Pen Focus Vaporizer

[Fat Freddy]

I have a green, non-textured Focus that I haven't used. I checked it out earlier this evening with my considerable probiscus and came to the same conclusion as @MonkeyTime :

"I believe that the smell is coming from the outer covering. When you draw in, the air passes past the covering and takes on that smell. Or at least that's my theory."

I will do some burn-offs and see what I find.

Stay vigilant!


.

 

[His_Highness]

Some questions I've seen posed.....

I generally use a standard grind, fill half way, lightly tamp down, fill the other half and lightly tamp that down. I don't grind to a powdery consistency like I do for my MFLB because the screen holes at the bottom of the oven look like they'd let some fall through.

Taste - Vapes like the Xmax, Focus, that use conduction and these types of ceramic ovens....I generally only get two to three tasty hits before it becomes neutral or slightly musky. Same with the MFLB. If I were to take the ABV out and place it in my EVO after the first two hits I would probably get another 1 to 2 tasty hits out of it.

I never thought of the unit's outside coverings or shipping material/box being the cause for off putting taste or smell. Great idea @MonkeyTime !!!

 

[MonkeyTime]

I am very disappointed to find the smell still there today and fairly strong, I may have vaped my nose used to the smell last night.

I'm also wondering if I didn't just get a 1%'er, I'm getting very little vapor, and the same sample in my Pax2 or Mighty is blowing nice clouds.

Either way, I think it's time for me to look into the PIU warranty/return policy. I can still taste a lingering taste from last night and the coating and I don't like it.

I still hold out high hopes for this one, the battery life is great, form factor and build quality seem great, but right now she's the beautiful girlfriend that ain't putting out!

*(Please note that the previous reference was made from my perspective, a males, I am fully aware there are just as many men out there that probably look like the total package that don't deliver either!)

 

[His_Highness]

@MonkeyTime - Are you allowing a little time (30 seconds) for the heat soak once you reach temp? Are you working with temps around 390 F and up?

The Focus, being a conduction vape, reaches oven temp so quickly that depending on the herb it may require a little more time to conduct the heat to the herb.

Even if the above vapor creation issue was cured by technique..... If the taste and smell of the hit is being over-ridden by a nasty smell and taste I'd consider contacting the Focus support folk and letting them know what you're experiencing. If everyone who runs into a taste and smell issue raises a support case maybe the manufacturer can narrow it down or be made to.

Thing is .... my two units are stellar. Wish I could help in some way.

 

[moondog]

Ok, so going with it, mine is a Green Textured Pro. If you have had the odor problem, chime in with version, color and texture. Maybe there's a correlation? Maybe the texturing process cures it differently? Maybe a certain color dye (green) has the issue. Who knows, but we only need to hear this if you HAVE A SMELL ISSUE. If everyone chimes in it will be hard to keep track (at least for me!)

As I think more about this, I think it would be helpful to hear from Pro owners who are NOT having any odor issues. If there are any, that would be a good reason for me to keep pursuing a non-smelly Focus Pro. If there aren't any, that tells us something pretty important, I think. (Yes, I'm doing a lot of thinking, here. My brain hurts.)

 

[moondog]

@MonkeyTime - Are you allowing a little time (30 seconds) for the heat soak once you reach temp? Are you working with temps around 390 F and up?

The Focus, being a conduction vape, reaches oven temp so quickly that depending on the herb it may require a little more time to conduct the heat to the herb.

Even if the above vapor creation issue was cured by technique..... If the taste and smell of the hit is being over-ridden by a nasty smell and taste I'd consider contacting the Focus support folk and letting them know what you're experiencing. If everyone who runs into a taste and smell issue raises a support case maybe the manufacturer can narrow it down or be made to.

Thing is .... my two units are stellar. Wish I could help in some way.

Are there other Pro owners besides His Highness who are enjoying nasty-smell-free vaping?

 

[MonkeyTime]

@MonkeyTime - Are you allowing a little time (30 seconds) for the heat soak once you reach temp? Are you working with temps around 390 F and up?

The Focus, being a conduction vape, reaches oven temp so quickly that depending on the herb it may require a little more time to conduct the heat to the herb.

Even if the above vapor creation issue was cured by technique..... If the taste and smell of the hit is being over-ridden by a nasty smell and taste I'd consider contacting the Focus support folk and letting them know what you're experiencing. If everyone who runs into a taste and smell issue raises a support case maybe the manufacturer can narrow it down or be made to.

Thing is .... my two units are stellar. Wish I could help in some way.

I've already started the RMA process. PIU is great to deal with, I got my return shipping label within 1/2 hour of my phone call.

I did try letting it soak, really didn't help much. Raising the temps helped some, but I've gotten used to a smooth 350F and finishing off around 385F, I was needing to start around 430F to see much visibly.

Sounds like you're doing a full, partially packed bowl. A couple follow up questions.....

What temps are finding success at?

Are you finishing that bowl in a single session or multiple?

Hard or soft draws and approximate length?

Once I get the new unit, I'd like to try and recreate what you're doing and see what I get. Then again, if this unit is truly faulty and not just smelly, it may not matter!

As for the smell theory, I can only take credit for the covering, someone else suggested the foam packing, forgot who?

 

[fogbank]

I have a black textured Focus Pro that I ordered from PIU.

I did a couple of burn-offs and I don't notice any unusually strong taste or odor when using this vape. I checked for light coming through the oven and saw absolutely nothing.

My first impressions are somewhat disappointing. I really bought this to replace my aging Pinnacle Pro as a portable conduction vape (I have a SS Grasshopper, FF1 and FF2 as portable convection vapes). The replaceable battery was a big selling point for me, but the main "feature" that sold me was the ~20 second heat-up time. This "feature" seems deceiving to me, as (IME) the material is nowhere near ready to produce vapor when the heater reaches the dialed-in temperature. On my first use I hit it shortly after it reached temp and got very little vapor. I left it on, fiddled with the temp setting for a minute or so, and tried again. On the next hit I got a HUGE cloud. So I know the vape can produce large amounts of vapor, it just can't do it after a ~20 second heat-up.

My chief complaint with the Pinnacle Pro (aside from questionable build quality and materials) is the length of time it takes to get up to temp. But once it reaches temp the PNP is definitely ready to produce tons of vapor. It seems to me that the Focus Pro probably takes the same amount of time as the PNP, but you have to wait for some time after it reaches the set temperature before hitting it. To be honest I would prefer it if the Focus Pro took longer to reach the set temp but was ready to produce vapor as soon as it did. Now I will have to "guess" how long I need to wait for the heat soak before hitting it.

I realize that it is unrealistic to expect a conduction vape to produce clouds after a mere ~20 second heat-up, but I had hoped it was possible with the Focus Pro.

I also need to experiment more with how much I load, how much I tamp it down, and how I adjust the airflow holes. I know this vape is capable of producing big clouds, but it's not as "idiot proof" as the Pinnacle Pro.

The build quality of the Focus Pro seems much higher than the PNP, so I will keep it and work on my technique, but so far I'm a little disappointed.

Also I should be receiving some of the Dry Material Pods in a few days, so I'll try them out and post my impressions when I have time.

Edit: I've been using temps between 410 and 420 F, with a loose fill, no tamping, and all 3 air holes exposed.

 

[MonkeyTime]

I have a black textured Focus Pro that I ordered from PIU.

I did a couple of burn-offs and I don't notice any unusually strong taste or odor when using this vape. I checked for light coming through the oven and saw absolutely nothing.

My first impressions are somewhat disappointing. I really bought this to replace my aging Pinnacle Pro as a portable conduction vape (I have a SS Grasshopper, FF1 and FF2 as portable convection vapes). The replaceable battery was a big selling point for me, but the main "feature" that sold me was the ~20 second heat-up time. This "feature" seems deceiving to me, as (IME) the material is nowhere near ready to produce vapor when the heater reaches the dialed-in temperature. On my first use I hit it shortly after it reached temp and got very little vapor. I left it on, fiddled with the temp setting for a minute or so, and tried again. On the next hit I got a HUGE cloud. So I know the vape can produce large amounts of vapor, it just can't do it after a ~20 second heat-up.

My chief complaint with the Pinnacle Pro (aside from questionable build quality and materials) is the length of time it takes to get up to temp. But once it reaches temp the PNP is definitely ready to produce tons of vapor. It seems to me that the Focus Pro probably takes the same amount of time as the PNP, but you have to wait for some time after it reaches the set temperature before hitting it. To be honest I would prefer it if the Focus Pro took longer to reach the set temp but was ready to produce vapor as soon as it did. Now I will have to "guess" how long I need to wait for the heat soak before hitting it.

I realize that it is unrealistic to expect a conduction vape to produce clouds after a mere ~20 second heat-up, but I had hoped it was possible with the Focus Pro.

I also need to experiment more with how much I load, how much I tamp it down, and how I adjust the airflow holes. I know this vape is capable of producing big clouds, but it's not as "idiot proof" as the Pinnacle Pro.

The build quality of the Focus Pro seems much higher than the PNP, so I will keep it and work on my technique, but so far I'm a little disappointed.

Also I should be receiving some of the Dry Material Pods in a few days, so I'll try them out and post my impressions when I have time.

Edit: I've been using temps between 410 and 420 F, with a loose fill, no tamping, and all 3 air holes exposed.

I'm feeling very similar to you, plus the smell. Underwhelmed is the word I think fits me best.

I'm done until the replacement is here, but maybe try overshooting your temp and then backing down? As in, if you want to vape at 410, set it to 430 and let it soak there, then back it down before you hit?

I've been using it with all three air holes open also, maybe we're using too much air for a conduction vape to produce clouds? Hence your large cloud after letting it sit? That has been a large gripe of mine with a few other conduction style vapes, Pax 1 more so than 2, the Airizer, and such. So I could easily see myself working it harder than it likes.

Let's hear from some people that love it how they're using it!

 

[Fat Freddy]

@His_Highness , I couldn't remember if you had done any modifying of either of your Focus (Foci ? )

For instance, I think many of these PEN form factor vapes benefit from adding a SS screen on top of the herb load to prevent movement of the load.

Also, I've found that these PEN's don't do well with herb that contains too much moisture so I generally dry my herb on a paper towel for 15 - 20 minutes (open air dry) before loading smallish nuggets into the chamber.

Of course, what I've described above is just my personal experience so it's not statistically valid by any stretch. However, these methods of preparing my device and herb seem to add value to my experience so perhaps it's worth a try with other Focus vapes?

Finally, are we seeing issues only with the Focus Pro? Not the Focus 1.0?


.

 

[PPN]

I don't own the Pro, but my Focus produces large thick hits from the first hit although heating time to 200°C is around 40s but it take only 15-20s to heat at 160°C the lower heating setting.

Mine get a hint of factory taste for 2-3 sessions after an initial short burn off, now it taste rather good and normal, although I'm still prefering the Storm for taste (speaking vapes of the same category).

 

[His_Highness]

What temps are finding success at?
Are you finishing that bowl in a single session or multiple?
Hard or soft draws and approximate length?

Temp: I get three sessions/highs out of one fill. When I first got the Focus I used the temps I like on my Solo and have settled on:
- First session on a new full oven: 392 at 4 to 5 hits.
- Second session on previously filled oven: 392 again at 4 to 5 hits.
- Third session on the same filled oven: 410 (digital) or 428 (analog) 4 to 5 hits.

Draw speed/length: My guess on speed is 'not hard' and goes on for maybe 30 seconds. I generally inhale until I have filled the 66% of my lungs and then do pure air for the remaining 34% at the end to drive the vapor deeper into my lungs without wasting vapor.

@His_Highness , I couldn't remember if you had done any modifying of either of your Focus (Foci ? )

Also, I've found that these PEN's don't do well with herb that contains too much moisture so I generally dry my herb on a paper towel for 15 - 20 minutes (open air dry) before loading smallish nuggets into the chamber.

Easy Mod: I took out the white ceramic puck and screw piece from the mouthpiece and placed a SS screen on top of the oven itself. Didn't hurt the smoothness at all, increased airflow and easier to clean.

Couldn't agree more - I don't like a lot of moisture in my conduction vape weed and I do use an average 'grind'. Nugs don't seem to do well in a conduction vape. Gotta get that contact with the heat source AND the more contact area available the better.

@fogbank - My speed to temp findings agree with yours but I wasn't disappointed. I mentioned in my review that there is goodness in reaching the oven temp so much quicker than my Xmax Pro and my Solo but that...... it's deceiving because it still needs an extra 10 to 30 seconds afterwards to conduct the heat to the herb because it reached temp so quick. My Xmax and Solo take so much longer to reach the selected oven temp that it has had a chance to conduct the heat while climbing temp. Even with having to wait after reaching temp it still is much faster 'to vape' than my Xmax and Solo.

EDIT: For the record - even though my Solo takes longer to reach temp and heat soak a little I still prefer it most of the time. I'm close to someone who uses the Focus as a daily driver even though they have a Solo....to each his own I guess.

 

[fogbank]

I received the Dry Material Pods from PIU today.

Each pod consists of two symmetrical metal screen baskets which join to form a "pod". They are very small and fit in the bowl of the Focus Pro with room to spare. In fact you can place one in the oven, screw the cap onto the vape, and hear the pod rattle a bit when you shake the unit.

They sort of screw together, but come apart easily.

I dumped some flower material onto a hard surface, took one half of the pod in each hand, and "scooped" them together to fill the pod. I put the pod in the vape, screwed the top on, and turned it on with the temp set at 419 F. Once it reached temp I waited exactly 60 seconds before drawing. I took a fairly long draw and blew out a pretty good sized cloud ( sorry it was dark so I couldn't see too well). I turned the vape off and drew on it to clear any additional vapor.

I dumped the material out of the pod and was amazed at how little there was in there. It was also evenly browned (medium brown). I probably could have taken another hit before it was spent.

My overall impression of the pods is that they work pretty well to reduce the size of the load needed to produce decent vapor. They also keep the vape bowl and mouthpiece screen much cleaner.

 

[MonkeyTime]

I received the Dry Material Pods from PIU today.

Each pod consists of two symmetrical metal screen baskets which join to form a "pod". They are very small and fit in the bowl of the Focus Pro with room to spare. In fact you can place one in the oven, screw the cap onto the vape, and hear the pod rattle a bit when you shake the unit.

They sort of screw together, but come apart easily.

I dumped some flower material onto a hard surface, took one half of the pod in each hand, and "scooped" them together to fill the pod. I put the pod in the vape, screwed the top on, and turned it on with the temp set at 419 F. Once it reached temp I waited exactly 60 seconds before drawing. I took a fairly long draw and blew out a pretty good sized cloud ( sorry it was dark so I couldn't see too well). I turned the vape off and drew on it to clear any additional vapor.

I dumped the material out of the pod and was amazed at how little there was in there. It was also evenly browned (medium brown). I probably could have taken another hit before it was spent.

My overall impression of the pods is that they work pretty well to reduce the size of the load needed to produce decent vapor. They also keep the vape bowl and mouthpiece screen much cleaner.

I might have to try those, I ordered the FlowerMate cans because they looked more substantial, but I think they might have too much SS and didn't heat well. But the whole unit didn't seem like what you guys describe. It's replacement is on its way to me and I'll report back once I have it.

 

[moondog]

I received the Dry Material Pods from PIU today.

Each pod consists of two symmetrical metal screen baskets which join to form a "pod". They are very small and fit in the bowl of the Focus Pro with room to spare. In fact you can place one in the oven, screw the cap onto the vape, and hear the pod rattle a bit when you shake the unit.

They sort of screw together, but come apart easily.

I dumped some flower material onto a hard surface, took one half of the pod in each hand, and "scooped" them together to fill the pod. I put the pod in the vape, screwed the top on, and turned it on with the temp set at 419 F. Once it reached temp I waited exactly 60 seconds before drawing. I took a fairly long draw and blew out a pretty good sized cloud ( sorry it was dark so I couldn't see too well). I turned the vape off and drew on it to clear any additional vapor.

I dumped the material out of the pod and was amazed at how little there was in there. It was also evenly browned (medium brown). I probably could have taken another hit before it was spent.

My overall impression of the pods is that they work pretty well to reduce the size of the load needed to produce decent vapor. They also keep the vape bowl and mouthpiece screen much cleaner.

Thanks for this report. I have 2 of the pods but haven't had a chance to try them. My replacement Pro arrives today though, so it won't be long!

If you had to guess, how much does a pod hold? I'm was hoping when I ordered them it would be enough for 2 people to get a couple of hits, but it seems like it won't be.

It seems to be that the two sides of the pod force fit together. I'm a little concerned that they could come apart in transit. Gotta figure out a transportation mode that keeps them from rattling around.

 

[His_Highness]

Thanks for this report. I have 2 of the pods but haven't had a chance to try them. My replacement Pro arrives today though, so it won't be long!

If you had to guess, how much does a pod hold? I'm was hoping when I ordered them it would be enough for 2 people to get a couple of hits, but it seems like it won't be.

It seems to be that the two sides of the pod force fit together. I'm a little concerned that they could come apart in transit. Gotta figure out a transportation mode that keeps them from rattling around.

I'm with ya! I'd love to know whether the pods could be pre-filled for a day out and about.... where you just unscrew the mouthpiece, pull out the used pod from your pocket (having placed the pod in some sort of small hard sided container...altoid container or small pill bottle) and pop the unused one in.

How many hits per pod do you expect to get?

The battery life on the unit would last me over a full day so walking around with pre-filled pods, assuming they're sturdy enough to travel, would be great!

 

[moondog]

I'm with ya! I'd love to know whether the pods could be pre-filled for a day out and about.... where you just unscrew the mouthpiece, pull out the used pod from your pocket (having placed the pod in some sort of small hard sided container...altoid container or small pill bottle) and pop the unused one in.

How many hits per pod do you expect to get?

The battery life on the unit would last me over a full day so walking around with pre-filled pods, assuming they're sturdy enough to travel, would be great!

This is exactly how I'm hoping to use mine.

My new Pro just arrived (hooray for Jake and PIU!), so after some burnoffs (which will hopefully be noxious smell-free) and cleaning, I'll be off on my maiden Focus Foray.

 

[His_Highness]

@moondog - GOOD LUCK WITH THE NEW UNIT!

 

[moondog]

@moondog - GOOD LUCK WITH THE NEW UNIT!

Thanks Highness!

Here's a silly question for anyone who has used the charger that comes with the Focus. it's a pretty bare-bones unit with just a single small LED. When I plugged it in with a battery in it for charging, the LED came on red and has been that way for a couple of hours now. My assumption is that when the battery is fully charged the LED will turn green, but if someone could confirm that for me, I'd appreciate it. I'd hate to overcharge and stress the battery through ignorance.

 

[His_Highness]

Sorry @moondog - I'm sure it's too late to do you any good but....Analog Unit: I believe when charging the led is red and when done it changes to white. Digital Unit: Charges with a led battery image showing progress and the image shows a full battery image when done.

Anyone who returned their unit due to smell/taste and received a new one have an update?

@fogbank - How are those pods working for ya? Will they work? How many hits per pod do you think we can get?

 

[moondog]

Sorry @moondog - I'm sure it's too late to do you any good but....Analog Unit: I believe when charging the led is red and when done it changes to white. Digital Unit: Charges with a led battery image showing progress and the image shows a full battery image when done.

Anyone who returned their unit due to smell/taste and received a new one have an update?

@fogbank - How are those pods working for ya? Will they work? How many hits per pod do you think we can get?

Thanks for the input Highness, but I was actually referring to the EXTERNAL charger, not the internal USB charging function.

What I found was, after several hours, the LED on the charger was still showing red, but I was suspicious, so I took the battery and put it in the Focus, where it showed fully charged. Once I ran it down doing smell-reducing burn-offs (more on that in a forthcoming post), I charged it internally with the USB cable and it charged up in no time. Which says to me that the external charger is not all that reliable. So last night I ordered a Nitecore D4, which I was planning on doing anyway for the many batteries I will be using with my Grasshopper when it arrives.

I still have yet to actually vape through my new Focus Pro. As hinted at above, I will be posting about that soon, but I will say that while my second unit did/does smell similar to the first, the degree of smell is NOWHERE near as bad. More later.

I am also anxious to hear more about those pods.

 

[MonkeyTime]

Sorry @moondog - I'm sure it's too late to do you any good but....Analog Unit: I believe when charging the led is red and when done it changes to white. Digital Unit: Charges with a led battery image showing progress and the image shows a full battery image when done.

Anyone who returned their unit due to smell/taste and received a new one have an update?

@fogbank - How are those pods working for ya? Will they work? How many hits per pod do you think we can get?

My report will be about a week out, I think it's waiting for me at the post office in WI while I'm in NY visiting family and then headed out for work.

Full follow up Mon/Tues next week. I really thought knowing it was waiting for me was going to be aggravating, but I've got my Pax 2 on the trip and she's working fine and helping me forget.

 

[moondog]

So I received my replacement Focus Pro digital unit 4 days ago, having sent my extremely odiferous first unit back to PIU. What follows is an account of my attempt at a controlled burn-off regimen.

I paid close attention this time when I opened the box and there was the same very strong bad smell. The smell seemed to be coming primarily from the foam in which the unit was sitting. The same smell was on the vape itself and the smell on the vape did not dissipate when the unit was away from the box.

The chamber-bottom screen was firmly in place, but the small mouthpiece screen, ceramic "filter" and the screw cap to hold them in place were disassembled and rattling around in the chamber. Easy enough to re-assemble.

After briefly admiring how cool the Focus looks and feels, I started the burn-offs. In total, I have run 18 burn-offs so far (all temps in Farenheit).

Day 1:

1st @ 350 with the vents closed and the mouthpiece assembly in place. The unit gave off a mild version of the horrible smell that came off my first unit. Nowhere near as bad.

2nd @ 350 with vents open and the mouthpiece assembly in place. I wanted to see if the vents being open made a difference. It did not. The smell was the same.

3rd @ 400 with the vents closed and the mouthpiece assembly in place. Same result.

4th @ 400 with the vents open and the mouthpiece assembly in place. Same result.

5th @ 464 with the vents closed and the mouthpiece assembly in place. The smell was perhaps a bit stronger than at 400.

6th, 7th, and 8th @ 464 with the vents open and the mouthpiece assembly in place. Same result as above.

At this point the battery indicated a recharge was needed. Based on the first day's results, it doesn't seem to me that the smell is affected one way or the other by whether the vents are open or closed. All burn-offs going forward are with the vents fully open.

Day 2:

The smell coming off the unit when off is definitely less than yesterday.

9th and 10th @ 464 with the mouthpiece assembly in place. The smell was pretty much the same. Maybe a little less intense than yesterday.

11th and 12th @ 464 without mouthpiece assembly. Smell continues to be the same. Perhaps a little less intense.

At this point I decided to run future trials at a temp that is closer to where I would actually run the thing when vaping, so:

13th @ 350 without mouthpiece assembly. Smell less intense and definitely less on the outside of the unit.

One thing I noticed during Day 2's runs is that the smell during burn-offs comes from inside the chamber but also appears to be coming directly off the outside of the unit; more strongly than when the unit isn't on. Specifically, the upper part of the Focus; from the adjustable ring up to the mouthpiece assembly - which is where the heater is. That part of the unit smells much more than the part from the ring down to the battery cap.

At this point I decided to try putting the unit in a ziplock bag overnight with one of these. This bag has worked miracles removing noxious preservative odors from things like new guitar cases (a truly horrific smell in its own right) so I figured it couldn't hurt to see what it would do here.

Day 3:

Upon removing the Focus from the bag, the smell on the outside of the unit was greatly decreased, if not altogether gone.

I only got to run two burnoffs this day, both @ 350 without the mouthpiece assembly. The smell was definitely still present although very mild, with the upper part of the exterior smelling as well.

Interestingly, after running the burnoffs, the exterior of the unit started to smell again even when I wasn't running a burnoff.

I left the unit in with the Moso bag overnight again.

Day 4:

The unit came out of the bag with no smell. I ran 4 burnoffs @ 350 without the mouthpiece and in each case, there was still a slight but noticeable smell from the chamber and from the exterior of the top portion of the vape.

So, after 18 burn-offs at a variety of temps, there is still enough smell coming off the unit that I feel it would affect the taste of whatever I was vaping; and not in a good way. Based on my experiences, it seems to me that the smell has to do with either the exterior silica gel or the adhesive (if there is any) that keeps the exterior covering in place. It seems that the heat from the chamber causes the exterior (or adhesive) to outgas. Of course, I'm guessing here, but that's what the results point to for me. Does this mean that the foam in the box absorbed the smell from the unit during shipping?

I really don't know what to do here. The fact that I'm still getting outgassing after 18 burnoffs is discouraging, but the fact that the smell is much less than when I started is a good sign, right? I really want this vape to work out. There is so much about it I like. But that smell and what it would do to the taste of my vaping - not to mention what it would do to my lungs - has got me very worried.

Do I keep going with burnoffs? How many do I do before I give up and send it back?

Any and all input is most welcome.

 

[MonkeyTime]

So I received my replacement Focus Pro digital unit 4 days ago, having sent my extremely odiferous first unit back to PIU. What follows is an account of my attempt at a controlled burn-off regimen.

I paid close attention this time when I opened the box and there was the same very strong bad smell. The smell seemed to be coming primarily from the foam in which the unit was sitting. The same smell was on the vape itself and the smell on the vape did not dissipate when the unit was away from the box.

The chamber-bottom screen was firmly in place, but the small mouthpiece screen, ceramic "filter" and the screw cap to hold them in place were disassembled and rattling around in the chamber. Easy enough to re-assemble.

After briefly admiring how cool the Focus looks and feels, I started the burn-offs. In total, I have run 18 burn-offs so far (all temps in Farenheit).

Day 1:

1st @ 350 with the vents closed and the mouthpiece assembly in place. The unit gave off a mild version of the horrible smell that came off my first unit. Nowhere near as bad.

2nd @ 350 with vents open and the mouthpiece assembly in place. I wanted to see if the vents being open made a difference. It did not. The smell was the same.

3rd @ 400 with the vents closed and the mouthpiece assembly in place. Same result.

4th @ 400 with the vents open and the mouthpiece assembly in place. Same result.

5th @ 464 with the vents closed and the mouthpiece assembly in place. The smell was perhaps a bit stronger than at 400.

6th, 7th, and 8th @ 464 with the vents open and the mouthpiece assembly in place. Same result as above.

At this point the battery indicated a recharge was needed. Based on the first day's results, it doesn't seem to me that the smell is affected one way or the other by whether the vents are open or closed. All burn-offs going forward are with the vents fully open.

Day 2:

The smell coming off the unit when off is definitely less than yesterday.

9th and 10th @ 464 with the mouthpiece assembly in place. The smell was pretty much the same. Maybe a little less intense than yesterday.

11th and 12th @ 464 without mouthpiece assembly. Smell continues to be the same. Perhaps a little less intense.

At this point I decided to run future trials at a temp that is closer to where I would actually run the thing when vaping, so:

13th @ 350 without mouthpiece assembly. Smell less intense and definitely less on the outside of the unit.

One thing I noticed during Day 2's runs is that the smell during burn-offs comes from inside the chamber but also appears to be coming directly off the outside of the unit; more strongly than when the unit isn't on. Specifically, the upper part of the Focus; from the adjustable ring up to the mouthpiece assembly - which is where the heater is. That part of the unit smells much more than the part from the ring down to the battery cap.

At this point I decided to try putting the unit in a ziplock bag overnight with one of these. This bag has worked miracles removing noxious preservative odors from things like new guitar cases (a truly horrific smell in its own right) so I figured it couldn't hurt to see what it would do here.

Day 3:

Upon removing the Focus from the bag, the smell on the outside of the unit was greatly decreased, if not altogether gone.

I only got to run two burnoffs this day, both @ 350 without the mouthpiece assembly. The smell was definitely still present although very mild, with the upper part of the exterior smelling as well.

Interestingly, after running the burnoffs, the exterior of the unit started to smell again even when I wasn't running a burnoff.

I left the unit in with the Moso bag overnight again.

Day 4:

The unit came out of the bag with no smell. I ran 4 burnoffs @ 350 without the mouthpiece and in each case, there was still a slight but noticeable smell from the chamber and from the exterior of the top portion of the vape.

So, after 18 burn-offs at a variety of temps, there is still enough smell coming off the unit that I feel it would affect the taste of whatever I was vaping; and not in a good way. Based on my experiences, it seems to me that the smell has to do with either the exterior silica gel or the adhesive (if there is any) that keeps the exterior covering in place. It seems that the heat from the chamber causes the exterior (or adhesive) to outgas. Of course, I'm guessing here, but that's what the results point to for me. Does this mean that the foam in the box absorbed the smell from the unit during shipping?

I really don't know what to do here. The fact that I'm still getting outgassing after 18 burnoffs is discouraging, but the fact that the smell is much less than when I started is a good sign, right? I really want this vape to work out. There is so much about it I like. But that smell and what it would do to the taste of my vaping - not to mention what it would do to my lungs - has got me very worried.

Do I keep going with burnoffs? How many do I do before I give up and send it back?

Any and all input is most welcome.

I'm so not happy to hear this and for you! What color is this unit? My replacement unit is black in lieu of the green I had the first time. I really liked the green, but it was tied to a smell I don't want to remember. Not sure that color will change anything, but it will to my mind.

I'm really not sure what to tell you, and the fact that this seems so isolated doesn't help. I know there's not much traffic here, but only three reports of this, but all three so similar.

I really wish we had a larger sample size to work from. If someone locally sold these I'd go thru every box checking them for a scentless one.

 

[djurodjakovic]

after my smelly titan2 (genuine) and the shop/warranty doesn't want to cover it, I'm in search for a new vape. I was thinking going focus vape road but all this bad smell talk...

are there some big differences between pro and non pro except the digital display (internals maybe)?

is this issue something that happens also with some davinci and arizer air units also? they are my last and most expensive choice if I don't go focus vape route.