Need help deciding between Crafty and Air

I have not found a specific thread debating this question, though I have read an extensive amount on both the Crafty thread as well as the Air thread (and the Solo, just to cover my bases). I have owned a first gen Firewood for a few years now and have decided that I want to upgrade to a session vape, and have narrowed it down to Crafty and Air. I am accustomed to using a bong (with combustion), but I'd like to transition back into vaping. The reason I left in the first place was because the Firewood's bowl was too small and I had to repeatedly pack it to accommodate for my tolerance, so this is also a deciding factor when it comes to the vape I choose.

With respect to the Air, the big selling point for me is the glass stem and the ease of cleaning that it seems to offer. The consensus seems to be that this has some of the best taste with regards to portables.

The Crafty, on the other hand, concerns me due to the majority of it being made out of plastic (specifically the mouthpiece). FC has assured me that there is no plastic taste as a result of this, but I do question how it will hold up after, say, a couple years of repeatedly soaking in ISO.

I have done extensive research on both and feel as though there is not any new information to uncover about either of these vapes, and I still am see-sawing between the two. I know both offer quite a variation of temperatures, but is one particularly harsher hitting than the other? The Crafty's proximity between the heater and the mouthpiece makes me think that it may be harder hitting.

Another question I have, is it easier to hook up an Air or a Crafty to a bong, or is the difference negligible?

At this point I am so overwhelmed with information, part of me wants someone else to make the decision for me, so if given the option, which would you choose, and for what reasons?

dist1nct said:

session vape

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This implies you want a vape you can sit back and sip on for 10-15 minutes, correct?

dist1nct said:

The Crafty, on the other hand, concerns me due to the majority of it being made out of plastic (specifically the mouthpiece). FC has assured me that there is no plastic taste as a result of this, but I do question how it will hold up after, say, a couple years of repeatedly soaking in ISO.

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People use whips all the time and have no problem. The plastic is away from the heat source. Even my low-temp PLA 3D printer plastic doesn't begin off-gassing until around 130C (Printing temp is around 190C). The high temp plastic they use won't begin offgassing until way after your herb has started combusting

Durability is still questionable and for the price, I'm glad I haven't purchased one yet, but damn the Crafty is such a tempting vape!

The two vapes are quite a bit different. One is high powered and expensive. It will munch through your herb while you're cloud chasing like a clown. The other will get you where you want to go, but not quite as fast. What works best for you? Don't know

dist1nct said:

Another question I have, is it easier to hook up an Air or a Crafty to a bong, or is the difference negligible?

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Air has MANY options for connecting to a waterpipe. The crafty has very few (my store is one of the few places you can purchase an adapter for the Crafty - hoping to have a better 3D printed version in a few months, but the silicone adapter is the best I can make using safe non toxic materials).

dist1nct said:

At this point I am so overwhelmed with information, part of me wants someone else to make the decision for me, so if given the option, which would you choose, and for what reasons?

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You narrowed it down to two good vapes, I'll make it easier for you (based on my opinons)

Reliability: Definitely the Air
Price: Air (Half the price!)
Heater: Crafty (slightly faster heatup and greater vapor production)
Dry Hit: Crafty (Cooling Unit gives it an edge for higher temp vaping)

Tough choice, but between the two (I have neither), I'd go for the Air over the Crafty at this time simply because I'm not convinced the Crafty's build quality is worth the high price tag

Wow, thank you!

Ratchett said:

This implies you want a vape you can sit back and sip on for 10-15 minutes, correct?

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Yes, ideally I'd like to sit back and sip on the vape (similar to how I would if I were to be smoking my bong, combustion). Because people say that the Crafty gets you to where you need to go faster, that is why I was leaning towards it. However you are correct in that the price difference is huge!

Ratchett said:

Dry Hit: Crafty (Cooling Unit gives it an edge for higher temp vaping)

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Does this mean that I will be able to get less harsh hits from the Crafty without the use of any whip, or am I misinterpreting this? I'd say this is a big factor for me, because I want the versatility to use the vape without any attachments without super harsh hits (I always used a whip on my Firewood because the glass mouthpiece often got way too hot during a session).

Ratchett said:

Tough choice, but between the two (I have neither), I'd go for the Air over the Crafty at this time simply because I'm not convinced the Crafty's build quality is worth the high price tag

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The smoke shop near me has the Crafty 20% off, which is why I am even more tempted. As far as build quality, I was under the impression that Storz and Bickel have an upstanding reputation. Are there particular issues with Craftys that people are experiencing that I have missed?

dist1nct said:

Does this mean that I will be able to get less harsh hits from the Crafty without the use of any whip, or am I misinterpreting this? I'd say this is a big factor for me, because I want the versatility to use the vape without any attachments without super harsh hits (I always used a whip on my Firewood because the glass mouthpiece often got way too hot during a session).

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Yes your assumptions are correct. The cooling unit helps cool the vapor before hitting your lips. I don't really feel this is necessary if you plan to vape under 400F. But higher temps may cause throat irritation with many portable vapes. The crafty has an edge in this department.

Are you medicating for pain relief? If yes, you will want the crafty to vape at the higher temps necessary for pain relief. If not, you might really not need to even go that high in temperatures (I personally don't enjoy the sedative effects at higher temps)

dist1nct said:

The smoke shop near me has the Crafty 20% off, which is why I am even more tempted. As far as build quality, I was under the impression that Storz and Bickel have an upstanding reputation. Are there particular issues with Craftys that people are experiencing that I have missed?

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First, it's a newer vape - a completely new design for S&B. As with any product, engineers will do extensive testing. But you can never find all the "bugs" in a product design until after customers have it in their hands and begin using it. People are still having issues with plastic (especially the locking section of the cooling unit I think). And there is some software connectivity issues with the newer version of Android (should be resolved soon I bet).

S&B does build a quality product, but this is their first jump into portable vaporizers. It's a lot different than a desktop vape as it will see a lot of different abuse in one's pocket than it would on a desk. I am personally waiting another year or so before I jump on the Crafty train.

dist1nct said:

Yes, ideally I'd like to sit back and sip on the vape (similar to how I would if I were to be smoking my bong, combustion). Because people say that the Crafty gets you to where you need to go faster, that is why I was leaning towards it. However you are correct in that the price difference is huge!

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Honestly, why not look at two cheap vapes for the price of the Crafty. Have you looked at the Lotus vaporizer? Get the Lotus + Waterpipe adapter kit for $99 and the Arizer Solo for $160 and you're golden IMO

Ratchett said:

Are you medicating for pain relief? If yes, you will want the crafty to vape at the higher temps necessary for pain relief. If not, you might really not need to even go that high in temperatures (I personally don't enjoy the sedative effects at higher temps)

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I have stomach issues that require me to medicate to alleviate that pain. Another big reason I liked to take large hits from my bong and less apt to grab for my Firewood. From your description I think the Crafty falls more in line with what I am looking for.

Ratchett said:

Honestly, why not look at two cheap vapes for the price of the Crafty. Have you looked at the Lotus vaporizer? Get the Lotus + Waterpipe adapter kit for $99 and the Arizer Solo for $160 and you're golden IMO

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I appreciate the suggestion, I do move around quite a lot so I may just stick with the single unit (less to hide/maintain/etc). Thanks for all your help, I plan on making my decision by the end of the day, as of now I lean more towards Crafty (despite unproven reliability and price tag, which may come back to haunt me).

If I do end up with a Crafty, the 3D printed water pipe attachments look great, so I may pick myself up one of those as well, in case I yearn for the bong again.

how much is your head shop selling it for? I ask because S&B recently did a price drop and I wonder if the discounted head shop price is in line with it.

stickstones said:

how much is your head shop selling it for? I ask because S&B recently did a price drop and I wonder if the discounted head shop price is in line with it.

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I bet they're doing 20% off the original price the bastards lol

stickstones said:

how much is your head shop selling it for? I ask because S&B recently did a price drop and I wonder if the discounted head shop price is in line with it.

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They're selling it for $330. Good or no?

dist1nct said:

They're selling it for $330. Good or no?

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I believe that is the new standard price from Storz and Bickel. They recently dropped their prices across the board. Meaning you could get the mighty for 399 if I'm not mistaken?

The shop is advertising a 20% discount but they're just really selling it for its new price. It probably won't work, but show them the S&B web price and ask them for 20% on top of it lol

That's a good price. S&B has it for $339

Yeah, $339 is the new retail price, so you're getting it for an after-discount price that everyone is selling it at. They probably are banking on their customers not being savvy enough to know this.

stickstones said:

Yeah, $339 is the new retail price, so you're getting it for an after-discount price that everyone is selling it at. They probably are banking on their customers not being savvy enough to know this.

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I'm pretty sure this is the case! Regardless, I pay the same and don't have to wait for shipping. I ended up just purchasing it. First impression, it is way smaller than I thought! Conflicted about whether to do a burn in, I've heard varying opinions.

Do the burn in until you don't smell anything, which could be immediately.

stickstones said:

Do the burn in until you don't smell anything, which could be immediately.

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Doing as we speak, thanks for all the help! I'm now addicted to FC

this place is great and I really appreciated your original post in this thread. It showed you did a lot of work before asking!

You can get 2 Airs for the price of 1 crafty. You can get 2-3 sessions from the same amount of herb you would from 1 crafty session. Air has many after party options. Air is smaller and better material. Crafty is more techy and cranks out crazy clouds.

For the price of the Air idt you can beat it.

For the OP's purposes, Crafty, hands down.

Much quicker extraction, probably still tastier (I know that the Crafty is night and day in terms of being wayyyyy more tasty than the Solo, I understand there is little if no difference between the Solo and Air in terms of taste).

The main reason to go for the crafty is wayyyyyyy bigger hits can be gotten from this device due to a super competent heater and no draw resistance. The OP has heavy usage needs, the bigger bowl in the crafty will help here too no doubt.

However, I would consider the Mighty instead of Crafty, as for my high usage needs, the Crafty simply does not cut the mustard.

I have sold my Crafty as a result.

herbivore21 said:

However, I would consider the Mighty instead of Crafty, as for my high usage needs, the Crafty simply does not cut the mustard.

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Oh no, now I'm tempted! After several bowls I do yearn for slightly more battery life, but vapor production is so great that I can't complain

I have both and I'd say if cost isn't an issue, I'd get a crafty. Quicker extraction and less draw restriction make it a very solid vape to share with vapers and non vapers alike. The air is a great vape too though, and you could also get an air+a solid desktop for the same price as a crafty where I am.

Ratchett said:

First, it's a newer vape - a completely new design for S&B. As with any product, engineers will do extensive testing. But you can never find all the "bugs" in a product design until after customers have it in their hands and begin ABUSING it.

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Fixed I like to think of it as REAL stress testing, since many of the tests designed to "break" the device being tested in a lab environment are not in line with actual usage practices. That is to say, engineers tend to test in ways that make sense to them, but do not properly reflect the type of abuse actual users will be dishing out.