The Five Best Jewelry Soldering Torches

My first choice was this quite professional looking butane torch made in Taiwan.

The first thing that caught my attention was the flame control. I was impressed that you could adjust the flame down to a very fine pinpoint flame, but could also crank up the power to get a hefty blow-torch flame. This little torch could readily handle a wide range of projects.

This torch is quite unique in that the housing and flame adjustment are very compact and well encased. This makes the flame windproof so the torch can be used for outdoor work and cooking.

I can see they put a lot into the design of this torch, as it has a child safety ignition feature which they have gotten CPSC certification for.

I wouldn’t hesitate to consider this a professional class torch. (And when I finish my soldering, I think I will set the flame to blow torch and make myself a crème brûlée.)

Other features include:

• Safety lock system and electric piezo ignition.
• Water Resistant Piezo Electronic Ignition System
• Internal brass body and ceramic parts to ensure long life.
• Hands-free Lever-Safety Button
• Large fuel capacity that can keep this torch running for 170 minutes.
• Reaches a maximum temperature of 2372 degrees Fahrenheit (1300 C.)

This is another nifty little hand-held butane torch; quite versatile and handy for DIY and hobby projects. It also has a variable temperature and flame control for use in both torch and flame mode.

It has an integrated ignition button which starts quite smoothly. The piezo ignition seems to be standard with all the torches we looked at, so an independent ignition tool is not required.

The VersaFlame torch has a large fuel tank capacity, (42 ml - 22g.) so with standard butane gas can run for up to 75 minutes. The flame will reach 2200°F

This torch kit comes as a kit with other accessories including a hot air housing and a flame disperser so the torch can be used for heat shrinking as well. Also included in the kit is a storage case, solder, tins and wrenches.

Dremel has been a fairly reliable company, based in the UK, with decent quality products and mostly positive reviews. I don’t think you could go wrong with the Dremel Versa Flame 2200 – 4, but I would compare their price points before buying, so we put it at number two on our list.

This torch has a smaller flame than the other torches we looked at, but its precise flame works well for small projects. You won’t get the blast that you may want for soldering larger items, but you may prefer the tight and sharp flame for delicate work. It can be used as a hot air blower if you want to use it for heat-shrinking of tubing, but it doesn’t really put out the large volume of heat you would want for bigger projects.

It does have a safety button feature, but some found the mechanism a bit inconvenient. Quite a few reviews also mentioned that they have had problems with the igniter. One review suggested using an external lighter to light the flame, but that seems like it would be a real pain.

As this torch is backed with a 3-year warranty, and is manufactured in United States by a name brand company, I think its reasonable price should make it a safe purchase option. As a solid torch with a few minor concerns, we ranked the Bernz-O-Matic ST2200T at number three.

Here is another torch that looks promising, being promoted as a “Three-in-One Micro Butane Torch” including a Precision Flame Tip, Hot Blow Tip & Solder Tip.

This light weight torch has a comfortable grip and comes with a table top stand. It has a child-resistant automatic ignition system with a flame adjustment to control the wind-resistant flame. It has a Continuous Flame Hold Switch which allows for hands-free operation and will run for approximately 90 minutes on each refill.

The torch is lighter, and does not seem as sturdy as some of the other torches.

Other than these basics, trying to get clear product information on the sites selling it is a bit confusing. Some sites claim it is a three-in-one kit, but only show the torch. So it seems this product may only be sold as the torch alone. I am also finding mixed product reviews so am a bit hesitant to buy.

It does come with a one-year warranty though, so should be a reliable tool. We are including it as our fourth pick.

To round out the evaluations, I felt it was worth giving honorable mention to this compact oxygen-propane torch kit. With an oxygen-propane torch, you will end up spending about three times the price of a butane handheld torch. But if you are going to be doing a lot of welding and want to invest in an entry-level oxygen-propane torch I would suggest going with the Smith Little Torch for Jewelry Repair.

This oxygen-propane torch can be adjusted to a fairly broad range of flame sizes. One thing to consider is that a propane torch will give higher flame temperatures than a butane torch; up to 4600°F compared to 2,600 °F with butane. This can make a big difference if you will be putting in many hours welding or soldering where speed is a concern.

If you can get used to maneuvering the torch with its gas tubing, you can take advantage of the higher flame temperatures and variable flame sizes that this propane torch offers. This light-weight Little Torch gives easy maneuverability in small work areas.

Another feature of the Little Torch is that it can be used with a variety of commercially available fuels including acetylene, hydrogen, propane, propylene, Mapp, or natural gas, but a separate pressure regulator would need to be purchased for each fuel used.

One thing I found a bit inconvenient was that without some sort of stand to hold the torch while welding, I could not do hands-free welding. Also, without a stand, I needed to be mindful where I would lay the torch down while not using it. However, the manufacturer does have a stand you can purchase separately.

All things considered, The Smith Little Torch Oxygen-Propane torch was the most versatile propane torch in its price range. As an option to consider we included it on our list at number five.