Life Saber (LSV) by Elev8 Vehicles

honestly the $299 price is still WAY TOO HIGH

for real

i dont care how much R&D went into it... how much R&D would it actually take for this lil guy really?

id say the price is about twice what it should be. id say $150 - $200 is where it should be.

the SSV and DBV are way overpriced also for the record. they are making a killing on each one of those units. im sure its costing them less than $50 to make an SSV and even cheaper to make a DBV, but the SSV is priced around $300 and the DBV around $200... that is one helluva markup right there.

i do like the 7th Floor products, but they wont be making anymore money off of me on a vape until they price them reasonably. $300 for the LSV is not reasonable.

HOW COULD IT POSSIBLY TAKE 2 YEARS TO DESIGN THIS THING???

im sure it works great though...

I'm not a vapor expert and I have never handled or seen an SSV or DBV...but is this unit just basically the innards of the SSV/DBV with a smaller, more slender case?

It is cool and I dig it...but for $300 I'd rather buy a PD + Launchbox + my meds. Or the VXC...which I am highly anticipating. I like it because you can turn almost any piece of glass into a nice vapor bong setup (just carry around an 18 > 14.5 adapter in the bag) and you'll have about 75% of bongs covered as far as fitment. If this guy was...say...$150 I would entertain the thought. But honestly it would be doing the EXACT same thing my Q is doing now in the same exact way.

the fact that the lsv uses the same technology as the dbv/ssv whereas the vxc uses the pid controlled temperature control is the biggest functional advantage.

Honestly, if you want to talk about overpriced look at the volcano and some other products. The SSV/DBV are arguably two of the best vapes out there and are available at hundreds of dollars less than the major competitors. As for the LSV, I agree that the price needs to drop to the 100 - 150 range to be feasible for the buyer.

Vayu said:

Honestly, if you want to talk about overpriced look at the volcano and some other products. The SSV/DBV are arguably two of the best vapes out there and are available at hundreds of dollars less than the major competitors. As for the LSV, I agree that the price needs to drop to the 100 - 150 range to be feasible for the buyer.

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You think the Volcano is overpriced but I implore you to actually look at the components the Volcano uses and the Factory it is built, read this post and look at the pictures and then compare the Life Saber or any 7th Floor product.>>>>>> http://fuckcombustion.com/viewtopic.php?pid=90360#p90360

I will second stinkmeaner and also add that I believe the Volcano people pay their people a healthy wage potentially compared to other vaporizer manufactures due to its location where labor cost would be higher than based in other locations of the world. Not all companies enjoy similar operating parameters but not all companies view the cheapest price possible as feasible as quality tends to cost money. Skilled and good employees cost money and some companies look at those aspects as a positive factor in determining their bottom line. I applaud Storez & Bickel for not relocating to cheaper areas.

I like 7th Floor product. I have an early DBV that I use somewhat regularly but I do not believe if I was to try to sell it that I could get anywhere near the value I bought it but with Volcanoes you these used still at a high price even though used. It holds its value the most of all other vaporizers in my opinion and more than a few people also look at that when buying an item.

Really the definition of value in this respect is a matter of perspective and personal views regarding an opinion on value and it is likely not so realistic to say the Volcano is overpriced. It is only overpriced from your perspective and what is important to you. To another it may be another view point with different conclusions. I would not speak as if it is a given the Volcano is overpriced, often meaning its a suckers type of buy. It is merely the most expensive but that does not mean the cost is without merit.

Yes for sure Germany has some of the highest worker salaries and even real estate in the world, if you look at the pictures of the outside of the Volcano building you can see it is in a pretty decent part of town where as the 7th Floor building looks like an auto body building or warehouse in a more remote area.

It is yet to be revealed if the Life Saber is made in China or USA but I am leaning towards China since the DBV is made in China and they obviously have had good success.

I think a major problem in the vaporizer market is that new manufacturers look at the Volcano as a price point and I think they are saying to themselves; "Well, I can price this as high as I want and as long as it is less than the Volcano it will seem like a good deal" They really just don't factor in all of the Volcano's qualities as a guideline for its price, like the Packaging for one since most vapes don't even have professional boxes and you would not realize how much it cost to get custom packaging that actually looks professional, another major cost is the plastic components like the Valves (solid & easy), these could cost $10,000+ to just get a prototype for all of those plastic pieces, everybody is like: "Glass, Glass, Glass!" but the plastic is really where it gets expensive, glass is easy to get a prototype for less than $100 for the pieces in most small vapes and 7th floor has its own glass blowers so...

I wanted to edit and add that Hippie Dickie had a quote for $700 just for a custom plastic piece for his project, it was the back of the thermometer he uses, just the back plate customized for $700, injection molding is expensive.

Actually it was just revealed in the 7th Floor thread that all of their units are at least partially assembled in China.

That being said, I have an SSV and a Volcano. I like both and use the SSV more than any of my other pieces. I also have an ioLite and a lot of glass. The SSV is very well made and honestly, I really dont care where it came from. Its never let me down and all the dealings Ive had with 7th Floor have been good and Ive had several issues that have cropped up.

You cant compare the two tho. The Volcano is a super high quality piece and it shows. I love mine and Id probably use it more if the SSV wasnt more friendly with my bud from a quantity perspective. That being said, the Volcano was my first vaporizer and I plan on getting many years of service out of it.

whereas the vxc uses the pid controlled temperature control is the biggest functional advantage.

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i can't help but add that PID temperature control is an art, not a science (or a math) -- all the descriptions of this control theory say to (basically) "diddle with the coefficients" to get the desired performance. Say what? That's state of the art in control theory???

Anyway, it took me 14 months of non-stop hacking and a blinding flash of insight to get my PID implementation to work with 1F stability (code is posted on my SkyDrive). And is very highly dependent on the actual physical configuration of the "plant" (what the control theory calls the vape (in this case)).

Some people are satisfied with a soldering iron and a light dimmer control. To each his own, eh?

I wish they would have used a PID type thermostat in the LSV, it would have been a a better value, if they didn't want to make their own like our resident Hippie, they could have had a company build one to their specs or taken an existing layout.

This looks like a beefed up VHW to me. While the VHW is fragile, I don't think $100 extra for the metal casing will make me switch vapes.

quomist said:

This looks like a beefed up VHW to me. While the VHW is fragile, I don't think $100 extra for the metal casing will make me switch vapes.

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Yeah it is similar to the VHW by the way it can be used (as a wand) but the glass is nothing like the VHW, it is just a straight, non-angled version of the DBV & SSV heater covers. The VHW even uses digital control with the soldering iron handle.

I got rid of my ssv recently because of money issues. My boss said I should replace it with the LSV... my comment to him was why would I want to buy back something that is almost exactly like what I just sold... at an even higher price. At the price it is now, I have no interest at all.

however we did also think it would be cool to use the glass piece for the LSV to use with the extreme bowl... looks like it should fit into the extreme, remove plastic tubing from the equation.

We apologize that it has taken so long to respond to you all. We have read your concerns and appreciate your feedback, and thought we would take a moment to address your comments.

We realize the LSV is not cheap, but there are many reasons for this. For one, it is hand made(for example, all 56 holes at the top are drilled by hand) which takes an enormous amount of time, and also extreme precision to drill all the holes perfectly on a round tube. The construction quality is exactly like our other vaporizers... ROCK SOLID. As with our other vaporizers, the ceramic heater is the finest available. Yes, you could take apart a Hakko iron, and what do you find? The finest heating element in the world. They use it for the same reason we do. If you feel that a Hakko Soldering Iron is your best option, then the Life Saber is probably not for you. (We highly discourage anyone modding/hacking their soldering iron for herbal consumption, btw, for reasons we hope are extremely obvious) There are cheaper Vapes out there, but the quality is not in our league. They use plastics, glues, and mix the air you breath with their electronics. We care about your health. We use our products...we only want the best, and want only the same for you.

The LSV can also do what other vaporizers can't. It works three ways:

-Normal use with the glass Transfer Wand
-With a glass adapter it can be used directly with your water pipe
-It can also be used with just the heating element, yes, similar to the the Phedor. (which alone runs $150 and isn't nearly as well made. There are others, but its pretty clear from first glance they are re-purposing another product. Slap a sticker on it, call it a day!)

The LSV is also super portable for traveling. Tailgating, Camping, RV's; as long as you have power, you are good to go. Soon, as with all our products, you will be able to get customization with the vape and the glass. The Hempster fully padded case is also a really huge value. You asked for options, and we feel that we have delivered with excellent function and also killer style. In a nut shell, every element of the LSV, from the aluminum to the heater to the glass to the bag is the highest possible quality. Our customers expect no less.

Simply put, there is no vape on the market that does what the LSV does.

As always, compared to normal combustion...the savings you incur by using a vape will pay for it over time. How much time? Thats up to you!

With the LSV, we at 7th Floor still offer a 3 year warranty, quick and loyal customer service, with a strong connection to our customers. We will be far more active on this forum because your feedback is what is most important to us. We offer our loyalty program, so if you refer 6 people, you get a free vaporizer! We give away our vapes almost monthly on Facebook, so join us and you might get lucky!

We are very upfront about where are products are made. The SSV is produced in Colorado, from foreign and domestic parts. The DBV and LSV are partially assembled in China. (We are extremely connected with the factory there and we do pay more than the average wage. We take pride that we are enabling opportunity for people on a global basis) The DBV and LSV go through final assembly, testing, and quality assurance in Colorado. We are a Colorado company, and at the end of the day, we are the ones that stand behind the product.

We welcome your feedback, but firmly believe that once you hold an LSV in your hand, it becomes immediately clear what we stand for as a company - superior quality.


Everyone @
7th Floor LLC

hi ssv chris, i'd like to win an lsv yet am weary of facebuk(fed back tracker) is there any way i may win anonymously? o & thcx welcome

hemp;)goofy8cheerio said:

hi ssv chris, i'd like to win an lsv yet am weary of facebuk(fed back tracker) is there any way i may win anonymously? o & thcx welcome

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Sadly we have only been using the SSV's for our contests on the Face, but I will find out if you can enter and get back to you by Monday!

Yeah I agree, I'm all for contest but Facebook is an annoyance I have no desire in especially given their horrible record of privacy. But I love 7th Floor products and love contest

I agree about the issues you raise with Facebook, but at this point it is our most effective way to talk to people. Hopefully the 'continue' to get their privacy dialed in.

SSV Chris said:

We realize the LSV is not cheap, but there are many reasons for this. For one, it is hand made(for example, all 56 holes at the top are drilled by hand) which takes an enormous amount of time, and also extreme precision to drill all the holes perfectly on a round tube.

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That's what I don't get. Why would you want to do such a tedious, repetitive, time and money consuming process like that by hand? One of my oldest and closest friends has a metal workshop, and he'd definitely get that kind of thing laser cut. Quicker, cheaper and perfectly accurate. It's not like your custom glassware which involves unique pieces with artistic flair.

+1, it does not make sense to me either, no artistic nature involved in drilling holes.

Qbit said:

SSV Chris said:

We realize the LSV is not cheap, but there are many reasons for this. For one, it is hand made(for example, all 56 holes at the top are drilled by hand) which takes an enormous amount of time, and also extreme precision to drill all the holes perfectly on a round tube.

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That's what I don't get. Why would you want to do such a tedious, repetitive, time and money consuming process like that by hand? One of my oldest and closest friends has a metal workshop, and he'd definitely get that kind of thing laser cut. Quicker, cheaper and perfectly accurate. It's not like your custom glassware which involves unique pieces with artistic flair.

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I might add that while I consider SSVChris' response a masterful press release it's replete with hyperbole and offers few concrete answers. If I were reading LSV's initial feedback between the lines I'd summarize it this way... You customer base feels you're selling a item that should retail at around $175 at best, for $300 or more without the necessary accessories. Sorry for being so blunt but I had a hellacious day!

We never claimed that drilling the holes was artistic in nature. We claimed that its time consuming and hard, which it is. We explored many options on just this one singular aspect, which so many see to be held up by, and we chose the option that provided the best quality for the best price. Do you know what happens when you have a machine do this? We do. The quality it produces is unacceptable. And laser; far more expensive than you think.

We could debate logistics of every element of our materials, production, etc., but its obvious that unless the LSV costs what you want it to cost, then its over-priced. We know that our thousands upon thousands of happy customers would no doubt disagree with you.

If you can find any vape on this planet that some any where close to offering what the LSV does, with the same construction quality, so many ways to use it, and with great design, then please...this is the place to show it. We really welcome that debate.

If you want more concrete answers, please just let us know what you need. But again, this is not a debate about our logistics.



Christopher
7th Floor

But another aspect to take into consideration is the fact that not everybody vapes. Not everybody knows about FC and unfortunately the 'Ebay Special' vape market is alive and well. This product offers plenty of practical application functionality for the experienced vaporist that is looking for the next cool toy. And it also offers plenty of visual appeal to both the experienced as well as neverheardofvaping folk too.

I plan to get a soldering iron built SSV in my rotation here soon. But it wont necessarily be for me. Some of my smoker friends are just fucking stubborn. I need cool toys to keep their attention and coerce them to come over from the dark side.

And not to mention. Its a pretty cool looking soldering iron if I do say so
WTF... Soldering iron...

Can the Life Saber be used with smaller bowls such as those used in the log vapes? That would be great to have as an option, because then this unit might be able to replace a log vape, whip vape, and wand all in one.

SSV Chris said:

We never claimed that drilling the holes was artistic in nature. We claimed that its time consuming and hard, which it is. We explored many options on just this one singular aspect, which so many see to be held up by, and we chose the option that provided the best quality for the best price. Do you know what happens when you have a machine do this? We do. The quality it produces is unacceptable. And laser; far more expensive than you think.

We could debate logistics of every element of our materials, production, etc., but its obvious that unless the LSV costs what you want it to cost, then its over-priced. We know that our thousands upon thousands of happy customers would no doubt disagree with you.

If you can find any vape on this planet that some any where close to offering what the LSV does, with the same construction quality, so many ways to use it, and with great design, then please...this is the place to show it. We really welcome that debate.

If you want more concrete answers, please just let us know what you need. But again, this is not a debate about our logistics.



Christopher
7th Floor

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We know that our thousands upon thousands of happy customers would no doubt disagree with you.

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You already sold thousands of these?