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Stove Lighter?

Post in 'The Gear' started by xman23, Jan 2, 2013.

  1. xman23 Feeling the Heat

    joined: Oct 7, 2008
    462 posts
    Lackawaxen PA
    Just tried 4 long reach lighters before getting one to stay lit long enough to light a fire starter. I've got piles of them, every brand, they are cheep, but all of them are junk.

    Any one have a lighter that works?
    #1

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  2. colin.p Burning Hunk

    joined: Feb 26, 2011
    149 posts
    Ottawa Canada
    propane torch?
    Scols, mizzou, Bacffin and 3 others like this.
  3. Shmudda Member

    joined: Dec 6, 2009
    78 posts
    Western Pennsylvania
    Thats what I use.....works the best and lasts the longest!!......

    Craig
    Thistle likes this.
  4. WES999 Minister of Fire

    joined: Jan 12, 2008
    757 posts
    Mass north of Boston
    The lighters I tried all sucked wind.
    Propane torch is the only way to go, get the heavy duty one, TS8000 works great.
    Fifelaker and Thistle like this.
  5. Boog Powell Minister of Fire

    joined: Oct 31, 2012
    561 posts
    NE Ohio
    The Wayne Oil Burner on my Charmaster Wood/Oil combo works real nice.......................... couldn't resist... >>

    wayne.1.jpg

    If any of you are familiar with these furnaces you will note that I have removed the thermostatically controlled gizmos to the draft door and run it at a "steady state" with a simple threaded bolt. Also installed a 95% efficient propane job next to it this summer as my backup now. Three fuel setup.
    PA Fire Bug likes this.
  6. Boom Stick Feeling the Heat

    joined: Oct 26, 2011
    270 posts
    Capital Region, NY
    Propane torch......why play with bull$h!t? I use the short fat tanks so it is nice and stable..........in my second season on 1 tank.
    Thistle likes this.
  7. Thistle Minister of Fire

    joined: Dec 16, 2010
    3,902 posts
    Central IA
    I also prefer the short fat tanks. $3 bottle of propane will normally last me 5-6 months.That includes several other uses around the property.Burning weeds between cracks in driveway,heating up a piece of steel to bend it in vise or anvil,lighting weber kettle or smoker.
    OldLumberKid and Scotty Overkill like this.
  8. midwestcoast Minister of Fire

    joined: Oct 9, 2009
    1,389 posts
    NW Indiana
    Do you guys keep the torch in the stove room? Not trying to troll, I just don't know where I'd put one except to be within 5 feet of the stove with my fire starters. I think it'd make me nervous.
    I'm frustrated with the cheap BBQ lighters too. I tried a little Bernzomatic torch last year and it quit working in less time than the lighters do...
  9. ridemgis Member

    Long stove matches work pretty well for me.
    keninmich likes this.
  10. fabsroman Minister of Fire

    joined: Jun 1, 2011
    942 posts
    West Friendship, Maryland
    lol - have a propane torch in the basement and did not even think of using it. Used it for the plumbing on the water heater and it is sitting about 10 feet from the furnace. Been using a really crappy lighter that has been driving me nuts. Time to use the propane torch. Sometimes, something is so obvious that it cannot be comprehended, like in my case. Second time this week I have felt like a moron. Once for confusing .03 for .3 and now this. Thanks OP for the thread and thanks to the rest of you guys for the propane torch suggestion.
    OldLumberKid likes this.
  11. jackatc1 Member

    joined: Aug 15, 2011
    163 posts
    Port Crane ny
    Strike anywere wood match and a piece of yellow birch bark, WHOOSH done.
  12. suprz Member

    joined: Sep 24, 2012
    195 posts
    Rhode island
    Same here! Light the match, light the fatwood, watch the fire...
    Scotty Overkill likes this.
  13. firefighterjake Minister of Fire

    joined: Jul 22, 2008
    13,464 posts
    Unity/Bangor, Maine
    Regular box of kitchen matches . . . although I haven't had to use them for some time now.
    Scotty Overkill likes this.
  14. wh401 New Member

    joined: Oct 16, 2012
    30 posts
    Southern Maryland
    The long stick stove matches work pretty well for me.
  15. bboulier Feeling the Heat

    joined: Feb 9, 2010
    436 posts
    NE Virginia
    Until this year I have always used regular kitchen or long stove matches. However, I bought a medium Big Green Egg in the spring. It is much easier to start with Rutland Fire Starter squares (cheaper and apparently identical to the Big Green Egg brand) using a long reach lighter. I bought a two-pack of Kingsford lighers on sale at Walmart several months ago. They work well, are reliable for starting the Egg or my charcoal chimney for the Weber kettle, and seem to have a long length of life. I now use them for starting Super Cedars in my stove conveniently. Of course, I am always tempted to buy a MAPP torch for the excitement!
  16. nate379 Minister of Fire

    joined: Sep 21, 2010
    3,986 posts
    Palmer, Alaska
    The 3 for $1 BBQ lighters seem to work just fine with my stove. They don't have a ton of fuel in them, think I went through 2 last year.
  17. PapaDave Minister of Fire

    Cheapie BBQ long nosed lighter I get locally for $1.19.
    I get at least a year out of 'em.
  18. Hearth Mistress Minister of Fire

    joined: Jan 24, 2012
    579 posts
    Point Pleasant, PA (SE PA)
    Hum. I use long matches when I need them. I have a MAPP gas torch, but I use that to work glass, never lit my stove with it!
  19. Fifelaker Member

    joined: Oct 3, 2011
    178 posts
    NW Mi
    I also use the TS8000 pricey but worth it. years ago I bought an adapter to fill the cylinders from the BBQ 20# tank. Iast time I did the math it was under $0.40 to fill a small cylinder. http://maccoupler.com/ You freeze your small cyl. attach every thing together, invert your 20# open valve when the hissing stops, close valve, unscrew your small cyl and you now have a full cyl.
  20. Scotty Overkill firewood hoarder

    joined: Sep 24, 2011
    6,777 posts
    central PA
    I used to use a propane torch (which worked awesome, it served a dual purpuose as you could also use it to pre-heat your stove pipe to help start draft). Then up at camp my buddy (who has since passed on from cancer) used to make the sawdust/candle wax starters and they worked awesome. This year, I made a pile of fatwood out of some ancient barn beams, I have a 50lb box of them, and all you need is a single match.......voilla! Couple of slivers of kindling (made from 2x4 scraps from the living room resto), couple of small splits and you are off to the races.

    Next year, I'm gonna try lintballs with flint and steel......try to make it more of a challenge, no matches at all!!
  21. HeatsTwice Feeling the Heat

    joined: Jan 7, 2008
    493 posts
    Santa Rosa, California
    Thats exactly what I do. Durring the summer I hit local garage sales and buy wax for pennies per pound - usually they just give it away if you stop by late Sunday afternoons. I've cut a couple of metal gutters in half, fill them up with noodles (saw dust shavings), put the wax in a metal oil pan (harbor freight $4), put that on an old BBQ, and pour the molten wax in the gutter. Once solid, I use a hachet to cut the wax/noodle bars into cubes. Makes about 60 lb in about 1 hour. I call them "stove grenades". One match and forget about it. Those things would ignite petrified wood.
    Scotty Overkill likes this.
  22. BrotherBart He Who Moderates

    joined: Nov 18, 2005
    21,915 posts
    Northern Virginia
    I use the long nosed lighters from the dollar store. The same one has lasted three years. So far. Touch it to a piece of Super Cedar and fuggidiboutit.
    PapaDave likes this.
  23. fossil Super Moderator

    joined: Sep 30, 2007
    9,138 posts
    Bend, Oregon
    Ditto. No problems. Use 'em for the gas grill, too, since the built-in piezo-electric thing lasted about 19 minutes. ;lol
    PapaDave likes this.
  24. Danno77 Minister of Fire

    joined: Oct 27, 2008
    4,749 posts
    Hamilton, IL
    Ditto for me too, on all accounts.

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