Your favourite desktop vaporiser?

[nickeluring]

Hi Vapers,

The valve of my Volcano has broken. I can still use it, but it fills my balloons very slowly. A new valve set is quite expensive, and this is the second time I have to buy a new valve. I've had both the Solid and the Easy valves.
So, instead I'm thinking it might be worth investing in another vaporiser instead if I can find one that is better.

What desktop vaporiser do you reckon would be a better replacement for the Volcano?
I have some criteria:

• It cannot be a fragile glass thing that would break if it would tip over. I have small people in the house.
• It must be able to deliver delicious vapes all day long, every day. The Volcano is left running for most of the day. Small handheld ones don't work so they're not worth suggesting. It needs a decent sized weed chamber so I don't have to refill all the time.
• The Volcano vape is quite hot and dry. It makes me cough a fair bit. I'd like something smoother than the Volcano.

Any suggestions?

 

[greenjeans]

Holy crap Nickel - I just looked at that price!!!! Yikes - I would need to be pretty stoned to press "add to cart"
I built a DIY vape but once I got a couple of the little hand dealeys I put it away. It uses a soldering iron ceramic element but I have never really figured out the temps etc.

Here it is front left along with my hooka and press. The way it works is, a threaded brass rod goes into the iron, a 3/4" copper end cap on the end of that. Take the jar off, put ground weed in cap, replace jar, turn on heat, when you see vapour - Puff!! The tube is connected to a pipe that goes up to the top of the jar. I have one of those laser thermometers so I should see if I can figure out the temps. etc.

 

[nickeluring]

Holy crap Nickel - I just looked at that price!!!! Yikes - I would need to be pretty stoned to press "add to cart"
I built a DIY vape but once I got a couple of the little hand dealeys I put it away. It uses a soldering iron ceramic element but I have never really figured out the temps etc.

Here it is front left along with my hooka and press. The way it works is, a threaded brass rod goes into the iron, a 3/4" copper end cap on the end of that. Take the jar off, put ground weed in cap, replace jar, turn on heat, when you see vapour - Puff!! The tube is connected to a pipe that goes up to the top of the jar. I have one of those laser thermometers so I should see if I can figure out the temps. etc.

Awesome DIY, mate. I love it!
Yes, the prices are ridiculous.

 

[PaleSun]

Look at Arizer. I have the Extreme Q and one of their Solo-2 units. The Extreme Q will put me down, so I take it out evenings. It's built cone shape with a wide base. Both are good quality, but have no idea what would happen if the Extreme Q was left on all day

 

[nickeluring]

Thank you. I'll have a look at them.

 

[Stunger]

My daily driver for over a dozen years has been a Silver Surfer convection vape. I can turn on it in the morning and off at bedtime. It has been so reliable that up until recently I would say when asked, that if I got another vape I'd be tempted with a second Silver Surfer as a backup.

But in the last month I have bought a dynavap, or more accurately a titanium Simrell Vortex stem with a dynavap tip. I got it as backup to the Silver Surfer and as something portable that I could use outside or take fishing for example. It works by a combination of convection and conduction, which prior to buying and trying I thought I wouldn't be interested in. But now I've got it. I haven't used my Silver Surfer. The hits from the dynavap are amazing, and the extraction seems so complete that the jarred bud I'm using now feels like a different (stronger) strain! Before this, I was sure I wanted only a convection vape and certainly not a butane heated vape. Now I mostly heat it over the stove top, or if I take it outside I use a butane torch lighter. Now you may think like I did, that you don't want a vape that you have to heat with butane. Well, you don't have to, you can get an induction heater, either mains powered, or a portable induction heater that uses rechargeable batteries. I am pretty that I will buy one as the reviews I have read have many experienced vapers saying the new portable induction heaters are game changers for the dynavap family of vapes. You just pop the tip in the induction heater hole and it heats up ready to inhale in 5 - 6 seconds.

I know of 3 other posters here who also have moved over to a dynavap in the last 2 months and are also now using it as their daily driver.

 

[nickeluring]

Thanks @Stunger. The Dynavap does look interesting. I believe señor @Piña Delores also recommended the dynavap. I thought it would be too small to cover my needs but perhaps I'm wrong about that.
I had a look at their web site and there seem to be some different options. I saw some water bong connections and stuff. And you seem to have a special one? Is that something that improves the original design a lot? It is quite pricey. But perhaps the whole dynavap is not required?
The induction heaters look great.
Have you heard anything about using a water bong with it?

 

[Stunger]

Thanks @Stunger. The Dynavap does look interesting. I believe señor @Piña Delores also recommended the dynavap. I thought it would be too small to cover my needs but perhaps I'm wrong about that.
I had a look at their web site and there seem to be some different options. I saw some water bong connections and stuff. And you seem to have a special one? Is that something that improves the original design a lot? It is quite pricey. But perhaps the whole dynavap is not required?
The induction heaters look great.
Have you heard anything about using a water bong with it?

Water bong/bubbler, yes absolutely, I will be looking at incorporating this myself.

And induction heater or butane torch will work a treat, but if you had to, then a candle, ordinary lighter, stove top, camp fire will do the job too.

The standard 'M' version is stainless steel, whereas something like the Simrell vortex or omnivap are titanium which heats up and cool down quicker. I've read for people who like using a bong with it, they sometimes prefer a stainless steel tip as it holds the heat longer. My understanding is the standard 'M' will do a superb job, someone somewhere described it like a Honda Civic, dependable and does a great job. I only paid more for the titanium simrell, because I became convinced from reading reviews and experiences that I would like it, and because there is no electronics it will last more than my lifetime so I decided to go for the 'Lexus' from the start. People described the Simrell as being great for producing even cooler vapor (presumably because of the titanium), some people who use the Mighty also use the simrell stem with their Mighty as they find it cool's the Mighty's vapor even more. But as you mention, you can hook the dynavap up with a bong or water bubbler just fine too.

The thought of a butane torch really put me off when I first came upon them, as it looked like you're heating up something more serious and nasty. But now with an induction heater it is simple, 5 - 6 seconds, 'click', pull out and inhale.

The real working end of a vapcap, is the dynavap tip which there is only 2 options, stainless steel of titanium, and they are interchangeable, so even someone with a base line 'M' can change their tip to a titanium one. You could just get a tip and shove it into a section of hollow bamboo of the appropriate diameter and it would work. There are lots of aftermarket options for different stems that can be used.

 

[TorturedSoul]

My daily driver for over a dozen years has been a Silver Surfer convection vape. I can turn on it in the morning and off at bedtime. It has been so reliable that up until recently I would say when asked, that if I got another vape I'd be tempted with a second Silver Surfer as a backup.

But in the last month I have bought a dynavap, or more accurately a titanium Simrell Vortex stem with a dynavap tip. I got it as backup to the Silver Surfer and as something portable that I could use outside or take fishing for example. It works by a combination of convection and conduction, which prior to buying and trying I thought I wouldn't be interested in. But now I've got it. I haven't used my Silver Surfer. The hits from the dynavap are amazing, and the extraction seems so complete that the jarred bud I'm using now feels like a different (stronger) strain! Before this, I was sure I wanted only a convection vape and certainly not a butane heated vape. Now I mostly heat it over the stove top, or if I take it outside I use a butane torch lighter. Now you may think like I did, that you don't want a vape that you have to heat with butane. Well, you don't have to, you can get an induction heater, either mains powered, or a portable induction heater that uses rechargeable batteries. I am pretty that I will buy one as the reviews I have read have many experienced vapers saying the new portable induction heaters are game changers for the dynavap family of vapes. You just pop the tip in the induction heater hole and it heats up ready to inhale in 5 - 6 seconds.

I know of 3 other posters here who also have moved over to a dynavap in the last 2 months and are also now using it as their daily driver.

Best plant matter vaporizer I ever used was butane-powered. Called a V*p*r G*n**, just a wooden pipe with some kind of ceramic gizmo that you heated with a Bic lighter while you were inhaling through it. User controlled temperature, anywhere from "can barely even taste" all the way to "I set it on fire," total control. Heat stopped instantly when you stopped inhaling, no hot chamber or anything in contact with the product. And no built-in butane heating device to fail (had one of those, too, worked once - not one load but one inhalation ). It was awesome, took about three draws to master it. Let my brother talk me into loaning it to him, finally got it back couple months later, and the top (that made it work) was missing. "Oh, it wasn't on there? I must have lost it, then." He's probably still got it.

But you couldn't fill a bag with it. No fan or anything; dead simple and figuratively bulletproof.

 

[nickeluring]

Water bong/bubbler, yes absolutely, I will be looking at incorporating this myself.

And induction heater or butane torch will work a treat, but if you had to, then a candle, ordinary lighter, stove top, camp fire will do the job too.

The standard 'M' version is stainless steel, whereas something like the Simrell vortex or omnivap are titanium which heats up and cool down quicker. I've read for people who like using a bong with it, they sometimes prefer a stainless steel tip as it holds the heat longer. My understanding is the standard 'M' will do a superb job, someone somewhere described it like a Honda Civic, dependable and does a great job. I only paid more for the titanium simrell, because I became convinced from reading reviews and experiences that I would like it, and because there is no electronics it will last more than my lifetime so I decided to go for the 'Lexus' from the start. People described the Simrell as being great for producing even cooler vapor (presumably because of the titanium), some people who use the Mighty also use the simrell stem with their Mighty as they find it cool's the Mighty's vapor even more. But as you mention, you can hook the dynavap up with a bong or water bubbler just fine too.

The thought of a butane torch really put me off when I first came upon them, as it looked like you're heating up something more serious and nasty. But now with an induction heater it is simple, 5 - 6 seconds, 'click', pull out and inhale.

The real working end of a vapcap, is the dynavap tip which there is only 2 options, stainless steel of titanium, and they are interchangeable, so even someone with a base line 'M' can change their tip to a titanium one. You could just get a tip and shove it into a section of hollow bamboo of the appropriate diameter and it would work. There are lots of aftermarket options for different stems that can be used.

Awesome info, mate. You've got me convinced to look further into the Dynavap. I like good stuff, and I might get that Simrell, too. I'll look for some more reviews. Any other options other than the Simrell that might be worth looking at? Or is that considered the best?
I thought the same when I first saw the Dynavap. It seemed so "druggie" to heat a pipe with a torch.

Best plant matter vaporizer I ever used was butane-powered. Called a V*p*r G*n**, just a wooden pipe with some kind of ceramic gizmo that you heated with a Bic lighter while you were inhaling through it. User controlled temperature, anywhere from "can barely even taste" all the way to "I set it on fire," total control. Heat stopped instantly when you stopped inhaling, no hot chamber or anything in contact with the product. And no built-in butane heating device to fail (had one of those, too, worked once - not one load but one inhalation ). It was awesome, took about three draws to master it. Let my brother talk me into loaning it to him, finally got it back couple months later, and the top (that made it work) was missing. "Oh, it wasn't on there? I must have lost it, then." He's probably still got it.

But you couldn't fill a bag with it. No fan or anything; dead simple and figuratively bulletproof.

Hehe, lasting for one inhalation sounds like real quality stuff.

At my first attempt at vaping I used a normal Bic lighter as well. I made a vaporiser out of a light bulb and some pipes and stuff. You put the weed inside the bulb and heated it with the lighter. It was the shittiest vaporiser I've ever seen and it didn't really produce any vape.

 

[Stunger]

Awesome info, mate. You've got me convinced to look further into the Dynavap. I like good stuff, and I might get that Simrell, too. I'll look for some more reviews. Any other options other than the Simrell that might be worth looking at? Or is that considered the best?
I thought the same when I first saw the Dynavap. It seemed so "druggie" to heat a pipe with a torch.

I found some good discussions by googling reddit threads. There is always the option to get the base model like the stainless 'M' and see what you think, and upgrade to whatever later. There is various wooden style stems but not sure about cleaning those. From what I could work out on the metal ones is that people often mentioned that they were happy on upgrading to a titanium models (Omnivap or Simrell Vortex). You're right about the druggie look of heating it with a torch, that is unfortunate. However induction heaters remove that problem from the equation.
I remain impressed with the quality of the hit and total extraction from such a small chamber which makes it really economical if trying to make your stash last, not a problem for me at the moment and nor do I imagine a concern of your's either.

 

[6thsense]

I like the herbalizer I think the temps are most accurate and you can do whip and balloon its expensive though.for the money nothing beats the extreme q imo $170 and it rips . If you get one make sure you elbow pack it if you use the whip

 

[TorturedSoul]

At my first attempt at vaping I used a normal Bic lighter as well. I made a vaporiser out of a light bulb and some pipes and stuff. You put the weed inside the bulb and heated it with the lighter. It was the shittiest vaporiser I've ever seen and it didn't really produce any vape.

Mine was a lightbulb, variable voltage (or variable wattage - it was in the early '80s and I don't remember) transformer from a model train set, and a cigarette lighter heating element from a family car that had been rolled. I got some vapor, but probably wasn't breaking bud into small enough pieces. And it was just bud, not an extract, so there was going to be a limit anyway. Gram joints worked much better . Plus, it was easy to turn the knob up too far and then I was smoking the product, anyway, instead of vaporizing it.

 

[Nunyabiz]

I'll second the Arizer Extreme Q.

I bought ours a couple years ago, works just as good as a Volcano for about 1/4 of the price.
We got ours for $119 on a black Friday sale

 

[Stunger]

I have read good things about the Herbalizer and Arizer Extreme Q too. It'd be great to have the experience of other vapes and setups.
I know someone who runs a vaporizer shop and she said that her husband has got so many different vapes from being test units, all the top shelf ones and yet for his daily driver he uses a dynavap, which I thought was interesting.

I will eventually look towards getting some sort of water bubbler unit to use with it. I still have to be stealthy within my household so unfortunately I can't brazenly have a vaping table set up with some big fancy vapes and glassware permanently laid out to vape from. So it's horses for course really. The vapecap being nicely small sized and portable suits well how I want to use it, and plus I like that it should remain perfectly functional far beyond my lifetime.

 

[6thsense]

I'll second the Arizer Extreme Q.

I bought ours a couple years ago, works just as good as a Volcano for about 1/4 of the price.
We got ours for $119 on a black Friday sale

Best part of the extreme q is squeezing that hash out of the whip

 

[Stunger]

Best part of the extreme q is squeezing that hash out of the whip

My Silver Surfer also gets build up in the whip/wand, but that I've always thought of that as being more like tar-like than hash. I have in the past tried it when nothing was available, I got a buzz of it but it was a pretty nasty smoke haha. Hopefully your's gives a better output!

 

[TorturedSoul]

Best part of the extreme q is squeezing that hash out of the whip

That would be a sign (to me) to shorten that hose by 90%, lol.

 

[TorturedSoul]

I will eventually look towards getting some sort of water bubbler unit to use with it.

What's your purpose/motivation for that? Still coughing and want to be able to pass it through some hot water in order to humidify the hit, or...?

I still have to be stealthy within my household so unfortunately I can't brazenly have

Edibles and tinctures?

 

[Stunger]

What's your purpose/motivation for that? Still coughing and want to be able to pass it through some hot water in order to humidify the hit, or...?

No coughing, just a bit of a sore throat when I vape more often. Something I'd imagine that maybe a bubbler/bong might soften the vapor further altho it is pretty good I feel already. I get similar from my Silver Surfer, I think it is mostly from the dryness of the air, e.g. on occasions when my stash levels have been depleted and I have used ABV as a backup, the dryer ABV vapor I really find aggravating for my throat. I think you're right it's the thought that to humidify the hit would make it more comfortable.

Edibles and tinctures?

Yes, I have made cannabutter which has worked fine as an edible type high. I would like to try a concentrate like a tincture or rosin, here in NZ we can't buy 90%+ alcohol, maybe 65% at the most.
I wonder what happens when I am in my 70's and beyond if I presumably still enjoy a weed but age stops me vaping then I'll have to look into edibles and tinctures!