Flowermate Vapormax V 5.0 Review

Discussion in 'Vaporizers' started by sfgiants2012, Sep 27, 2014.

  1. Flowermate Vapormax V 5.0 Review
    This is the first review for a vaporizer I've ever written, and my first post here in a while, but I thought I'd share my positive experience with the Flowermate Vapormax V 5.0, a vape that I don't think gets enough love on this site. I will break this review down into 5 categories:
    1. Packaging
    2. Design
    3. Ease of Use
    4. Vapor Quality (with subsets of A, B, and C, for Hit Size, Taste, and Efficiency)
    5. Durability
     
     
    1. Packaging
    ​The packaging of this device honestly really shocked me for the price, and really gave me a positive impression of the device even before I opened it. The packaging is solid cardboard that closes together like a simple wooden box, rather than simply being meant to be ripped open (think Beats by Dre or Sennheiser Momentum headphone packaging; in fact the packaging was nearly identical to that of my $350 Momentum's). All parts were secured in the packaging and it seemed unlikely that the device could be damaged during the shipping process. Overall the packaging is excellent, especially for the price.
    Grade: A+
     
    2. Design
    The design of the device is pretty incredible for the price as well, with a glass mouthpiece and metal design similar to that of the Pax (and, in my opinion, somewhat derivative of it). The material does seem somewhat more high end than the Pax, which surprised me considering the price difference (I bought the Vapormax on eBay for 82.99 plus shipping and got it within three days, whereas the Pax cost me $250 and took quite a bit longer for delivery). The metal finish reminds me of that of the newest Macbook Pro's, though obviously isn't quite as thick. The Vapormax is noticeably bigger than the Pax and the MFLB, but still easily pocketable and carried around, much more so than the Arizer. It easily fits in the hand and has worked great as my go-to portable. Overall I have nothing but good things to say about the design, though I will knock it's grade down a little for being somewhat derivative of the Pax.
    Grade: A-
     
    3. Ease of Use
    There isn't much to write about in this section. You simply put your herb in, turn it on, and in 30-45 seconds you're able to take pretty thick vapor hits. There isn't the option to adjust the temperature (judging by comparisons with my Arizer, it's programmed to heat up to about 375F), so there isn't much input on the part of the user. The seller I bought it from (the somewhat curiously named Arigato_books) has told me that they will start offering the new Vapormax V 5.0S in the coming weeks, however, which does have adjustable temperature settings, and thus will likely be somewhat more difficult to use. Overall, this cape couldn't be easier to use, and lacks the extensive learning curve of other capes I've used, such as the MFLB.
    Grade: A+
     
    4. Vapor Quality
    <span style="font-size:14px;">A. Hit Size</span>
             I had been primarily using the MFLB before the Vapormax V5.0 became my go-to cape, so the size of hits that this cape could produce really surprised me. You can get truly massive hits out of this thing. The MFLB and Pax simply can't compare, and I'd say it's comparable to the Arizer Solo on it's medium heat settings, though the Arizer does produce bigger hits on its higher settings. Out of these four I'd give the Flowermate second place.
    Grade: B (But A for the price)
    B. Taste
             The taste of this cape really surprised me. I had a read a lot about the device online before buying it, and many people complained of a plastic taste that was largely attributed to the acrylic mouthpiece included in the original model. I purchased the 5.0 model, which includes a glass mouthpiece, and have been very impressed with the taste. Apparently the people at Flowermate made a few modifications to improve the taste and safety of the device, including replacing the aforementioned acrylic mouthpiece with a glass one, and redesigning the inside so that there aren't any electronic parts in the vapor path (this is also the reason I would not recommend buying the original Vapormax V, as many people have pointed out that the LED light fixture is in the vapor path, and may be unsafe). The vapor doesn't have any of the kind of burnt taste that the MFLB and Pax produce, and, though it is not quite on the Arizer Solo's level, the taste is quite comparable to it. The best I've had for the price.
    Grade: A-
    C. Efficiency
              I haven't done anything to test the efficiency of any of my vapes, so I'll just make some quick comparisons to the other vapes I've used to give you guys an idea of its efficiency. It is much more efficient than the Pax, and I often notice myself using significantly less (maybe half) as much herb as I did when the Pax was my primary vape. I haven't noticed any change in herb usage between using this and the Arizer, so I think it's safe to say they use roughly the same amount. The Vapormax does use slightly more weed than the MFLB, which is probably the most efficient cape I've used, but this is somewhat understandable due to the significantly larger hit size. It's definitely a trade off, and personally one that I'm willing to make, but others might feel differently. Overall I use a small fraction of what I did when I smoked, and comparable amounts to the Arizer Solo.
    Grade: B
     
    5. Durability
        â€‹This things a tank, pure and simple. I've dropped it more times than I can count and it still runs without any negative effects. I've had it for a few months without a problem so far. So far durability has been perfect, though I may update this in the future if any problems come up.
    Grade: A+
     
     ​
    Concluding Thoughts
    this vape has honestly impressed me a lot more than I thought it would. There really isn't any aspect of it that has disappointed me, and I would even go as far as to say that it beats the MFLB and Pax in virtually every regard. Comparing it to the Arizer Solo is a little more tricky. The Solo is somewhat better when it comes to vapor quality, though not by much, but costs significantly more and is much less portable. If you want the absolute best portable vapor quality you can get, I'd recommend buying the Arizer Solo. If you're willing to make a (very) small sacrifice in vapor quality to save about $50 and have a more portable vaporizer, I'd recommend the Vapormax V 5.0 (though I wouldn't recommend the Vapormax V). All in all I'm more than pleased with the product and would definitely recommend it. Thanks for reading my first review!
     
    TL;DR
    Packaging: A+
    Design: A-
    Ease of Use: A+
    Hit Size: B (A for the price)
    Taste: A-
    Efficiency: B
    Durability: A+
     
    ​My Vape Rankings: Arizer Solo>= Flowermate Vapormax V 5.0 >>> Pax > MFLB
     

     
  2. #2 POTatato Head, Sep 27, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 27, 2014
    They really need to release the one with variable temps already so they will actually be worth buying. Currently they are worthless to me with the single pre set temp.
     
  3. #3 sfgiants2012, Sep 27, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 27, 2014
    I don't mind it too much honestly, I usually only use one temperature setting on my adjustable ones anyway. But the adjustable temperature one (the Vapormax V5.0S) should be available through at least one seller (arigato_books on eBay) in a few weeks. I might order one and post my impressions.
     
  4. Im a high temp person so it really bugs me. I had one for a little bit but it just wasnt hot enough. Ive been planning on getting another one when ever they release one that has a temp at least around 400 because other than the temp it did seem solid and well worth the money. 
     
  5. I'd keep an eye on "arigato_books" ebay store then. They're the only seller on eBay that I know of that will start carrying the V5.0S soon.
     
  6. I own a 5V and the 5Vs. I've only just tried the V5s and it doesn't get me as high on any setting compared to the V5. It also makes my lungs sore. Most odd.
     
     

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