GoFarm

1. Renter is responsible for cleaning equipment before and after use. A cleaning fee may be assessed if equipment is returned without being properly cleaned.

2. Renter is responsible for picking up and returning equipment to GoFarm. Equipment cannot be picked up or returned on weekends. As a courtesy to others who also need to use the equipment, everything must be returned on or before established return date or renter will be charged a late fee of $10 for every day equipment is late.

3. Renter is responsible for repairing, or paying for repairs of the equipment, if it breaks while in your possession.

4. ​GoFarm will cover the cost of maintenance and normal wear of equipment over time, as well as making sure the equipment is clean and decontaminated before a new renter picks it up.

5. GoFarm Incubator participants have priority should there be competing requests to reserve equipment on the same day.

GoFarm is not responsible for damage or injury that results from using the PyroWeeder.

IMPORTANT WARNINGS
1. Read all safety instructions before first use.
2. The Pyroweeder is intended for agricultural weed management only.
3. Propane is extremely flammable. Before each use, inspect hoses, valves, and connections for damage or leaks.
4. Carbon monoxide gas is a poison—it can kill.Since it is colorless and odorless, it is especially dangerous. Incomplete propane combustion will produce carbon monoxide; you can recognize incomplete combustion by a yellow flame. On the other hand, complete combustion produces a blue flame. To operate the Pyroweeder safely, adjust the pressure and control valve to avoid a yellow flame—make it blue. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, weakness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, confusion, and fatigue. If you have reason to believe that you or anyone else has carbon monoxide poisoning, move to fresh air and seek immediate emergency medical care.
5. Prevent wildfires by complying with local burn bans.
6. Practice fire safety—do not use on dry grass, leaves, or brush, or during high fire-risk conditions.
7. Do not operate in high-wind conditions.
8. Do not operate indoors or in an enclosed space
9. Do not allow a child to operate the Pyroweeder.
10.Do not operate the Pyroweeder if your coordination, balance, or judgment are impaired by any medication, alcohol, or drug.
11.Do not store propane tanks indoors. Store propane in a cool, well-ventilated outdoor location.
12.Do not allow the Pyroweeder to tilt back onto its handle while it is operating.

FOR YOUR SAFETY
1. Protect your feet—always wear shoes when operating the Pyroweeder.
2. Take safety precautions around children, pets, and small animals.
3. Keep hands and feet away from burners while the machine is operating. Flame may not be visible in bright sunlight. The burner flames are most visible when the Pyroweeder is operated during lower light conditions, such as at dawn or dusk.
4. Close the propane-tank valve when not in use.
5. Be prepared to promptly ignite the propane upon opening the control valve for use. Do not allow prolonged propane flow to un-ignited burners. If excessive unburned propane flow occurs, close the control valve and wait for the propane to dissipate before attempting to ignite the burners.
6. Keep the propane tank upright while operating the Pyroweeder. It is recommended that you use at least two bungee cords to secure the tank against the tank brace.

Basic Operating Instructions
1. We recommend that you try 20 psi as a starting propane pressure; later you may find that you can achieve acceptable results with a lower pressure.
2. To light your Pyroweeder, start with both the tank valve and control valve com-pletely closed. Open the tank valve first, then open the control valve just enough to hear the propane gas escaping. Then use your striker to light one of the outside burners. Once one burner is lit, open the valve up and lower the burners until the burner heads are almost touching the ground. This should disperse the flame enough to light the other burners.
3. Try to flame when the weeds are less than 2" tall. Larger annual weeds and all perennial weeds may require multiple passes over time in order to achieve a complete kill. Grass is also harder to kill than broadleaf weeds.
4. Flaming when the weeds are wet will re-quire you to walk a little slower. The water has to evaporate off the leaves before the flame will kill the weeds. Dusk is an ideal time to flame since there is less chance of dew (and it is easier to see your flame).
5. Your goal with flaming is not to actually incinerate the weeds, but just to expand the water in the weeds’ cells enough to burst the cell walls. According to Eliot Coleman, this only takes a second at 160º F to do (usually accomplished at a slow walking speed). The only visible indication of “kill” is a slight wilting. To test if you have achieved kill, lightly press a leaf between two fingers. If the leaf surface shows a dark green fingerprint, you have accomplished your goal. The weeds will appear obviously dead within a few hours.
6. In order to have the cleanest seedbed for your crops, prepare your beds for seeding at least 10 days ahead of planting. Irrigate and use floating row cover (during the cooler months) to encourage weed seed germination. Flame your beds once or twice (or more) before seeding. If you are careful, you can seed your crop and let it germinate. Then, just before emergence, flame one final time and have your crop sprout up into a weed-free bed (see Eliot Coleman’s New Organic Grower pp. 168 & 169 for a more detailed explanation). One little trick for carrots is to seed some beet seeds with your carrots. When the beets emerge, it is time to flame.
7. Because of the high output of the burn-ers, the propane tank will freeze up if you burn for extended periods. After about a half hour of burning, you may notice the pressure beginning to drop and ice forming on the tank. Extinguish the flame and allow the tank to thaw out before resuming operation. Tip: Have a second tank on hand and just replace the tank if you have a lot of flaming to do. Once the second tank begins to freeze up, your first should be thawed and ready to use again.
8. Although there are screens in the pres-sure regulator and also in the manifold, there is still the possibility that one of your burners could get plugged with some type of foreign matter. A bread bag twisty tie is the perfect size to unclog the orifice (take off the plastic and just use the bare wire). If you still have problems with the burner, use an 11⁄16" socket with an exten-sion to unscrew the pipe cap inside the obstructed burner and clean it out from the inside.
9. Remember that flaming is not weed specific. It will kill beneficial plants as easily as it does weeds!
10.Be very careful not to flame poison oak, poison ivy, or any other poisonous plant. The vapor or smoke from these can cause irritation to skin and lungs.

** You must provide your own propane tank for use with the flameweeder**

Find the full manual here: https://assets.farmersfriend.com/originals/pdfs/Pyroweeder-Manual-SCREEN-20191209.pdf?mtime=20191209130515&focal=none