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

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

taskandpurpose.com

28 pointsIntronExon20 comments

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

It grinds my gears when people call a big torch a flamethrower. A flame thrower spits burning liquid fuel onto things.

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.

Erm. Is it? Or is it more like the X15? https://throwflame.com/

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?

Sure, as long as you have Elon Musk as your CEO it's easy

According to the comment referenced in the comment referenced[1], it's quite lucrative.

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16244023

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

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...

Musk gets $600 for a piece of kit worth around $75 and the fan-bois lap it up.

Only $600!!?????, fanboy here

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.

They are legal in CA so long as the fuel is a gas.

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.

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.

So basically Musk has turned into Hank Scorpio [1]

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ew78KThLOY

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

But will it work on Mars?

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

Sounds reasonable.

He was a super villain already.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com