What are the Pros and Cons of each different torch?

[Jacinthe]

I work on a HotHead and love it.

Pros
- It is slow enough for a new glass worker to learn how to control the glass and not have the glass control them.
- It has a wide bushy flame
- It is one of the cheapest torches on the market
- It can be used with MAPP gas and propane (bulk works best)
- Easy setup

Cons
- It is NOISEY (I call mine my little fire breathing dragon)
- The flame is not as hot as an oxy/propane torch



Feel free to post your Pros and Cons for different torches. Its great to hear about different types of torches.

[alexm]

I want to add one thing to Sarah's list on the Hot Head: you can't adjust the flame chemistry, it's always got a reducing flame.

Here are some of my observations on some torches I've worked on.

Nortel Minor: a nice beginner's oxy-propane torch. It's easy to adjust the flame, but I can't get a pinpoint flame on this torch, when I try to adjust the flame to a very small flame, it loses focus and becomes an unfocused flame. Easy to do reduction.

GTT Bobcat: My favorite little torch. It burns hotter than the Minor, hot enough to do small boro beads easily. I can adjust the flame much smaller than the flame on the Minor without losing the focus of the flame, allowing me to work with very small detail. The Bobcat has a focused flame, so if you are looking for a bushy flame, this is not the torch for you.

GTT Lynx: It burns hotter than the Bobcat. I can adjust the flame to a pinpoint for very small work, but at the same time I can turn this torch up to work boro beads. The Lynx has a focused flame, so if you are looking for a bushy flame, this is not the torch for you.