Ascent Vaporizer by DaVinci

[Tanz]

I recently purchased a Davinci Ascent and unfortunately have not been able to use it yet. I've been reading through this thread and need some help/advice.

Third unit in just over a month, 2aa1 model, and aside from cosmetic issues, here is the most concerning problem...I did the recommended burn off's and the smell of plastic/rubber burning dissipated somewhat but never went away. Holding it under a light in the dark I noticed a stream of smoke/fumes. That seemed to go away or was not visible anymore anyway until the next day when I heated the unit up again, and sure enough there was the stream of smoke again but it did stop until upping the temp made it reappear again and then it slowly seems to fade or at least is not as visible. The smell is continuously there though, and it seems that this will not go away.

Reading through this thread, I figured the issue of off gassing was dealt with long ago and expected that the plastic/rubber smell was only obvious as it is a new unit, and figured it would go away and I'd be happily vaping by now...but that is not the case. Has anyone else been experiencing this off gassing still? Is that even what it is?

 

[CarolKing]

Tanz, Have you turned your Ascent to the highest temp for a couple of sessions and do burn offs? If you continue to have an off gassing problems I would contact the vendor. I wouldn't try to draw off of any vape that was off gassing. I don't know what else it would be if you're seeing fumes?
Good luck with that.

 

[Tanz]

Tanz, Have you turned your Ascent to the highest temp for a couple of sessions and do burn offs? If you continue to have an off gassing problems I would contact the vendor. I wouldn't try to draw off of any vape that was off gassing.
Good luck with that.

Hi, and thanks for advice

Yes, I have run it at the highest temp for ten minutes, then let it cool and repeated that about 8 times now but the smoke reappears over and over again. I definitely wont be using it.

I did contact Davinci and they seem eager to please but this is my third attempt already and can't afford shipping it over and over again just to get a unit that does the same. The last unit had the same problem but was worse. They did say that the off gassing problem was resolved awhile back, so I don't know what to think now.

 

[Norcalsun]

Depending on how sensitive you are to the plastic smell it will take a little while for it to completely go away. If you have done plenty of high temp burn offs and you continue to see off gases it might just be from something left in the bowl, just a thought. I have heard about some units that did have off gassing problems so you might consider sending it back if it continues to be an issue for you. I've used my Ascent for about 8 months ( light usage ) and I've noticed the taste getting better and better. Maybe some take longer to "break in". I expected a lot when I purchased the Ascent but soon afterwards I was beginning to think I made the wrong choice. After using the Ascent for a while and more consistently, I still smoke joints , I've grown to really like it. The more I use it the more I'm impressed with it. It does have flaws but all vaporizers do.

 

[Tanz]

Depending on how sensitive you are to the plastic smell it will take a little while for it to completely go away. If you have done plenty of high temp burn offs and you continue to see off gases it might just be from something left in the bowl, just a thought. I have heard about some units that did have off gassing problems so you might consider sending it back if it continues to be an issue for you. I've used my Ascent for about 8 months ( light usage ) and I've noticed the taste getting better and better. Maybe some take longer to "break in". I expected a lot when I purchased the Ascent but soon afterwards I was beginning to think I made the wrong choice. After using the Ascent for a while and more consistently, I still smoke joints , I've grown to really like it. The more I use it the more I'm impressed with it. It does have flaws but all vaporizers do.

The unit is clean, as in absolutely new from factory never used. Nothing has been put in the chamber. I have only attempted burn off's, no matter how tempted I've been to actually burn something in it. I'm trying to avoid it but I'm looking at that pack of papers as the only other back up vape I have is a MFLB, which is alright but was looking for better and thought I found it.

I do have a very sensitive sense of smell but this one is very pronounced and I think most would be able to smell it also. Though the smoke makes it more than obvious, and that's what really concerns me.

Do you still smell plastic..for 8 months? Is That what you mean? If so then wow. And did you see smoke at first too? Can this still be normal and just needs more time/cycles to burn off or is this definitely off gassing, especially after 8 attempts to burn it off already?

I was also expecting a lot more, or at least to be able to use this thing without worrying about inhaling whatever that stream of smoke is. Now it's making me think twice about any vaporizer out there...this makes me think they are all gimmicky and somewhat prototypes that haven't made the cut yet (portables anyway). It would be nice to be able to buy another but blowing $300 on this one kinda ruins that idea for now.

 

[CarolKing]

With my unit it did have a bit if a plastic taste the first few loads. It went away. The longer I have the Ascent the better the taste is for me too. The gong for a mouthpiece was an improvement. I usually push the gong to where it's almost touching the oven. I liked a bit of a tighter draw.

 

[Tanz]

With my unit it did have a bit if a plastic taste the first few loads. It went away. The longer I have the Ascent the better the taste is for me too. The gong for a mouthpiece was an improvement. I usually push the gong to where it's almost touching the oven. I liked a bit of a tighter draw.

I'm sure that if I used it the smell of plastic would be overpowered, but the thing is, I don't want to just mask the smell, especially if it's still burning plastic every time.

Did you, or anyone, after using it and thoroughly cleaning it, ever see the wisps or stream of smoke persisting? I guess after using it though, it would be hard to tell if the smoke was just from resin burning off. And what is the "gong" and where do you get it? I did not purchase directly but from an authorized vendor which didn't have any accessories really.

I'm tempted to just use it and call it day and hope it goes away but can't get past that smell and smoke.

 

[Amoreena]

FWIW, my Ascent (owned since March 18, used 4-5 times/day) never had any taste, smell, or smoke. I'd be hesitant about inhaling what you describe and would temporarily use those papers or the MFLB until the issue is resolved.

 

[CarolKing]

If your unit is fuming when you hold it up to a light like a flashlight it's not safe to use. Sometimes it's hard to see the fumes even if you can smell it. Mine didn't have any off gassing or I wouldn't have used it. Just a slight plastic taste the first few times.

 

[badmrfrosty]

I recently bought a Davinci Ascent as my first vape, and I am absolutely loving it so far. However, I've come across a problem: after a failed experiment with hash, my unit is in need of a deep clean, especially the bowl, which appears to be stained to the point that a q-tip dabbed in alcohol won't do the trick. However, I assume it's a bad idea to completely douse the unit in alcohol, so what's the best way to clean the bowl when a q-tip won't cut it?

 

[Tanz]

Thanks guys,

I'm absolutely not going to use it and will be sticking to the MFLB and maybe pull the papers out too until I get this dealt with. But with 3 units already (although the first one I didn't even power up), it's frustrating and disappointing to say the least.

Oh well, I guess I will go through process all over again and hopefully there is a unit that doesn't smell or burn for real.

 

[CarolKing]

I mentioned earlier that a member had suggested using the Mr Clean scrubbing sponges on the oven. I tried and it worked great. Make sure nothing gets into the area under the oven. Possibly turn the unit up side down when using the sponge. I'm not sure what Davinci would say about that though. Afterward I did use some ISO to clean the oven. I didn't want any cleaner residue which would be toxic. I did not experience any problems afterward.

 

[badmrfrosty]

I mentioned earlier that a member had suggested using the Mr Clean scrubbing sponges on the oven. I tried and it worked great. Make sure nothing gets into the area under the oven. Possibly turn the unit up side down when using the sponge. I'm not sure what Davinci would say about that though. Afterward I did use some ISO to clean the oven. I didn't want any cleaner residue which would be toxic. I did not experience any problems afterward.

I'll give that a try, thanks.

Cleaning issue aside I'm loving the thing. Definitely gonna give the glass flowers a try though.

 

[Amoreena]

... hopefully there is a unit that doesn't smell or burn ...

There is. I hope yours finds its way home to you soon.

 

[Tanz]

There is. I hope yours finds its way home to you soon.

I really hope I can get one that finally works without smoke or fumes.

But I have to ask...should they have no smoke whatsoever, even for the first burn off's? Because I keep telling myself that maybe this one just needs to burn off more...I just waited so long and all the back and forth to not even be able to use it once yet sucks bigtime.

 

[Amoreena]

... should they have no smoke whatsoever, even for the first burn off's? ...

I'm not qualified to say what they should or should not do. I only know mine never did any of those things and required no burn-offs.

... I just waited so long and all the back and forth to not even be able to use it once yet sucks bigtime.

Agreed. I'd be upset, too.

 

[CarolKing]

Tanz, It's up to you if you think that you want yo give it a try. Just see what your vapor taste like. I don't think there should be any fumes when doing burn offs. Did you say you already did several burn offs already?

 

[Tanz]

Tanz, It's up to you if you think that you want yo give it a try. Just see what your vapor taste like. I don't think there should be any fumes when doing burn offs. Did you say you already did several burn offs already?

Ya, I did 8 so far. And sometimes I thought it's gonna be alright, like the smell is not as strong or the smoke stops, I get excited but then I cool it down and try it again and voila, smoke and fumes. I just thought to ask if the smoke, by any chance at all, was normal or happened to others while doing the burn off cycles. Hoping that maybe it was not "off gassing" and just some factory stuff burning off.

 

[CarolKing]

Mine didn't have any visible fuming. Just in the beginning an off taste the first couple bowls. Anybody else want to chime in, please do.

My first unit that I received last year the end of August had air leaks and a crack in the bowl. I sent mine back in and received a new one around the 10th of Oct. It's been a great vaporizer. I don't use it every day, so it's not my daily driver. I use it probably 4 times a week. I still get an hour on the battery life.

 

[Tanz]

Mine didn't have any visible fuming. Just in the beginning an off taste the first couple bowls. Anybody else want to chime in, please do.

My first unit that I received last year the end of August had air leaks and a crack in the bowl. I sent mine back in and received a new one around the 10th of Oct. It's been a great vaporizer. I don't use it every day, so it's not my daily driver. I use it probably 4 times a week. I still get an hour on the battery life.

Well, it's good to hear that there is hope for a good unit. My bro just stopped by and it's the first time he's ever seen a vaporizer. I showed it to him and he couldn't see any smoke for the two seconds he tried to, but he could smell it, and all he said was "c'mon, load it up and I'll test it for you" lol.

 

[Smknbud]

Mine didn't have any visible fuming. Just in the beginning an off taste the first couple bowls. Anybody else want to chime in, please do.

My replacement unit I just got a few days ago was used straight out of the box after a quick ISO cleaning. No odors or off gassing.

 

[Glass004]

Since getting my Davinci back from the company, I have had nothing but incredible sessions.

I believe I mentioned in an earlier post that I cut a screen as close to size as I could given what I had on hand, with the intent for it to be a snug fit on the bottom of the ceramic bowl. I used part of a conduction screen from my Haze vaporizer. This screen works awesome for what I'm after. It never falls out of the bowl when I empty out my ABV and doesn't allow even finely ground material to fall through the bottom. If I want to take it out I surely can with the material pick or a pair of tweezers.

I have not yet experimented with a spacer...at least, not intentionally. I stole an idea from Carolking. After packing my material and tamping it down with the jar, I usually at a little more material and then put a piece of cotton on top of the material I use. The cotton that I use also comes from the Haze vaporizer in their wax and concentrate jar. It appears to be a compressed cotton. It width is slightly larger than the ceramic bowl, which is great because it can be pushed down with the pick or tweezers for a nice snug fit.

I hadn't realized until I tried it just what a great idea this was. All credit to Carolking and others who pioneered this method. I used to place a few Davinci Screens on top of my material, however sometimes I had trouble placing them without fluffing up the material I had just compressed, and it just didn't work as well.

Gone are those days. I don't feel that the cotton restricts my draw at all, and I have no worries at all about drawing material up through the stem into my mouth.

Carol, I believe that I have read in the past that you would vape the cotton afterwards. How did that work for you? I'm wondering when you determined the cotton was saturated enough for vaping and what temps you vaped the cotton at. If you could expand on that a little I'd be grateful.

I use the F-bomb water tool pretty much every time I vape because I don't ever vape on the go (I don't drive when medicated, not even a little). I get incredible amounts of vapor with the F-bomb and every hit is tasty and delicious.

I just discovered that I could take the whip tubing from my herbalizer and fit it into my 14mm gong, forming a nice seal. Look forward to experimenting with that later.




You should still contact both the seller and the manufacturer. If your unit has troubles once, even if it spontaneously fixes, it will have those troubles again at some point, and you don't want to be left out in the cold.

If it were me, I'd see if Davinci will honor a warranty with this product. If they will not, you should return it to the seller and purchase it through either the manufacturer (davinci corp) or through an authorized reseller. I'm not sure what part of the world you live in, but the money you'll pay for shipping is paltry compared to the money you'd have to spend on a new unit.

Also, if you don't have a backup vaporizer, I'd invest in one. I think an easy choice for a backup vaporizer is the Flowermate V. It is dirt cheap, discreet, and incredibly simple to use.

Although I love my Davinci, I have had to send it back twice. However, I have never once had an issue with my flowermate, very reliable machine.

VP

The whip tube is a great method that significantly reduces the temperature of vapor. The lower temp improves taste.
If I use a fine powder I use the cotton. If I use ground spongy the flowers on top are sufficient.

 

[hologramsam]

I never noticed any strange fumes of 'flavors'. I believe I skipped the burn-off process because I didn't know about it yet. But no plastic taste that I can recall.

I have a tip for the cleaning process. I take the glass screen stem out once a day to clean it, and because I do it this often it only requires the hot water from the faucet to bring it back to 100% clean. No pipe cleaners, q-tips or alcohol- just a daily rinse.

 

[hoptimum]

I never noticed any strange fumes of 'flavors'. I believe I skipped the burn-off process because I didn't know about it yet. But no plastic taste that I can recall.

I have a tip for the cleaning process. I take the glass screen stem out once a day to clean it, and because I do it this often it only requires the hot water from the faucet to bring it back to 100% clean. No pipe cleaners, q-tips or alcohol- just a daily rinse.

I think that the glass screen stem is the major choke point, especially if you don't use cotton or a screen on top of your herb. Once those two little holes get clogged you've got problems

 

[OF]

I think that the glass screen stem is the major choke point, especially if you don't use cotton or a screen on top of your herb. Once those two little holes get clogged you've got problems

2? Mine has 4?

But no matter, I agree they represent the 'choke point'.....along with the four similar size holes on the bowl bottom, of course (but they don't tend to foul).

OF