Unfortunately, due to his / her bad manners, the argument was not fully developed. I am a bit OCD (well, actually I am OCD : ) and so, I beg you pardon about my insistence: but did any of you happen to open your solo? did you encountered any glue or poor quality components?
Yes, many of us have poked around inside ours a fair bit. I've been 'all over' 3 myself.
My take is also the fellow was way out of line. While I don't think we should argue about anything, there was (and IMO still is) little reason to do more than say 'I don't buy this....'.
First off, based on dates, he bought a used unit somewhere. My guess is the smell he reported (that nobody else has......) was involved there, perhaps in packing? The 'cement like glue' really is cement. Furnace cement, a very common and quite safe product. Once dried out (typically water solvent) and cured, it'll typically take over 2000 degrees as that's it's intended function. Cements of this type don't degrade below that and (important to us) stand up well to water vapor.
The plastic used is indeed glass fiber enforced, as is normal in such plastics (helps fight 'softening' amongst other good things). Exactly what you'd expect a sharp designer to use. Totally appropriate to the task. The ovens don't degrade or fail. There are 25,000 posts on this thread, not a single one discussing a failed oven that wasn't tampered with AFAIK? My 'loaner' Solo, used enough to be on it's second battery, thousands of sessions over more than a dozen users, showed no signs of any issues last time I was inside it.
The electronic components you can identify (the basic board, integrated circuits, batteries and other commercial parts) are all top notch stuff, construction in terms of workmanship, lead dress and so on faultless.
Guys sometimes cite the clips on the oven (one not clipped on theirs) or the gap at the seam (common with this type of plastic) but the clips are used only to keep the oven together as a sub assembly it seems, once installed the screws do the job.
Don't let some guy not even using his real name scare you off with his issues. IMO the Solo really is as good as the rest of us say.
Your call, but IMO you won't regret this one any more than any of us did our choice. Lots of us own more than one.......that too is a clue.
"Come on in, the water's fine".
I have tried the m1a model but want to know what are the improvements on the newer model? Is it worth the upgrade? Has anyone made a review for the newer model solo yet?
A change in the charging circuit so you can charge it and use it at the same time, like a cell phone. This comes at the expense of the IMO quite useful PA mode. The airflow was also 'opened up' like the PVHES does.
You decide if either is really an improvement. Easier draw means thinner vapor that's easier to get. The new charge scheme is easier for those who don't pay attention and get caught with a dead battery (they don't have to wait the 20 minutes needed to charge up enough for a session) but in theory (and it seems practice?) this means we'll be getting shorter battery life. Many will leave it plugged in 'so it's always ready to go' like folks do with cell phones and laptops that use this scheme and therefore will face the 'cell phone or laptop that now only works when plugged in' we all know examples of. Only the Solo, in such cases, probably won't work plugged in even then since it still depends heavily on the battery to supply the over half of the power needed (over 2 Amps) the heater needs when on the (one Amp) supply can't. Unlike your cell phone or laptop (or the prior Solo in fact) it won't run without a battery.
If you buy new, you probably don't have a choice. If you do find the older model, you might consider it seriously. The 'rash' of problems with 'brand new' units might be a net induced ghost but the dependable performance of the older model is beyond question IMO.
Good luck with it, either way it's a good performer you should be happy.
OF
. I've decided since the Solo works so well, I should get a 2nd one so the charging schedule can be adhered to better and if there is a major problem there will still be a Solo to use.
How can anyone top that???
