Hey! Welcome!Hey guys!
Been reading here a while now. Now that some serious misfortune happened to my cherished crafty it was time to register. See if any of u guys had similar issues or perhaps can share some advice.
With 155 hours of operation under the belt the battery obviously wore down. To warm up (to 185 C) takes about 4 minutes the first time and the second time 5 minutes. Then it is pretty much all out of juice. So that is a problem.
But that problem has been discussed amply and the solution is straightforward.
The major issue with this crafty for me has been the casing. A friend of mine had a similar issue before mine did and now it happened to me as well. It is best illustrated with pictures.
So what happens is that when warm the casing weakens and when opening and closing repeatedly it starts to show cracks. After prolonged use ultimately the part that closes off the cooling unit, which consists of two symmetrical parts, breaks off one by one. With half of this part left it still closes off properly and it works altogether but now that the second half is showing severe cracks as well it is a matter of time before this part breaks too, rendering the crafty useless.
Like I said before, a friend of mine had the exact same thing happen to him and he just switched to a different vaporizer without hassling with the warranty. But I like my crafty too much and having read all the positive experiences with the customer service of S&B over here I hope this will be taken care of too. I live in the Netherlands but bought my crafty over a year ago on Amazon UK.
Has anyone had similar problems with the crafty? How best to proceed?
Best,
Mike
If your unopened unit is still under warranty it sounds like a replacement would be forthcoming -as you apparently know!Hi guys,
Big Crafty user.. have two in rotation (mainly so one can be in repair).
Both have the same problem now.. they charge sporadically, if at all.
The charge indicating pattern (blinky blue) starts going a bit crazy.. instead of a steady pattern it sometimes seems almost random. Like it's having a heart attack.
I opened my original one and tried to power it off an external power supply
(big lab supply) to no avail.
Now I've tried replacing the battery with a fully charged one and I just get the blinky blue when I hit the button. One in 10 tries it starts up and then works fine for that sesh.
Going to send the unopened unit in.. should I just go for a Mighty?
I'm also considering using the heating unit (complete with bowl) and thermocouples with a miniature Arduino and custom machined aluminum housing to make a custom Crafty. Other than a user replaceable battery (18650 cell), what features would people want? I assume Bluetooth and a display on unit would be nice too.
I originally wanted the mighty when a friend talked me into thr crafty for portability reasons. Once it broke i too upgraded to mighty w zero issuesI highly recommend upgrading to the Mighty if you send the Crafty in for repair. Put a note in the package when you send it in and also mention it on your initial RMA request. I have no regrets about upgrading. It's nice not to have to be constantly charging the device.
I agree with vapviking about sending the Crafty in clean and well packaged. I sent mine in almost spotless with 226 hours on it, the battery was well past its prime and I didn't think I'd stand a chance of getting it warranty replaced. They did however and let me upgrade to the Mighty for 50€
One last piece of advice is to not let the oven get so filthy. They do seem to last longer the cleaner you keep them.
Hey! Welcome!
Have you been able to register the device with S&B, for service purposes?
You have an advantage if you are dealing with S&B Germany (you're in UK?) since often they will warranty repair/replace batteries when S&B America might not. The casing has been a chronic Crafty/Mighty weakness, but it appears you do have the 'revised/reinforced' Crafty housing already.
I think your best option would be the 'service' they now recommend in the online literature.
Clean it well before sending in, they tend to appreciate respect for the device and may reward with less pricey outcome.
So, you may have to pay for a battery and you may have to pay for a housing, or then again you might be pleasantly surprised by S&B cs. Also keep in mind that, if you request, there may be an option to upgrade to a Mighty.
As far as I know, none of these repairs or even the upgrade would reset your warranty start date.
Lastly is the suggestion that you hone your soldering skills and replace battery yourself, if you are inclined...but this doesn't get you a new housing!
Keeping exterior of cooling and top of Crafty unit clean can help prevent the casing from cracking. If dirty they are sticky and add to pressure as c/u is installed/removed.
best of luck!
Hi fellas. My Crafty has reached 200 hours and is still hitting like a champ!
Crafty Devil eh?
USB socket is failing so might not last much longer
@Vambo1980 - you should test and post in the Crafty warmup time thread, just to see how @Stu adjusts the x-axis of his graph.
@Vambo1980 - you should test and post in the Crafty warmup time thread, just to see how @Stu adjusts the x-axis of his graph.
I'm reminded of a Volvo I once had...It's done some 50,000 miles travelling with me all around the country for the last 2 odd years.
It's been to 7 different country's and was even with me on my wedding day, but don't tell the wife!
http://fuckcombustion.com/threads/crafty-warmup-time-comparison-thread.18129/Do have a link to this thead? Can't seem to find it.
I had to sign for original purchase of a Crafty but since then, no signature required for warranty mailings or accessory purchases. I'm in US.I used to deal with randy at puffitup directly for any RMA purpose. I only sent my Crafty out to him once during the first week of use because the power button stopped functioning. Now, after a year and 4 months, I need an RMA for the overheating battery during first session on a full charge.
My question is: Does S&B Oakland make you sign for the package upon delivery?
I used to deal with randy at puffitup directly for any RMA purpose. I only sent my Crafty out to him once during the first week of use because the power button stopped functioning. Now, after a year and 4 months, I need an RMA for the overheating battery during first session on a full charge.
My question is: Does S&B Oakland make you sign for the package upon delivery?
Yes it has been registered and it is on its way to Germany, after a thorough cleaning. They right away offered an upgrade to a Mighty for 50euros in the RMA, but only if the crafty has a warranty issue, of which I am not altogether confident. So fingers crossed!
Thanks for the advice Vapviking!