$300 lighter vs $3 lighter
I’m sitting here smoking an Alec Bradley and I lit it with my $3 gas station torch lighter. I’ve had the lighter for a little bit and it’s taking a lot of clicks to stay lit. Naturally I’m thinking about getting a proper lighter so I don’t have to continue fighting with this lighter or use matches. Scrolling through the website for lighters, I see some are hundreds of dollars. I can’t help but wonder what makes them worth $300. I can only assume reliability plays a roll but still $300 much of a roll? Matches are how many cents? To the experts here, what makes a $300 lighter worth $300?
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Make sure that you purge your lighter before refilling it. You may be able to restore the performance of your gas station torch using this tip. Here's the first video I ran across showing how to do this. Some lighters need to be purged every time and some hardly ever but when your flame goes out or you have flame that seems to be riding on air it's a safe bet that you might want to look at purging your lighter.
I don't see much need to spend three bills on a lighter, you should be able to pick up a good lighter for much less, especially if you shop the Devil's Site and don't care about picking up a lighter with branding like my 5 Vegas Vector Triple Flame Desktop Lighter. I also like my XIKAR® Turrim 5x64 Double-jet Lighter. Both these lighters are larger and hold more fuel so that you don't need to fill them so often.
Nothing makes a lighter worth $300, unless you have FU money and want to show it off at your lounge. There is a big difference in the butane you put in it. I live in the northeast and when it starts to get cold this time of year, butane is everything. I use a $5 triple flame off CBid and the Xikar high performance in the black can. Not sure where you live or smoke, but best I have found in cold temps. I also keep the lighter in a hoodie or jacket pocket while I am smoking if I can.
My favorite cigar list here
The more expensive they are, the more disappointment you will feel when they act up, and they ALL act up. One common problem is incorrect purging and refills. Once you get the hang of that, the remaining problems are fewer but more obscure and harder to diagnose. So, my advice is to keep it reasonably priced. The basic traveling combo I have settled on after a dozen years of research... is a cheap pair of lighters used for each of their separate talents. One is a firebird quad torch for toasting, and one is a firebird single torch for touchups. Both can be had for $5 on an auction site, and neither is unique. I could probably find similar types to do the same job from other brands but the firebirds seem to perform well, (I haven't had to toss one out yet,) I keep that duo in my travel bag and I have a separate pair ready at home next to my lazy boy.
I recently purchased a Xikar HP3 lighter for around $80. It is much better and easier lighting than the $15 Vertigo something-or-other I purchased when I first started smoking, but it is not without issue. It uses a LOT of butane, and the flame adjustment is finicky. There's very little adjustment between a good flame (plus a lot of butane) and a flame that won't stay lit, especially when the reservoir is getting low. One thing I have recently determined is, if the lighter is cold (I leave it on my enclosed but unheated porch), it doesn't want to light, burn consistently, or stay lit. Holding it in my fist for a few minutes to warm it up causes it to light and burn well. Like Bob says, when even an $80 lighter acts up, it is frustrating.
I'm happy with this insert for a zippo lighter,
https://lighterusa.com/products/z-plus-torch-flame-insert-double-flame
It seems that everyone agrees that $300 is best saved for a good box of cigars and you can find a much better deal on lighters.
The best lighter I've ever had is a $7 lighter from a convenience store. $100+ for a lighter is just silly.
Trapped in the People's Communist Republic of Massachusetts.
I agree with the sentiment of most of these replies; there's no point in paying 'stupid money' for a lighter. At the same time, I would gladly wager that 99% of us have paid what would be considered 'stupid money' for some hobby/interest in our lives that most people just don't understand - and I'm not talking cigars. Guns, cars, tools, hi-fi, golf, fishing/boats... the list goes on and on, spending more money than necessary, simply because it kinda makes sense. I have this little jingle that I sing to myself often, "Just because I can, and because I want to".
I own a $200 board game that no one in my life would ever play with me just because I like the way it looks on my shelf...
At any given time the urge to sing "In The Jungle" is just a whim away... A whim away... A whim away...
I wholeheartedly agree with everything everybody said so far… Even buying something just because you can. However, the cheaper lighters are just, well cheaper, in the long run. An expensive lighter is nice to have if it’s something that you will enjoy… Doesn’t mean it’s better quality than the cheaper lighters, I wholeheartedly agree that the type of butane you use is very important…don’t cheap out on that and you should be good to go. What I have done in the past is decide do I want a single, double, triple, quadruple torch… Soft flame… Angled, straight up, adjustable…flat, wide flame…skinny, tall, short, fat , round , square body…little or a lot of fluid…etc etc The point is find what you like and buy it. IMHO I’d rather spend the $$ on cigars.
A good cigar and whiskey solve most problems.
A friend gave me this lighter for my birthday. It's a 4-jet Xifei, and so far it's very nice. $34.
I just used it to spark this Johnny Tobacconaut, also from him.
I only use the S.T. Dupont James Bond LE Ligne 2 Lighter in gold. Anyone who uses anything less is a chump and is a broke as$
Pfffttt… peasant. I wouldn’t light a candle with a DuPont…
@Rdp77 Rusty only uses the Arc of the Covenant for his tobacco sparking needs.
Nolite Oblivisci Peniculus Dentes
A few years ago I was gifted a S.T. Dupont maxijet. I can’t bring myself to fill it, let alone use it. The best lighter in my opinion (gift from **** Calvin @CalvinAndHobo) is the vector Duke. Has both a torch and soft flame plus durable as hell. It was rereleased so picked one up for when the one I have eventually craps out. Love these, thank you Calvin!
MOW badge received.
New vs currant. I have dropped this thing more times than I can count including into a pool of citronella candle wax. Still works great! Plus I only have to carry one lighter.
MOW badge received.
And he still uses a Bic lighter
My favorite cigar list here
Buy 300 $1 lighters and you won't need to think about it for a looong time.
Trapped in the People's Communist Republic of Massachusetts.
Zippo lighter $18, butane insert $15. Does the trick.
The obstacle is the way.
Have a brand new xikar single torch that I only filled once. Went to refill it and was doing it one handed. Lighter fell over and something from the bottom, I'm assuming a plastic o-ring, went flying. Couldn't find it. Lighter won't fill now, gas just goes everywhere. Anyone know where I can find a replacement o-ring for it?. I'd really hate to toss it.
Trapped in the People's Communist Republic of Massachusetts.
NASA? I think they had a supply that they didn’t use. Be careful. You don’t want a catastrophic failure.
The obstacle is the way.
If it’s brand new I’d try getting a replacement. I’m not sure if Xikar actually still covers them like they used to since China bought them out but you might be able to exchange it where you bought it. Most lighters these days aren’t made to fix, even Xikars.
I would see if you can get a replacement o-ring or a repair from Xikar, failing that maybe look at tiny o-ring assortment kits at a hardware store or Harbor Freight.
Universal o-ring repair kit:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/185941012939?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=ZkVz_ot0R2m&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=ztxFZJ_6RfW&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
The obstacle is the way.
Xikar lighters, got several that don't work. Overpriced Chinese crap. I've had much better luck with Jetline and Vertigo.
Don't let the wife know what you spend on guns, ammo or cigars.
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Trapped in the People's Communist Republic of Massachusetts.
The obstacle is the way.
They claim they never got the last on I sent in. USPS says it was delivered. The one before that worked for a little while.
Don't let the wife know what you spend on guns, ammo or cigars.
@Ksqsmoking is correct, @ShawnOL.
Go to that website and fill out the form and it'll give you an address to send your lighter to. Magically, it'll come back 12 weeks later. Brand new. You don't have to show receipts of purchase or anything else. I did it once with a table top lighter, triple flame $100 jobby. Third time I used it. It fell off the grill onto the pavement. Came back a couple months later. Brand new.
The only way to torch a cigar
