A first-rate torch!
The TS7000T is a very high quality and well engineered device. Except for the red control knob and the tank gasket, it's all metal; the body is cast aluminum, the burn tube is stainless steel, and the other parts are brass. It's attractive, heavier than I expected, and easy to use.
After screwing the TS7000 to a propane or MAPP gas cylinder, turn the red control knob to "on". Pull the knob in like a trigger, and the mechanical internal igniter clicks audibly, which starts the flame instantly. Hold the control knob in and the flame stays on. Release it and the gas (and flame) shuts off immediately. In other words, you can use this torch with one hand. Once the torch is lit, if you press the lock button in and then release the control knob, the torch will stay lit for continuous use, without touching any controls. Turn the control knob to off when you are done and the flame stops and the gas is shut off.
The adjustment knob controls gas volume from off to wide open. In use that means you can control flame size from just enough to stay lit, to full on. By comparison, the TS4000T torch is identical to this model except it has no volume control, so the TS4000T flame burns only at maximum. If you only need a torch to light the barbecue or for other uses where maximum flame will always be OK, consider the less expensive TS4000T. However, if a maximum flame won't always be appropriate for the task at hand, you're better off with the TS7000T. (As you can see in the customer photo, the torch itself is labeled TS7000, not TS7000T).
The torch head won't get hot enough to burn you -- a great safety feature. By contrast, the head on my older gas torch glows cherry red while in use.
Bernzomatic's claim that the torch flame "swirls" to produce high heat is actually true. On full flame, it's like a small focused blow torch. It used to take 30 seconds or longer for copper fittings to get hot enough to sweat (tin solder) with my previous MAPP gas torch. The TS7000 gets the fittings hot in only a few seconds; an amazing performance improvement and time saver. (By the way, if you're a homeowner doing your own copper plumbing, use MAPP gas rather than propane. MAPP gas burns hotter, which makes soldering easier and faster.)
Although this product clearly warrants 5 stars, the instruction sheet is another matter. To save money, it covers 9 Bernzomatic torches, in 3 languages, and is printed in a very tiny font (35 characters per inch!). Would it kill these manufacturers to include instructions for JUST the one tool, with larger print?
Summary:
The TS7000 is a brilliantly designed and manufactured torch that is straightforward to use and works as it is supposed to. A first-rate product.
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