TurboFlame Lighter ignition issues

i've been having some issues that i cant seem to find a simular thread about the turboflame lighter.

i bought it a almost a year ago now, but there is one niggling issue that i have had, with all (i've had a few) and it is the same issue, the one i've got now is showing the same problems. the only thing i could find about the lighter was about filling it, never had a problem with that, so hopefully someone on hear might be able to help, or suggest something more reliable.

 1st turboflame lighter, lasted 3 months, took it to scotland, survived through camping for a week, come back it was fine, dropped in from about 1 ft high, onto a soft carpet, it was dead! the clicker no longer worked.

 2nd one, (these were returned to manufacturer btw) lasted 3 day, normal useage, a few click's and it died, was sent back

 3rd one, was working for about 2 months, and now is showing signs of the clicker breaking, as it's occasionally working and then doesnt.

so my question is, am i using it wrong? i mean how may ways are there to press a button!? or is there some kind of design flaw in these lighters??

thinking of sending this one back, but i know after sending 2 of them back, they must have a record of me by now, as the first time i sent back i got a happy message from a manager, all my documentation back, and a new warrenty form, second time, i got nothing but the lighter.

so is there a design flaw, has anyone else had this happen to them with this lighter? is there anything more reliable? is it even worth sending back or should i just bin it and get something better?

Turboflame lighters are rubbish, you have to carry them in almost sterile dust free conditions to make sure their jets don't get blocked and their piezos frequently fail. Go to a tobacconist and buy a pipe lighter then buy a firesteel for backup and use it as much as possible so you learn to light your stove with one strike. Carry some cotton wool pads if you want to light a fire with it.

I bought a "storm" lighter from Lidl about 6 years ago for about £3 and it's just given up the ghost after very frequent use. I have a Blacks triflame storm type lighter which is ok but it eats gas so doesn't last long on a fill. Why three flames?

Mal Mawr wrote (see)

Turboflame lighters are rubbish......

Perhaps that's some Turboflame lighters are rubbish? I have 3, 2 standard ones for outdoors use and one 'stick' one for lighting the woodburner. I've had them all several years (can't remember exactly but at least 5 or 6) and they all still work just fine. They don't get any kid-gloves treatment and they've been refilled many times.

I dunno, perhaps the quality was better back when I bought mine? Or maybe I'm just lucky - my Inov8 shoes don't seem to fall apart either!

"why not get a handful of those bic lighters...."

In part it depends what you're lighting - a very useful feature with the Turboflame is that the flame goes where you point it, which is great for lighting meths burners or petrol stoves easily and without getting burnt fingers. Bic lighters don't do that. Of course a firesteel can also handle those scenarios well enough.

Matt C wrote (see)

Mal Mawr wrote (see)

Turboflame lighters are rubbish......

Perhaps that's some Turboflame lighters are rubbish? I have 3, 2 standard ones for outdoors use and one 'stick' one for lighting the woodburner. I've had them all several years (can't remember exactly but at least 5 or 6) and they all still work just fine. They don't get any kid-gloves treatment and they've been refilled many times.

I dunno, perhaps the quality was better back when I bought mine? Or umaybe I'm just lucky - my Inov8 shoes don't seem to fall apart either!

Matt C wrote (see)

"why not get a handful of those bic lighters...."

In part it depends what you're lighting - a very useful feature with the Turboflame is that the flame goes where you point it, which is great for lighting meths burners or petrol stoves easily and without getting burnt fingers. Bic lighters don't do that. Of course a firesteel can also handle those scenarios well enough.

Don't use my turbo flame much. Sorry, its heavy, and you have to keep it in warm pocket, so the intended use for cold conditions is not good. Best thing is that you can aim the flame when (!) it lights.Mostly use a Bic .

I carry a few ,and like, the army matches but rarely have to use them. But still cannot light them like Clint Eastwood with a thumb nail,did it once and had phosphorus burning under my thumbnail.

You can adjust a cheap bic lighter to give a larger flame.

Take the windshield off - it should come off easily with a little persuasion.

Adjust the flame as high as possible

lift the adjuster clear of the knurled ring underneath and move back to the 'low flame' end of the scale, reseat on the knurled ring and adjust up again.  Check to see how big the flame is and repeat if desired.

Replace the windshield. 

You can get the flame up to about 4" long but that is silly and only for showing off, a couple of inches or so is fine for lighting meths and 'hard to get at' stoves.  It will burn with a yellow flame but still lights stuff.

Steve d

Steve_D wrote (see)

You can adjust a cheap bic lighter to give a larger flame.

Take the windshield off - it should come off easily with a little persuasion.

Adjust the flame as high as possible

lift the adjuster clear of the knurled ring underneath and move back to the 'low flame' end of the scale, reseat on the knurled ring and adjust up again.  Check to see how big the flame is and repeat if desired.

Replace the windshield. 

You can get the flame up to about 4" long but that is silly and only for showing off, a couple of inches or so is fine for lighting meths and 'hard to get at' stoves.  It will burn with a yellow flame but still lights stuff.

Steve d

I do this for a little pub trick! Boost the gas output, fill my mouth up with the gas and, using another lighter, expel the gas with a lighter in front!

Instant fire-breathing!

Sig's are a waste of bandwidth...

I had one a couple of years ago that packed up after less than a year's infrequent use - it would ignite but the flame died after a second.  No amount of fiddling with the flame adjuster would change fix it so I binned it.

A few months ago, like an idiot, I bought another one (they put them at the checkout in GO Outdoors, like sweets) and, sure enough, the same thing's happened to this one.  They look and feel solid and well-manufactured and initial performance is great but they are clearly utter sh1te.

A fire steel and cheap Bics only for me from now on. 

My son has a Turbo Flame lighter, well, he is on his fourth!

I have one, but it was purely for emergency purposes, prefering to use a steel. But after seeing the problems he had, I bought a petrol lighter and that is now kept for emergency use.

My Turbo Flame is still working, but then it is leading a very easy life....

Jake, my local Go keeps all their lighters in locked glass cabinets.

Fleegle wrote (see)

Jake, my local Go keeps all their lighters in locked glass cabinets.