Discontinued The Firefly Vaporizer

cochise said:

Hello, I am a MMJ patient in AZ. I recently purchased the Firefly and fear I may have made an expensive mistake. I have been using a Magic Flight Launch Box for about a year and wanted to upgrade. My problem is this: I use very small amounts of MMJ (don't make fun please) to medicate with several times a day. When I put the same small amount in the Firefly as I do in the mflb I get nothing in terms of results from the firefly. Where as from the mflb I could get taste and small clouds. My material is coarse but I only fill the firefly bowl perhaps 20% of the way. I have many strains that I use throughout the day and for me to fill the firefly bowl all the way would be a huge waste of MMJ for my lifestyle. Is my lack of packing a full bowl the reason I am getting no results? By the way, I have tried preheating any where from 5-15 seconds, drawing incredibly slowly (even slower than with the mflb), and draws lasting 10-15 seconds. Any help would be greatly appreciated as this was very expensive for me. Thanks you very much.

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Try this after you fully pack it.

Hold button down for 5 pulses without drawing. Let go of button.

Hold button down for 2 pulses without drawing. Let go of button.

Hold down button til it turns on, and draw slowly.

You should definitely get results with this, if not, you may have a defective unit.

And Cochise always reminds me of this guy

cochise said:

I have many strains that I use throughout the day and for me to fill the firefly bowl all the way would be a huge waste of MMJ for my lifestyle.

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Consider this:

You can use Arizer basket screens instead of the screen included with the Firefly. Purchase several of them and fill each with a different strain. You could actually swap them out when you want to change strains. You don't have to finish the basket each time, just take the number of hits you want and then stop.

http://www.vapornation.com/arizer-screen-pack.html

A full basket should allow you to get lots of vapor, while still allowing you to run several different strains through your Firefly concurrently.

I use a basket on my dark grey FF and it works great for me (I use the Iolite 7 hole screen disc in my silver FF).

I take 2-3 hits per "session", and a full basket can last me several sessions. The Firefly is great for taking 2-3 hits at a time, reusing the same load several times.

cochise said:

Hello, I am a MMJ patient in AZ. I recently purchased the Firefly and fear I may have made an expensive mistake. I have been using a Magic Flight Launch Box for about a year and wanted to upgrade. My problem is this: I use very small amounts of MMJ (don't make fun please) to medicate with several times a day. When I put the same small amount in the Firefly as I do in the mflb I get nothing in terms of results from the firefly. Where as from the mflb I could get taste and small clouds. My material is coarse but I only fill the firefly bowl perhaps 20% of the way. I have many strains that I use throughout the day and for me to fill the firefly bowl all the way would be a huge waste of MMJ for my lifestyle. Is my lack of packing a full bowl the reason I am getting no results? By the way, I have tried preheating any where from 5-15 seconds, drawing incredibly slowly (even slower than with the mflb), and draws lasting 10-15 seconds. Any help would be greatly appreciated as this was very expensive for me. Thanks you very much.

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I've had the FF about two weeks now. My only other vape is an MFLB. I had read about the "learning curve" and remember going through it with my MFLB before I got to that sweet spot that made me love vaping, so I thought this wouldn't be two hard.

By my second day with the FF I was really bummed out. I couldn't get nearly the results that others were getting or what I had seen on the videos. I was looking for ways to get a refund or sell it so I can buy a Crafty or a Vapium Summit but no dice so I had to keep trying with the FF. Thank God I did!

I then tried the basket method mentioned above. This was a game changer for me. I pack a dome, level off the top then put a FF screen on top. So far with this method I get good vapor and good effects. It vapes pretty evenly but does even better if I stir it. I love how it keeps my FF clean too. The only down side is that I can't fit as much material in the basket so I go through a basket in between 3 and 5 hits depending on my button usage.

I hold the the button down for about ten seconds then, continuing to hold the button down I continue to draw somewhat slowly until my lungs are full. This produces good results for me.

As for battery life mine shipped directly form FF with a 770 and I also got an extra which is also a 770. In two weeks I haven't fully drained a battery. I swap them out after every bowl or so.

For those that do not use a basket in there FF, do you find material gets under the bowl? The few times I used it with only the FF screen on the bottom it seemed like I would get material working it's way under the sides of the bowl. If I didn't use the baskets, I'd have a little more cleaning to do but I could get more material in the bowl.

KWest said:

@mitchgo61 you said: "There IS a new FF coming. Six months? No one will tell me specifically. Smart money is on the fall, perhaps December."? Woo Hooo! I think I will wait it out. Improvements? New battery? Herb cover Wifi? Beer opener?

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Well, that time frame is speculation on my part....in February they were apparently well into the development of FF2, so my assumption has been a launch in 2015. (Unlike some other manufacturers, we likely won't hear from FF until they are ready to take pre-orders...)

Knowing their general product design philosophy, I'm sure they won't interfere with the simpliciy of the device (ie I wouldn't expect LED displays or exact temp control etc.) Personally, since the new batteries seem to have solved that particular problem, I would love to see improvements to the consistency of the heating coils aseemblies...not just from unit to unit, but within each FF. I've noticed they seem to change over time; whenever I get a replacement FF it seems to work better in the first four or five weeks than in later months.

Of course I've yet to keep one alive for more than 7 months...

New member here getting ready to pull the trigger on a FF!

mitchgo61 said:

Of course I've yet to keep one alive for more than 7 months...

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Mitch, what are your secrets to breaking so many FFs? Do you shake em like they owe you money? Do you always use the top screen and over stress the element? Drop em? Back to back to back to back sessions without letting them cool down? Opening the units to clean?

From reading too many pages of this thread I know that FF has great customer service so I guess if I break one when I get it then no big deal. But curious what you're use case is since you get about 6 months max while some others had theirs since the birth of FF without issues. I'd like to get longer than 6 months if possible. Feel free to PM if you want since I'm sure FF reads this and I don't want it to affect your warranty/returns.

Hyphy said:

New member here getting ready to pull the trigger on a FF!

Mitch, what are your secrets to breaking so many FFs? Do you shake em like they owe you money? Do you always use the top screen and over stress the element? Drop em? Back to back to back to back sessions without letting them cool down? Opening the units to clean?

From reading too many pages of this thread I know that FF has great customer service so I guess if I break one when I get it then no big deal. But curious what you're use case is since you get about 6 months max while some others had theirs since the birth of FF without issues. I'd like to get longer than 6 months if possible. Feel free to PM if you want since I'm sure FF reads this and I don't want it to affect your warranty/returns.

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No worries, I don't do anything to violate the warranty. They just stop working. At least three the heating coil died (probably the most common fatal FF event)....you get the pulsing green light but no heat. One never worked right and was too cool....two combusted wildly (one on day one, one after 90 days)...one had an odd circuitry issue that caused it to throw a red light on charged batteries....I may be forgetting one or two....

None of the failures were due to physical abuse or trauma of any kind. They were all natural deaths, if you will. I've bought two, owned nine, and supposedly the failure rate is below 1%...so just bad luck I guess. Really bad luck. I don't think I would worry about use cases, if you are treating the thing properly. (I definitely don't worry about it! )

I've come into possession of some hash. Not sure if it is sift or bubble. I vaped some with flowers
in my nano and it worked great but clogged the basket screen in one load. I don't want to gumm up my
firefly, but I'm thinking the air path for vapor doesn't pass through the screen so it should work.
Any experience with hash vaping in the fire fly?

mitchgo61 said:

Well, that time frame is speculation on my part....in February they were apparently well into the development of FF2, so my assumption has been a launch in 2015. (Unlike some other manufacturers, we likely won't hear from FF until they are ready to take pre-orders...)

Knowing their general product design philosophy, I'm sure they won't interfere with the simpliciy of the device (ie I wouldn't expect LED displays or exact temp control etc.) Personally, since the new batteries seem to have solved that particular problem, I would love to see improvements to the consistency of the heating coils aseemblies...not just from unit to unit, but within each FF. I've noticed they seem to change over time; whenever I get a replacement FF it seems to work better in the first four or five weeks than in later months.

Of course I've yet to keep one alive for more than 7 months...

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Yes, your reputation is that of one who dims the pretty little fireflies. What I would like to see in the new Firefly is a product that just plain works. So many of these forums are filled with hacks and tricks you must use to get a device to function properly. I am all about neat hacks but it seems like you have to trick most of these vapes into working properly. Add a screen on top, push the button an extra time, only loaded exactly a certain way, never at dusk...

I just started using vaporizers after decades of smoking. My last device was a one hitter that cost me 5 bucks. Worked like a charm. Zero heat up time!! But my lungs. Spending hundreds on a smoking device is brand new to me. I am an adult. I can afford it. But the thing better work. And without having to buy outboard gear or special gizmos as add-ons. We should not need to do anything to it but turn it on and go. Is there a device on the market that just plain works?

That having been said I realize that Firefly and all of the others are pioneers and we are in the midst of a revolution. I cannot wait to see what we will be toking through in the coming years...

Cheers!!

KWest said:

Yes, your reputation is that of one who dims the pretty little fireflies. What I would like to see in the new Firefly is a product that just plain works. So many of these forums are filled with hacks and tricks you must use to get a device to function properly. I am all about neat hacks but it seems like you have to trick most of these vapes into working properly. Add a screen on top, push the button an extra time, only loaded exactly a certain way, never at dusk...

I just started using vaporizers after decades of smoking. My last device was a one hitter that cost me 5 bucks. Worked like a charm. Zero heat up time!! But my lungs. Spending hundreds on a smoking device is brand new to me. I am an adult. I can afford it. But the thing better work. And without having to buy outboard gear or special gizmos as add-ons. We should not need to do anything to it but turn it on and go. Is there a device on the market that just plain works?

That having been said I realize that Firefly and all of the others are pioneers and we are in the midst of a revolution. I cannot wait to see what we will be toking through in the coming years...

Cheers!!

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I dispute your premise. My FF works as advertised with no heat up time, no tricks or hacks, no outboard gear or special gizmos. It just plain works instantly every time, and its delicious. And i can say the same about the quality and performance of the other 20-odd vaporizers I use.

Great to hear that someone is having hassle free enjoyment! Seems there were posts on this site regarding defective vaporizers? Forgive me, I have suffered a recent blow to the head...

KWest said:

Yes, your reputation is that of one who dims the pretty little fireflies. What I would like to see in the new Firefly is a product that just plain works. So many of these forums are filled with hacks and tricks you must use to get a device to function properly. I am all about neat hacks but it seems like you have to trick most of these vapes into working properly. Add a screen on top, push the button an extra time, only loaded exactly a certain way, never at dusk...

I just started using vaporizers after decades of smoking. My last device was a one hitter that cost me 5 bucks. Worked like a charm. Zero heat up time!! But my lungs. Spending hundreds on a smoking device is brand new to me. I am an adult. I can afford it. But the thing better work. And without having to buy outboard gear or special gizmos as add-ons. We should not need to do anything to it but turn it on and go. Is there a device on the market that just plain works?

That having been said I realize that Firefly and all of the others are pioneers and we are in the midst of a revolution. I cannot wait to see what we will be toking through in the coming years...!!

Click to expand...

KWest said:

Great to hear that someone is having hassle free enjoyment! Seems there were posts on this site regarding defective vaporizers? Forgive me, I have suffered a recent blow to the head...

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Well, let's not conflate two separate things here. 1. Vapes that are defective, ie not working as designed. 2. Vapes that work as designed but have a learning curve.

All models have some failure rate, so yes, any thread will have folks who've experienced a defective vape. (Some worse that others obviously.) As for learning curves, not all vapes are created equal. The more "manual" vapes, like the FF, that require the user to control the heat and the draw at the same point, can have steeper learning curves and be more difficult to get satisfactory results from, due to the amount of the operation that the user has control over. More automatic vapes (set the temp, wait, draw) are often much easier to use. The Mighty, the Solo, and some other that are more automatic than the FF are really pretty easy to use, and don't require any tricks or hacks to make them work as designed.

As you've seen some folks don't find the FF difficult to use, and some most definitely do. I have had times when my results with the FF aren't as good as I'd like, but I usually know how to coax great vapor out of it. But it's worth noting that there are easy, no-learning curve vapes out there, and if you don't wanna spend some time adjusting to something like the FF, you might consider one of those devices. Personally I like having both kinds of devices...sometimes I wanna engage, sometimes I want a vape that pushes huge vapor at me without effort.

Anyone can light weed and smoke it. Vaping is a whole thing. You can embrace the challenging, often fun parts of the experience, or stick with the easier, more consistent types of devices. But there's something for everyone if you know where to look, and what you want. This isn't really the right thread to go down this rathole, so to bring it back on topic, it's quite possible the FF isn't the best device for you to begin your vaping journey. If you want easy vapes, there are definitely better choices. If you want mind-blowing natural flavor and incredibly cool vapor. the FF is worth the effort.

Finally...I have a reputation???

mitchgo61 said:

Well, let's not conflate two separate things here. 1. Vapes that are defective, ie not working as designed. 2. Vapes that work as designed but have a learning curve.

All models have some failure rate, so yes, any thread will have folks who've experienced a defective vape. (Some worse that others obviously.) As for learning curves, not all vapes are created equal. The more "manual" vapes, like the FF, that require the user to control the heat and the draw at the same point, can have steeper learning curves and be more difficult to get satisfactory results from, due to the amount of the operation that the user has control over. More automatic vapes (set the temp, wait, draw) are often much easier to use. The Mighty, the Solo, and some other that are more automatic than the FF are really pretty easy to use, and don't require any tricks or hacks to make them work as designed.

As you've seen some folks don't find the FF difficult to use, and some most definitely do. I have had times when my results with the FF aren't as good as I'd like, but I usually know how to coax great vapor out of it. But it's worth noting that there are easy, no-learning curve vapes out there, and if you don't wanna spend some time adjusting to something like the FF, you might consider one of those devices. Personally I like having both kinds of devices...sometimes I wanna engage, sometimes I want a vape that pushes huge vapor at me without effort.

Anyone can light weed and smoke it. Vaping is a whole thing. You can embrace the challenging, often fun parts of the experience, or stick with the easier, more consistent types of devices. But there's something for everyone if you know where to look, and what you want. This isn't really the right thread to go down this rathole, so to bring it back on topic, it's quite possible the FF isn't the best device for you to begin your vaping journey. If you want easy vapes, there are definitely better choices. If you want mind-blowing natural flavor and incredibly cool vapor. the FF is worth the effort.

Finally...I have a reputation???

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I only kid about your rep Mitch. I appreciate your detailed information and the wisdom all have shared with me here. I will go for the FF. I will wait on the new version. I am new to all of this and you have been most helpful. Thanks!

Hey folks

Long-time toker, newbie vaper and Firefly fanboi here. I've been lurking here a few months after discovering FC, and especially this thread with such a lively community around the Firefly. Now I've had the FF over a year now and I am still in love with it!

Anyways after almost exactly one year of fairly moderate usage (3 bowls a day?) my faithful FF finally decided to retire on me. Well she certainly earned it, but in a fit of desperation (since the FF was my only vape because my son took the other one) I went and got myself a Pax 2.

To cut a long story short here's how it went. The Pax 2 seemed to have a quick learning curve and I had to unlearn the methods I acquired on the FF. But try as much as I could I wasn't able to get the amount of clouds and extraction I was used to on the FF. Not only that, the Pax 2, despite a resized, smaller oven than the original Pax, still took way more material than the FF.

I spent so many days in frustration with the P2 - don't get me wrong, the P2 is very nicely built and it works, and is stealthy and all, but it's still not a FF - but finally the replacement FF was delivered.

So I decided to do an experiment and do a back-to-back FF vs P2.

Material: Jack Herer indoor grown (~21% THC), the FF bowl was about 100mg, while the P2 dose was higher, to get a good size given its oven I had to load it with 180mg of flower.

Quality of Clouds: FF 4/5 P2 1/5
The FF wins here, no contest. Maybe part of it is due to my experience with the FF vs the P2 where I'm a relative newbie. I don't have any videos of how the P2 vaped yet, but I do have a clip I made some time back where I demonstrate how efficient the FF is.



Quality of High: FF 4/5 P2 4/5
Hard to say, this is very subjective, but I'd say they're about the same even if they get me there differently.

Efficiency: FF wins based on the ~100mg vs 180mg dosage

Extraction: This picture of the ABV (FF on left) says it all.



DB

My Firefly is on its way to me, supposed to be here tomorrow. This will be my second vaporizer, the first one being 7th floor's Da Buddha. I liked the DB but my partner is disabled, only has use of one hand, so the DB just won't work for her - in our experience, anyway, you really need the use of two hands in order to enjoy the DB. I am not getting rid of the DB as yet, but much hope that the Firefly will be an excellent replacement.

There are of course always some units that don't work as they should, and there are always folks that just don't like a product, but most of the participants in this thread seem very, very happy with their experience with the Firefly, so I am really looking forward to receiving mine. I am a bit concerned that your FF only lasted you a year, Dharma_Bum (I can't afford to spend $260+ on a new vape every year, and was hoping to get a few years use out of this one ) but that was a great video of the clouds produced by your Firefly; YUMMMMMM!

I am sure I will have more questions once I have the vaporizer in hand, but I do have one question now - a very minor concern, really. I haven't read every sentence in this very long thread, but from what I have read, it would seem that some people seldom need to clean their screens, others clean them frequently and, presumably, have to replace them more often since removing and cleaning it eventually requires that a new screen be installed. Some replacement screens come with the units, but eventually that supply will run out. Is there something really special about the screens that are sold for the Firefly on their site, or are they just regular stainless steel screens? The reason I ask is because the screens sold for the Firefly cost $1.00 each, which seems pretty darn steep, when you figure you can buy 100 stainless steel screens for about $5.00 on line! I did ask via Live Chat on the firefly website if other screens could be used; Jamie's response was basically that he/she wasn't sure but that they might not be the correct size...which would be a rather easy fix, lol.

Holly

Have not been on this forum in a while...are they coming out with a new FF??

Dharma_Bum said:

Extraction: This picture of the ABV (FF on left) says it all.

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I own the P2 also. It's a fine little stealth portable...and I agree the FF is far superior (convection providing better flavor, on-demand makes it more efficient). I use them for different applications, of course. But it's worth noting that you really cannot compare ABV colors and get a good idea of extraction. All vapes extract differently...my Mighty extracts nearly 100%, yet leaves the ABV lighter than the FF, which doesn't extract much beyond 85%. Just because one vape leaves you with darker ABV doesn't mean it extracted more than another vape that left you with lighter ABV. (There's only one way to know for sure....put both in a high-temp desktop, crank it up, and see what vapor is left in each.)

OakIris said:

There are of course always some units that don't work as they should, and there are always folks that just don't like a product, but most of the participants in this thread seem very, very happy with their experience with the Firefly, so I am really looking forward to receiving mine. I am a bit concerned that your FF only lasted you a year, Dharma_Bum (I can't afford to spend $260+ on a new vape every year, and was hoping to get a few years use out of this one )

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Don't sweat it. It has a five year warranty, amazing service, and a great staff behind it. If yours dies in under five years, you'll get it replaced gratis. (A year? I'd kill for a year. I haven't had an FF last more than seven months yet....but again, no worries, they stand behind it. Great company. Great folks.)

OakIris said:

Is there something really special about the screens that are sold for the Firefly on their site, or are they just regular stainless steel screens? The reason I ask is because the screens sold for the Firefly cost $1.00 each, which seems pretty darn steep, when you figure you can buy 100 stainless steel screens for about $5.00 on line!

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They are a custom size, but you can sub out another type if you can make it fit. You may need to cut it. You can re-use the screens a lot. My tip: try to avoid removing the one that comes with your new FF as long as possible, ie clean it without taking out that screen. The longer you leave it in, the longer the original will last.

hoyo77 said:

Have not been on this forum in a while...are they coming out with a new FF??

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Yes, but no ETA. My guess is autumn/end of year sometime. Just a guess.

Thank you for your quick response, mitchgo61. So, if the guarantee it for 5 years, you can get a replacement from them if it dies before that time?!? (Well, provided you haven't obviously damaged it in some way, presumably.) That seems unlikely, but a million kudos to the company if that is true!

Thank you for the screen info - I will definitely follow your tip about not removing the screen unless it is very necessary; sounds as if it isn't all that easy to reinstall plus it deforms the screen a bit so it probably never has that nice "factory fit" again. Anyway, as I said, it was just a minor concern, and more of a "wondering" than a concern, really.

If your prediction for the timeline for a new model to be available is at all close, it would figure that they might come out with a new and improved version of the FF shortly after I finally could afford to buy this one! Oh well, if I like this version as much as I expect to, I bet I won't be all that reluctant to start saving my money again for the new and improved model! Of course, for all we know there is another year of research and trial and error to get through before the company is ready to produce and sell a new product.

Can't wait to have my own experiences with the Firefly...Fed Ex tracking shows my shipment actually arrived here in Colorado this morning, and the town location is only 15 miles away from where I live, but.....delivery is still scheduled for tomorrow. Sigh.

Holly

KWest said:

Great to hear that someone is having hassle free enjoyment! Seems there were posts on this site regarding defective vaporizers? Forgive me, I have suffered a recent blow to the head...

Click to expand...

Whether it's a faulty unit or the batteries being straight garbage, I have never encountered as many issues with any other vape, as I have with this one. I'll be quite happy if I can get it sold.

OakIris said:

Thank you for your quick response, mitchgo61. So, if the guarantee it for 5 years, you can get a replacement from them if it dies before that time?!? (Well, provided you haven't obviously damaged it in some way, presumably.) That seems unlikely, but a million kudos to the company if that is true!

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Not only not unlikely, happens all the time. I've bought two and returned 7 or 8. Since December 2013. So yes, they are both able and willing to replace any units that go bad. They are, in a word, awesome.

OakIris said:

Thank you for the screen info - I will definitely follow your tip about not removing the screen unless it is very necessary; sounds as if it isn't all that easy to reinstall plus it deforms the screen a bit so it probably never has that nice "factory fit" again. Anyway, as I said, it was just a minor concern, and more of a "wondering" than a concern, really.

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It isn't hard to remove/replace them, but you nailed it..."factory fit" is exactly right. It's no big deal to swap 'em out, but keep the installed one in place as long as possible. You'll have to remove it eventually. (If you have issues, just yell, someone here will talk you through it. Piece of cake.)

OakIris said:

If your prediction for the timeline for a new model to be available is at all close, it would figure that they might come out with a new and improved version of the FF shortly after I finally could afford to buy this one! Oh well, if I like this version as much as I expect to, I bet I won't be all that reluctant to start saving my money again for the new and improved model! Of course, for all we know there is another year of research and trial and error to get through before the company is ready to produce and sell a new product.

Can't wait to have my own experiences with the Firefly...Fed Ex tracking shows my shipment actually arrived here in Colorado this morning, and the town location is only 15 miles away from where I live, but.....delivery is still scheduled for tomorrow. Sigh.

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Again, I'm just guessing. Could be next year. Could be tomorrow. Some manufacturers will hand-wring on FC for months prior to selling you something. Not FF. When it's ready, they'll take your money whenever you wanna buy it, and you won't have had months of advance notice. I'm thinking we're probably looking at Oct-Dec of this year, but again, total guess on my part, based on them being in development earlier this year.

Let us know how you get on with the FF....don't get frustrated if you have issues, we'll get you through 'em.

mitchgo61 said:

Not only not unlikely, happens all the time. I've bought two and returned 7 or 8. Since December 2013. So yes, they are both able and willing to replace any units that go bad. They are, in a word, awesome.



It isn't hard to remove/replace them, but you nailed it..."factory fit" is exactly right. It's no big deal to swap 'em out, but keep the installed one in place as long as possible. You'll have to remove it eventually. (If you have issues, just yell, someone here will talk you through it. Piece of cake.)



Again, I'm just guessing. Could be next year. Could be tomorrow. Some manufacturers will hand-wring on FC for months prior to selling you something. Not FF. When it's ready, they'll take your money whenever you wanna buy it, and you won't have had months of advance notice. I'm thinking we're probably looking at Oct-Dec of this year, but again, total guess on my part, based on them being in development earlier this year.

Let us know how you get on with the FF....don't get frustrated if you have issues, we'll get you through 'em.

Click to expand...

I hope they improve the draw on it...it was a bit too restrictive for me but damn that thang made flowers taste good and i am sure it takes dabbing to a new level.

This vape just sounds better and better! How I wish it was already Friday evening and I had my new vape in hand!

Oh, and I've decided in advance that I won't have issues with my Firefly. (But if I do, I will be back here asking for help.)

Holly

mitchgo61 said:

I own the P2 also. It's a fine little stealth portable...and I agree the FF is far superior (convection providing better flavor, on-demand makes it more efficient). I use them for different applications, of course. But it's worth noting that you really cannot compare ABV colors and get a good idea of extraction. All vapes extract differently...my Mighty extracts nearly 100%, yet leaves the ABV lighter than the FF, which doesn't extract much beyond 85%. Just because one vape leaves you with darker ABV doesn't mean it extracted more than another vape that left you with lighter ABV. (There's only one way to know for sure....put both in a high-temp desktop, crank it up, and see what vapor is left in each.)

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Hey Mitch, thanks for the interesting note on ABV color - I only have the FF and the P2 so I won't know. My first few efforts on the FF ended up with wispy clouds and the brown ABV, so I associated that with incomplete extraction. Maybe the heat is too high on the FF, > 400F, resulting in the burnt-out ABV?

But 85%, how do we know that? Have people actually measured the %THC before and after a vape? That would be great if that is known.

It seems to me that the bowls of the FF and P2 are each calibrated to deliver one 'dose', assuming the extraction is consistent for each.

e.g. for the FF, one bowl of 100mg of 25% THC herb gives 25mg THC, which is close to the 30mg 'dosage' that I've read. But if the extraction is 85% then we're looking at about 20mg for a FF session.

As for the P2, with the bigger load of 180g, I'm getting approximately the same effect which might suggest that we're looking at much less extraction than the 85%, maybe looking at 60-70%, to give you that 30mg 'dose'.

OakIris said:

... but from what I have read, it would seem that some people seldom need to clean their screens, others clean them frequently and, presumably, have to replace them more often since removing and cleaning it eventually requires that a new screen be installed. Some replacement screens come with the units, but eventually that supply will run out. Is there something really special about the screens that are sold for the Firefly on their site, or are they just regular stainless steel screens? The reason I ask is because the screens sold for the Firefly cost $1.00 each, which seems pretty darn steep, when you figure you can buy 100 stainless steel screens for about $5.00 on line! I did ask via Live Chat on the firefly website if other screens could be used; Jamie's response was basically that he/she wasn't sure but that they might not be the correct size...which would be a rather easy fix, lol.

Holly

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I won't worry too much about the screen, I think I still have one screen left when my FF gave up the ghost recently - I changed it twice I think. This means I averaged one screen for up to 500 sessions, so for $1 I'd say that's not bad at all.

Now unlike others here I don't use another screen for the top, nor do I bother to mess with the bowl once I've started except maybe just a few gentle taps to shake it around a bit.

I don't clean the FF very often these days, I do empty it out as soon as I can because warm ABV comes off easier and a quick wipe with a kleenex usually gets it ready to go. ISO wipe maybe once in a dozen or so bowls?

Oh, and since I'm often lazy, I've been known to use a hand-vac with a micro-tool to suck up the ABV and other residue.

DB

Dharma_Bum said:

Hey Mitch, thanks for the interesting note on ABV color - I only have the FF and the P2 so I won't know. My first few efforts on the FF ended up with wispy clouds and the brown ABV, so I associated that with incomplete extraction. Maybe the heat is too high on the FF, > 400F, resulting in the burnt-out ABV?

But 85%, how do we know that? Have people actually measured the %THC before and after a vape? That would be great if that is known.

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This is some of that "fuzzy math" you may have heard about in 2000. This is just my very rough guesstimate, based on the number of hits I can pull off a "spent" FF bowl in my Nano or other high-temp vape. I don't think I've ever extracted more than say 90%ish from any FF bowl. Again, fuzzy math, but I'm probably close.

Since the FF is convection, it tends to cook less evenly than the Pax, which is all conduction. The Pax cooks from the edges of the metal oven inward, as the heat conducts into the material. The FF cooks by hot air moving over the weed, and inevitably it's inconsistent, which is why, even with a finer grind, you need to shake or stir the bowl ever few hits. However, that notwithstanding, my observation is the FF ABV is just consistently darker than other vapes, like the Mighty, that have cooked more of the weed. Why? I don't really know, and have yet to read a convincing answer. I'm all ears though!

Dharma_Bum said:

It seems to me that the bowls of the FF and P2 are each calibrated to deliver one 'dose', assuming the extraction is consistent for each.

e.g. for the FF, one bowl of 100mg of 25% THC herb gives 25mg THC, which is close to the 30mg 'dosage' that I've read. But if the extraction is 85% then we're looking at about 20mg for a FF session.

As for the P2, with the bigger load of 180g, I'm getting approximately the same effect which might suggest that we're looking at much less extraction than the 85%, maybe looking at 60-70%, to give you that 30mg 'dose'.

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Interesting way to think about it. Though there are far too many variations in the key elements (strain potency, amount you use, tolerance of each user, etc) for any given device to be mapped specifically to deliver one full "dose" for every user scenario. For example, I pack my FF really densely, and a bowl can deliver 25 hits, way more than one "dose" for me, and it gets stretched into multiple sessions. Other users here fill it with much less, kill it in five or six hits, and are ready for more.

What's really happening is that your usage is mapping really well to the exigencies of the devices you use. This means you probably have great devices for your personal needs. (See, I wish the P2 had a smaller oven, I never quite need what it holds, but it works better when you really pack it, so for me, it's not really "calibrated" all that well, but I have no problem working around it.)

And yes, it's quite possible your FF extraction is less than 85% or whatever I figure I get. It's not the most consistent device, and the farther you get on the learning curve, the more you learn to extract from it. (I often use a top screen late in the bowl, this gives me a few more hits due to extra metal in the chamber, and that may drag me from 70 to 85% right there.)

There are some amazing "simple" vapes out there. The P2 is pretty close to a simple vape. The FF....not close at all.

I am not obsessing about screens - really - but that seems to be my focus right now while I am waiting for my Firefly to get here (shows that it is out for delivery so today should be the day.) Good to know that the supply of screens that come with it should last quite some time, Dharma_Bum; I agree that at the rate you used them, a dollar a screen doesn't seem bad at all, and you do receive the screens that are "guaranteed to fit," too, so that makes it worth it.

I am wondering if anyone has tried one of the ceramic vape screens in the Firefly. I don't even know if one would fit, but I am curious. I am considering trying one as the top screen to help keep the material in place in the bowl. I don't know how, or if, this would effect the heating of the material, the way a top metal screen seems to do, or if it would even work. Opinions?

I figured with all the experimenters around here that someone would have tried this, but I haven't read any mention of it so thought I would ask.

Holly

OakIris said:

I am wondering if anyone has tried one of the ceramic vape screens in the Firefly. I don't even know if one would fit, but I am curious. I am considering trying one as the top screen to help keep the material in place in the bowl. I don't know how, or if, this would effect the heating of the material, the way a top metal screen seems to do, or if it would even work. Opinions?

I figured with all the experimenters around here that someone would have tried this, but I haven't read any mention of it so thought I would ask.

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It's actually been talked about many times in this thread, though at 227 pages it's probably lost in noise. I highly recommend you check out the "Best of FF" thread in the Portables section...it's only a handful of pages and it's made up of the most helpful, info-packed posts from this thread. You will no doubt see people talk about using a top screen.

Yes, the extra screen adds a little conductive heat to the process. Many of us use one late in an FF session to raise heat and aid in extraction late in the process when it gets harder and harder to pull vapor from the waning material. It also keeps things neater on the lid and vapor paths. No downside to it...doesn't really affect flavor.

As for screens you can also try the Iolite Wispr discs (go back a page or two, I included a link to buy them). These don't fit all FFs, though, including mine, but older units I had did indeed work great with the Wispr discs. They drop in, drop right out, and last forever. I wish I could use them in my current FFs, but the bowls are too small. (Yours probably will be too, the newer FFs seem to be, but it might be worth a try if you find yourself frustrated with the stock screens.)