# flame thrower weed killing



## partndn (Jun 18, 2009)

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhLCwDpTyn4[/ame]

a youtube video demonstrating what I'm asking about.

Have any of you used a propane flame thrower for killing weeds?
Did you think it was worth it?
Anyone have an estimate of how long a tank would go per square ft of thick crappy vegetation?

Also useful for lighting charcoal and getting cooking really quick if you're into that.

I'm considering springing for one of these, but wanted to see if you guys have referrals first, or negative experience, etc. pros and cons

thanks!!


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## Old Vet (Oct 15, 2006)

I used a flame cultivar and a torch to burn off weeds the flame cultivator only works on small grass but the torch will work on anything as it is not around something flammable. But the ones that I used were hooked to a 250 gallon. tank and that would last around two days of serious burning. I used it to clear fence lines and ditches.


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## Explorer (Dec 2, 2003)

I do flame weeding all the time. I have gravel driveway and also yard between shop and barn to house where normal weed is difficult. With a flame you don't have to roast the weed to a cinder, but just pass the flame over until the weed chances color to a bright green which only take a few seconds. I wouldn't be without one and in fact have just purchased a backup in case of some problem. To me it is much preferable to poison.


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

IME, not as effective and easily as costly. There were some times in the garden it came in handy though. I just had to use a sheet metal shield for the plant I was growing.

Lugging around or wheeling around a 20 lb propane tank gets old.


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## KrisD (May 26, 2011)

I use a weed torch on buttercup and Canadian thistle and both came back within a couple days. I burnt those suckers until they disintegrated and it's didn't do a lick of good.


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## partndn (Jun 18, 2009)

Harry Chickpea said:


> IME, not as effective and easily as costly. There were some times in the garden it came in handy though. I just had to use a sheet metal shield for the plant I was growing.
> 
> Lugging around or wheeling around a 20 lb propane tank gets old.


Gotcha. My garden is not big enough to really warrant it.
I have some massive areas around the property though, that I just can't stay after with the weed eater or mower.


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## partndn (Jun 18, 2009)

KrisD said:


> I use a weed torch on buttercup and Canadian thistle and both came back within a couple days. I burnt those suckers until they disintegrated and it's didn't do a lick of good.


Oh boo. 

But that's what I want to know. Several of the plants I need to obliterate are incredibly persistent.

The money I would spend if I use round up would get up there if I used enough to really do any good.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

That thing is a pyros dream come true !!!!!!!!!.....ROFLMAO


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## unregistered353870 (Jan 16, 2013)

I have the one from Harbor Freight. I think it was about $25. It works well for a lot of stuff, but I don't use it much on weeds.


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## farmerDale (Jan 8, 2011)

partndn said:


> Oh boo.
> 
> But that's what I want to know. Several of the plants I need to obliterate are incredibly persistent.
> 
> The money I would spend if I use round up would get up there if I used enough to really do any good.


Glyphosate has never been cheaper, and to kill perennial weeds, one shot in the late fall, when the weeds are translocating food products from the top growth, down to the roots, will kill them virtually for good.

A litre or about a quart per acre of glyphosate is all you need, and a litre costs about 3 or 4 bucks. So for three or four bucks, you could spray a whole acre, and have the weeds you are after, actually die forever, if you time it right...


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## fullmetal (Nov 2, 2013)

it sounds like a fun toy and i could get in so much trouble with one but for actual weed killing... eh i am not so sure its cost effective


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

We have one.
The hose dry rotted over the course of a year and we haven't replaced it.

It was good for burning weeds off the fence line, burning bits of vegetation left on the garden trellises etc..
But you know what I liked it for the most?

Burning the ever loving poo out of squash bugs.
I would rake the ground in the squash bed and DH would light it up.
I turned the soil and he would fire.

I did feel as if I was getting all of the over wintering bugs and the eggs out of there!

Then I just started planting squash as a fall crop and avoiding the pests' life cycles all together.


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## Wolf mom (Mar 8, 2005)

Harry Chickpea said:


> Lugging around or wheeling around a 20 lb propane tank gets old.


I have mine bungie corded to an old hand cart. Easy peasy, just drag it along behind you.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

I've used them, and I've rented them out working in a rental store... Eh.. they work OK, but not the greatest solution.... 

If you have a whole lot to burn, they don't work so great.. As the tank gets cold from the gas being used, the pressure drops, and your flame isn't very big.. The colder it is outside, the worse the problem... 

I've found especially for fence lines, it's easier to spray diesel fuel.. not only does it kill the weeds, but it sterilizes the soil so new weeds don't come up... 

When you burn weeds, some times heating the soil will wake up old seeds and you end up with ever more weeds.. or, since there is new light getting to the soil after the old weeds are gone, you also get more weeds... 

Myself, I'll stick to trimmers to cut the weeds, or spay them with fuel or similar if I want them gone for good.


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## KrisD (May 26, 2011)

I do have to agree with Elkhound that the weed torch is fun to do! It does work well on grasses, vines, etc. 
for the record Round up doesn't work on Canadian thistle either, nor does digging. My goal is to stress the mother plant enough that eventually it dies.


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## farmerDale (Jan 8, 2011)

KrisD said:


> I do have to agree with Elkhound that the weed torch is fun to do! It does work well on grasses, vines, etc.
> for the record Round up doesn't work on Canadian thistle either, nor does digging. My goal is to stress the mother plant enough that eventually it dies.


Glyphosate sure does work on Canada thistle, under one condition, though. You just need to spray at the correct time. But you are in an area with limited true winter weather perhaps too, hey? As the plants enter dormancy in fall, if they get a whiff of glyphosate, they are done for. Any other time, you just control the top growth, but the key is killing the roots, which is not possible except for a late fall application.

As for burning with a torch? Works very well on annual weeds.

And I forgot: Your goal to stress the plants is a sound one, in the absence of other control methods. The old timers used to control Canadas, by never allowing more than a week of growth, and by continuously hacking away at the top growth, which eventually does weaken the plant to death.


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

When we lived on a ranch in Wyoming, dh loved burning ditches with a large propane torch. It was a huge flame thrower. The guys loved getting rattle snakes with the torch. I have no idea on using them for weed control. Out there it was a matter of clearing the irrigation ditches and usually was done a couple times a year.


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## partndn (Jun 18, 2009)

I like the diesel idea Simi. But how come diesel and just gas? Just wondering.
And if I cut down mulberry trees, would diesel keep them from coming back?

Also, I have a weed that comes back no matter the price of gly... Must be my timing FarmerDale, I ain't hitting the right moment. Cause they keep coming!


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## Awnry Abe (Mar 21, 2012)

They have a very narrow window of effectiveness in the spring, right when weed seeds are blossoming. Wait any longer, and you'll just waste LP and make the weeds angry.


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## DEKE01 (Jul 17, 2013)

KrisD said:


> I use a weed torch on buttercup and Canadian thistle and both came back within a couple days. I burnt those suckers until they disintegrated and it's didn't do a lick of good.


It is best not to burn the weeds to ash. You want to burn them enough that they die a slow painful death. This uses up the energy in the roots. 

Florida has a cactus that invades pastures. The cacti laugh at glyphosphate. Burning works, but you have to keep coming back and re-burning until the root energy has been exhausted. Heavy doses of lime is supposed to kill the cacti, but it also takes several applications and a lot of time.


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## KrisD (May 26, 2011)

Today I sprayed them with homemade weed killer. It's a Qt of vinegar, 1/2c salt and tablespoon of dish soap. This is an hour after spraying it! I sprayed everyone I could find! Next will be the buttercup!


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## KrisD (May 26, 2011)

DEKE01 I did try the wilt method without luck so out of frustration I disintegrated them. Alls fair in love and war right


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

partndn said:


> I like the diesel idea Simi. But how come diesel and just gas? Just wondering.
> And if I cut down mulberry trees, would diesel keep them from coming back?
> 
> Also, I have a weed that comes back no matter the price of gly... Must be my timing FarmerDale, I ain't hitting the right moment. Cause they keep coming!


Gas will work too, but it doesn't seem to sterilize the soil as well... It seems to only work for a season or two.. diesel works for a lot longer, as does used motor oil.. Maybe it's because of the oil, it doesn't rinse out of the soil as well? Beats me, I just know what's always worked for me.. 

Never tried it on trees, but I would imagine if you cut the tree, cut a few deep scores in the stump to hold fuel long enough for it to soak in, I'm betting it won't grow runners..


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## KrisD (May 26, 2011)

Doesn't gas and oil pollute the ground? Why would you want that on your land?


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Oil comes from the ground right? Oil actually does biodegrade... However, it's the additives they put in during the process of making fuel that's so bad.. 

I've used oil and diesel fuel for years on fence lines, and sidewalk cracks and similar.. never any problem for me.. So long as it doesn't get in your ground water or any creeks or such... 

Yeah.. I may not be EPA correct, but a little bit goes a long way and hasn't caused me any issues.. 

More oil is put in lakes every year from boaters than I could put on my fences in a century.. Farmers have been doing this for years and years..


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## julieq (Oct 12, 2008)

We have one that we use to burn our canal system in the spring. It's really hard for us to pull the propane tank along though as we don't own a four wheeler.


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## partndn (Jun 18, 2009)

I'm still trying to justify getting one ('cause it would have to be fun!) since there have been plenty of both positive and negative experiences.

So, I am picturing the torch and those dang carpenter bees as they hover and stare at you. :rock:

I would also like to shoot it at some stinkbugs.. yeah!!! stink or not, I just love watching them be defeated.


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## Awnry Abe (Mar 21, 2012)

partndn said:


> I like the diesel idea Simi. But how come diesel and just gas? Just wondering.
> And if I cut down mulberry trees, would diesel keep them from coming back?
> 
> Also, I have a weed that comes back no matter the price of gly... Must be my timing FarmerDale, I ain't hitting the right moment. Cause they keep coming!


After cutting down a nasty tree like a honey locust, I'll drip a bit of Tordon along the bark line.


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

Weed Dragon does great job on thistles in the field. Also the weeds along the chain link fence. Pa tends to the poison ivy with it each year as I'm deathly allergic. Have the homemade weedkiller reciper to try this year.


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