When I got the GVG, I went through 3 expensive torch lighters, all more expensive than the Arc. They were all terrible. They would constantly malfunction in a variety of ways at the worse times making blasting off like operating in surgery. It was extremely frustrating. I'm sure if I were using them for their intended purpose, they'd be fantastic, but the thing is that most torch lighters aren't designed to be lit upside down (which is the only way to do it for the GVG). As a result, they quickly begin to malfunction. The Arc torch lighter on the other hand is designed to be lit on any angle. Once I got the Arc, going deep with small amounts of DMT became easy, consistent and effortless. The Arc has failed to disappoint me yet and I've had it for just slightly under a year now. Go with the Arc, and you won't regret it.