Zippo Flex Neck Utility Lighter

Product Description

Grills, lanterns, tiki torches, and fireplaces all require a certain degree of precision when being lit. And that's where the Flex Neck comes in. Its slim, powerful nozzle and wind resistant dual flame make it ideal for any outdoor setting. [Read more]

Features

• Durable metal construction
• Wind resistant dual flame technology
• Adjustable flame dial, flexible neck
• Patented child resistant safety button
• Fuel: Zippo premium butane (sold separately)

Top Reviews

It is better now that I have jammed the safety interlock button ...
by A software developer (1 out of 5 stars)
September 2, 2015

Well built but hard to use even in ideal circumstances. For me lighting it requires two dry hands and careful attention. It is better now that I have jammed the safety interlock button with a piece of a paperclip. It was completely unnecessary because the main trigger has a very strong spring and is already quite difficult to operate. Having a smooth, chromed surface also made it hard to exert the force to slide the trigger. Some high friction tape helped with that. So now I have a very ugly but at least useable lighter (photo attached).
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Not that easy to use and it broke already with very short life!
by Casta Diva (1 out of 5 stars)
March 25, 2015

This is a very cool looking lighter, one of the reasons I've purchased. Unfortunately it's not very user friendly. Meaning, you'll have to click 2 buttons at the same time (child proof?), not an easy task for your fingers as it's hard on fingers and hand in general. I have not had a good lighter in a long time, have bought different ones and yet to find the one! My lighter is used strictly for candles and having a long one would be handy if it wasn't such an effort to use it.
I'm on the verge of using long match sticks! Is there a lighter without child proof? :O

As of sometime end of March 2015 this lighter ceased to work!!! And it's no longer eligible for return. Could this be exchanged for one that does work? Preferably a different model.
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Why does this lighter have a hanging handle and other questions UPDATED 5/12/17
by Mary L. Kowalski (2 out of 5 stars)
December 8, 2016

It's a nice lighter but (1) the handle is heavy, (2) you have to push the child lock AND the button to light it at the same time!!, (3) I still don't know if I've filled it up all the way because I haven't had any backshot from loading the butane yet (you know, the small spray that tells you the lighter is full), (4) It's supposed to have two-way lighting buy I only see one from the front, (5) it's NOT portable to take outside with you. This stays in the house. I won't be using this much at all. Flame is adjustable but that doesn't compensate for all the other flaws. It has a hanger = WHY?

UPDATE, UPDATE: I bought this 11/15/16, have filled it many times and already it is burnt out. It won't light, I can't find an opening for a "flint" -- if there is one but I don't think there is since this is electric -- and it is just unusable now. I bought two so I have another one but if that one goes, I'm going back to my oil lighter. No instructions came with it except that you have to turn it upside down to refill just like any other butane lighter..
I called Zippo just now (5/12/17) and the girl (Lois) said I could return it with no fee charged (we'll see), so that is what I am going to do. She said I SHOULD have gotten "splashback" from the butane to let me know that it IS filled but that NEVER happened since I have owned it. I will start using the second one and see if the same thing happens. Will update asap.
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BUY A CHEAP THROW AWAY INSTEAD OF THIS!!!
by MATT F VICTOR (1 out of 5 stars)
December 19, 2016

bought two of these several years ago and am really tired of clicking it over and over and getting nothing. and i just looked up zippos return/repair policy. what a bunch of crap!!!!! pay $5 per utility lighter and shipping?????? thats one third TO ONE HALF the cost of a new one. WHICH I WONT BE BUYING EVER AGAIN!!!!

going back to cheap throw aways. at least i know those light.

UPDATE. after watching a youtube video, i was able to fix my lighters. but that still doesnt excuse zippo from charging that much for fixing them.

i fixed them by purging the old gas and possibly air, and refilling them. an easy fix.
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Very much let down.
by GPS (1 out of 5 stars)
August 15, 2014

Despite the mixxed reviews I went ahead and bought one of these to replace my old flex neck lighter. First impression is amazing, it feels like its very high quality and well designed. I filled it with zippo brand fuel to use it and thats when things started to go downhill.

It will not light for me without the universe in perfect alignment. I have found the Only way i can get a flame is to have the flame strength dial at just the right position at about 60%. Anything higher or lower and it will not light. Also it must be held upside down for a good 20 seconds. If it doesn't light on the first click then dial adjustments must be made and held upside down again. Any amount of clicking the igniter doesn't seem to do anything, I can't click it 20-30 times to get a flame, it just doesn't ignite.

Using the dial and upside down method I can get it to light maybe one out of ten tries. Just picking up the lighter and trying to light it never works. I can here fuel escaping when I press the button to light and hold it, fuel hisses out just fine. I can see the electric spark when trying to light it so it's sparking just fine. I have no idea why it doesn't light unless its under those certain circumstances. I now having the lighter hanging upside down making use of the built in foldable hook, I guess they put it there for a reason.

I have no problems with the child lock, no fuel window or anything else but it still feels like some kind of puzzle to get it to do its one job, make a flame.
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would you spend this much to just light candles???????
by tjcooper (1 out of 5 stars)
January 11, 2016

I bought 1st unit and it would only stay lit for 2 minutes before running out of full load of fuel. Got a replacement unit. It has the same problem. I called Zippo to find out what is happening. Their representative said unit is not meant to run longer than 2 minutes because it is only supposed to light candles on a birthday cake.....What?.....cannot light a pilot on a water header or a RV gas heater? The representative said it was not made to handle that type of operation. And why to long flexible neck? Just to help light the candles in a votive holder. Are they serious? They told me this unit is not made to stay lit for more than 30 seconds.....and for this they have a special high wind secondary flame retention mechanism.

Clearly they have some of the most unknowledgeable people on the planet earth. Why would you buy an expensive flex neck device that can only stay lit for 30 seconds. To light a pilot you often need a light to be active for 2-3 minutes as you purge the gas supply line. I am still looking for a good solution. Bic has a folding lighter that is refillable, with a window to show fuel levels, and will stay lit for 10 minutes. I think that will have to be my solution.....and for $4.45. I think the Zippo marketing department is guilty of sniffing too much lighter fluid. But I am sure they light a lot of candles. LOL.
tjcooper
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Increasingly, consistently, inconsistent. *Ugh.*
by Leonard Washington (3 out of 5 stars)
July 31, 2016

I've learned a few tricks to have a higher chance at actually getting this to light and stay lit, but it's so darned frustrating. And yes, I followed the directions, which instruct you to wait a terribly long time after the first fill before using it.

I also wait for the stabilization period after any subsequent refill (I've verified this to make sure that I wasn't screwing anything up after buying a third one of these.)

All I can truly say is that none of the three I've owned behaved the same. The only constant is the irritating difficulty in igniting them.

I often end up with just a glowing element, while butane is expelled out around it.

I would never have guessed that this would be a probable situation, considering the combination of high heat & butane. Yet mine do not ignite far more often than they do.

Most of my experiences can be summarized like this:

Click, click, click,
*cursing*...

Dial adjusting...

Click, click, click...
*Add more butane*

Time passes for stabilization (to protect o-rings)... click, click, click...

Now, the flexible neck is very nice. But calling this wind-resistant is a stretch. An air conditioner on the other side of the room can snuff it out.

And "dual flame"? I either don't know what that means or mine don't have that feature. Just getting a flame lit can be a real pain.
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A True POS!
by ALRUI (1 out of 5 stars)
September 24, 2013

I bought this lighter at a high price due to Zippo's reputation which they have decided isnt worth keeping since they make this piece of junk in China! Their customer service is VERY condescending and not very helpful. I returned the first lighter to them as the spark was very weak and the light needed numerous strikes before it would light, after several weeks I emailed and they said a replacement would be shipped once the old one was received so I contacted them again and again as they said they didnt have it then viola it appeared and a replacement was sent. The replacement is WORSE then the original! Now not only does it take numerous strikes to light but the flame is brely 1/4" long when on full with a full fill of butane! OK so I email "customer service" again and get the following as a reply "Thank you for your recent E-mail. We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing problems with your flex neck lighter. We wish to advise that the flex neck lighter is not meant to light on the first strike, as the butane fuel must travel farther to light. If you are still experiencing problems with the lighter, please advised and I will be happy to send a postage paid box for you to return the lighter to my attention for inspection. " WOW! bad as designed? OK so I mail again and tell again about the weak flame and receive this response "This is normal as the butane needs to reach the flexible neck. " So what theyre saying is because of the "flex neck" this lighter is no good as a lighter!
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Uncomfortable and bulky, not easy to use
by B.Weber (1 out of 5 stars)
April 25, 2018

This has to be one of the WORST lighters I've ever used. Sure it's sturdy and well made, but it's very uncomfortable in the hand and VERY awkward to light. Almost takes two hands to light, unless you contort your hand. You have to push the safety on the back side, and then the long slide on the front. It's more natural to pinch it than it is to hold it and operate. The body of it is 7 inches long and clunky. There is a large hanger attached to the back which gets in the way of your grip making it EVEN MORE UNCOMFORTABLE. It's a weak soft flame and not a torch style like most of the pictures indicate. It's seriously garbage. The only way to engineer something this bad is to do so intentionally. Going to return it to Amazon asap.
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One Design Flaw.
by JATOAV8OR (4 out of 5 stars)
November 9, 2018

Excellent quality materials & build.

Excellent flame nozzle.

Easy no tool flow adjustment valve.

High capacity tank.

Precision articulating tube.

This easily would be the best utility lighter available except for one design oversight, NO GAUGE WINDOW on fuel tank. There's absolutely no way to determine what the fuel level is. Because the filler valve is so good it doesn't back spray when full like most other refillable devices. When you pick it up to go camping ect you need to know where you stand for fuel onboard.

Unfortunately I have to subtract one star for the lack of fuel window and can't recommend it. It's really too bad because otherwise it's a very high quality product.

I'm NOT associated with this or any product.

I did NOT receive this in return for my review.

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