Hi Everyone! I've browsed these forums for a long time but this is my first post! For my first thread I thought I'd review my Hot Box vaporizer that I've had for some time. I've been smoking frequently for 5 years and this is the only vape I've ever owned, although I have used the Volcano on a couple occasions. I smoked my Hot Box daily for a few weeks when it was brand new, but nowadays I only use it occasionally. -Price This was what first attracted me to the Hot Box. I smoked a friend's volcano and immediately decided I needed a vaporizer. And as a poor college student, buying a vaporizer for a little over $120 was hard to beat. Based on what I've seen online and my personal experience, it's probably one of the best at that price point. -Simplicity That's the name of the game when it comes to this vape. The Hot Box could not be simpler in its use or construction. The heating element is either on or off, which may be an advantage or disadvantage depending on what your needs are. -Use I'm less than thrilled with the way this thing smokes. That being said it still smokes very well with casual use. When the glass and screen are clean it smokes like a dream, yielding huge hits if you draw smoothly and slowly. It definitely smokes great when in good working order. The high is the same clear, heady, long-lasting high that you'll experience with other vaporizers. However, after repeated uses buildup of gunk particularly on the screen becomes a problem. The buildup requires you to draw harder on the whip, which makes it much more likely that you'll light the herb up, the result of which is the most foul-tasting hit you'll ever take, not to mention a huge waste. The end of the glass vial that interfaces with the heating element can get very hot, which becomes a hassle when smoking in groups requires you to frequently refill the tiny amount of herb allowed in the vial. There is definitely a learning curve for how hard to draw on the whip, so smoking with people who are inexperienced or impatient will result in frequent flare ups and lots of wasted greenery. It also requires a lot of trial and error to figure out how much you can pack the herb down in the vial. The 10 minute heat-up time is a little long for such a small vape. -Maintenance Maintenance is a strength and a weak spot of the Hot Box. In order to keep it smoking smooth, you need to meticulously remove as much gunk as possible from the screen and glass vial after every smoke. To this end Hot Box provides you with a nifty little metal pick which does the job very well, but its still a little annoying. Other than occasionally replacing screens, the rest of the Hot Box is so simple that it needs no maintenance. -Final Thoughts I think a good way to sum up the Hot Box is that you get what you pay for. I'm worried that my review will come across as largely negative, but believe me this vape will suit someone's needs very well, just not mine at this time. If you're a weekend warrior, or want to vape as more of an occasional special treat, I would definitely recommend the Hot Box. However, if you're serious about your smoking, or want something for frequent use, I would recommend investing in something else.
I think you did a thorough and objective review. I recently purchased a Hot Box for many of the same reasons you cited. This is my first vape so I don't have anything to compare it to, but it works fine for me. I'm a couple times a week, mainly solo smoker, so I think it will fit my needs perfectly. Thanks for your review, it was very helpful.
1 thing though: You're saying this thing is absolute shite... Why are you saying that? Because you say it ''smokes''. Well I sure as hell wouldn't want a vape that ''smokes well'' or anything near that!