Herbert Arnold Premix Hand Torch

The Herbert Arnold Premix Hand Torch (model 126/22) is a premix, hand-held burner that produces very sharp, hot flames, well suited to borosilicate and quartz work. It has a brass body with precisely adjustable needle valves (one for the gas, one for oxygen) and an exchangeable upper part that swaps between interchangeable jets, so you can tune the flame to the job. It comes from Herbert Arnold, the long-established German glass-machinery maker known for precise burners.

What the premix flame gives you

In a premix torch, fuel and oxygen mix inside the body before reaching the flame, which tends to give a hot, sharp, focused flame, exactly what this hand torch is built for. That character drives heat efficiently for boro and quartz, though a premix flame is naturally less soft and forgiving than a surface-mix one. For the full comparison, see surface mix vs premix torches.

Who it’s for

The Premix Hand Torch suits intermediate-to-advanced makers doing hand-held boro and quartz work who want a very sharp, hot flame and the flexibility of interchangeable jets. As a hand torch it’s held and maneuvered rather than bench-mounted, which makes it well suited to assembly and localized heating; if you’re weighing the format, see bench vs hand torch.

Fuel, valves, and jets

It is built in propane, natural gas and hydrogen versions (Arnold’s 126/22 PS, ES and WS), each run with oxygen; a given torch runs the fuel it was built for. Gas and oxygen each have their own fine needle valve, and the upper part comes off with a union nut so you can change jets. It ships with three jets, 0.8, 1.0 and 1.3 mm bore, letting you step the flame from finer to larger work: groove jets on the propane and natural-gas versions, single-hole jets on hydrogen. Arnold also rates it as a sealing burner (Abschmelzbrenner), the job of melting a tube closed, and the whole torch is 270 mm long.

Arnold publishes the working figures for the propane version: 50 mbar gas (about 0.7 psi) and 0.5 to 1.5 bar oxygen (about 7 to 22 psi, our conversions), drawing at most 0.05 cubic meters of propane and 0.17 of oxygen an hour. That oxygen ceiling is about 2.8 LPM, the estimate on this page, small enough for a single concentrator; see how many LPM does my torch need.

For a wider flame Arnold sells a two-jet distributor (126/22.1001, EUR 137 on propane) and a four-jet distributor (126/22.1002, EUR 275 on propane), plus a spare standard upper part and a stand with cast-iron base and ball joint (126/22.1003, EUR 230). The torch itself lists at EUR 400 for propane or natural gas and EUR 378 for hydrogen, excluding VAT, on Arnold’s 02/2025 price list.

Before you buy

Budget for the whole system, not just the torch: oxygen (tanks or a concentrator), the correct propane regulator, flashback protection matched to your torch and gas supply, eyewear rated for the glass you run, and ventilation. Arnold recommends protection against reverse gas flow and flashback on its burners, and its hose glands are metric (6 mm), so settle fittings with Herbert Arnold before you order. New to plumbing a torch? Start with the fittings, hoses & connectors guide and the glass torch safety setup guide.

Editor’s note: jets, valves, pressures, consumption, length, accessories and euro prices come from Herbert Arnold’s burner catalog and its 02/2025 price list, as read on 2026-10-06; the brass body comes from earlier listings. The oxygen estimate is Arnold’s maximum consumption converted to LPM. Confirm the version and current price with Herbert Arnold before purchasing.