Warmer in Hanging Box

A couple of weeks ago I bought a Firefly and a KingSo hand warmer. I gave them both great reviews the first time I used them. But the next time I tried to use them I found that, no matter how hard I tried, one if them wouldn't light.Because they are both identical in every way (apart from the KIngSo velvet bag is too small) I am not able to tell which one wouldn't light, but as I want 2 working (one for each hand) I ordered the Whitby. Now this order was placed at about 2pm on Thursday 19 March. It arrived at lunch time the following day.I immediately filled and lit it to see if it was any good. This is where I found an inaccuracy in the sales literature. I got up the following morning at approx 7am and it was still hot. So, rather than the 12 hours (approx) that it is claimed to work for, it had up to that time, been running for 18 hours.When lighting, a flame is applied to the burner for a few seconds. Nothing appears to happen, but after a short while the case will get hot and that is it, lit.With the other 2, you have to soak the burner in fuel, set fire to it, stand well back and wait for the flames to die down or go out, then wait to see if you need to do it again.One down side, though is that I was hoping that the burner from the Whitby would fit on the other 2 warmers that I have but unfortunately it doesn't, so I can't upgrade the other 2 to Whitby standard.Because the Whitby is filled through a filling hole on the top of the case (as opposed to through the burner hole on the cheaper models) it is possible to refuel the warmer while it is running. The manufacturers don't advise this, but it is possible and, when I did it, it didn't result in any catastrophes.Replacement burners are available for the Whitby, but not, as far as I am aware, for the cheaper models.

This is a really great little device - highly recommended!Burn Time:Average burn time over a 1 week period has been around 18 hours with a full refill and the bag fully closed.The Bag regulates how much air gets to the burner and how hot the heater gets - the more enclosed the cooler it gets and also the longer the burn time.Temperature:With bag fully closed, the outside bag is around 37-40c the inside temp is 50c+ (1st degree burn temp after 5+secs contact, be careful!)Ignition:Fill the heater leave for around 5 mins, heat the case just below the burner for 5 secs on both side until you get a super brief flash flame from the burner - Immediately put the lid on and put it in the bag and close. If you don't put it in the bag initially it will go out. It takes around 1hr to reach full temp, you can take it out of the bag after about 20-30mins and it wont go out. Its best to use one of those triple jet lighters for ignition. And it's best to limit any raw flame on the burner - since the carbon from flames clogs up the burner Catalyst and gives it a 90 burn lifetime. The burner will last forever if you limit any flames on it since the platinum catalyst doesn't get consumed when heating and no carbon will clog it up.Extinguishing:Put the whole thing into a ziploc/plastic bag and close for 10minsRunning costs:1 full refill with the plastic duck is 20ml, a 100ml can of bull brand light fluid from poundland is 1.00 uk pound. So 1 week everyday 16 hours usage costs around 1.20 uk pounds.A replacement burner is about 6 quid, or you can buy the platinum catalyst material pre cut to the right shape for the burner for about 1 uk pound each and fit inside the burner yourself. If you limit any flame hitting the catalyst material you wont have to replace it at all.Smell:If you find your lighter fluid smells too much - you can put 5 drops of lemon/mint essential oil on the wick under the burner unit *before* you refill it with light fluid - this will reduce any smell drastically.How it works:It's a real simple device, when the case is warm/hot it produces more petrol vapours which get forced thro the catalyst and react and produce heat - which heats up the case more - e.t.c. a very simple cycle. People having problems with ignition - the case is probably too cold, you just need to heat the case up a bit and put it in the bag once the catalyst has started reacting.

I bought the Whitby hand warmer because I am a window cleaner and work outside. I think it's a good product and it certainly works but I have never had it last when lit for the stated 12 hours. Having said that, the 7 or so hours I do get out of it are ample for what I do. It does get very hot at times and this is just what I wanted. These type of hand warmers can be a bit temperamental to light at times and if you are new to these, you might find them a bit fiddly to get them started. Be patient and you will soon learn the best way of setting them up. I also found it harder to get the lighter fuel than I did a few years ago although you may not have as much trouble as me where you live. I also found the cost of the fuel a bit more than I had expected. All in all I love the product and it warms my hands up a treat. A product that should last and last.

After snowboarding this year and moaning about my hands being cold I was given one of these for Christmas. After getting it out the box and having a look at it I must admit to being a bit sceptical of putting a match to a container of lighter fluid in my pocket :mad: After using it a couple of times now though I have to say I think this is an excellent piece of kit, it doesn't get too warm in your pocket but it certainly heats up enough to take the chill off your hands. Only downside is once it is lit that's it for around 6 hours or if you fill it completely it will last for around 12 hours.Zippos are good but can be a bit flaky to light,however this whitby has none of those issues. They rely on warmth to keep the petrol vapourising to feed the catalytic burner so when in use it needs to be tucked away in a warm pocket, not one exposed to cold. It also helps if it is lit in a warm environment for the same reasons.