Arizer Solo II

Djsleepy said:

So after couple of weeks of use I notice sometime stock stems are loose and wiggle after.inserting... Pulling /reinserting stem..... stem does not rattle.....anything to be concerned with?

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In a word, "no". It's a stem, not a handle. Arizer doesn't consider it a fault. It varies from stem to stem (as you'd expect) and with temperature. In fact it's a feature on Solo I. There you can tip the stem, creating a gap between the stem mouth and cup, to regulate air coming in. But like 'use while charging' (a negative feature IMO compared to 'true PA' on the originals) customers demanded change and we got the stiffer, multiple seals we have today.

Enjoy it, not to worry.

OF

@Djsleepy shit happens, but you can buy another stems from ebay, all my chinese wpa/stems worked great and never fell.

GoldenBud said:

@Djsleepy shit happens, but you can buy another stems from ebay, all my chinese wpa/stems worked great and never fell.

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Thanks was more worried about wiggle of stem but above answer makes sense

How good is the solo II compared to higher end portables? I’m thinking of buying one but I don’t want to buy it if it’s not smoother than my mighty

Truth Seeker said:

How good is the solo II compared to higher end portables? I’m thinking of buying one but I don’t want to buy it if it’s not smoother than my mighty

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It is as smooth as the mighty, but maybe less smoother than 100% convection on demand devices (both of them!)

Having it besides the FF2 I would never trade it by a FF2 (bought before the Solo II).

I find that I really enjoy my Solo II with my morning coffee. They go together magnificently!
Anyone else?

Gigsabits53 said:

I find that I really enjoy my Solo II with my morning coffee. They go together magnificently!
Anyone else?

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Not sure, haven't tried your morning coffee.......

No offense, but the coffee could be pretty bad and the package still come out 'good'.....Solo is great, great enough to offset other disappointments?

OF

Wow! Hooked a foot of silicone hose.off my Da Buddha with mouthpiece and BAM! Cooooool air ! Makes an already great unit even better!

Gigsabits53 said:

I find that I really enjoy my Solo II with my morning coffee. They go together magnificently!
Anyone else?

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Um, I won’t begrudge you the choice of starting your day (personally, I enjoy a tsp of ABV on my toast with peanut butter, but I digress). I’m about 4 months into my relationship with my S2 with about 2x per week usage. I continue to be pleased with the ease of loading and cleaning and a battery that just keeps giving. One of my happiest purchases as I try to treat my VAS.
Vapewell!

Gigsabits53 said:

I find that I really enjoy my Solo II with my morning coffee. They go together magnificently!
Anyone else?

Click to expand...

Had a quick question regarding my Solo2... I was inserting the stem the other day and noticed that there was “a lot of play” where the stem inserts. When it was new (it’s about 6 mos old), the stem fit nice and snug. Any suggestions? Ok, not ok?

smirak said:

Any suggestions? Ok, not ok?

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Don't worry about it, nothing wrong. If you read back in this thread you'll find it many times. Perfectly normal. And varies somewhat from stem to stem. This goes back to Solo I. Loose stems are not a fault per Arizer, warranty doesn't cover replacement.

Enjoy your Solo II instead?

Regards,

OF

Love my organizer from delta 3D....
Allows for all My glass in one place nice and accessible....

https://www.amazon.com/photos/shared/tMTCJQV2SLSvWspeSXu1kg.w4xjuApFcrt0vy7Urk3Zrt

Here's the website..... delta3dstudios.com

Ok, back again. Quick question making sure I’m doing it right...

I turn on the unit and start a grind while the unit is “heat soaking”. I just bought the Kannastor V2 and used the medium plate last night for the grind. What I’m curious about is “packing the bowl”. What I’m currently doing is scooping some herb into the bowl about level with the top. I then use my pinky to “pack” that down into the bowl. Is this the correct way? Reason I ask is that if it’s supposed to be “loose” in the bowl, then I have herb fall down onto the heating area inside and it burns.

Also, I run between 380 and 385 and it seems to be good for me...so, just curious if I’m doing everything right...

smirak said:

use my pinky to “pack” that down into the bowl.

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I DO TOO! I'm pretty new to solo 2 but that's how I do it it's a fine line between keep everything in and packing too tight.....sounds like you got it......try 400.....it delivers!

smirak said:

I turn on the unit and start a grind while the unit is “heat soaking”. What I’m curious about is “packing the bowl”. What I’m currently doing is scooping some herb into the bowl about level with the top. I then use my pinky to “pack” that down into the bowl. Is this the correct way? Reason I ask is that if it’s supposed to be “loose” in the bowl, then I have herb fall down onto the heating area inside and it burns.

Also, I run between 380 and 385 and it seems to be good for me...so, just curious if I’m doing everything right...

Click to expand...

First off, there's no "right" way. Some are more effective than others but individuals need different results so there can be no single 'right way'?

That's not 'heat soak', heat soak is leaving the loaded bowl to recover between hits. Heat soaks back into the load (by conduction) to replace the heat lost in the hit from production of vapor for the hit and all the cold air drawn in that needed to be heated. What you describe is warm up. You can grind then if you want but most of us grind first (often in bulk) and load the stem in early on so it can heat too. No vapor before that happens.

Packing is a matter of personal taste, some pack more than others. Packing so hard it makes it harder to draw is probably too much, you need spaces for the vapor to get out or it simply condenses again nearby. I suggest you start packing 'on the light side'. If you're concerned about herb falling into the oven (IMO not a big deal, it falls out the bottom easily and is easy to deal with) you might try 'hamster style'. Invert the Solo (hold the stem open end up) and push the vape on the stem (easier if the seals are warm), then keep it inverted and take the first hit or two 'upside down' like a hamster drinking water from it's bottle. The herb will quickly 'glue itself in place', that is become a fairly solid mass, that will stay in place when you turn it back upright. Consider that when using a WT it stays inverted the whole session.

390F is a good place to start, medium ground, lightly packed. But experiment around and follow the results you like. Solo is very versitle. BTW it's best to keep your herb 'well cured' (on the dry side) going it so you don't waste heat drying it out before you can get vapor from it. If it's moist, I put it in an open jar on top of my router (warm there) for a bit.

Remember heat and time separates out the fractions in the herb. The results of shot cooler sessions are much different than hot ones you bake the life out of.

Welcome to Solo, a great vape for sure.

Regards to all.

OF

smirak said:

Ok, back again. Quick question making sure I’m doing it right...

I turn on the unit and start a grind while the unit is “heat soaking”. I just bought the Kannastor V2 and used the medium plate last night for the grind. What I’m curious about is “packing the bowl”. What I’m currently doing is scooping some herb into the bowl about level with the top. I then use my pinky to “pack” that down into the bowl. Is this the correct way? Reason I ask is that if it’s supposed to be “loose” in the bowl, then I have herb fall down onto the heating area inside and it burns.

Also, I run between 380 and 385 and it seems to be good for me...so, just curious if I’m doing everything right...

Click to expand...

As long as you’re getting productive vapor then you’re good.
Just don’t pack it down too hard so air can flow through easily.
I typically leave a little room at the top of the bowl.

Solo 2 arrived today, and it is so f'in small. I am very excited to give this bad boy a drive around the block, but alas, following the @OF advice of super charging the very first time. Yes, manufacturers can have VAS too.

EDIT
6 hours on charge and we are live at bowl one after a single burn off cycle. Faster for sure than Air 2 to temp. I like the fit of the stem. At 380 it is milkier, thicker after 3 or 4 hits. First hit a bit wispier, but good. It doesn't seem to need as much time between hits.

I love the form, oval is the new round. I also like the single button controller and larger screen size. Right now I have a long stem, and like the fit. Just cranked to 385 after six or so hits and a bit milkier now. I have a feeling I may be able to start even lower than 380.

First ten minute session done on maybe .1 grams of weed, and I bet it's only half there. More later...

Mine is on the way .
So for the first time I should charge it for a long time?

Yes, first charge should be a super charge (as per @OF). I must be on bowl #7 or #8 and it (battery gauge) barely budged. I am finding (with both Air 2 and Solo 2) that I've probably been grinding a bit fine, and tamping too tight sometimes. I am shredding using a medtainer (awesome device for under $10), then curing, vs curing before shredding (which is more like grinding).

What I'm finding on these vapes is super control of the temp gauge. While the actual number isn't important, the incremental adjustment is precise. So much so, that every few degrees seem to offer up a new spectrum of cannabinoids, and basically another sipping session.

Question for solo vets. If I go directly to higher temps (say 410), will I simply consume the bowl faster, while getting the same extraction? Also, by starting at 380 and bumping up, do I reduce visible vapor (kind of spreading it out over a longer session)?

I like the Solo 2. I like getting back to relaxed sipping. The lower temps give up the taste, but for me, the higher temps give up the goods. On demand sipping / ripping is a different animal, fast, furious, very efficient in its own right, but I am enjoying the relaxation of session vaping. I'm glad I was able to find a unit up to the job - thanks Arizer.

One last Solo question. In order to stay in the safe zone while charging / using (until I can get my hands on a gadget for that), never use below 20% and never charge above 90% - correct? Without sitting, watching the unit charge, how can I best accomplish this? Okay, another one last question, how hard is it to change a battery in a Solo 2?

My goal now is to get my Air 2 to work as well as (or close) the Solo 2. Is that even remotely possible. I love swappable cells - feels sort of freer, and I have lots that work well. Either way, nice to have opened up my collection recently.

Pretty sure the battery management cuts it off around 20% anyway but maybe not, Solo has such great battery life that I usually expect it to need topping off well before it does. Don't have any great ideas about alternatives to watching it charge; I just accepted that's the trade off of taking care of battery vapes. On the plus side, I've never needed to charge the Solo more than once a week.

I do usually just set it high (400-410) and rip it, though that experience is better through water, can get a bit harsh native.

NizzyJones said:

Pretty sure the battery management cuts it off around 20% anyway but maybe not,

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I don't think that's a very realistic assumption (and in fact it's definitely not the case). Consider the makers all want to claim the longest possible battery life? Some might also point out that they'd like to sell you another unit soon after the warranty runs out. In practice they press the limits 'on both ends' to that end, looking for about 300 'cycles' of life. Stand alone IC charge controllers, commonly used so you can charge with the unit off, are therefore sold at 4.20 Volts (plus or minus .05). The military specifies 3.95 often (save 'COTS', Commercial Off the Shelf) for that very reason. They'd rather have lower run times than have to replace batteries in the field. I looked long and hard to buy ICs to those specs, but it seems they only exist in "mil spec" (higher and lower temperature and much much more expensive than commercial spec ones we use). And only one maker would sell 100 pieces, everyone else wanted to talk thousands.

Good reading on the topic here:
https://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batteries

Especially around table 4. Simply cutting 10% of the capacity DOUBLES the useful life, but makers aren't interested in that, long run time numbers sell. So they automatically push it.

I also understand electric car makers, who use huge quantities of the same sort of 18650s we do, derate the capacity to about half what is 'normal'.......for this very reason. Killing off a very expensive car battery with daily charges would be a huge issue there? I understand Tesla even has an option to 'unlock' part of this, at your risk......

IMO if you are there to unplug early you just added an additional charge cycle to the battery pack, worth doing?

Regards to all.

OF

So, been comparing Solo 2 and Air 2. So far my best results have been with Solo, and it seems like I just can't get the Air 2 to compare. I want to be wrong. I want Air to be as good as Solo in vapor production, even if it needs a bit more time to catch up. Putting the extra heating time aside, as well as battery life (swappable is easier for my OCD of having to have a fresh battery all the time).

I just popped in a long stem, inverted dome screen (cut load in half) into my Solo and got quite a milky, thick, quite potent session. My best session so far (at 395 for about 10 nice hits). It did die faster (inverted dome).

I reloaded the same long stem, started in in the Air at 395, wispy at best. I then popped the half baked stem into the Solo at 400, and big thick hits abound. Maybe I need to run the Air at a bit higher temps to get the same result I get in Solo?

From reading both threads, it seems they should both perform similarly in vapor production, milkiness, effect. From all my testing so far, either my Air technique is still lacking, or Solo is just that much more automatic. I will sacrifice myself and continue to test.

My battery OCD is annoying. Having swappable cells shuts that right off, even if I can run Air and Solo back and forth, the Air will always be *full*, to do the job while the big boy is charging.

Bravesst said:

So, been comparing Solo 2 and Air 2. So far my best results have been with Solo, and it seems like I just can't get the Air 2 to compare. I want to be wrong. I want Air to be as good as Solo in vapor production, even if it needs a bit more time to catch up. Putting the extra heating time aside, as well as battery life (swappable is easier for my OCD of having to have a fresh battery all the time).

I just popped in a long stem, inverted dome screen (cut load in half) into my Solo and got quite a milky, thick, quite potent session. My best session so far (at 395 for about 10 nice hits). It did die faster (inverted dome).

I reloaded the same long stem, started in in the Air at 395, wispy at best. I then popped the half baked stem into the Solo at 400, and big thick hits abound. Maybe I need to run the Air at a bit higher temps to get the same result I get in Solo?

From reading both threads, it seems they should both perform similarly in vapor production, milkiness, effect. From all my testing so far, either my Air technique is still lacking, or Solo is just that much more automatic. I will sacrifice myself and continue to test.

My battery OCD is annoying. Having swappable cells shuts that right off, even if I can run Air and Solo back and forth, the Air will always be *full*, to do the job while the big boy is charging.

Click to expand...

I’m curious about the results if you use similarly packed stems and use a slightly higher temp on the air v solo 2. Im the proud parent of a S2 and really loving it. Oh, I think I speak for many, the community appreciates your sacrifice for the greater good!
Vapewell!

Forgive me if this is the wrong place to ask this question, but since it is Solo-related I thought I'd try here first. (if there's a more appropriate forum for this question please let me know)

I love my Solo II, it's the perfect vape for me in every respect. I really prefer vaping with water attachments. At this point I only have two, my old Pinnacle hydro tube, which works great, and a shorty hydro stem from Puff It Up which I never use because I get too much water in my mouth from it. Lately I've been wanting (for fun more than anything else) to get some more elaborate hydro glass water conditioning attachments, bubblers and such, mostly for home use since I seem to vape at home 95% of the time. So, my fellow Solo II users, any suggestions? What are your favorite ways to hydro vape with your Arizer vapes? Thanks!