So I've handled quite a few vaporizers in my time (lost count after a few dozen lol).
I was excited to get this device for a few reasons including a few new aftermarket accessories which will be on the market soon.
I've only handled the device a few times so these are initial impressions:
Pros:
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Nice heft in the hands - feels solid enough construction for the price. But that's expected from the manufacturer.
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Flat base - unlike my HealthyRips Rogue which has rounded sides, this device has a flat base so it sits flush on a surface making it more stable (especially with the watertool attached)
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Massive oven - this oven is larger than the Rogue (which is a decent size already)- it's just a smidge smaller in diameter than the S&B Dosing Capsules (maybe two or three millimeters smaller)
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Removable 18650 battery - FINALLY!! Yes these batteries are not quite as reliable as the older LiPoly batteries they had been using in older models, but finally we have the ability to swap out batteries when you wear out a battery after 100 hours of use - it's also nice to easily swap out batteries with a precharged battery before heading out. Big win for sustainability over sealed-in batteries
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USB-C charging - always a win. Now I can use one charger to charge both phone, and vaporizer, as well as any spare 18650 batteries I have with me (no need to lug around my Nitecore D2 on short road trips)
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Love the upgraded slide mouthpiece. The older pop-in design used by the Rogue felt satisfying, but it was not durable and always wore-out on customers after heavy use. This new slide-in mouthpiece makes the device far more durable - I also like the added magnets for things to snap together
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Glass mouthpiece - always a nice touch. Plus you can use other tools which slide into the same mouthpiece - including my old HealthyRips "water tool" inline vertical waterpipe which is pretty awesome for vaporbonging on vacation!
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Fast enough heatup - from a cold start to 350F it took about 45 seconds. Seems like the temperature sensor is measuring a different spot, not exactly on the heater itself - possibly in the air chamber above the heater.. Just based on how I've seen it heatup compared to other devices made by the same manufacturer (including the rogue)
Cons:
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No pass-through charging. Not entirely unsurprising, but you cannot charge the device while using it. The workaround is simple: buy a few spare batteries and recharge them
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Short Auto-off timer - feels like the unit always shuts off too fast. I wish it had a 7.5 or 10 minute timer - or the ability to disable it (maybe there is and I haven't RTFM to find out haha)
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Minimum temperature of 320F - that's a bit high for me personally. I wish they had set it to a minimum of 300F
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Draw restriction - feels a bit restricted which isn't terrible (and likely intentional), but I would have preferred a bit more
As other's have said, it's an upgraded HealthyRips Rogue and that's a fair assessment - it has some good upgrades (especially the swappable 18650 battery slot) which makes it a fair more durable and sustainable device.
Now to get back to some more R&D so I can finalize some new widgets!
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I know lots of others answered but I'll try to sum up some notes for you:
Combustion releases a ton of extra stuff including a toxic cocktail of carcinogenics and carbon monoxide which are bad for your body. Some of these chemicals release the instant euphoric feeling followed by sedation. People who try dry vaporizing are expecting the same exact effects, when the reality is that it is cleaner and different.
Different temperatures extract different active compounds from the herb. In general terms a Sativa vapes great at lower temps (300-385F) while Indica and CBD strains work better at higher temps to extract that sedation and pan relief you get from the herb. This means you can essentially "customize" your high to what you want/need at that time. If you have a hybrid for example you could cook out the low temperature sativa side in the morning, then cook the same herb at night to extract the indica side of the herb.
Not all dry vaporizers cook at the same rate. They are essentially miniature ovens. Many people buy cheaper weaker underpowered devices preheat them and suck away like they're hitting a waterpipe - this drains all heat out of the oven faster than the shitty heater can recover temps. The secret here is to either get a higher powered device, OR learn how to slow your roll and take a gentle sip (filling your lungs over 20 seconds instead of filling them in 3 seconds). This is partially why you hear people say vaporizers suck - because they are not obtaining a full extraction before they think it's finished (since they're getting no more vapor it must be fully cooked!).
Unlike smoking where you can "Green out" from smoking too much (due to excessive carbon monoxide poisoning which causes you to start vomiting if you smoke too much too frequently), dry vaporizing does not do this. You can essentially get MORE medicated than possible with combustion because you're not inhaling all that nasty toxic shit.
Dry vaporizers come in many shapes and sizes. Some cook faster, some produce tastier vapor for flavor-chasing snobs like myself, some produce bigger clouds, others better for social gatherings, or more stealthy, faster extraction, etc. Most of us true ents have multiple devices in our collection depending on our needs at the time.
LPT - you can pair almost any vaporizer with a waterpipe for some epic vaporbonging action. Price does not equate to performance, there are many other vaporizers besides "ball vapes" that can totally get you where you need to be. Hell on vacation when my preferred portable failed (bad battery), I bought a shitty no-name $85 vaporizer at a smoke shop and was able to make it work for my needs until I got back home lol.
If you let me know more about your budget and what you want to do I can probably set you on a better path than a ball vape - I'm personally not a fan of them for novice users for several reasons.