Buying It
I'd been researching to buy myself a vaporizer. The feel vapor gives your head is very different. It doesn't smell like you're smoking and because it's more efficient, you smoke less. You'll end up buying less salvia while keeping the same effect.
The wire heater-type vaporizers breakdown after about 3 months, so I wanted a ceramic heater in mine. This makes the vaporizer at least $150. There are many wooden box type vaporizers, starting with Vapor Brothers and going on and on. These $150 - $180 units seem pretty good.
For those who like the bag, there's the $200 box-type VaporTower. And for portable, everyone loves the VaporGenie.
The expensive Volcano is a great product. But the output quality seems the same to me. And others agreed. When comparing it to the under $300 range, I couldn't find a review that said Volcano is better.
There's another digital, high end unit now. The Vapir VaporMatic Vaporizer Deluxe is $300 and uses quartz instead of ceramic. I read many reviews that said it was an attractive piece. I find it kind of tacky looking. It has the advantage of being usable with either a bag or a whip. According to the posts I've read it does a great job. I considered this one too.
These all seem reasonable, so I was considering one of the box type. But then I found a higher-end unit for $160 (or $180 for a black one.) Da Buddha by 7th Floor is simple, high quality and rugged. It has a 3 year warranty and it's design makes it easy to use and clean. Everyone who had one recommended it.
7th Floor also makes a more expensive unit, called the Silver Surfer Vaporizer (SSV). I considered buying this $250/$270 unit. But when the company told me that the only advantage was expandability, I turned my attention back to Da Buddha.
At that moment, I came upon a great deal on an SSV bundled with accessories.
The Silver Surfer Vaporizer (SSV)
My black SSV came bundled with an SSV grinder, 2 extra tubes, an extra pick, the hands free attachment and most interesting of all -- an ice chamber in its well-padded hemp case. The SSV comes standard with one pick, a hose, a mouthpiece and a matching carrying case for them all.
Naturally, I read the instruction manual and then took my SSV for a ride. First I tried it without the ice chamber. Very smooth and all the benefits I remembered. I'd used a Volcano 4 months before and it seemed the same. After that, I waited a couple of hours to clear my palate and tried it again with the ice chamber. Ice and no water.
Even better! Everything's as smooth and cool as ice.
Usage
As advised, I began by turning it on "high" for 10 minutes. (Burns the oil off -- but why is there oil on its thing anyway?) After this first time it's 2 or 3 minutes.
No one said so directly, but the inferences I found led me to believe that the 1 O'clock position is best if you hit on it slowly and 2 O'clock best if you hit on it faster. It worked for me. I just leave it at 1 O'clock.
I could use the thing 2-handed -- one hand held the herbal side and one holds the other end to my lips. But instead I used an attachment with the over-optimistic name of "Hands Free". I had to bend it a bit to get it to fit right, but the attachment thereafter snapped on easily. Still, it's 2-handed to snap on and off.
It is just a little bit more trouble to do the vaporizer thing, but the results are so much better that I don't care. And I can limit the ice chamber to special occasions if I think it's too much trouble. But for now, I love it and use it every time. And the look of my all black SSV is cool. Bart Simpson cool.
What a setup.
http://www.dabuddhavaporizer.com/
http://www.silversurfervap.com/
Conclusion
Five stars. And in a simple, but compelling design. And it's easy to clean too. I think the SSV and (according to 7th Floor) the of-equal quality Da Buddha, to be the best for those who don't need or want to fill a bag.
Edited by Ice Chamber, 14 February 2009 - 07:53 AM.
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