Is the Benzomatic JT850 the best?

[jnoble]

Seems to be the best for igniting charcoal.

Ideas, comments?

Anybody using one?

John N

[Syzygies]

That's funny, my old torch (doubles for sweating copper pipes) had stripped its threads. I almost replaced it, bought the JT850 instead today, just before your post.

On a test drive as soon as I got home, it sure did a faster job of lighting charcoal than I'd had available before.

Jiarby (Glenn Butler) shows up at competitions with a Rambo-style flame thrower that makes the JT850 look like a toy, but he'd certainly approve of the JT850's use in our amateur hands.

[Conodo12]

I have the TS8000 but I don't worry about getting my hands in the fire. The JT850 will keep you and your hands out of the firebox. I personally use my TS8000 for more than the KK - Odd jobs around the house so it is a good fit for me.

I would suggest that you go with MAPP over propane - faster light times!

[mguerra]

trick

Here's a trick for getting a hot grilling fire going really fast. Fill a charcoal chimney about 1/3 full and hit it from below with a torch. Once it's going a little from the bottom, fill it up and then hit it from the top. That chimney will be raging in a very few minutes. Dump that out and spread it over a basket full of lump.

[JeffB]

I have the TS8000 but I don't worry about getting my hands in the fire. The JT850 will keep you and your hands out of the firebox. I personally use my TS8000 for more than the KK - Odd jobs around the house so it is a good fit for me.

I first used a TS4000 for lighting my fire since I already had it. Then I ran into some popping charcoal and managed to be lucky enough to have a lit piece pop up into the air and land just beyond my gauntlet gloves burning a dime sized crater in my arm. I went out the next day and bought a JT850. The long reach makes it much safer to use. It is also more relaxing since you can rest the torch tube on the lip of the cooker while you wait for it to light.

I would suggest that you go with MAPP over propane - faster light times!

The higher the temperature the more likely charcoal is to pop. That is why I use propane instead of MAPP. Besides, propane is a heck of a lot cheaper.

[Syzygies]

Oxygen

I have to admit, at the aisle in Lowes where I bought my new torch, I stared and stared at the oxygen canisters.

The potential of oxygen was first documented on the web in 1995, in this classic video that disappeared for a while, then surfaced on youtube:

I was simply thinking of feeding oxygen in gas form to an already lit fire, perhaps through a JT850. Not wanting to qualify for the Darwin Awards, I retreated to a more conventional solution.

[Conodo12]

I first used a TS4000 for lighting my fire since I already had it. Then I ran into some popping charcoal and managed to be lucky enough to have a lit piece pop up into the air and land just beyond my gauntlet gloves burning a dime sized crater in my arm.

The higher the temperature the more likely charcoal is to pop. That is why I use propane instead of MAPP. Besides, propane is a heck of a lot cheaper.

Jeff - to your dime sized crater in your arm I will simply say, "Ouch" and that sucks! But, you know what they say - no pain, er, no pain!

Seriously, I have experienced some popping lump in my life and it will happen again. One thing that I have found is that you can safely set the TS8000 in the grill upside down and let her flame away at the coals. As for the cost of MAPP being more, well I think that might be debatable. I light a fire faster with MAPP than I had with propane. Therefore, aren't I using less MAPP per light than propane? Maybe balances out and I get to cooking faster! The JT850 takes MAPP or propane. Maybe with the JT850 and MAPP you get the safety and quick light!

[JeffB]

Jeff - to your dime sized crater in your arm I will simply say, "Ouch" and that sucks! But, you know what they say - no pain, er, no pain!

Strange thing is it actually didn't really hurt. It instantly burned a crater and cauterized itself at the same time. The spot was numb but there really wasn't any pain. No real scar either so I consider the whole thing a nice warning.

As for the cost of MAPP being more, well I think that might be debatable. I light a fire faster with MAPP than I had with propane. Therefore, aren't I using less MAPP per light than propane? Maybe balances out and I get to cooking faster! The JT850 takes MAPP or propane. Maybe with the JT850 and MAPP you get the safety and quick light!

Yeah, there are a number of variables in the cost calculation, time being one of them. However, I suspect that the overall difference in "time to grill" would be negligible in the end. I suspect that flame size is probably more important than temperature, at least at the temperature differentials we are talking about for MAPP versus propane. But the only way to know for sure would be to experiment (which would probably be pretty fun).

On the actual dollar side of things the difference between propane and MAPP is a couple bucks for a small bottle in my area. The cost difference is much more dramatic if you refill your own small propane bottles (as someone linked to in another thread). You might be able to do that with MAPP as well but I can't say I have seen large containers of MAPP. A welding supply shop/gas supplier probably stocks that but I imagine the costs would be pretty high. The ubiquity of propane definitely has some advantages, but as you said, a lot of torches can take both so why not have fun experimenting.

[jehlinger]

I've been using this for years. In fact, I have two extra to make sure if it's discontinued I have backups.

http://www.harborfreight.com/propane-torch-with-push-button-igniter-91037.html

The handle is not as long as the JT850, but you don't need it. I use this with the charcoal in place and the grill grate in place as well. The flame coming out is long enough to reach the charcoal from above the grill. Hot coals in 5 minutes. Yet it's still very efficient with propane, 20lb bottle lasts me about a year with 2-3 starts per week.

[LarryR]

Re: trick

Here's a trick for getting a hot grilling fire going really fast. Fill a charcoal chimney about 1/3 full and hit it from below with a torch. Once it's going a little from the bottom' date=' fill it up and then hit it from the top. That chimney will be raging in a very few minutes. Dump that out and spread it over a basket full of lump.[/quote']

How are you hitting the coals from the bottom of the chimney? I've been using Weber cubes and I'm thinking about switching to a torch.

I bought a hand torch a couple of years ago but every time I turn it over to light the coals it goes out. So I think I bought the wrong unit for this application.

[bryan]

This one really works for me.

http://www.harborfreight.com/propane-to ... 91037.html

If you use the "push-button" it reacts like a jet aircraft. The more you goose it the hotter the jet.

Not using the "push-button" you can dial down to almost zero flame.

[bryan]

See my post Sept 05,2010 2:24

http://www.komodokamado.com/forum/viewt ... highlight=

20 percent off coupon found on web. If you don't find coupon email me and I'll look for a copy. It was on front of Sept mailer issue 4761-1.

[bryan]

See my post Sept 05,2010 2:24

http://www.komodokamado.com/forum/viewt ... highlight=

20 percent off coupon found on web. If you don't find coupon email me and I'll look for a copy. It was on front of Sept mailer issue 4761-1.

http://dealspl.us/harborfreight-coupons/108017p expires 12/31/10

[mguerra]

My chimney has holes in the bottom plate. I shoot the fire up through the holes sequentially, while holding the chimney at about a 45 degree angle. Some chimneys have a wire bottom which is easier to shoot through.

[mguerra]

Larry;

Sometimes a torch will go out when turned over to light the coals. That is not a design phenomenon. To prove it, turn the torch over while holding it out in open air. The flame will not go out. What happens is you use up all the combustible oxygen when holding a torch deep down in a grill, unless you have all the vents wide open, and all the ash knocked out if using a previous bed of coals. You just need plenty of fresh air and good air flow to sustain the flame.

[bryan]

Larry;

Sometimes a torch will go out when turned over to light the coals. That is not a design phenomenon. To prove it, turn the torch over while holding it out in open air. The flame will not go out. What happens is you use up all the combustible oxygen when holding a torch deep down in a grill, unless you have all the vents wide open, and all the ash knocked out if using a previous bed of coals. You just need plenty of fresh air and good air flow to sustain the flame.

The torch from HF will not go out.

[rorkin]

I do not know what is best but this torch works for me...

It least you can stand away from the KK and put the lid down a bit..

The charcoal if it has any moisture in it will spark and send a small shower of sparks from time to time which you want to get out of the way of

[bryan]

I do not know what is best but this torch works for me...

It least you can stand away from the KK and put the lid down a bit..

The charcoal if it has any moisture in it will spark and send a small shower of sparks from time to time which you want to get out of the way of

By dialing the "torch" control down I find I have no spark problem. Hope this helps.

[john noble]

Re: Is the Benzomatic JT850 the best?

I also found that my flame would go out. It was because I had a hand torch connected to a one pound propane cylinder. When I turned the torch upside down, or even below ninety degrees, the liquid would flow down and seal the entrance to the torch. So no vapour form fuel was going out to the torch.

I solved it by placing a five pound propane ball on the ground and running a six foot flexible rubber hose, from the ball to the hand torch. Now the torch is supplied with propane in vapour form, no matter how I turn the torch around.

by the way, today I finally ordered my KK. yay!

[mguerra]

Re: Is the Benzomatic JT850 the best?

That seems an odd phenomenon. The contents of the torch are under pressure higher than atmospheric. When you open the valve, the contents should come forcefully out. And vaporize in so doing, as the pressure the outgoing propane encounters is atmospheric. The concept of a liquid "plug" is at odds with physics. I have a cigar lighter with a clear tank. You can hold it upside down such that the liquid butane is at the bottom where the jet is and a gas pocket is at the top and it fires just fine. Strange.