Discontinued Pax Vaporizer by Ploom

brewer said:

yeah they can be persnickety... But after figuring out the quirks and working around them, it's the nicest portable I have used by a significant margin. The charging issue has happened to two of mine. But the newest is going fine. The newest model seems less prone to problems, maybe they have changed some things or maybe I am just aware of how to avoid most issues...

That said, I don't care for the charging stand.. Wish it was just a regular, simple and universal type plug in to charge... perhaps a USB cable type would be best.... It's just a AA battery after all to charge..

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It's like you're in my head! dat stand! So on your 3rd pax? They replaced them all? So far, I've gotten only a mouthpiece replacement. The flaw is now in the base unit because of the 'stuck mouthpiece' causing alignments and such to skew...

brewer said:

... It's just a AA battery after all to charge..

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18650, my friend.

Hexi said:

It's like you're in my head! dat stand! So on your 3rd pax? They replaced them all? So far, I've gotten only a mouthpiece replacement. The flaw is now in the base unit because of the 'stuck mouthpiece' causing alignments and such to skew...

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Originally, I purchased two different Pax. Had them for about 8 months, and they get used a lot.

I had one repaired for the charging issue. They buttressed the contact points on the charger. Which I assume they do to all new models now (why wouldn't they?) and my newest model has not had the issue. The other unit had to be replaced twice, but the first replacement for that one was dead on arrival--it never charged, so that one I don't really count too much (all mass produced things have a percentage of lemons). The second time the second unit got replaced was because a seal in the oven popped out while I was cleaning with a paper towel. The seal popping out is unrepairable according to Ploom and they just sent me a new unit.

Since I have always had at least one functioning unit in my possession, and because their customer service is so on the ball--repairs or replacements in my hands within a week of contacting them--the issues just haven't bothered me... In fact, i regularly recommend the product.

This is because even if a unit stops working--and I take care of them well--Ploom pays for all shipping, they are super friendly and apologetic, they send you emails informing u of when they receive the unit for repair and they send emails when the repair or replacement will be shipped out. If it's over close to the week mark--they send the replacement/repair out overnight mail.

I mean, I don't really care if I have replace units with customer service like that! Hopefully the bugs get worked out, but with a ten year warranty that they don't give you grief about---I'll recommend the product over and over again. Hell, at least half a dozen people have purchased one after I used it with them--so I think Ploom is making out okay! And I think they understand, even if they won't admit it, the Pax has some issues that could be improved to help reliability and to make more user friendly....

The things can't be that expensive to produce, and $250 is pricy, so I think they figured in replacement costs in the retail price when offering the 10 year warranty. So long the warranty issues don't cost them too much in profits--my bet is their customer service will stay superb.

But yeah, it has some design issues that could be improved. Overall though, again, it's an awesome little vape! You gotta figure many people don't use it as much me.... so I think the warranty issues with me are a little more than the average.

Deadshort480 said:

18650, my friend.

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I don't even know what that means. It's a rechargeable battery that is AA size is what I have seen... my car cigarette lighter inverter (100watts) charges the Pax just fine... so it doesn't require that much juice... I just dislike how the charger has to stay upright in the car..

If my lap top can be charged via USB cable to my cigarette lighter adapter--I don't see why that tiny little Pax can't have a USB charger too??? It would be far superior to the stand--that causes resin (via gravity) to drip down to the mouth piece--further causing mouthpiece issues of stickiness..

Sorry, I meant it's an 18650 battery. It is larger than a AA battery, but I believe it could be charged with USB if Ploom ever offered one, but there is no port in which to plug it in. You would still need the stand, no? I never charge a warm Pax so I've never experienced the dripping resin. When I charge in the car I just toss a quick wrap of electrical tape around the Pax and charger to keep it in place.

Deadshort480 said:

When I charge in the car I just toss a quick wrap of electrical tape around the Pax and charger to keep it in place.

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I just use a thick rubber band around the Pax and charger.

Holds it in place nice plus no electrical tape glue.

Deadshort480 said:

Sorry, I meant it's an 18650 battery. It is larger than a AA battery, but I believe it could be charged with USB if Ploom ever offered one, but there is no port in which to plug it in. You would still need the stand, no? I never charge a warm Pax so I've never experienced the dripping resin. When I charge in the car I just toss a quick wrap of electrical tape around the Pax and charger to keep it in place.

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yeah... that's what I am saying... trash the stand, add a USB port, make the mouth piece moving parts not prone to sticking, add a stainless steel mesh accessory fitted to the oven for packing smaller loads, make all parts in vapor path easily removable for cleaning, add stronger magnets for the oven lid, and improve the design so as to reduce resistance when drawing (make it easy to inhale with little to no effort)---and keep up the customer service---and Pax wins hands down over all other portables, IMO...

oh and IME, ever since I started never having the Pax upright, as in mouth piece towards the sky (on the charger or when using or storing hot or cold)--the mouth piece sticking problem is basically non existent... totally reduces the frequency of cleaning... I still use the lube though... But I charge with the stand upside down on top of the unit... helps keeps the resin near the oven...

That sounds like a different vaporizer.

brewer said:

yeah... that's what I am saying... trash the stand, add a USB port, make the mouth piece moving parts not prone to sticking, add a stainless steel mesh accessory fitted to the oven for packing smaller loads, make all parts in vapor path easily removable for cleaning, add stronger magnets for the oven lid, and improve the design so as to reduce resistance when drawing (make it easy to inhale with little to no effort)---and keep up the customer service---and Pax wins hands down over all other portables, IMO...

oh and IME, ever since I started never having the Pax upright, as in mouth piece towards the sky (on the charger or when using or storing hot or cold)--the mouth piece sticking problem is basically non existent... totally reduces the frequency of cleaning... I still use the lube though... But I charge with the stand upside down on top of the unit... helps keeps the resin near the oven...

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Damn, Brewer...If Ploom were my company, you'de be CEO! I've been following this thread because the Pax seems to be a next generation vape that fulfills all the wants and needs. Have you been in touch with them to discuss improved versions for market? If so, please let us know what's on the horizon. I'm getting ready to spend on the next latest and greatest!

brewer said:

trash the stand

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Am I the only one that likes the charging stand?

2 Paces said:

Am I the only one that likes the charging stand?

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I've never had issue with the stand. I don't like it or dislike it. It is a means to an end.

Deadshort480 said:

The oven lid is high temp plastic. The temp that the oven walls reach should not even come close to being able to melt the plastic of the oven lid.

The Pax handles hash well, but does not vape wax. The temperarures don't get high enough. If you use a bed of flowers it helps slightly, but you end up with flowers that are kind of soaked in wax. Pass on the wax and get some bubble hash.

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Last night, my buddy showed up with some wax. I threw it in a flower bed. I set it to medium. The first few hits was thick and very flavorful, could taste the wax. After vaping for a while, I opened the oven and the wax was gone but the herbs were still green with flecks of brown, so I stirred it and finished it with my buddy on medium all way.

I didn'tnotice any extra mess or drippings.

Deadshort480 said:

That sounds like a different vaporizer.

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The same, but better....

2 Paces said:

Am I the only one that likes the charging stand?

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I have yelled at that f'ing stand more times than I can remember! From constantly falling over on camping trips to in my car! (not to mention I have returned two because they wouldn't charge)

ludwig said:

Last night, my buddy showed up with some wax. I threw it in a flower bed. I set it to medium. The first few hits was thick and very flavorful, could taste the wax. After vaping for a while, I opened the oven and the wax was gone but the herbs were still green with flecks of brown, so I stirred it and finished it with my buddy on medium all way.

I didn'tnotice any extra mess or drippings.

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Man, why can't I get this same result?! I've tried wax in my oven twice, both times on high, and I've only made a giant mess. I could taste the flavor of the wax, but I just wasn't getting good hits. Maybe I'll try again after work today.

brewer said:

I have yelled at that f'ing stand more times than I can remember! From constantly falling over on camping trips to in my car! (not to mention I have returned two because they wouldn't charge)

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I can see that being a pain in the ass. Mine has been on the same place on my bar for almost a year, so tipping over never entered my mind.

2 Paces said:

I can see that being a pain in the ass. Mine has been on the same place on my bar for almost a year, so tipping over never entered my mind.

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mostly extended camping and road trips is my grievance... it just has to sit just right to keep charging... but maybe if i try the rubber bands like others suggested then I'll be good!

Wish I would have thought of that earlier!

I'm sure one a you smart fellers could remove the ring from a mentos lid to add some hold to the charger. Someone was asking about 3d printing stuff, a travel charger would be nice, something that looks more like a cap then a flat base.

vape4health said:

I'm sure one a you smart fellers could remove the ring from a mentos lid to add some hold to the charger. Someone was asking about 3d printing stuff, a travel charger would be nice, something that looks more like a cap then a flat base.

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what's a mentos lid?

vape4health said:

I'm sure one a you smart fellers could remove the ring from a mentos lid to add some hold to the charger. Someone was asking about 3d printing stuff, a travel charger would be nice, something that looks more like a cap then a flat base.

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That was me but I traded my Pax away.
Wasn't there a mention of an official travel charger recently?

brewer said:

what's a mentos lid?

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A couple months ago I posted about using Mentos gum caps as Pax caps (mainly for smell).

It's on this page, Post #8824:

http://fuckcombustion.com/threads/pax-vaporizer-by-ploom.6223/page-353

So after having the pax for a few months I've come up with a list of quick tips that I think give me the best experience with my pax.

1. Cleaning-

It's very easy to clean the pax with just hot water and a pipe cleaner or q-tip. The important part is to turn on the pax and let it get hot, then you can wet the pipe cleaner slightly and use it to push out the screen while the pax is still hot. Clean the bottom of the oven with a damp q-tip and clean the vapor path and mouthpiece connector with the pipe cleaner. You can also remove the spring and clean around the mouthpiece connector with the pipe cleaner that way. Putting the mouthpiece under hot running water or submerging it in hot running water then cleaning the inside with a pipe cleaner or q-tip works perfectly. 3 minute cleaning and your pax is about as good as new, I feel better about using the pax immediately after cleaning this way because I didn't need to use any iso. Every once and awhile I'll do a deep cleaning with iso but it doesn't get that much cleaner than by just using hot water and a hot pax.

2. Screen Position-

As others have mentioned I've found I get the best results by having the screen bent in a way that leaves the vapor hole in the oven almost uncovered. When I go to put the screen back in my pax I bend the screen near the middle but closer to the vapor path side, then I push it in by using a tool that is almost the width of the oven, start pushing near the side of the screen that won't be touching the vapor path. If I hold the pax with the flower LED pointing up, the left half of the screen is touching the bottom of the oven, while the right half is curved so that it doesn't completely cover the vapor path. When you push in the screen it's important to use a tool that's thick enough otherwise it's harder to get the screen to stay.

3. Packing the Pax-

I've found the most efficient way to pack the pax is to pack it about halfway full, but paying special attention to how you pack it down. When you put the screen in the way I described earlier one side will be pushed all the way down to the oven, and the other half over the vapor path isn't touching the bottom. When I pack the oven about halfway full using a tool about the width of the pax oven I push down hardest on the side of the screen that is touching the bottom of the oven, then I lightly pack down the side over the vapor path so that the screen won't be pushed too much and the vapor path stays more unrestricted. Packing the pax like this as opposed to filling it all the way has made it MUCH more efficient and I think I get more potent vapor as well.

When it's packed my pax oven should look something like this:



When I pack the pax this way the draw resistance is much lower and I feel like it vapes more evenly.

Deadshort480 said:

Man, why can't I get this same result?! I've tried wax in my oven twice, both times on high, and I've only made a giant mess. I could taste the flavor of the wax, but I just wasn't getting good hits. Maybe I'll try again after work today.

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Well this is what I did, maybe it'll help you

I packed the pax oven half full, I used the oven lid to pack down the herbs. I sprinkled wax on top of the packed half maybe 2 dabs worth of wax. Then i filled the oven with my remaining herbs and packed it tight again with the lid.

I turned it on, put it to medium heat, and let it preheat, when it preheated- I let it stand maybe past 30 seconds then I would draw slowly. The wax definitely hit me on the first hit. My buddy and I would wait a bit more between hits than I would normally do. We just drew from it slowly when wax was in there.

hope it'll help!

After maybe 8-10 hits- I opened the oven to stir and the wax was gone already and I just stirred it and finished the oven.

Thanks. I've tried the sandwich technique and it just didn't work for me. I think I will try to flatten out my wax a bit more to even it out in the middle. I hope I get better results.

2 Paces said:

A couple months ago I posted about using Mentos gum caps as Pax caps (mainly for smell).

It's on this page, Post #8824:

http://fuckcombustion.com/threads/pax-vaporizer-by-ploom.6223/page-353

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where do u buy the mentos gum? never seen it... great idea!

brewer said:

where do u buy the mentos gum? never seen it... great idea!

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It's at the checkouts (with all the candy) at the Hannaford Bros grocery stores near me. Not sure if they have those where you are.

I'm not sure how popular it is, but I've seen it at drugstore checkouts too.

ludwig said:

Last night, my buddy showed up with some wax. I threw it in a flower bed. I set it to medium. The first few hits was thick and very flavorful, could taste the wax. After vaping for a while, I opened the oven and the wax was gone but the herbs were still green with flecks of brown, so I stirred it and finished it with my buddy on medium all way.

I didn't notice any extra mess or drippings.

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I run a mixture of BHO (waxy in appearance) and flowers in every load I vape in the Pax. I lay down some BHO on top of the removable screen then I pack some flowers on top. I never have had a mess occur, but I do on occasion have a little oil get on the magnetic oven door which I easily reclaim.

Side Note:
An email to Pax customer support proved what another forum member said about a USB charger. Pax support confirmed that a USB charger will never be released for the Pax. The company claims that a USB charger would simply not be powerful enough and that it would "take forever" for it to charge the unit.