SSV or DBV?

hey everyone

so im looking to invest in my first vape and im deciding between the Silver Surfer and Da Buddha. i have the money to be either so thats not an issue, im just wondering what peoples opinions of the two vapes are.

is it worth the extra money to get the silver surfer or is da buddha just as good?

thanks and happy vaping!

I like the Da Buddha more. The SSV has a poor design, having the heating knobs on the back of the device (facing away from you) and having the electrical cord come out of the side that you vape on.

Ridiculous.

I just recently placed an order for da buddha. From all the reading I did they use basically that same parts and hits are comparable. I dont have the extra cash for the SSV so da buddha made the most sense. Plus you still can get custom glass if thats your thing too. Ill let you know how it hits when it gets here from a first timer (No SSV or DB experience).

aero18 said:

I like the Da Buddha more. The SSV has a poor design, having the heating knobs on the back of the device (facing away from you) and having the electrical cord come out of the side that you vape on.

Ridiculous.

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I have never used a DBV but I do own a SSV. The 2 things you call out as poor design don't effect me at all. The knob is going to be pretty much stationary once you learn your SSV. And the cord coming out the intake doesn't really make me angry either.

I would say go with the SSV you can have either ground glass or standard.

For the other side of the coin (to each their own ), I like the standard wand that is only available with the Silver Surfer, and I like the heater angle. I don't think there are many more advantages than those mentioned for the SSV over DBV, useless the aesthetics appeal to you. Personally, the knob position and the cord on the SSV don't bug me at all.

I went with the SSV over the DBV originally because a local shop was running a great deal on them, but I have come to really like the wand.

The SSV has a poor design

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First time I've heard that criticism. The "poor design" hasn't bothered me in almost two years of use. Is that the only difference you notice that would be of interest to someone trying to decide between the two?

is it worth the extra money to get the silver surfer or is da buddha just as good?

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The real differences between the two-

Looks- you get a custom glass knob on the SSV that makes the temp setting a lot easier to read, vs. the mark on the DBV dial. You get some color on the SSV heater tube. The units obviously look different. That's purely personal preference.

Functionality- if you like hands free, the DBV is a much better deal, since HF is standard. If you want the option of hands free or standard, you'll have to go with the SSV there. HF heater cover and wand is available and can be easily switched out. Also available is the hands free attachment-not as nice as a ground glass connection, but it's easy on/off. The SSV, due to the smaller exit opening in the heater tube, provides a more narrow air stream into the bowl, and you get a little more vapor per hit. The downside to that- you should move/rotate the wand a little to expose more herb to the narrow air stream. The DBV's hits are more predictable, since the heater opening is larger and the wand position is fixed, due to the GG (ground glass) connection. The SSV, due to the "poor design" ( ), is also a little more stable on the table because of the larger footprint. The DBV is NOT easy to knock over though, just easier than the Surfer.

I prefer the SSV in standard mode, over the hands free DBV-just personal preference. If you position the SSV where it's convenient and comfortable for connecting the wand, I think it's even easier to use than the DBV, which takes a little more care, due to the deeper connection you have to make, via GG. It is nice to be able to leave the DBV wand in place between hits, you just have to be careful not to jerk it out of the heater tube by accident.

So aside from the looks and ergonomics, the difference is a slight one in the hit dept. The heater and electrical components are the same. You can upgrade either model with custom glass.

On other thing some may want to consider is that the DBV is made in China (supervised by 7th Floor) and the SSV is totally made in the US.

I'm mentioning this not to imply that the DBV is somehow of lessor quality than the SSV due to origin of manufacture, but the fact of the DBV not being made in the US "may" make a difference to some.

If you have the SSV placed on a coffee table or something similar where the unit is not sitting against a wall, then you won't really be bothered by the design.

I had my DB against the wall on my desk in its own nook in the corner. I'd just have to turn up the knob and hook the whip up to it. If I had an SSV instead, I'd have to pull the SSV out, flip it over to turn the knob up (or conversely turn it around to put the whip in) and then turn it around again only to have to pull the cord so that it wouldn't get snagged against any books on my desk. Leaving it out with the cord sticking out isn't too aesthetically pleasing either.

These nuisances are not going to be a big problem to some because of how/where the unit is used, but for me they would be annoying (and ugly). I'm a little OCD when it comes to how things look...

lwien said:

On other thing some may want to consider is that the DBV is made in China (supervised by 7th Floor) and the SSV is totally made in the US.

I'm mentioning this not to imply that the DBV is somehow of lessor quality than the SSV due to origin of manufacture, but the fact of the DBV not being made in the US "may" make a difference to some.

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I really don't think quality of parts or construction has suffered since this switch was made, and since warranty service is provided by 7th Floor in Colorado, this wouldn't be a factor for me. I don't think where a product is made is nearly as important as who's making it. My Weigh scales are made in a factory in China, but it's a My Weigh factory, and that's a huge difference vs. all the cheap, generic scales coming from generic factories-with no warranty at the factory level. My Weigh's 30 year warranty, backed by the US company, makes that brand a whole different ballgame in the same way that 7th Floor's DBV is miles above the cheap generic boxes that the maker won't stand behind.

max said:

lwien said:

On other thing some may want to consider is that the DBV is made in China (supervised by 7th Floor) and the SSV is totally made in the US.

I'm mentioning this not to imply that the DBV is somehow of lessor quality than the SSV due to origin of manufacture, but the fact of the DBV not being made in the US "may" make a difference to some.

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I really don't think quality of parts or construction has suffered since this switch was made, and since warranty service is provided by 7th Floor in Colorado, this wouldn't be a factor for me. I don't think where a product is made is nearly as important as who's making it. My Weigh scales are made in a factory in China, but it's a My Weigh factory, and that's a huge difference vs. all the cheap, generic scales coming from generic factories-with no warranty at the factory level. My Weigh's 30 year warranty, backed by the US company, makes that brand a whole different ballgame in the same way that 7th Floor's DBV is miles above the cheap generic boxes that the maker won't stand behind.

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If you've noticed lwien's past posts, he does not mean that they are cheaply manufactured since they are made in China. He wants to support US jobs and US products, and therefore, is wary about buying foreign made products.

aero18 said:

If you've noticed lwien's past posts, he does not mean that they are cheaply manufactured since they are made in China. He wants to support US jobs and US products, and therefore, is wary about buying foreign made products.

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Umm.......yeah, I am now being that our economy has hit the skids but in all honesty, I was never concerned about this before. The last car that I owned that was made in the US was a '62 Vette that I owned in '64.

But regarding vapes made in China, I would never equate the quality of the DBV with those cheap Chinese knock-offs that are made by some unknown Chinese company. The DBV, is no doubt, much better being that 7th Floor is still being held accountable for their quality versus some unknown entity, but, one does have to wonder if 7th Floor has as much control over the quality of manufacture of a vape that is made half way around the world, versus the SSV, which is made under their own roof. Logic would dictate that there may be some differences in quality. Maybe not, but then again............

So for those that have these concerns, an SSV "may" be a better choice for them, if for nothing more than peace of mind.

aero18 said:

If you have the SSV placed on a coffee table or something similar where the unit is not sitting against a wall, then you won't really be bothered by the design.

I had my DB against the wall on my desk in its own nook in the corner. I'd just have to turn up the knob and hook the whip up to it. If I had an SSV instead, I'd have to pull the SSV out, flip it over to turn the knob up (or conversely turn it around to put the whip in) and then turn it around again only to have to pull the cord so that it wouldn't get snagged against any books on my desk. Leaving it out with the cord sticking out isn't too aesthetically pleasing either.

These nuisances are not going to be a big problem to some because of how/where the unit is used, but for me they would be annoying (and ugly). I'm a little OCD when it comes to how things look...

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if you had an ssv where you currently have a dbv I could see your complaints. But on the other hand if I had a dbv on my coffee table where I have a ssv. I would probably see the things you point out as positives as negatives.

If ya got the money to blow the ssv can be tricked out in a lot of ways.

Xero said:

If ya got the money to blow the ssv can be tricked out in a lot of ways.

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So can the Da Buddha...

It is win win all the way around.

The main difference between the DBV and SSV besides appearances as noted by some is the placement of the temp knob. I actually prefer the DBV temp knobs position facing the same way as the heater cover as it makes it easier for me to adjust the temp. For some they prefer the SSV setup which the heater cover is on one side of the vape and temp dial on the other side.

Of course the DBV comes hands free and that will cost extra with the SSV. I prefer the hands free aspect over standard but their are trade offs. I tend to notice that those who began using vapes with standard connection tend to stick with it and those who began vaping with a hands free vape as sticking with that. Hands free is relatively only mainstream in the last few years, before that it was not as prevalent as today. I tend to compare it like a vehicle being either an automatic or stick shift.


The SSV which comes standard which requires you to hold onto the wand while vaping. The standard has a more narrow air stream which requires one to turn the wand while vaping and stirring more frequently. The temp dial is on the opposite side of the heater cover. This would make it more difficult to change the temperature on the SSV depending on where you place the SSV and a standard connection forces you to focus attention on vaping rather than doing things such as writing this.

The SSV also has a clip option for hands free but this is not really that popular as it requires taking off and putting on each time you attach the wand and is said to more pain the butt and benefit.

The DBV has a thicker airstream and requires less stirring and you do not need to turn the wand though I will turn a bit on the last draw before I am going to stir. Hands free and the temp dial and heater cover are facing the same direction making it easier to change the temp depending on where you sit the DBV. You can also use the DBV easier when doing things like writing this.

However, the DBV does have a slight issue when it is new and when it is used by inexperienced people. When the DBV has new tubing it is stiffer than normal. This makes it easier to come out of the hands free connection. I recommend putting a mouspad in front of the vape so if it does get accidentally pulled out it can land on the mousepad and not risk breaking. Once you get a feel for the vape and the tubing is not so stiff, about a day or so, this is a non issue for the regular issue. Now new people will tend to pull the hands free wand out so I always recommend using a mouse pad with new people to having them hold onto the wand as if it is a standard.

Hope that helps. Its all win either way you go. I recommend just looking at which vape would fit your usage and style better and select on that.

Happy Vaping!

One of the things I have noticed from having purchased a USA buddha and tried a newer China buddha the main difference to me was wand quality. For some reason the China made wand did not have the 7th floor hour glass design that let's you quick change the screen. Not a big difference but the wand was definitely cheaper on the China buddha then on the original USA buddha.

If money is not an issue I would definitely get and SSV it's just more versatile imo.

To make the tubing more flexible try putting it in very warm water and let it sit. When it warms up flex it and bend it just don't kink it. This should make it more flexible before use.

is the horizontal angle of DBV a problem if one is vaping kief mixed with herb?
I am trying to decide between the two for my next vape as well.

Hey. So the DBV came in today and unfortunately I had a bad head/chest cold (Would not want to smoke a bong today). So I tried out the vap and I must say it was great. Easy to use, nice having the hands free and the temp on the front is great and the hits are smoooth. My chest feels a lot clearer and I have more energy than when I normally have a cold like this (or when normally this high). I am extremely happy with my purchase and would recommend to anyone.

Hanibal Lectin said:

is the horizontal angle of DBV a problem if one is vaping kief mixed with herb?
I am trying to decide between the two for my next vape as well.

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If you put kief on top of herb, it stays put pretty well. Even if you use a lot, and some falls on the side of the wand, it'll still stay topside of the herb. You can always sandwich some in between two layers of herb.

Beezleb said:

You can also use the DBV easier when doing things like writing this.

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Ha ha, doesn't leave much to the imagination, eh Beezleb?

I have found the DBV to be superior to SSV, but just look at their features and figure out whats best for you. I don't think there is anything glaringly wrong or superior in either of their features, so its definitely a close call. I have never had a problem vaping copious amounts of kief with my DBV.

I am actually having an issue with my DBV and kief. Its the new wand I think. The old wand I could use kief and it would never be a problem but now with the new wand it gunks up my screen infuriating fast.

If your using the newer wands, can you desribe your kief vaping process. I also tend to put more kief than a few sprinkles since I got my new grinder and press which also was around the same time I got the new wand so perhaps it is because I am using pressed Kief "hash" versus just kief.

Anyways I have been debating with myself on this hehe.