Pen Focus Vaporizer

stickstones

Vapor concierge
Glad to hear that the manufacturer reacted and is trying to fix the issues! My focusvape is allrdy back to the retailer but i might be willing to try out another one later this year after the fixes.

I also wanted to point out again the other problem i saw with the device and thats the spring on the positive pin of the device, think that got abit lost.
The spring just shouldnt be there (its asking for trouble IMO), it seems to be glued on with epoxy and could get detatched or bend and then short out the positive side of the battery with the negative (the whole housing in this case). The spring should be on the negative side , i.e. the battery cap, far away from positive end where it could produce a short.

If you don't mind educating me here...does this matter with flat top batteries?
 
stickstones,

korya

New Member
Doesnt really matter wich type off 18650 top shape the battery has, if something goes wrong with the spring it just needs to excedently touch the positive and the housing. The spring gets squeezed between the postive of the battery and the pin of the device so its by default in a "good" spot for such event.
Anyway iam thinking more about ppl who change the batteries regulary, you could always visually check if the spring is still in place of course but i dont find that ideal and theres still a chance it gets bend or something in the moment the battery squeezing the spring down when inserted.
For someone who never take this battery out, its somewhat saver, i guess...
I also never saw a device with such a tubedesign (flashlight, ecigs) that has a spring glued on, the positve pin the reason for this i described above.
 
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JeeSee

Cultured Curmudgeon
Hey all,
I received an encouraging email from FocusVape:
"Good day,

Sorry for my late reply. We have got your email. I am out of office to solve the issue about the battery venting, and the issue would be solved ASAP.
Here will be a reply after we solve the question.

Thank you for your feedback about the products again.

Best Regards,
Max"

EDIT - Have also written back to them now about the other issue @korya pointed out with the battery housing spring. Fingers crossed they fix it soon! Have a lot of expectations from this vape, but I'm not buying it until these safety standards are met. :)
 
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vapviking

Old & In the Way
I'm only a casual follower here, but a friend bought a focus pro based on my recommendation, from things learned here.
Am I understanding that there's no outlet/release in the event the battery vents? Or have I misunderstood?

Would there be such a thing as a product recall with something like this? Or is this such an unregulated industry that a company can market without much regard for safety? This seems like a glaring error, if it is the case.

Should I tell my friend to drill some holes? She'll more likely throw the thing away and be aggravated with me!
 

JeeSee

Cultured Curmudgeon
If @korya is to be believed then yes, ask her to drill a couple of holes or wait until the company clarifies how it intends to fix the issue. It can be extremely dangerous since there is no outlet.
 

His_Highness

In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
I'm only a casual follower here, but a friend bought a focus pro based on my recommendation, from things learned here.
Am I understanding that there's no outlet/release in the event the battery vents? Or have I misunderstood?

I've been using the original focus and focus pro for over a year and they have not been treated kindly. Not an issue to speak of. I've been charging the batteries internally and externally and ALL my batteries are those I selected for their reviews/reputations. I have left the batteries charging overnight many times.

IMO...The possibility exists for a venting event in anything using an 18650 BUT I've never heard of one with the focus. If you are using good, well reviewed, well known, non-counterfeit 18650's that are made for these types of devices....... a venting event, in chamber, is going to be extremely rare.

Having said all that....if you find that venting needle in the haystack and it's sitting in a non-vented tube it's not going to be pretty.

If you or the lady are mid-level handy, have access to a drill and vice, make the vent hole.

Did I mention this is just my opinion :cool:
 

JeeSee

Cultured Curmudgeon
Another day, another email. :)

"Thanks for your feedback,and now we are dealing with the problems, it needs some time to handle.

By the way, there is a new product focusvape pro M (metal material), it's functions are same with focusvape pro, only one different is their material. And there is a battery vent.
So if you want to purchase it urgently, we suggest you could get this one. Here is the photo for your reference.

Best Regards,
Max"

PS - the photo of the new metal vape he sent me: http://imgur.com/a/HgEWB

EDIT - asked Max whether it also fixes the spring-at-the-wrong-end issue. If it does, I'm considering pulling the trigger on this metal one myself! :tup: My other option was the VaporGenie Volta but unfortunately that does not have the passthrough function I so require to hit the vape while it charges.
 
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JeeSee

Cultured Curmudgeon
He says:
"Regarding the second problem, the spring is soldered on the PCB which is very safe. Please don't be worried about it.
Thanks & Best Regards,
Max"

I think I might just go ahead and order this one! ;)
 
JeeSee,

stickstones

Vapor concierge
Some updates on materials and battery chamber vent holes:

The best news is they are going to be adding holes to the caps to the units already in their warehouse! There will be some time for them to work their way into the supply chain, but this means new orders should soon have the drill holes in the caps.

They will also make caps with holes in them available! I don't know what kind of cost they will be, but just having them available for those that are concerned is a big step in the right direction.

So if you are concerned about it, solutions are on the way. I am in agreement with Ben...the best solution is to use good batteries. The battery is the failure point here, not the vape.

Since we finally had some internals posted I took the opportunity to address the materials we saw, and the answers were all good. The solder is lead-free solder, and the even tent me a picture of the box with the spools in it, so I'm good with that one. I also asked them about the silicone gaskets above and below the oven as well as the dollop of silicone at the wires. All those silicones are rated for temps up to 536F/280C, so they are well above any temps we are reaching.

In my mind, this vape has the bases covered for safety in materials, and the battery vent holes are being addressed as well as we can ask for. Way to go fc!
 

His_Highness

In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Thanks @stickstones!!!!! Good looking out! After being your customer for well over a year I can definitely say I'm not surprised though.

Takes the edge off of the VAS and that new vape purchase knowing you stand behind it.

Thx Again!
 
His_Highness,
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JeeSee

Cultured Curmudgeon
Personally holding off on the silica model getting venting before I buy, because Max informed me the metal version has compatibility issues with the bubbler. The fixed silica units should be ready to ship by the 28th of this month apparently!
 

Skyscraper

Well-Known Member
The Focus Pro and VaporGenie are my two main vapes at the moment. This venting issue does concern me. What are some possible scenarios where the battery could vent in use?
 
Skyscraper,

Elfgrin

Well-Known Member
Been scrolling through the bulk of this thread and I think my usage is a bit different than what's typical with this vape. I saw someone say that the focus doesn't perform well with whole nugs, and I couldn't disagree more. I've been experimenting with this little unit over the weekend as part of a vape swap / loaner program, and it's far exceeded my expectations even after the relatively positive reception from the community.

A bit about me, for context: I'm unapologetically a cloud chaser due to pain issues. I have a high tolerance, I don't smoke, and I'm nuts about flavor. I work in a clinic with a strict break schedule so I have to be able to fill my vape, walk off property, medicate, empty it, air myself out a little, and be back on shift within fifteen minutes. Very often I will sacrifice flavor on this quest and indulge myself when I get home instead. I've been limiting myself to primarily convection and torch vaporizers at work, but reading through the Herbalaire thread on here got me back into whole nugs, the unsung hero of the flavor chasers, and that's when I came to truly love the focus vape.

Anyway, I'll skip the common tale of how I inevitably ditched the filter and oem screen. Huge improvement, but definitely noticeably hotter on the lips. I tossed in a moderate grind and had a great session immediately. Nothing game changing, but a satisfying experience from an affordable piece. Comparable to most high end conduction units. Thick vapor, dark avb, great flavor for the first few hits, etc.

Next I tried a tight, nearly espresso style pack, but with small unground popcorn buds. I get a thicker vapor but with a lot of resistance, mind you the adjustable airflow works wonders for this. It's also quite a bit hotter, and having to pull harder I find the vapor quite harsh.

VG5TNGM.jpg


Fast forward to how I now use this vaporizer: Single nugs compressed into focus bowl sized pellets, NO screen, and a water tool. This gets great flavor to the last hit, whitewall vapor between 390-410f, and fun little avb pellets that leave practically no dust or residue in the chamber. When I'm done a session I just blow into the air holes and they pop right out. This unit could easily be my daily driver when I don't need to be discrete. It won't be -because the vapcap and herbie exist- but it could be, and that's impressive.

SRoIt29.jpg

BDM3KdA.jpg


This focus had the little ring that keeps the glass tip in missing, so I slipped an herbie mouthpiece over it to keep it all together. This also lets me press it directly onto my vapor rig without any additional adapter. If I were using popcorn nugs I'd still use a screen but with single pellets there's really no need so long as they're sticky enough to keep form.

I don't wanna throttle your scroll bars any more than I already have so I'll leave the rest of the images for a gallery. Gives a quick look at how genuinely opaque the vapor off this thing can get (all holes open), a cross-section to see how cooked the insides of the pellets get, what I'm talking about with the herbie mouthpiece, etc: http://imgur.com/a/steN7
 

His_Highness

In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Very nice review @Elfgrin! Appreciate the nug tip..... Can't wait to give it a try! I normally reserve nugs of any size for the Evo not my conduction vapes but I gotta try this.
 
His_Highness,

JeeSee

Cultured Curmudgeon
Okay, I just received my FocusVape Pro yesterday and I am smitten folks. This is hands down the best budget portable I've ever used. The vapour is far smoother, cooler (even without the bubbler, which I have yet to test for fear I may get water in the device by testing it wrong) and more controllable than the MFLB, the variable temperature and the airflow control (there's a click when I change the dial between 0-3 holes - little details like this, I find, really make this a solid vape). Make no mistake, it's an extremely leathery, phallic vape - which has it's advantages, I imagine, going through an airport. I actually like how heavy and durable it feels, I bought a heavy phone recently for the same reason.
The vapour quality is absolutely A+. It's not Volcano level, but for comparison it's as good as the DaVinci and far better than the Iolite, imo. After the massive disappointment that was my last vape, the e-nano, and how I went back to combustion in a big way for many years after, I feel like this may finally be the vape to get this ex-TB patient to quit for good. The glass mouthpiece fits into the vaporiser in the most satisfying way (like pushing it into a rubber sheath, hope it stays this tight with age). I haven't had the opportunity to test the battery yet, because I've only tried it between two people at the most, and both of us were goners within ten minutes. The passthrough function works (more on this later after thorough testing) but restricts your choice of possible airflow holes to either 2 or 3 because the same ring has the micro-USB port. Not a dealbreaker, of course, just a criticism any future buyers might want to take into account. The quality of the add-ons (bubbler, stainless steel tamping tool, alcohol wipes, silicone condom to protect the mouthpiece, extra screens, charging cable) is beautiful, although I must warn you guys that the included cable is really short and not all micro-USB cables will work as a replacement, you need the ones that have a longer head (my girlfriend has one for her Kindle that works for me). I can't begin to tell you what a joy it is to have such a precise temp control after the guesswork involved in a MFLB+PA or an e-nano. A little heatsoak goes a long way, so I let the device rest after it vibrates to tell me it's at the right temperature. I usually start at 390 and go up to about 435. Never felt the need to go above, except when I did the burn-in (btw, I didn't have ANY issues with a plastic smell after two burn-in cycles). The device heats us insanely fast, but on the negative side it does seem to get quite hot near the temperature display and buttons at higher temperatures. I hope it doesn't get screwed later in its life because of this.
I can already see how a replaceable battery's going to be a boon in the long run. The device, besides the actual vapour it produces, smells very little and is easy to clean. The screw-on cap has a weird weight balance, comes off too quickly and often falls. So be sure to remove the mouthpiece always before taking the cap off!
I have the shingles right now, and I can tell you this took the edge off the pain like nothing else. The build quality is impressive, but the instruction manual (as is to be expected from a non-native English speaking company) has many flaws.
I may be one of the first to receive the new Pro with the battery venting. Big shout out to @korya for sounding the alarm and to the company itself for taking care of that problem so quickly and efficiently.
I know other people have had issues with the material clogging up the screen, but I haven't at all yet. I just use the pre-included brush and blow into the vape after I'm done. You can heat it to the highest temperature to make sure you get rid of the residue I guess, but I haven't felt the need to yet. You can simply unscrew the filter, pull out the ceramic component and clean it all in isopropyl.
I have to mention, it was an AMAZING experience ordering straight from FocusVape. I would rank there service right up there with Randy of PuffItUp and the good people at Magic-Flight. Max(max@focus-vape.com), who helped me through the entire thing (many, many emails exchanged - I'm a picky buyer!) and never seemed to get annoyed, personally oversaw my package and followed up at literally every single step. Hats off! What an absolute delight this customer service. For buyers who're in Asia (and elsewhere?) - this is definitely the way to go. I had my vaporiser at the doorstep within just 9 days - it could have been 7, but there was a slight hiccup at customs. Usually, when I order from America, it takes me up to 3 months to get here in India!
Anyway, I'm so enamoured by this device, warts and all (as Max told me - nothing's perfect, but I know from experience that they do take all opinions into account very seriously) that I'm actually thinking of doing my first video with it once I figure out the bubbler!
Hope this helps anyone interested in buying this vape. So far, I give it a most impressive 8.5/10.
 

djurodjakovic

Well-Known Member
JeeSee, could you make a photo of the piece with venting hole(s) please?

I see no word on this for us that sent emails to focusvape. they told me they will get back to me but still nothing.
 
djurodjakovic,
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Jill NYC

Portable Hoarder
I just received mine on Monday and like what it does so far.. will post some thoughts soon.
I don't think I got a vented version and would also appreciate a picture from @JeeSee if at all possible. (Or anyone who happens to have the new version!)
 
Jill NYC,

Jill NYC

Portable Hoarder
So I've had this for a month or so and well... it's okay.
The flavor is very good, but other things make it a back-up only.

It really is kind of hefty for a pen vape. At least ones I've used. I don't mind heft, if it feels in proportion to the vape size, but this one isn't. It comes across as clunky.

The flavor is very good. Above average.

It does not produce big clouds. Very wispy.

The holes for the airflow are made in a way that makes it almost whistle when you are pulling. It's at that frequency right under a whistle - ugg, it's probably just me, but if I am I a semi-quiet room, it really bugs me. You can close the airflow to get rid of the sound but then... of course the draw resistance becomes tough.

The screen and ceramic filter restricts airflow quite a bit (and get dirty way to fast), so I got rid of them. Taking away the filter gives you a mouth full of herb with every pull.
I listened to @Elfgrin about using a small nug - which is great advice. (Thanks!) Airflow is nice and easy (and noisy), mouth is clean of herb.
For some, not having to grind will be a plus - especially for people used to combusting with pipes and bongs. For me, all my other vapes require grinding, so if I want to use this, I have to go into my long term stash as opposed to pre-ground I have nearby. I'm lazy, so it's a negative for me.

I also ordered this before I saw the whole battery issue and mine doesn't have vent holes. So that also adds to my negatives.

But it does have great flavor, so I can see how some may not care about my (mostly perceived) negatives and will enjoy this value priced vape.
 
Jill NYC,

s0n1c

Member
Hello there folks.

Had the device from 1 week and it was great over Xmax Pro V2.

Yesterday without any issue or drop the device just stop to heating (stuck at 30C) and there is text "Protected"
I have already sent a letter to the manufacturer. Any advice will be appreciate. Never charged via USB and only original battery was used.


p.s. It`s from last revision with hole in the battery chamber.
 

djurodjakovic

Well-Known Member
maybe the battery is dead? can you try another one?
P.S. would you be so kind and post a photo of this battery chamber hole please.
 
djurodjakovic,
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s0n1c

Member
I have tried without success with other premium 18650 battery like LG HG2 and Samsung 25R.
Also leaved the device over night without battery. There is a strange noise if you shake the device up and down. I guess there is some cold solder..
cleardot.gif
 
s0n1c,

stickstones

Vapor concierge
Hello there folks.

Had the device from 1 week and it was great over Xmax Pro V2.

Yesterday without any issue or drop the device just stop to heating (stuck at 30C) and there is text "Protected"
I have already sent a letter to the manufacturer. Any advice will be appreciate. Never charged via USB and only original battery was used.


p.s. It`s from last revision with hole in the battery chamber.

I'm pretty sure it's going to have to be replaced under warranty. Where did you get it? Sometimes you can get better warranty service from the retailer you used instead of the manufacturer.
 

His_Highness

In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Hello there folks.

Had the device from 1 week and it was great over Xmax Pro V2.

Yesterday without any issue or drop the device just stop to heating (stuck at 30C) and there is text "Protected"
I have already sent a letter to the manufacturer. Any advice will be appreciate. Never charged via USB and only original battery was used.


p.s. It`s from last revision with hole in the battery chamber.

Have you tried charging a battery using a external battery charger or by charging the battery in a different unit? If not, please charge the battery or one of the others you mentioned, outside the Focus and try again.

If removing the battery and replacing it with a different "Fully charged" battery doesn't fix the issue..... it probably needs to be fixed.

Another test you could try....the unit has pass-thru functionality which means you can use it "plugged in" with a battery in the unit. If you decide to use the pass-thru to test temp settings and/or wake it from the issue please use a battery that is at least 50% charged.
 
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