Leave it to the good people of southwestern Virginia to figure out a way to take something boring like shoveling snow and introduce a flamethrower to make it awesome ...
Nathanael Caplinger decided to take his snow-clearing game to a new level. He ditched the shovel, blew right past the snowblower, and arrived at the only other alternative: a flamethrower. Caplinger happened to be reading an ad in a newspaper for a personal flamethrower when he decided that this was the tool for him. He called up local government officials and law enforcement to check to see if a flamethrower was even legal to own. Lo and behold, it was. The flamethrower apparently worked like a charm, instantly melting the thin layer of snow on the driveway to reveal the black asphalt beneath. But Caplinger warns that the tool definitely isn't a toy and should be treated with respect.
“Make sure there’s no flammables nearby,” he explained. “Make sure it’s only what you want to burn, make sure [you] afterward hang out for about a half hour, make sure nothing reignites.”
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Interestingly enough, flamethrower manufacturers actually advertise their products specifically for clearing snow and ice. In fact, it is at the top of its list of uses. Also found on the list? "Destroying hordes of zombies efficiently."
During the Second World War, flamethrowers utilized a mixture of napalm-infused gasoline, with nitrogen as a propellant. The flamethrowers you're used to seeing in movies had a handheld nozzle fed from a pressurized tank worn as a backpack. The new personal handheld flamethrowers that have hit the market in recent years have ditched the backpack and the napalm. They can be held with one hand and utilize any of three different fuel sources: unleaded gasoline, a gasoline-diesel mixture, or ethanol.
Ion Productions first released the XM42 personal flamethrower (which appears to be the one that Caplinger used). They advertise that their handheld model can have a continuous burn of around 60 seconds. However, they are releasing the updated XM42-M version in April that will have an upgrade to let users switch to a three gallon backpack. With the backpack, the company estimates that users will be able to get at least three-and-a-half minutes of burn time.
Believe it or not, flamethrowers are only illegal under Maryland and California state laws. You can expect government officials to take a long hard look at these devices as more videos like this come out. So, if you are looking to add one of these to your tool collection, definitely consult with your local officials to make sure that it is legal to own in your area.
Back in 2015, New York Congressman Eliot Engel introduced the "Flamethrowers? Really? Act." This legislation would put flamethrowers in the same class as machine guns, requiring purchasers to jump through an extra set of hoops to own one of them. However, the bill was only able to muster five co-sponsors at the time and has not been reintroduced this session, so it is unlikely that these personal flamethrowers will face a national ban.
What do you think? Is using a flamethrower to clear snow and ice from your driveway a good idea or a recipe for disaster? Let us know in the comment section below!