Elon Musk has disrupted several industries, including electric cars, solar panels, battery manufacturing, and space launch systems. On Saturday he introduced a flamethrower, and I can’t help but wonder what the significance of this venture will be, or why he was motivated to do this.
In the Instagram video below, he explains that “It is good for roasting nuts”.
Great for roasting nuts ? ?
The flame appears to be burning gas, rather than a liquid like diesel fuel, kerosene, or gasoline (or a mixture of liquids). The cylinder on top looks like a 14-ounce propane tank.
In a Tweet, he said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms allows flamethrowers with a flame less than 10 feet.
ATF says any flamethrower with a flame shorter than 10 ft is A-ok. Our design is max fun for least danger. I’d be way more scared of a steak knife.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 28, 2018
The rumor that I’m secretly creating a zombie apocalypse to generate demand for flamethrowers is completely false
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 28, 2018
Unless you like fun
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 28, 2018
It should start shipping “in the Spring” at a price of $500. Sunday Mr. Musk said there have been 7,000 pre-orders for the 20,000 that are being manufactured. It is sold by the “Boring Company”, an organization Mr. Musk created to construct tunnels under cities to transport cars at 150 mph, avoiding heavy traffic on the surface.
We don’t know if the flamethrower is real, but people thought Mr. Musk was joking when he first proposed the tunnels. They thought the same thing when he said he was going to put his new personal Tesla Roadster on the first test launch of their Falcon Heavy rocket as a demonstration payload. It is typical on test launches of new rockets to put a dummy weighted payload in the cargo bay, but it is usually something fairly worthless like scrap steel. Not a new sports car (playing David Bowie’s Space Oddity) that according to Mr. Musk can accelerate to 60 mph in 1.9 seconds and has a top end of 250 mph.
Payload will be my midnight cherry Tesla Roadster playing Space Oddity. Destination is Mars orbit. Will be in deep space for a billion years or so if it doesn’t blow up on ascent.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 2, 2017
But getting back to the flamethrower… do you think it will be practical on prescribed fires or wildland fire firing operations, burning out and backfiring?
In this next video, Mr. Musk seems to like the flamethrower.
Don’t do this. Also, I want to be clear that a flamethrower is a super terrible idea. Definitely don’t buy one. Unless you like fun.
I have recently purchased a Rat 1 folder and will be interested in how it performs in the field compared to my fixed blade. It has a substantial blade and weighs nearly as much as some fixed knives. But the best thing so far seems to be the liner-lock mechanism unlike some I have tried this really seems to lock and gives you more confidence in using it.
http://bestproducts-4u.com/best-bushcraft-knives/
MSNBC just reported that Elon Musk says his $500 flamethower has “sold out”.
Earlier he said they were going to manufacture 20,000.
Much like exploding targets some fool will start a wild land fire with one sooner or later. No doubt the idiots who buy this will burn up their house, garage, vehicles, pets, friends or family showing it off. And Mr. Musk has got something he will make a lot of money off of.
Some people just don’t seem to get it. The flame thrower is just for fun. I bought one in support of the Boring Company.
Don’t try to justify its use or why Musk is selling it.
Because of Elon shares of TSLA has gone up over 500%. I look at the flamethrower as a free gift from Elon.
Looks like a gadget rather than a useful tool. Tank is too small and rest of “tool” will be too heavy for its
purpose. The classic brush burner is just a larger tank, a backpack and a torch with a valve on the end of a short hose. The cost mentioned – $500 – has got to be a joke. Why would anyone throw that kind of money at a toy when you could build your own for much less?
The roasted nuts part is suspicious. (:O)
😀
NO….drip torch still the best hand ignition device.
Hard to refill propane on the fireline.
Upon reading this, I thought I slept thru the long winter and it was April Fool’s Day!
It may have some useful application in the fire service, but in the hands of the general population, it’s a recipe for disaster!
This ranks right up there with the likes of sky lanterns, roman candles and other incendiary material that have been the source of many devastating and deadly fires.
Toby Dusha,
Greenwich, NY
I sem to remember some time back you wrote a piece on the very subject of PyroTerrorism. Looks like Elon Musk not only invented a toy for idiots (where would you go to have Elon’s version of fun anyway???), but also provided terroists with a new toy to strategically use during Santa Ana Wind events. Or potent wind phenomena common in other areas or regions of the country.
https://wildfiretoday.com/2013/02/21/usfs-deputy-director-of-fire-and-aviation-talks-about-pyroterrorism/
But others have also posted on this potential
https://redice.tv/news/are-terrorists-setting-u-s-wildfires
..
Your second link is an article promoting the idea that terrorists have started at least one wildfire and are suspected in at least one other. While it is possible that terrorists could use wildfire as a weapon in the U.S. (and a terrorist publication has advocated it), I have not heard of any reliable evidence that it has occurred. Some people with extreme ideas want us to be very afraid of many things and use fear as a tactic to push a political agenda.
The article points out that natural causes were ruled out for a fire in Colorado. That means they were able to eliminate volcanoes and lightning as possible causes. That leaves dozens of other possible sources of ignition and does not point toward terrorists.
Or you could spend $2.50 on a box of matches. Or a lighter. Why in the world would a potential pyro-terrorist buy this? That makes no sense.