Heat gun Vs Torch – Find Out The Suitable One!

Heat guns and torches both have different properties and usefulness. To understand more about these two, we first need to look at their pros and cons.

It may be a bit confusing for new users to choose what to buy. Both the tool has their own advantages and disadvantages. I have been using these two tools for like 8-9 years now. I will try to describe in short which one is better in this heat gun vs torch article.

Comparison Table

Heat gun

Pros:

1. It blows hot air, and it’s flameless.
2. It has variable temperatures.
3. It is a low-cost tool.
4. It comes with a variable nozzle which gives more control over the area of heating.
5. It is convenient for tiny areas and corners.
6. Starting and pausing the tool is very instantaneous.
7. It does not emit any poisonous gas and is not messy.
8. It is very portable.
9. It makes low noise like a hairdryer.

Cons:

1. It runs on electricity, so you always need to work beside a power socket.
2. The hot air can burn your skin.
3. It can cause fire to highly flammable materials.
4. It is a hand-held tool so we can’t use it for very long. The area of heating is small.

Torch

Pros:

1. It can produce high temperatures and is suitable for welding work.
2. It is very cheap.
3. It doesn’t require any maintenance.
4. The flame and heat can be adjusted.
5. It does not create any mess.
6. Starting and turning off the tool is rapid and easy.
7. The noise it makes is very low.

Cons:

1. It emits poisonous gas.
2. It can cause a fire.
3. It can burn your skin very deeply.
4. The high-pressure gas cylinder is needed to be stored in a cool and dry place.
5. Not good for reactive materials.

Comparison in different circumstances

Heat Sink Tubing

For this purpose, both the tool is good. As both the tool allow us to control the heat, we can use both of them. The heat gun comes with a different nozzle only for heat sink tubing.

It gives us more control over heat sink tubing. And as it uses only hot air, so it is a bit safe than a gas torch.

Popping Bubbles form resin

In this field, a heat gun is better, but you can use a blow torch as well. Heat gun uses hot air, so it is safer, and the control overheat is also very useful. You can adjust the height between your resin workpiece and heat gun, which also gives us more versatility.

The blow torch also works fine. You can lessen the flame and quickly blow over the resin, which will make the bubble pop.

Acrylic Pouring

For this purpose, a heat gun is a great tool. It uses hot air, which is required for this job. It is flameless, and it does not emit any kind of toxic gas. It is ideal for this job.

But a blow torch also can do the work. If you are using a blow torch, my recommendation would be to use it very carefully and not use it in a closed environment.

Vinyl wrapping

Both the heat gun and torch are suitable for this job. If you have access to a power socket, you can use a heat gun, but it will make it difficult to work if the power cord is short.

My recommendation would be to work with an extension cable. A blow torch is also a good tool for this purpose. Just make sure to handle it carefully and keep the flame always moving.

Welding Work

This work can not be done by heat gun. In this work, very much heat is needed, which a heat gun can’t produce. On the other hand, it uses hot air, which cannot melt metal like copper, aluminum. Six months back, the copper pipe of my air conditioner was leaking.

With a blow torch, it took only like 10 minutes for me to repair the leak.

Frequently Asked Questions

Summary

From my experience, I have seen that a heat gun is much more useful and safer than a blow torch. But both of the tools have their uses. From the above article, I think it will be clear for you. Taking environment and situation into consideration choose between them wisely.