From the Manufacturer
The WEED DRAGON is the perfect propane torch kit for home and garden use. We’ve regulated the flame and BTU down for homeowners who don-Foott need the power of a farm torch and we-Footve even assembled it. This torch kit is still plenty powerful for lots of tough jobs all year long and generates heat up to 2,000-degree F. The 100,000 BTU Weed Dragon quickly hooks up to any refillable propane tank (barbeque cylinders work great) and even comes with a hand-tighten tank fitting (you don-Foott even need a wrench). Overall length from torch bell to back of handle is 27 1/2-inch. Used properly, the Weed Dragon is safe and easy to operate and is a great tool to reduce or eliminate herbicide use where children and pets could be exposed. Kit includes: 100,000 BTU Torch withplastic grip, 10-foot U.L. Listed LP Gas Hose, Hand Tighten Excess Flow P.O.L. Fitting, U.L. Listed Regulator, Adjustable Needle Valve, Pilot Spark Lighter, and Pipe Thread Compound. The Weed Dragon is not just for weeding – hundreds of other uses year round: FLAME weeds in your yard, garden, concrete cracks, rock gardens, driveways and along fence lines. Perfect along chainlink fences. Flaming reduces or eliminates spraying chemicals and is a lot more fun than pulling weeds. BURN heavy weeds and brush, stumps, debris and more. Perfect to burn off irrigation ditches, fields, culverts, pond edges etc. Start charcoal, campfires, burn barrels and back fires. THAW frozen water pipes. MELT snow and ice off steps, sidewalks, driveways and any nonflammable surfaces. HEAT metal castings, pipe and tubing, branding irons, pots, kettles, tar, asphalt and roofing materials. STERILIZE bird and animal cages, pens and other nonflammable confinement areas. REMOVE paint, grease, oil, plastic and other residues from metal, concrete and other nonflammable objects.
Mr. Patman –
Burning green weeds takes a while.If you don’t mind buying LP (Liquefied Propane) and standing around a while while the green weeds burn off then by all means buy it. But it takes a bit of time and LP to burn up a small patch of weeds.
Derrik –
Exceeded my Expectations!I mainly bought this because I was tired of buying expensive chemicals and mixing them. Getting them on my skin and putting them into my soils. I ended up buying the (green) Weed Dragon and I’m glad I did! I don’t live on a farm or own a large piece of property so the 100,000-BTU Torch kit is more than sufficient for my needs as a typical home owner.I took pictures immediately after I torched them and then 3 days later. The proof is in the pudding as they say! From my experience, the chemicals would take a week or more before you started seeing any results.Notice the weeds are still green after I finished them with fire. There’s no need to “incinerate” the weed. It just wastes fuel and increases the chances of catching something on fire. It was extremely dry when I did this so I carried around a watering can to put out any hot spots along the way. (And I needed it). Just a second or two on the weed is plenty to destroy the cellular layer that weeds use to get food and oxygen through the air and sun… eventually killing the weed in short order.My weeds were pretty out of control so it took me about 45 minutes to finish this first go around. Moving forward it will probably take half the time with consistent maintenance. I estimate it will cost me about $5.00 a season in propane to keep the weeds in check. Just an estimate. I also bought the red trigger handle to have more control over the flame which I’m also happy with. With this model, there is a needle valve you have to adjust and it’s basically going full blast the whole time your using it. The trigger system will save you fuel by controlling the intensity of the flame. The box says it will pay itself off in fuel savings and I believe it. But that’s another review I suppose. Just wanted to give you a heads up so you know what your getting.The Weed Dragon isn’t the cheapest vapor torch on Amazon, but based on other reviews I’ve read and videos I’ve watched… People who went with the cheaper brands had problems with them staying lit and other things that were displeasing.On top of that… The Weed Dragon is made in America!I would definitely buy this product again or for a friend. Getting rid of the chemicals is good for the environment and using the flame thrower makes killing weeds fun!
Frugal Ant –
Great tool, but can start a fireThe media could not be loaded.
The video is a bit dramatic of how this weed burner works, but I wanted to show how much fire power this weed burner really has, and also to point out that it can potentially start a fire. But if common sense and safety measures are used, this is a great way to get your weed problem under control.I read several reviews (good and bad) before deciding to purchase this, and now that I’ve used it quite a bit, I felt I should point out some things.If you are using this for weeds that are still young, then this weed burner will melt them away with no problem, including their fragile undeveloped roots. However, if you are trying to use this on older more developed weeds, then you will have to come back a few days later and do it again, not because there is anything wrong with the weed burner, but because of how weeds work.Basically, you have to think like a weed, and what does a weed want to do? It wants to live long enough to reproduce and make much more of itself, for no other reason than to drive you crazy. So if you damage the weed by torching it, and the root is well developed, then the weed is going to go into critical mode, and the root will force up new weed greens and rush it to go to seed so it can reproduce. So it might seem like the weed burner didn’t do its job, but it did, it’s just that the root is in the ground, and it can’t get hot enough to kill the root completely. So you will have to come back and re-torch the weed. Though if the weed is that big, you might as well just use some elbow grease and pull it out.This is a great tool if used right, just like a weed trimmer won’t be able to get your newly growing young weeds, this weed burner will not be able to kill the tall well developed weeds. But if you use this timely, then you can prevent your weeds from ever needing the weed trimmer, or to be pulled out of the ground.I think what I like best about this weed burner, is that as I go over my weedlings, the flame also destroys any seeds in the ground and prevents them from germinating, which will prevent weed problems in the long run. As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.I chose not to buy the dolly that is shown in the picture, because the weeds I was concerned about were on a hill, and it was easier to just pick up the propane tank and center it where I want to use it. The 10 foot gas hose is plenty long to keep you busy in between moving the tank. If you’re on a flat surface, and your weeds are far away from each other, then that might be useful for you.As far as how much propane it actually uses, I don’t know for sure, but I’ve used this for at least ten hours now, and the tank is still not empty.Lastly, I do want to point out that it would be extremely easy to start a fire with this weed burner. You need to read the user guide on how to use it right, and also follow the instructions of having a fire extinguisher handy, or at least a garden hose ready to go. It doesn’t take much but a small gust of wind to pick up a burning twig and start a fire. I certainly won’t be using this in the middle of summer. I try to only use it if I know it’s going to rain in the next few days, and again, I have my safety tools handy.
B –
Wrath upon evil spiny amaranth (pigweed)I bought this flame weeder to incinerate an infestation of spiny amaranth around/in my chicken run. Spiny amaranth has evil needle-like spines that pierce leather gloves and inflict misery upon the weeder (me, who hates weeding anyway). It also appears to hurt my chickens’ feet because this is the only green they don’t scratch up or eat.The day it arrived, I watched a couple of how-to videos, then dragged a full 20 lb tank of propane down to the pen. I have a lot of spiny amaranth and figured I’d need the entire tank. I wasn’t planning to follow the directions to “wilt” the weeds. I wanted to destroy the seeds and thorns because the seeds continue to ripen on dead plants and the spines take a few years to decompose.O M G. This torch of destruction is awesome! I didn’t even use it at full throttle and I was throwing fire and brimstone upon all the spiny weeds foolish enough to stake a claim in and around my pen. I burned every plant to a crisp. Smoke, and sometimes flame, followed in my wake of destruction, but no damage was done to the chainlink or paving stones. It took about two hours to burn all of it, but I still had propane left. Seven days later, there is no sign of regrowth. Warning: Safety is important and yes, I had a hose at the ready, but didn’t need it since there was a light rain earlier in the day.
K. Rochester –
The most fun I have ever had killing weeds!I have a couple hundred feet of gravel drive that goes to a garage behind my house that does not get driven on enough to keep weeds and grass from growing on it. I also have several “low maintenance” garden beds that are filled with rocks and a few plants and shrubs. They also get weeds that grow between the rocks. This tool has been very effective at solving both problems, and is oddly satisfying and enjoyable to use.Unlike the instructions, which only ask you to hold the flame on the weed long enough for it to start to wilt basically, or turn purple, I was not happy with that outcome since I wanted the weeds GONE not just dead. So I stood and worked a few square feet at a time completely burning out the weeds until they were ash. I was able to do around 150′ of 10′ wide gravel drive with a 25# propane tank, which costs $12 locally currently to be refilled. I am happy with that price per sq. ft., and it does not send any polluting chemicals down into my well water like RoundUp or other similar chemical killers, which I really like. And the end result was a completely vegetation free gravel drive after I was done, not several days or weeks later.I treated my driveway and beds for the first time in late spring, and the weeds stayed gone almost the entire summer, and I did it a second time just recently going into fall which should keep everything looking great over the winter and into next spring when I anticipate needing to do it again on the same twice yearly routine.As a side note, I did not feel comfortable using this any closer than about 2 feet away from my vinyl sided house for fear of melting the siding. At 2 feet I have had no problems. I have used it just about right up to my decking in short bursts with no problems either. Looking forward to trying it out this winter for melting ice off of my driveway too.It should go without saying, but after reading a few of the reviews on this I suppose it bears noting that this is a FLAME THROWER, not a precision tool. You need to use care and exercise good judgement in what it can safely be pointed at. Also realize that it radiates a lot of heat, and may kill plants you did not intend to kill if they are too close to the heat. There are other torches with smaller flames that may be better suited to some gardening uses. Think of this more as a wide area weed killer, which suits my purposes perfectly.
A. Goldberg –
Hank Hill would love this thingYup. I don’t know why I bought this. I don’t know what I was looking for when I found it. But I’m glad I have it. I startled my in-laws as they sat around the patio when I whipped my new toy out of the shed and started blasting weeds. It’s exactly as described–a terrifying flame torch with a 10-ft hose that hooks up to a regular gas grill’s propane tank.With the recent warm weather, we’ve got various weeds coming up through the river rocks, bricks, and limestone pavers around our patio. In a few minutes with this weed dragon, I can have the whole thing looking clean and neat. The fact that it’s more fun than spraying herbicide is just a bonus. Pro tip: don’t use it barefoot and then absentmindedly walk over the rocks that you just de-weeded.Pro tip 2: don’t use where weeds are mixed among dry leaves on a windy day.I’ve found that it does leave a little film of soot on the rocks, but I expect that will wash away with a rain. It also burned all the paint off the end of the wand with the first use, but I’m not exactly worried about the aesthetics of my propane torch.I do wish the wand were about 6 inches longer. I’m 5′ 10″ and I have to hunch over a bit to blast the ground-hugging weeds.It’s easy to light, easy to adjust the flame, easy to use, easy to extinguish. Even if you don’t need one, it’s just fun to have one. You’ll figure out something to do with it. I look forward to a chilly night when I can expedite the fire pit lighting process by about half an hour. Oh, man. I am going to have a field day with the next wasp nest I find.Anyway. I’m a happy customer. The small weeds I burned a couple of months ago have not grown back. Granted, it’s been Winter, but my patio looks great.UPDATE: Several months and uses later, and it still looks and works like new (save the scorched emitter end of the wand). I still like using it. This weekend, I improved the appearance of my yard immensely by just burning a ton of weeds along the rocky border with the street. My neighbor came over to see what I was doing, and he left to go order a Weed Dragon for himself. I used it for a couple of hours yesterday (it can be slow work, compared to aim-and-spray herbicides), and it did a fantastic job without using much gas. My neighbor could appreciate the lack of poisonous chemicals, since we live alongside a greenbelt creek and above an aquifer recharge zone. I still wish it was a little longer; I think at this length, it was just designed more for quickly clearing dry farmland without the need to apply flame directly to the ground. But yeah, I dig the product and I still recommend it.
M.B. –
There’s a reason they call it the dragonThe media could not be loaded.
 So, I actually got this so that I could sear larger groups of steaks after sous vide (thanks Guga).Imagine my disappointment when I went to try it out and naught but a feeble flame emitted from the mouth of the dragon.Troubleshooting and consulting the how-to pamphlet and company video led me to the realization that something was wrong with my regulator.So I called the company and explained my issue and they were happy to send me a replacement part.It was easy to switch out, and now I was ready to burn.Now we’re cooking. I could already hear the difference in the hissing gas before ignition, and once that thing got going I knew that no steak (or weeds, I’m sure) would stand a chance in the face of this beast.Now I can sear a whole cow in less than a minute. Realistically, like 6 steaks in 30 seconds.As far as practical observations go; first, the paint on the shroud will start peeling off immediately. Not a problem, just a heads up. I ran the torch for a few minutes to let that finish before I aimed it at food, then cleaned it up with a wire brush as well.Second, you really don’t need to crank the valves on either your tank or the torch. I experimented with it a bit and there’s not much of an increase after you’ve opened the torch beyond maybe a quarter – half a turn on the torch control knob.Third, the heat from this thing is very intense, even a few feet away. Do not point it anything you’re not ready to destroy (or to put a delicious sear on).Fourth, probably common sense (here’s hoping), but if there are dry leaves or worse, pine needles nearby where you’ll be using this, I recommend a bit of raking. Unless of course you intend to safely burn those out of this dimension as well and have otherwise taken necessary precautions.This thing is a beast and for $50 I’ve got zero complaints. Company is good and helpful, and product does what I need.
Rapid Raven –
Used to melt large ice sickles from my home’s roof line. Worked very well for this purpose.The Red Dragon was received as specified. Easy assembly onto 20 # propane tank used with my grill. Joint with POL valve was a simple hand tightening. Checked connection with soap solution. I live in Southwest Montana. We’ve gotten around 3′ of snow over the last 2 weeks. With some melt from the roof along with near zero temps at night we’ve managed to create ice sickles that are as much as a foot and a half across and 6 – 8″ thick at the center. I bought the Red Dragon to melt those ice sickles that have formed along the eave of my house. Actual operation of the Dragon was simple. As described in the operating instructions, you start off by opening the valve at the propane tank. Next you open the valve located on the wand. Chose to open the valve at a low gas flow setting. I used the flint lighter provided with the unit. After lighting I gradually open the valve at the wand. I first open the valve with a half turn of the wand valve. This setting started the melting process. Insure that you hold the wand perpendicular to the surface of the ice for optimal results. Careful not to hold the wand’s nozzle too close as this will extinguish the flame. I eventually opened the valve another turn. This resulted in a more rapid melt of the ice. On this first ice sickle I spent a good bit of time reducing the size/ weight of the ice sickle so when the ice sickle finally separated frim the roof’s edge/ gutter there wasn’t as much weight to handle when guiding the ice sickle down to the ground (I mean snow!). CAUTION – be careful not to dwell with the wand too long at one location. I’ve got PVC type gutters and I managed to create two small scorched areas (roughly the size of a half dollar piece on the surface of the gutter – oh well something to repair in the Spring!). The process is somewhat slow, but it will get the job of removing the larger ice sickles done.
Suburban household –
Don’t worry! It’s marginally safe!“Pumpkin. It’s just that I’m tired of putting those poisonous chemicals in our garden. This is the most eco friendly way to kill all those weeds It would be irresponsible NOT to buy itâ€.I spent the afternoon vaporizing weeds and wayward grass in our large garden bed. It’s a helluva lot more fun than pulling them or using roundup. Here are a few things I learned that might be helpful.Weeds don’t stand a chance and it’s not looking too good for you if you’re a stink bug either.I like to pretend the weeds are little ISIS militants and I’m Allah’s messenger speeding them to there date w destiny and 72 virgins.Easy to see how this flame could get away from you. I recommend pre wetting the battlefield. Particurly when it’s dry. Also, it sounds obvious but take a look at the area you’re working. Before I noticed, I was up against a wooden fence vaporizing stink bugs and grubs. It was a little damp out so I wasn’t worried about the fence but then it occurred to me the fence had recently been sealed. I backed off and fortunately didn’t find out how flammable that particular brand of sealant was. Anyway, you get the idea. Be extra aware of your surroundings and have the hose or an extinguisher close by.I almost bought the somewhat expensive trigger mechanism but glad I didn’t. My thumb on the little dial gave me all the control I needed.I thought the hottest and most effective part of the flame would be near the base. It seemed to be more effective flaming the little jihadis toward the end of the flame. It also seemed somehow more effective when it was a normal orange flame as opposed to dialing it up to what I thought was the hottest setting. Lower seemed better which I thought counterintuitive.Unless you’re older or somehow disabled I don’t think the propane caddy is worth it. A regular BBQ propane tank is easy to hook up. You simply pick it up and walk to a weedy area and set it down while you’re working. The hose is fairly long and gives a pretty good work radius.The best part aspect of the Dragon was getting those annoying little pieces of grass and weeds that grow between the stones on our walkway.I didn’t think the propane got used as fast as another reviewer did.Have fun and be safe! It’s an “I told you so!†waiting to happen! : )
Luedtke –
Not 100% weed free but works wonderfulHands down a great product. We have (hopefully “had”) weed problems in our backyard and this product really help maintain them. This is what we learned while using this product.* You can use it on dried up weeds or green weeds. Green weeds obviously create more smoke and took a lot longer to wilt using the weed dragon thus, using more propane. We went through MANY propane tanks before finishing out back yard ( We live in So. California and our backyard isnt huge but the largest on our block with a large side yard and decent sized backyard) Either way, it got the job done.*We found the following process to make using this 100% successful. #1Mow the area you are about to torch to get it as low as possible. #2 Rake up any underlying dead grass/weeds that may be covering the ground. If you do not do this, you will only be torching the top layer and will HAVE to retorch the area for it to be successful. After torching, I found raking again gave us the most amount of success so that we can see what may still be alive and what is for sure dead so we can go retouch areas.* DO NOT torch next to plants you want to live! We have ivy growing on our fence of the backyard. Even torching next to the ivy caused them to wilt and dry up. The heat along will kill the plants not necessarily actually torching the plant. Its been about a month and the ivy is still brown.* You cannot torch for a LONG period of time, nothing to do with the weed dragon, its the propane tank freezes over when it gets low. You will need to take breaks while it defrosts.* This product is VERY loud. Sounds like a Jet airplane or even a helicopter at times. Im sure our neighbors just love us by now.*We had the police called on us for using this product in Southern California. Luckily nothing happened, he took a report and said we technically need a permit in our city. We showed him how it worked that we weren’t creating a fire so went on his merry way.With knowing the above, this product works wonderful however, the weeds still grow back. At least in our case. Its been about a month and we are starting the see new growth pop up here and there. I would still highly recommend.