Be Done With Digging: Harbor Freight's Powerful Tool Makes Weeding Gravel Easier Than Ever

Gravel driveways, pathways, and patios look elegant and minimalist — until they're overrun by weeds. If you're avoiding chemical herbicides and only want to use safe and natural weed control, you aren't limited to digging out weeds by hand. Reach for a weed torch, which kills weeds using high heat. It's a chemical-free weeding method that is much less tedious than hand-pulling and very effective on gravel expanses. One compact, easy-to-use torch product is the Chicago Electric electric start propane torch available at Harbor Freight. 

While this mini flame thrower is advertised for thawing pipes, it's also effective for spot-burning weeds. This handheld device may not be what comes to mind when you think of weed torches. The Greenwood propane torch is a more typical example: It has a hose to connect to a large propane tank, a long wand, and a burner head. These torches often involve carrying a clunky, 20- or 30-pound propane tank, making them unwieldy and inconvenient for occasional use. Smaller torches like this one, connect to 1-pound propane cylinders — the kind used with camp stoves. The compact design and lighter tank makes the torch much easier to carry and walk around with. This model also has an on-board electric start mechanism, so you don't need to light it with a separate lighter to get the flame going.

This small unit is ideal for spot-burning of individual or small clusters of weeds. Weed torches of all sizes can also burn the plants you like, so they're best used in areas that don't have desirable plants nearby. This type of weed control is excellent to tackle new, less-established growth that pops up on larger pieces of gravel landscaping, like gravel patios and driveways.

This compact propane torch lets you flame weed quickly, without much setup. It screws onto a small propane cylinder (not included) and is ready-to-use with a press of the ignition. It can take less than a second for the flame to kill a weed — much faster than trying to dig it out. After all, when it comes to this method, you're not trying to burn the weeds to a crisp: You're simply drying them out and disrupting their cell structures. However, the smaller size and the lack of a directional wand means this Chicago Electric tool is not ideal for killing a lot of established weeds over a large area. The long wants on traditional weed torches allow you to cover a lot of ground without the need to bend over or crouch, or replace a small propane tank.

Even if this model is smaller than some others, it doesn't mean you should scale back on safety measures. You're still using fire, after all. Always follow directions, don't use it near anything that can easily ignite or be damaged by the hot flame. Avoid using it on windy days or if a fire ban is in place. Appropriate clothing like heavy-duty work gloves and work boots are recommended, as well as having a means of extinguishing fires handy.