving a usable length of about 7 inches. The price is cheap so yes the knob IS plastic. I have not melted it running the torch on a small flame for 2+ hours continous, as I did on the aforementioned personally customized BernzoMatic Model 370A, so the cooling fins seem to keep the JT680 as cool as an unmodified 370A. One more word of caution. Look at the contact surface of your propane bottles and watch out for nicks and dented ones. They leak and can tear up the pretty cork gasket, which is so hard to find out here in the sticks, making the purchase of another torch, a nice feasability at the price.

I bought this torch head because I needed such a tool for automotive applications. It screws right on to $2.99 canisters of propane from the hardware store. I haven't noticed any leaks as the torch sits as one might expect from a lesser brand. The flame produced is adequate for light-medium duty tasks -- at the max setting the flame produced is a brilliant blue around 2-3" long. That's perfect for persuading auto-suspension components on the California cars I wrench on. For heavier tasks, or rust-belt mechanics, a MAPP torch would be a smarter purchase. I'm going to subtract one star as the gas-control knob is twitchy and the flame tends to "pulse" if you don't exercise a steady hand. The angle of the actual flame head would be better if it was closer to 90*, but I knew that prior to purchase.

This torch puts out a large broad flame. Great for heat shrink or heating larger areas. Quality is good. orks for propane and Mapp gas

Way better than the cheap plastic versions. Puts out high enough heat for auto repair use and lighting campfires. Fits a 1 lb camping propane bottle.

Muy buen producto por el precio

Nice big flame, doesn't get hot enough for original intended purpose I bought it for but I’ll just use a MAPP gas setup instead of this, I already found other uses for this torch so I’m gonna say it’s awesome for other stuff

mas menos de presion

They call it Jumbo torch it a bit too powerful for annealing metal for art but it works a lot better than some other torches I bought. I like the adjustable head and I had no issues.