Fire marker for hives (12 digits)

Your hive registration number, burned in permanently. Rain, sun and years won't change that.

🔥 Dual burner: consistent heat from the first hive to the last

The head carries two high-output burners that heat the brass character block evenly and steadily. In practice this means you can work through hive bodies, supers and nucleus boxes without stopping to let the iron reheat. On wood it leaves a deep, dark, uniform impression. On plastic and polystyrene, a quick touch marks cleanly without distorting the material — something single-burner irons and improvised solutions consistently fail to achieve.

🔡 12-slot head: always fill it completely for best results

The head takes up to 12 brass characters at 30 × 15 mm, producing a marking line of approximately 19 × 3 cm. The minimum functional load is 8 characters, but the clear technical recommendation is to fill all 12 slots every time. With a full head the flame distributes evenly, the brass block reaches a stable working temperature and the impression is deeper and more consistent across the entire line. Below 8 pieces the heat escapes from the sides, the head never reaches full temperature and the result is a faint, uneven mark. If your registration code is short, fill the remaining slots with spacers or filler pieces — they are inexpensive and make a real difference to how the iron performs. Characters are sold separately to match your specific registration code.

⛽ Propane, not butane — and why the regulator matters just as much

Two high-output burners draw gas quickly, which cools the cylinder fast. Butane stops vaporising at 0 °C, so after a few minutes of continuous use — or on any cool morning at a hilltop apiary — pressure drops, the flame weakens and the marks come out half-done. Propane vaporises down to −44 °C, maintaining stable pressure even when the cylinder is cold to the touch, so the flame stays strong from the first hive body to the last.

The regulator is equally critical. This iron requires a high-pressure regulator at 3 Bar (inlet 16 Bar, flow rate 18 kg/h — commercial ref. PH10503B). Using a domestic cooker regulator or any out-of-spec model produces temperatures that are too high or too low, causing irreversible damage to the brass characters and voiding the manufacturer's warranty. Connect regulator to iron using a certified flammable-gas hose with 8 mm internal diameter, secured at both ends with proper gas clamps. Before every session, check all connections with soapy water — bubbles mean a leak and the iron does not get lit.

⏱️ Working pace and safe operation

The iron reaches working temperature in approximately 5 minutes from ignition. The handle incorporates a flow control valve so you can regulate gas without touching the regulator, and the stainless steel shield protects your hand from radiated heat during short pauses. Apply light pressure when marking — under 1 kg is enough; if you need to push harder the head is not yet up to temperature.

A few safety points worth keeping in mind: use the iron outdoors only, keep it away from your body when igniting — propane can expand up to 40 cm on ignition — and remember the head stays dangerously hot for about 15 minutes after shutdown, so set it down on a non-flammable surface. One practical tip from experienced beekeepers: brand the top bars of your Hoffmann frames as well. If you sell nucleus colonies, share an apiary site or lend equipment, you will always be able to prove which frames are yours.