Bethlehem PM2D (discontinued): the surface-mix production bench torch

The Bethlehem PM2D was a surface-mix bench burner used across production and scientific work. It is discontinued and has been succeeded by the Champion, so this page exists for reference rather than as a current buying recommendation.

Discontinued, and what replaced it

Bethlehem has retired the PM2D and replaced it with the Champion, which the catalog describes as a redesign of the PM2D. If you’re shopping new, that’s where to start: the Champion is a two-stage stainless bench burner with separately controlled inner and outer flames, a 6-jet center fire and a 30-jet outer fire on a 1.125 inch face, roughly double the 18 jets of its smaller sibling the Bravo.

The flame itself also lives on: the Sharp Flame Hand Torch is a six-jet stainless hand torch designed to mimic the center-fire flame of the discontinued PM2D, with Bethlehem listing 3 LPM propane and 10 LPM tanked oxygen at full flame. That character was not lost when the bench burner was retired, it moved into a much smaller tool.

Our catalog marks the PM2D intermediate level, for production and general work. If that was its role on your bench rather than heavy production, the current single-stage burners are worth a look too: the Star at 11 jets and the Alpha at 6. Compare the current tiers in Alpha vs Bravo vs Champion.

Glass, flame, and what is on record

Like the rest of Bethlehem’s bench torches, the PM2D was a surface-mix burner, fuel and oxygen meet at the face of the torch, which gives the quiet, forgiving flame the brand is known for; surface mix vs premix torches covers what that design buys you. It handled soft glass and boro, the same glass range the current bench line carries.

Bethlehem doesn’t publish the PM2D’s jet count, stage count, or exact oxygen flow, so treat its capacity qualitatively rather than by the numbers. Every current model named above does publish a jet count and a full-flame oxygen figure, which makes a used PM2D the one option in that comparison you cannot judge on paper.

Buying one used

A well-kept PM2D can still be a usable burner. Because it’s discontinued, the checks matter more than they would on a new torch:

• The manual. Our record points at Bethlehem’s own PM2DWC operating instructions, linked in the sources below. That document, not a forum thread, is the one to work from.
• Fuel and fittings. Our record lists propane and natural gas. Ask which the unit was plumbed for, and check its fittings against your regulators and hoses: torch fittings, hoses and connectors.
• The face. A surface-mix face is a lot of small ports, and a used bench torch has usually spent years in front of hot glass. Ask what cleaning it has had, and look for discoloration or blocked ports: torch maintenance and discoloration.
• The mount. Confirm what mounting hardware comes with it and that it suits your bench height and angle: torch mounting and bench angle.
• Supply sizing. With no flow figure on record you cannot check a concentrator or a tank plan against a number in advance, so size from the work: how many LPM does my torch need.
• Parts and support. Confirm with Bethlehem what is still serviceable before money changes hands.

Whatever you end up running, set it up with the flashback protection your torch and gas supply call for, which is not a one-size answer: flashback arrestors explained covers why the makers differ.

Editor’s note: the PM2D is listed in our catalog as discontinued and succeeded by the Champion. Bethlehem doesn’t publish its jet count, stage count, exact oxygen flow (LPM), or current pricing, confirm specifics with Bethlehem for any individual unit.