Sutton Vlog #7 - Tips and Tricks for Flame Weeding (Red Dragon)
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- Опубликовано: 28 июл 2024
- Tips and tricks for flame weeding. In this video I go through all the tips and tricks I have learned about flame weeding and why you should flame weed too. Stick with me to the end where I discuss other uses for your flame weeder. We keep bees and that means we try not to use any chemicals in our yard. Even if we didn't keep bees, I am always looking for ways to cut down chemicals in my life. I bought a Red Dragon flame weeder and have not looked back. Besides doing a great job of killing weeds it is also really cool. Make sure to subscribe! Leave comments below.
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Been weeding this way for years, on gravel driveways and especially between pavers. On one occasion, a small fire sprang up over an hour after I had quit, put away the gear, and gone inside. Only noticed when I looked out the window and quickly put it out. Enough smoke generated that the fire department came. No damage, but it could have been far worse. (EG, if I had left the property.) So not only do I have a hose at the ready at all times while weeding this way, but I also finish the session with a good soak of every area I've cleared and the perimeter around that. Otherwise, a tiny loose ember can start a fire long after you've quit. Voice of experience.
It is a great way to weed a lot of areas. There is always a chance of causing a fire and safety precautions should always be taken. Checking on the area after is a great idea to make sure nothing is smoldering. Thanks for watching and leaving a great comment!
I love my Harbor Freight propane torch! These things are essential on a homestead so if you don't own one, get one. You will be glad you did.
For weeding, keep in mind that the heat is a "top kill" process that won't necessarily take out all kinds of weeds. Many plants will die and not come back if top killed by fire. But plants with extensive and deep root systems will likely recover and grow right back. Like any tool, it is useful for certain things but is not a universal cure all for every kind of unwanted plant you want to remove.
These things are a beast! You will enjoy working with one of these due to the insane power it has. Need to start a brush pile fire? Just hit the brush pile for a minute or two with your propane torch. No need for pouring diesel fuel all over the brush pile.
Want to cull unwanted hardwood saplings and small trees in your woodlot? Just ring around the tree trunk about 1 foot up from the roots with the torch to char down to the inner layer just beneath the bark layer. Most species of hardwood trees will die. Evergreen trees however are not easily killed with this method so don't waste time and money trying to kill them with the torch.
Need to burn old paint off metal items? A propane torch makes fast work of that process, although some scraping and final clean up will be needed most of the time.
Sanitizing surfaces? A propane torch can do wonders for sanitizing dog kennels, horse stalls, chicken coops, etc. Torching off the floors and other areas of these animal pens will help keep the area free of unwanted germs, insect eggs, etc.
Fire treating wood? Yep! Works for that too. Melting tar? Easy! Burning residue off your BBQ grill? Sure, why not? You will discover all sorts of ways to put a propane torch to use.
Great video. Thanks for sharing.
You’re really getting your money out of it. Good ideas👍
Even weeds with extensive root systems can be killed with these torches. The difference is that it takes a lot more diligence and patience. When they start growing, burn them back. Eventually, the root system will wear out and die.
Valuable comment. Thanks!
Thanks so much for all the helpful info. Tried mine out for the first time yesterday and realized I need to know more about what I'm doing! Luckily, no harm done and now I feel safer and more confident. Thanks again.
One of the best reviews I’ve seen simple and clear with a bit of humour Thanks.
This was the exact information I was looking for. Thank you for such a wonderful tutorial on how to flame weed. It's the best video I've seen explaining the how to of flame weeding.
Glad it was helpful. Flame weeding isn't perfect and takes some time to work effectively, but it is way better than spraying herbicides.
Good job, Sutton. Very clear, fast moving, and informative. In the future, I'd like to see you in my three acre weedpatch of a lawn demonstrating how to kill "air potatoes" and other vines smothering everything (including 100 year old oaks) here in Florida. It's heartbreaking and not being addressed in any way by our government entities. I want to save our beautiful parks and preserves!
Thank you so much for teaching us how to safely use this! I’ve got aggressive weeds in my rock driveway. This will work better than roundup, which is like swatting my weeds. Bless you!
Thanks Sutton for making this explanatory video on this flame weed gun. I came across this on my gardening group and found this very interesting. I also live in the woods of Fla and hate using pesticides , but am sick of pulling weeds on over an acre of property! Ugh! it’s backbreaking work! We definitely need to help the environment and need more people to get on board even though it will cost us a few tanks of propane (Even with these rising prices 🙈of course!) It’s great to find alternative uses for it as well.
Lots of good info here...in the video and comments. Just ordered the Lincoln Electric Torch. Hope it is as nice as yours. I chose it because of the 10' hose. Plus I believe it is manufactured in Poland. Thanks for taking time to put this together for us and Jesus bless.
Thanks for the tips! Just got my first flame weeder. Can’t wait to start using it-after the next rain, of course!
Me too, but in this year. It’s a great way to get every drop of fuel out of the tank.
My refills aren’t anywhere close to $8. I’ve put mine to good use recovering parts of my yard. I’m hoping I can get the rock garden going again. Years ago I sifted all the dirt I could through a wire mesh. It still didn’t get rid of the many useless bulbs there. Bleeding hearts also dominate there and are only good for 2 weeks of beauty. I can hardly wait to try in on ice and snow.
$7 or $8 for a tank of propane, is cheap. For those of us that used to use Roundup, that was about $40 for a gallon which you had to mix, too. This will definitely get the roots, too. So much safer for the environment, bees and other insects, pets, wildlife, etc.
No. Systemic herbicide is the only route. You're making this up for your own benefit
@@typ8723 your point is that if you really want to eradicate and genocide them you need to use systemic herbicides? I'm skeptical of the flame technique as my pencils have Roots 6 or 8 in Long even for a tiny plants just popping out of the ground this spring, had a cottonwood fluff fire last summer that killed a bunch of my garden plants and now thistles have invaded
Up here Canada propane tank fill-up, 35$. Yeah right covid did that how full do they think we are...? So, so sad
Thank You for the safety valve tip! It made a world of difference.
Mine has a starter. It only will work on a trickle. Great tool, no chemicals and I can use parts of my property that have always been midwestern jungle.
Thank you very much I was wondering with mine I tried to fire it up the other day and that damn safety valve kept kicking now I understand appreciate it so much! Great video
Great, informative video. Couldn't help but to subscribe. Good stuff
So comprehensive, well done.
Thanks. This was very helpful.
Excellent video. Came here to answer 1 specific question, got the answer and more.
Great video! Very cool! Thank you!
Thanks for the video and information.
I was struggling with that safety valve.you explained it much better than the owners manual,thanks
Thanks Dark Knight. Very helpful video.
Great and well presented !!!!
You sure have presented a good video. I have just come in from flame weeding...
I was napping till the terminator scene. Holy loud!
Boots, good shoes, and a hose nearby - I am looking into doing this, a few other vids mentioned having a water source nearby (nobody mentions boots - Darwin award), just in case. You mentioned 'wait until after a good soaking'. You added other tips I need. I think I will be making the 'jump'. Nice to know it will blow through a whole tank in an hour, I would hate to start and run out of fuel to complete the job. Thanks.
Great instructional video. Thanks
Thanks for the tips, I have a lot of outdoor tools and equipment but never owned one of these. You saved me a lot of aggravation
Another use for my flamer is removing oil spots from my concrete paver driveway. No amount of brake cleaner, detergent, etc. would keep an oil spot from coming back to the surface, but with the flamer I had near total success. Still a good idea to scrub off all you can first. Also, I have read that you should make sure than concrete is totally dry (no rain for many days) before flaming, because the moisture in the concrete can become steam and expand, causing cracking.
Gonna try this. Thanks
simple green. Heating up limestone is not good it will pop and crack everywhere
This is one of the best vids on weed burning.
Great video and T-shirt!
good tips for starting the torch. It is winter and mine is just blowing air. I wonder if the trips were activated.
this is AWESOME!
Just bought mine. Thank, just did about 10 feet x 3 feet and i was burning it coal black. Good thing i found this video... at 35$ refill in Canada, yeah because of covid right, i would of been broke soon. LOL. Thanks :) man after listening to this video, I'm appointing my dolly permanently to this torch. Wow, 64, where in hell was I all these years... thanks :) good video :) Just a little advice, we have a farming cornfield, like 100 acres, from a neighbor farmer surrounding 2 sides of our 5 acres. We will avoid burning when he will harvest his corn due to votality of corn powder present in the air... here is a cut and paste: Grain dust is highly combustible and can burn or explode if enough becomes airborne or accumulates on a surface and finds an ignition source (such as hot bearing, overheated motor, misaligned conveyor belt, welding, cutting, and brazing).
I had no idea it was safe to hold the pipe vs. the handle. Yes, my forearms are killing me and my hands are shaking afterward. The other time I burn-weed is (I'm in New Mexico) late winter when the tiny weeds come up and it takes minimal time to kill them. Since we don't have many showers here I will hose down an area near flammable plants. Thanks for a couple of safety issues you covered. - I LOOOOVE my blow torch.
The only part that gets hot is right at the end. Saves a lot of wear and tear on your wrists.
Well done! Thank you!!
Thanks a lot, really helpful
I like to have a spotter helping look where I'm not. Easy to get tunnel vision when using the torch. Never used it for weeds yet. Looks like a great way to do it. Thanks
You should give it a try on weeds. Always good to have someone watching for you. Thanks for watching!
An hour! Haha brilliant. Rock star weed killing. 🔥
Your video is great! I just got a flame weeder and the only problem is my yard is too small before I get bored.
You can come & weed my yard if you're bored
I will have to play with my controls. Mine doesn't seem to stay lit like yours. Once I let off the handle mine goes out. Could be the brand I got.
OMG! Thank you! I've owned this for several years and somehow could not recall how to get it started properly. I do not like using pesticides, want a bee and eco-friendly environment friendly, but the weeds have been driving me INSANE! I'm going to be able to kill my weeds without worry now.
Good information, I have a Bravex and it won’t start with the push-button starter, so I may have to get a striker like you have..and I just bought this for $60.00..I shouldn’t have to do that.
I've had my flame weeder for years and LOVE it. I try my best not to use chemicals. I wish I had found this video sooner; your tips are so helpful! Have you ever used it to get unruly wisteria under control?
I have not, but it works on everything. Some things are more stubborn and require repeated treatments, but using heat to deprive a plant of vegetative growth will cause it to die eventually.
Love your video. I am so tired of hoeing and pulling weeds. I asked for a suggestion other than using "poison" today, because I have created a habitat for butterflies, bees, lizards and hummingbirds, the LAST thing I want to do is put poisons out and kill everything. A friend suggested burning and when I did a search I came to your video. Informative! Thank you for the tips and tricks. Much appreciated!
Good job! Nice editing...I like how you get right to it, tout de suite.
Thanks for your informative how to video. Couple of questions for you. How fast do you go through a 20 lb. cylinder? Would it be more economical if the tall grass and weeds were knocked down with a weed trimmer first then torch the stubble? How long does a torching session last? Will weeds and grass spring right up again? If I were to torch the remnants of a perennial flower garden late fall, would torching effect the plants root structure?
It would seem to me that the ashes would contribute to the health of the ground. Correct?
Love the questions did you find answers? Looking to possibly make a purchase myself
You can trim first if you wish, but not really necessary. I've a 10 acre property and use the torch about twice a year on a 1/4 mile gravel drive. I've had the same tank on it for 2 years now. Thicker stemmed weeds tend to grow back quickly as they've deeper roots that the heat doesn't reach. Torching is by far the fastest way to kill weeds, but the slowest application as spraying is far quicker, and not always successful. Torching dead flowers won't hurt them at all, just don't focus the heat on the ground directly over the bulbs.
I have been using mine for about a week, several hours a day. My entire yard is full of nothing much except weeds and invasive ground cover. He says to just wilt the plants but I have been going for scorched earth, as I do not want to be back out here doing this all over again. I have used 2 tanks of propane and will be purchasing more tomorrow. My sister came out yelling at me that I was going to kill the roots to the pine tree which was about 15+ ft away from where I was working. I don't think any roots are affected as I don't think that heat goes far enough down to do any damage, but if anyone knows for sure would you just let me know. The tree is about 60 years old and stands about 50 ft tall and I would hate to lose any of my trees by being ignorant about this issue.
I know you were looking for community input, but I don't want to see you left hanging. You really do only need to make them wilt. Anything beyond that is just kind of wasted. The ground is very dense so the heat doesn't go very deep. Maybe a half inch, which is also why you don't need to worry about the pine tree. Also, pine trees have very deep roots unlike hardwood trees. Pine tree roots go mostly straight down and only spread out a little. If you want to keep burning it like the face of the sun then just make sure you keep it safe and have fun.
Love my Red Dragon! I've found that thistles are really hard to kill though, you can blacken the stems by the ground and the top of the plant will keep growing.
Have you had any luck with your thistles? If so, how long or thoroughly do you have to torch them? Thanks!
Sharp shooter cut off at ground, a drop of Tordon, this is about all you can do.
@@jackmaddox8079
Is Tordon advanced round up? Just spent an hour and it's driving me nuts with these goddamn thistles and cutting them off and dripping round up on them could spend the entire summer treating my thistles, want to genocide them
@@GreenCanvasInteriorscape cghh
@@GreenCanvasInteriorscape
Yes it will kill them .
Do you need to hit the whole part of the weed with the fire or just any part of it?
Thank you! I guess I could water first and keep the charged hose nearby.
Polly Horlander You are suppose to use it on WET plants so the water boils on the weed, not really burns it directly.
Thanks. Good job.
Thanks for watching.
Really like the shirt Brother.
How did you adapt to a standard propane tank?
Do you need a regulator between the propane tank and the torch assembly hose? Thanks in advance
There is no regulator in my set up. There is a thumb valve on the torch that controls the flow of LP.
Thank you i didn't know about the safety
I’m getting one for sure and I plan to also have (I’ll put it in the tank so it’s nearby and am easy grab away…and keeps tank out of direct sunlight) a soaking wet towel, so if by chance a fire starts, I have it to throw over the fire! Good idea?
Anything to prevent a fire is a good idea. Good luck and thanks for watching.
Thanks for the video. Ok, I'm using the Bernzomatic lawn torch, live in Phoenix, and have a lot of problems killing off these weeds. I've tried using the heat to wilt them, but they just won't die. Any suggestions?
Black plastic or cardboard can be used to kill large areas. It will kill your grass too, but then you can reseed or sod. Some weeds are very stubborn and need lots of heat or repeated applications.
Worked great
Helpful thanks! 😊
Glad it was helpful!
China freight has one torch with a push button igniter for $38...love it so far!!!!!!!
Wow good info thanks!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching.
Can I use it on my driveway filled with snow
My flame seeder didn’t kill sour sops. Very disappointed in it.
Good tips, do you have any problems with the valve icing up?? I seem to be getting ice on mine.
I get ice build up on the outside, which has no impact on performance. As long as you are not getting ice build up on the inside of the valve that is causing blockage it should be no problem. If you are having issues with the valve freezing up and getting blocked, try running a little lower pressure from the tank by only opening it halfway. You don't need to run it wide open as it doesn't tax a lot of heat to get the desired effect.
IF U CAN PUT YOUR PROPANE TANK IN HOT WATER WHILE U BURN. THE TEMPERATURE OF THE LIQUID PROPANE DEALS DIRECTLY WITH THE PRESSURE ITS DELIVERING OF PROPANE IN GAS FORM. SO IF THE WHOLE THING GETS TOO COLD THE FLAMES WILL BE LESS EFFECTIVE AND THE TORCH WILL START DYING. TO MAINTAIN PRESSURE YOU HAVE TO MAINTAIN TEMPERATURE OF THE TANK.
Good video. Best one I’ve seen so far. Thank you all the safety tips. Who wants to use chemicals and risk contamination? Tree huggers unite!
Thanks, works a lot better, turning on just a crack. Aka it works:)
Thanks
Does this damage or discolor the mulch? Of course you can't sit the flame over the mulch and start a fire, but will a few passes over the mulch ruin it?
So long as you park it over the mulch it should have no impact. You only need the heat to kill the weeds and not the actual flame. Some times dead leaves or pine needles will catch fire and you could have some burn marks. Those are superficial and a little shuffle with your foot makes them go away.
@@twoheronsfarm thanks! We have a small landscaping company and this helped us although we dont flame weed often.
Please make a video melting ice in Winter.
Glad I found your video I was ready to throw the dragon out, couldn’t get the thing started, we also keep bees 🐝
I'm glad it was helpful. The biggest issue people usually have is with the safety valve on the propane tank.
Does having more btu make a difference? Like a 800,000 btu propane torch? Looking to make a purchase and need to know what btu to get
I can't believe I am actually going to say this, but you can go too big. You don't need a ton of heat to get the job done and the excess heat is just dollars burning up for no reason.
A great flame barrier is heavy cardboard. You can bend it around anything you dont want scorched. I always have a charged hose nearby when I burn weeds so it's easy to give the cardboard a light spray if needed. I killed a nice young peach tree in my selfish desire to murder weeds.
Can I use a lighter to light it ? Or does it have to be what you used ?
If you are going to use a lighter I would recommend one of the long ones for lighting the grill. Otherwise you might find you no longer have any hair on your hand. Thanks for watching!
What's the benefit to using a torch instead of a string trimmer?
The torch kills the roots like roundup, but without the roundup. Usually one heat treatment with the torch is enough to kills weeds for good. Some stubborn weeks it takes a couple of rounds. A string trimmer just makes the weeds shorter.
It doesnt rain here. So what should I do to keep safe?
Best practice would be to keep a water hose or a bucket of water handy. Good luck. It is way better than using glyphosate (roundup). Thanks for watching!
Thank you
Love the shirt. I couldn’t keep mine going yesterday and found this vid gonna give it another go
hey any idea how to change or clean the torch tip, I been using my torch for over 2 years and starting to get clog.
Get a torch tip cleaner off amazon
Not Amazon, don't shop in Amazon ever and cancel prime if you have it
yeah, guessing size to a paper clip would be wrong, as folks tend to force things being hopeful.
Welders use a torch tip cleaning kit. Various sizes in a kit...like li'l drill bits of sort.
Just remember it's cleaning not boring a larger hole in the orifice.
(meh, old post but I felt need to say)
my grandkids got mine out and bout burned downed the neighborhood. you wanna keep'm separated.
Need to know where to get the T-Shirt! Great video, will start after the next rain.
The shirt was a limited run by Grunt Style. They make some great shirts, but they don't make them all the time.
"especially, you don't wanna be on the news" Lol
What about flame weeding in my mulch beds? Risky?
It's not risky unless you are in some super wildfire prone area. You move the flame around pretty quickly so nothing has time to catch on fire for the most part. It's the heat that kills the plants.
I been using the harbor freight version of this, has electronic igniter, which makes it even easier.
That's made in China though this one is made in USA, and China is communist with goal of world domination
Could this work for killing moss on concrete?
Definitely. The heat will dry it out and kill it.
Better: scrape the moss up, mix with water, and spread on rocks in shady spots as cover.
Is this safe around grass & trees?
As long as you pay attention to where the heat is going you will be fine.
Refill $7.00 or $8.00 no way. cheapest around here 17.00
Equipment rental companies (sunbelt etc) will fill for like $10
Still cheaper than roundup
How long does that take? Flame weeding looks like a slow process.
Alot faster than waiting for weedkiller to work, and alot less work than pulling them out yourself
How long till you start seeing weeds pop back up where you burnt?
Rhizome grasses like bermuda and zoysia show back up pretty quickly. In a week or two. They are extremely hard to kill. Other weeds is a longer timeframe. Big broad leaf weeds are usually gone for months or until next spring. Other weeds are a month or 2.
@@twoheronsfarm to
@@twoheronsfarm the fact that they're coming back and I'm infested with thistles is more than problematic, I need to eradicate these, make them gone, never again, Holocaust style, genocide, I've never hated a plant so much as my thistles, they seem to be unkillable
Use a fork or hoe and uproot them
Hard work but they won't be coming again
And keep removing seeding weeds every week or 2
Would that work with English Ivy???
Butter
@@johnnykurplutzo6789 Joking?
@@glennfiddy6569 lol. Yeah
What size is that? I’m thinking I should get a 100,000, the 500 looks hard to control
It is the big one. The 100k is enough. If you have a lot to do then the bigger one is better because you can move faster.
@@twoheronsfarm Howdy DK, nice video. But the model number isn't given out, nor the cost of the unit you show. Hard to find a 400k unit without the backpack.
~ I get the part where 100k is enough, but I can dial back a 400k.
I'm not a fan of looking back 'n wishing I had gone larger. (-;
@@brianbartulis9709 I had the big D since I made this video and do not have the torch anymore or I would go look at the model number. Bigger is always better in my book, but a 100k will work just fine. You can dial back the bigger torches. It's just a lot easier to eat up gas if you are heavy handed. I have not posted a video in a long time, but the channel is about to get a huge makeover with new content. Thanks for watching and commenting.
For those that live in the city, do you need a permit to do this?
You don't need a permit. You are not burning anything. You are just getting the weeds too hot to live.
@@twoheronsfarm my whole front and back yard was weed city. So I just burned up everything. Now need to figure out what to do next ... 😅
You’re saying I shouldn’t light my blunt with it?
A good flame barrier is an aluminum shovel.
Can you burn cattails
It will burn down anything. It is 400k BTUs of destruction. That doesn't mean you should. I have found that with thicker weeds, in my case tall thistle plants, it is not a very effective method of weed control.
Haha good luck getting that signed off by the missus
thanks
You're welcome!
if you cut that jungle down short first it will not take nearly as much flame and gas. the quicker you can get than flame down to the ground the better. with tall grass you have to burn them down first then finish up with the green on the ground.
Where did you get the cool tshirt?
Should be grunt style a military brand along with black rifle coffee company and zero foxtrot out of austin
The good stuff starts around [3:25]
I always have a hose turned on near by and even have my bf follow me with a low stream of water... especially if I am burning rock beds.
Seems smart. An ounce of prevention.
Where does this guy live -- what zone?
7b