SideKick by Elev8 Vehicles

Since it seems to use a conduction heater and has good airflow, I would try a finer grind

Hey it looks like Steve put out another youtube video.

Hmmmmm.... how does the air remain a coolish temp but the ABV becomes quickly dark brown in color?

I'm no expert on thermo dynamics but the phenomenon described in regard to temp vis a vis ABV color seems counterintuitive to this lay person.

Anyone?

EDIT: Nevermind....I went back to look at the internal design of this vape and I see now that the ceramic bowl is at the beginning of the air path and not the end of the airpath as I had mistakenly envisioned it.

Fat Freddy said:

Hmmmmm.... how does the air remain a coolish temp but the ABV becomes quickly dark brown in color?

I'm no expert on thermal dynamics but the phenomenon described in regard to temp vis a vis ABV color seems counterintuitive to this lay person.

Anyone?

Click to expand...

There's a fairly long vapor path and there is a little metal spiral piece along that path to make the vapor path even longer and I imagine the metal pulls a lot of the heat (and residue) out of the vapor.

I worked on diffusion furnaces in the semiconductor industry and I would call the spiral metal piece a "cold trap." I think I'll run mine with that piece removed.

stickstones said:

Try loading a small, fluffy load and see what it does. If it browns it really dark there must be some serious radiant heat going on.

Click to expand...

The last load I did was really fluffy. I just funneled it in. No tamping from me, just gravity. I could try doing a half load though. Maybe tonight.

DrFunkyMD said:

VERAX which is your favorite vape? Mine is the Airizer Air but the unit kept breaking. I went through 3 of them.

Click to expand...

I like all my vapes for different things. If I were to only be able to keep 2 from my current stock it would be the crafty and the Evo. The Evo is the best vapor I have had from any unit. It's really amazing. For a portable, the crafty is hard to beat. No stirring needed, convection style, so I don't feel that I need to rush, decent portability, and great vapro production.

All the units have some secret power though, and I love them all.

grokit said:

Since it seems to use a conduction heater and has good airflow, I would try a finer grind

Click to expand...

Good call. I'll grind some with my MFLB finishing grinder, and try that now.

**EDIT** Just tried doing that, with mixed results. I got better extraction, and can feel the difference. That being said, I got 2 big hits (6-8 second), and one small hit (3-4 sec) on setting 6-7, and by the 1:13 minute mark, the material was almost black.

The mflb grinder is fine like powder. Try inverting your regular grinder for a second spin.

I have had my Sidekick #67 (Happy Birthday/Christmas) since about 11 am today and I can say that it is awesome for concentrates but lacking a bit for flower at this point in the learning curve as a new owner. I got staggering hits with copious amounts of vapor when loaded up with concentrates be it wax or shatter. The oil cup holds a large amount; .5 gram; and I am very happy with the flavor produced. Vapor is/was dense enough to make me cough like a noob. I have been very pleased with my SSV over the years with flower but found it lacking for concentrates without extra accessories to get full benefit from product. I ran two bowls of flower thru the device and it browned up very quickly and the vapor was thin. Practice with flower will have to happen in order to get the same quality of vapor I have gotten with concentrates. The Sidekick overall gets very warm once you enter the second round of heating and 7 minute temp. hold cycle when using the higher heat (9+) loving concentrates, the glass mouthpiece stays cool as well as the vapor. When running at a 9 it takes a full 2 minutes before decent vapor is produced and closer to 3 min. for much denser vapor. At 4 min. the vapor is very nice and the device itself is very warm. Not uncomfortable to hold but very warm. it is producing lots of cool vapor and can be freely passed about with all getting large hits in a fairly large group. By the end of the third 7 minute cycle batteries are down to 7.4 volts from 8.4 at the beginning of the cycles. By the 4th cycle the batteries are down less than half charge capacity left. 3 minutes into the 4th cycle the batteries are now down to 7.1 volts and by 4 minutes we're at 7.0 volts. At the end of the 4th 7 minute cycle the batteries are down to 6.9 volts and showing much less than 1/2 charge indicated by symbols on the information screen. 4 cycles at a 9 temp setting for 7 minutes each cycle works out to 28 minutes of serious discharge before the little 18350 batteries need a rest and a recharge. 10 hours into ownership and I am fairly happy with my new toy; practice can only provide a higher level of overall satisfaction IMO. I am gonna be very well medicated for a few days while I get the hang of this pocket friendly vaporizer.

I hope this isn't just expensive wax vape. It seems like flowers aren't doing to good in it, even the video from 7th floor doesn't show a lot of vapor. I'm interested to see how it does with the metal spiral removed as suggested above.

I ordered one during the holiday sale and hope it lives up to my expectations and produces serious clouds or I'll probably end up returning it.

My holy grail would be to find a vaporizer that will do a good job with straight kief or hash - not a fan of the bud sandwich approach. While the Mighty comes close, I keep searching...Do folks who have the Sidekick think there might be any potential? Thanks!!

steama said:

Flower person here so what I am hearing is a no go for the Sidekick. I have already decided to return it when it arrives....unless someone can give a better report on vaping flowers successfully. Damn it, I was hoping for better reviews.

Click to expand...

It vapes flower fine. It just takes a full bowl. I'm sure someone can find a way to use less. Honestly I think there is too much airflow. It looses a lot of air in the cap.

Edit. I feel like this thing could kill with some flower. It's gets plenty hot plenty fast. Out of box it still vapes fine. I feel it could be a ton better. The flavor is up there though. Definitely not the conduction taste I expected. It isn't convection good but is a lot closer to the air and crafty then say the pax, flowermate, or pinacle. The flavor surprised me and the super cool hits. I feel like if the bowl was airtight to the vortex rods shaft it would produce a lot thicker hits. A lot less air flow though. The airflow is almost free flowing which is really nice. I feel like I need some more time with it to really figure it out. I'm just busy using my lotus right now because it is still new to me and its more efficient. Vapor aside it's a nice vape. Good feel to it and feels like it could take a beating. I don't feel like I could loose or break anything to easily. Breaking an air stem or loosing a pax oven lid seems more likely. For all the parts it's actually pretty simple. Hopefully I'll have more to say after more time with it.

Please do a test by tamping the load hard to make a little flat puck. This is what I do with all my conduction vapes. Also if it is anything like the Ascent, you will need to develop the right sipping technique (the Ascent is also relatively free flowing but if you draw anything harder than a cigarette puff you get a wisp of vapor at best, it takes a lot of practice and new users always are disappointed)

KeroZen said:

Please do a test by tamping the load hard to make a little flat puck. This is what I do with all my conduction vapes. Also if it is anything like the Ascent, you will need to develop the right sipping technique (the Ascent is also relatively free flowing but if you draw anything harder than a cigarette puff you get a wisp of vapor at best, it takes a lot of practice and new users always are disappointed)

Click to expand...

Yeah, I'll try a really well packed bowl tonight.

steama said:

There are better leaf vapes that work without the need to 'discover' a method or feel there is some kind of learning curve to get great vapor could have been acceptable a couple of years ago but not any longer. If one does flowers exclusively this isn't the vape.

I called 7th Floor about this Sidekick and the individual told me he thought it works better without the cooling rod. If my mind is not mistaken I believe he said the rod makes the ABV too dark. Since I am a stoner I could be wrong about the rod but this detail is stuck in my mind.

Click to expand...

When I get mine I'll be trying it with out the cooling rod, being able to remove it has intrigued me since I heard about it. I think it could provide two different vape experiences from one vape.

@Verax @ApparentlyStoned will one of you guys try a load with the cooling rod removed please.

KeroZen said:

Please do a test by tamping the load hard to make a little flat puck. This is what I do with all my conduction vapes. Also if it is anything like the Ascent, you will need to develop the right sipping technique (the Ascent is also relatively free flowing but if you draw anything harder than a cigarette puff you get a wisp of vapor at best, it takes a lot of practice and new users always are disappointed)

Click to expand...

That would defeat the purpose of the stir mechanism, wouldn't it?

Heh prolly yes!

Likes2vape said:

@Verax @ApparentlyStoned will one of you guys try a load with the cooling rod removed please.

Click to expand...

Sure, I can do that tonight

Verax said:

Sure, I can do that tonight

Click to expand...

Awesome look forward to hear how it works out!

I have to say 7th floor cs is top notch. Every time I email them I get a response in less than an hour. I was told today they plan on having all the bubbler mp done today and that my order would be shipping this week! 1/1/16 order date

Likes2vape said:

Awesome look forward to hear how it works out!

I have to say 7th floor cs is top notch. Every time I email them I get a response in less than an hour. I was told today they plan on having all the bubbler mp done today and that my order would be shipping this week! 1/1/16 order date

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. I wonder if the bubbler mouthpiece is what has slowed my order down too. I haven't seen anyone here who has their Sidekick talk about the bubbler.

DrFunkyMD said:

Thanks for the info. I wonder if the bubbler mouthpiece is what has slowed my order down too. I haven't seen anyone here who has their Sidekick talk about the bubbler.

Click to expand...

They said they have been sending out some of the bubblers but should finish the rest of the bubblers for existing orders today and kiln them over night. I hope shipping notices go out this week or early next week at the latest.

I look forward to seeing more reviews on it.

Cooling rod removed, bowl packed tight. Headed out with it, and I'll report back later tonight.

Must have knocked him out!

stickstones said:

Must have knocked him out!

Click to expand...

hehe. Quite the opposite. Took 2 hits, 1:17 total vape time, cooked the entire bowl to a dark brown. Decided when I got home to load up the crafty to walk my dog, instead of the sidekick.

I think this is just not the vape for my style. I'll take 2-3 large draws, turn off, 1-2 hours later, kill the rest. This has to be finished in 1 sitting. So, tonight, I'll try loading a .05g bowl.

I want this to work, and to be awesome. I love the company, and the owner is great.

Verax said:

hehe. Quite the opposite. Took 2 hits, 1:17 total vape time, cooked the entire bowl to a dark brown. Decided when I got home to load up the crafty to walk my dog, instead of the sidekick.

I think this is just not the vape for my style. I'll take 2-3 large draws, turn off, 1-2 hours later, kill the rest. This has to be finished in 1 sitting. So, tonight, I'll try loading a .05g bowl.

I want this to work, and to be awesome. I love the company, and the owner is great.

Click to expand...

How was the vapor production? Was there more of it with the cooling rod removed and tighter pack? Did it affect the temperature of the vapor at all or make it harsher?

I've been playing with my sidekick over the course of the last 3 days with the bubbler mouth piece (have not tried the original mouth piece). I've personally found the flavor to be substantially better for flower without the cooling rod (ABV is nearly black with it, lighter without). I was really kinda of disappointed with vapor taste quality with the cooling rod honestly. I've been favoring 4.5 temp. (SCS grinder) Clouds are decent, nothing to really brag about. I've tried the oil can with the cooling rod, I have to say I was not impressed with clouds or taste of my live resin. (Comparing to preferred Divine tribe 2.7 cart on a mini invader). Specifically; I prefer a hit as you go oil vape, as opposed to a session style, or hurry up and hit it before it's wasted. Being conduction it doesn't really seem feasible to turn the vape off and come back to it, the material keeps heating.

I'm a bit more optimistic having removed the cooling rod. I'll have to give the oilcan another try without the cooling rod. But as I've been on a flower kick lately & prefer not to feel rushed with concentrates it may be a minute.

Content with over all quality, style. Battery life seems acceptable. I had to charge both sets of batteries over the course of a full day of testing, but that's to be expected I suppose. As I picked one up with intention of using it for a flower portable with longer battery life than a gh, it seems to fit that void. Taste wise, no where near as good, but I would never expect that in a convection vs conduction. There is also the case that it takes 30 seconds or so to heat to temperature.

While the bubbler mouth piece is cool, it has to be removed to reload. I could see this being a juggling act without another set of hands or a stand of some kind.

More testing is needed.

Verax said:

hehe. Quite the opposite. Took 2 hits, 1:17 total vape time, cooked the entire bowl to a dark brown. Decided when I got home to load up the crafty to walk my dog, instead of the sidekick.

I think this is just not the vape for my style. I'll take 2-3 large draws, turn off, 1-2 hours later, kill the rest. This has to be finished in 1 sitting. So, tonight, I'll try loading a .05g bowl.

I want this to work, and to be awesome. I love the company, and the owner is great.

Click to expand...

I love the company also , they make some great vapes , Sad news about the sidekick though. If its cooking the material that quick in the oven its def a no go for me now. I had high hopes for the sidekick. I'll stick with my Lsv & Ssv from them, It is a good thing 7th floor is letting everyone return them in a certain time frame if they are not happy ...