PPN
Volute of Vapor
Never burned my lips, even on high....
Alfa Vaporizer by goboof
- Thread starter dopefiend
- Start date
-
- Tags
- battery powered
Justpassedu
Well-Known Member
I have sold my Alfa and since have a pax2 , from what i remember the pax2 beats it and is much quicker to charge. I remember the Alfa taking forever .
thx1138
Well-Known Member
I have been at this for near 40 years and I don't need to list devices and make hundreds of blog entries in order to justify my personal experience. I should respond because its near two hundred dollars, not for any other reason.
The little bugger burned my lips worse than a little boy's steel pipe with a Bic lighter. If you add a new mouthpiece, or use it in a j-hook or a bubbler, then maybe it would save your mouth from heat irritation. I had two of them, both are lip burners, and they can swell the top of your mouth from heat irritation if used regularly. I sold them but let the folks know how I felt about them. I would put them on auto by time, and finish before it got to close to medium, because the device (both units that I had) would build heat up to the point that it could burn the roof of your mouth. You (friends as well) would move the unit around quite a bit while taking a puff, because, unless your a real short puffer, the stream of heated air hitting a single spot on your lip or roof of your mouth would burn very quickly.
Anyone who has used one, and taken anything beyond a two second short hit in intervals to build a lungful knows exactly what I am talking about. Let it get up to high, burning your fingers holding it, then take an actual five second draw off it. I will enjoy my Haze 3 without any of these issues, and it also fills two big ovens that go with me. Thats quite a bit better than the Alfa.
A revision of this unit is in order.
Last edited:
catjammin99
Well-Known Member
PPN - was there a certain technique that you used? Was the heat on low? I tend to keep my heat lower since I'm asthmatic. Since i wanted to get the Alfa i figured I'd ask!
Thx1138 - I appreciate your input too. Was it ok at lower heat? Have you tried the pax2 with the raised mouthpiece? It's awful and hurns my mouth. Im hoping that the Alfa isnt that bad!
PPN
Volute of Vapor
Honnestly no technic at all...except I grind rather fine, pack it but not full with another screen on the top of my load and use low setting when I want to enjoy the taste (a good light or morning/evening sunlight is better to see the vapor at low temp!) and med for thicker clouds, I only use high to cash my load.
Sometime I pair it with a bubbler and start at med setting.
It's not the more powerfull vape but, imho, it is one of the stealthier vape able to produce a true vaping experience...and I want to notice I enjoy the 20mn autoshutoff for sipping on low!
thx1138
Well-Known Member
at low heat, it didn't satisfy. From my experience with the Pax 2 - if you think it burns your mouth, I would not advise getting the Alfa, because IME the Alfa runs hotter on the lips than the Pax 2 does. I only used the Pax 2 with the flat mouthpiece.
catjammin99
Well-Known Member
Me too! The Pax2 doesn't burn my mouth at all with the flat mouthpiece, only the raised one. What settings do you primarily use with the pax2? Do you find 1 too light? Is the Alfa similar in terms of temps?
AJ900
New Member
thx1138, I totally understand the irritation that can occur when taking a hit on medium or high for more than 2 seconds. Although, in my personal experience, I wouldn't go so far to say that it burns my lips. For me it's irritating for a second, but not unbearable. Maybe it is burning my lips ever so slightly, but it's not to the point where the burning is causing lasting pain. I also have a relatively low tolerance, so I usually only take 3-4 hits at a time on low or medium, and high most only to cash. If your material is ground just right and packed fairly tight, I've found I can get some decent hits on low, on a freshly packed chamber. You just gotta experiment. Having an extra screen over-top the load seems to help with this. Though if your tolerance is quite high, I can understand how low setting might be insufficient. Maybe your lips and mouth are just particularly sensitive to heat. IMO, the irritation is negligible.
JoeS
Member
Hey Fellows,
I have had the Alfa for about 8 months now (and I've been vaping exsclusively for about 1 year, hooray!), i feel i can give a better review of this unit.
Pros:
- really tasty vapor! i like Alfa's taste better than many units. I can really feel all subtle differencies beetween my herbs. vapor is thick and smooth. alfa is a sipper. so to me there's no point in doing long draws with this one, i think one should always do short 2 seconds draws. so if you only like to do long slow (convection) draws this might not be the vape for you.
- really small and stealthy. also supersleek design, everyone likes it at first sight.
- super easy to use. 3 temps settings work for me. i never use the 2 autos... i mostly use it on mid and low...
- efficient. vapes fairly evenly thanks to the pin. only the very first layer facing the oven's door usually stays greener. but you can stir for the last 2 draws... uses little material efficiently i think. best way to use IMO is to pack it full, press a little but not too much, it can easily built a little resistance (was happening a lot at the beginning for me), but when you get the feel of it it's great...
- easy and fast cleaning. needs regular cleaning (every other day more or less), but is very easy to clean. also it's much better to unload it right after session's over, helps a lot to stay clean, as well as vaping the full charge in one session.
- battery life is enough for 4-5 sessions which is good to me.
Cons:
- construction flaws. this is the main issue i think. i don't remember the name of a FC user who wrote a reddit page about unmounting the Alfa... ayways, thanks mate! really helpful and you're totally right: outer shell (chassis) is not tight to the unit, there's a very small gap, but big enough for material to get stuck inside. there's also surely some oil build up inside the unit. the result is that you can easily smell it
i would be very uncomfortable to send it to goboof for repair.
- batteries are built in. i will never buy another portable without user replaceable batteries... they will die eventually then i would have to send it to goboof for a battery change, and that would absolutely not be ideal for the stinking issues i was talking about.
- battery charge. takes waayy too long. 3+ hours. Also the charging input is not very well made IMO. sometimes it won't charge, you have to move the jack a little... i suspect there's some oil build up in that area that could be interrupting some connection at times. i say this because when i use it and end the session while the battery is going down (orange light) and put it to charge right after the session when the unit is still warm, i would never have charging issues. I do at times when the unit is cold.
also, sometimes when batteries are going down the light wouldn't go orange. sometimes it blinks a green light but never heats up. trying to understand what was going on, i learnt when this happens the unit is down on batteries and just needs a charge... kinda esoteric!
- customer service. sorry guys, love the Alfa, but goboof customer service is quite bad. i wrote them to explain the charging issues (and the building issues), they replied they would look into it but then nothing. in the meantime i understood it was blinking green and not heating up because it was down on batteries, and the unit started working again, but they never replied to me.
I think Alfa is a great portable vape. supersmall and stealthy yet tasty and efficient.
I really hope they will fix these issues in the future and maybe add external user replaceable batteries.
that would make this thing perfect (working on customer service also won't hurt).
I have had the Alfa for about 8 months now (and I've been vaping exsclusively for about 1 year, hooray!), i feel i can give a better review of this unit.
Pros:
- really tasty vapor! i like Alfa's taste better than many units. I can really feel all subtle differencies beetween my herbs. vapor is thick and smooth. alfa is a sipper. so to me there's no point in doing long draws with this one, i think one should always do short 2 seconds draws. so if you only like to do long slow (convection) draws this might not be the vape for you.
- really small and stealthy. also supersleek design, everyone likes it at first sight.
- super easy to use. 3 temps settings work for me. i never use the 2 autos... i mostly use it on mid and low...
- efficient. vapes fairly evenly thanks to the pin. only the very first layer facing the oven's door usually stays greener. but you can stir for the last 2 draws... uses little material efficiently i think. best way to use IMO is to pack it full, press a little but not too much, it can easily built a little resistance (was happening a lot at the beginning for me), but when you get the feel of it it's great...
- easy and fast cleaning. needs regular cleaning (every other day more or less), but is very easy to clean. also it's much better to unload it right after session's over, helps a lot to stay clean, as well as vaping the full charge in one session.
- battery life is enough for 4-5 sessions which is good to me.
Cons:
- construction flaws. this is the main issue i think. i don't remember the name of a FC user who wrote a reddit page about unmounting the Alfa... ayways, thanks mate! really helpful and you're totally right: outer shell (chassis) is not tight to the unit, there's a very small gap, but big enough for material to get stuck inside. there's also surely some oil build up inside the unit. the result is that you can easily smell it
i would be very uncomfortable to send it to goboof for repair.- batteries are built in. i will never buy another portable without user replaceable batteries... they will die eventually then i would have to send it to goboof for a battery change, and that would absolutely not be ideal for the stinking issues i was talking about.
- battery charge. takes waayy too long. 3+ hours. Also the charging input is not very well made IMO. sometimes it won't charge, you have to move the jack a little... i suspect there's some oil build up in that area that could be interrupting some connection at times. i say this because when i use it and end the session while the battery is going down (orange light) and put it to charge right after the session when the unit is still warm, i would never have charging issues. I do at times when the unit is cold.
also, sometimes when batteries are going down the light wouldn't go orange. sometimes it blinks a green light but never heats up. trying to understand what was going on, i learnt when this happens the unit is down on batteries and just needs a charge... kinda esoteric!
- customer service. sorry guys, love the Alfa, but goboof customer service is quite bad. i wrote them to explain the charging issues (and the building issues), they replied they would look into it but then nothing. in the meantime i understood it was blinking green and not heating up because it was down on batteries, and the unit started working again, but they never replied to me.
I think Alfa is a great portable vape. supersmall and stealthy yet tasty and efficient.
I really hope they will fix these issues in the future and maybe add external user replaceable batteries.
that would make this thing perfect (working on customer service also won't hurt).
Last edited:
mystikos
Member
After a fair bit of research, reading through this entire thread twice and changing my mind multiple times... I finally decided on choosing the Alfa as my first vape - so far so good!
My main requirements were something small, inconspicuous and reliable. I originally went for the arizer air but realized the separate stem system made it a lot less portable, and quite frankly a hassle to use comfortably in public. Alfa manages to not only look like a portable usb charger/mp3 player/box mod but also gets the job done in a relatively easy, tasty fashion.
I definitely agree with the review above, although you can forgo the cleaning if you don't mind the kinda strong smell (keep this one in a pouch or airtight case). I think someone else in this thread mentioned leaving it running for a full cycle on high temp to burn any oil off, tried this out + used an iso soaked pipe cleaner and it works great.
The built in battery and 3hr charge time is a bit of a shame though. It's just enough for a day of use though I think. I also wish it was a micro/mini usb connection on the actual unit so I could use usb phone cables to charge it.
And for those who haven't seen:
https://imgur.com/tvK6DGb
New colours are cool, still think black is sleeker
I also messaged Goboof customer service just to check if these were different units,
this was their response:
Heads up for that future unit that assuages all our concerns @JoeS
(still waiting for that rare, mythical grasshopper though of course)
My main requirements were something small, inconspicuous and reliable. I originally went for the arizer air but realized the separate stem system made it a lot less portable, and quite frankly a hassle to use comfortably in public. Alfa manages to not only look like a portable usb charger/mp3 player/box mod but also gets the job done in a relatively easy, tasty fashion.
I definitely agree with the review above, although you can forgo the cleaning if you don't mind the kinda strong smell (keep this one in a pouch or airtight case). I think someone else in this thread mentioned leaving it running for a full cycle on high temp to burn any oil off, tried this out + used an iso soaked pipe cleaner and it works great.
The built in battery and 3hr charge time is a bit of a shame though. It's just enough for a day of use though I think. I also wish it was a micro/mini usb connection on the actual unit so I could use usb phone cables to charge it.
And for those who haven't seen:
https://imgur.com/tvK6DGb
New colours are cool, still think black is sleeker
I also messaged Goboof customer service just to check if these were different units,
this was their response:
"The model you saw on Instagram is a new colour range we are introducing alongside the current black unit. Also there is an ever so slightly difference on the shell of the Alfa but all the internals are exactly the same. We are keeping any enhancements for a completely new unit."
Heads up for that future unit that assuages all our concerns @JoeS
(still waiting for that rare, mythical grasshopper though of course)
PPN
Volute of Vapor
I didn't noticed how harsh was your reply.....I will not speak with you anymore. I never claimed to be an expert, I just enjoy vapor and vaporizers....
I agree with you, mystikos, the black stay the better for stealth purpose. Glad you enjoy your Alfa, I like mine!
thx1138
Well-Known Member
@PPN - labeling people as harsh when they are making reasonable responses to blog entries is wrong and you should stop doing it. Its not fair to me or others who may wish to be open and honest about their experiences. It looks passive aggressive too.
I intentionally wrote that there was only one reason that I added to the conversation - that it was 200 dollars that I now feel was completely wasted on this vape - so that no one would take it any other way.
Lets leave room for contradiction without thinking harsh thoughts, and much peace to you @PPN, but yes do refrain from making dismissive responses to my input here!
@AJ900 - I did everything I could to minimize the heat issue, it just didn't work out - but I do appreciate your input
Last edited:
I timed my alfa and i only got a total of 53 minutes of usage is that the average battery life? Had anyone here had better battery life than that? Goboof told me they would "recalibrate" it for me but im not sure if its worth my time or not. Does the units battery life get any better?
Bass Vaper
Well-Known Member
Sounds like its a little bit longer than the one I have. But yeah, sounds right.
Yea i knew it wouldn't last two hours before i bought it but i was hoping at least 60 - 90 minutes of usage before it died
I really like my alfa and the best way to use it you must dust your herb if you herb is chunky it wont vape good but if it has a fine grind and i mean coffee grinder style and you pack it very tight and pack it down with something any amount full pack or half pack both work just as good you will get huge vapour clouds
PPN
Volute of Vapor
Personnaly I'm in love with my Alfa. Temperature setting are perfects, low for taste and sipping, medium for dry clouds and high for water filtered clouds.
Mine is one of the first units and still works perfectly.
This is the stealthier unit I own and my "on the go" unit of choice.
I hope Goobof is working on a AlfaII with a concentrate setting, an improved lid and a better autonomy (even if 50-60mn of continuous use is rather good!).
Mine is one of the first units and still works perfectly.
This is the stealthier unit I own and my "on the go" unit of choice.
I hope Goobof is working on a AlfaII with a concentrate setting, an improved lid and a better autonomy (even if 50-60mn of continuous use is rather good!).
Bass Vaper
Well-Known Member
I love my Alfa for sipping too, was always my favorite thru the water tube as well. Love how easy it is to connect the tube.
I'm just not using my Alfa at all these days. I've been using my Pro and Hopper pretty exclusively. Listed my Alfa in the classifieds here if anyone is interested.
I'm just not using my Alfa at all these days. I've been using my Pro and Hopper pretty exclusively. Listed my Alfa in the classifieds here if anyone is interested.
Is there still any interest in me making a special tamping tool for this vape? I've been debating if I should invest the time/effort to make some.
What about other accessories?
What about other accessories?
Last edited by a moderator:
VoodooChild
All Along The Vapetower
Count me in, good sir!
Deleted Member 1442
Well-Known Member
the tamping tool really isn't necessary if you use a second screen on top and just press that down with the mouthpiece. What's much more useful is a water pipe adapter, especially since the alfa works great as an e-nail upside down but needs to be held in place. With a water pipe adapter, you wouldn't need to hold it in place.
I wouldn't be without my tamping tool. It's made from the bottom inch of a calpol plastic tube. For those not in the uk, this is the plastic syringe type thing that comes with liquid paracetamol for kids. I cut this off with a hack saw and the hole just needed widening very slightly. I tamp 3-4 times with each layer of herb until full. I then add the second screen and tamp that too. With a fine grind and care taken to pack well, I can get decent clouds and an oven that lasts really well. My Alfa loves very well cured and dry material best of all. One noteworthy observation is that it's best to avoid getting material into the gap where the door lock slider fits into as this does result in material making its way into the internals of the unit. I've had mine apart once to give the inside a decent but careful clean.