mindtruck
Well-Known Member
HEy. glad you like it. The vape rox hard.
This is my first post. I purchased a DBV because of threads like this one and advice from cool cats like Tokin. I have owned a few others and the DBV beats them all hands down.
Question. I registered because i need some advice from some veteran DBV users.
I've had my Buddha for about 4 months now and last month i noticed a black line on the white heating element, and a metallic taste (not a major concern as i would expect the taste to change after some use). I allways take good care of it and i purchased it especialy for the awsome warranty they offered, so i hit them up through the email contact form on their site.
Eventually they replied with very brief response and requested pics so i took the time to send them pictures. That was over a month ago and at this point im going to assume they will not be responding so i will need to contact them again.
My question is if these lines are a sign of normal wear or something i should be worried about. Surely you good folks have had your DBVs more than a few months and this would be apparent, but i have not found any mention of these lines anywhere on the net.
The lines glow bright red when the heater is on and are black/grey spots when it is off like a wire showing through but i know there are no wires inside the element. I don't let stuff fall into the heater and Its not soot or anything that wipes off. Also leaving it on for long periods is a nono for me.
Please somebody put my mind at ease. I haven't used it in weeks and I don't want to go through a bunch hoops just to find out its something silly, but the warranty was a selling point. I also don't want to risk this unknown. sigh.
here are the picks, my camera is not the greatest but it should be obvious to anyone whos seen anything like this. There are 2 more lines on the back that i found when i took the heater cover off but they are not as obvious.
And big thanks to everyone for their invaluable info about vapes so far.
http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/7900/img3837m.jpg
http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/9018/img3824wgn.jpg
http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/8280/img3835u.jpg
Thanks again.
This is my first post. I purchased a DBV because of threads like this one and advice from cool cats like Tokin. I have owned a few others and the DBV beats them all hands down.
Question. I registered because i need some advice from some veteran DBV users.
I've had my Buddha for about 4 months now and last month i noticed a black line on the white heating element, and a metallic taste (not a major concern as i would expect the taste to change after some use). I allways take good care of it and i purchased it especialy for the awsome warranty they offered, so i hit them up through the email contact form on their site.
Eventually they replied with very brief response and requested pics so i took the time to send them pictures. That was over a month ago and at this point im going to assume they will not be responding so i will need to contact them again.
My question is if these lines are a sign of normal wear or something i should be worried about. Surely you good folks have had your DBVs more than a few months and this would be apparent, but i have not found any mention of these lines anywhere on the net.
The lines glow bright red when the heater is on and are black/grey spots when it is off like a wire showing through but i know there are no wires inside the element. I don't let stuff fall into the heater and Its not soot or anything that wipes off. Also leaving it on for long periods is a nono for me.
Please somebody put my mind at ease. I haven't used it in weeks and I don't want to go through a bunch hoops just to find out its something silly, but the warranty was a selling point. I also don't want to risk this unknown. sigh.
here are the picks, my camera is not the greatest but it should be obvious to anyone whos seen anything like this. There are 2 more lines on the back that i found when i took the heater cover off but they are not as obvious.
And big thanks to everyone for their invaluable info about vapes so far.
http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/7900/img3837m.jpg
http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/9018/img3824wgn.jpg
http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/8280/img3835u.jpg
Thanks again.
MrMistyTokes
Steam Engine
yo mines like this too except not as dark appearing when turned off
let us know for sure
let us know for sure
marcuss
above the clouds
I've got one too and i can see one or two black spot like that but ways smaller...keep trying mail them until they give you a good reply or a new DBV...actually this vape is reallt cheap for them and the best thing to do is a replace without questions...but i've experienced a bad customer's service lately so i do hope for you!!
mindtruck
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the responses. Its a bit of a relief to see that im not the only one who has lines on the element.MrMistyTokes said:
Anyone notice the metallic smell/taste i mentioned? It alarmed me because I noticed it along with the realization that the line had become quite large. After i clear the wand by drawing in a bit of hot air it leaves a strange aluminum taste in my mouth (the only way i can really describe it). Definitely different than the clean taste it had a few months ago. Could simply be the wand, hose, screen, my mouth ect.
I'm not trying to tarnish this vapes rep (still easily recommended over others), just trying to get wise to whats up.
I have not had good experiences with vaporizer customer support in general (nature of the beast) but Ill let you know when I get a response from 7th floor.
Thanks again.
tokinGLX
Well-Known Member
why try to email them when you can call and talk to somebody in person
http://www.silversurfervap.com/contact.htm
http://www.silversurfervap.com/contact.htm
Rebus Canebus
Well-Known Member
You know, I'm dealing with them right now on a defective heater cover I purchased last week. They are a little slow to respond with a resolution............ still waiting, after several days of back and forths, a picture, turned over to a supervisor for review. Got my DBV several weeks ago, and although I love it, the screws that hold the heater base were loose. I found out when one came all the way out and the nut fell down inside the unit. Easy fix, I didn't want to RMA over that. I convinced a friend to buy a DBV and his had a bad potentiometer out of the box. Light wouldn't turn on until 3 o'clock only worked from 3 to full blast. Not a big deal, the merchant exchanged it the next day. I also ordered some glass from 7th Floor and specified blue or dark glass, and was sent yellow? All this is making me wonder about their QC. They also feel they don't have to give you any shipping information and tracking, or respond to your tracking request (too busy). So it's a waste to pay extra for UPS so you can track your shipment. I like the Vape, not too thrilled with 7th Floor at the moment.
Yours is a common sentiment, there are many similar stories around the forum. 7th Floor goes through a lot of employees and their website isn't the greatest e commerce system to begin with.
For anyone interested in 7th Floor products, especially custom stuff like glass, I'd recommend going through Tokin's Vapes. Paul knows the products better than anyone, deals directly with the factory and handles each order on an individual basis. You might end up paying a few dollars more but the customer service is well worth it.
For anyone interested in 7th Floor products, especially custom stuff like glass, I'd recommend going through Tokin's Vapes. Paul knows the products better than anyone, deals directly with the factory and handles each order on an individual basis. You might end up paying a few dollars more but the customer service is well worth it.
max
Out to lunch
The first thing they need to update on the website- get rid of this statement - "We offer simply the best customer service that is humanly possible"
It's a good thing their design and manufacturing is better than their QC and customer service. A classic case of a company whose sales have grown beyond its ability to manage the associated problems that occur with growth.
It's a good thing their design and manufacturing is better than their QC and customer service. A classic case of a company whose sales have grown beyond its ability to manage the associated problems that occur with growth.
Rebus Canebus
Well-Known Member
I did read the advice about Tokin's site, but they had a sale that was hard to resist 
. To 7th Floors credit they are going to be sending me a replacement heater cover. I'm sure they are good people, possibly a bit overwhelmed. If they would acknowledge you in a timely manner, it would make a person feel a little better. They are no Newegg when it comes to customer service, but they do a pretty good job overall. You have to learn a little patience when dealing with them, but they will do you right in the end. That said, I do believe Tokin has a new customer, as I already have enough frustration in my life, thank you.
. To 7th Floors credit they are going to be sending me a replacement heater cover. I'm sure they are good people, possibly a bit overwhelmed. If they would acknowledge you in a timely manner, it would make a person feel a little better. They are no Newegg when it comes to customer service, but they do a pretty good job overall. You have to learn a little patience when dealing with them, but they will do you right in the end. That said, I do believe Tokin has a new customer, as I already have enough frustration in my life, thank you.
lwien
Well-Known Member
Yeah, but they've been overwhelmed for wayyyy too long now. At first I thought it was just growing pains, but now it seems to be an ongoing issue. They've had more than enough time to get their shit together and from what I've been reading here, it may be getting worse, not better. It really is kinda sad being that they have, or is it had now, such a good product line.Rebus Canebus said:
josh
Well-Known Member
I believe 7th Floor still has a good product line. The DBV is a great vape. It is well made and delivers a powerful punch. When I wanna get higher than shit quick, fast and in a hurry it is my go-to vape. Assuming I am at home of course. Since I ordered through VapeWorld I cannot speak about their customer service, but maybe they should consider going the route of Tom and Pammy with the PD. Just worry about making the product and let someone else sell it.lwien said:
lwien
Well-Known Member
If it was just a customer service issue, than yeah, going to outside distribution may be an answer for them, but it also looks like they are having QC issues, and no kind of outside distribution is gonna fix that problem.josh said:
In any manufacturing situation, QC can periodically suffer, but it just seems that with 7th floor products over the past 6 months or so, it hasn't gotten any better. Screws loose on the bases, broken potentiometers out of the box, broken heating elements out of the box, power cords coming loose......
I used to recommend these vapes to anyone looking for a whip type vape, but now, I have to give that a second thought.
btw, maybe Paul at Tokin can confirm or deny this, but I read somewhere that one of the main reasons that the Surfer is more expensive than the DBV is that the Surfer is all built and assembled in house, but with the Buddha, they outsourced the internals to an offshore manufacturer, to then be assembled here at 7th Floor. If that's the case, then that could be some of the causes of the Buddha issues. Paul?
Beezleb
Well-Known Member
Nah Iwien you are wrong on the QC thing.
First off, it would not be uncommon for a reseller to QC at least a portion of their merchandise. In fact I recall reviewing a few sites that claims as much but I am recalling from a vaped memory so I wont swear on it.
If you look at the numbers their is likely about an actual handful at best who report issues and not much more of people who have had an issue and none that come to mind about an issue not being resolved. Compared to how many SSV's and DBV they sell, its probably the equivalent to the say the Purple Days error rate give or take a bit.
Not so sure on the DBV being outsourced, I think what you have is pieces being be created elsewhere such as the heating element but the vape is assembled in Colorado. At least I have seen pics of separate pieces at 7th floor and add in that a few people who have had issues 7th floor sent the pieces to fix the issue if the person was comfortable in making the fix themself. Perhaps your question should of been addressed in a PM to determine rather than giving a potentially false impression of DBV being no better than a China based vape. Generally, we like a little more proof or fact with our viewpoints here before making such bold viewpoints. I think its poor management/operation overall but nothing else.
Back to the issue, what I think it is the encapsulated internal heating guts visibly coming through. I do not know if this is normal or not but am interested but I would not yet say it is an issue.
First off, it would not be uncommon for a reseller to QC at least a portion of their merchandise. In fact I recall reviewing a few sites that claims as much but I am recalling from a vaped memory so I wont swear on it.
If you look at the numbers their is likely about an actual handful at best who report issues and not much more of people who have had an issue and none that come to mind about an issue not being resolved. Compared to how many SSV's and DBV they sell, its probably the equivalent to the say the Purple Days error rate give or take a bit.
Not so sure on the DBV being outsourced, I think what you have is pieces being be created elsewhere such as the heating element but the vape is assembled in Colorado. At least I have seen pics of separate pieces at 7th floor and add in that a few people who have had issues 7th floor sent the pieces to fix the issue if the person was comfortable in making the fix themself. Perhaps your question should of been addressed in a PM to determine rather than giving a potentially false impression of DBV being no better than a China based vape. Generally, we like a little more proof or fact with our viewpoints here before making such bold viewpoints. I think its poor management/operation overall but nothing else.
Back to the issue, what I think it is the encapsulated internal heating guts visibly coming through. I do not know if this is normal or not but am interested but I would not yet say it is an issue.
lwien
Well-Known Member
DBV being no better than a Chinese based vape? I never even implied that. I SAID in my post above that I KNEW that the DBV was assembled in Colorado. The question that I raised was that I heard that the internals was outsourced offshore and was one of the main reasons that the SSV was more expensive in that ALL of the SSV internals was manufactured in house. I also know that there are a lot more QC issues being reported on the DBV than the SSV, and although this may be due to the amount of units sold, it could also be because of the outsourcing issue, and being that we have been discussing 7th Floor issues in this thread, I felt, and still feel that it is TOTALLY appropriate to bring up this question here.Beezleb said:
Paul visits this site often and I have no doubt that he can shed some light on this and I see no reason whatsover to just send him a PM. Hell, I guess an argument could be made that ALL inquires not be posted here at all and that they should all be PM's.
mindtruck
Well-Known Member
I didn't' mean to spark such a heated discussion. my b. Im not trying to hate on 7th floor,their products, or support. Im sure its not easy for them to provide support for their ever growing number of customers.
As i mentioned before, I had not used the vape in several weeks because I was becoming paranoid about the metal taste. I cleaned it and fired it up yesterday morning for curiosity's sake. The hit left a taste in my mouth as if i had been chewing on aluminum foil and it stayed with me all day. The metallic smell came from the vape itself, not the hose or screen; anything that leaves my insides tasting like metal can't be good.
As far as the noname Chinese vapes go, I have had several and they all lasted more than 3 months of use before their temp controls became unreliable or they generaly crapped out (waste of cash since you ultimately get what you pay for, and for a bit more you can get something with a warranty - no website - no health info - no warranty = no buy). While DBV is infinitely better than all of these in design, I think im simply unlucky enough to have received a bad element. (is it really that easy to DIY if they send a part? Since I feel the need to ask, its probably not.)
Tokin has kindly offered his words of advice "call them" which is exactly what I will be doing Monday if I get no response this weekend. I'm sure it will work out in the end and at least they do offer support for their product.
This is what i assumed as well.. but its on the shelf now:Beezleb said:
As i mentioned before, I had not used the vape in several weeks because I was becoming paranoid about the metal taste. I cleaned it and fired it up yesterday morning for curiosity's sake. The hit left a taste in my mouth as if i had been chewing on aluminum foil and it stayed with me all day. The metallic smell came from the vape itself, not the hose or screen; anything that leaves my insides tasting like metal can't be good.
As far as the noname Chinese vapes go, I have had several and they all lasted more than 3 months of use before their temp controls became unreliable or they generaly crapped out (waste of cash since you ultimately get what you pay for, and for a bit more you can get something with a warranty - no website - no health info - no warranty = no buy). While DBV is infinitely better than all of these in design, I think im simply unlucky enough to have received a bad element. (is it really that easy to DIY if they send a part? Since I feel the need to ask, its probably not.)
Tokin has kindly offered his words of advice "call them" which is exactly what I will be doing Monday if I get no response this weekend. I'm sure it will work out in the end and at least they do offer support for their product.
marcuss
above the clouds
the heating element is quite easy to replace with a new one....if you follow the instructions you can do it in 5 minutes.....surely quicker than send the DBV back and wait for them to refix it for you....i do believe any vaporist can do it....then you can say that you know your vape!
The DBV gut as well the SSV one are so simple that when you open it you will be surprised....
The DBV gut as well the SSV one are so simple that when you open it you will be surprised....
Rebus Canebus
Well-Known Member
I know this isn't directly related to the heater, but I think it falls into the QC issue. I don't know if anybody has seen this before in a replacement colored glass heater cover. There are small bubbles and radial fissures inside the glass of the rim. Irrespective of the internal flaws, the heater cover inside diameter is so large both of my wands fall right out. After a few back and forths they sent me a replacement heater cover with almost identical flaws inside the glass minus the chip. I don't have any idea if this is normal? My stock DB cover doesn't have flaws like these colored glass covers. Also the stock DBV cover fits both wands perfectly. The replacement heater cover is too large as well, so my wands fall right out of it too. When they sent the replacement it was noted on the invoice "damaged in shipment". I had initially conveyed to 7TH Floor that I felt it was a QC issue because the flaws are inside the glass, although the first cover had a small chip in the rim. Receiving two bad covers leads me to believe that they may have other out of spec covers. I'll try to work with them again next week, I'd like to send back both heater covers so 7TH Floor can inspect them personally, as I believe they should be QC rejects. As it is now I have two heater covers I can't use. I hope they can do better than this. I know they are busy, however I'd like them to take the time to insure they send a replacement heater cover that is not flawed, or if the flaws in the glass are a normal part of hand blown glass, the heater cover would at least properly fit my 7TH Floor wands.Followup answer from 7th Floor: All of our heater covers are the same 18.8mm standard size. As for the flaws they will not effect the usage of the product
and are out of our control. The ground glass attachment is not going
to be completely "hands-free", we have not changed any sizing on our product so there would not be any indiscrepancies (sic) there.
When I measured the colored glass replacement heater covers with a Starrett dial caliper, they measure a full .012" larger on the ID than the stock heater cover. They do not fit my stock wands, not even close to acceptable. 7th floor will not acknowledge that there may be a problem. I didn't post this to bash anybody, however 7th Floor apparently does not believe their customers word. I have asked for an RMA and a refund. I'm not going to waste my time fighting with them over this any longer. It's simply out of their control, and 7th floor products are perfect, I just need to accept that fact and move on.
UPDATE: Unexpectedly received a 3rd replacement heater cover from Analisa at 7thFloor. This one has no flaws in the rim and fits like it should. If anyone has a similar issue, I would suggest patience when dealing with 7thFloor, they came through for me in the end. I will send back the first two heater covers so they can be inspected to determine the problem I was experiencing.
Alright, well firstly, I'm new to this forum so hello everyone 
I bought my DBV basically on a complete whim after a friend of mine convinced me that purchasing a vaporizer would be a good idea (both for my health and my wallet). I found Da Buddha by browsing several forums relevant to vaporizing. Searching for "the best one", I found that universally everyone had nothing but positive things to say about DBV.
After reading about the unit itself and all of its health benefits, etc. on the website, I was sold. I ordered one immediately, and was very pleased when it arrived a few days later (they got it here fast!) in discreet packaging.
I have never used a vaporizer before, but the unit was surprisingly very easy to learn how to use. It wasn't until about a week and a half later, after constantly experimenting with it, that I really think I figured it out. I went from getting about 15-18 hits per pack to getting 30+ hits or more simply by setting the temperature lower (I start at 12 o'clock, and end around 1:30) and by hitting it more softly. When I'm by myself, I can actually get blasted about three times off of one "vape pack" before I'm satisfied that it's entirely vaporized and can no longer be used. Considering that each pack only uses about .2 or .3, this makes me very, very happy.
My DBV has solved basically every problem for me that I used to have with smoking. I no longer have to worry about my room smelling like smoke. It uses way less product. WAY less. In that sense, buying a vape makes sense financially. Most importantly, though, I simply feel better now that I'm not smoking anymore. Even though I've only been vaping for two weeks, my lungs already feel about 10x better than they did. I couldn't be any happier with my investment. Sooner or later I plan on sending them a testimonial.
PS, sorry for the lengthy post. There were just too many good things to say about DBV I guess hehe
I bought my DBV basically on a complete whim after a friend of mine convinced me that purchasing a vaporizer would be a good idea (both for my health and my wallet). I found Da Buddha by browsing several forums relevant to vaporizing. Searching for "the best one", I found that universally everyone had nothing but positive things to say about DBV.
After reading about the unit itself and all of its health benefits, etc. on the website, I was sold. I ordered one immediately, and was very pleased when it arrived a few days later (they got it here fast!) in discreet packaging.
I have never used a vaporizer before, but the unit was surprisingly very easy to learn how to use. It wasn't until about a week and a half later, after constantly experimenting with it, that I really think I figured it out. I went from getting about 15-18 hits per pack to getting 30+ hits or more simply by setting the temperature lower (I start at 12 o'clock, and end around 1:30) and by hitting it more softly. When I'm by myself, I can actually get blasted about three times off of one "vape pack" before I'm satisfied that it's entirely vaporized and can no longer be used. Considering that each pack only uses about .2 or .3, this makes me very, very happy.
My DBV has solved basically every problem for me that I used to have with smoking. I no longer have to worry about my room smelling like smoke. It uses way less product. WAY less. In that sense, buying a vape makes sense financially. Most importantly, though, I simply feel better now that I'm not smoking anymore. Even though I've only been vaping for two weeks, my lungs already feel about 10x better than they did. I couldn't be any happier with my investment. Sooner or later I plan on sending them a testimonial.
PS, sorry for the lengthy post. There were just too many good things to say about DBV I guess hehe