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Opinions please: best 'bang-for-buck' blowtorch


ThreeSheds

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I need to be able to heat my rusty nuts to glowing, and my current blowtorch doth butter no parsnips...

Could anyone recommend a cheap blowtorch which has a reasonable amount of power please? Also, a nice to have (but not essential)  would be piezo ignition.

I am currently looking at some 'map gas' ones for £30+ but would prefer an actual recommendation. (p.s. I understand that modern 'map' gas is not 'MAPP' gas so would also appreciate opinions on whether it's worth getting map over propane since it's more expensive)

Cheers,

Roger 

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I had not heard that modern Map is not MAPP but I have used the yellow MAPP canisters with good results.

So info I have found is that true MAPP in USA stopped in 2008 and most since is a fake? However there is this statement from Rothenberger who make torches and a safety datasheet marked 2013.

MAPP® Gas

Special gas mix for high-performance soldering work

Flame temperatures up to 2,700 °C and 35 % faster than propane. MAPP® is a registered trademark of Messer Group GmbH, Bad Soden

 

Hope this helps?

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22 minutes ago, missingsid said:

I had not heard that modern Map is not MAPP but I have used the yellow MAPP canisters with good results.

So info I have found is that true MAPP in USA stopped in 2008 and most since is a fake? However there is this statement from Rothenberger who make torches and a safety datasheet marked 2013.

MAPP® Gas

Special gas mix for high-performance soldering work

Flame temperatures up to 2,700 °C and 35 % faster than propane. MAPP® is a registered trademark of Messer Group GmbH, Bad Soden

 

Hope this helps?

Oh yes!  that helps a lot thanks! Obviously I was looking at USA based information - easily done on the web...

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OK found a can of my gas and found this information on the web/

Bernzomatic MAPP
PW 13 PH 22 bar 0.45 kg 1.0 L .7 mm
EN12205 0035/2005/11
UN1060 Methyl acetylene and propadiene
mixture, stabilised –20°C + 50 °C
DOT-39 NRC188/235 M1003-E6686
USA Chiltern SN W11E55E
 
My can has this part on it.
EN12205 0035/2005/11
UN1060 Methyl acetylene and propadiene
mixture, stabilised –20°C + 50 °C
DOT-39 NRC188/235 M1003-E6686
 
Blue gas cans have :
Bernzomatic Propane
PW 16 PH 25 bar 0.4 kg 1.0 L .7 mm
EN12205 0035/2005/11
UN1978 Propane –20°C + 50 °C
DOT-39 NRC228/286 M1003
USA Chiltern SN W11E22E
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I have something similar to Ross, but pre the Rothenberger name. Must be 25 years old - the label came off long ago.

I run it on MAPP gas, has piezo ignition, good for silver soldering. Takes a mere minute or so to get  a 16mm bar red hot enough to bend. I was doing that at the weekend. It's good for lighting fireworks too 😉 

 

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Thanks for the help everyone.

I am going to get a Rothenberger with a MAPP cylinder... I hope! It seems that a lot of people on Ebay describe their product as MAPP gas but show a photo of the  Map/Pro gas.

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42 minutes ago, mickeyw said:

This looks quite a good deal when you take into account it includes a bottle of gas and three nozzles on top of the torch.

https://www.toolstation.com/shop/p71324

That's a good price. But again, not actual MAPP gas according to the breakdown listed in the COSH link...

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2 hours ago, mickeyw said:

I have something similar to Ross, but pre the Rothenberger name. Must be 25 years old - the label came off long ago.

I run it on MAPP gas, has piezo ignition, good for silver soldering. Takes a mere minute or so to get  a 16mm bar red hot enough to bend. I was doing that at the weekend. It's good for lighting fireworks too 😉 

 

Mine lives on the Propane bottle as a quick way to light the fire! I just ignite it with the piezo on my gas soldering iron.

 

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MAP/MAPP - I have never been aware of the difference.

IMO they're the yellow bottles with the hotter burning gas, rather than the blue ones that are just propane.

Does anywhere sell actual MAPP in the UK?

This site seems unaware of the difference https://www.tool-net.co.uk/p-401123/faithfull-gzmapp.html?gclid=CjwKCAiAjuPRBRBxEiwAeQ2QPg0-24ivIPGqZ1ZxtkdHLXKW_T--JpPYgRSnwTwhJTHoVf1wRqW5bRoCc-AQAvD_BwE

 

In further reading I note that MAPP is a trademarked name belonging to the Linde group. This therefore means no one else can sell their gas mix product by the same name, even if the mix is the same or similar.

I think for our purposes, any yellow bottle will do a good job, and hotter than plain propane.

 

 

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