If you have $1,600 burning a hole in your pocket, then why not pick up this hot new gizmo?
The X15 flamethrower shoots a burning stream of diesel and gasoline approximately 50 feet. Quinn Whitehead, co-founder of Cleveland-based Xmatter, the company that sells the X15, told Popular Mechanics that many folks apparently buy it for recreational purposes (as opposed to hunting spiders).
"A lot of people just use it for a whole lot of fun," Whitehead said.
He added that the company also sells a napalm mix for the device. Whitehead told HuffPost that there are advantages to using the napalm mix.
"Flamethrowers have gone hand-in-hand with napalm in the military world. You get more range with it, and it keeps the stream closer and more compact, more fire down range," Whitehead said. "It's easier to control and has longer burn times."
But be extra careful with that stuff. Napalm generates temperatures of up to 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit and has been described by burn survivors as "the most terrible pain you can imagine."
The X15 uses pressurized carbon dioxide in a closed system to propel the flames, according to Whitehead. Since CO2 is a fire retardant, he said his flamethrower is relatively safe to use, if operated correctly.
"It's inherently dangerous. You're shooting a stream of fire," he said. "I'd urge the same precautions as using a firearm. Most of our customers are firearm users."
There are just two states XMatter doesn't ship to due to flamethrower regulations -- Maryland and California.
If the prospect of strapping a three-gallon tank of fuel to your back doesn't light your fire, a Michigan company called Ion Productions makes a handheld variety of flamethrower called the XM42, which costs $699 to $799, depending on the finish.
However, hotheads should note that it only shoots about 25 feet, half the range of the X15.
Ion Productions also "strongly" encourages users to keep the flamethrower "away from anything that could be accidentally set on fire." Just a thought.