Zippo hand warmer - different fuel?

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Stuart69

On a new journey
Jul 7, 2008
488
0
54
Glasgow
I got one of the Zippo hand warmers today and it's a great wee thing. I've had it running for twelve hours now on lighter fuel and it's still roasting hot.

Has anyone tried them with a different fuel? I was thinking Paraffin (always have some with me for my Primus stove) or Meths?

Taking a small bottle of lighter fuel is no hassle as it doesn't use much but I'm just curious about alternatives.

thanks and atb,
Stuart.
 

TeeDee

Full Member
Nov 6, 2008
10,451
3,654
50
Exeter
Hi Stuart , I know its hard to describe but how Hot is Hot? Are we talking the outside of a kettle once it boiled and cooled a little hot??
 

Robbi

Full Member
Mar 1, 2009
10,228
1,027
northern ireland
just tried the Swann lighter fuel in mine, works just fine, same as the Zippo stuff.

not sure if meths etc would burn as well as lighter fuel.
 

RJames

Forager
Jun 25, 2008
158
0
Durham, UK
I have tried meths in mine, and I have to say it was ok on stupidly cold days, but I can imagine it being overly warm if it is slightly more than just above freezing
 

Stuart69

On a new journey
Jul 7, 2008
488
0
54
Glasgow
It's too hot to hold comfortably for more than a few seconds unless it's in the felt bag that comes with it. You won't be far off with a not long boiled kettle for comparasin.

Good to hear it works on meths, thanks for that.
 

ged

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jul 16, 2009
4,976
13
In the woods if possible.
solvent 50 works in zippos so i guess that would work but i guess you would also need to work in a chem lab too :-D

I bought my wife one of these a while back, and she loves it.

The thing that causes the combustion is a catalyst, and just like the ones in car exhausts nowadays a catalyst can be 'poisoned'.

Normally a catalyst takes part only temporarily in a chemical reaction, and so it isn't consumed. However some things can react permanently with a catalyst and then its performance may be very much impaired, or it may cease to perform altogether. Impurities in the fuel may poison the catalyst. That's one reason we have unleaded fuel now, the lead would destroy the catalytic converters in cars. Lead is quite commonly found as an impurity in petrochemicals. Zippo are quite clear that using any fuel other than their own will void their warranty, I imagine that their source for the fuel has guaranteed a low lead content, amongst other things, in the fuel.

I wouldn't worry much about using other lighter fuels, but I don't know what their manufacturers specify about their products and I think it's still a risk; but using things like industrial solvents and panel wipes is probably asking for trouble. Using such things in a stove, out in the open air, is one thing, but in these hand warmers it's something entirely different. Not only are you risking the catalyst but your body is likely to be in close contact with the combustion products and you've no idea what they might contain. Yes, lighter fuel is expensive, but I reckon at UK prices it's about 20 pence for a 12 hour fill and I'm prepared to pay that so I don't get it in the neck from her indoors if she's outdoors and her hand warmer packs up.
 

salan

Nomad
Jun 3, 2007
320
1
Cheshire
The impurities are the thing. So PURE PW would be fine. PURE methanol again would work but might be too hot.
Its not to hard these days to get pure solvents.
But I agree the zippo fuel is not that expensive (I pay about £1 per can).
Alan
 

Boucaneer

Forager
Dec 2, 2012
209
5
London
I wonder if I put petrol in my Whitby Handwarmer it will destroy/poison the catalyst?

I put petrol in my Zippo lighter, but of course that does not have a catalyst.

at £11-£14 for the hand warmer I wouldn't want to destroy it, but it would be handy to use petrol when out in the countryside and the only shops are local petrol stations.

I plan to use diesel in my Feuerhand kerosene lantern and to fill a fuel bottle of petrol for my Handwarmers would be great.

I put them in my sleeping system to keep warm overnight.

I may try an experiment with 1 Handwarmers and see if it works or not.

Has anybody tried this yet?

Thanks.
 

troutman

Nomad
May 14, 2012
273
4
North East (UK)
I was looking at one of these earlier today- apparently it's the latest version? Anyway this thread has been useful as I can suffer from very cold hands in the winter.

Is this the kind of thing that you light and just leave it in your pocket until you need it? I'm guessing by the responses it's not. Still I assume that it's probably aimed at the USA market where cold really is cold! Wish I had bought one whilst out there- they are probably a lot cheaper like the lighters!
 

Boucaneer

Forager
Dec 2, 2012
209
5
London
Yes, they are the ones you light and keep in your pocket in a felt type bag, it had a metal protective case on the heater element.

Our fishermen and Anglers use them in this country, Whitby Co. in Whitby have their own brand, but the Peacock brand has the best reviews.

Amazon, Whitby Co, EBay and lots of other places sell them in this country.

China has some to be bought and sent over in the post for around 4 quid a handwarmer, I haven't tried a Chinese one though.

The replaceable heating element has to be replaced sometimes and it's a knack to learn how to light them correctly but there's lots of advice online and here.





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:

troutman

Nomad
May 14, 2012
273
4
North East (UK)
Yes, they are the ones you light and keep in your pocket in a felt type bag, it had a metal protective case on the heater element.

Our fishermen and Anglers use them in this country, Whitby Co. in Whitby have their own brand, but the Peacock brand has the best reviews.

Amazon, Whitby Co, EBay and lots of other places sell them in this country.

China has some to be bought and sent over in the post for around 4 quid a handwarmer, I haven't tried a Chinese one though.

The replaceable heating element has to be replaced sometimes and it's a knack to learn how to light them correctly but there's lots of advice online and here.





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks Boucaneer- think I will order a zippo as they have some good reviews and lots of spare parts available!
 

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