In article ,
"simon beer" writes:

Along with everything else that's been said, buy a bl**dy good blow tourch.
Not one from the sheds but go to the plumbers merchants. You will wait all
day for a crap one to heat the pipe. Get a "Turbo Torch" or the likes and
use the yellow tins (cast iron) of gas, think it MAPP gas. Expect to pay
around £45 for one and aroud the house it should last you years. The £10
shed ones are ok for paint stripping and that about all!

I've heard this before, but it isn't my experience. I've used a £10
shed one for all my plumbing (which includes installing a full central
heating system, and redoing all the rest of the plumbing in the house,
all end-feed soldered), and it has no trouble with even 28mm end-feed
T's, which are probably the largest joins I've soldered. If I was a
plumber doing this everyday for a living, I would treat myself to
something better, but for DIY, even installing a full heating system,
a shed blowlamp is fine.

--
Andrew Gabriel