Wasted $200 on a forge that couldn't hold heat

I picked up a single-burner forge off a discount site a few months back, thinking I was saving money. Figured it would be fine for small blades and some basic tool work. First few heats it seemed okay, but after maybe 15 minutes the interior would drop hard and I couldn't get a consistent temp. Ended up chasing that problem for weeks, rechecking seals and gas flow, but the insulation was just too thin. Finally I cut my losses and bought a proper two-burner from a local guy in Springfield. That old one is sitting in my shed now as a reminder. Anyone else get burned by a cheap forge that just couldn't keep up?

2 comments

2 Comments

fiona_lewis371mo agoMost Upvoted

Oh man, nothing like paying to learn a lesson the hard way. At least you got a nice paperweight out of it.

michael_wood321mo ago

Figured it would be fine for small blades" - that's where you went wrong man. Cheap forges are a gamble but some of them actually work if you know what you're doing. I got a $150 single burner off Amazon two years ago and it still holds temp fine for knives and hooks. You probably got a dud or maybe the gas pressure was off. Not saying expensive ones aren't better but sometimes it's more about tuning and setup than the price tag.