Which is the best bag vaporizer?

It’s unfortunate that these “which is best” threads usually turn into subjective pissing contests full of opinion, speculation and fanboyism.

I’ve owned and used an HA for over 6 ½ years now, I owned and used an EQ for almost 3 years, and have hit a good friend’s volcano many, many times over the years. Some years back, my friend and I have also set up the volcano, EQ, and HA side by side, doing bags using the same herb at the approximate same temperature, as a “test”, and had 5 people in total hitting all the bags.

We all agreed afterwards that ALL THREE are high quality vapourizers that make potent, tasty vapour, and that we challenge anyone to conclusively demonstrate that one makes “better” vapour than the other, if they do a proper test where you don’t know which vapourizer made which bag. We all agreed that it couldn’t be done.

Of course, there are options (personal preferences) that each offers, as well. The volcano is reliable, quite rugged, offers excellent temperature precision, can fill the bags faster, and it comes with a valve for its bags, which are nice options. It also costs 3-4 times as much as the other two. The EQ looks quite nice, aesthetically, uses more glass, and offers a remote, while the HA is reliable, very rugged, gives an awesome extraction (no grinding necessary) and offers excellent temperature precision.

The volcano bags are of a generally higher quality, imo, but it does bags only, while both the EQ and HA offer multimode usage, i.e. – whip, direct or using with glass, through water. The EQ does require tubing for this latter mode, while the HA can be inverted directly into your glass, and fits either 14.4 or 18.8 pieces.

All three of these vapes have stood the test of time, with the volcano being out the longest (~ 16 yrs.), vs. the HA (~ 10 yrs.), and the EQ (~ 8 yrs.), iirc.

In summary, there is no best bag vape, just as there is no best vape overall, in general. It’s all about what vape is best for you and fits your specific needs & wants, imo.

zor said:

As a former HA owner (it was my first vape) I found the bags it filled to be paltry and weak. Quite a solid vape with the whip, but even with a more powerful air pump I found it took quite a while to fill bags. Comparing the vapor from 0.1g of herb in the HA vs the volcano was night and day.

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HA bag, doesn't look too paltry and weak to me:

@nicelytoasted , thanks so much for the detailed response. I have a Volcano digit with solid valve, and a friend owned an Herbalaire for a few years. Your point that the vapor is extremely comparable is exactly my experience, also. The main detractors for the Herbalaire for me was the separate air pump and the slight hassle involved in using that, and also the lack of a valve system. A plus for me was not having to grind herb with the HA. They both put out really tasty vapor!

*shrug* That certainly looks good but using 0.1g differed vastly in my experience. I whole heartedly agree with your overall perspective on the best vape, though.

I think the Versa wins for bags that are the best with the least amount of herb.

lwien said:

Yeah, I'd have to say that the 'Cano is the best bag vaporizer, if for nothing else, their valve systems.

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Hmmm... Wouldn't this be better said "The 'Cano comes with the best bag valve system available"?

I'm not sure why better bags makes it a better vaporizer. They are completely separate, aren't they? I mean, I imagine I could buy the valve system separately and use it with ANY bag vape.

Edit: I took a look at this http://www.storz-bickel.com/shop_us/en/shop/easy-valve/easy-valve-starter-set.html and it would obviously take some jerry rigging, but it could be done. But $120 for a bag system? Geeze...

cybrguy said:

Hmmm... Wouldn't this be better said "The 'Cano comes with the best bag valve system available"?

I'm not sure why better bags makes it a better vaporizer. They are completely separate, aren't they? I mean, I imagine I could buy the valve system separately and use it with ANY bag vape.

Edit: I took a look at this http://www.storz-bickel.com/shop_us/en/shop/easy-valve/easy-valve-starter-set.html and it would obviously take some jerry rigging, but it could be done. But $120 for a bag system? Geeze...

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I imagine you could mcgyver an easy valve bag onto an EQ, HA or Herbalizer. I've done it with the Zephyr. But it wont be as effortless to use as it is with the Volcano. There are also one or two qualities of the Volcano machine that contribute to a symbiosis with the bag/valve system. The other vaporizers mentioned can certainly fill bags. But IMO with the Volcano youre paying for a certain level of ease of use and efficiency that the others cant match. How much that is worth depends on the individual user. As far as replacement bags, Easy valve bags can easily be replaced with oven bags. Call me picky, but I want a bag vaporizer with a functioning valve....

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sbPC4SwGok.

Hoptimum:

I'm curious, what is this efficiency that you get with the volcano that others just can't match?

As far as ease of use, it can't get much simpler (IMO) than: whole nug into HA, attach bag and go, with no grinding or stirring ever needed.

hoptimum said:

But IMO with the Volcano youre paying for a certain level of ease of use and efficiency that the others cant match. How much that is worth depends on the individual user. As far as replacement bags, Easy valve bags can easily be replaced with oven bags. Call me picky, but I want a bag vaporizer with a functioning valve....

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I DO get this, and I think you are right that Volcano pretty much owns the ease of use for bags space, at least at this time. Whether that is worth double or triple the price of another Vape only the buyers can determine for themselves. If I WAS a bag only kind of guy this might appeal to me more, but I'm not so it doesn't. Different strokes. But no diminishment of the volcano intended as it seems to do what it does very well.

I'll agree the cano bag system is by far superior, but IME the EQ is more efficient at filling them. Volcano doesn't do much with small loads. EQ will only give you 1 - 1 1/2 good ones, but I've seen a few weak first bags from cano on same amount.

IME the valve isn't really an issue after first hit is out of the bag and pressure goes down. I've rigged a few valves with varying success, but usually go back to finger on the tip. If you're too buzzed to work that out, then you may be a bit over-vaped! My best homemade was simple, though expensive if you don't already have the main part - no where near $120 though! Camelback makes a water bottle with a fold down shutoff. There is a straw connected at bottom that comes off easily. Take off the lid, remove straw, disconnect your EQ bag with small silicone piece still on it, stick it on bottom of lid where straw was. Works great, but most times when doing bags still go to the finger on the hole.

All I've used is the volcano which is pretty great, I have the opportunity to try the ion though, it just hasn't seemed appealing to me in comparison. I'd be interested for comparisons between the HA and the volcano, because that would be the only pricepoint I would consider a bag vape at.

I'm surprised more people haven't mentioned the Zephyr Ion.

I have owned both the HA and the cano. The HA cost 125 plus 75 for the bigger pump. So for 200 you get a nice little system. Once you find the sweet spot with the speed of the pump, it puts out very yummy, strong bags of herb. You have to hold your finger over the stem to keep the vape in. I never used the whip.

The cano is a much better bag filler but the price difference is 300 or more. The cano keeps the temp and fills big bags quickly. The solid valve system is the best around imo.
If you love bags like I do and you can afford it, I would buy the cano. If you only want to spend a couple hundred bucks and you want a vaporizer that will last for many years, get the HA