Extensive Vaporizer Questions/Facts/debate

I don't feel I am an Apprentice toker, I have smoked for Several years and as of late I smoke about 3 times a day. With that said i learn something new about marijuana everyday especially on this site. My current Collection includes A spoon, pipe, Spiral glass bowl piece, and a Roor with an ice catcher, Ash catcher, Slide and a beaker bottom.

With that said I am now in the market for a vaporizer to add to my collection, For me personally money is not an issue, so it has no baring on my decision, please keep this in mind when responding to this thread. Another thing to take into consideration is this Vaporizer will not leave my room, therefore portability is not an issue either.

Facts about Vaporizers I have learned

Whips vs Bags the great Debate.

Whips:
Pros: It would seem that everyone agrees that with a Whip Vaporizer you are able to get thicker vapor, thus also giving a more distinct (better) taste. I have also read that you don't need to replace many parts (like the bag, or if you use the easy valve Volcano replacing the easy valve) I have also read that there is a learning curve with Whip Vapes, this can be looked at as a negative but for me when i become seasoned at it the satisfaction of a nice thick smooth good vapor hit will give me at least some satisfaction. Cons: Cleaning the Tubes. Inconsistency since it depends on you breathing/lungs it in, it may be inconsistent. Its a bit more difficult to use then a Bag vape. Since you are drawing in the vapor with your lungs you run the risk of overcooking the marijuana(though becoming skilled with it eliminates this problem). When Smoking you obviously have to stay close to the unit. Having lots of people over its harder to pass around.

Bags:
Pros: Since the vapor extraction is done by a fan it is more consistent then using your lungs. Portability and i mean this in the sense of the bag, you can take it around the house with you and your not restricted to where the unit is. The temperature usually stays more steady through out the process, although new technology in the whip field seems to be correcting this. You shouldn't overcook your weed unless you actually set the temperature too high. With lots of friends over a bag is easy to pass around. No real tubes to clean. Easier to use
Cons: The bag becomes more deluded with air, Therefore you usually cant get the flavor or thickness of vapor that you can get from a Whip. Replacing bags and easy valves. Usually more expensive then a whip.

Conclusion: When comparing Whips to Bags there is no clear winner it comes down to situation and personal preference. So please when responding to this remember it is an opinion and though myself and the GC Community truly appreciates your input remember to respect others opinions.

Digital Vs Knob: This explanation is not as long winded Digital models are usually more accurate and are put on a lot of the newer models it would seem. knobs usually have a longer warranty as there is less technology that can break and go wrong. Obviously also digital will run you more. So in conclusion when deciding between Digital and a knob type vape it comes down to temperature accuracy, cost, Warranty, newer model and long term reliability.

Conduction Vs Convection. Conduction uses a hot plate, the contact between the herb and the hot plate release the Vapor, Convection uses hit air to pass over the herb which evaporates the psychoactive ingredients in the herb creating the vapor. With that said convection has been proven to be a more effective method of creating the vapor But the conduction method is usually cheaper in price and may be more portable.
( http://hightimes.com...rmation.inc.php I had some more links but lost them)

Things to look out for when purchasing a vaporizer:

1. materials used: Make sure the parts that will be closest and apart of the heating source are not made from plastics or aluminum, as these materials when exposed to large amounts of heat overtime can show health issues and have bad chemicals. Sticking with glass or ceramics is usually the best way to go.

2. Warranty: I have heard several people having problem with vaporizers braking down or not working right especially the temperature setting mechanism either not reading accurately or producing undesired temperatures. A good warranty is always nice to have obviously.

3. Angle of the tubing some tubing is at a downward angle and the marijuana may fall ito the heating device or fall out period when attaching it.

4. Efficiency i have read of some cheep models not vaporizing all the weed properly and not extracting the best amount of THC from your herb make sure the model you buy is efficient.

With all that said I have narrowed my personal choice down to 4 models

1. Silver Surfer

2. Super Vapezilla

3. Digital Valcano

4. Vaporfection Stealth II VDS

I would truly appreciate any advice you could give me on these models, Thanks in advance to the GC Community, Though i only joined recently and started posting i have lurked for a while and have always appreciated the great advice I have taken from this site, and I can only hope the information I provided will help someone's search for a good vaporizer become easier. I search Vaporizers in the search and I didn't find a thread like this, this may be my lack of searching skills but none the less hope this helped.

Thanks again,
Bleakz:gc_rocks:

Edit: Please feel free to add information I will update this as frequently as possible as well as letting you know which one I chose and I will provide a review after for those who are curious.

I also found this for existing volcano Owners or future buyers who would like to recycle their easy valves http://vapenow.com/i...s/ps20070925ev/

Edit2: tubing information http://www.envisuppl...ent/tubing.html

Edited by Bleakz87, 02 December 2008 - 12:51 AM.

Pretty cool little article you've put together.

My friend has a "knob" volcano. It works pretty well but he sasys its a pain in the ass when theirs a hole in the bag.

I look forward to your review.

Money not an issue? Get a Silver Surfer and customize the shit out of it.
If anything, I am somewhat the opposite of you. I am not the most seasoned of smokers but I am very seasoned when it comes to vaporizers (kind of a health freak).
I have had extensive experience with I would consider to be three "top end" setups one could have:
Volcano, High-end heatgun+glass bowl+bong, and Silver Surfer
The second of those three setups is not on your list, and while I liked it, it really ought not be on your list because imo the Silver Surfer simply does the same thing but better.
The only advantage of the Volcano to the Surfer is that you as the owner and operator have a little bit less to worry about in large group settings. You pass the bag around, and everyone is happy. That being said, you obviously still have some operational responsibilities.
That is the one weakness of the Silver Surfer. In large group settings, I do have to have my eye on the unit, basically just to make sure that the wand is not going to slide which would spill bud everywhere (I have the ground glass connection). I am considering buying the metal clip hands-free attachment though which would secure the wand in place and remove any worry.
Once you get used to it though, this is not much of a drawback. I use my surfer all the time in large group settings (eight people, sometimes more) and it is ALWAYS a hit.
The key is to get the ice chamber (it is a mini-bong) attachment. Fill this with crushed ice and a touch of water and you will be on your way to smoooooth hits.
On top of this, you are looking at 1-2 minutes of heat-up time, silent operation, fresh vapor, and a sleek, functional piece of machinery.
So yea, I back the Surfer. I know a silly amount about vaporizers though so if you want to know more specifics or anything feel free to pm me any questions.

Great post! Very organized

I did check on your four possibles, found a lot on each vaporizer but it seems as though I can find nothing informative on the Vapezilla, besides HT raving about it. Anyone care to contribute?

i gotta vote for the volcano... ive used the whip and the bag and the bag wins hands down, its just so convenient

The Vapezilla seems like a bad choice to me.
It, like the Silver Surfer, is in essence a whip vape. To me, a whip vape should be as simple and functional as possible. That is the Silver Surfer.
I am sketched out by the Vapezilla for three reasons: It is bulky and has tons of parts, it costs a ton of money, and it has marketed itself (ie the company wrote lots of reviews for its own product) all over the internet.
I don't get why you would need more parts in a whip vape than the Silver Surfer has. You know what all of the Silver Surfer parts are, you know it is safe, you know it is perfectly functional, etc. Where is the Vapezilla made? Is it as safe?
I am actually curious, however, what real customers think of the Vapezilla, since I looked at it myself once. Despite my blind criticism, I would imagine that it works quite well.

dude nice start on GC +rep!

Thanks for all the great replies i really appreciate the feedback.

Honeybear I looked further into the silver surfer and you may have sold me, it seems to have great reviews but i do have a couple issues with it

for one it uses nylon tubing though initially this Isn't a problem, but after exposing that type of tubing to heat over i believe i read "Vinyl tubing cannot be autoclaved and should not be exposed to temperatures above 80°C." there for using it for other herbs that may need to burn hotter it may cause problems after continues use including health problems. Don't get me wrong this isn't a huge issue i will just buy some silicon tubing to replace it you can get it very cheep. (one source http://www.envisuppl...ent/tubing.html)

My next issue is it isnt digital, which doesn't seem to have anyone complaining so its probably is very accurate but most likely not as accurate as a digital

My third problem is the hands free ad don, from what i hear it doesnt work very will and might fall off and its annoying to use, once again this isnt much of an issue but just something i would like to bring to peoples attention.

Other then those 3 issues it looks very properly priced, and a very well put together unit, the customization looks fun and very attractive. the 3 year warranty is very fair and all the extras you get are great.

Anyone else have any advice i worked pretty hard on this guide. Thanks in advance, im going to update the original post with more info <3

Yeah there is a lot of cool shit for the SSV, like the ice chamber attachment that HoneyBear mentioned.
Figure I might as well prose another question; is the ice chamber all it's cracked up to be? I've heard that water diludes the THC of a potential hit. Is there any truth to this?

Great thread man.

I'm a proud Volcano owner, I can't recommend them highly enough!

Yeah there is a lot of cool shit for the SSV, like the ice chamber attachment that HoneyBear mentioned.
Figure I might as well prose another question; is the ice chamber all it's cracked up to be? I've heard that water diludes the THC of a potential hit. Is there any truth to this?

I've heard the same thing, and am also curious to its truth.

Alright, so I have owned both the Volcano Digit and the SSV. I sold both of them after about 2 months.

I have one major dislike with both of these which is the fact that taking vapor through a plastic-like intermediary (whether bag or whip) just feels unnatural.

Also, I don't know about others who own either the Volcano or the SSV but after I got used to them, I found myself not being able to get enough vapor to satisfy myself. I would find myself 5 bags deep from the Volcano and wondering if I was high yet.

I have another problem with regards to the SSV specifically. The main reason I bought this system was because of all the rave reviews about the taste. I agree that the first one or two rips from a freshly packed wand are quite tasty, but after that the taste quickly goes downhill and becomes the standard burnt popcorn taste you'll get from any vape.

This is why I have settled on the heat gun model with a water pipe. I use mine with a completely glass-on-glass Roor water pipe so that I don't have to worry about any contamination of the taste or quality of my vapor. I can take huge rips from this system that will make me immediately and wonderfully blazed

Check out some videos of me using my setup.

Cons: The bag becomes more deluded with air, Therefore you usually cant get the flavor or thickness of vapor that you can get from a Whip.

Incorrect.

If I fill my easy valve chamber full (.4g to .5g) and set the temperature knob to between 6.5 and 7 (something like 380-396F) then "prime the pump" (i.e. let it run for 5 seconds without a bag on top), then attach the bag the bag will be absolutely 100% white and milky.

Filling it allows maximum THC/CBN to be released per CFM, it also keeps current air in the chamber longer allowing the herb to heat up faster.

Priming the pump does involve MINIMAL vapor loss, generally less than any joint, bong or pipe when you're not actively hitting it.

Also, the guide you linked at VapeNow about recycling your Easy Valves is a great start.

But.... I don't suggest wrapping the bag back around the ring as shown



I suggest instead just putting the ring INSIDE the bag, then using the rubber O-ring.

I mention this for two reasons:

1. Factory designed bags use my method. If you use their method (bag inside ring, then wrap) it's impossible to get the bag straight. Not only this, but the bag will block the pathway to the mouth piece, requiring CONSTANT manipulation.

2. If you use my method, when you attach the rubber O-ring there will be MUCH LESS excess bag to work with and this means it GENTLY snaps back into the orange valving. If you use VapeNow's method then there's so much excess that it's damn near impossible to snap it back into the orange valving.


I hope I can make it more clear. I wish I could take my own pictures, but I cannot at the moment.




DON'T DO THAT.

Instead, open the bag and put the black ring (it's now clear, btw) inside the bag. THIS IS THE WAY S&B designed it. This way it will not crinkle around the orange valve and cause you to stretch and play with the bag. Honestly, it's terrible if you do it VapeNow's way.

Honeybear, could you compare and contrast the Silver Surfer with da Buddha?

Obviously, the cynider is vertical and the frills are gone. Doe it being vertical or anything else degrade the smoker's experience?

Thank you.

volcano digit is god, best vape in existence

I've seen evidence to the contrary.

I've used a Vapir ONE 5.0 for the past 3-4 years and it's a decent little system but I was on a budget. After using the Volcano a few times (and MINE showing up tomorrow!) I'd vouch for it any day. I don't really suggest the Digit model (seems like a waste of money to me) but whatever floats your boat. If you want just plain simplicity go with the Easy Valve since you aren't worrying about money you can just buy all the replacement bags you need as you need them.

I've used a Silver Surfer once and while it has to be the best whip model out there, the whips get old quick. There is nothing better than filling up a bag and being able to carry it around and hit it while you do other things then just walk back for a refill once you've emptied it.

That and you don't have to worry about plant matter combustion with the Volcano, which is nice.

Edited by septumus, 03 February 2009 - 05:11 PM.

Hey man. Looks like you've done your research.

The Volcano is a well-known device and is a quality item. It just doesn't appeal to me. Something about vaping through a trash bag. ...it just seems low-class.

I would recommend the Silver Surfer. I have used the Surfer on a consistent basis and have been pleased every time. I've used the hands-free adapter multiple times and have had no major issues with it. In my experience, SSV/7th Floor products are all top quality.

If you would prefer a hands-free vaporizer, I would recommend Da Buddha. Its also made by 7th Floor, the same people who make the Surfer. I know you mentioned that price wasn't and issue, but its substantially cheaper.

Oh yea...make sure you buy a vaporizer with a ceramic heating element. Some manufacturers use multiple metals that can funk-a-fy the taste of your herbs. Good Luck.