Discontinued The Firefly Vaporizer
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Hi all! I'm finalizing my decision on a Vape & I'm between the FF & the Ascent. The Ascent is appealing because of the ability to set the temp. I'm really trying to get all the CBDs out of my herb & buying high CBD strains - they work great for my anxiety & fibro.
I like everything else about the FF better than the Ascent.
I've read through much of this thread but it's too much to go through, so forgive if this has been asked before. But are you guys finding you can get high enough temps to extract the CBDs? Any specific tips for doing so?
Edit: Looks like this thing will deliver on CBDs fine from what I've read in this thread now. Any specific tips are still appreciated.
I like everything else about the FF better than the Ascent.
I've read through much of this thread but it's too much to go through, so forgive if this has been asked before. But are you guys finding you can get high enough temps to extract the CBDs? Any specific tips for doing so?Edit: Looks like this thing will deliver on CBDs fine from what I've read in this thread now. Any specific tips are still appreciated.
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grokit
well-worn member
That's why I use a top screen, it's a small part to futz with but if I lose it it's no big deal.
It keeps the airways clear and makes maintenance of the ff even easier
mitchgo61
I go where the thrills are
You did not get a dud. There is no screen at the top, and the air flows from the bottom. You can use a top screen as suggested, but be aware that some users find it increases the heat in the chamber and affects the process in a way you might notice or need to adjust to. I have found a very medium-ish finger grind keeps the material from entering the vapor paths until the final stages of the bowl when it's more ground. Try starting with a chunkier grind. Also, when you inhale, keep your draw as even as possible.
I occasionally eat a morsel or two, but I mostly have it down between and grind and draw where it almost never happens now. Good luck!
natural farmer
Well-Known Member
Do you guys also find that the centre hole of the SS disk at the bottom of the bowl creates tunnelling and scorches the herbs? It's a very simple piece and can be changed very easily. Why don't we sent some mails to the Firefly guys and ask for a disk without a centre hole and more holes in a circular pattern, like the Cera's or Lotus's pattern? It should in theory give a much more uniform hot air stream and a much better flavour... And it could be dirt cheap to get one, I guess!
fireinthefly21
New Member
Hey, these little buggers fit EXACTLY, use as top or basket. A blessing for us small bowl fans.
http://essentialextracts.co/site/product/essentialscreens/
BTW, @fbrinsley, that little top gasket seats back in very easily. The glue is alcohol soluble and probably can just let go with time. The 2 gaskets are the Achilles heel, but they are easy to service. In fact, looking at the internals, the whole apparatus is remarkable in that it's simple, spacious and easy to work on. Nice.
I am thinking about pulling the trigger with these basket screens. They seem like they will work pretty well. I believe you will still need a regular screen on the bottom below it for small pieces of ABV that fall through. It also seems ideal for these baskets not to actually touch the very hottom of the bowl where the heating plate is.
Has anybody had any experience using these screens? Here is a link to them:
http://essentialextracts.co/site/product/essentialscreens/
mitchgo61
I go where the thrills are
Yes, sort of. Many pages back there was much discussion about screen baskets. Most of us tried the Arizer VTE/Q Tower baskets...others have used the similar VB2 baskets.
My personal take is that it depends on what problem you are trying to solve. If you want to keep the lid clean, I would recommend trying a flat, medium-mesh screen laid on top of the bowl (though keep in mind that like a basket, this will affect taste and potentially increase chamber heat). If you are trying to keep the floor/bowl area cleaner you are better off with a flat screen basket like Arizer's...not allowing your material to lay flat (on a screen) against the bottom plate of the bowl will affect performance to the cooler side.
I found the Arizer basket placed bottom down in the bowl, with a small screen on top, kept the FF very neat. However for me it basically ruined the experience because it completely destroyed the natural taste of the FF, which is its greatest quality. It added a metallic flavor. Neater? Yep. But not worth ruining the taste. There are many cheaper vapes that taste lousy....spending 270 for the FF only to ruin the taste seemed crazy to me. It can also increase the temps in the chamber, and since the basket can get hot during operation, it can actually cause a small amount of conduction, which completely obviates the beauty of FF's convection.
PROS: keeps things neat. CONS: ruins the taste, risks conduction...bottom line for me, not worth it, at all. Others disagreed and like using them. YMMV.
hoyo77
Well-Known Member
never used those screens but the Arizer solo screens fit perfectly. I use them religiously. Here is a link
http://arizer.com/store/en/arizer-parts/22-screen-pack.html
I myself noticed no taste difference when using the screens. The flavor was still there for me.
EveryDayAmnesiac
Well-Known Member
I rarely get tunneling or scorching.
Tunneling only when the herb has become very fine and I'm drawing too hard.
Scorching only when drawing too slowly or hitting the heat button twice too closely together.
But I wouldn't mind trying a different arrangement of heat holes. Might work better.
Tunneling only when the herb has become very fine and I'm drawing too hard.
Scorching only when drawing too slowly or hitting the heat button twice too closely together.
But I wouldn't mind trying a different arrangement of heat holes. Might work better.
fireinthefly21
New Member
Thanks for the info. Yeah I can see how the screen on top could add a little extra metal flavor.
Thanks for the link. Do you notice it being harder to draw with these particular screens? I read many pages back that somebody reported that with these screens. Also, are you still using the flat screen beneath the basket screen?
mitchgo61
I go where the thrills are
I didn't notice any draw difference with or without them. Yes, always use the bottom screen...else you risk debris getting inside the device around the bottom edges of the bowl.
fireinthefly21
New Member
I just got my new carry case set up this week. I highly recommend to anyone with a firefly. It was completely customizable in the inside to get it however you want. I even recycled the black velvet bed the FF came with in the original box as you can see in the pic. My FF now sits in royalty all day long!
Here is a link to the case, it comes in many different sizes. I have the 12X12X4.5
http://www.vatra.com/product-category/hard-cases/#.UyxfLPldV8E
tufftitty
Well-Known Member
Hay guise
Haven't posted in awhile,
Just wanted to state that I got some bazooka bubble gum and it required a good drying out as well as a slower more deliberate draw and for longer. Also the bowl lasts a bit longer. And abv doesn't get as dark, but yeah it almost feels like a completely diff technique,
Haven't posted in awhile,
Just wanted to state that I got some bazooka bubble gum and it required a good drying out as well as a slower more deliberate draw and for longer. Also the bowl lasts a bit longer. And abv doesn't get as dark, but yeah it almost feels like a completely diff technique,
WildChild
Seeking My Shangri-La
As do I...I find the top screen really helps keep the mess down. And it does indeed seem to increase the heat levels to a certain degree as I now have to be careful when I do a double button press. And the taste is out of this world.
Man, I really am loving this thing. It certainly does grow on you.
Again, thank you to everyone for giving me the tips and tricks I needed to make this one my own.
Man, I really am loving this thing. It certainly does grow on you.
Again, thank you to everyone for giving me the tips and tricks I needed to make this one my own.
mitchgo61
I go where the thrills are
Well, it looks like I will be getting a replacement for my Silver FF. Just heard back from them, and they wrote that they looked at my FF and determined it has "a misaligned heating coil, and will need to be replaced". This makes me think...a. anyone playing with their coils had better be careful, because it can obviously have dramatic consequences...b. HOW did my coil misalign? no idea. Worked fine for months. Maybe it was always misaligned? and c. I'm wondering why that kind of thing can't simply be repaired, instead of replacing the entire unit.
This also reminds me that the guy who posted the original teardown pix, and even removed the circuit board, did say that he didn't dare try to move the heating coil even a little bit. He was obviously rightly concerned about it. So those of you tweaking the coil, keep in mind it not only potentially violates the warranty but also can create all kinds of problems if you cannot re-align it properly. Caveat Modders!
This also reminds me that the guy who posted the original teardown pix, and even removed the circuit board, did say that he didn't dare try to move the heating coil even a little bit. He was obviously rightly concerned about it. So those of you tweaking the coil, keep in mind it not only potentially violates the warranty but also can create all kinds of problems if you cannot re-align it properly. Caveat Modders!
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WildChild
Seeking My Shangri-La
I took a chance at re-aligning my coil because of my specific situation, but I think your advice is very good. Why risk voiding your warantee...particularly if you are unsuccessful and bugger up your coil?
I do, however, firmly belive that most of the issues with 'hot' and 'cool' units are due to the coil not sitting properly. A couple of other members were quicker to come to that conclusion than I was. Just a very slight adjustment radically improved the performance of my unit. I also aligned the grooves in the heating and ceramic plates a bit better...seemed to work well.
But I think you bring up excellent points, @mitchgo61. I couldn't figure out why they let me keep my original faulty unit AND the replacement.
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fernand
Well-Known Member
Specifically 1/2" ID tubing. That only requires a little stretching. I'm using clear vinyl at the moment, cost $2 at the hardware store.
On "stuff in mouth" there are obviously a lot of possible solutions. The one that works best for me is very simple: leave sticky resin traces on the metal underside of the windowed port. Specifically in the little crenelations that the draw passes through. That catches a few more particles and they won't fly past it again. In fact when vaping a small quantity the stuff swirls in the hot air without anything making it up the mouthpiece, and the draw can be pulled soft or hard as desired.
As to the misaligned coil, it sounds to me like a generic explanation. It's very doubtful your coil just spontaneously and totally "misaligned itself" unless it was marginal. It's hard to say from the photos on page 81 if the coil uses removable Fast-On connectors or if the Fast-Ons are permanently bonded. Who knows what exactly was wrong with your unit, glad they are replacing it.
People who are "handy with tools" have intuition that comes from experience; they can examine that coil and come to their own conclusions without leaving signs of entry. Chances are they already have a set of Torx bits. People who are not mechanically inclined should steer clear of tools and equipment, and best never open any device.
I'm checking out the Solo and it's a very different beast. Wide range of temps on the Solo is its plus; a superior taste on the FireFly is its crown. Given the need to carry a glass stem for the Solo and its chunkier shape, I find the FF a far more pocketable and discreet portable. For me, the FireFly somehow can be palmed and used in public. The Solo is actually smaller than it looks, a Red Bull can is a good analogy, but it's hard to just slide the Solo tool set in your pocket like the FireFly, especially since a glass tube is necessary, even if you use the drink cup stealth adapter. And those adapters sure are expensive.
As to very high temperature being required to vape CBD. It apparently boils in the same temp range as THC. Of course a complex mixture will undergo changes as it boils off, and even physical oddities like formation of "azeotropes" complicate the picture. It's not clear (yet) why the higher temp fractions are more sedating. Puzzling that higher temp or smoking has such a different effect when the "main" stuff can be expected to cook off below 400 deg F.
Forgive me for posting this again ... it's helpful to look through it. But there are
conflicting views, like
http://fuckcombustion.com/threads/do-we-know-for-sure-thc-vapes-off-before-cbd-cbn.4213/
A plausible explanation for variations in measured boiling point is the
large number of slightly different isomers for these complex molecules.
A heated mix of complex stuff makes for complex results.
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fernand
Well-Known Member
OK, guys, I'm maybe starting a new business. I have an IR distance thermometer on the way, -58 to 1112 deg F, adjustable emissivity, 12:1 D:S ratio. A nice unit. Now I will be in a position to answer that nagging question: How hot is that FireFly? when? where?
Plus, if you got some hot shit, send it to me, I'll measure it.
Reminds me of a truck I saw in Berkeley CA in the late 60s. It had a great painting of a Pyramid with an eye on the sides, and psychedelic lettering that said "Ogle Protection Service - let Ogle protect your stash".
Plus, if you got some hot shit, send it to me, I'll measure it.
Reminds me of a truck I saw in Berkeley CA in the late 60s. It had a great painting of a Pyramid with an eye on the sides, and psychedelic lettering that said "Ogle Protection Service - let Ogle protect your stash".
euph0ric1
Floating on.
Greetings people! Newbie poster here, long-time toker, switched to vapor 1 month ago. It's been awesome. No matter what vape I ever use for the rest of my life, I'm done combusting. Like, forever. Mission accomplished I'm here because I'd like to report on my experiences with the Firefly, after attempting to switch from the Pax.
My first vape was/is the Pax. Its been great, but my main complaints with it since day one have been the amount of herb required for optimum use, and the fact that the entire chamber must be consumed in no more than 2-3 vape sessions. So, with the Pax requiring .4-.5g per fill.. (Or .2-.3g with screen trick), it has been feeling super inefficient. When I heard about the Firefly, and its ability (specialty) of only vaping a small amount of herb.. AND only vaping that herb whenever you wish to inhale, had me nearly experiencing buyer's remorse for the Pax. It seemed like I may have jumped too quickly without reading about this perfectly wonderful, efficient, convection vape.
However.. After about 8 days with the Firefly.. I'm in a bit of a pickle, and I'll tell you why, Doug:
Firstly, (and perhaps most importantly), I think my herb may be incompatable with the FF. It's good quality herb.. Always done the trick for me. I get it regularly from one source. It is the only herb I get, ever. It is not what u call sticky or fluffy.. Its more dry and compact buds, breaks down very consistently and very finely ground no matter what. (I always hand grind.) Although a fine, consistent grind is perfect for Pax, I was led to believe, from this thread, and everywhere else, that the FF is fully capable of a fine grind.. And that a course/medium is recommended, but not absolutely essential. However, so far, I'm finding this to be a big issue. In my second session with the FF, I noticed every 3rd or 5th draw, a tiny itty bitty piece of herb would catch fire. It was so small I hardly noticed it, but it was revealed in the taste and smell. Since then, I've tried breaking the bud up and only putting in the small pieces, without pouring in the "dusty" particles. Ive also sped up my draw some.. And the micro-combustion is happening much less frequently. Very rare.. But still happens
Additionally, check this out:
That, is dry herb residue beneath the screen. I've taken the screen out several times to clean that stuff out, a quick scrape and blow seems to do the job.. But it happens after every single session. Ive even noticed some of those pieces turning to ash. Probably because they linger there for so long.
So, thats the herb/grind problem. Next, the hit consistency and high:
I realize the FF takes some personal, patient getting used to.. And I feel I can make it do what I want as far as vapor production and getting a good dark ABV. (Only with frequent stirring/shaking, and not as evenly thru as Pax.) I'm also getting an entirely different high compared to Pax. But don't get me wrong, that's been kinda cool. The FF gives me this airy, uppity, (productive?) high.. But doesn't last but 30 minutes. A session with the Pax feels like a full body massage that can last for hours. Maybe that has something to do with the amount of flower used in each?
That being said, I really want to stress how great of a purchase decision this has been, for both vapes. They both seem to be polar opposites of each other, working in their own unique way, and delivering different, joyful results. Because of that, I can foresee living in harmony with both and having no regrets
So, I guess my dilemmas at the moment are that the FF doesn't seem to like my herb as much as the Pax does... And I wonder what I could do to maximize the use/effect of a single FF bowl (.1-.2g). Any advice, comments, criticisms would be appreciated!
I'm here because I'd like to report on my experiences with the Firefly, after attempting to switch from the Pax.My first vape was/is the Pax. Its been great, but my main complaints with it since day one have been the amount of herb required for optimum use, and the fact that the entire chamber must be consumed in no more than 2-3 vape sessions. So, with the Pax requiring .4-.5g per fill.. (Or .2-.3g with screen trick), it has been feeling super inefficient. When I heard about the Firefly, and its ability (specialty) of only vaping a small amount of herb.. AND only vaping that herb whenever you wish to inhale, had me nearly experiencing buyer's remorse for the Pax. It seemed like I may have jumped too quickly without reading about this perfectly wonderful, efficient, convection vape.
However.. After about 8 days with the Firefly.. I'm in a bit of a pickle, and I'll tell you why, Doug:
Firstly, (and perhaps most importantly), I think my herb may be incompatable with the FF. It's good quality herb.. Always done the trick for me. I get it regularly from one source. It is the only herb I get, ever. It is not what u call sticky or fluffy.. Its more dry and compact buds, breaks down very consistently and very finely ground no matter what. (I always hand grind.) Although a fine, consistent grind is perfect for Pax, I was led to believe, from this thread, and everywhere else, that the FF is fully capable of a fine grind.. And that a course/medium is recommended, but not absolutely essential. However, so far, I'm finding this to be a big issue. In my second session with the FF, I noticed every 3rd or 5th draw, a tiny itty bitty piece of herb would catch fire. It was so small I hardly noticed it, but it was revealed in the taste and smell. Since then, I've tried breaking the bud up and only putting in the small pieces, without pouring in the "dusty" particles. Ive also sped up my draw some.. And the micro-combustion is happening much less frequently. Very rare.. But still happens
Additionally, check this out:
That, is dry herb residue beneath the screen. I've taken the screen out several times to clean that stuff out, a quick scrape and blow seems to do the job.. But it happens after every single session. Ive even noticed some of those pieces turning to ash. Probably because they linger there for so long.
So, thats the herb/grind problem. Next, the hit consistency and high:
I realize the FF takes some personal, patient getting used to.. And I feel I can make it do what I want as far as vapor production and getting a good dark ABV. (Only with frequent stirring/shaking, and not as evenly thru as Pax.) I'm also getting an entirely different high compared to Pax. But don't get me wrong, that's been kinda cool. The FF gives me this airy, uppity, (productive?) high.. But doesn't last but 30 minutes. A session with the Pax feels like a full body massage that can last for hours. Maybe that has something to do with the amount of flower used in each?
That being said, I really want to stress how great of a purchase decision this has been, for both vapes. They both seem to be polar opposites of each other, working in their own unique way, and delivering different, joyful results. Because of that, I can foresee living in harmony with both and having no regrets
So, I guess my dilemmas at the moment are that the FF doesn't seem to like my herb as much as the Pax does... And I wonder what I could do to maximize the use/effect of a single FF bowl (.1-.2g). Any advice, comments, criticisms would be appreciated!
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fernand
Well-Known Member
Welcome @euph0ric1 ! I guess there are other people like me who like the "to the point" vape. I can't see having to fill a Pax oven for 1 person. Here's 0.050g, 50 mg, of Red Congolese. It's over 21% THC, so 50mg herb -> 10mg THC. And lovely terpenes. A nice wake n' bake before getting down to work.
It's not powdery. Loaded into the FireFly it "just works", as is. No need to open and stir, just tap and shake it. In fact, it works in the Solo too, just use a little domed screen as a spacer so the pinch is up front, and maybe shred it just a little finer.
If it crumbles when you load it in the FireFly, powder will drop below the deck, and it will burn there, as you've noticed. NFG. It will also try to travel up to the mouthpiece if it's sparkling clean. NFG.
If your stuff is too dry, try a piece of lemon peel as company for it in a small container for a few hours. That generally revitalizes it and prevents crumbling like the proverbial mummy's tit. Try it.
It's not powdery. Loaded into the FireFly it "just works", as is. No need to open and stir, just tap and shake it. In fact, it works in the Solo too, just use a little domed screen as a spacer so the pinch is up front, and maybe shred it just a little finer.
If it crumbles when you load it in the FireFly, powder will drop below the deck, and it will burn there, as you've noticed. NFG. It will also try to travel up to the mouthpiece if it's sparkling clean. NFG.
If your stuff is too dry, try a piece of lemon peel as company for it in a small container for a few hours. That generally revitalizes it and prevents crumbling like the proverbial mummy's tit. Try it.
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natural farmer
Well-Known Member
I agree with @fernand! Your herbs most probably need some moisture... Have you heard of Humidipaks from Boveda? The moment you get your herbs, put them in a jar with a humidipak and that's gonna take care of the moisture for you. It's gonna keep it steady for at least 3 months. You can have fluffy grinds then and your firefly can be happier...
fireinthefly21
New Member
Greetings people! Newbie poster here, long-time toker, switched to vapor 1 month ago. It's been awesome. No matter what vape I ever use for the rest of my life, I'm done combusting. Like, forever. Mission accomplished
My first vape was/is the Pax. Its been great, but my main complaints with it since day one have been the amount of herb required for optimum use, and the fact that the entire chamber must be consumed in no more than 2-3 vape sessions. So, with the Pax requiring .4-.5g per fill.. (Or .2-.3g with screen trick), it has been feeling super inefficient. When I heard about the Firefly, and its ability (specialty) of only vaping a small amount of herb.. AND only vaping that herb whenever you wish to inhale, had me nearly experiencing buyer's remorse for the Pax. It seemed like I may have jumped too quickly without reading about this perfectly wonderful, efficient, convection vape.
However.. After about 8 days with the Firefly.. I'm in a bit of a pickle, and I'll tell you why, Doug:
Firstly, (and perhaps most importantly), I think my herb may be incompatable with the FF. It's good quality herb.. Always done the trick for me. I get it regularly from one source. It is the only herb I get, ever. It is not what u call sticky or fluffy.. Its more dry and compact buds, breaks down very consistently and very finely ground no matter what. (I always hand grind.) Although a fine, consistent grind is perfect for Pax, I was led to believe, from this thread, and everywhere else, that the FF is fully capable of a fine grind.. And that a course/medium is recommended, but not absolutely essential. However, so far, I'm finding this to be a big issue. In my second session with the FF, I noticed every 3rd or 5th draw, a tiny itty bitty piece of herb would catch fire. It was so small I hardly noticed it, but it was revealed in the taste and smell. Since then, I've tried breaking the bud up and only putting in the small pieces, without pouring in the "dusty" particles. Ive also sped up my draw some.. And the micro-combustion is happening much less frequently. Very rare.. But still happens
That, is dry herb residue beneath the screen. I've taken the screen out several times to clean that stuff out, a quick scrape and blow seems to do the job.. But it happens after every single session. Ive even noticed some of those pieces turning to ash. Probably because they linger there for so long.
So, thats the herb/grind problem. Next, the hit consistency and high:
I realize the FF takes some personal, patient getting used to.. And I feel I can make it do what I want as far as vapor production and getting a good dark ABV. (Only with frequent stirring/shaking, and not as evenly thru as Pax.) I'm also getting an entirely different high compared to Pax. But don't get me wrong, that's been kinda cool. The FF gives me this airy, uppity, (productive?) high.. But doesn't last but 30 minutes. A session with the Pax feels like a full body massage that can last for hours. Maybe that has something to do with the amount of flower used in each?
That being said, I really want to stress how great of a purchase decision this has been, for both vapes. They both seem to be polar opposites of each other, working in their own unique way, and delivering different, joyful results. Because of that, I can foresee living in harmony with both and having no regrets
So, I guess my dilemmas at the moment are that the FF doesn't seem to like my herb as much as the Pax does... And I wonder what I could do to maximize the use/effect of a single FF bowl (.1-.2g). Any advice, comments, criticisms would be appreciated!
Welcome and nice post. We are in the same boat, I too just converted from smoking/combusing about 3 weeks ago. I was at a head shop and made an impulse buy with the FF. It has been a great experience overall. Both vaporizing and also the FF.
Anyways, I just wanted to point out that I have been using the FF for over 3 weeks now and have not had any actual burning to the herbs. I sometimes use a very fine grind as well and that typically works just as good as a course grind. I have mentioned my ABV can get so dark it almost looks black. (But underlight it is actually a really really dark brown). But it never actually burns
In my opinion, a very fine grind will give you bigger larger hits, but the bowl will not last as long. With a courser grind, the hits will be smaller, but should give you more hits that way. Sometimes I feel like giant humongous hits so I break it up finer. Anyways, the bud should not be actually burning, or smell it was combusted. If that is happening I would say to give the FF customer service a call.
Also I completely agree the FF gives you a more of a head airy, uppity high. I noticed it right away and have continued to every time I use it. In my experience I get very stoned for the first half hour or so, then the high comes down a bit and stays at that level for a few hours. But I do feel the effects for several hours rather than only a half hour total as you mentioned.
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