Flamethrowers?

[Panzerschwein]

Hey guys! Well I am thinking about buying a flamethrower. I plan to use it for burning weeds, starting bonfires, and burning brush and leaf piles. I also will be using it for recreational purposes.

I at first wanted a real WW2/Vietnam era one, but found out those cost many thousands of dollar, money I don't have. Then, I found out there are commercially available ones now. One that piques my interests is the XM42:



This is a bit smaller than a WW2 style flamethrower, but probably more practical for my purposes. It shoots a flame out to 25 feet or so, and can be used with diesel, gas, a combination of those, or alcohol. It uses a battery powered motor to project the flame, so no air tank needed. It is also handheld, and retails for about $1000.

What do you guys think? There are numerous videos on YouTube with these and many appear to like them, saying they are fun. I might have to get one, especially with gas being at a low price these days. Here is a video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PKA0TzBapY

 

[burrhead]

Nothing like catching on fire to find out who your friends are.

Sorry, couldn't help it. That said, I wouldn't be interested but if you like it, buy it. Stay safe.

 

[X-Rap]

Here's one my sons buddies tried https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz25_6iOVpE
Probably not the best idea but it was probably a heck of a lot cheaper.

 

[bannockburn]

Cooldill

Interesting but I would be too tempted to use it for something other than lighting the grill or starting up a small bonfire.

 

[rcmodel]

I have had the pleasure of firing a military flame thrower a few times.

Quite frankly, they scare the holy crap out of me.

If I was you, I'd just get a propane weed burner for the uses you stated.

Probably not as much fun, but a heck of a lot safer.

rc

 

[Sam1911]

I've watched flamethrowers up close enough to say ... None for me thanks.

So many horrible ways for that whole exercise to end in ghastly disaster.

 

[Panzerschwein]

I've watched flamethrowers up close enough to say ... None for me thanks.

So many horrible ways for that whole exercise to end in ghastly disaster.

I'm sure they couldn't sell these if they weren't safe. I would be using it responsibly in a controlled, protected environment (my backyard).

 

[Derry 1946]

I'm sure they couldn't sell these if they weren't safe.

Like tannerite?

 

[Panzerschwein]

Like tannerite?

Tannerite IS safe, if used correctly. The guy who recently blew his own leg off with lawnmower shrapnel was NOT following the manufacturer's guidelines.

Saying that Tannerite or this flamethrower isn't safe to use AS INTENDED sure sound pretty "anti" to me. Guess what else isn't safe if used improperly? Do I have to say it?

Doesn't mean we shouldn't be able to have these for fun.

 

[X-Rap]

Cooldill,
I've followed you through the highs and lows of your battle rifle and 1911 I'll be here for the flame thrower too.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[Derry 1946]

Tannerite IS safe, if used correctly. The guy who recently blew his own leg off with lawnmower shrapnel was NOT following the manufacturer's guidelines.

Saying that Tannerite or this flamethrower isn't safe to use AS INTENDED sure sound pretty "anti" to me. Guess what else isn't safe if used improperly? Do I have to say it?

Doesn't mean we shouldn't be able to have these for fun.

Sorry. The smile was intended to convey gentle kidding. I'm all for people having fun as long as it's not using up public resources.
I'm no "anti." I'm ever so "pro."

However, I'll note that a company's willingness to sell something is hardly a guarantee of safety. See: Ford Pinto; Takata airbag; dog food contaminated with melamine. Used as intended, all proved fatal. Cigarette, anyone?

 

[Derry 1946]

Sorry. The smile was intended to convey gentle kidding. I'm all for people having fun as long as it's not using up public resources.
I'm no "anti." I'm ever so "pro."

However, I'll note that a company's willingness to sell something is hardly a guarantee of safety. See: Ford Pinto; Takata airbag; dog food contaminated with melamine. Used as intended, all proved fatal. Cigarette, anyone?

TOTALLY JUST KIDDING. Not trying to start a flame war. No pun intended.

 

[hso]

I'm sure they couldn't sell these if they weren't safe.

I'll be happy to say it, there's no assurance that the manufacturer (and there are all sorts of small shops that can call themselves manufacturers) has the engineering, quality control, or liability protection to equal major manufacturers, who themselves have significant safety failures at times. The guys, and you can bet it is a few guys, that make this may do a much better job than the propane burner manufacturer that made the wand I own or they may have done a lesser job. Don't bet your life on the assumption that because you can buy it they've done a perfect job. Go over the piece of equipment carefully. Start with the least flammable fuel while you learn how well it works and how to use it safely. Check it each and every time since this is more dangerous than anything you might buy.

Here's a shop video.



Here's the manual for it.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

OK, I gotta point out that this is the Non-Firearm Forum.
So, wouldn't a Flame Thrower be the epitome of a "fire" arm ?
Just sayin'...

 

[Panzerschwein]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I also know that there is a flamethrower out now called the "X15" which is a backpack mounted unit with more range and power, but the XM42 looks much more convenient and seems to be plenty strong with the right fuel mixture.

 

[zb338]

I think that thing could melt the snow in your driveway and burn
your house down before it ran out of fuel.

Good luck,
Zeke

 

[Sam1911]

I've watched flamethrowers up close enough to say ... None for me thanks.

So many horrible ways for that whole exercise to end in ghastly disaster.

I'm sure they couldn't sell these if they weren't safe.

I wasn't really thinking primarily about the safety of the unit itself, though that is important. Hopefully they do a better job than the US government.

I would be using it responsibly in a controlled, protected environment (my backyard).

I'm not sure exactly how I'd determine that I was in a sufficiently controlled environment to play with one safely. It certainly would have to be devoid of any flammable items/debris/vegetation, and any where (50' from where) I could reasonably guess flaming fuel might splash would have to be as well.

That would seem to limit it to very controlled "playing" situations, and certainly would seem to preclude its use as a tool.

All, "in my opinion," and based on what I've seen of them. Still, be safe and have fun if you do decide to get one.

 

[Panzerschwein]

This also seems like a useful tool for removing killer bee nests. Although I don't do that line of work, it seems like something to consider.

 

[X-Rap]

That's the entrepreneurial spirit, definitely subscribed to this one.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[Officers'Wife]

This reminds me too much of one of my uncle's experiments in "redneck engineering" that I will not describe lest some weak soul might decide to copy. Enough to say my grandfather claimed the sole intent of young men is to insure they not live to grow old. These toys are proof of his wisdom...

 

[kBob]

Most of the military ones that were "properly" surplused were crushed and holed. The "gun" crushed and both the pressure vessel and fuel tanks holed. That is why they are expensive, there weren't many to be had.

One August in Lousy-anna we were doing assaults against a defensive position right out of Soviet training manuals. Notice I said August.....in Tigerland......can we say heat injuries? Anyhow the cadre had a number of Flame throwers on hand and during one assault used them against us.......the tanks being filled with water. Man that was a welcome cool down.

Un fortunately there was not much evaporation taking place in Louisiana standard humidity.

After lunch (where some folks mistakenly ate the offered icecream cups) we saddled up and did it again. There was great exitment as we neared the defensive wires and planted our fake bangalors in the already cleared spots. The grenade simulators went off and the guys were on their feet charging and cheering at the prospect of the waiting Flame thrower men wetting us down again.

We had never even heard at that time of CS2, water soluable CS tear gas and naturally never even considered anyone would be cruel enough to deliver it from flame throwers.

A good time was had by none.....well accept the gas mask wearing and laughing cadre and Flamethrower wielders.

-kBob

 

[Panzerschwein]

Most of the military ones that were "properly" surplused were crushed and holed. The "gun" crushed and both the pressure vessel and fuel tanks holed. That is why they are expensive, there weren't many to be had.

One August in Lousy-anna we were doing assaults against a defensive position right out of Soviet training manuals. Notice I said August.....in Tigerland......can we say heat injuries? Anyhow the cadre had a number of Flame throwers on hand and during one assault used them against us.......the tanks being filled with water. Man that was a welcome cool down.

Un fortunately there was not much evaporation taking place in Louisiana standard humidity.

After lunch (where some folks mistakenly ate the offered icecream cups) we saddled up and did it again. There was great exitment as we neared the defensive wires and planted our fake bangalors in the already cleared spots. The grenade simulators went off and the guys were on their feet charging and cheering at the prospect of the waiting Flame thrower men wetting us down again.

We had never even heard at that time of CS2, water soluable CS tear gas and naturally never even considered anyone would be cruel enough to deliver it from flame throwers.

A good time was had by none.....well accept the gas mask wearing and laughing cadre and Flamethrower wielders.

-kBob

Dang! That's crazy! I have never heard of waterborne CS either. It's bad enough in the gaseous form. Bet that was no fun!!

 

[danez71]

I have had the pleasure of firing a military flame thrower a few times.

Quite frankly, they scare the holy crap out of me.

If I was you, I'd just get a propane weed burner for the uses you stated.

Probably not as much fun, but a heck of a lot safer.

rc

Just an example of how something 'safe' can go badly.

I know someone that almost lost their rental property because their tenant used one of those. An ember went up a stucco wrapped patio cover pillar and smoldered for about an hour before getting into the attic. So said the arson/fire investigator.

The tenant wasn'the even near the pillar.... it had at least 6 feet of concrete around it (closest distance to dirt)

Some cities, including that one, has ordnances against the use of propane burners for weeds.



The flame thrower sounds cool but I can't see any practical use or fun unless there is absolutely nothing that can burn for 100yds in any directions.

Embers can travel far.

 

[kBob]

CS is a white powder. It is used generally either as a powder or burned so the smoke forms the "gas"

One grenade we used that was technically for riot control was also great for breaking contact or just spoiling a bunch of stuff. It was a little larger than a baseball and a little smaller than a soft ball. There was a cylindrical plug though the center and a grenade ring and pin went through one end of it. One placed ones thumb over the end with the ring in it and held down a plunger , pulled the pin and hurled the thing. About one and one half seconds later a charge about like maybe two cherry bombs or silver salutes or M80s went off and tore up the hard plastic outer shell and hurled powdered CS every where.

It was a bit more persistant than burned CS particles and tended to stay where it landed until the object it was on came n contact with something moving through.

The other weaponized form was basically a smoke grenade with cs powder mixed in so that as the smoke was generated by the burning stuff in the grenade the CS was burned and its smoke carried out.

Other forms included plastic envelopes about the size of a large drive through BBQ sauce or salad pressing envelope and some OO size pill capsules. The first for manually dispesing (sprinkling it about) for area denial or ruining say a large rice supply and the pills where for training.

One pulled the two halves of the capsule apart and spilled the powder on to say a tin can lid being heated by a candle. This ws how we charged a tear gas chamber. You boiled away little bits of CS until you got the concentration in the chamber you wanted. Some instructors made the consentration so high that exposed skin burned before you un masked, some like to keep it so low that folks actually could stand a first or second breath while being forced to recite name, rank, DOB and Service Number.

Once the CS2 packets became available they got used in the old flame throwers as they had been on us.

The pill capsules came in a small paint can with something on the order of 60 or so in a can and so lasted on the shelf down in the training office for years. Lacking the smoke type grenades once I dumped a couple of the capsules open in the vent in the bottom of the grenade after peeling back the tape on the grenade. I then dropped a couple of complete capsules in and eplaced the tape

No one was expecting a CHoo Choo Cherry (red) smoke grenade cloud to be laced with CS. Heh-heh-heh.

We also used smoke grenade type "dispensers" for CN ( the original WWI tear gas) and a wonderful product called DM. Because of the smell if you were on the very edges of this last, it was called "pepper gas" but if you got a good snoot full you soon called it "Puke Gas" In high doses uncontrollable retching occurred. Nothing says Good Morning like seeing a buddy hurl up his four scrambled egg and cheese omelette inside his gas mask. Dude almost drowned. Least funny gassing exercise ever and the mirimited food got contaminated before they could get the lids on.....all the cooks were busy trying to find their masks!

For the M79 GL we had CS grenades that were way to long to go in the M203 launchers never got to use those though.

There was actually a 155 howitzer round that delivered CS smoke grenades. Never was clear on why it was ok to drop grenade canisters of non lethal agents if the canisters them selves, the shell body and base where still falling amoungst the victims like meteors.

The really nasty stuff belonged to the Artillery so our Infantry stuff was just considered annoying.

-kBob

 

[zorro45]

The propane fueled "weed burner" from HD is a lot of fun, although not as cool as the purpose-built unit for $1000, it can take care of weeds on a pool deck, walkways, driveway, and also remove paint from metal objects, start bonfires with wet wood, etc. When turned full on it sounds like a jet engine. Somehow it always sounds louder when used at dusk. The flames shoot out about 10 feet. For $22, it is worth every penny.