Tiki Torch Questions..... - General Tiki

S SugarCaddyDaddy Member Huntington Beach, California Joined: Jun 03, 2002 Posts: 1500	S SugarCaddyDaddy Posted posted on Mon, Apr 21, 2003 12:17 PM GT~ Good question for those that haven't purchased torches yet. For me I now use Tiki Corporation's Torches. I prefer this black style, since it is the design of choice for me: You can get these at Target, Smart 'n Final, Sav-on, Rite-Aid, Wal-Mart, etc.. Fairly easy to find. I have used the rattan style, and have seen the brass & the aluminum/silver metal ones. All of the fuel-type work the same. You fill the canister up, pop/screw the top on, adjust the wicker and light. As Swanky said, wicker height is important. I keep mine at about 1/2" exposed too, since I am looking to set mood lighting, not smokey joe's backyard bonfire. So shop, set your budget and see which style you like. I'm sure you've seen the mini-torches for table tops: One word of caution...Don't use these on any of the plastic outdoor tables! These are very, very lightweight torches that get top-heavy after filling the canister with fluid, and they tip over VERY easily. If you must put it on a table, make sure its a very heavy table that doesn't shake if someone bumps into it. As for the CitroPane torches you mentioned on the link, yeah, I've seen them work. They are very cool and can give you that "big wave of flame", but it's really expensive in the long run since you must buy canisters of CitroPane to use on these. Oh, and one other thing about them on their design: You can actually unscrew the flame adjuster if you turn it too far! Who wants to be the one to try to rescrew that little knob while a big flame is going just because you turned the knob too far? These are in some of our local stores and you'll usually find one or more without the flame adjuster even on it. Either it fell off or someone unscrewed it all the way off. The permanent gas torches? I have a friend who owns a plumbing business and he has installed gas lines for many of the Hoity Toity homes along the Newport Coast. They are expensive to install, BUT you do NOT have the convenience in changing the landscape lighting. Once they are installed, that's it. You can't just relocate the torch when you feel like it. If you've got the budget for it, then go for it. If not, keep it simple and go for the under $12 torches. You can actually buy brand new ones every year for as low as $2 each starting at the end of August, since almost all of the stores start their clearance sales to make way for the fall season inventory. This is also when I stock up on the fuel too for the next year. FireChief SCD says: ~make sure there's a clearance of at least 3 feet all around your torch. ~don't set your torch under ANY structure. ~use loooooong matchsticks to light your torch. ~don't fill your canister that holds your fuel up to the very top. Better to fill 3/4 of the way. ~buy a fire extinguisher, would ya? Better safe than sorry. ~look both ways before crossing the road. Just my 2 coconuts worth, Torchin'CaddyDaddy I'll Put In On My Schedule! [ Edited by: SugarCaddyDaddy on 2003-04-21 12:41 ]

GT~
Good question for those that haven't purchased torches yet.

For me I now use Tiki Corporation's Torches. I prefer this black style, since it is the design of choice for me:

You can get these at Target, Smart 'n Final, Sav-on, Rite-Aid, Wal-Mart, etc.. Fairly easy to find. I have used the rattan style, and have seen the brass & the aluminum/silver metal ones. All of the fuel-type work the same. You fill the canister up, pop/screw the top on, adjust the wicker and light. As Swanky said, wicker height is important. I keep mine at about 1/2" exposed too, since I am looking to set mood lighting, not smokey joe's backyard bonfire. So shop, set your budget and see which style you like.

I'm sure you've seen the mini-torches for table tops:

One word of caution...Don't use these on any of the plastic outdoor tables! These are very, very lightweight torches that get top-heavy after filling the canister with fluid, and they tip over VERY easily. If you must put it on a table, make sure its a very heavy table that doesn't shake if someone bumps into it.

As for the CitroPane torches you mentioned on the link, yeah, I've seen them work. They are very cool and can give you that "big wave of flame", but it's really expensive in the long run since you must buy canisters of CitroPane to use on these. Oh, and one other thing about them on their design: You can actually unscrew the flame adjuster if you turn it too far! Who wants to be the one to try to rescrew that little knob while a big flame is going just because you turned the knob too far? These are in some of our local stores and you'll usually find one or more without the flame adjuster even on it. Either it fell off or someone unscrewed it all the way off.

The permanent gas torches? I have a friend who owns a plumbing business and he has installed gas lines for many of the Hoity Toity homes along the Newport Coast. They are expensive to install, BUT you do NOT have the convenience in changing the landscape lighting. Once they are installed, that's it. You can't just relocate the torch when you feel like it.

If you've got the budget for it, then go for it. If not, keep it simple and go for the under $12 torches. You can actually buy brand new ones every year for as low as $2 each starting at the end of August, since almost all of the stores start their clearance sales to make way for the fall season inventory. This is also when I stock up on the fuel too for the next year.

FireChief SCD says:
~make sure there's a clearance of at least 3 feet all around your torch.
~don't set your torch under ANY structure.
~use loooooong matchsticks to light your torch.
~don't fill your canister that holds your fuel up to the very top. Better to fill 3/4 of the way.
~buy a fire extinguisher, would ya? Better safe than sorry.
~look both ways before crossing the road.

Just my 2 coconuts worth,

Torchin'CaddyDaddy

I'll Put In On My Schedule!

[ Edited by: SugarCaddyDaddy on 2003-04-21 12:41 ]

Post #30995 by SugarCaddyDaddy on Mon, Apr 21, 2003 12:17 PM