Vapor Brothers EZ Change Whip Kit (Review)

[Goldengoose7]

Vapor Brothers EZ Change Whip Kit

Unpacking the new Vapor Brothers EZ Change Whip Kit for use with my Original VB Hands Free Vaporizer

My original Vapor Brothers whip that came with the unit has always been hard to keep clean, and changing the screen out when it gets clogged with resin has always been a pain in the butt!

This new whip does away with that entire tedious process! I think a few photos will do a better job of explaining the differences with a side by side comparison.

The original Hands Free glass next to the new EZ Change glass
(yeah, I know the original is filthy! I never bothered to clean it after getting the EZ Change!)

The EZ Change glass taken apart to show the three main components. The vape chamber with the new silicon screen holder/fitting, the new ceramic screen and the hands free fitting

The ceramic screen inside the silicon fitting

So far after my first few days of using the new whip, I find it to have a little more of an airflow problem if I use the same amount of herb as the original whip. This is due to the fact that the ceramic screen has less holes in it than a traditional metal screen (which you can use instead if you want - I am planning to try that once I get some new metal screens) If I load up the bowl with about half that usual amount, the air flow is much better and it isn't as hard to draw on with this ceramic screen. Since the new glass fits over more of the heating element, the herb is closer to the element, so less herb is probably a better idea anyway.

The other nice thing about having the glass fit over more of the heating element is much less chance of the thing popping off the vaporizer element and dumping your herb all over the floor! This would happen to me all the time with the original model and I would often loose my entire load of herb, sometimes after only one hit! An expensive problem if you are not growing your own!

Here is a photo showing the whip attached to the vaporizer. Notice how I have used a strip of Velcro on the mouthpiece end of the whip to secure it to the end of my end table for quick and conveinient access! My Recliner's right armrest is just off camera and below what you see from this angle.

The EZ Change Kit comes with two extra ceramic screens, and a standard glass fitting (Non-Hands Free Type). So that you have basically two types of whips in one!

In conclusion, I think this new EZ Change Whip is a VAST IMPROVEMENT over the original hands-free design and I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking to replace their original whip. I believe that this whip will work with ANY hands-free type of box vaporizer, not just the Vapor Brothers brand.

The kit retails for $59.99 but it can be had for less if you shop around!

Hope you found this review helpful!

 

[Goldengoose7]

UPDATE!
Steel Screen Superior to Ceramic for Draw

I just wanted to add that since writing this review I have purchased some standard steel screens and replaced the white ceramic screen that comes with this kit with one of those conventional screens.

The difference in draw is pretty dramatic! I am now able to use more herb at a time without it being too hard to draw air through the whip. Based on this, I would recommend replacing the ceramic screen with a steel one.

I still highly recommend this kit over a conventional whip because of the ability to change screens so easily as well as being able to use either a hands-free or conventional vaporizer.

 

[VaporNation]

I've had to deal with the nuisance of changing a screen in the older style of whip and it is not a fun time. The screens never seemed to fit in properly and now that issue has been addressed, makes life easier for everyone. Keep that herb contained and off the carpet.

 

[Goldengoose7]

I've had to deal with the nuisance of changing a screen in the older style of whip and it is not a fun time. The screens never seemed to fit in properly and now that issue has been addressed, makes life easier for everyone. Keep that herb contained and off the carpet.

Hey VN!

I agree! That was the primary reason I decided to buy one of these. I changed the screen once on my original Whip and that was enough to put me off EVER trying to do that again!

After that fiasco, I just kept trying to clean the screen while it was still held within the glass which was not easy! Being able to simply take the whole assembly apart and pop another screen in there makes this thing worth every penny to me! I use my Vapor Brothers pretty much every day and the bud I raise here is VERY sticky, so I am having to clean my screen several times a week. Now I can just pop a new one in there and soak the dirty one in alcohol and salt for a day or two until all built up resin is freed from the holes in the mesh.

I also really like the fact that this new hands free glass fits further down the heater element shaft which has totally eliminated the problem with the glass popping off the vaporizer and spilling the load all over the carpet!

I'm SO GLAD that this thing had just happened to come onto the market as I was beginning to look into buying a new whip!

 

[Goldengoose7]

Product Review Update
Some Additional Info from Vapor Brothers VP of R&D

After I posted my initial review, I heard back from JP, the VP of research and development for Vapor Brothers. He asked if I could update this review with a few additions and corrections, so here is his email to set the record straight on this product.

Since I can no longer edit the original review in this thread, I am providing the addendum here in this update post.

======================================

This is JP from VB's R&D dept. I'm not sure if support got back to you yet, but I have some feedback myself after reading your email & review.

Thanks for reviewing us btw...

Yes the ceramic screen has less holes, although each one is larger. It does have less air flow than a new metal screen, although performs better over time. We can't make the holes more numerous or smaller because of limits in the ceramic injection molding process... Each hole is a tiny pin in the mold, and the screen as it is now is pretty much a miracle that nobody (except a few knockoffs) has ever figured out in ceramic. We're working on the technology for a screen with more holes, but have problems with the smaller holes being easy to clog, and hard to clean with a paperclip.

As for the smooth draw, we find the whip works well when packed only about 1/2 of what you've been packing (by the picture in your review, it is "overpacked" in our opinion). Most of us @ VB recommend you to fill only to where the silicone ends- only enough to cover the screen maybe 1/4- 1/2" deep. Any more and the airflow is restricted, and the herbs close to the heater blacken too much. The metal screen may work better in that instance, but the ceramic should be better in the long run since metal screens are harder to clean.

For installing metal screen into the silicone piece, are you using the "mini" size that we sell, which is 5/8" (.625") size? It should pop in firmly. The larger screen would be a pain in the butt and probably be better to be cut down to size.

Btw, don't use brass screens... just checking.. you use actual stainless steel.

For the review, here's a couple corrections/suggestions:

1) Packing the whip... yes, by the pictures, that's overpacked in our opinion. herbs will last longer & stay greener if packed maybe 1/2 as much. oh oops, i just read you said that already.

2) Just a fine point on the words used.. it's "silicone" not "silicon" Silicone is a medical grade flexible rubber-like material that we use wherever 400 degree temp resistance is needed. think medical grade, i.e. boobie implants. Silicon is an element/mineral in computers.

3) Nice velcro trick!

4) Between the new hands free ez whip, standard ez tip, and old hands free (screened) whip, the distance from the heater to the herbs should be very similar. Even though the hands free type goes over the heater, the distance from heater tip to screen should be the same as on others.. Is that what you see?

5) You said "I believe that this whip will work with ANY hands-free type of box vaporizer, not just the Vapor Brothers brand." No, sorry! It's not incompatible with other brands, it's more about what is the perfect diameter of glass to use for our heater & whip combination. We want the best hits on least amount of herbs. The knockoffs all have a larger diameter, making their bowls enormous to fill and have light weird burny hits.

==================================

So, there ya go! More info straight from the factory that makes this product and the vaporizer I use it with.

 

[Stinkmeaner]

Good review, I've been using the EZ Change since summer 2010. Works like a charm! My gf felt like to much particulate matter was coming through so we tried filtering in this order : stainless steel filter - then the ceramic - followed by whatever goodies to vape. It will work well but you will get a resin sandwich so you'll need to clean the filters much sooner. Not going to do that anymore so I'm using 2 stainless steel filters. Also, a nice 91% iso alcohol bath will definitely clean any screen to reuse