Lighter replacement

Garen B

Well my 4 to 5 month old Colibri lighter has given me nothing but problems since I bought it. Its a Colibri Quantum Triumph, the side silver grip on it started getting wobbly a week or two after I bought it and finally came unscrewed last week, the hinge no longer stays closed because the spring decided to break as I was opening it and it has started to get really hot around the button while I'm lighting a cigar with it so much so that I cant light a cigar properly without burning myself. Basically, do you guys have any fairly cheap (less than 50$) recommendations on lighters. I poked around an old post and I think joe mentioned something about a conversion kit for a zippo, if so is it worth getting? Sorry for being hard on the eyes but this does not want to format for some reason.

j0z3r

I use this lighter here CLICK, and it has been a solid performer for me. The cool thing about this lighter is that it has a soft flame and a torch flame.

bbc020

I use a Vector TriForce, it runs through fuel like a V8, but construction is solid as a rock. I took it apart the other day to get a look under the hood, and everything seems to be simple and clean. I can usually ignite 6-7 stogies before its time to refuel and it is takes up some premium real estate in my pocket, but is effective and yet to begin to fall apart. The cigar punch built in the bottom is great when I'm in a bind also. I did order a Z-plus insert for my Zippo, but haven't yet put it to use. I'll give it a try and let ya know.

brettman

I've been using a Blazer EVO Dual Torch Lighter. It really burns through fuel because of the dual flame, but it has a built-in cigar punch. I never use the punch, but it's nice to have around if I forget my cutter. The thing is like a rock too, I can't imagine breaking it if I tried.

leonard

I use a Xikar Exodus and this sucker is bullet proof. It has a natural flame and lasts about a month between refills.

rusirius

I have a few, everything from soft flame to triple torch... The triple torches are "cool", but in my opinion just not all that practical... They're just too hard to control the heat from... On the other hand, I really like a nice single torch... While I don't have any ridiculously expensive lighters, I do have some that were higher on the price scale.... Still for some reason every time I go to light up I almost always grab what I consider my "'ol reliable"...

Expensive? LOL... Far from it... I'm not even sure who the "real" manufacturer is (probably Colabri) but I found it in a local Walgreens one day... I can't even remember what name brand was stamped on the packaging, but the lighter model itself is a "Firebird"...

It's a single torch in a fairly compact package... Two small "cylinders" fused together... Lesse if I can find a pic real quick .....

Got it... Here ya go...

And the best part? Grand total cost: $9.99

madurofan

Yea thats a colibri or colibri knock off. Colibri's are notoriously unreliable. Congrats that you got a good one shirley.

I have a Xikar single torch 'Plunge'. I love it.

dep691

I find myself using matches instead of lighters more and more lately.

Rob1110

Firebirds are made by Colibri. I have owned 4 of them so far: one, I gave to my brother when he started occasionally smoking cigars, another I got for my girlfriend, which is now used as the general "candle lighter" around the house, and I have two myself. None of which have had any problems.

I also have a cheap triple flame with a punch cutter built in that I bought at a local shop for $15 bucks that the shop guarantees for life. The guy told me if there's any problems, bring it back and they'll replace it - he can't offer the same guarantee for any of the fancy lighters with a name on them though.

phobicsquirrel

here's my usual lighter, a colibri tri-flame:

Scrambler

I have a half dozen or so butane lighters. Lately the one I've been using most is my Prometheus Magma, but the one I can most consistently rely on is my converted Zippo. I got the Z-Plus as a gift, and I just switch it back and forth between my different Zippo cases.

kuzi16

here is my lighter



mine is a few years old and shows a little love. the edges are turning to the brass under the finish. It has yet to fail me.

this pic is familiar to those who read my catalog:


im not sure the "love" is visible in that pic

sane

I also use the same lighter as Kuzi16, but its new.

jaytothen

I have a few Colibri's, but I don't care for them at all. My favorite: a $3 Ronson from Wal-Mart. It's never not lit for me. Kinda sad a $3 lighter beats my $35-40 ones but it does, every time.

Big Dean

dep691:

I find myself using matches instead of lighters more and more lately.

I usually use matches to light my cigar around the edges and if by doing so I light a good portion of the center also, I will just finish it with matches ( usually about 4 matches to light it entirely). Otherwise I light the outside with matches and finish it off with my torch lighter. The lighter I use is the cigar.com torch lighter. I just looked at the lighters section and it's not there anymore. I got it a while back for free for spending like $75 or something in that ballpark. I've had no problems with it except it wont light unless the flame is turned up pretty high. But it does the job.

idrivea9

Am having a whale of a time with lighters!!! About a year ago I bought a cheapo $10.00 Ronson lighter and it worked well for about a week. Then it wouldn't light, click, click, click nothing. So I bought a bottle of butane and filled it up, yet nothing. Let it sit for a few days tried it again, would light after about 3 or 4 tries. Then agian, would not light. Refilled it again, nothing.

So while in vegas I picked up a Colibhi lighter with a neat little thumb slide starter. It worked fine at the shop, the shop guy even filled it up for me. Took it back to the hotel and it worked every single time I hit it.. Get back home and the damn thing is acting like the other one.. Takes SEVERAL tried, have to play with the flame dial, and it will light but go out within just a few seconds. I have refilled it, no change.

What the hell am I doing wrong here???

kuzi16

bleed the tank.

if that doenst work, get back to us. chances are that is the case.



now that i think of it, you may not know how to do that and there may be a few people reading that dont know how to either.

to bleed the tank on a lighter...
turn the flame adjustment all the way down. turn the lighter upside-down and press on the inlet valve with a tip of a very small screw driver or the pointy tool on a pipe tool (thats what i use personally) a rush of air/butane will come out. make sure not to hit the ignition on the ligher at this point. when it has stopped hissing, repeat. each time you will have less and less hissing to the point when you will no longer be expelling air. If you are a bit on the nerdy physics side, you can place your lighter in the fridge for about 10 minutes then. while it is in the fridge hold on to the can of fuel to warm it with your body heat. then go about filling the lighter as usual.


good luck. if you still have no luck get back to us. well try and get it workin again.

Garen B

An update on my end, I ended up going with a Rocky Patel lighter with a fuel window on the back. Its a basic single torch with a slide ignition on the front. I'll get a pic up sometime when I can find the cable to connect my camera to my comp.


@ kuzi: Can I bleed the tank just by setting the lighter to its leanest setting and then holding the button down, or do I have to poke the inlet valve?

urbino

Garen B:

I ended up going with a Rocky Patel lighter

I've never even heard of such a thing. Do post a photo.

Garen B:

do I have to poke the inlet valve?

Ahem.

rusirius

urbino:

Garen B:

I ended up going with a Rocky Patel lighter

I've never even heard of such a thing. Do post a photo.

Garen B:

do I have to poke the inlet valve?

Ahem.

Just keep in mind if you poke the outlet valve you should never switch back and forth between the inlet and the outlet...

kuzi16

Garen B:

@ kuzi: Can I bleed the tank just by setting the lighter to its leanest setting and then holding the button down, or do I have to poke the inlet valve?

it must be from the valve. just pressing the button wont work.

urbino

rusirius:

Just keep in mind if you poke the outlet valve you should never switch back and forth between the inlet and the outlet...

So true. A lesson best not learned the hard way.

Garen B

Here it is in all its shinyiness

urbino

Handsome lighter, Geebee. Thanks for the pic.

idrivea9

Ok I did all the little tricks listed here and this thing just wont work. I dropped in on my local B&M store today and had a talk with the guy there. He says that since we are up in the mountians at 7000 feet the lighter won't work. That is why when I was in Vegas and Phoenix it worked just fine. Any truth to this?

Brian

urbino

I've never heard it before, but it's possible. Anything that works based on vapor pressure is going to be affected to some degree by altitude. I wouldn't just accept what the guy told you as an answer, though. I'd talk to the manufacturer.

kuzi16

idrivea9:

Ok I did all the little tricks listed here and this thing just wont work. I dropped in on my local B&M store today and had a talk with the guy there. He says that since we are up in the mountians at 7000 feet the lighter won't work. That is why when I was in Vegas and Phoenix it worked just fine. Any truth to this?

Brian

i would think that it would work BETTER. less pressure and more gas escapes.
i bet that the valve is clogged a bit. that can be fixed.

j0z3r

kuzi16:

idrivea9:

Ok I did all the little tricks listed here and this thing just wont work. I dropped in on my local B&M store today and had a talk with the guy there. He says that since we are up in the mountians at 7000 feet the lighter won't work. That is why when I was in Vegas and Phoenix it worked just fine. Any truth to this?

Brian

i would think that it would work BETTER. less pressure and more gas escapes.
i bet that the valve is clogged a bit. that can be fixed.

You're making that assumption based on the lowered atmospheric pressure I'm guessing? The problem there is that with the lowered pressure also comes less available oxygen in the atmosphere relative to what is present at lower elevations, therefore you will not get a proper butane : oxygen ratio for combustion.

edir: Another thing I noticed after a bit of searching is that some electronic ignition systems will not function correctly in higher altitudes.

kuzi16

makes sense

idrivea9

So what is a guy who has the pleasure of living up in the mountains to do???? I find it takes about 4 wooden matches to get my cigar going...

Brian

urbino

I'd still contact the manufacturer.