Has anybody tryed one of the torches used for weeding ,thinking it might make life a bit easier,however alot of these gagets I buy and am disappoited.
Torch Weeder
I can't see it getting the most important part...the roots. Then, there is the chance of torching wanted plants...or your garage, or yourself...
Baking the ground under black plastic with the sun might be easier and more cost effective.
I have a problem with Ranunculus ficaria (Lesser Celendine, Pilewort, Fig Buttercup) which leave tiny tuber like roots in the ground which cannot be pulled out.
I am thinking I want to try to torch them, as the roots are very close to the surface. I have tried Round-Up on them, but it seems to act like fertilizer to them.
I have one. Not great.
They're okay for torching grass that may come up in the driveway. But it is a slow process. And some things with a root like dandelions will just grow back.
threegardeners is right, you can ruin the plants you want by getting too close. I can attest to that. My "gardenhelper" thought it was the easy way to go to get the few weeds coming up in an old landscaping bed. I now have boxwoods that are a little flat on one side.
In the end, nothing like good old hand pulling if you can't cover the area with anything. You don't say if it is veggie or landscape gardening. I have a hill that we put down about 3 inches of bark mulch and it does last a while. For my veggies, I put down a plastic mulch with holes to allow water through. Some varieties are heavy and can be re-used.
Your best bet is probably a mulch, either organic or plastic.