Which Branding Iron is Better? 🔥Fire-heated🔥 vs ⚡Electric Branding Irons⚡

Today we test how many marks you can achieve with a fire-heated vs. an electric branding iron and talk about the differences inherent to each type of tool!
Looking to purchase a branding iron? The irons and branding heads I use are sold and produced by: Branding Irons Unlimited (their website below).
www.brandingirons.com
I am not being paid to endorse them and am only doing so as I know they produce quality tools and offer outstanding customer service.

[@Simonfrios]

Great video. Just what I was looking for!

[@sloth_e]

In Australia with 240v it takes 10 mins max to heat fully. I usually start branding at 7-8 minutes. I'll unplug it at 10 mins and get around 10 brands or more done before I plug it back in for a minute to heat fully again. Its a great tool for leather and wood.

[@whattheshuck33]

Great info, Simon! I would go the electric route but I do like playing with fire lol. I'm excited for more videos :)

[@thebrandguide]

Thanks so much! Fire definitely is more visually satisfying to heat up with :)

[@lonnieellis727]

@@thebrandguide oh

[@thebrunoserge]

15 minutes for the electric iron to heat up? Whoa! Awesome work, really enjoying this

[@thebrandguide]

Things to consider when making your choice of tool to be sure!

[@thebrunoserge]

@@thebrandguide Had no idea - it makes sense now that I think of it. My printer's hotend takes about a minute and it's a MUCH smaller block

[@jgalt155]

Hello , I place my iron near my wood stove open door until a constant temperature is reached ( depending on a brass face etc ) then I boost the face with a gas source , it gives six or seven decent stamps depending on wood species , all the best from Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🤝.

[@thebrandguide]

Thanks for the input! Always good to hear about a different way of heating the head!

[@ramongibbs8692]

didn't pre heat the fire-heated for 2 minutes and the electric for 15 minutes and tested it while it was still plunged in charging? My next thought is given a finished project just how many times does it need to be branded? I've owned a fire-heated with numbered date column for over 20 years and I clamp and pre heat for approx 2 to 4 minutes and rarely brand each finished project over twice. And I have other woodworking friends that have replaced their electric branding iron 3 or 4 times in the last 10 years.

[@CoffeeBeanBabyBug]

Would it be possible to lay the iron on an electric stove and heat it up that way if you have no other way? (Without damaging the stamp design?)

[@thebrandguide]

I have heard of some people heating it up over a gas stove burner, but I don't think an electric stove would be able to safely accomplish the task as there wouldn't be enough directed heat to heat the entire die sufficiently. I would suggest looking into a small propane or butane torch that you could use.

[@yvettemartin6680]

What is the model of the electric branding iron? Hakko 557V-V12B-200W?

[@thebrandguide]

Hi Yvette! Yes that is correct. It is a great choice for light duty branding. Thanks for watching!

[@educardomarulanda1579]

Caballero ... Muy buenas tardes . Mil gracias por todooo ... "Felicitaciones" ...Aaaa ... Muy bn , por la traducción , "Español" ... Q... Detallasooo ... Por "Ello" , me suscribí ... Mil Gracias ... Desde Colombia .

[@thebrandguide]

¡Muchas gracias por visitar el canal! Esperando subir más contenido pronto. ¡Salud y felicidad para usted señor!

[@maryrosinia9900]

Where do I purchase the thermostat? I iron gets to hot when plugged in.

[@thebrandguide]

Hi Mary, you can purchase a temperature control unit (rheostat) from brandingirons.com/collections/temperature-control-units

[@frankpearce2544]

Hi, Will a heat gun work for a fire heated branding iron?

[@thebrandguide]

I haven't tried this yet, but I've heard of it being done! I'll test this in a video soon!

[@Spain42]

Great question.

[@lynn2real]

Can this be used on leather also?

[@thebrandguide]

Yup, branding is a great method for marking leather! New content comming soon showing this!

[@JohnD-tp9no]

What is the best temperature to head the brass head to for a good brand on wood?

[@thebrandguide]

It really depends on the amount of time you are holding it to the surface of the wood and the type of mark you are looking to achieve. If you want something very burned in but with a very short dwell time of 1-2 seconds (almost totally black with a lot of bleed to the burn) then somewhere around 600-700 degrees Fahrenheit. If you instead are looking to acheive the most detail possible, I would heat it to a lower temperature with a longer dwell time of 3-4 seconds. In all cases it's best to test different time combinations of heating time and dwell time to find the formula that gives the best results for you. Hope this helps

[@mikethompson7290]

Do you sand after branding?

[@thebrandguide]

Usually I don't, but will if I get a branded mark that has too much over-branding or is too dark.

[@ryananthony4840]

Actually I would be refilling my tank, because I would be using my real torch on a 20, 30, or 40 pound tank

[@thebrunoserge]

13k views!! Awesome

[@andre1987eph]

2:30 wow that background music is really annoying great video otherwise