BernzomaticWide 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 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.

Most of the propane torches available for plumbing and home use are "pencil flame" types - Which means the flame is less than a half inch in diameter. This is fine for most home plumbing repairs and soldering. However, for bending glass tubes (especially Pyrex glass) you need a bigger flame to heat the section you are going to bend.This torch has a larger diameter flame, about 3/4 of an inch in diameter. While the flame itself from this torch is not hotter than the pencil flame type torches - It puts out a bigger flame and more net heat. This comes in handy if you have somewhat larger item to heat or solder. While a quarter of an inch larger diameter may not sound that much bigger - the cross section area is a bit more than twice as much as the pencil torch flame.The torch is MADE IN THE USA and I am pleased with he quality and cost. The torch does not have it's own built-in piezo lighter - but you can buy a grill type lighter or a sparker for about $3. Torches with built-in piezo lighters cost 2 to 3 times as much!

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.

Works as expected no problem

Haven't actually put this to work yet, but the fat flame is most impressive. I am a homeowner and I do my own plumbing. There are one-inch pipes around my well tank area that cannot be soldered with a regular propane torch. Had to use two torches at once! Think this one will do the job by itself. Should be good for warming up old threaded pipe joints too. They said it must only be used upright, but it is not position sensitive. Nice.

I own several Bernzomatic torches. This JT680 is a great addition. Don't get the TS4000 - spend the extra bucks for the TS8000.

Great quality, best name in the business. It's the widest flame I could find either online or in store. I burn axe handles and it's ok for for that, but a wider flame better suits me.

mas menos de presion

Works perfectly for this use, gets my thick quartz nail red hot in around 2 minutes. I've been using the same propane bottle for a few months already, very economical as the propane comes in packs of 3 for 20 bucks.

This was a replacement for a Benzomatic torch I bought 25-30 years ago. I didn't think I could get the same quality, but this is as good or better than the original. Well made and it does what it's supposed to. Perhaps a bit expensive, but when you need to heat something up or do a bit of soldering, you can depend on this to work properly.

Bon c'est parfait je men sert avec du propane de camping vert et sa fonctionne très bien poir partir mon feu dans mon poêle à bois. J'ai malheureusement pas essayer encore pour chauffer des bolts mais je suis sur que sa va être superieur au petites torche pas cher....