6 ms·

Elon Musk’s $600 Flamethrower Will Be Released into the Civilian Market in April

28 points by IntronExon 9y ago

TokyoKid 9y ago
He was a super villain already.
stesch 9y ago
Sounds reasonable.
tempodox 9y ago
But will it work on Mars?
- dsr_ 9y ago
  Not without an oxygen supply. And when you have a nozzle-directed oxygen + fuel source optimized for distance, we call it a rocket.
fullstackwebdev 9y ago
Ok so that's just the Harbor Freight weed burner with a housing that looks like a gun. https://www.harborfreight.com/propane-torch-91033.html https://www.harborfreight.com/propane-torch-91033.html
- mmagin 9y ago
  It grinds my gears when people call a big torch a flamethrower. A flame thrower spits burning liquid fuel onto things.
  - mikestew 9y ago
    I wouldn’t mind so much if the front page of that military-oriented site didn’t have a picture of an actual flamethrower in action. Yeah, you’re not doing that with propane toys from Amazon.
- dsr_ 9y ago
  Erm. Is it? Or is it more like the X15? https://throwflame.com/ https://throwflame.com/
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
barsonme 9y ago
Fun fact, flamethrowers are only illegal in CA and MD. The former, presumably, because like half the state is a tinderbox. The latter because, well, they like to ban things. Anyway, this sounds pretty awesome, especially since other flamethrowers are well upwards of $600. Just, uh, please be safe.
- adammunich 9y ago
  They are legal in CA so long as the fuel is a gas.
  - Rebelgecko 9y ago
    It definitely doesn't look like it'll shoot more than 10 feet (unlike the XM-42, which costs a couple hundred more bucks and is definitely illegal in CA). This just looks like a butane torch in a 3d printed case that will get you arrested if you walk around with it in public.
    - barsonme 9y ago
      If I had more property and my SO wouldn't smack me upside the head for spending $800 on something that shoots fire, I'd totally get the XM-42.
cronjobma 9y ago
Makes me wonder... it worked for Airbnb with selling cereal to get some funds flowing. Musk made it work with the hats and now this. Should it be a serious strategy for startups to sell funny/share worthy swag to fund their ventures?
- bpicolo 9y ago
  Sure, as long as you have Elon Musk as your CEO it's easy
- david-cako 9y ago
  According to the comment referenced in the comment referenced[1], it's quite lucrative. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16244023 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16244023
sxates 9y ago
So basically Musk has turned into Hank Scorpio [1] [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ew78KThLOY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ew78KThLOY
snrplfth 9y ago
"Spaceballs: The Flamethrower! The kids love this one."
Ice_cream_suit 9y ago
From a comment below the article: "I debunk the flamethrower... it's just a Push-Start Propane Blow Torch ( 50$ from Amazon ) mounted in S.T.A.R. XR-5 Airsoft ( 112$ ). Start piezo button is inverted and in the hole with finger. You can see the propane valve button on top of the gun... and you have a propane torch able to burn grass in your garden .. " See https://www.amazon.com/Push-Start-Propane-Blow-Torch-Long/dp/B076QGV1PY?th=1 https://www.amazon.com/Push-Start-Propane-Blow-Torch-Long/dp... Musk gets $600 for a piece of kit worth around $75 and the fan-bois lap it up.
- luismmolina 9y ago
  Only $600!!?????, fanboy here
Falcotech 9y ago
I'm surprised to see so many people taking this seriously. This product is scheduled for release sometime in April. Let's consider the possibility that the release date could be April 1st. /hint

28 points by IntronExon 9y ago

TokyoKid 9y ago

He was a super villain already.

stesch 9y ago

Sounds reasonable.

tempodox 9y ago

But will it work on Mars?

dsr_ 9y ago
Not without an oxygen supply. And when you have a nozzle-directed oxygen + fuel source optimized for distance, we call it a rocket.

fullstackwebdev 9y ago

Ok so that's just the Harbor Freight weed burner with a housing that looks like a gun. https://www.harborfreight.com/propane-torch-91033.html https://www.harborfreight.com/propane-torch-91033.html

mmagin 9y ago
It grinds my gears when people call a big torch a flamethrower. A flame thrower spits burning liquid fuel onto things.
- mikestew 9y ago
  I wouldn’t mind so much if the front page of that military-oriented site didn’t have a picture of an actual flamethrower in action. Yeah, you’re not doing that with propane toys from Amazon.
dsr_ 9y ago
Erm. Is it? Or is it more like the X15? https://throwflame.com/ https://throwflame.com/
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]

barsonme 9y ago

Fun fact, flamethrowers are only illegal in CA and MD. The former, presumably, because like half the state is a tinderbox. The latter because, well, they like to ban things. Anyway, this sounds pretty awesome, especially since other flamethrowers are well upwards of $600. Just, uh, please be safe.

adammunich 9y ago
They are legal in CA so long as the fuel is a gas.
- Rebelgecko 9y ago
  It definitely doesn't look like it'll shoot more than 10 feet (unlike the XM-42, which costs a couple hundred more bucks and is definitely illegal in CA). This just looks like a butane torch in a 3d printed case that will get you arrested if you walk around with it in public.
  - barsonme 9y ago
    If I had more property and my SO wouldn't smack me upside the head for spending $800 on something that shoots fire, I'd totally get the XM-42.

cronjobma 9y ago

Makes me wonder... it worked for Airbnb with selling cereal to get some funds flowing. Musk made it work with the hats and now this. Should it be a serious strategy for startups to sell funny/share worthy swag to fund their ventures?

bpicolo 9y ago
Sure, as long as you have Elon Musk as your CEO it's easy
david-cako 9y ago
According to the comment referenced in the comment referenced[1], it's quite lucrative. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16244023 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16244023

sxates 9y ago

So basically Musk has turned into Hank Scorpio [1] [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ew78KThLOY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ew78KThLOY

snrplfth 9y ago

"Spaceballs: The Flamethrower! The kids love this one."

Ice_cream_suit 9y ago

From a comment below the article: "I debunk the flamethrower... it's just a Push-Start Propane Blow Torch ( 50$ from Amazon ) mounted in S.T.A.R. XR-5 Airsoft ( 112$ ). Start piezo button is inverted and in the hole with finger. You can see the propane valve button on top of the gun... and you have a propane torch able to burn grass in your garden .. " See https://www.amazon.com/Push-Start-Propane-Blow-Torch-Long/dp/B076QGV1PY?th=1 https://www.amazon.com/Push-Start-Propane-Blow-Torch-Long/dp... Musk gets $600 for a piece of kit worth around $75 and the fan-bois lap it up.

luismmolina 9y ago
Only $600!!?????, fanboy here

Falcotech 9y ago

I'm surprised to see so many people taking this seriously. This product is scheduled for release sometime in April. Let's consider the possibility that the release date could be April 1st. /hint