Vector Thunderbird Butane Dual Flame Torch and Regular Gas Insert - Gifts for Him, for Her, for Boys, for Girls, for Husband, for Wife, for Them, for Men, for Women, for Kids

I read the negative reviews before purchasing this product, and maybe the company had some QC issues at one time. But my item worked exactly as promised - fit perfectly into my Zippo case, and fired up instantly. Just to be sure, over the course of the first couple days I depleted the fuel completely by igniting it about 50 times, using both torch and soft flame each time. Never malfunctioned, not even once. Refilled, fired up again perfectly, used it for lighting with no issues whatsoever. I couldn't be happier with this product at this time! Kind of makes me wonder if some of the negative reviews were operator error/cheap fuel ... Update: Curiosity got the best of me, so I bought a second unit. It works fine! Admittedly the second one has had a couple "hiccups", but so far apart that I still give it 5 stars. This insert is more reliable than my $70 Xikar lighter that does not light on the first try about 50% of the time. Update (August 2022): After one year of using this product, I would give it 5+ stars. While I don't use it every day, I use it regularly, have refilled it many times, and have had zero issues! Several friends have purchased this upon my recommendation, and their products also function smoothly, without issues.

I followed all instructions on both the package of the lighter, and the butane gas bottle (Vector brand filtered butane.) I have two other vector lighters of a different design that work fine, so I am reasonably familiar with using them. However, there is something wrong with this design. The first fill up worked perfectly fine, and I thought the design was pretty intriguing actually. After it ran low I followed the instructions on the package to drain the remaining gas and refill it. Upon my first use after refill only a tiny, anemic flame was produced when I held the button down (not a butane jet like it was supposed to be but a candle style flame despite being set to maximum.) When I let go it set my hand on fire as the whole lighter caught fire for a moment (I was uninjured.) Not being one to quit, I experimented a bit, but after the side of the lighter caught fire again I determined further testing was too dangerous and tried to get a refund, only to find that Amazon at least will not accept any attempt to return butane lighters do to the flammable gasses. This makes sense, but is still unfortunate. Presumably I could try the company warranty, and probably will. But if you are thinking of taking a risk on an intriguing lighter design, best to skip this one, or at least buy it from a physical store where returns are easier.

UPDATE: I was able to completely fix the lifting issue. All I did was to squeeze the sides of my case together a little bit with the insert removed. I still didn't give them the fifth star, though, because I never had to do that with any other insert before. Wish I could give them four and a half. ORIGINAL: This is what happens when mechanical engineers have too much time on their hands. So, the way it works is this: You open the lighter, no gas is released. You press the button, and it is a torch-type flame. You release the lever, it is a standard soft flame like a Bic or something. You close the lid, it stops the gas flow. I'm a little worried, because a mechanism this complex is likely to fail early, but that's not why I subtracted a star. I subtracted a star because of a minor nuisance. I guess the hinge lever that springs the lighter lid open and closed is stiffer than most because of something to do with the extra work it does closing the valves and resetting the mechanism that controls which flame is burning. Well, If I don't close it with a fairly quick action, there is a tendency for the insert to lift out of the case instead of closing as it should. Easy to manage with a bit of downward pressure on the insert, and then you learn to just close the lid with a swift motion. Still, it's an inconvenience. They have some text in the instructions which talks about bending this little thing inside the lid to get the fit just right, and I tried it, but the dimensions were not right to get a stable fix for me. I did not make the connection when I bought it, but this lighter is made by Vector, my preferred brand of butane, so that's giving me some hope that this thing might last longer than most.

Great item fits nice and snug in my zippo. Not to loose, no wiggle room and not to right that I can’t take it out. Lights every time right out of the package. When first clicked it will be in torch mode. Once you release the button it goes to soft flame mode. At this point the soft flame will stay on and you can go back to torch mode by pressing the button again. The butane will continue to be on unless you close the lid. Once you press the button it starts the butane from coming out but will not start if you just open your zippo lid. Some butane lighters have a switch in the arm that will open the valve once you flip the zippo lid. Not this one and I like that because I have the tendency to fidget with my zippo and like to flick the lid.

I love the dual flame types being interchangeable but the first one I got did not last long maybe someone I know dropped it or something nevertheless I bought another one and I love it

I love this duel flame insert!!! It works extremely well. Lights very time the first click and if you hold the fuel button down firmly its a mini torch flame and if you ease off the firmness it is also a regular flame (like a bic lighter). All Vector lighters come with a lifetime warranty and YOU DON'T NEED PROOF OF PURCHASE OR ORIGINAL PACKAGING! I believe there is a shipping charge though. I don't see if failing anyway. I've been using this as a lighter without the Zippo case. It works great the way it is, I just put a small piece of electrical tape over the little service opening just to protect the gas lines. Zippo makes an insert also but its not dual flame so I went with this one. I'm glad I did.