steiner666
Serial vapist
lol, which color was it? I like my nice brown hemp bag, but i've seen the old DBV bags and they looks like a nightmare from the 80'sgoettel said:
like pink and zebra or something. Really? Do you have both water and ice in the ice chamber or just one or the other? I use my DBV with my 24" bong with a couple cups of cold water and about 1.5-2 trays (about 15-18 cubes) worth of ice in the chamber and I think the hits are just like a breath of cold winter air. Of course i vape with the dial set to about noon usually too, which i'm sure plays some part in the different experiences.goettel said:
Maybe look into a different/bigger bong? One with a percolator(s) and a longer path through the water or one with a diffused downstem, to break the bubbles up smaller, or put some glass beads in the water to help accomplish the same thing? or instead of beads maybe get some crushed ice and fill it with slushy ice water?
Anyways, congrats on your purchase. You haven't truly enjoyed the DBV experience until you harvest and vape some wandhash tho, so get to work on building up some residue!
scottydo42
Well-Known Member
hey can anyone give me some tips on finding the right temp/how to start it up most efficiently/and best breathing techniques. Just got a black da buddha last week and used it with 5 of my friends the other day and we had trouble with it. we couldn't find a good tempt to leave it on and had it around 3 and 2 o'clock most of the time but kept changing it around. Also the bowl packs ended up more black then brown/dark brown. what im I and my friends doing wrong?
steiner666
Serial vapist
you can skim back and find other discussion about this in previous pages if you want more details, but the quick and simple is:scottydo42 said:
set it low, around noon and hit it normal. if hits too thin, try hitting it slow. try a couple times, since sometimes herb is moist and needs to be dried out by a couple hits b4 it starts to vape (at least in my experience).
If you still dont get anything and the bowl doesnt look browned, turn it up to about 12:30. Give it a minute or so to make sure its up to the new temp and then repeat, starting with normal hit speed and reducing if the results are poor.
Continue to bump up the temps in small increments, trying to get some vape out by hitting it as slow as you can before you try upping the temp.
Once you get to where you're getting some decently visible hits, make note of what temp/hit speed you used to get that result. Vape at that setting, stirring the bowl every couple hits. When you stop getting hits, check and see if the herb is brown. if its still got green/tan in it, try pushing the temp a bit further and/or re-grinding the herb to expose more surface area.
Once you get to the point where you see blackened herb, make note of the setting and remember not to go that high next time.
GL, and have fune
btw, i personally found my DBV vapes nicely on noon with soft hits (barely audible over my PC fans) on most average herb. I will sometimes take the ABV from vaping at noon and regrind it and vape at about 1 oclock though. If it hit it too slow at 1oclock, i can sometimes scorch the her a bit, so i never go past 1.
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scottydo42
Well-Known Member
alright thanks alot man im gonna go experiment with it soon, also where should i set the dial for the initial start up/warm up and for how long?
steiner666
Serial vapist
well for the VERY first time using it, like after you get it out of the box, you're supposed to crank it up to max for 10 mins to make sure theres no residue/oils on the heating element.scottydo42 said:
but if you mean just for gen usage afterwards, some ppl say they turn theirs up higher than they need and then turn it back down b4 they use it, but i've never saw the point in it. I usually just set mine to noon and then go about grinding and loading the bowl and such, then make sure a few minutes have passed and start given it a try.
also, make sure you give it a little bit of time between hits to get back up to temp. if you're by yourself its not a big deal, sinc eyou'll be holding the hit in and letting it out and time will be passing before the next hit, but if youre passing the whip around, it might play a factor.
once you get the feel for it it will be like second nature and wont seem like such a complex procedure.
scottydo42
Well-Known Member
dude all the advice you gave me helped a lot thanks man, starting to get a good ass feel for it
theeleventhhour
Well-Known Member
Long time lurker here, with my review of Da Buddha!
Why I chose a DBV:
I had wanted to start vaporizing for a long time to save my lungs and not waste my herb so much, so I scoured the internet (mostly FC.com actually) and did a whole bunch of research. After careful shopping, I decided to go with Da Buddha Vaporizer based on a few things. First, it has a moderate to large capacity as a whip vape, meaning I can load it with mid-grade or even sub-standard herb and it is still wholly effective. Second, It has a basic design with few parts, none of which are really in any danger of breaking or malfunctioning simply due to their solid-state and simplistic nature. Also, it is one of the least expensive ($200 at your door, no waiting line) out of the most popular, quality vapes. I also desired the hands-free design. Finally, the DBV (and it's brother, the SSV) receives many rave reviews on this site and others.
I opened it and here's what happened:
It took six days, I think, from ordering to receipt of the item. I bought it from a vendor, though, not the dealer. I did call them (7th Floor) to ask a couple questions and they seem to be a terrific company. The young lady on the phone was an absolute expert and very helpful. Everything arrived a few days later. Immediately upon opening the shipping box and unwrapping the cellophane, any potential fears of buyer's remorse were squashed. I have always been wary of the high prices of vaporizers when you consider the basic and almost crude principles by which they work. This vape really makes even me feel okay about dropping $200 on a piece of medicating equipment that I might have forever. The attractive, plush bag is a significant feature and the entire DBV setup is professional and precise. The vape itself is substantial enough (and has sufficient non-slip rubber feet) to never, ever have to worry about it shifting. The power cord is exactly as long as you could need it to reasonably be; that is, it's not too long or too short. The wand and mouthpiece were buried in the bottom of the bag's pockets, prompting me to get flustered like I'd lost them already before I even got to vape
The poker is cute with the tiny glass animal being a nice touch but don't step on it! Ouch!
Alright that's great, but does it work or what?
So it took me a week or two to become a real pro at vaping, but now I'm pretty good at it. I initially set my knob at around 12:15 to vape fully and I consistently produced dark brown ABV matter. I understand that the knob placement can be different fo some DBVs, but from what I've heard many of them are calibrated closely. As the unit slowly got vapor condensed on all the walls and crevices, thus slowing airflow, and I got better at vaping, I turned the knob down and now vape the herb pretty completely around 11:15-11:35. You can load small, efficient amounts into the wand and take small hits, or fill it 3/4 of the way and take big, monster, almost bong-like rips. It is not uncommon to take a thick, rich, cough-inducing hit from the DBV that knocks you back 2 or so levels in one cerebellum-tingling exhale.
If you draw gingerly for anywhere from 4 to 8 seconds, then gradually increase your draw speed, you will be ripping killer vapor hits like there's no tomorrow before too long. This vape is pretty simple to get to know and use well. I even remove the wand from the elbow at the end of each inhale to clear out any residual vapor hanging out inside the whip.
Come on and, STIR IT UP
Stirring is really key with this vape. After 2 or 3 hits on a fresh wand, bust out your pokey and stir/mash up the herb in the wand. The next 3 hits will be highly effective and, if desired, startlingly thick! If you keep stirring and mashing or even regrinding your herb matter after you've vaped it a while, you may find yourself confused as to why you haven't had to reload the wand yet.
What about cleaning?
After almost a month, I have not yet had to clean my DBV aside from changing the screen once and scraping the pure collected hash from the inside of the wand with a pokey. And boy, HOWDY was that some good hash! In cleaning is where a problem rears its head, though: sometimes the screen is a MAJOR hassle to replace in the wand. Just make sure you bend it into a very slight bowl shape at first, then gingerly reinsert it exactly as it looked when you first got the unit. Be patient and don't be afraid to waste a screen and start over if it gets bent too much. Maybe buy some extra screens with your order. Not a huge issue though. The glass making up the elbow around the heating element is slightly brown, which may not be normal but due to a bit of combustion. The vapors do collect on the inside of the wand, whip and mouthpiece. Of course, this collected, oily solid is basically pure hash containing very high percentages of heat-extracted THC and associated cannabinoids. Clean it out with a bit of pure isopropyl alcohol (NOT "Rubbing Alcohol," as it contains bittering agents) and dry it, then put it on top of some herb in your DBV!
Hashish, Butane Hash Oil and Keef in your DBV
In truth, as long as you vaporize it substantially while it is on top of an herbal "green screen" in the wand, I would HIGHLY encourage the vaping of solid, dried or powdered hashish. Keef also works utter, eyelid-drooping magic in the DBV on top of a green screen.
[Edit] I edited because, as Beezleb pointed out, any decent amount of melty or bubbly hasish has the serious potential to get all over the screen and ruin your vaping session and make a mess. Better to stick with the dry hashish in this one. THX Beezleb! [/Edit]
Well how much money is this gonna save me in the long run?
Obviously the efficiency depends entirely upon your own habits. My own habits are generally to remain heavily medicated anytime during which I am awake. This was hard as a smoker in a non-smoking house in the cold months, complete with my ailing lungs to bother me. So when I started vaping, I could actually manage to be medicated constantly, whereas before, the weather and my asthma prevented more than occasional stoning. So my own cannabis consumption actually stayed about the same initially, although I am now three times as high as I was a month ago. Vaping my mid-grade, partially compressed bud is, in my estimation around 3 times as efficient using my DBV as compared to smoking the herb. I would literally have to smoke a whole gram to reap the same effects as 1/3g brings through the DBV. As a relatively new vaper, I am pleased with that figure and it's actually about what I was shooting for.
[Edit] As per my notes below, be aware that my personal usage is slightly wasteful and not the most efficient. [/Edit]
The only significant problem I can find is...
...that your herb or ABV matter will fall into the elbow from time to time and combust. I think this is kind of a silly problem. It seems like it would be easy to put a screen in the elbow that would completely prevent this. Maybe having a screen there would negatively affect performance from inhibiting the airflow or heat radiance. The hands-free aspect of the vape obviously requires that the wand be level with the ground, or it would slide out. At any rate, this is the only significant problem you may notice as it stinks when you roast partially combusted plants on that heating element all day
Even this problem with soon go away once you get to use your DBV well. There is, from time to time, a very faint and slightly combusted odor that emanates from the unit. It's not strong and is probably due to some very fine plant material from my slightly over-packed wand falling into the heater area.
Recommendations?
If you want a simple, elegant and easy-to-use vape for mostly personal use, the Da Buddha Vaporizer is a great choice. It's inexpensive, there's no waiting list, it can be anywhere from efficient to hard-hitting, there's a 3 year warranty, and it's downright well-made. If you are trying to decide on your first vape and on a budget with maybe not the best quality pot, then the DBV is, quite possibly, the vape for you. I am in love with the thing (although since I will be hitting the road soon I will be abandoning it in favor of a highly portable vape model) and am extremely pleased with my decision to purchase. I doubled my herb smoking to help me quit cigarettes, now this DBV has enabled me to double my medication while quitting smoking entirely. Smoke, in fact, is no longer anywhere near as effective as vapor now that I can control the size of my hits.
One more idea: We used to make a bong called "The Lung" out of a bread bag and a 2 liter bottle with the bottom 2 inches cut off. You tape the open end of the bag with a good seal around the now open bottom of the bottle. You would normally insert a makeshift weed-smoking bowl into the mouth of the 2 liter bottle. Empty the air in the bottle, light the herb, slowly pull the bag out and you have over 2 liters of very thick smoke. I have yet to try this since I don't drink soda, but in theory, if we made this contraption and replaced the bowl with just a sealed connection to the whip, well, we could even have makeshift bags with this great whip vape. Just a though.
Anyways, thanks for reading my review. I may follow up on it when I remember more later. See, this thing works
Why I chose a DBV:
I had wanted to start vaporizing for a long time to save my lungs and not waste my herb so much, so I scoured the internet (mostly FC.com actually) and did a whole bunch of research. After careful shopping, I decided to go with Da Buddha Vaporizer based on a few things. First, it has a moderate to large capacity as a whip vape, meaning I can load it with mid-grade or even sub-standard herb and it is still wholly effective. Second, It has a basic design with few parts, none of which are really in any danger of breaking or malfunctioning simply due to their solid-state and simplistic nature. Also, it is one of the least expensive ($200 at your door, no waiting line) out of the most popular, quality vapes. I also desired the hands-free design. Finally, the DBV (and it's brother, the SSV) receives many rave reviews on this site and others.
I opened it and here's what happened:
It took six days, I think, from ordering to receipt of the item. I bought it from a vendor, though, not the dealer. I did call them (7th Floor) to ask a couple questions and they seem to be a terrific company. The young lady on the phone was an absolute expert and very helpful. Everything arrived a few days later. Immediately upon opening the shipping box and unwrapping the cellophane, any potential fears of buyer's remorse were squashed. I have always been wary of the high prices of vaporizers when you consider the basic and almost crude principles by which they work. This vape really makes even me feel okay about dropping $200 on a piece of medicating equipment that I might have forever. The attractive, plush bag is a significant feature and the entire DBV setup is professional and precise. The vape itself is substantial enough (and has sufficient non-slip rubber feet) to never, ever have to worry about it shifting. The power cord is exactly as long as you could need it to reasonably be; that is, it's not too long or too short. The wand and mouthpiece were buried in the bottom of the bag's pockets, prompting me to get flustered like I'd lost them already before I even got to vape
The poker is cute with the tiny glass animal being a nice touch but don't step on it! Ouch!Alright that's great, but does it work or what?
So it took me a week or two to become a real pro at vaping, but now I'm pretty good at it. I initially set my knob at around 12:15 to vape fully and I consistently produced dark brown ABV matter. I understand that the knob placement can be different fo some DBVs, but from what I've heard many of them are calibrated closely. As the unit slowly got vapor condensed on all the walls and crevices, thus slowing airflow, and I got better at vaping, I turned the knob down and now vape the herb pretty completely around 11:15-11:35. You can load small, efficient amounts into the wand and take small hits, or fill it 3/4 of the way and take big, monster, almost bong-like rips. It is not uncommon to take a thick, rich, cough-inducing hit from the DBV that knocks you back 2 or so levels in one cerebellum-tingling exhale.
If you draw gingerly for anywhere from 4 to 8 seconds, then gradually increase your draw speed, you will be ripping killer vapor hits like there's no tomorrow before too long. This vape is pretty simple to get to know and use well. I even remove the wand from the elbow at the end of each inhale to clear out any residual vapor hanging out inside the whip.
Come on and, STIR IT UP
Stirring is really key with this vape. After 2 or 3 hits on a fresh wand, bust out your pokey and stir/mash up the herb in the wand. The next 3 hits will be highly effective and, if desired, startlingly thick! If you keep stirring and mashing or even regrinding your herb matter after you've vaped it a while, you may find yourself confused as to why you haven't had to reload the wand yet.
What about cleaning?
After almost a month, I have not yet had to clean my DBV aside from changing the screen once and scraping the pure collected hash from the inside of the wand with a pokey. And boy, HOWDY was that some good hash! In cleaning is where a problem rears its head, though: sometimes the screen is a MAJOR hassle to replace in the wand. Just make sure you bend it into a very slight bowl shape at first, then gingerly reinsert it exactly as it looked when you first got the unit. Be patient and don't be afraid to waste a screen and start over if it gets bent too much. Maybe buy some extra screens with your order. Not a huge issue though. The glass making up the elbow around the heating element is slightly brown, which may not be normal but due to a bit of combustion. The vapors do collect on the inside of the wand, whip and mouthpiece. Of course, this collected, oily solid is basically pure hash containing very high percentages of heat-extracted THC and associated cannabinoids. Clean it out with a bit of pure isopropyl alcohol (NOT "Rubbing Alcohol," as it contains bittering agents) and dry it, then put it on top of some herb in your DBV!
Hashish, Butane Hash Oil and Keef in your DBV
In truth, as long as you vaporize it substantially while it is on top of an herbal "green screen" in the wand, I would HIGHLY encourage the vaping of solid, dried or powdered hashish. Keef also works utter, eyelid-drooping magic in the DBV on top of a green screen.
[Edit] I edited because, as Beezleb pointed out, any decent amount of melty or bubbly hasish has the serious potential to get all over the screen and ruin your vaping session and make a mess. Better to stick with the dry hashish in this one. THX Beezleb! [/Edit]
Well how much money is this gonna save me in the long run?
Obviously the efficiency depends entirely upon your own habits. My own habits are generally to remain heavily medicated anytime during which I am awake. This was hard as a smoker in a non-smoking house in the cold months, complete with my ailing lungs to bother me. So when I started vaping, I could actually manage to be medicated constantly, whereas before, the weather and my asthma prevented more than occasional stoning. So my own cannabis consumption actually stayed about the same initially, although I am now three times as high as I was a month ago. Vaping my mid-grade, partially compressed bud is, in my estimation around 3 times as efficient using my DBV as compared to smoking the herb. I would literally have to smoke a whole gram to reap the same effects as 1/3g brings through the DBV. As a relatively new vaper, I am pleased with that figure and it's actually about what I was shooting for.
[Edit] As per my notes below, be aware that my personal usage is slightly wasteful and not the most efficient. [/Edit]
The only significant problem I can find is...
...that your herb or ABV matter will fall into the elbow from time to time and combust. I think this is kind of a silly problem. It seems like it would be easy to put a screen in the elbow that would completely prevent this. Maybe having a screen there would negatively affect performance from inhibiting the airflow or heat radiance. The hands-free aspect of the vape obviously requires that the wand be level with the ground, or it would slide out. At any rate, this is the only significant problem you may notice as it stinks when you roast partially combusted plants on that heating element all day
Even this problem with soon go away once you get to use your DBV well. There is, from time to time, a very faint and slightly combusted odor that emanates from the unit. It's not strong and is probably due to some very fine plant material from my slightly over-packed wand falling into the heater area.
Recommendations?
If you want a simple, elegant and easy-to-use vape for mostly personal use, the Da Buddha Vaporizer is a great choice. It's inexpensive, there's no waiting list, it can be anywhere from efficient to hard-hitting, there's a 3 year warranty, and it's downright well-made. If you are trying to decide on your first vape and on a budget with maybe not the best quality pot, then the DBV is, quite possibly, the vape for you. I am in love with the thing (although since I will be hitting the road soon I will be abandoning it in favor of a highly portable vape model) and am extremely pleased with my decision to purchase. I doubled my herb smoking to help me quit cigarettes, now this DBV has enabled me to double my medication while quitting smoking entirely. Smoke, in fact, is no longer anywhere near as effective as vapor now that I can control the size of my hits.
One more idea: We used to make a bong called "The Lung" out of a bread bag and a 2 liter bottle with the bottom 2 inches cut off. You tape the open end of the bag with a good seal around the now open bottom of the bottle. You would normally insert a makeshift weed-smoking bowl into the mouth of the 2 liter bottle. Empty the air in the bottle, light the herb, slowly pull the bag out and you have over 2 liters of very thick smoke. I have yet to try this since I don't drink soda, but in theory, if we made this contraption and replaced the bowl with just a sealed connection to the whip, well, we could even have makeshift bags with this great whip vape. Just a though.
Anyways, thanks for reading my review. I may follow up on it when I remember more later. See, this thing works
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Beezleb
Well-Known Member
Great write up. I would not vape a substance like bubble hash in the DBV though. It would be messy in my opinion and not worth the pain the butt that would result from that in my opinion. Kief and dried hash are much different and the green screen does not adequately protect against the bigger melty stuff.
I would like to know more about your usage style as I think that is the reason why you are getting herb in the heater element area. Under normal operation and filled about halfway as recommended, I can not recall any time this happening. I would surmise that perhaps you are overfilling the wand, this is often common in new users who tend to initially pack the amount that they used to smoke a traditional bowl with if applicable.
This is typical with new users though and I also recommend placing mouse pad in front of the DBV when new people use it in case they accidentally pull the wand out while in use due to inexperience. Be careful of the inexperienced blowing into the vape which will put herb into the heating element area.
Happy Vaping!
I would like to know more about your usage style as I think that is the reason why you are getting herb in the heater element area. Under normal operation and filled about halfway as recommended, I can not recall any time this happening. I would surmise that perhaps you are overfilling the wand, this is often common in new users who tend to initially pack the amount that they used to smoke a traditional bowl with if applicable.
This is typical with new users though and I also recommend placing mouse pad in front of the DBV when new people use it in case they accidentally pull the wand out while in use due to inexperience. Be careful of the inexperienced blowing into the vape which will put herb into the heating element area.
Happy Vaping!
steiner666
Serial vapist
Nice review. I've found the only times that any herb falls into the heater cover is if someone accidentally blows through the whip (which i've never done but my one friend diid), which is surprisingly easy to do, even with the mouthpiece a good half a foot away from your mouth. I always tell new users who use my DBV to take a deep breath or two before bringing the whip anywhere near their face and to never talk with it near your face either.
The other time I had herb blow back into the heater cover is when I vape-bong and don't pull the adapter to clear the bong. I liked doing it this way because my bong is really big, and having to suck all the air out of it and fill it with vape again takes a hit in and of itself, but it seemed like half of the time when i would pull my mouth away from the bong, air would rush in and up the tube and blow some finer bits into the heater cover. I've kinda adapted and I pull the adapter before i stop hitting it, but I dont really clear it much. I continue to inhale a split second or so after pulling the adapter, just to suck any vapor in the down stem through the water and into the chamber. That way i just have to cover the mouth of the bong with one hand (i have the carb hole plugged) while i hold in the hit and let it out. Then plug the adapter back in and go directly to the next hit w/o having to fill it up.
And as far as changing screens, i ran into some troubles there too, but now days i can put a screen in my DBV in about 5-10 seconds i'd say lol. It became easy when I realized that the best way to put it in is to bow it down a bit, as you said, but put the screen in the bowl and use the pick to push one of the edges down to where it's supposed to rest with the bubble of the screen bulging upwards. Then just take the ball end of the stir stick (or a pen cap even, but the marble ball works perfect) and push the bubble in so that it's bowed downwards. Works a TON easier than trying to put it in with it dipped downwards right off the bat. Also, make sure you give your whip a nice hard blow after dumping out each bowl, this reduces how often you'll need to change your screens a LOT. Some ppl (Tokin i think is where i heard it from initially) say they like to turn their DBVs up high and then draw hard on an empty bowl to help clear their screens out if they get caked. I did this once (before I made a habit of blowing it out each use) and I actually got about 6 hits off of the material stuck in the screen lol, and it wasn't smoke either.
Anyways, its always good to hear someone switched from nasty combustion to vaporization, especially when they made the switch right and got a good vape right off the bat.
The other time I had herb blow back into the heater cover is when I vape-bong and don't pull the adapter to clear the bong. I liked doing it this way because my bong is really big, and having to suck all the air out of it and fill it with vape again takes a hit in and of itself, but it seemed like half of the time when i would pull my mouth away from the bong, air would rush in and up the tube and blow some finer bits into the heater cover. I've kinda adapted and I pull the adapter before i stop hitting it, but I dont really clear it much. I continue to inhale a split second or so after pulling the adapter, just to suck any vapor in the down stem through the water and into the chamber. That way i just have to cover the mouth of the bong with one hand (i have the carb hole plugged) while i hold in the hit and let it out. Then plug the adapter back in and go directly to the next hit w/o having to fill it up.
And as far as changing screens, i ran into some troubles there too, but now days i can put a screen in my DBV in about 5-10 seconds i'd say lol. It became easy when I realized that the best way to put it in is to bow it down a bit, as you said, but put the screen in the bowl and use the pick to push one of the edges down to where it's supposed to rest with the bubble of the screen bulging upwards. Then just take the ball end of the stir stick (or a pen cap even, but the marble ball works perfect) and push the bubble in so that it's bowed downwards. Works a TON easier than trying to put it in with it dipped downwards right off the bat. Also, make sure you give your whip a nice hard blow after dumping out each bowl, this reduces how often you'll need to change your screens a LOT. Some ppl (Tokin i think is where i heard it from initially) say they like to turn their DBVs up high and then draw hard on an empty bowl to help clear their screens out if they get caked. I did this once (before I made a habit of blowing it out each use) and I actually got about 6 hits off of the material stuck in the screen lol, and it wasn't smoke either.
Anyways, its always good to hear someone switched from nasty combustion to vaporization, especially when they made the switch right and got a good vape right off the bat.
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theeleventhhour
Well-Known Member
TY all for the kudos
Beezleb- Correct on multiple points. I was using some pretty melty stuff but i used a only a tiny bit and it all surely soaked into the fresh material before hitting the screen, which would, I imagine, be a mess. Also the herb-in-the-heater thing mostly rears its head nowadays when I am showing guests how to use the DBV and they don't seem to understand not to blow into it. Luckily the wand has never been pulled out or dropped.
Also, I do load slightly larger wands than recommended in the manual; I've found larger amounts give me a longer window to get good-tasting, thick vape out of the material. And I am not overly concerned with extreme efficiency in herb- if something's worth doing, it's worth doing right, I say. Now that I'm good at it I successfully do this without getting any blowback into the heater chamber.
The only two issues I had with the unit were, admittedly, minor.
And I am getting a little tired of long inhale times. As such I may turn my DBV up from its general operating position to rest more closely at 12 o'clock.
Beezleb- Correct on multiple points. I was using some pretty melty stuff but i used a only a tiny bit and it all surely soaked into the fresh material before hitting the screen, which would, I imagine, be a mess. Also the herb-in-the-heater thing mostly rears its head nowadays when I am showing guests how to use the DBV and they don't seem to understand not to blow into it.
Luckily the wand has never been pulled out or dropped.Also, I do load slightly larger wands than recommended in the manual; I've found larger amounts give me a longer window to get good-tasting, thick vape out of the material. And I am not overly concerned with extreme efficiency in herb- if something's worth doing, it's worth doing right, I say. Now that I'm good at it I successfully do this without getting any blowback into the heater chamber.
The only two issues I had with the unit were, admittedly, minor.
And I am getting a little tired of long inhale times. As such I may turn my DBV up from its general operating position to rest more closely at 12 o'clock.
edamame
vaporist
I've had my DBV for a few months now, been working great. Last night I tried to take off the heater cover to clean it, and when it came off a sliver of metal fell out. I looked at the bottom of the cover and noticed the metal sleeve from the heating element (minus the thin sliver) was stuck to the inside. 
I just popped it back on and it seems to be fine. Is this gonna be a problem?
I just popped it back on and it seems to be fine. Is this gonna be a problem?
greenganja
Well-Known Member
Nice review by Theeleventhhour
I just purchased the DBV at a local shop in Dallas. I like the simple design. It works great, no complaints. Now I just keep my PD in the car all the time and only use the V3 Extreme if I happen to have company over. I like the the fact that it doesn't take the DBV very long to heat up and also that anyone who has never used a vape before would have no problems at all using this particular one. As with any vaporizer it may take a couple of times to figure out where to set the dial for just the right amount of heat to be applied. I think that the DBV will be getting the majority of the vape usage from here on out. Every vaporizer has it's own little niche. I think this one is the quick and easy to use vape where as the bag style vapes would be better for social occasions and the smaller one's like the Iolite and PD obviously serve as very portable solutions. And after purchasing the DBV I took to a party and me and a few others tested out a couple of bowls with it and needless to say we were very baked after that.
I just purchased the DBV at a local shop in Dallas. I like the simple design. It works great, no complaints. Now I just keep my PD in the car all the time and only use the V3 Extreme if I happen to have company over. I like the the fact that it doesn't take the DBV very long to heat up and also that anyone who has never used a vape before would have no problems at all using this particular one. As with any vaporizer it may take a couple of times to figure out where to set the dial for just the right amount of heat to be applied. I think that the DBV will be getting the majority of the vape usage from here on out. Every vaporizer has it's own little niche. I think this one is the quick and easy to use vape where as the bag style vapes would be better for social occasions and the smaller one's like the Iolite and PD obviously serve as very portable solutions. And after purchasing the DBV I took to a party and me and a few others tested out a couple of bowls with it and needless to say we were very baked after that.
steiner666
Serial vapist
It seems like they wedge a tiny piece of metal in down there so that the heater cover might stay on a bit tighter and not turn side to side too easily? I ordered a spare heater cover but havent really looked at it much, but i think it came with an extra piece of metal too. Thats my best guess anyway.edamame said:I've had my DBV for a few months now, been working great. Last night I tried to take off the heater cover to clean it, and when it came off a sliver of metal fell out. I looked at the bottom of the cover and noticed the metal sleeve from the heating element (minus the thin sliver) was stuck to the inside.
AgentGraves007
Well-Known Member
hi, i'm new to the forum, and i mis-posted the fact that i just got a new buddha in one of the other threads -- sorry it shouldn't happen again!
ANYWAY, for anyone who is interested, here's what I did. I went to a shop in my town (Albany, NY) that i've liked in the past and he really only had a couple-- volcano (normal and fancy), ssv, buddha, and like one cheaper box one. don't remember what it's called. he told me why the buddha and ssv were better, and then after researching (didn't take long!) i went with buddha. he threw in a free glass adaptor piece to hook up to a water pipe and also a cheap-azz plastic 2pc grinder. but later on i bought the aroma top from him and he threw in a vial of essential oil for free ($18 price tag -- that's crazy!).
The first night my roomie and i studied the manual, and we def. got it working that night. we did burn a few hits which sucked. but it took me several more days to really get the hang of it. on mine, the ceramic heat rod is very close to the top of the glass cover, and i've found that 12-oclock position is good for fairly low-temp vapes with my stuff, which makes it last longer it seems. Also, i'm now using my hand to slowly rotate and/or pull in/out the wand as i take the hit, it really produces much huger vapor hits. but i was concerned that the glass-on-glass will be worn down, does anyone have any thoughts? haven't even gotten into trying the water pipe with it. but i'm using a pinch, which on my fairly cheap scale seems to come in at less than 0.1g. some times that 1 bowl will last 2 sessions, other times one or less than one, it seems to depend a lot on whether i manage to pull 1 or 2 "big" hits at the beginning. either way, i'm good. the unit is solid, and the heating cover pulls right off for cleaning up noob-mistakes (blowing debris INTO the heating area). the bag i got was the plain hemp-colored one, which is awesome for transporting/storing it. i have absolutely no complaints so far. the glass mouthpiece seems kinda arbitrary/random, but it works fine.
Only minor issue i've really had is that sometimes, the wand gets stuck in there too well, and it is difficult to "nudge" it just right to "loosen" it, for fear of breaking some glass. but that's only happened a couple times. as i said, i typically am moving the wand while i inhale, although i can certainly get decent hits without doing this. i imagine if i tried harder to manipulate my breathing, i wouldn't need to "work the wand" (yeah i know how that sounds lol) so much. my roommate gets those big hits without working the wand.
I picked up the aroma top also -- i like how well it fits. i tried a few drops of oil mixed with water and it seemed to work well. then i tried putting a tea candle on it, and it seemed to require pretty high heat before the aromas would release. has anyone else had this? do you leave the candle in the metal it comes in or do you take it out, letting the wax melt into the glass? maybe the latter would work better?
The bottom line for me was that given what i was willing to spend (200 or less), da buddha seemed like a no brainer based on my research, and based on my experience with it, it's great -- but i haven't used the others really at all. so i can't directly compare it. i'm loving how much less i'm using, as well as the lack of tar buildup in the wand (instead it's a very lightly tinted yellow/gold buildup with what looks like some trichromes (they are spots in the coating) stuck to the inside of the wand (or it could be debris/ash from when i accidentally burned a few hits, not sure).
ANYWAY, for anyone who is interested, here's what I did. I went to a shop in my town (Albany, NY) that i've liked in the past and he really only had a couple-- volcano (normal and fancy), ssv, buddha, and like one cheaper box one. don't remember what it's called. he told me why the buddha and ssv were better, and then after researching (didn't take long!) i went with buddha. he threw in a free glass adaptor piece to hook up to a water pipe and also a cheap-azz plastic 2pc grinder. but later on i bought the aroma top from him and he threw in a vial of essential oil for free ($18 price tag -- that's crazy!).
The first night my roomie and i studied the manual, and we def. got it working that night. we did burn a few hits which sucked. but it took me several more days to really get the hang of it. on mine, the ceramic heat rod is very close to the top of the glass cover, and i've found that 12-oclock position is good for fairly low-temp vapes with my stuff, which makes it last longer it seems. Also, i'm now using my hand to slowly rotate and/or pull in/out the wand as i take the hit, it really produces much huger vapor hits. but i was concerned that the glass-on-glass will be worn down, does anyone have any thoughts? haven't even gotten into trying the water pipe with it. but i'm using a pinch, which on my fairly cheap scale seems to come in at less than 0.1g. some times that 1 bowl will last 2 sessions, other times one or less than one, it seems to depend a lot on whether i manage to pull 1 or 2 "big" hits at the beginning. either way, i'm good. the unit is solid, and the heating cover pulls right off for cleaning up noob-mistakes (blowing debris INTO the heating area). the bag i got was the plain hemp-colored one, which is awesome for transporting/storing it. i have absolutely no complaints so far. the glass mouthpiece seems kinda arbitrary/random, but it works fine.
Only minor issue i've really had is that sometimes, the wand gets stuck in there too well, and it is difficult to "nudge" it just right to "loosen" it, for fear of breaking some glass. but that's only happened a couple times. as i said, i typically am moving the wand while i inhale, although i can certainly get decent hits without doing this. i imagine if i tried harder to manipulate my breathing, i wouldn't need to "work the wand" (yeah i know how that sounds lol) so much. my roommate gets those big hits without working the wand.
I picked up the aroma top also -- i like how well it fits. i tried a few drops of oil mixed with water and it seemed to work well. then i tried putting a tea candle on it, and it seemed to require pretty high heat before the aromas would release. has anyone else had this? do you leave the candle in the metal it comes in or do you take it out, letting the wax melt into the glass? maybe the latter would work better?
The bottom line for me was that given what i was willing to spend (200 or less), da buddha seemed like a no brainer based on my research, and based on my experience with it, it's great -- but i haven't used the others really at all. so i can't directly compare it. i'm loving how much less i'm using, as well as the lack of tar buildup in the wand (instead it's a very lightly tinted yellow/gold buildup with what looks like some trichromes (they are spots in the coating) stuck to the inside of the wand (or it could be debris/ash from when i accidentally burned a few hits, not sure).
steiner666
Serial vapist
You'll definitely want to look into how to harvest that built up wandhash when you get a good amount (about a months worth of use for me). Pulling the wand off the hose and filling it about half way with iso alochol and covering both ends and shaking it as hard as you can for about 5+ minutes and dumping it into a flat glass pan (wide, with as much surface area as possible) and letting it evaporate and scrapping up the remaining hash is my favorite way. Then shake/roll it in kief (if you have a kief collector) and then smoosh some on top of a bowl and wheeeeeewAgentGraves007 said:
As far as teh ground glass connection wearing down, yeah, it kinda does. When i first got my DBV the wand got stuck in the heater cover a lot, even though i only ever give it a slight twist. Now days it doesnt get stuck much, but I think i've only ever had it slide out once, and that was when i was vaping with someone else, so it was probably just their fault lol. I've only owned mine for about 4 months, so I can't say whether it will continue to wear to the point where it falling out becomes a problem, but i try not to worry since a replacement wand or heater cover is only <$20 and i already have replacements put away in my closet for if it happens.
I've only ever put essential oils in my aroma dish (havent mixed it w/ water), and found that the aroma was more than powerful enough with the dial set to my regular vaping temp. I imagine a candle would require more heat to release the same amount of smell, thats why i've never tried it out.
And you got quite the treat waiting for you whenever you get around to using that adapter
AgentGraves007
Well-Known Member
A couple other thoughts I had -- The ONLY thing that seems cheap about DBV is the manual! it would have been nice if it had mentioned that the heat cover pulls right off (maybe i missed it?), for example. It felt weird to get the nice product and really cushy bag, and then have a folded-in-half piece of xeroxed paper with crooked typeset for a manual! but hey, if it helps them get the DBV to us a lil' cheaper, then fine! Also, i've never had the issue of it popping out, but i tell people about the problem before they first try it so they can make sure to not yank the whip. also, i don't think the open-top aspect is a problem -- as long as everyone is being reasonably aware of what they are doing i can't see anyone getting burned by the open-roofed (but covered) heat source.
AgentGraves007
Well-Known Member
Steiner -- so do you "work the wand" as well?
THanks for the detailed instructions with how to clean out the wand. i'm sure this is covered elsewhere also, but i have trouble finding stuff quickly on here, even when i use the Search function. it seems to only point you to the thread, but if the thread has 20 pages, is there a way to get the page number?
I do have a 4-pc grinder (i dropped the dough for a medium magnetic 4-pc Space Case from the dude that sold me the vape --yeah it was a little more than from grateful buys on ebay, but he did come down in price some when i told him about grateful buys. plus the more stuff you buy from one place/person, the better they treat you, if they are smart about business. So yeah i can collect the pollen. But i don't know if it's better to sprinkle it on a bowl or rather try to press it? apparently, you can vape the pollen on herb, and it's pretty good whereas vaping pressed pollen is harder? Also, many claim that when it comes to pollen (pressed or not), it is always better to combust b/c you get a better hit. *shrug*
Regarding the essential oil: i first used like 3 drops and it didn't seem to do much, then i added some water to get it moving in the dish and then it seemed to work. of course that was probably confounded with the unit heating up more.
On a side note: i never let the wand sit in there in b/t hits...i think that that the unit gets hotter and hotter the longer it is on, even with the temp knob unmoved. do other people agree? so you may have to take this into account later on in the session to make sure to not burn anything.
THanks for the detailed instructions with how to clean out the wand. i'm sure this is covered elsewhere also, but i have trouble finding stuff quickly on here, even when i use the Search function. it seems to only point you to the thread, but if the thread has 20 pages, is there a way to get the page number?
I do have a 4-pc grinder (i dropped the dough for a medium magnetic 4-pc Space Case from the dude that sold me the vape --yeah it was a little more than from grateful buys on ebay, but he did come down in price some when i told him about grateful buys. plus the more stuff you buy from one place/person, the better they treat you, if they are smart about business. So yeah i can collect the pollen. But i don't know if it's better to sprinkle it on a bowl or rather try to press it? apparently, you can vape the pollen on herb, and it's pretty good whereas vaping pressed pollen is harder? Also, many claim that when it comes to pollen (pressed or not), it is always better to combust b/c you get a better hit. *shrug*
Regarding the essential oil: i first used like 3 drops and it didn't seem to do much, then i added some water to get it moving in the dish and then it seemed to work. of course that was probably confounded with the unit heating up more.
On a side note: i never let the wand sit in there in b/t hits...i think that that the unit gets hotter and hotter the longer it is on, even with the temp knob unmoved. do other people agree? so you may have to take this into account later on in the session to make sure to not burn anything.
steiner666
Serial vapist
Not really, not as in messing with it during my hits, but I do stir pretty compulsively... like every 2 hits i'd say.AgentGraves007 said:
I'm pretty much the same way. I figure that any level of heat being applied when it doesnt need to be is going to be somewhat wasteful. And sometimes the contents of the bowl shift and fall to the bottom side and can get close to the tip, and if you leave the wand in it could burn the little bits that got too close. I have 2 wands and the wand i started with i kinda left it in now and then, like for instance during an online game of Killing Floor (which usually last about 40 minutes), so that i can just grab the whip with one hand and take a hit when i need to. That wand had a bit of brown staining around the very tip of the wand. But i put a bit of iso in tall shot glass and put the wand in tip-down and let it soak for a few days, wiping it off with a q-tip every day or so, and it pretty much all came off. The other wand has almost no staining around the tip, even though it's been put through about as many weeks of service as the other one. Pretty much just a cosmetic difference, but the only one i've really noticed for sure.AgentGraves007 said:
AgentGraves007
Well-Known Member
Hey Disco, What's the paper trick you mentioned?disco said:
theeleventhhour
Well-Known Member
The unit definitely does not continue to get hotter without the knob being moved. I have personally left my DBV at the same temperature setting for days at a time and gone right back to perfect vaping. Supposedly 7th Floor (the company that makes the DBV) has had a Silver Surfer (same exact internals and heating element as DBV) running continuously for years now.AgentGraves007 said:
I don't generally leave the want in between hits, but it shouldn't be wasteful at all. The vaporizing occurs because of the extremely hot air that passes over the heating element and immediately contacts the herb. The heat that radiates from the heating element would hardly be enough to vaporize your herb. Only when air is moving from heater to herb to lungs will there be any vaporizations.
If nothing else, I believe that leaving the wand in may cause an easier, although not more efficient vaping experience for two reasons. First, heating your herb to a high temperature that is still below the vaporizing point can initiate a process called "decarboxylization" (check my spelling) that, the way I understand it, breaks down some of the bonds that render the THC "stuck" in the plant matter, thus making it easier to separate the oil vapors from the dried plant matter. Second, if the wand is room temperature, the room temperature glass that makes up the bowl of the wand could potentially cool down the air slightly as it passes over the herb, right as the hot air is intended to vape the herb. Keeping the wand at a warm temp by leaving it in between hits could keep this from happening, if it's happening at all.
Also, I like the manual. I am 95% unconcerned with the "professional" quality (or lack thereof) for a manual for such a product; I am not going to be vaporizing the manual, so it doesn't need to be heady. And frankly, I think the manual is simple, well-written and effective. I particularly liked the instructions that read, "Don't sweat it. You'll figure it out."