We Found the Best Propane Torch Gun

Today, we'll help you find the best propane torch gun for lighting a fire quickly. Depending on whether you're lighting a kamado grill, kettle charcoal grill, fire pit, offset smoker, wood-fired pizza oven, or searing a steak, some propane torches are better than others for each job. And some aren't worth the money, and we'll tell you that, too.

Disclaimer

We purchased all of the torches in this article ourselves, other than the GrillGun, SuV Gun, and RocketFire which we've been using here at the Lab for several years. We designed these tests ourselves, and the results are the results. No brands have input into our testing process, and we aren't being paid to create this content.

Note: We ended up eliminating the RocketFire torch from our testing after discovering that this current model requires the fuel to be at least 60°F to operate, which we could not provide in our location during the winter.

Don't want to read it all? Skip to our top pick!

Testing Flame Distance

The first thing we wanted to know was how far each torch could shoot a flame.

Using painters' tape, we created a 36-inch measuring line across a black backdrop leaned against the wall. I helped David line up the torch with the start of the tape, and he set each one to throw full power so we could measure how far each one could throw a flame.

propane torch best for killing weeds and melting ice

Flame King torch

The Flame King had the longest throw at 29 inches. The GrillGun came in second with 26 inches. Positions 3-5 were a tie for the SakerPlus, SearPro and Su-V Gun at 18 inches. Thermomaven and Rubdark tied for 6th and 7th place with 15 inches and the Koackl finished in last place with 13 inches.

propane torch that we regret our purchase

Koackl torch gun

The flame distance matters, but so does the distance from the trigger to the spout. We measured how much distance you have from where you hold the torch to where the flame is, and there's well over a foot of difference in these 8 models.

Rubdark- 24"
Flame King- 21"
GrillGun- 17"
Koackl- 15"
Thermomaven- 11"
SakerPlus- 11'
SearPro- 11"
Su-VGun- 10"

Lighting a Fire Pit

All of these propane torches were able to start a wood fire in our Solo Stove Bonfire, but some were more comfortable to use than others. I'm pretty short (5'2"), so really any of them work just fine for me. However, David is closer to 6', and some of these are short enough that he had to really reach, and in some cases, bend over for the flame to reach the wood fuel.

The Flame King seemed like it was designed for exactly this. Plenty of length and an incredibly strong flame, taking first place. The Rubdark was second with plenty of length from the handle to the flame, but considerably less flame strength than the Flame King. The GrillGun comes in third with plenty of throw to the flame, but a little bend to get where it needs to go.

our preferences for lighting wood fire pits from best to worst

Ranking our favorites for lighting a fire pit from left to right.

Our least favorite was the Koackl that lacked the flame distance and had an impractical design.

Lighting a Kamado Grill

Some people have the patience when lighting their kamado to drop in a tumbleweed fire starter and let it slowly come up to temperature over a half hour. That's not us. We grab our propane torch and fire it up most of the time, but we fight the embers flying around and putting holes in our clothes.

I want a torch that can light either a small section of charcoal if we're smoking, or light the entire kamado if we're grilling, but I want some distance between the flame and me to keep my clothes intact.

The Flame King has a great reach and excels at lighting the entire charcoal bed. What it really doesn't do is light just a small section for lower temperature control.

The GrillGun was the best with solid control and a great reach. I love that the propane canister is left outside of the kamado, which is important to me.

The Su-V Gun also achieves this with great control but less coverage, and the Rubdark has great distance, but a lackluster flame for igniting the whole kamado.

The remaining torches all have a problem with the placement of the propane canister, making it a challenge to reach the charcoal while keeping the fuel outside of the grill.

The Koackl is the worst of the bunch. There's no practical way to get the flame where it needs to go, so we do not recommend it for this task.

Lighting Charcoal Briquettes

Lighting a kettle grill is also a task that falls to propane torches here at The Lab, because while we could wait 30 minutes for a charcoal chimney, we could also get the job done in just a couple of minutes with a propane torch.

We measured the dispersion of a full chimney of charcoal and set a pattern of 10 charcoal briquettes to simulate lighting a pile of charcoal. I set a timer using the Thermoworks TimeStack to see how long it takes to get the charcoal briquettes to be ashed over, and once each was sufficiently lit, we stopped the timer ranked each torch.

The Flame King finished the job in just 1 minute and 26 seconds. The Su-V Gun came in second with a time of just 2 minutes and 1 second, and the Grill Gun comes in third at 2 minutes and 8 seconds. Positions 4 through 7 all finished between 2 minutes and 48 seconds and 3 minutes and 13 seconds with the Koackl well behind everyone else at 4 minutes and 23 seconds.

Searing Meat

Propane torches aren't just for lighting fires, and searing meat is something we do quite often. We bought a package of Beef Short Ribs and put the flame to them for lunches at The Lab.

In the end, all of the torches were able to sear. The Koackl was problematic with the propane tank getting in the way almost any way we held it. The Flame King had by far the biggest flame, but it was admittedly overkill for this application. The Su-V gun was my favorite as it packed a punch and was easy to control just inches from the meat.

User Experience

All of these tests tell a story, but at the end of the day the one you'll use the most is the one that you enjoy using for many applications. There is a standout for the worst user experience, and I'll save that for last.

The best was the GrillGun for me. It was easy to light fires both down low and up high, and searing seemed second nature. I've had all of these torches laying around The Lab for a few months now, and when given the option to choose just 1 for a job, I still really prefer the GrillGun. It is annoying to me that I can't set it down without having the stand around, and it never seems to be around when I need it. That's a minor annoyance though, and I still reach for it first.

I love the FlameKing performance, but I hate that it has to be tied to a 20lb propane tank all the time. While the performance is absolutely there, the convenience isn't, and that's a big factor for me.

The Rubdark torch I really enjoyed because of the reach, but there wasn't enough flame for me in many instances. I would choose it early on, but over time, I wanted a stronger flame and started turning to other units.

The SearPro, Saker Plus, and Thermomaven are very similar models, each with the propane tank mounted in the middle of the torch. That proves challenging when you're reaching down into something like a fire pit, kamado or a grill. To get close enough, you need to tilt the torch to close to vertical, and these torches can't do that with propane. The other option is to put the torch, tank and all inside the firepit or grill, and I don't know about you, but I prefer to have a tank of fuel outside of the grill or fire pit that I'm lighting.

The SakerPlus is the one that has the full throttle button, so I often gravitated to that one of the three. Yes, you can set all of them to full using the top dial, so you can get the same result without that switch. My favorite ignition style was from the Thermomaven with the thumb switch.

My Picks

It is difficult to crown a winner in this test, but it's easy to tell you the one that I would never buy.

The Koackl torch... looks cool? 2,000 people threw their money away in the last month on Amazon just because it looks like the torch Rambo would use. For the price you'll pay, there are far better options available, and it earns my Don't Buy rating. I'm mad I spent money on it, but here we are.

The best torch for putting a sear on a piece of meat was the Su-V gun for me. That's what it's designed for, and it excels at that task. I would choose it first every time if that's what was important for me.

If I'm lighting a fire pit and I don't mind lugging around a 20lb propane tank, the Flame King gets the win. This torch is the closest to a military flame thrower of the bunch, and it brings more flame than any other model. The downside is the 20lb tank, but it's a beast of a torch.

If I'm lighting a fire pit or a charcoal grill, I reach for the GrillGun. It's the best of the bunch for those two tasks, and I love that we can keep the 1lb propane tank out of the fire when using it.

The best budget option for me is the Thermomaven torch. List is $49, but it's often on sale for less and I like most of the things about it. It's still a challenge using any of the mid tank mounted torches in fire pits or grills, but spend a little time with it and you'll get the hang of it. It's about 4 times less expensive than others in this roundup, and for the budget conscious, this is a great fit.

My Picks

It is difficult to crown a winner in this test, but it's easy to tell you the one that I would never buy.

If I'm lighting a fire in a hurry and I don't mind lugging around a 20lb propane tank, the Flame King gets the win. This torch is the closest to a military flame thrower of the bunch, and it brings more flame than any other model. The downside is the 20lb tank, but it's a beast of a torch.