Discontinued The Firefly Vaporizer

I usually dust a loosely-packed ff bowl to dark abv in 2-3 hits.
I guess they're pretty big

Not to be banished from present fine company, but I just got a Solo (too). $139 shipped on eBay from "easyvape". No question it's a real Solo, some of the generic packing materials are even made in Ontario, Canada. The stems are kind of funky on tolerances, one is very loose, the other very tight. We'll see how the vendor handles it (and how the device vapes).

It's nicer in looks and feel than I expected.

Here are a few of the positives and negatives I have experienced with the FF over the past few weeks. I do love this device and when I am getting good results, the positives heavily outweigh the negatives.

Positives

• The device itself looks and feels like a Rolls Royce. It really is kind of a trip just using it and holding it. At times, I feel like I have a crush on it. My wife catches me all the time just trying to talk about it.
• It is very efficient on herbs. Great way to conserve. Can use only small amounts when you want to and that is enough for a head change
• It is absolutely capable of giving extremely large, bong like hits that really knock your socks off.
• It is pretty intuitive, you can start getting good results right away with no experience. I had absolutely zero vaping experience before this and was able use it very effectively right out of the box.

Negatives

• In my experience I have found it be on the inconsistent side. Just when I think I have my technique down, all of a sudden it is not working anymore. For example, I have had the FF 3 weeks now. I have been able to produce huge satisfying hits on the first few draws pretty consistently. Lately the past few days (about 15-20 bowls) I have not been able to produce the same large clouds and have been left very unsatisfied at the end of every bowl. This can be very frustrating.
• The battery life is a little annoying, but if you have the external charger and extra battery it is not a problem at all. But you are always making sure that one is being charged all the time which can be annoying as well at times.

I admit this device has had a lot of pressure on it. I went from not having any vaping experience to taking this thing home to be my one and only device to be used throughout the day and night. So far it sure has been a rollercoast ride. A true love hate relationship! I have been hanging in there, but at night time I do miss a couple of good ole bong rips to the face...

I'm sorry to ask this again but never found an answer...was that over priced firefly car charger the real deal? If so why isn't it on their site?

fernand said:

Not to be banished from present fine company, but I just got a Solo (too). $139 shipped on eBay from "easyvape". No question it's a real Solo, some of the generic packing materials are even made in Ontario, Canada. The stems are kind of funky on tolerances, one is very loose, the other very tight. We'll see how the vendor handles it (and how the device vapes).

It's nicer in looks and feel than I expected.

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It's not without reason that the Solo is one of the best selling vapes… I just found it annoying that I had to take the stem off the body if I needed a small break. And if I got distracted (wonder why?) and came back after a few minutes the load was gone or the taste was awful... And the taste diminishes much faster than with the FF or any full convection vape even if you finish your session relatively fast. With the Solo I also found that I needed more weed to get the same result than any of my convection vapes. I had the same problem with the Inhalater… Full convection seems more efficient somehow.

Imo in order to get the most out of your Solo, you should mate it with a nice Vapor Lung (there is a whole thread about them… )! It extracts much faster and better than your own lungs and will give you bigger and tastier hits. You can also remove the stem after filling a bottle so no conduction takes place. They truly are a match made in heaven.

Have a good time with your new tool! And get a Lotus as well!

fernand said:

Not to be banished from present fine company, but I just got a Solo (too). $139 shipped on eBay from "easyvape". No question it's a real Solo, some of the generic packing materials are even made in Ontario, Canada. The stems are kind of funky on tolerances, one is very loose, the other very tight. We'll see how the vendor handles it (and how the device vapes).

It's nicer in looks and feel than I expected.

Click to expand...

natural farmer said:

It's not without reason that the Solo is one of the best selling vapes… I just found it annoying that I had to take the stem off the body if I needed a small break. And if I got distracted (wonder why?) and came back after a few minutes the load was gone or the taste was awful... And the taste diminishes much faster than with the FF or any full convection vape even if you finish your session relatively fast. With the Solo I also found that I needed more weed to get the same result than any of my convection vapes. I had the same problem with the Inhalater… Full convection seems more efficient somehow.

Imo in order to get the most out of your Solo, you should mate it with a nice Vapor Lung (there is a whole thread about them… )! It extracts much faster and better than your own lungs and will give you bigger and tastier hits. You can also remove the stem after filling a bottle so no conduction takes place. They truly are a match made in heaven.

Have a good time with your new tool! And get a Lotus as well!

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This is not the Solo thread. Please get back to the topic.

twigs said:

Anybody watching the remake of "Cosmos"? The time/space capsule looks like a FF when viewed from above.

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My wife and I always have the FF or VTE going when we watch that show.

To bring this back to FF kingdom, I am going to experiment with how I have the bowl screen placed once I reup. Currently, the screen is bent in a dome shape, sitting at the bottom of the bowl, so it doesn't actually sit flush on the heating element at the bottom. I want to say that I understand the FF now, in terms of technique. If I adjust the screen, perhaps I will have a much easier time getting the ABV to the coloration I want.

Posted this in the toronto vape review of the Firefly. Let's see if they approve the comment...

"I have been using my firefly for several weeks and need to correct you on several points.

1. It is not similar to the Magic flight. The Magic Flight is a conduction vape. The Firefly is a convection vape. It only heats your herb when you are drawing through it. That is a HUGE difference in flavor/amount of herb used. When I am vaping I do not want my herb heated constantly at high temperature. I like to be able to vape and wait a few minutes before my next vape.

2. Have you figured out where the heft comes from? It is because the body is powder coated aluminum not plastic as you have reported falsely. This not only gives it a nice heft it acts as a heat sink so that the unit remains comfortable to hold (an intentional design feature). Some people just love the nice weight of it in the hand, it feels solid and well made. And the finish is without equal.

3. Your comment about magnets losing heat. I work with small electric motors that generate a lot more heat than I have been able to feel on my top plate and they have been fine for years of service so I doubt the magnet is going to die any time soon. Making statements like this without testing are not responsible for a reviewer. Especially when it is stated as a fact, not an assumption.

4.You state there is no temperature control but the Firefly website says that the unit is computer controlled to a maximum of 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Yes I have been able to combust a few times with my Firefly but it has been rare (2 out of 100+ bowls) and each time it has happened because of a tightly filled bowl, a slow draw and multiple button presses during the same draw (my girlfriend). New users often spend too much time preheating and draw too slowly. If the button is then pressed a second time the heat cycle starts up again which is computer controlled to give a higher burst of current in the initial stage. If the temp was already about 400F then this can lead to combustion.

5. Yes the firefly has its issues. I agree the battery is too small, perhaps a change to 18350 battery cells or other commonly available vaping batteries would alleviate this problem. I purchased mine new with battery and charger for 300 so it is very easy for me to just rotate batteries when at home, or to take another battery with me on the road. The two batteries have been more than plenty for out of the house. As you perfect your technique you learn to not preheat the bowl and to draw for four or five seconds then let go of the button and draw for several more. This really helps on the battery efficiency and gives great taste and vapor.

6. The firefly can be very discreet. It is about the same length as my iphone 5 in case (5 ½” for iphone in mophie case 5 3/8” for Firefly) Width is 2 ½” for iphone in case and 2” for Firefly. I use an overhand method that covers the glass and makes it look like you are just sitting with your phone under your chin thinking. The firefly looks remarkably like a nokia phone. I have walked in public with it to my ear talking as a joke and no one gave a second look.

So in conclusion as a reviewer I feel that you have misrepresented some facts here and I am trying to correct them. I am also giving a different viewpoint on some of the features that I like in the Firefly. I am no noob and this is my favorite vape. And I love the glow! That is more important to me than a digital readout. The Firefly feels very analog. It is easy for a noob to use immediately and can take weeks to master fully. That being said, as with all vapes it is a matter of preference, YMMV, and I can’t wait for a second generation with a better battery system!"

I am constantly trying to improve my draw speed. I am curious of others draw speeds. I believe the technique to the FF is more important than how the bowl is packed, broken up, etc. I know everybody says they draw slow, fast, etc. But maybe we can rate it on a scale of 1 to 10 to give a better idea of how fast you are drawing.

I start off with a draw speed around a 2/10 and build my way up to probably a 5/10 at most. Toward the end of my draw I slowly drop my speed to probably a 3/10, at this point is when I first start to notice the vapor and I let off the button. Continuing my draw another 5 seconds or so until the chamber cools. I do agree with most others that I seem to get a lot of the vapor after the button is released.

I am curious how others are drawing that are having good results? Thanks

grokit said:

I usually dust a loosely-packed ff bowl to dark abv in 2-3 hits.
I guess they're pretty big

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Yikes! Them's big hits! I went to the trouble of counting last night. One pretty big, somewhat compacted bowl lasted me 17 hits. First 11 were all medium to large, mostly large. Then I started pulling zero vapor...a stir and re-grind with fingers, and I got another six hits. Four were medium. Final two were small and wispy. Plus, later tonight I'll put the abv in my VTE and likely pull one last large cloud at a high temp.

cancertoast said:

My wife and I always have the FF or VTE going when we watch that show.

To bring this back to FF kingdom, I am going to experiment with how I have the bowl screen placed once I reup. Currently, the screen is bent in a dome shape, sitting at the bottom of the bowl, so it doesn't actually sit flush on the heating element at the bottom. I want to say that I understand the FF now, in terms of technique. If I adjust the screen, perhaps I will have a much easier time getting the ABV to the coloration I want.

Click to expand...

Yes it can be tough to flatten the screen when you dome it. I dome it ever so slightly and it eventually lays flat after a couple loads. I agree that too much lift off the bottom can affect extraction.

Shiggity said:

Posted this in the toronto vape review of the Firefly. Let's see if they approve the comment...

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This is AWESOME. I love it. I despised the way they reviewed the FF...very misleading. Thanks for taking the time to set the record straight. Hopefully future potential buyers can make a more informed decision with some accurate data.

fireinthefly21 said:

I start off with a draw speed around a 2/10 and build my way up to probably a 5/10 at most. Toward the end of my draw I slowly drop my speed to probably a 3/10, at this point is when I first start to notice the vapor and I let off the button. Continuing my draw another 5 seconds or so until the chamber cools. I do agree with most others that I seem to get a lot of the vapor after the button is released.

I am curious how others are drawing that are having good results? Thanks

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I agree draw speed is key, but so is volume of material, dryness, grind, length of button push, etc. Even the strain can affect it. As I mentioned to you yesterday, I draw as fast as resistance allows (starting the tiniest bit slower and speeding smoothly to avoid making material fly around). Not sure where to place it on your scale. If 10 is "as fast as you can draw before resistance" I pull at 10, all the time. If 10 is "as hard as you draw on a pipe" then maybe it's closer to 7.

fireinthefly21 said:

I am constantly trying to improve my draw speed. I am curious of others draw speeds. I believe the technique to the FF is more important than how the bowl is packed, broken up, etc. I know everybody says they draw slow, fast, etc. But maybe we can rate it on a scale of 1 to 10 to give a better idea of how fast you are drawing.

I start off with a draw speed around a 2/10 and build my way up to probably a 5/10 at most. Toward the end of my draw I slowly drop my speed to probably a 3/10, at this point is when I first start to notice the vapor and I let off the button. Continuing my draw another 5 seconds or so until the chamber cools. I do agree with most others that I seem to get a lot of the vapor after the button is released.

I am curious how others are drawing that are having good results? Thanks

Click to expand...

Well, I have found that as I upped my draw speed the more found success and consistency. I have tried everything- Arizer baskets, fine grind, nugs, medium grind, hand torn, screen over the top, etcetera.

Where I'm at today and what is working for me is filling it up like a pile-up and over the lip-like a mini mound so when I return the lid the material is tamped down a bit by the seal. 8-10 sec pre-heat. Let off heat button for 2-3 secs. Hit heat button for 4-5 seconds and start a pretty fast steady draw until I notice vape on my throat/lungs continue fast steady draw for about 10 seconds, let go of heat button, continue draw, exhale. From here I might go back and take another fast rip while still warm and usually get another smaller cloud.

My "tentative conclusion" is that draw speed is the crux of mastering this unit more than all the other variables.

Thanks for the tips. It seems you guys are having success with a faster draw speed. I will try that throughout the day and see what I come up with. When I tried a faster draw speed previously I was not getting any vapor and extremely poor results. I was not using a warm up period though, I will try to use a warm up period as you mentioned for 8 seconds or so and see if that helps me use a faster draw speed. I will report back later with results. Thanks!

Here's a dumb question: Periodically I do inhale debris. Is that debris going into my lungs or just the back of my throat? If my lungs, is that problematic?

@Volteric in small amounts no. If it is a bother to you I bet stuffing some cotton in there will prevent the debris from entering your lungs. Heck for those who want to vape through water you could moisten the cotton!

natural farmer said:

Firefly pairs nicely with Vapor Lungs! A plain silicon tubing piece mated it perfectly with the 14mm reducer of my VL. Party mode engadged! Sharing with friends has just become easier. It gets HOT though. Pleasantly hot, not scorching hot… Two people destroyed with half a bowl… Very nice head! It was easier to get big hits with the vapor lung. I need to learn how to direct draw a little better. I still find getting good hits from the Lotus is easier… I will keep experimenting hard in the name of science!!!

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So why the need for the reducer? I can see a VL being made with a simple glass stem (from let us say, a VTE kit) and just get some tubing and direct line it from the FF, to the VL.

And a question, where can I easily get tubing? I'd prefer to goto a store and pick some up, over waiting for a package in the mail. For example, if this was something a hardware store carried, I could use that, or should I always use food-grade tubing?

cancertoast said:

So why the need for the reducer? I can see a VL being made with a simple glass stem (from let us say, a VTE kit) and just get some tubing and direct line it from the FF, to the VL.

And a question, where can I easily get tubing? I'd prefer to goto a store and pick some up, over waiting for a package in the mail.

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The reducer in the plastic cap makes for a nice connection with GonG adapters. You can use anything it fits you actually… Not sure about tubing out of the internet…

Could anyone link me to tubing that fits over the mouth piece? I tried using the whip from my VB but it was too small in diameter.

natural farmer said:

The reducer in the plastic cap makes for a nice connection with GonG adapters. You can use anything it fits you actually… Not sure about tubing out of the internet…

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Where did you get your reducer from? I may have to get one just to make a VL for my tower, and I would have to have a second cap if I wanted to use my FF too.

@Shiggity i think your on to something. The firefly battery is 7.4 volts and 700mah if i remember correctly (dont have it on me at the moment) but if they could switch to 18350 batteries which is only slightly thicker than the firefly battery, it would bump it up to double the capacity. But it would also take longer to charge im assuming.

Id be all for making it slightly bigger, and having a longer charge time to have double the usage time.

Im sure this wont happen but its nice to dream

Tickdickler said:

Could anyone link me to tubing that fits over the mouth piece? I tried using the whip from my VB but it was too small in diameter.

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Try running a lighter over the tubing, stretch it to fit. Be warned, if you do this, that tubing should only be used for this adapter. If you try and reuse it in the future, for another device, the tubing may not want to cooperate (being stretched to fit different dimensions and shapes, etc.)

cancertoast said:

Try running a lighter over the tubing, stretch it to fit. Be warned, if you do this, that tubing should only be used for this adapter. If you try and reuse it in the future, for another device, the tubing may not want to cooperate (being stretched to fit different dimensions and shapes, etc.)

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I tried super hard to stretch it out. There was no way it was going to fit and stay over the mouth piece. I was using objects to stretch the tube, no luck, tried stretching it more and it split.

Edit: did you mean stretch the tube over the lighter or apply heat to the tube with lighter and stretch?

Tickdickler said:

I tried super hard to stretch it out. There was no way it was going to fit and stay over the mouth piece. I was using objects to stretch the tube, no luck, tried stretching it more and it split.

Edit: did you mean stretch the tube over the lighter or apply heat to the tube with lighter and stretch?

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Take a bic/scripto/whatever your brand is and wave it over the tubing for about 15 seconds, keep the tube turning so you get all sides. You don't want to actually touch the tube with the flame (if you can help it.) The tubing will become very pliable. It may take a few attempts but it should fit.

Interesting note: I had mentioned I have been getting poor results lately. Not the biggest hits etc compared to my first couple of weeks. I changed my screen today and it made all the difference in the world. The screen in there I thought was pretty clean, but apparently it was not letting air through as much a new one does. I just did a bowl with a new screen and holy f**k! Easier to draw and huge clouds again! The funny part is I thought the screen I was using was still as good as new. I kept it very clean. Just something I thought others should be aware of for future use.

cancertoast said:

Take a bic/scripto/whatever your brand is and wave it over the tubing for about 15 seconds, keep the tube turning so you get all sides. You don't want to actually touch the tube with the flame (if you can help it.) The tubing will become very pliable. It may take a few attempts but it should fit.

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I tried, the silicone didn't become much more pliable. Oh well. On a side note, I tried a new technique and am getting really big hits now. I start by drawing slow and progressively draw faster.

cancertoast said:

Where did you get your reducer from? I may have to get one just to make a VL for my tower, and I would have to have a second cap if I wanted to use my FF too.

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PLanetVape has them for sure… Or ALT.

EDIT: I am liking my Firefly so far… It should fit my life nicely until something better comes up. I got it as a backup for my Lotus and for use in windy or need-to-be-silent scenarios. And I chose the FF cause in paper it's very close to how the Lotus works. I got exited at first cause it's so beautiful and nicely built and holding it just feels good and I thought I might as well use it along with the Lotus. Well, after several back to back sessions with both I can now definitely say I prefer the Lotus as my daily driver and will use the FF only for the above scenarios. The Lotus just has a more comfortable and open draw, the hits can be much shorter (6-7 secs, no soar throat and tongue...) and the clouds can be bigger, tastier and effortless. It also extracts better and gives a more even ABV (the center hole of the FF heater is to blame here, it just creates a tunnel through the herb and messes with the taste profile. Thermovape got it right with the Cera after the T1, Mendocino for it right with Lotus v2 and I hope FF is next to put more holes in the circular pattern and no center one). The above are results of the Lotus better heat control. You can adjust temps instantly and have more power in hand (1300' fucking degrees of power!) whereas the FF builds up so much heat that it pumps vapor for sooo long after you let the button while being able to be overpowered if you draw too hard… It is slower to get to temp and slower to cool down.
It's the nature of each design. You can't have everything. BUT the FF is at the top of the battery powered portables right now imho… It's an amazing device and easily beats all the LB's, PAX's and Solo's of the world not to mention a few desktops! If that's their first try in making a vaporizer, I can't wait for what comes next!