Herb Grinders

Aimless Ryan said:

I've watched the video a few times now, and I think I've decided the grinder looks like it's probably a very good grinder. Also, it obviously has lots of features. Which might be useful to: 1) Someone who smokes (lighter and lighter storage area); 2) Someone who smokes (pipe and custom pipe cradle); 3) Someone who smokes (shit, I forgot what I was going to say here); 4) Someone who smokes (rolling tray/ash tray); 5) Someone who smokes ("place to wrap your spliffs"); 6) Someone who likes to pay $100 more than any grinder is worth.

Yes, it comes with a lot of goodies, but it also comes with a lot of goodies I would never need, probably even if I still smoked. And if I did still smoke (and if I did want all that stuff), why would I want all of it to be a part of my grinder? I could see how I may want some of that stuff as options (if I still smoked), but I wouldn't want all of it as a package. And even if I did want all of that stuff, it still wouldn't be worth anywhere near $200 to me. Maybe $100 (assuming the grinder is of good quality, which it appears to be).

And that's only because the grinder is huge, which is yet another option I would never need.

Based on what I've seen, it looks like this thing must be selling. (And that dude is one hell of a salesman.) But I don't think it's been sold to anyone who's ever spent more than five minutes on these boards (first of all because I've read this whole thread and this is the first time I remember seeing anything about it).

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Peeps spoke about it here briefly 2 years ago
http://fuckcombustion.com/threads/herb-grinders.15/page-152#post-445019

I googled it back then, saw how big it was, how annoying that guy was trying to sell you his whole company before showing you the grinder and just like you how it's plenty of features I wouldn't need and/or that wouldn't justify such a price in my eyes; then like most peeps on this thread I guess I forgot about it.

Their marketing really rubbed me the wrong way, it's better left forgotten

The dude seems pretty cool to me. Definitely knowledgeable. I mean, I actually enjoyed listening to his pitch, largely because I didn't feel like it was a pitch so much as he was just telling me what I might need to know. I definitely didn't feel like he was bullshitting me.

However, $200.

I think I would be a lot more interested in this grinder if it was just a grinder, priced appropriately. But hey, if smokers are stupid enough to pay $200 for all that crap, then this guy and his son are obviously doing something right. If so, more power to them.

I wonder if they even exist, besides the prototype in the video and the multi-colored renderings

I've seen people with them in youtube videos but that's it. At that price it needs to pack my vape and clean it too! $200 is crazy and I would never need a grinder that huge. I'll stick to my SCS for now. Do like the looks of the Gr8tr and Compton Grinders though....

Puffitup grinder with 0.5 g of freshly ground herbs. Ground upside down for a bit.



First time I've ever used this grinder. Seems to have done an acceptable job, despite the fact that the teeth are fairly randomly shaped. Kind of weird how the stuff in the kief catcher clumped together, instead of being randomly distributed in a single flat layer.

EDIT: Upon further inspection, the grounds are very inconsistent. However, in the picture above, most of the inconsistent grounds are covered by grounds of a consistent size.

Also, the threads on this grinder are very nice; much better than the threads on my Diamond Grind, and almost as good as the threads on my Santa Cruz Shredders (which are very smooth/perfect).

Here's a picture of the same herbs, spread out a bit so you can see the inconsistent size of the grounds.

I realize this post is probably twice as long as it needs to be, but I urge anyone who's considering buying a Santa Cruz Shredder to read what I have to say here, because it may save you a lot of trouble. Although I am a huge fan of Santa Cruz Shredder, I am NOT a fanboy, and I don't want anyone to end up with what I have received with 40% of the SCShredders I've bought (and 33% of the SCShredders I own).

I ordered a small 2-piece SCS in early September. Since EZVAPES was out of blue stock at the time, and because I already have plenty of grinders, I said I didn't mind waiting for blue to be restocked. The grinder finally arrived yesterday.

What I just said is not a complaint; it's simply context. Jarrod (sp?) from EZVAPES called me every couple weeks while I waited for the grinder, to make sure I was OK about waiting so long, which I was.

Now that you know the context, here's what I really want to say:

Some of you may remember that @whatitdew and I both had issues over the summer with a grating sensation/noise in our small blue 4-piece Santa Cruz Shredders, which was caused by vertical grooves on the male edge of the lid. (Both of which were promptly replaced by SCS.) I think there may have been another one or two people who expressed the same concern, but I'm not sure. What I am sure of, though, is that there are a lot of people out there who own defective SCShredders but haven't said anything on the internet. Here's a link to @whatitdew's picture of the defect: http://fuckcombustion.com/threads/herb-grinders.15/page-227#post-824468. (I am talking about the right side of the lid, as positioned in the picture.)

Since I had to wait so long for this new grinder to be restocked, I hoped it was because SCS had deemed the vertical-groove design on the male edge defective (which it most certainly is) and was busy making new blue lids without this defect (or something like that).

Apparently they weren't. I'm pretty sure the people at Santa Cruz Shredder are very aware that this design is horrible/unusable, yet they keep putting them on the market. Perhaps needless to say, I am disappointed.

I don't understand why they don't just do the right thing and take these defective grinders off the market. If I was Santa Cruz Shredder, I would have done everything possible to make sure my customers don't end up with these completely unusable grinders. Because these grinders are horrible, and it's smart business to keep horrible grinders from ending up in the hands of the people who ultimately decide whether or not Santa Cruz Shredder makes money.

I guess the lesson is this: When you buy a Santa Cruz Shredder, you may receive the best grinder on the planet. But you also might receive something you never want to use. The latter happens too much for me to just stay silent.

SCS already knows how to make the best grinder on the planet, but they either have zero interest in quality control or their quality control person/department is very incompetent. I don't get it.

As the owner of six Santa Cruz Shredders, I feel the need to warn anyone who is considering buying a Santa Cruz Shredder that you might end up with a grinder that will irritate you so much that you will never use it, even though SCS obviously knows how to make the best grinder you can get. At the very least, do not buy a small blue SCS. I don't know if this design flaw exists in any other color or size, but it seems to be unavoidable with small blue grinders, both 2-piece and 4-piece.

I don't care much for the design/function of Space Case grinders, but I feel confident that if I buy another Space Case, I'm not going to be surprised by any design elements. Based on owning three of them, my impression is that every Space Case is essentially identical to every other Space Case, and probably that your Space Case will pass your own quality control inspection, even if it doesn't provide the perfect grind for you.

Aimless Ryan said:

I guess the lesson is this: When you buy a Santa Cruz Shredder, you may receive the best grinder on the planet. But you also might receive something you never want to use. The latter happens too much for me to just stay silent.

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Yes, I had a different problem, sticking/binding threads that wore away the anodized coating to bare aluminum, turning it to dust through the inside of the grinder, on a Jumbo matte black 4-piece SCS, as I mentioned a page or two back.

The supplier (Kindtray) did not reply to my email about it, so I posted it back to the manufacturer (Santa Cruz Shredder). Received an email saying that SCS had received it and they wanted my phone number to talk to me about it, sent them my number, they never called, and they will not respond to emails.

I really wish I received a working grinder from Kindtray/SCS, as I wanted to compare it to my large Space Case, but it was unusable.

Great looking design, crappy manufacturing and quality control, non-existent customer service.

Spent the money, received a defective product, and am just ignored by the supplier and manufacturer, F them both!

I would not recommend SCS at all, at least find somewhere you can physically test the quality of finish and operation yourself, before buying it.

Your experience is much worse than anything I have dealt with. I won't go so far as to tell anyone to stay away from SCS, but I do respect your opinion and I do think people should be aware of things they probably can't know unless they have bought two or more Santa Cruz Shredders. Which most people don't do. Also, I've heard your story from other people outside of North America. It seems to tell me pretty clearly that SCS does not value their overseas customers. If that's their normal way of taking care of business with overseas customers, then I hope they start to learn that people don't like being screwed over. For their sake and for their customers' sake.

I am inclined to think the vast majority of their grinders are phenomenal, but more than enough of them are the total opposite of phenomenal, and it just feels like arrogance to me.

Yes, they did the right thing when they replaced my other grinder, but the fact that they even offer these horrible grinders feels like they treat their paying customer base as a test market. I have nothing to gain by bitching, nor do I have any interest in steering anyone away from buying a Santa Cruz Shredder.

The thing is, they don't need to keep testing all these different design features; some of which suck. I have enough of their grinders to know that if they just took all the best features from their repertoire of minor design differences and put it into one grinder (or every grinder), it would blow away every other grinder on the market.

Dear Santa Cruz Shredder,

The grinders you produce with vertical grooves on the male edge of the lid fucking suck. They should all be recalled (or replaced), yet you obviously have put even more of them on the market. The market doesn't want that, and I'm beginning to feel insulted enough to steer people away from Santa Cruz Shredder. (And strangely, I'm pretty sure people here actually take my opinions seriously, even though I sometimes tell them not to.) If you are still producing grinders with vertical grooves on the male edge of the lid, you need to stop producing them and you need to throw away every one you have in stock. You made a bad investment by choosing to produce a bunch of grinders that never should've hit the market. You should have been aware of this after making ONE prototype of these grinders. I will no longer pay for your bad investments.

Ryan

PS - Sorry if I sound bitchy. I really don't mean to sound bitchy.

The new kannastor vape gr8tr looks impressive! Thanks for the excellent head-to-head - I'm deciding between a Space Case Titanium and the Vape gr8tr. The grind consistency of the gr8r seems more suited to my Crafty. Its versatility and Kannastor's lifetime warranty also have me leaning towards the gr8tr (I know that the SC is advertised with a lifetime warranty, but it seems more iffy).

Any thoughts on whether the gr8tr gunks up over a few of months of use? I might still go for the SC if it involves less cleaning (they advertise a non-stick finish), easier grind action, and less stuck herb. How does the Vape Gr8tr compare?

snackmaster said:

I ordered a Kannastor vape gr8tr a little while ago (15% off labor day sale brought it to $60+shipping), and I finally got to try it last night. So far, I'm really impressed!

Packaging: Pretty slick.

Assembled: Probably about the same size as a 4-pc SCS

Grind: I really like the grind - finer than the SCS/SC, but not as fine as the MFLB finishing grinder. Super consistent, though. It also doesn't require any grinding upside down and then flipping. Just drop it in, close the lid, and turn. Too early to say, but I suspect being able to keep this grinder upright at all times may help keep it from getting gunked up.

Gr8tr, SCS, and SC: Teeth are much shorter and holes are much smaller on the Kannastor. The Kannastor's grinding chamber is the deepest, which I think makes loading a little easier - no worries about bits falling out or anything like that. The grooves on the male part of the gr8tr are supposed to reduce friction and collect gunk - again, too early to comment on whether that's effective, but it seems plausible. The 3-pc SCS bottom is deeper, but the gr8tr's capacity is more than sufficient for me.

Other stuff:
-The Kannastor has extra storage in the top - dunno that I'd ever use this, but it does utilize otherwise wasted space. However, I do like that the black lid can be used with the bottom part of the grinder to create a storage puck.
-These grinders have interchangeable grinder plates, but this model only comes with only the fine one. Not sure I'd bother buying the coarser plate, as this one suits my needs just fine.

@Mulehead I'm really interested to hear what you think about the gr8tr once you get yours!

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I love my small 4 piece Space Case titanium. I never had a grinder that was so easy to work with. I get a really even grind and lot of kief. I like my SCS Cookie Cutter dabber a lot, but I think I bought the correct grinder.

bobwoods74 said:

Any thoughts on whether the gr8tr gunks up over a few of months of use? I might still go for the SC if it involves less cleaning (they advertise a non-stick finish), easier grind action, and less stuck herb. How does the Vape Gr8tr compare?

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I go through material very slowly and haven't run that much through the gr8tr (and what I've got right now isn't particularly "frosty"), but so far it's spotless. With the way I use my SC and SCS (i.e., grinding upside and sideways, tapping, etc), kief starts to creep out onto the male/female surfaces almost immediately.

Thanks! I never realized that my grinding habit (also sideways / upside down) might be gunking up my threads with plant matter.

Ironically, what got me excited about these two pricey grinders was that I just ISO cleaned my ancient $15 aluminum grinder that I got as a free gift from an eBay store. It's amazing what a difference it makes. It's works like new! I bet most people are less lazy than I am, but my experience made me wonder, do most people love upgrading their grinders because it's the only time they use a nice fresh one? That's part of what makes me think that the grinder that requires the least maintenance is the best grinder. Looks like that would be the GR8TR.

I'd lose the ability to save up kief - although the top compartment on the GR8TR could be handy to stash ABV in between refills (instead of for nug storage, as advertised), so it would save me from having to bring around an extra stash jar.

Have you found that the GR8TR is a good size (screwing it together and taking it apart is a pleasure, like with the SC)? Kinda scared about the little bottom storage area to catch the herb - with such lean threading connecting it to the rest of the grinder, should I be more careful about this chamber gunking itself shut? It looks like it's a little short compared to a generic grinder's chamber. Is it just as easy to screw on / take off on a regular basis despite less area to grip? If you didn't have the SC already, would you be satisfied with the GR8TR as a daily driver?

Thanks again!!

bobwoods74 said:

I'd lose the ability to save up kief - although the top compartment on the GR8TR could be handy to stash ABV in between refills (instead of for nug storage, as advertised), so it would save me from having to bring around an extra stash jar.

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You could spend a little more and get the solid body model, which is what I wish I'd done in the first place, but oh well. I ended up picking up a regular 4-pc Kannastor so I could use its bottom half with the gr8tr. Never used to be a huge fan of collecting kief but it recently got me through a long dry spell, so I'll definitely be doing it from here on.

bobwoods74 said:

Have you found that the GR8TR is a good size (screwing it together and taking it apart is a pleasure, like with the SC)? Kinda scared about the little bottom storage area to catch the herb - with such lean threading connecting it to the rest of the grinder, should I be more careful about this chamber gunking itself shut? It looks like it's a little short compared to a generic grinder's chamber. Is it just as easy to screw on / take off on a regular basis despite less area to grip?

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Vape gr8tr's size is fine for me, but it's smaller than the SCS - the solid body would give you more room if you're that worried about it. Bottom comes on and off easily and is easy to grip. I like the threading on the SCS better though - just feels like there's less chance of cross-threading.

bobwoods74 said:

If you didn't have the SC already, would you be satisfied with the GR8TR as a daily driver?

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If all my grinders were stolen, pretty sure I'd only replace the gr8tr.

CarolKing said:

@PeteSeattle posted this in the Grasshopoer thread. I didn't see it posted in the last few pages, hope this isn't a repeat.
http://www.dhgate.com/product/015-f...etal-spice/242216992.html#s2-11-7b|1899376255

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That's a coke grinder

I'm considering two grinders as my first grinder (don't have one yet)...the Space Case Small Titanium 2-piece and the MFLB Nano Grinder. I tend to use small amounts, and am thinking I may not even grind all the time. I've grown to like not grinding. Can you grind a small amount in the Space Case Small 2-piece....say .01 grams, or do you need to be grinding larger amounts for it to be worth it? I know the Nano Grinder is good for small amounts, but is it notably uncomfortable to use, or have any other problems I should know of? Is the SC a lot better quality and worth getting over the Nano Grinder? Which one should I get...

snackmaster said:

You could spend a little more and get the solid body model, which is what I wish I'd done in the first place, but oh well. I ended up picking up a regular 4-pc Kannastor so I could use its bottom half with the gr8tr. Never used to be a huge fan of collecting kief but it recently got me through a long dry spell, so I'll definitely be doing it from here on.

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Nice suggestion. Another best-of-both-worlds approach @Mulehead's move -- the modular storage puck can be mixed-and-matched with a solid body GR8TR so you can assemble a Vape GR8TR when you need something small.

My next task is to find a retailer that sells both the GR8TR and the storage puck (and offers a discount code). The "FC16" discount code on EZVAPES brings it the GR8TR down to $66 shipped - if only they stocked the puck I could bundle it in and avoid shipping!

bobwoods74 said:

the modular storage puck can be mixed-and-matched with a solid body GR8TR so you can assemble a Vape GR8TR when you need something small.

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Going on a month of daily, sometimes multiple times per day use.
Still digging the GR8TR.

bobwoods74 said:

Any thoughts on whether the gr8tr gunks up over a few of months of use?

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I haven't cleaned it, but I do brush the kief screen occasionally.
The grater plates seem to be self cleaning in a way.
After use the wholes appear to clog, but I never poke em out, so herbs continue to push thru as you grate/grind the next time.

I've been using the modular screen section with puck black top for out and about, my MiniVap baskets load easier because of the higher sides.
It also helps to collect more pollen.


Not sure if the Vape Gr8tr is for everyone, or for every vape.
The fine grind works great with my line up except my Solo, for it I prefer the more course grater plate. Just remember this is not your typical grinder, upside down, right side up, makes no difference on grind size. If you have vapes that require different size grinds, go for the solid body which comes with both fine and course plates. If you don't care to catch kief, then i recomend the Vape GR8TR with additional course grate plate.

Hope this helps

My Vape Gr8tr came today and is far too complicated for me. It doesn't matter how many times I look at the video and pictures I can't assemble it. I'm returning it unless some miraculous inspiration comes my way and sticking with my simple 3 piece santa cruz. 7 pieces and none seem to fit right.

Anyone try the "groove" by aerospaced?

KidFated. said:

Anyone try the "groove" by aerospaced?

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That has some crazy looking, ummm, teeth, for lack of a better term! Interesting to say the least.

little maggie said:

My Vape Gr8tr came today and is far too complicated for me. It doesn't matter how many times I look at the video and pictures I can't assemble it. I'm returning it unless some miraculous inspiration comes my way and sticking with my simple 3 piece santa cruz. 7 pieces and none seem to fit right.

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Oh no! There are quite a few parts, but I hope you find it's well worth the trouble. Don't give up!

bobwoods74 said:

Nice suggestion. Another best-of-both-worlds approach @Mulehead's move -- the modular storage puck can be mixed-and-matched with a solid body GR8TR so you can assemble a Vape GR8TR when you need something small.

My next task is to find a retailer that sells both the GR8TR and the storage puck (and offers a discount code). The "FC16" discount code on EZVAPES brings it the GR8TR down to $66 shipped - if only they stocked the puck I could bundle it in and avoid shipping!

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There's a puck that's part of the GR8TR. The price at EZVAPES was the least when I was looking. Maybe it would be as inexpensive to get the second puck later.

True! The grinder looks totally satisfying without the puck. Looks like the puck they sell is the same depth as the puck of the Vape GR8TR, but smaller than the puck on the solid-body -- is that accurate?

EZVapes was my first choice - they've got the best price on the GR8TR, but the puck isn't listed. I'll write them. Otherwise, I might have to wait until Thursday until the cart on My420store.com is back up if I want both in one go (to avoid shipping) and 15% off (with discount code "ASHLEY").

In the meantime, I'll pop over to the vape forum and find out whether collecting pollen should be a priority if I'm going to be convection vaping. I'm sure there are ways to be clever with packing it (and it depends on the vape) - but it seems like even if it's well-sandwiched between denser herb, hot air would just blow the pollen all over, and it might end up getting where it's not supposed to (like through a screen and into the heater) before it gets vaporized.

@little maggie get on Kannastor web site and start a chat session with customer support, the person I chatted with before my purchase was VERY helpful and answered all my questions. They'll walk you thru assembly, no problem.

bobwoods74 said:

True! The grinder looks totally satisfying without the puck. Looks like the puck they sell is the same depth as the puck of the Vape GR8TR, but smaller than the puck on the solid-body -- is that accurate?

EZVapes was my first choice - they've got the best price on the GR8TR, but the puck isn't listed. I'll write them. Otherwise, I might have to wait until Thursday until the cart on My420store.com is back up if I want both in one go (to avoid shipping) and 15% off (with discount code "ASHLEY").

In the meantime, I'll pop over to the vape forum and find out whether collecting pollen should be a priority if I'm going to be convection vaping. I'm sure there are ways to be clever with packing it (and it depends on the vape) - but it seems like even if it's well-sandwiched between denser herb, hot air would just blow the pollen all over, and it might end up getting where it's not supposed to (like through a screen and into the heater) before it gets vaporized.

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After my chat with customer support, I believe the storage puck is the same as the black top, and deeper rounded bottom on the Vape Gr8tr, similar to a typical 3-piece bottom. The black top on solid body is deeper to allow for extra storage of screen or grater plate, and the bottom is not as deep and is more like a typical 4-piece kief catcher.

I really like the optional configurations I can get with the solid body & storage puck, options are nice.

I went thru EZVapes for solid body, and Kannastor for storage puck and a 14mm pollen press.

I plan to use the pollen press to make hash, IMO easier way to deal with kief.
I think a thin pancake herb hash sandwich will make for a nice, hassle free session.