Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Fireworks Buying Guide

Fireworks are a great way to celebrate, but how do you make sure you are getting the most for your money? Here I will offer some general suggestions for picking good items to maximize your fun. First of all, check your state and local laws to avoid any trouble. Next, pay attention to the general safety rules and know how your fireworks work and how to use each type safely. This guide may seem a little broad but that is because their are thousands of products out there depending on where you are shopping, so recommending specific items is not very helpful. If you do have the chance to plan your shopping trip in advance, you can find videos of many items on youtube if you search the items name and brand, but the best resource in the US by far is the Pyro Universe forums and video gallery.

There are dozens and dozens of brands out there depending on what part of the country you are in, with varying quality. Most "exclusive" brands are made by somebody else and they just put their own label on it, a process known as rewrapping. Sometimes you can even find the original wrapper underneath if you peel back the packaging. Every brand has good stuff and bad stuff, but I've got some general opinions on some of the bigger brands. TNT products are mostly crap, they survive by monopolizing markets and selling through exclusive stands because they don't look good against most competition. Black Cat is living off their brand name is mostly weak and overpriced with a few exceptions (their fountains, bottle rockets and firecrackers are generally very good), Phantom has good stuff but is also overpriced. Avoid single brand stands/stores if possible, the best option is independent stands/stores that have more flexible pricing and product variety. Quality brands include Brothers, Winda, Pyro King, Dominator, World Class, Big Fireworks, Pyro Predator, Hales, Red Rhino, Beihai, United Pyro, Forward, etc.

Don't trust most sellers. While there are certainly exceptions, they often don't know any more about the products than you do and if you ask what something does they will just read you the label. The better brands actually have pretty good descriptions on the labels these days, so see what sounds exciting and if it says "Colorful bursts of display of happiness and joy" or some something similar, it's probably an old generic item and should be skipped. Don't fall for "buy one get one free" or similar gimmicks, they just double the price and tell you one of them is free. Stop to actually figure out the price per item and compare it to your other options.


Cakes/Multishots/Repeaters - These are your basic multi-shot aerial fireworks, divided into "200g" and "500g" categories depending on how much pyrotechnic composition is in them. Quality 200g will give you the best value for your money, but if you want the biggest effects, look for 9-12 shot 500g cakes that include a finale in the item description (printed on one side of the label of most products these days). 500g cakes in general will give you the most effect variety and the most impressive show if you want to fill the sky. I generally advise not buying the large 9 shot "3 inch" cakes, they container smaller shells in extra packaging and while some are very good, the cost per shot doesn't really work out in your favor. Keep in mind that the more shots an item has, the smaller each individual shot will be due to the composition limits. Look for a variety of items, including cakes that shoot in angles or fans instead of just straight up. Don't just buy something because it has a flashy label, fireworks are priced half on actual cost and half on shelf appeal, regardless of actual performance.

Shells/"mortars" - Skip the generic 6-packs, they are cheap but the performance usually reflects that. Go for 12-24 shot packages and avoid any shell with more than two breaks. Just like everything else, there are composition limits and more breaks in each shot just means smaller breaks. Canister shells will typically be louder and more impressive than ball shells, but this isn't an absolute rule.

Fountains - Some fountains are designed to look like aerials, so check what you are buying and don't spend too much on something that doesn't do what you are expecting. Stay away from 500g fountains unless you know they are particularly good, they rarely go higher and usually just last a long time and cost a lot more. Feel the top of a fountain for how many tubes it has in it and it will give you some idea of how long it will last. The better brands will also have decent descriptions on them. Fountains look a lot better when elevated 3-5' off the ground so you see the sparks fall longer before they hit the ground.

Rockets - Brand name bottle rockets actually do tend to perform a lot better than the cheaper alternatives, Black Cat is actually quite good here. Decide if you want whistling or not, stay away from the cheapest generic looking ones and there isn't much to go wrong with. Larger rockets with actual colors and effects are usually either not very good, or very expensive. It's hard to tell the difference without knowing specific products, so I'd say buy some cheapies if you want, but don't spend too much on larger rockets if you don't want to risk being disappointed.

Firecrackers - Like bottle rockets, it's worth getting a good brand here, they will usually be louder and have a significantly lower dud rate. Not much else to say.

Roman candles - I'm going to be Mr. Safety here and remind you that fireworks SHOULD NOT be held in the hand, and neither should other fireworks. Avoid the cheapest generic stuff because it'll just be boring red and green with weak and inconsistent shots, as well as being more likely to explode in your hand if you do end up holding it. Look for stuff that at least appears to be a real brand and read the effect descriptions. Stay away from those 100 shot jumbo candles and similar items, they pretty much all suck.


Sparklers - Sparklers cause a very significant percentage of all fireworks injuries each year, though they are admittedly usually very minor in nature. Look for wood stick sparklers instead of metal ones, they are less likely to burn you due to grabbing a hot wire once they have burned out. If you get Morning Glory sparklers (the ones with the multicolor tissue paper around them) be sure to hold them at a distance and point them away from you, they send sparks a lot further.

Novelties - Smoke balls, tanks, all that other fun stuff. There are a few good items in this category and Brothers Pyrotechnics in particular makes great novelties, but most of this stuff is generic crap with high profit margins and poor performance. They are fun to play with, but keep your expectations low.

Assortments - Skip most assortment backs if you want good performance. They will have a variety of items in there, but most of it will be very low quality generics. Fun to play with, but not very good for putting on a show if that is your goal. They usually contain mostly fountains and other ground items, with a couple low quality cakes and a pack of generic shells. You are better off buying items individually if you want higher quality.

Friday, June 8, 2012

Fireworks Safety

Fireworks Safety

When used properly fireworks can be very safe. When used improperly, fireworks can be very dangerous, causing injury, property damage, or death. Safe use ensures everyone has fun and doesn't provide more ammunition in arguments to further restrict or ban fireworks. Nearly all fireworks accidents can be avoided through correct use.

[Note: Kids and Fireworks - It is possible for children to safely use fireworks, provided they have been properly trained and are carefully supervised by a responsible and experienced adult.]

[Note: Professional Fireworks - Never attempt to light professional/Class B/1.3G fireworks without proper training and professional supervision, construction and fusing can be very different from consumer fireworks and must be fired with different methods.]

Before Lighting:

Purchase fireworks only from legal, reputable dealers - Only purchase from those legally approved to sell fireworks in your area. Fireworks that lack labels and safety warnings are not legal to sell and may be unsafe to use. Don't purchase or light fireworks that appear to be in poor condition (bad fuses, loose/crushed tubes, visible water damage, etc), they may not function properly or safely.

Know what the firework does - Different fireworks need to be set up differently and may require different safety precautions. For example, you don't want to light what appears to be a fountain, only to discover it has aerial breaks once it tips over and shoots at you. Follow all warnings and directions on the label.

Maintain safety distances - Spectators must remain a safe distance away from fireworks. NFPA has a standard of 70' per inch of tube diameter, PGI uses 100' per inch. Fireworks should be used only in open areas away from buildings, trees, or anything potentially flammable.

Have water available - A hose, bucket, or water fire extinguisher should be available to put out any fires that may occur.


When Lighting:

Wear eye protection - Eye injuries are among the most common and easily avoided fireworks injuries. Anyone lighting fireworks or near fireworks should wear ANSI-approved safety glasses.

Firework stability - Fireworks should be stable on a hard, flat surface when lit to avoid tipping. Any cake without a wide footprint must be braced on at least two sides to prevent tipping towards spectators. Shells must be launched from tubes or racks in good condition with stable bases. The weight distribution of rockets make them easy to tip towards the ground and must be launched from something stable enough to keep them pointed skywards. Fountains typically don't need bracing, but it doesn't hurt.

Use only safe materials - Fireworks should never be put in metal, glass, PVC, or anything else that could produce dangerous fragments. [There is an exception here for steel mortars used by professionals, but there is no reason for anyone else to use metal.]

Reach and light - Never put your body over fireworks while lighting, stand just within reach of fuse and be ready to move away quickly. Matches and lighters are not very reliable and encourage getting too close and cupping the flame, torches provide reliable ignition and additional reach. Light fuse and get away.

Keep other fireworks away - Any fireworks not being lit should be kept a safe distance away (ideally in a wooden "ready box") to prevent accidental ignition from stray sparks.

Never hold or throw lit fireworks - Fireworks should only be ignited on the ground or in an appropriate holder or launcher. A quick fuse or dropped firework could case serious injury. Roman candles can explode and should only be used in some type of holder. Sparklers are perhaps the one exception, but must be held from the very end away from the body and NEVER given to small children, who often hold them too close or touch the hot wire afterwards, causing burns.

After Lighting:

Check the area - Sweep for any burning embers, unfired fireworks, or duds. Duds should be soaked in water to destroy. Use special caution when checking spent aerial cakes and mortar tubes (occasionally these may contain an unfired shell). Never put any part of your body over the tube unless you are sure it is clear.

Proper disposal - Ensure no fireworks are still burning, smoking, or smoldering before picking them up. Any of these should be thoroughly doused with water before putting in the trash. If disposing of spent fireworks by burning, keep a safe distance away in case of live fireworks or duds.

Additional Safety Info and Videos:

http://www.pyrouniverse.com/safety.htm
http://www.pyrouniverse.com/show/consumer/howto.htm
http://www.fireworksafety.com/safety_video.html