Thunderbird Inserts by Vector - Regular

I wanted a butane insert to use on a new silver zippo that I wanted to keep clean of lighter fluid, and a second one for the others I have for occasions when I wanted to use butane, which I could switch of amongst the others. I had two choices this or the zippo. I wanted one that would mimic a fluid insert. This one wins hands down. once you strike it you don't need to hold down a button to keep it lite, Also, it has a true windproof chimney with holes, whereas the zippo had indents but no holes. A nice bonus feature is that the tank on these are clear so you never had to guess how much butane you have left.I decided to buy only one first to verify quality. Some reviews complained of poor build quality, while others complained of leaks, and then of course there some complaints that you need to file off a tab so it won't get stuck. When it arrived I found that the workmanship seemed just fine. It was also filled with butane, which confirmed no leaking, and I could light it up right out of the box. I lite it up and turned the flame on the high setting to best mimic a fluid flame. Being butane, it doesn't exactly replicate the fluid flame, but you know that going into it as that is the nature of a butane flame. I was so happy with it that I immediately stuck into a zippo case, forgetting to trim off the tab, and sure enough it is stuck and I haven't been able to get it out. Being impressed with the quality, I went ahead and ordered the second one. When this arrived I didn't notice any tab. I test fitting it by inserting part way in. There was no sticking, so i inserted it all the way in, and have no problem removing it. So I guess that in latter production runs they listened to customer complaints and produced it without and tab. So, I guess my first one was from an early production run. When I get it out I will update this review to report on what I find. The bottom line is that when yours arrives, first check for a tab and test fit before inserting all the way, and if need by, remove any tab before you full insert it.

Definitely don’t buy this! On the 2nd day I owned it, I lit it and the entire insert started leaking gas and catching on fire. Completely broken. Can’t even get a return or refund because I can’t send it back since it burned. Don’t buy this unless you want a ball of fire in your hands.

I bought this for a zippo I keep in my truck center console. I live in Michigan, and the temperature has been in the single digits here recently. I tried it (very cold) to see if it would still work (blue flame lighters won't in this cold). The yellow flame is much lower (when very cold) although I am happy to report that it still lights and works fine even in single digit Michigan weather...nice. Also, I did adjust the flame to be lower with the bottom screw from the standard setting.I also like that I can see the fluid level through the clear bottom to know when to refuel it although it came full and so haven't filled it yet.I also like that I don't have to push a button to keep the flame. Just be aware that when the lid is open the gas is flowing.Love how you can't even tell it's not the original insert unless you look closely and realize there is no wick, and how it still uses the same wheel/flint striker.I have only had it for a couple of weeks now although it seems to be well made and working well for me. Time will tell if it holds up.

Love this thing! I’m not a heavy smoker so the regular zippo insert wouldn’t work for me as it’d constantly be empty. This is definitely a solution to that problem, once you tweak it. When I first got it, it would leak. I put a bit of gorilla glue on the spring that the cant holds down (to better get it pressed down) and it stopped leaking. I’m sure my zippo is just a bit off when it comes to this lighter so it’s no biggie, I got it fixed either way. Soon enough I’ll put a dollop of solder on there because that gorilla glue keeps getting flatter and flatter. Apart from that, absolutely love this insert.

So I really like this item until it almost caught my house on fire..I'd had this for a few months and it was great alternative to the oem insert.. I used the lighter for shop project and camp fires nothing too crazy(not a smoker so not daily use)Then one day I went to use it to melt some heat shrink.. I noticed the lighter was getting warm. Next thing I know I hear this burst of air and a flame starts shooting out the top of the insert along the rim..the lighter wasn't lit for 3 mins maybe.. ordered a different insert this time.. to hesitant to go with this one again

This insert lets you use butane in your Zippo while preserving the feature where you don't have to hold down a button to keep the lighter on. It's also pretty wind-resistant despite being a butane insert because of the actual functional windscreen unlike the official Zippo butane insert. The butane-release mechanism integrated with the cam is a very cool idea and so far it works very well and doesn't leak any butane while the cap is closed. I'll update this review if it ever fails, but so far it has worked great. The one complaint I had with the insert is that it was a little tight, but I just shaved down the little tabs and the logo on the front and back and now it fits perfectly.