Hot Max Big Max 500,000 BTU Propane Torch Kit, Idle Boost/Fuel Saver Valve®, 350 PSI Rated, 10-Foot LP Gas Hose | PN: 500G-BNC

The BEST spider slayer...ever...can you say Apocalypse Now?I looked at buying one of these a while back for weeding near my fence. I normally use 3-4 gallons of weed killer in a sprayer and - a week or so later, everything I can't mow is dying or dead. I never brought myself to buy the torch because the weed killer worked.I have a screened in porch/pool area with pavers, a dog who has to be let out and 4 year old twins who like to get into everything. A short while ago, I was taking my dog out at night and saw a few blue flashes of light reflected back at me along from the pavers on my porch. I thought I knew what it was because I had seen it before. To my horror, my dog ran up to it before I could stop him and the tiny blue lights started spreading out over the pavers...quickly moving out to an area 10 feet by 15 feet, there must have been a hundred. I got closer with my flashlight and realized I was right...it was a mommy WOLF SPIDER and her children. For those who don't know...a mother wolf spider carries her babies on her back. If she is startled, she must give off a scent or something, because she will jump and/or run and the babies will spread out like the tide... I had seen this before, OUTSIDE...but was NOT HAPPY to have what looked like a hundred or so baby spiders inside the pool area. I grabbed a broom and killed the mother and as many of the little SOBs as I could...but many of them ran into the small space between my pavers.If you have wolf spiders in your area, if you hold a BRIGHT light up to your forehead, pointed out to the ground, the light will hit the wolf spiders eyes and bounce right back to your eyes...almost like a tiny blue LED...similar to the light reflecting from a dog, cat, alligator or most wild animal's eyes... I grabbed a small hand held propane torch and hit a few of the suckers, but the more I walked around trying to get them, the more they would spread out and hide in the space between the pavers. I remembered this BIG torch and ordered it next day air. The next night, I grabbed my light, started this torch and went to work. I estimated about 60 sets of little blue eyes along the pavers...and to my surprise, they hadn't spread out much further than they were the night before. I walked the pavers forward and backward one time with the squeeze handle at about half, blasting the pavers with the torch flame, not keeping the heat on any area too long...using a sweeping motion. When I got back to my original position (30 seconds later) I used the light trick again and there were 2 baby spiders left. I quickly used the torch on them and was done...and was very happy not to have 60 baby spiders inside my screened porch. I would (and DID) gladly pay the cost of the torch JUST for that one spider job.That weekend I used the torch for my weeds near my fence and was amazed at how fast it wilted them. The next day, the weeds were brown and dead (the grass killer spray used to take 4-6 days before the weeds were brown).The torch worked right out of the box...no assembly except hooking it up to the propane tank. My only MINOR complaint is that The FLINT fire starter in my kit has a burr at the beginning of the steel striker that makes the flint stick immediately...this means using it with one hand impossible. I have used these before...so I know how to work it. It is simply a cheap defective flint starter. That said, the torch works so darned good, I will deduct no points and give it 5 stars. Excellent product.

WOW , Unbelievable way to get all the bad weeds out of my grass, It's a great tool, but as with any tool is be careful not to burn anything.A good idea is have someone with some water stand by ,Safety always 1st , IF this if not set right, It can become a high power Flame Thrower in the hands of the wrong user ,Please just be careful ,''that's all''.... Very Strong & you WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED ABOUT IT'S GREAT HEAT you get from it on the lowest or just idling just a small flame that barely keeps the flame lite or the more you push the nozzle in the hotter it gets all the way to ,MAX Power, @ 500,000 BTU of raw directioned down at weeds to heat or fry,,,,around nice Flowers use idle & just touch the weed itself, when you are clear of any good plants you can increase the heat at will,,

I live in the Pacific Northwest, an area with a mild climate, plenty of rain, and lots of sunshine in the summer. In short, weed nirvana. It takes only a month or two for a vegetable or flower garden to become overrun with weeds. Further, the soil at my house is a very dense clay, so once a weed gets rooted, it is a serious struggle to remove it. Since I am not a real fan of herbicides, time for modern methods.=== The Good Stuff ===* It is about the most fun I have ever had weeding a garden. Some weeds (like certain thistles) almost explode when you torch them, which I admit is somewhat gratifying. (Might want to wear eye protection, that hot sap hurts).* The torching goes pretty quick, and seems about the same level of time and effort as spraying roundup.* There are two settings, the normal flow, and a "turbo" setting. The normal flow worked for about 90% of the weeds, especially the smaller ones. Giant weeds, and those I knew from experience to be more hardy, took a full blast to fricassee. Did it kill all of them the first time? No, but neither does digging, Roundup, or any other strategy. It does kill about 75% of them the first time, and the rest go down easy with another blast after a few days.* In this area, if you cultivate and just "turn over" weeds, it is not uncommon for the exposed roots to work their way back into the soil before the sun has a chance to kill them. A quick shot to the roots with the torch puts a quick end to that.* The connections between the hose and torch seemed a little loose, but did not leak in the first 10 uses. Hopefully that holds up.=== The Not-So-Good Stuff ===* The instructions missed an important first step. Take the cheap POS striker that is included with the torch, and toss it directly in the nearest trash can. After a use or two it deformed, and was just about impossible to use with one hand ---you have to hold the torch with the other. Easiest thing to use was a long-nozzle lighter, and seemed perfectly safe in spite of the warnings in the instructions.* I don't like the trigger mechanism on the "turbo" blaster. It was easy to inadvertently squeeze it. Since it makes a loud noise, it will scare you if you are not ready for it. Occasionally the turbo blast would extinguish the flame, forcing you to stop and re-light. Wish it had a built-in igniter.* Not sure what the exact weight of the torch is, but it does get heavy. I didn't especially mind it, but I wouldn't want to use it all day long. Of course at the rate it burns propane, I couldn't afford to anyway. (I didn't use it long enough to go through a tank, but my 10 gallon tank was noticeably lighter after about 20 minutes of use).* A couple cautions- it is easy to light grass, bark mulch, or even large weeds on fire. Most can easily be stomped out, or will burn themselves out, but having a hose or at least a bucket of water nearby is probably a good idea. I'd also stay away from desirable plants, woodwork, or macadam paving. I took to wearing eye protection after a thistle "exploded". Also, watch where you set it down, the nozzle stays hot for a while after the flame is extinguished.=== Summary ===A torch is not a 100% eradicator for weeds, but then neither is anything else. It was very effective for me, and is actually a bit of fun. There are a few things that could be better, but the torch seems well built and reasonably easy to use.