Lidl are doing a special on butane burners for killing weeds this week. My heart says less weed killer has to be better for the garden, but my head is asking how effective a weed burner would be, and would the adjacent concrete slabs and paving blocks be scorched?
Does anyone have any experience of these things?
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I borrowed a paraffin powered one. Very impressive noise like a hand held jet engine.
But the reality was it costs a fortune to use and unless you kill the roots - the weeds come back. Bet a butane one is just as expensive to run and probably doesn't sound as good!
Chemicals now!
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I have a go again getting writ of the weeds by hand,I have one of those scrapers to get writ of the weeds between the pavers.
I have used the chemical spray stuff in the past Its a everlasting battle with these bleeding weeds.;)
Never tried a weed burner a bit dodgy near wood fencing i would think.
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We have a field on two sides of the garden: cast iron fencing separates cows from us.
I have annually used Pathclear to keep the grass and weeds from invading our garden.
Looked at a paraffin burner: takes too long ( 100 metres length x 1 metre wide strip) . Chemicals for 30 years...
Last edited by: madf on Wed 18 May 11 at 08:13
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My brother likes his garden and he reckons the burners do a decent job.
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Nearly nine years ago I bought a butane/propane powered burner (using small canisters) from Lidl France for about 10 euros and I've used it continuously ever since for clearing odd areas in the gravel, of which we have lots, between twice annual doses of weedkiller.
It was some of the best euros I ever spent and I'm amazed it is still working fine after all this time. I would have replaced it but I've never seen another like it and Lidl here has never sold them again to my knowledge. Garden centres round here sell burner kits that fit a 13kg cylinder for about 60 euros, but who wants to lug that sort of thing around?
If they are generally available at Lidl in the UK I'll get my d-i-l to nip round there asap and bring one over with her next week.
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...If they are generally available at Lidl in the UK...
From tomorrow (Thurs).
www.lidl.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/SID-1F7543C5-895C89E2/lidl_uk/hs.xsl/index_20861.htm
replaced link, as yours was asking for a postcode before it would display the item.
Last edited by: VxFan on Wed 18 May 11 at 10:50
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I've used a gas weed burner (paracene) for a number of years now. Very good but you do get re-growth so have to keep on top of it. Eventually the little beggars give up!
One weakness is there's no regulator on the gas, so after a time you have to shake the whole thing to get the gas to, er, gasify sufficiently quickly.
HTH
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Yup, that's pretty much the same as the one I bought years ago. And yes, you do have to give the canister a shake as it gets towards empty. When I started buying the canisters years ago they were about 4 euros, now they are more than 7 but still worth it, I reckon.
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I think I'll have a look at them tomorrow, then.
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What I forgot to mention is that it's so satisfying, too, when you frizzle the little blighters.
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Bought one of these earlier today.
It's quite well-made, brass fitting for the gas bottle, shiny steel for the rest, and a nice, positive piezo lighting button.
I've tried it in the back yard at Iffy Towers.
Does the job, although it's probably best to yank out the weed first because burning stalks and leaves takes a little while.
Its main job will be at the caravan, which is on flattened dolomite.
Nothing grows underneath, but the odd weed pops up around the edges.
I also have a gravel parking area which is prone to a weed or two.
The burner should be up to the job, and the reach it provides will be handy.
It comes with a gas bottle which the instructions say lasts two hours.
My only slight concern is the bottle has a threaded fitting, and I'm not sure how commonly available they are.
I've bought one spare, so should have enough gas to see me through this weed growing season and next.
Last edited by: Iffy on Thu 19 May 11 at 17:55
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>> Does the job, although it's probably best to yank out the weed first because burning
>> stalks and leaves takes a little while.
Dont burn leaves, just as low down the stalk (ground) as you can get - the rest will fall over.
>> My only slight concern is the bottle has a threaded fitting, and I'm not sure
>> how commonly available they are.
Very, they fit my portable gas BBQ and my blow torch.
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...Very, they fit my portable gas BBQ and my blow torch...
Pleased to hear that - the Lidl canister is typically pan-European, no recognisable brand 'Druckgasdose', and instructions in a dozen languages.
It's also a 70/30 mix of butane and propane, which I've not come across before.
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>> It's also a 70/30 mix of butane and propane, which I've not come across before.
Pretty much standard in camping applications. Butane on it's own is slow to vapourise at low temperatures. Addition of propane gives it more zip on a cold morning or when it's working hard and evaporative cooling affects the cylinder.
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...Pretty much standard in camping applications....
Ah, thanks Bromp.
The caravan used 44kg propane (orange) cylinders.
The wheel about heater in Iffy Towers uses butane (blue) cylinders.
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>> The wheel about heater in Iffy Towers uses butane (blue) cylinders.
>>
I'm thinking of smaller cartridges.
The burner and grill stove we have for camping uses Camping Gaz 907 cylinders which are I think filled with pure Butane. The light for the tent uses either CV270 or CV470 resealing cartridges. These are buttane/propane mix.
The main issue is probably the cylinder's capacity to absorb heat fast enough to keep the gas evaporating. The CV270 struggles on cool nights where a 470, with greater surface area, stays bright until the last gasp.
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... to absorb heat fast enough to keep the gas evaporating...
I'm sure that's right.
You hear talk among static caravan owners of the big propane cylinders 'freezing' during cold nights.
What they really mean is it's too cold to keep the gas 'gassing', or boiling, so you open the valve and nowt comes out.
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What exactly does this device do that a hoe doesn't?
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Have you ever tried hoeing between slabs, or in gravel?
Pat
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Gravel is actually ideal for using a hoe. I regularly hoe my gravel path . The hoe cuts through the roots very efficiently. Paving slabs are best dealt with by a hand tool although I can see a flame gun would work on these. Might blacken the slabs though
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...What exactly does this device do that a hoe doesn't?...
It enables the user to play with fire - much more fun than a hoe.
That's reason enough in my view, but burning the stalk is probably a more effective control measure than cutting it off at ground level.
Edit: Good points above by Pat.
Last edited by: Iffy on Thu 19 May 11 at 18:42
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."It enables the user to play with fire - much more fun than a hoe."
I'll give you that but give it a few weeks and it will be just another piece of junk in the shed :-)
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...I'll give you that but give it a few weeks and it will be just another piece of junk in the shed :-)...
I'll prop it up next to the hoe.
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It's like a petrol strimmer. It makes you feel like the Terminator. Hoes just don't get the adrenalin going in anything like the same way.
:-)
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I'm happy in the knowledge that neither of my next door neighbours has one of these flame throwers.
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"Hoes just don't get the adrenalin going in anything like the same way."
They do for us aficionados. Just bought myself a new stainless steel onion hoe. Can't take my eyes off it.
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"Is that gardeners porn ?"
Believe me its another world down the allotment.
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Oh dear lord no, unless it has a razor sharp toughened blade that can slice through a Samurai warriors armour, its not a toy for boys.
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Not sure I would use an onion hoe against a Samurai but there's plenty of thing in the shed that would do the trick from a razor sharp billhook to a mattock. Gardening give you plenty of offensive weapons
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>> It's like a petrol strimmer. It makes you feel like the Terminator. Hoes just don't
>> get the adrenalin going in anything like the same way.
>>
>> :-)
They don't throw stones and dog muck in your face either :)
Last edited by: VxFan on Thu 19 May 11 at 20:53
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Actually, it does make some sense in the end. East Anglians are indeed renowned for their love of turning over a sod or two...Not a great deal else to do in those parts I suppose? Skiing'll not be up to much for example will it?
:-)
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>>Not a great deal else to do in those parts I suppose?
Plenty work growing them swedes, he say, boy.
:-)
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'ave you got a loight, boy?
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"Skiing'll not be up to much for example will it?"
Rather popular actually. Ski slope is just down the road.
www.norfolksnowsports.com/
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Priceless ! Skiing in Norfolk. well I never ! I stand humbly corrected...
:-)
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Where would the Milton Keynes mountain rescue team be without indoor ski centres?
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We don't need to go as far as Milton Keynes, we have our own Mountain Rescue Team here in the heart of the Fens.
www.pidleymountainrescue.org.uk/
Pat
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>> Priceless ! Skiing in Norfolk. well I never ! I stand humbly corrected...
>>
>> :-)
>>
Terribly flet, Norfolk.
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What you need is an application of glyphosate, followed by a modicum of patience.
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Well I took the advice of this thread and went out and bought a Lidl burner and spare gas canister on Friday and spent around an hour frazzling the weeds that had survived the Wilko weedkiller and the wire brush tool......
.....also made the next door neighbour envious . He clears his by sitting on a stool at low leverl with some sort of scraper.
Gas had run out when I tried to relight it on Saturday to give my son a demonstration .
The canister seems therefore to do around an hours frazzling at fully open which is not bad I suppose.
Anybody else got feedback on gas usage ? I think I might get a couple more canisters before they run out at Lidls but I am not keen on keeping too many potentially explosive canisters in my ( wooden ) garden shed
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...Anybody else got feedback on gas usage ?...
At the risk of teaching a pilot to fly helicopters, I take it you've given the canister a shake?
Mine stopped working when there was obviously plenty of gas and I got it going again by releasing the valve on the canister for a second with a blunt skewer.
Zero posted earlier to say the threaded canisters fit blow torches and are available from the likes of B&Q, so long term supply shouldn't be a problem.
I think the tool is good for spot zapping of small weeds.
Sounds like the job you did was at the upper edge of its capabilities.
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Shouldn't leave the cannister screwed in when not in use. The gas tap has leakage (they all do) and the gas will leak out over an extended period. It probably had a load of gas left but its all now gone. Same applies to BBQs and blow torches.
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My blowtorch has a 6 year old gas cylinder screwed in since ithe cylinder was bought and it's still half full. Wickes self lighting type...
Mind you it's only used to light smokers for bees...
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>> My blowtorch has a 6 year old gas cylinder screwed in since ithe cylinder was
>> bought and it's still half full. Wickes self lighting type...
I tend to ignore you as a statistical anomaly Madf.
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>> My blowtorch has a 6 year old gas cylinder screwed in since ithe cylinder was bought and it's still half full.
We leave the small gas cylinder attached to the primus we take with us on days out in the summer / bank holidays to make a brew with. Put away last August, and got out the cupboard this Easter and May day bank holiday. Cylinder has to be a couple of years old now.
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 23 May 11 at 13:04
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Imagine how much more there could have been in it.
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I did give it a good shake but no joy iffy .......
I would be quite happy with the sort of usage I had from the canister but it was working Friday evening when I put it away and not working Saturday morning so any gas remaining must have leaked .They are only a couple of quid anyway.
Interesting that you say to unscrew the canister when not in use Zero , I was not sure from the instructions provided as to whether the canister was more likely to leak when it was left screwed in or not so I left it in ....pursuant to the recent thread, I do not do BBQ's.....
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...whether the canister was more likely to leak when it was left screwed in or not so I left it in...
It's not easy to work out if the gas canister valve is open when the tool valve is shut.
Simplest thing is to undo the canister - a couple of turns of the canister is enough to be certain there's nothing bearing down on its valve.
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I do not do BBQ's.....
:-)
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...I do not do BBQ's.....
Let's be honest, they are a bit, er, housing estate, sort of Bob and Thelma aren't they?
Not for the likes of me and chopper. :)
Last edited by: Iffy on Mon 23 May 11 at 13:35
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True, you need to be sociable to have a good BBQ. ;P
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...True, you need to be sociable to have a good BBQ. ;P...
Rather like Twitter, it appeals to those of a certain class.
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I'll have you know my barbecue set up was top of the range -
(in 1956 when oil drums in the back garden were de rigeur)
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Let's be honest, they are a bit, er, housing estate, sort of Bob and Thelma aren't they?
Perhaps even a bit - oh dear! - Daily Mail?
};---)
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...Perhaps even a bit - oh dear! - Daily Mail?...
Shocking allegation - I'm off to get a superinjunction.
There might be a sale on shortly.
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>> Well I took the advice of this thread and went out and bought a Lidl
>> burner ...
I did likewise this weekend. The test will be when/if the weeds start to reappear. The instructions say words to the effect that the quick increase in heat does something to chemicals in the weed that kills it (rather than just the flame itself, if you know what I mean)
>> The canister seems therefore to do around an hours frazzling at fully open which is
>> not bad I suppose.
>>
>> Anybody else got feedback on gas usage ? >>
The can says '2h' on it - which I take to mean it lasts 2 hours. Mine lasted 1.5 hours before I turned it off, and it readily reignited later.
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Well it looks like Lidl owes Car4 play some commisssion judging by the sales on here......
As for BBQ's the way I see it is this...... Zero please note....
) The woman buys the food.
2) The woman makes the salad, prepares the vegetables, and makes dessert.
3) The woman prepares the meat for cooking, places it on a tray along with the necessary cooking utensils and sauces, and takes it to the man who is lounging beside the grill - beer in hand.
Here comes the important part:
4) THE MAN PLACES THE MEAT ON THE GRILL.
5) The woman goes inside to organise the plates and cutlery.
6) The woman comes out to tell the man that the meat is burning. He thanks her and asks if she will bring another beer while he deals with the situation.
7) THE MAN TAKES THE MEAT OFF THE GRILL AND HANDS IT TO THE WOMAN.
8) The woman prepares the plates, salad, bread, utensils, napkins, sauces and brings them to the table.
9) After eating, the woman clears the table and does the dishes.
And most important of all:
10) Everyone PRAISES the MAN and THANKS HIM for his cooking efforts.
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It's a good job you don't live with me then:)
Pat
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At the weekend I bought 5 litres of weedkiller complete with a hand sprayer for 16 quid.
Resolva, containing glyphosphate and diquat. Used it Saturday afternoon, the weeds are dead or dying already. Wont come back for a year at least.
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Will it work on pampas grass, Z? Horrible stuff, right outside our front door. Was there when we bought the house, of course, but getting rid of it moved up my list on Saturday when it bit me. Now it's personal: I have angry red triangles all over one ankle and shin, and I want rid of it by any means at (almost) any cost. How many gas cylinders will it take, do you think?
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IMO the burner is not really big enough to take on pampas grass Will......
I suppose you could try cutting it back with secateurs and then look to burn it off at the roots but if the ground and the grass are as dry as they are round our way I would check your house fire insurance first..........
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You need "roundup" for that
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The Camping Gaz 'Powermix' cylinders I buy usually last at least two hours.
I bought a load of glyphosate (or whatever it's called) at the farmers' shop last summer and it does work ok but certainly the results don't last a year here. I'm also a bit worried about its effect on dogs, cats, etc, on the basis that when farmers buy it they don't give a stuff.
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...the results don't last a year here...
Cut a thistle in May, it will be back next day
Cut a thistle in June, it will be back soon
Cut a thistle in July, it will wither and die
An old saying which applies to weeds in general.
The later in the growing season you zap them - however you do it - the longer it will be before they return.
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Thanks for that Iffy. I've been looking for a magic formula for the past nine years.
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>> Cut a thistle in May, it will be back next day
>> Cut a thistle in June, it will be back soon
>> Cut a thistle in July, it will wither and die
>>
>> An old saying which applies to weeds in general.
>>
But I don't want to put up with weeds for half the summer - I want them gone now!
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Ah! Pampas grass, so essential to the 1970s front garden! Don't bother flaming it, it wont work. In fact it will probably do the opposite. Recommended way of maintaining these is to burn off the top growth every year. It stimulates growth in the following season.
Weed killer might work but I doubt it will be a one treatment job. Its really a dig it out job. Watch those leaves they're razor sharp. Good luck!
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You beat me to it CG!
Pat
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I remember listening to a very enjoyable speech by Dennis Skinner MP, the so-called Beast of Bolsover.
He lampooned the rich in their big houses 'where the pampas grass grows six feet high'.
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Ours is more like eight. At least it's in front of the house, so if it takes a JCB to get it out, we can get one to it.
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Is Willdebeest aware of the significance of pampas grass in the garden?
'From Wikipedia'
"Pampas grass is often used by swingers to advertise their presence to other swingers in the area. In the US and UK a patch of Pampas grass is generally planted somewhere in the front yard to signal to passersby that swingers live in the home."
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Crikey - you'll be telling me next that we shouldn't hang that red light in the front window.
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...Crikey - you'll be telling me next that we shouldn't hang that red light in the front window...
Not above that 70s hanging bubble chair.
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Actually WdB, burning is a recognized pruning method for pampas. When the growing season is over, cut it back to about a foot tall and then burn the dead shoots. The living shoots will stay alive to re-grow and bite you another day.
If you want rid of it completely the weedkiller followed by digging out method is probably more effective.
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What does Pampas grass surrounded by lights mean then? House down our road has that. She looks like a bulldog chewing a wasp and he's bald and fat with short legs so I'm not sure about the swinging thing. Nice house though.
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Humph really.....
Do I have to remind you that you don't look at the mantelpiece when poking the fire?
Pat
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Granted, but one would always be in fear of an inadvertant upwards glance which could have catastrophic and lasting psychological after effects. Almost certainly not worth the risk.
Anyway, maybe they just like pampas grass and have no clue as to its symbolic characteristics. I wouldn't have. I've got a few Leylandii in my front garden. I do hope that only conveys horticultural laziness to the casual passer-by.
:-)
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... I've got a few Leylandii in my front garden...
Don't let them get away from you, but I'm sure you know that.
Unless you fancy being featured on Neighbours From Hell.
Fame of a sort, I suppose.
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Leylandii roots like drains.. we cut ours down as the roots pentrated the soil pipe and blocked it..:-(
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Late into this thread and I'm shocked. I thought it was a thread about AC's grass smoking sheep !
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>> AC's grass smoking sheep !
Pampas grass?
Swinging sheep?
Too long in Wales PU...get out before it's too late man!
:-)
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>> Wont come back for a year at least.
If they didn't, I'll buy some myself.
Edit: In response to Zero's post further up the thread.
Last edited by: Clk Sec on Tue 17 Jul 12 at 18:32
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Just done it again, so thats a year and a bit. Its cheapest in Wilkos
Last edited by: Zero on Tue 17 Jul 12 at 18:43
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Thanks, Zero. I'll pick some up tomorrow.
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We got one of them burner things, Parsene I think, from Aldi for about £15. Very good for controlling weeds in the pebbled borders of the lawn and on the drive. Regular re-treatment needed but very satisfying noise and burning smell while in use.
Dad had the full monty kerosene fuelled version in the sixties. Sounded and smelled like an Avon turbo-jet. Mostly used for wasps nests (ground variety).
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OK in the right hands
A couple of years ago an OAP set fire to the dried edging plants, up went the hedge followed by his neighbour's bungalow.
It made the news at the time but I cannot track the news item.........weed & burning brings the wrong answers !!!
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Weed burners - Slidingpillar
