Hello Everyone! Long time no see... Its been a long time since I posted on the forums here at GC. Life happened and just got busy, and between tracking down a new job while working at one I hate, I had to focus so I didn't get fired. Also, I got a nice case of bronchitis which freaked me out completely; gotta love self-diagnosing yourself on the internet before ACTUALLY going to the doctor. The bronchitis however, was a blessing in disguise as it basically made me stop smoking cigarettes and use my e-cig vape. I'll be getting an iTaste MVP 2.0 within the next week as I've worn out my Vision Spinner. So, the bronchitis really affected me and jacked me up. I couldn't hit my dry herb vapes normally. MFLB became a sport in how hard could I hit it before I coughed for 20 minutes between hits; the Firewood was less harsh but still caused a coughing fit, and using the Hammer with my pretty custom stem was a no go. Vaporbonging was the only effective method I could use; I ended up getting a new Victoria bong with a welded shower head perc in it. Absolutely love that thing! I went to the doc and he gave me many drugs to get rid of the bronchitis. Feeling better, I thought I should check in with all my buddies here at GC to let you know how I've been doing with my vapes. I thought I'd have VAS pretty bad, and by now would own a ton of vapes. That isn't the case actually and I've really grown attached to the 3 portables I have now. The only thing my VAS is panging at is an UD log vape, but I can wait on that for now. So for the sake of informing the general public here and to update anyone who's followed me, here are my longevity results for: The Hammer, Firewood, and MFLB (I know I know, I still owe you guys a write up on the MFLB, but I'll get to that in a couple of weeks).... The MFLB View attachment 140079 This thing was my first ever vape before purchasing a Pax the very next day (Pax is retired and about to sell mine on ebay). I've had it for about 6 months and it was the first vape to really show me the efficiency and stealth of a portable vaporizer. When it comes to stealth, the MFLB is where its at. I've said that before, and I'll say it again, and I'll stand by it till I ever stop using the device. The MFLB doesn't get as much use as it used to, but its what I'll use out and about, and what I'll use when working out in the garage... I keep mine pretty clean, and thats the trick to maintaining its stealth factor. The dirtier it gets, the stinkier it is obviously, but a good sweep out of the trench after each session, with a deep clean once a week will keep it in top notch shape. The only accessory I own for it is the Finishing Grinder and that is an excellent companion grinder for any high powered grinder and heavy user of the MFLB. It gets the herbs so finely ground, it increases the performance and efficiency of the MFLB. I have a Santa Cruz Shredder that I use normally, which gives me a nice medium to fine grind. But, dropping that already shredded herb into the Finishing Grinder yields something thats come out of a coffee grinder. Highly recommend that item. I never got the Power Adapter 2.0 or The Orbiter (more on that later), but I also recommend those accessories because of what many others have said about them on here. Since my MFLB isn't exactly my daily driver, I can't justify the cost of them. But, what I got instead, I think was far superior. If you like the MFLB and its going to be your only vape, invest into it heavily if you like as the device is extremely versatile for what you pay for, what you get for the price, and how the device looks. I, for one, am a sucker for all wooden construction... 6 months into ownership, I've had to buy 1 set of new batteries which are holding up nicely, and the vape still kicks some butt when getting me where I need to be. I don't see this thing ever failing me, and if it does, I have that nice lifetime warranty to fallback on for a new one. You just can't beat that.... The Firewood 2.1 View attachment 140078 Oh how I love the Firewood 2.1. Such an enigmatic device because of its word of mouth marketing, being built by a fellow vaporer and said person not really cranking any funds into marketing. It has quite a following on FC and has started to pick up some speed here on GC over the last few months. I've had mine for roughly 4-5 months. I used it religiously for 2 months as my daily driver and since then it has become my "in-car" vape. I know, I said the MFLB comes out with me when I go out and about, but during the bronchitis stretch that I had, I couldn't use the MFLB without completely coughing up my entire respiratory system. So, the Firewood took its place for a while and hasn't left that status. What I like about it is just loading up the capsule, taking it with me, then loading it into the Firewood for use after work (or during depending on how chaotic it is). The hits from it are way smoother than the MFLB because of the longer vapor path and convection style of heating. I've found that I love convection produced vapor as its cooler and tastier. Almost 6 months into it, I got a new one made of cherry wood instead of the standard maple. This was completely and totally superficial as I had no issues with the maple. I own the Power Adapter for the Firewood and it helps a lot when the batteries go out and you don't feel like waiting 4 hours for it to charge. That being said a full charge usually lasts me 2-3 days so I don't have to be all anal about charging it. I love the flavor this thing produces and love its efficiency even more. I can get some good hits off of .1g or less (precision weighing thanks to my new scale that does hundreths place in grams). I know quite a few of the Firewood owners on here, if not all of them, and most have had good experiences, and one had a not so good experience with the previous 2.0 model. I hope he got his issues worked out, or got a new one, as the Firewood doesn't disappoint. Just remember with the Firewood, she's not a cloud producer; while it will give you a decent cloud, it will still be one thats a bit wispy if you get anything at all. But after you're done bitching that you didn't get a cloud, you'll be high off your ass and praising the vape. It is a little stinkier than the MFLB but not by much. I have taken it out in public and used it in the washroom to get vaped before a movie for example and it did just fine. Just watch that preheat process as thats the stinkiest part of the deal. Many of modded their Firewoods to fit onto bongs and bubblers a like. Some even put new stems on them to make the vapor path longer. Also a versatile device, but if you want to add stuff to it, there are no accessories made by the manufacturer in that regard. He does sell extra capsules and parts for things that break. Fortunately, I haven't broken anything on either one of my Firewoods. I see this vape hanging around with me and getting used for as long as I own it which will be a VERY long time. It hasn't dropped off on its performance for me yet, but I don't see that happening as long as I take care of the battery properly. The Hammer (last, but certainly not least) View attachment 144067 Oh boy, what can I say about this one. Its not made of wood, its got a lot of plastic on it, and is powered by butane. I've had this one about 3 months; I was originally going to buy the MFLB accessories I talked about earlier and on a whim, I checked the Hammer's price. The price I could get the Hammer for was cheaper than what I was going to pay for the Power Adapter 2.0; to me the purchase was a no brainer. Even with the premium accessory pack, I still came out cheaper than if I had bought both accessories for the MFLB! In fact, I could even say that if you bought a custom glass stem, the premium accessory pack, and The Hammer on a 20% sale, you'd still come out cheaper than if you had purchased the MFLB starter kit, and accessories all together. I was curious about butane so I had to purchase it. 3 months into usage, this thing IS my daily driver. Its the vape I reach for when I get home, and the one that stays out during the evening. Due to that lovely case of bronchitis, the Hammer with the glass on glass connector, and my new Victoria welded perc bong, became my best friend (thanks @lwien for the hot water trick!). The hits are so smooth and tasty, and the things is so efficient that it keeps me nice and vaped all night long. Those of you who are curious but standoffish about butane need be curious, but not standoffish. Personally, I love the butane and the design of the Hammer. The vape really holds its heat well; and if you're used to battery/electric portable vapes, this might take you by surprise. Having electric portables, I always anticipate a high rate of heat dissipation. This can be seen in The Firewood and MFLB. But, in the case of the Firewood, it kind of has to be that way so it doesn't get so hot in the heating chamber that it combusts your load. Somewhat the same with the MFLB, but the design of that one promotes a quick heat up and quick cool down. The Hammer however, has a metal heat exchanger so it really retains its heat well. After you get it tuned nicely (you want a flame to pop out of the top of the Hammer for a split second), and the 30 second prescribed preheat time, you literally just have to hit the trigger for 3-5 seconds during your hits. Later hits 2-3 seconds just to keep the heat going. The design of the Hammer gives an all glass vapor path and true convection heating to the load. It heats nice and even across the load, but make sure you give it a stir 4-5 hits into your session. I've never combusted in the Hammer, which is what you'd think you'd do if you messed with a butane vape that intimidated you; but as long as you follow the instructions, all will be fine. The Hammer gives me the best clouds out of all my vapes, excellent flavor, superior efficiency and honestly, I've really taken to it as my vape of choice. It shown me what great engineering can do for a vaporizer. I think they're getting ready to release The Hammer 2.0, as they're completely backordered right now on the main website. They might be putting in that prototype gasket I wrote about a month or so ago as that little gasket stabilized the Hammer on so many levels. So, if you want one now, you might have to wait a bit. I get some tasty hits off of .1 or less, and thats all it takes for me since I'm the only person that does the herbals in my household. I love the glass on glass connector that lets me hook it up to any bong with a 14mm opening, and just having the option to use a bong or the stem is paramount (its all about the options yeah?). My ABV coming out of the Hammer is always evenly cooked, but just make sure you clean up the screens as best as you can. I have to buy some new ones probably, but as long as these little guys hold up, I should be fine for a few more months. Fuel consumption with it is not as bad as I thought. I thought I'd go through a can of butane a month. But, 3 months in, and my first can is still holding up quite well. Its almost empty, but I have 2 more on hand. I think the can should last me another 5-6 fill ups which is roughly another month for me. This vape feels rock solid. I have no doubts that after a year from now I'll still be using it at the capacity that I am. I want a spare to have around just in case something happens, but the vape is pretty durable from what I can tell. For me, its just the ease of options on it. I can load up the stem, and the Glass on Glass connector, and then pick which one I want to vape out of. So, in the scenario of console gaming, Glass on Glass before hand, custom stem to maintain. VAS Cured? For now! Between these 3 fantastic vapes, I don't really have a need for anything else for the time being. Like I said before, a desktop UD log vape is my next target but I don't see that happening until next year. That being said, even if I didn't get a desktop UD log vape, I'd be perfectly fine with what I have. One thing I like being an exclusive user of portables is I can log these things away into my little lockbox and not worry about anyone finding them that doesn't need to find them. I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything because either way the end result is the same. We'll see what happens next time I have a VAS flare up. Either MFLB redesigning its little box, or the Firewood 3.0, or The Hammer is brandished in a new 2.0 model is about all that will get me to drop cash on a new vape right now. For now, my efficiency is up, I have a steady stock of herbals around whenever I need it, and I no longer burn up 1-2 grams a night anymore. Gotta love vaping! And thanks to the bronchitis freak out of 2014, I'm off cigarettes officially.... Cheers blades! And talk to you all soon again!
Another awesome write up ren. Glad you're feeling better buddy Still think you need to give the Lotus and J hook a go..lol Also, I don't know if you've seen it or not but there's anew butane vape out called the Daisy. I have to admit, it's tweeking my VAS..
Ha!! I just looked at the Daisy... I'll have to give it a closer look when I get home. And thanks! I apparently had bronchitis for a good while (cold evolved into it). But it was enough of a push to get me to quit smoking cigarettes once and for all. I'm just glad that I went all vape for my herbals so it wasn't too bad to quit.
It's been six months smoke free for me now. Apart from missing joints on occasion, I've found the benefits of stopping are huge. Don't feel like complete crap every morning now. My only slight problem is that I probably hit the Lotus far more often than I should. Seem to have spent the time since I bought it in a state of permanent bakedness...lol
I feel the same way when it comes to The Hammer. Basically perpetually baked, but thats not a bad thing .... now, if I could only get my wife to start vaping with me, she might be less of a bitch at times.
Nice write up, man! I'm glad to see you're back and doing okay. I was beginning to get a little dismayed thinking you were gone, as you have kind of been my vaporizing guru thus far with my Firewood experience. And this sentence is perfect. It describes me the first couple of times I used it, and anyone who I introduce the vape to. They bitch about it, then realize they are stoned as all heck. I'm super excited to get the Hammer as my next vape, just waiting for them to not be backordered anymore (or if the 2.0 comes out, whichever is first)!
Thanks @POTatato Head !! The Hammer has definitely proven itself to me, and I absolutely love that little thing. It works really well with my new welded perc waterpipe, and thats always a good thing. For now, The Hammer is meeting most if not all of my vape needs, with the Firewood filling in the gaps for some of my out and about needs. Yeah, the bronchitis freaked me out lol. I thought I had COPD or worse yet, emphysema. But it was just an intense cough. All the steroids and antibiotics helped out, and of course, vaporbonging was the order of the day when it came down to it. Now, I'm hooked on vaporbonging and it seems to be all I do now with my vapes lol. But I'm back for a bit at least, and have some things I need to finish up for the GC community
Nice report! I now have a very wonderful vaping device that's still used daily thanks to you, and i'm even thinking about investing in one of those UD log vapes soon. Man those things look awesome!
Yeah the UD log vapes do look pretty And from what I've heard around here, they're extremely efficient and give you a really nice cloud and high. I would hop on one this winter, but I'm good for now, and also I'm running out of space in my stash space lol.
Ok, I looked over the Daisy and let the whole idea of it sink into my brain. It does have a rather interesting design but I have a few issues with it which is preventing it from being a VAS stimulator so to speak: Its price point is a little high for me. Given the price points of the Hammer and the Lotus, you have a better value in those vaporizers, and they're a bit smaller and truly portable for all intents and purposes. The Daisy looks like it can ONLY be packed away into an overnight bag or what not given its like a Rubix Cube. Whats the point of the glass if you have that metal airway connecting the 2 blocks together? It would have made more sense to make the actual connector part glass, but I can understand why they went that route; glass could break when taking it apart/putting it together. He has to hold the lighter extremely far away to vaporize the load. I'd prefer the cap of the Lotus, or even the preheat time of the Hammer as opposed to the technique used here. Seems more efficient in my opinion. "Simulate" the sensation of a bong? Why would I want to simulate a bong when I can just hook one up to The Hammer? The size of this doesn't really make it a portable. Yeah, you can pack it away and take it with you, but it seems like I'm packing up a sculpture and taking it around with me. Not very discreet... I can imagine the conversation it would spark from someone you were trying to be discreet with. So, in my opinion, given my short vaporizing career, I'll have to pass up on the Daisy until they do some tweaks to: The size Heating technique Assembly of the device when you want to use it Address the vapor path Again, this is just my opinion. A lot of you know I'm a sucker for a wooden vape, but I just can't justify the cost of this vs. what I already have and how this thing operates. I'm still a bit boggled by the "bong simulated" mouth piece; its a nifty idea, but really just make the device so it can be hooked up to an actual bong and get some vaporbonging going with it! After all, butane vapes really do that well. If it were me, I'd make those glass tubes a bit smaller to reduce the surface area, and honestly make the device smaller in general. I'll see how it fares over on FC as I haven't read the thread about the Daisy over there yet, but for me I'm going to pass that one up for now.
Interesting... I'll have to read them over when I have a connection that doesn't block everything with the word 'fuck' lol. I guess the form factor and some of the construction doesn't strike a good chord with me. But then again, I'm a little picky now when it comes to buying a vape
I picked up a Daisy recently and have been underwhelmed. The inconsistency of the hits is my main knock against it. It may be my technique, though I have tried different ways. I don't think I'll be keeping it.