Easy low-maintenance vape reccomendation for weak bud

[kiboy6]

In the country I live, high grade stuff isn't really available. However I am pretty happy with the basic stuff I can get my hands on.

I want to give my lungs a break though, and get into vaping more.

So looking for my first vape, and wondering if some would be better than others, given that I won;t be using it with any remotely chronic supplies. It will just be used with very basic, leafy bud.

I also don't (as of now) plan to get to enthusiast levels in the whole vaping world, so I don't want anything too fiddly or geeky - just a simple thing to use that does the job well.

Finally, I don't want a bag/balloon type vape.

So far the few that seem like they might be good bets are:

-ariser solo (would be my clear first choice from what I've read, but I'm worried about the need to suck/toke really hard which I've read about here)
-plenty
-silver surfer

If anyone has any advice on which of these, or any other vapes would be best for my situation I would hugely appreciate it!

 

[as]

You don't need story suck hard on a solo IMO slow soft draw is what you want but you will get vapor no matter what whit the solo its such a good vape

 

[lazylathe]

I love my Solo so i would recommend that!
If you have to draw too hard it is because the herb was packed in the bowl too tightly.
Loosen up the pack and you are good to go!
Lately i have been using mine on 3 and it is perfect.

Also you need to decide what you want to do with the vape.
Do you want a portable or a desktop unit?
Portable i would still go with the Solo.
Desktop i would go with a log vape or a HerbalAire, i have not tried the other two you mention.

 

[weedemon]

with low quality bud I would want the ability to pack big bowls so that I can get more satisfying hoots off it. I think the SSV you picked is a great choice!

I wouldn't bother with a portable vape quite yet. I feel the load size of most portables will mean you will be emptying and reloading frequently given the herb quality. I'd say get yourself a home(desktop) vape that does a great job, then if you decide vapor is for you you can get a portable one.

Personally, portable vapes are nice, but they do not hit like my home vapes do. and because of this I feel the home vape will give you a better representation of what vapor is all about. sometimes if you get started off with a lighter hitting product you won't get the same appreciation for the effect vapor can give. again i am thinking about the lower quality herbs you mentioned.

Oh, another style to consider that is dead simple is a log vape. consider Underdog, the HI or CRZ. there are more but i'm behind the times on that style of vape these days.

Good luck man!

oh and one more thing. low quality herb still makes great quality oil!

 

[clouded vision]

Based on your needs I would lean towards the SSV. The solo is great and can compete with several desktop vapes for vapor production but it has a small bowl so with low quality herb you will be reloading frequently. The Plenty also works very well according to reviews but it is more expensive than the SSV and won't be able to do small loads (in case you ever come across quality herbs). I haven't actually used the plenty but I have seen the herb chamber and holds approximately .25 gr and has to be packed full in order to work properly. The SSV can hold a lot (how much it can hold will vary as the wands are all hand and can vary quite a bit) but it also does well with smaller loads. I would recommend using the standard glass wand though as the other 2 styles will hold less herb.

OTOH, if you don't mind having to repack frequently, using a smaller bowl will generally give you better flavor throughout the entire bowl, just something to keep in mind while trying to decide.

 

[darkrom]

If you want a home vape get da buddha or SSV if you like the design of the SSV.

If you want a home vape and don't care about the design and would rather save $$$ by using less bud try a log vape. And by a log vape I mean THE log vape (the underdog) because IMO it blows the other logs away. The customer service can't be beat with Underdog either. About the same price as Da Buddha depending on how fancy you go. My underdog has been on 24/7 for over a year and is ALWAYS ready for a hit.


If you want a portable and want an easy to maintain vape, the firewood is probably the easiest to maintain portable that I've ever used. I haven't had to clean it once, unless you consider dumping out your ABV to be cleaning it... I do clean the mouthpiece, in under 30 seconds by blowing out the ABV crumbs from the spring screen. Firewood 2.0 is releasing really soon and made some improvements to the original design, but I'd say if you are in a rush to get one now the firewood 1.0 is still 100% functional. I haven't had a single issue with this vape to date, which is more than I can say about ANY portable I've ever used. Its the ONLY problem free portable I've ever seen, and that has me really impressed. My honest opinion is that the firewood is the best buy for its price range in portables PERIOD. I have other portables to fit various uses, like the pax for EXTREME stealth use, and the cera to save the most bud possible with the best possible flavor. Those are both well over $225 though, where you can get a firewood for under $100 unfinished I believe. The firewood is pretty damn stealthy in my opinion, tastes good (the cera still tastes better, but of all the portables I've used the firewood is a close second) and the firewood is the 2nd most efficient portable I've used. The cera being the most efficient, but not that much better. Narrowly beating the firewood in efficiency, but of course the cera is more expensive and a lot more difficult to use.

 

[hoptimum]

Desktop, get the SSV; portable, go for the Solo.

 

[RUDE BOY]

My favorite portable for lower grade bud is the long TVape due to the amount of herb I can stuff in it, plus it can give big smoke like hits. It has very few parts and has very little maintenance. In the last two months I have given a couple away to smokers who really like it and use it.

 

[nopartofme]

Continuing from weedemon's advice about load size, if you're really itching for a portable then the FlashVape has the biggest portable bowl that I know of. I'd go for the S2 upgrade for it, which completely changes the way it works and makes it easier to use.

 

[max]

If you don't need a portable, then don't get a Solo. I would vote for the SSV or for even less $, the DBV, if you like the idea of one handed vaping. The Solo won't hold as much herb or hit as big.

 

[kiboy6]

Thanks so much for the super detailed, helpful replies guys.

Ok, so I guess I hadn't realised the size difference between the SSV and the Solo. No particular need for portability - might be nice on occasion but 95% of usage would be at home so I want whatever will be best in that environment.

Sounds like the SSV is probably the way to go then. Darkrom mentioned "if you like the design". What is there about the SSV's design that some people mightn't like?

Any other reasons to think twice before plumping for the SSV? I need to get something that's available in the UK, but Da Buddha is another option. Price difference isn't massive though, so will go for the SSV if it's considered better / less fiddly.

Oh, and one other concern about the SSV: in general I much more of a joints guy than a bong guy as I don't really like the couch-lock feeling that bong hits can provide. I presume the "hit" level on the SSV can be customised (via heat level / amount in bowl etc) so I won't be stuck with only mega strong hits right? In other words, from all the reviews here, I'm worried the SSV might be too good for me! (I like the ability to take heavy hits if i want them but would want to be able to use it in a mellow fashion too). Anything to worry about with the SSV on that front?

Thanks so much again - this forum is amazing!

 

[hoptimum]

The SSV and DBV have the same heating element but a slightly different design. I prefer the looks of the ssv and the downward slant of the heater, but functionally they are very similar. You can vary the amount of herb you load and the temperature levels to either have a massive hit or a small hit. You can also take a hit or two, then just take the stem out of the heater and resume later, or finish the session. Its the kind of versatile device that rewards experimentation, and accomodates different levels of skill and experience.

 

[max]

What is there about the SSV's design that some people mightn't like?

The standard configuration isn't hands free (or one hand free), and for some that's important. I love the SSV setup. If you can position it at the right height and beside you, it's very easy to connect and disconnect the wand to/from the heater cover, for an easy vaping session. I'm more at ease with it than the gong connection on the DBV, where I was concerned about accidentally jerking the wand out. With the SSV you need to be aware of the narrow air stream hitting the herb, and rotating the wand around a little while drawing, for bowl coverage. You'll also need to stir the bowl a time or two. The hits don't get much richer though, thanks to that focused air stream.

 

[weedemon]

95% of usage would be at home so I want whatever will be best in that environment.

Any other reasons to think twice before plumping for the SSV?

Oh, and one other concern about the SSV: in general I much more of a joints guy than a bong guy as I don't really like the couch-lock feeling that bong hits can provide.

A desktop or home vape sounds like what you need for sure.

There is nothing for me, personally about the ssv that I dislike about the design. maybe darkrom can elaborate for you.

the ssv can vape hash/keif/oils on your herb more easily than a dbv can, this is because of the downward angled heater port.

There are 3 types of heater port that you can get on the ssv. the standard one is the most popular. the other 2 are ground glass, and spherical ground glass. I has the SGonG with my LSV and it's pretty nice too. but I still miss my good old standard port ssv.

and

regarding couchlock I think you are in for a treat. I am going to assume you are not very familiar with vapor.

that couchlock is more from the smoke than it is the vapor. I don't get burned out at all like I used to when I smoked. it's an effect of smoking that you are noticing. the difference is a bong hit is like taking a few doobie puffs all in one go and you feel the effects more than from the puff puff pass of a joint.

a vapor high is different from a smoked one, and it will take some time to adjust and unlearn what you thought you knew about what a marijuana high was.

smoke contains 100+ components. vapor is more like 10. it's those other 90+ things that are fucking with your real high. as a result vapor isn't for everyone. but I think those people are silly

My suggestion is to go slow and learn the ropes. a vapor hit feels like nothing sometimes. only once you exhale do you realise how big a hit you got. I find vapor to be kind of "creeper" too. so it's easy to overdo it, and bam. holy shit im fucked... like when you've overdone it on a baked goods high once or twice. just take it easy and wait a few min between hits and you will learn your tolerance

 

[kiboy6]

Thanks so much weedemeon and everyone else.....definitely looks like the SSV could be the one for me then Really looking forward to entering the world of vaping! (though I won't get a chance to use it until next year - I'm traveling to the UK over xmas and won't use it til i return so it's not used when i fly with it)

One final consideration - I move between two different homes every week or two by car (usually) or train. Although a desktop unit, will the SSV be "portable" enough to move between homes without being too cumbersome?

thanks!

 

[hoptimum]

The ssv comes in a very nice travel bag.