Thinkin About Buying A Vapouriser

[tripy spiral]

call me stupid but in the 5 years of mj smoking i have never come across a vapouriser. And now after smoking 3/4 of an ounce to a full oz a week for 3 years i am starting to think about healther ways to get high. i whant to buy a vapouriser bong but i don't have much knowlage about them. just woundering if some one can tell me some things to look out for when buying a good vapouriser. and has any one brought a vapouriser from freewheeling and if so was it good quality. Can someone out there on the other side of my computer screen help me

[Woz from Oz]

I've been using a vaporiser for over 3 years.I have a Eterra and a Aromazap. I started using them for health reasons and it seems to have paid off. The Aromazap is the best buy check it out at http://www.aromazap.com . Don't get sucked into those ones with the dome and the tube.They look good but the vapour can condense and oxidise before it all gets to you. If you like, the Aromazap type is more in your face! Now is a good time to buy while the A$ is good. The downside is you have to buy a transformer ($30 at Dick Smiths). Zapman provides a trnsformer but it is US voltage. Ask him to leave it out and renegotiate the price.

[Guest niall]

The best vapourisers are pretty much the Volcano and the Vriptech.

 

Both of these models are convection based, so they use a heating element to blow air across your herb instead of a conducting plate like the dome models (a soldering iron in a jar basically), and they're calibrated to the specific temperature range for optimal vapourisation (~180-190 degC).

 

The cheaper models are ok, but they just don't compare to hot air extraction. You get a more flavour filled hit, there's little to no risk that you're combusting your herb and releasing toxins, and they're very well made. They'll last a lifetime. The Volcano even has a 3 year warranty.

 

As far as flavour and flexibility goes, I think the Vriptech setup is best. You can use your existing bong (if it's a bonza sized stem), you just need a bowl/reducer like Vriptech's VCB and a Steinel hot air gun (Model: HL2305LCD, available in Australia through Norray Resources).

 

Many people swear by the Volcano though, especially medical users. Their unit is far more attractive and user friendly, and most people would have no idea what you're doing or what it is. The Vriptech looks and works like a bong, just with a hot air gun instead of a lighter.

 

However the Volcano is about $1000 imported. A full Vriptech setup costs about $500, but you could get away with your own bong and a cheaper VCB alternative (don't skimp on the Steinel though, has to be a ceramic core gun capable of reliable 180-190 degC, go straight to the HL2305LCD) and have a setup for about $400.

 

Vriptech are also about to release their Valloon product, emulating the Volcano's balloon with their own glass valve kit, and their custom made heat tool (1/3 the size of a Steinel and quieter, medical grade and easier to use) is due out in a year or so. With the Vriptech/Steinel setup you've got the best of both worlds I think, and a flexible upgrade path.

 

Another alternative is the Vapir. It's meant to be slow to heat up and inefficient (Vriptech is ready within a few seconds, Volcano looks like it needs to heat up a bit - see it in action on pot-tv), and there's a new model of Vapir due out very soon - should be smaller and have better battery life etc.

 

Bubbleman and Hilary Black did a great comparison of all of the major vapourisers on pot-tv here, and I don't think they mention the old soldering iron/dome models anywhere. They're great for oil, but mine just doesn't compare to the Vriptech.

 

If you do go for the cheap soldering iron ones, buy the one from Freewheelin as they claim to have sourced the most reliable model available in Australia, and they look after their clients.

 

Hope that helps

[Gruntus]

Like Woz from Oz I did my research and settled on the Aromazap too. In 18 months it's always performed well (except on really hot days when my old house heats up). I have a review on another thread. Do a search ..

 

Why the heck would anyone buy a Vriptech unless mucking around with hot air guns is something you like to do for recreation (maybe you're a handyman who plays with powertools to unwind..) ?

[Guest niall]

Why the heck would anyone buy a Vriptech unless mucking around with hot air guns is something you like to do for recreation (maybe you're a handyman who plays with powertools to unwind..) ?

Cos they're the best and they give the most flavoursome hits?

[F420]

Cos they're the best and they give the most flavoursome hits? 

 

why are they the best?? and why are they more flavoursome?

 

curious because Im thinking of shouting myself a vape soon.

[pipeman]

From what I have read vriptechs are the best as niall said and unlike most other vapes give an instant hit. but the aromazap looks like a damn fine unit and gets good reviews and works on hot air convection like the vriptech heat gun and at about $200 I think they represent the best value for money. I'd order one if the arseholes at aromazap would answer my emails

 

Does anyone know of any place I can buy one other than aromazap themselves?

[tripy spiral]

ok the Aromazap sounds like a good vapouriser for me at the moment, still not sure tho. whats the tube thingy on the aromazap made out of? and how comfibiale is it to smoke out of

[Guest niall]

Cos they're the best and they give the most flavoursome hits? 

 

why are they the best?? and why are they more flavoursome?

 

curious because Im thinking of shouting myself a vape soon.

Hot air extraction is giving the most accurate and stable temperatures for vapourisation, and result in your herb being heated more evenly. Using a hot plate/conduction model you're going to have relative hot spots - uneven heating so some of your herb may smolder, some of it may not be entirely vaped. Some models will obviously be better than others, but in general hot air extraction is giving the best results and is the method of choice for connoisseurs where cost is irrelevent.

 

The Volcano's heating element is an aluminium enclosure, itself a source of radiant heat during use, and the temperature dial isn't labelled - so you can only guess as to what temperature the element is set to, and even then you may be getting higher temperatures than intended at the point of contact.

 

With the Vriptech setup you're getting to within +-5degC of your target temperature, and all surfaces surrounding your herb are high-grade Pyrex which will be having an insulating effect and ensure an even temperature. The Vriptech bowl is also designed to make use of the Ventoulli effect, so at the point of contact with your herb the hot air is at maximum velocity and extracting more efficiently.

 

Flavinoids and aromatic terpenes are released at lower temperatures than cannabinoids, so they're the first real vapour that you inhale. With the Volcano you vape the entire bowlful into the balloon, so the flavour is diluted throughout the entire bag to the last toke. With the Vriptech you're able to take lots of individual hits or one large hit, so you have more control. With one large hit, the Vriptech tends to result in quicker, more concentrated hits than the other vapourisers, so you get all the flavinoids and terpenes of the entire bowlful all in one hit.

 

Each to their own though, cost is the most obvious factor, and I'm the first to admit that a hot air gun is bulky, relatively loud, and completely overwhelming and unwieldy for the novice. But once you get your head around it after a couple of virgin bowls, it's no harder than lighting up a bong and you settle into a good technique very quickly. The results speak for themselves though, the quality and flavour is just amazing - I could NEVER go back. For medical use, group use, or just simpler use, I think the Volcano would be the way to go.

 

I'm trying to turn more people onto this kit, so I'm hoping to lend it out to a few friends for some hardcore use in exchange for a review or three

Edited April 21, 2004 by niall

[Gruntus]

pipeman: a UK outfit sells the Aromazap (link from the Aromazap page) but doesn't include the grinder (I think). I had no probs with Aromazap re- emails and send many before and after purchase - always answered. It's a one-man operation .. maybe he's having a holiday.

 

tripy spiral: Aromazap is hard wood body with plastic and brass stems. You can soak the stems in metho and they clean up nicely.

 

the worst thing I can repeat about the 'zap is that they're "a bit dainty". Some blokes seem to like monster bongs to suck on - I can't help but wonder if that's a wee-bit homo-erotic.

 

niall: you're planning to lend out the Volcano? I'll review for you