With the exception of the cigar people out there who use wood matches to light up, most cigar lovers tend to use torch flame lighters. It doesn’t matter if you’ve got an expensive S.T. Dupont or a $10 Ronson Jetlite torch lighter, you want it to fire up right away every time. For this to happen you’ve got to have a spark, air, and butane fuel. For this post, I’m going to talk about what to look for when shopping for butane, some of the differences in butane fuel, and answer the question: does butane quality matter?
Does Butane Quality Matter?
The short answer is yes, butane quality matters. Butane is kind of like the gas that you put in your car. At the gas station pump, there are usually three different grades of fuel. Most of the time even the cheaper or lower octane fuel is fine to put in your car. At most gas stations the gas you get has been obviously refined and filtered and is pretty good quality.
When it comes to quality butane brands you can expect the same thing you get at a reputable gas station. Some brands are a little better than others and sometimes it just comes down to preference. Basically, you already know that everything is going to be good for your torch.
Using cheap butane is a lot like driving past the gas station and deciding to buy your gas from a dude who is selling it out of a rusty 50-gallon drum off the side of the highway. The gas may be somewhat refined, but who knows what impurities and residues are that fuel that is going to end up in the engine? You may save a couple of bucks, but chances are you’re going to have problems in the long run.
Many cheap butane brands have been refined to a point, but they also contain a ton of impurities and residue that will clog up fuel flow and burners. Your lighter won’t stop working immediately, but over time your lighter is going to suffer.
What To Look For When Shopping For Quality Butane
When you start shopping for butane you’ll most likely see claims from different butane brands about their level of refinement.
A common claim by brands is 3X,5X, and even 15X refined butane. I will tell you that you could “refine” butane 1000X and still have a ton of impurities in it. Yes, the butane needs to be refined, but it also needs to be filtered. Multiple refinements can reduce the impurities and eliminate water particles left in the butane, but it won’t make the butane completely clean.
One of the things I would suggest you look for is the level of impurities in the butane. Colibri, as an example, says that butane only has impurities at a measurement of 6 parts per million.
Not all manufacturers advertise how many parts per million of impurities are in their butane, but that doesn’t mean they are low quality. Vector, a brand I switched to about a year ago, says they have a 14 step filtering process. They don’t mention impurities and percentages, but I think it’s an awesome brand of butane.
Lastly, don’t just take my word for it. Do a little research by reading some reviews or checking out some cigar forums. Cigar people love to help out with suggestions.
Why Is Refined Butane Better
Using quality refined butane in your lighter is the only way you’ll be able to get the most out of your torch. You’ll have a more consistent flame, it can lengthen the life of your torch, and makes any troubleshooting easier. I say this because if you have an issue like a popping flame you’ll already have a good idea that it’s probably just air in the system and not a clog.
What Quality Butane Brand Is Best
I honestly don’t think I can answer this question because there are a bunch of great brands. I have my preferences and have only tried 10 or so brands over the past fifteen or so years. The only thing I can do here is to tell you what I use and point you to a post I wrote about the top 5 butane brands which cover some solid suggestions.
For my daily use lighters, I use 2 brands. I use Xikar Purofane and Vector. The reason I use two different brands is the fact that Xikar uses a plastic fill nozzle and Vector uses a metal one.
Shop Vector Butane at Amazon.com
Shop Xikar Butane at Amazon.com
Some torch lighters seem to fill easier with the plastic nozzle and some don’t. As an example, My Xikar lighters obviously fill better with the Xikar nozzle. On the other hand, my Vertigo Attache fills better with the metal nozzle from Vector Butane. Scorch Torch lighters seem to fill easily with either type of nozzle.
One of the great things about using a brand like Vector is that there are 5 nozzle adapters in the cap so it’s easy to fill almost any lighter.
I probably use the Vector butane now more than any other brand and would recommend it to anyone looking for a brand recommendation.
To Sum Up It All Up
Yes, butane quality matters. It matters because it’s going to keep you lighter clean, internally anyway. There are a ton of butane brands that make big claims but don’t hold up under scrutiny. The legit butane brands have incredibly low impurities and are not only refined but also filtered.
As always, don’t just take my word for it, but do a little research on your own!
Thanks for checking out this post! If you have something to add or questions drop them in the comments below or hit me up on the contact page.