Crafty/Crafty+ by Storz & Bickel

YetAnotherUsername

Youngster vaporist
I'm loving the mac app =) Cheers @Sasquatch_Jr !

CapturFiles_222.png
 

Stinky

Well-Known Member
It's late I'm baked here goes...





The screen on the left is what came with it, the screen on the right is what I've replaced it with and the middle is the same as the right but domed to keep the herb in the bowl and stop it moving when upside down.



This is how it came, you can see there is a 3mm gap between the screen and the glass that meets the bowl, it seems to loose some conduction if the load moves as the middle seemed a little darker than the edge when opened



This is with my new screen, herb stays put in the bowl keeping the conduction element and giving the full even extraction I'm used to



So that's it for now, will post the good, bad and ugly after more testing :science:

Thanks for posting the pics. Looking forward to hearing the review.
 

Stoned Cold

Well-Known Member
I posted this a few days ago on the Mighty thread:

"Hello, all! First-time poster, and with all I may lay out here, I'm not exactly sure where this post belongs! I'll leave it to mod, and forgive my newness, please. Maybe here, maybe with Crafty thread? maybe Pax 2?

I own a Crafty, and my Pax was recently upgraded to a Pax 2. Love both, to be sure. After 2 years of Pax, I sent it in complaining that screens wouldn't stay put; they offered replacement unit (onyx only). Said my trouble could not be confirmed, but did I know the temp switch was stuck? Anyway, they also offered upgrade discount of $80 towards a Pax 2, and after a couple of hours skimming the Pax 2 thread (thank you!), I decided that the new pax looked like a significant improvement. This has been confirmed by my use. It works great!

But this is the MIGHTY thread! I saw, back a page or so, a warranty declined due to battery over-use. I was also declined, though on my Crafty. My first Crafty (serial #5xxx) lasted 2 months, about 80 hours and started overheating, shutting down, etc., so I sent it back. Very quickly came a replacement (#11xxx). That one lasted 4 months, between 130-140 hours, and started getting pretty hot, then charging became intermittent - while on charger, blue light shut off, sometimes back on, etc. I sent it in, and asked about upgrade program they might have. Seems a Mighty might suit my needs better - I especially thought this when I learned that a Mighty can be used as a pure plug-in.

I was extremely disappointed with the call I got from S&B America. I was told that, while very impressive, my use had exceeded the battery manufacturer's lifetime number of charge cycles. (I'm paraphrasing here).
The lifetime charge cycle allowance is 8xx, and I had used 9xx, and so, he could not offer me the $80 upgrade to the Mighty. (btw, I had paid the full original price, $399, for Crafty, and now that is the price for Mighty...). He did offer a $100 discount on upgrade to a Mighty, but I declined; was not prepared to lay out $299 cash. So, I was quoted a battery replacement, at $70 (even though I had seen published price on website was lower than that, I didn't argue the point, I was kinda seething about the 900+ charge cycles!). I agreed to the $70 battery swap, and he said I'd also get the new firmware (2.7 at the time) and the new beefed up shell/housing, of course, and because I'm a swell customer, a brand new cooling unit. Yipee!!

I sat back and soon came what I fully expected - a new, sealed-box Crafty (#23xxx, ver 2.7). All that talk about fixing the old one was out the window...including the quote, 'cause the invoice was for $50. Go figure.

The irony is not lost on me, that S&B sent me a brand new Crafty, yet would not offer a Mighty for $80, and not for the 80 plus 50 or 70 more; nope, $299 cash, and not get Crafty back, either. I believe the only change might have been re-setting the clock on the warranty. Instead, I reside on the Crafty merry-go-round.

Now, about 'abuse' of the battery. The cs rep started a brief song and dance about a charging cycle being defined as "something like" when the battery is charged more than 25% or so. He backed off being specific about this, but did say that he knew the Crafty was not a "smart" device, and so, it was not good for the battery to charge too often (i.e., should wait til battery is down, then fully charge - including remove from charger soon after, please! and don't let it sit there overnight! Holy crap.

When I opened the box on Pax 2, some of the first, sparse words I saw were, "Pax 2 is Smart". Almost no instructions at all (online manual). Pax encourages frequent charging. S & B imposes a penalty for frequent charging. The Pax 1 that I owned was 2 years old, no battery issues yet. The 'abused' Crafty was 4 months old. My apparent sin was religiously returning the unit to the charger. But my math still can't attribute all the 9xx charge cycles to my regular use. I speculate that, when the unit/battery turned faulty, it was racking up useless charge cycles just sitting there. S & B didn't seem to be too concerned that their metric for measuring this 'abuse' might be faulty.

Did I mention that I love both the Crafty and the Pax 2? :wave:"

I'll just clarify here that S & B did not imply that I abused the Crafty (that's my emotional embellishment). They simply said I charged it too many times. I don't believe their cycle count is accurate.
...frequent charging?...the Crapty...sorry for the typo...the Crafty needs to be charged frequently as it can only last to about 3bowls per charge...it's no secret that Crafty's battery is CRAP but extracts my weed just the way I like it...
 
Stoned Cold,
  • Like
Reactions: biohacker
UnshavenFish: I'm confused - how is the glass mod from vapefiend attached to the crafty / mighty there without the plastic? is it just resting on top? I was really put off by the plastic vapour path but this looks like it bypasses it. interesting!
 

perspectionist

Well-Known Member
....Except the whole point of his post is that there has been no resolution, and at this point, he's being roundly ignored by customer service. His point is that in addition to some folks' experiences here that jive with his, so do those of people outside the forum.

@perspectionist , it is time for a certified letter with return receipt sent through the United States mail demanding the return of your defective Crafty. They don't get to ignore you, legally, and retain your property. That's called theft. Even if the device did not meet warranty standards, they are obligated to return it, as it is your property. Everything about your use case scenario during failure screams "blown fuse." Even if it's not, you're far more likely to learn something about your Crafty's failure by looking at it yourself at this point. It'll also let you see just what was damaged/water exposed etc. (if it was at all).

Look, I don't want to publicly mod-battle, and there's a real good chance I'll just get banhammered or something, but I don't think @perspectionist, or ME, or others in this thread who have publicly documented our bad customer service with Storz & Bickel are "attacking the company," or "attacking the product." We are merely reporting our experiences, and sadly they are growing in negativity because the issues are not being resolved. And to be patently frank, the number of people posting about failures after a dozen, two dozen, three dozen hours, the number of people on their 3rd, 4th, 5th device, and the number of people who have to increasingly face more scrutiny, or crappier return or exchange options speak for themselves when it comes to "attacking the product." The product doesn't meet the reliability standard of any other portable consumer electronic device. No reasonable person would expect to replace their bluetooth headphones, or their e-cigarette, or their iPad every 12-40 hours, and to have to go through a crappy customer service every time. To put it in another analogy: It's not our fault that Storz & Bickel seems to have become the "Time Warner Cable" of vaporizer sales & support in the United States.

So I dunno. Banhammer me if you feel like you need to. Yell at @perspectionist for typing in all caps lock, or something. In the meantime, I will say this for those who are frustrated and who want to do something more productive than sit here and get mod scolded for venting your frustration: The Crafty is on Amazon.co.uk, and you can review it there.

Most online vapeshops have review sections. Review it there. Copy & paste to make your life easy.

The Fuckcombustion mods don't want people to attack Storz & Bickel's reputation here. That's fine. Do it at the point of purchase, where uninformed customers and non-vape-enthusiasts are looking for advice, and take some stars off some Storz & Bickel ratings.

Sorry if this offends. My device works, and I don't rest easily it will continue to based on my past experiences, and the experiences of others posting here, Facebook, Reddit, etc.

Thanx for the support. What you stated is exactly what my mindset was.

I managed a business that manufactured medical products for personal use for 17 years. A few years back, we ran into quality issues on one of our products. We quickly realized that we needed to immediately do all we could do to rectify the situation on two levels. We spent a lot of time and money to figure out how to fix the problem itself as well as those customers who encountered the problem. We realized that even if the problem caused unhappiness and inconvenience, we would do all we can (and more) to turn around customer perception. Even if the claim was marginal, we would still side with our customers. BTW, the problem was not a safety issue.

During this time, our business did not make as much proft as we were used to. But we realized that if our customers understood that we would do everything we could to help them and be honest about it,they would be more likely to support us in the future. The prospect of returning customers eclipsed the embarrassment and financials associated with the situation.

We used customer service as a vehicle to future sales. Word of mouth goes a long way (as does social media). I would find it hard to believe that someone at S&B would not read this forum especially if it concerns one of their products.

I used this forum in order to make a decision as to my vaporizer purchase. If others do the same, S&B should take notice.

This could be a win-win for both S&B, current customers and future customers.
 
Last edited:

vapviking

Old & In the Way
...frequent charging?...the Crapty...sorry for the typo...the Crafty needs to be charged frequently as it can only last to about 3bowls per charge...it's no secret that Crafty's battery is CRAP but extracts my weed just the way I like it...

By "frequent" I meant "more often than necessary". If there's a finite number of "charge cycles" allowed by the battery manufacturer (and S&B), then it behooves one to charge less frequently. If one charged after every bowl as opposed to after every three or four, one would reach the allowed limit at least 3X faster. In my case, I postulate that my tendency to replace it on the charger after every use conspired with a possible flaw in the charge cycle counter as the battery was failing. I just can't think of any other explanation for the 9xx cycles they told me I had run it thru (with about 135 hours of use). Maybe they should add a charge cycle counter to the Crafty App?
 

Stinky

Well-Known Member
Thanx for the support. What you stated is exactly what my mindset was.

I managed a business that manufactured medical products for personal use for 17 years. A few years back, we ran into quality issues on one of our products. We quickly realized that we needed to immediately do all we could do to rectify the situation on two levels. We spent a lot of time and money to figure out how to fix the problem itself as well as those customers who encountered the problem. We realized that even if the problem caused unhappiness and inconvenience, we would do all we can (and more) to turn around customer perception. Even if the claim was marginal, we would still side with our customers. BTW, the problem was not a safety issue.

During this time, our business did not make as much proft as we were used to. But we realized that if our customers understood that we would do everything we could to help them and be honest about it,they would be more likely to support us in the future. The prospect of returning customers eclipsed the embarrassment and financials associated with the situation.

We used customer service as a vehicle to future sales. Word of mouth goes a long way (as does social media). I would find it hard to believe that someone at S&B would not read this forum especially if it concerns one of their products.

I used this forum in order to make a decision as to my vaporizer purchase. If others do the same, S&B should take notice.

This could be a win-win for both S&B, current customers and future customers.

Maybe you could consider finding a decent retailer to buy from rather than direct from Bickel & Storz. I don't have any issues with my retailer and am glad I purchased from them. Just an idea.
 

h3rbalist

I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to, too
UnshavenFish: I'm confused - how is the glass mod from vapefiend attached to the crafty / mighty there without the plastic? is it just resting on top? I was really put off by the plastic vapour path but this looks like it bypasses it. interesting!

I have just received mine in the post.
It's not attached, it's just resting.

Plastic vapor path? That is just the outer cover that locks the glass adapter into place.
 
Hey h3rbalist, sorry I meant compared to the stock CU. This looks way more acceptable, although I assume far too hot to huff directly from the glass when out it certainly appeals to me more for home use with water tools then with the CU. Is the heat path below the bowl mainly metal or is that plastic too?
 

biohacker

Well-Known Member
Maybe you could consider finding a decent retailer to buy from rather than direct from Bickel & Storz. I don't have any issues with my retailer and am glad I purchased from them. Just an idea.

Maybe Puff It Up! I don't think he would ever leave anyone hanging!

Is the heat path below the bowl mainly metal or is that plastic too?

The bowl is metal but i'm pretty sure that column that goes from air intake through heater is plastic. There are pics in here somewhere. Regardless, i'm a huge fan of glass and paranoid of plastic, but whatever plastic S&B uses must be the cat's ass because after the initial burn offs (it did smell plasticky) I never ever detected any offgassing, discolouration, etc. of the CU. It definitely can take the heat. But in the end who really knows what you're inhaling. It should be safe.
 

TheVaporist

Man is a universe within himself
Hello all! I came here to say I really love my new crafty, I bought it two weeks ago, and I'm impressed! He come along with my Volcano, Aromed and the MLFB. So long, my only concern is about replacing the battery, I hope she will survive for a long time! Ligi, I was testing your app for two days and she's very nice! Better than the original one! So far, no problem to report on a nexus 5 on Android 5.1.1
 
Last edited:
TheVaporist,

SatanLovestoVape

Well-Known Member
Does anybody know an app that could work on Windows 10?
there is now an open beta-test for my android crafty app

https://play.google.com/apps/testing/org.ligi.vaporizercontrol

will also do a android-wear extension once I get hold of a watch ( if you are in Berlin and could spare your watch for a weekend - ping me )
Awesome app @ligi it is much more precise than the S&B app, also a lot easier on the eyes, but I did recognize a feature that is missing such as no vibration to turn on/off. I love how you put the list of flowers to select a set temperature. No annoying pop ups that tell you to charge your Crafty, and I love the battery indicator that tells you the percent and not just the bars. This app is probably going to my primary S&B app. Thanks!
 
SatanLovestoVape,

ligi

ligi
Does anybody know an app that could work on Windows 10?

Awesome app @ligi it is much more precise than the S&B app, also a lot easier on the eyes, but I did recognize a feature that is missing such as no vibration to turn on/off. I love how you put the list of flowers to select a set temperature. No annoying pop ups that tell you to charge your Crafty, and I love the battery indicator that tells you the percent and not just the bars. This app is probably going to my primary S&B app. Thanks!

you are welcome - I did not yet find out how to set the vibration - also I have no use-case for it ( I just keep it on all the time ) - I had to reverse engineer as there is no documentation and S&B where not cooperative ( asked if I can get code/infos via mail )
 
there is now an open beta-test for my android crafty app

https://play.google.com/apps/testing/org.ligi.vaporizercontrol

will also do a android-wear extension once I get hold of a watch ( if you are in Berlin and could spare your watch for a weekend - ping me )

Itriec this tool and learned a lot. I c one of my session took 25& of the power. A few hours after device was turned off and my phone and device were close. I noticed that it had dropped a percent and that the device was answering the software and I am guessing the power that took was 1% over perhaps 2 hrs. When I recycled phone it could not connect but once u are connected it stays that way and can contribute to power drainage even with device turned off.
 
MonsterWithoutBorders,

WakeAndVape

VapeLife X
@ligi I downloaded the app but cannot get the crafty to connect? Looks cool though

EDIT: It works# I had to close out all other apps I the task manager except your app, then cleared the memory and it connected.
 
Last edited:
WakeAndVape,

ligi

ligi
@ligi I downloaded the app but cannot get the crafty to connect? Looks cool though

EDIT: It works# I had to close out all other apps I the task manager except your app, then cleared the memory and it connected.

The ony app you should have to close is the S&B app as there can only be one app communicate to the vape all the time.

Btw.: all the ones who like the app - would be great if you could rate it on play as this helps this app to be discoverable ( at the moment it is kinda hard to find )
And for the Open-Source friends - you can also find this app on F-Droid and github - Pull-Requests welcome!
 

h3rbalist

I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to, too
Tried the vapefiend water adapter last night. (with and without the screen MOD) :science:

I went with the 18m fitting and it works great with my large matrix pillar bubbler.
It's well made and fits the Crafty perfectly.
It won't white wall, even if I slow draw. But it does produce nice big hits.

I can finish a full load in 4 or 5 pulls on 200c and the AVB was not dark at all, and was the usual
even consistancy I have come to expect from my beloved Crafty.

I would recommend anyone with a glass piece to get one as it's a nice addition.
 

biohacker

Well-Known Member
Thanks for sharing! Something doesn't seem right though....with the Muzzmod whitewalling isnt an issue, and should be able to rip the entire bowl alot quicker, but depends on many factors I guess. Did you try max temp with a very full bowl? I have no issues whitewalling with just the silicone adapter from @Ratchett
 

h3rbalist

I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to, too
Thanks for sharing! Something doesn't seem right though....with the Muzzmod whitewalling isnt an issue, and should be able to rip the entire bowl alot quicker, but depends on many factors I guess. Did you try max temp with a very full bowl? I have no issues whitewalling with just the silicone adapter from @Ratchett
Whitewalling on 210.

:tup:
 
Top Bottom