Herb Grinders

[SometimesY]

I am thinking of getting a coffee grinder to do my grinding. There are two types, spinning blade and burr mill. Has anyone used a burr mill grinder on their herb?

Coming from the coffee side, I wouldn't try to use a burr grinder on herb. A burr grinder is designed to essentially shave pieces off of the coffee bean by cutting it between the burrs. I would think that resin and plant material would gum up the works, and would be very difficult to keep clean and working.

I've used the cheap blade grinders with good effect. They can grind too finely, but you need to control that by the amount of time you grind. They're much easier to keep clean, too (but obviously you'd need a dedicated grinder -- don't use your regular coffee grinder).

That being said, I now use a Mendo Mulcher, and I wouldn't use a coffee grinder unless I was in a pinch. It's portable, quiet, effective, and requires no power other than me.

 

[max]

I use a burr grinder for coffee beans. I 2nd the suggestion to NOT use one for herb. If you want to use a coffee grinder, a blade grinder for about $15 is what most people use. I'll always use a hand grinder designed for herb. It gives me more control over the consistency and is easy to clean. I just enjoy the process.

 

[DeepFried]

yeah that's what I thought, I have a TruBlendz CNC grinder that works great but sometimes you know with lots of friends over it just seems like I am forever grinding. I read a suggestion somewhere that said to use the coffee grinder upside down and just sort of shake the grinder up and down a few times causing the herb to briefly contact the spinning blades before falling back into the lid. Does that sound like it could work to better control the grind consistency?.

 

[HiC]

If you plan on using a coffee grinder, try to find one that has a cap/bowl without too many unnecessary crevices in it. I tried using mine and all my kief collected in them and was a bitch to scrape out. Also, the cap is plastic so kief sticks to it more. I'm not sure what other options there are, but keep that in mind.

 

[Hotboxvapebongin]

i just bout an aluminum grinder from gotvape. it seems to work very nice but im wondering about the quality of the product? does anyone else own one?? heres a link http://www.gotvape.com/store/got-vape-herbal-grinder-4pc-50mm.php

 

[max]

$40 ($45 w/ shipping) is pretty pricy for a house brand grinder this size (You can get a 2.75" Cosmic 4 pc. on eBay for $45 w/free shipping), but it may be excellent quality. If you've given it a good initial cleaning, including checking for metal shavings clinging to the magnet, then find no metal in your ground herb, I'd say it's doing the job and wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Hotboxvapebongin]

yeah i got it yesterday.. it was free shipping because i bought a vapor whip tube and a few other small items. It only took 2 days to arrive, very fast shipping. In regards to the gotvape brand grinder its pretty nice. I dry grinded with oregano for a couple minutes and then scrubbed it with a toothbrush and water. I dried the grinder and began grinding dank. It grinds it up perfectly for a vape. It is kinda small but it works. Im having trouble posting pictures on this site can anyone tell me the easiest way to do that? thanks all sorry for the lengthy post

 

[max]

You need a site to host your images.
http://imageshack.us/

 

[Hotboxvapebongin]

ok im just seeing if this works

 

[graywulf]

Is there any disadvantage or advantage going for a large grinder? I'm thinking of getting the 4in Chromium Crusher, but rarely do I need to grind up that much herb anyway. I was thinking the size would be useful for large amounts for baking, or when there's a big session (I would love if people would let me collect their kief ).

 

[Hotboxvapebongin]

well a larger grinder means mure surface area. which gives you more kief. so bigger is better.

 

[max]

A bigger grinder isn't better if you don't need to grind large quantities, or if it doesn't suit your hand size. You don't get less kief from a small grinder. You just have to reload and grind again. Smaller sizes are cheaper too. 60mm is as large as I want to go. It's purely personal preference.

 

[graywulf]

Well the holes a little different on the two different sized models. Let me show you.

2.5 in Crusher:

vs

2.25 in Crusher:

 

[Hotboxvapebongin]

yeah the bigger one will do a better job at grinding and ultimately collect more kief.

 

[max]

I know. The difference between the two CC models has been discussed. I have both models in the 55mm size. The original (top pic) has twice as many teeth in the bottom section as the new aluminum model, and almost twice as many in the top. The new style has only a dozen holes (but larger) while the old style has about 44. I think the new design, with fewer teeth and holes (but bigger), kind of evens out with the old one's many teeth and holes, as far as getting the same overall grind. My original is collecting dust and I need to sell it or give it away. It's a good grinder but it's not my style.

Personally I like a design with fewer teeth (new CC design and MixnBall, for example). The many teeth found in the original CC, Mendo Mulcher, and Space Case, are not to my liking. Fewer teeth makes for easier herb loading and cleaning. Just a difference in grinder design that people should take into account before buying. Some will like one design, and some will like the other.

 

[graywulf]

I think I'm going to pick up a MixnBall because they seem to be reputedly high () quality. I like the new magnets with the twist and pull lock. It seems like there's room where the weed gathers as well. I have one question though -- I saw on their website that they 'coat' their grinders. Does this mean their grinders are anodized?

 

[max]

Yeah they're anodized-an 'organic' coating. The Classic Screen has the typical design you see on all 4 pc. models. It's the best deal of the MB screen models. I like the removeable screens in the Double and Triple screen models, but because they're removeable, you don't get as much screen area. I never use more than one screen at a time, but it's nice to have an option for mesh size. The magnets in the top are are on the rim, so they're small and weak compared to the standard center magnet, so be sure you're OK with that design aspect. You can't pick up the grinder by the top section-the small magnets aren't strong enough.

 

[rayski]

I think I'm going to pick up a MixnBall because they seem to be reputedly high () quality. I like the new magnets with the twist and pull lock. It seems like there's room where the weed gathers as well. I have one question though -- I saw on their website that they 'coat' their grinders. Does this mean their grinders are anodized?

Others here have had problems ordering from mixnball.com: VaporStore and other web outlets are out of their stock. I get the feeling Mix n Ball has gone out of business, but on the web, unlike Main St., it's hard to tell from the store front.

I hope you get the one you want, but I would be careful about dealing with mixnball.com. And, if they're out of business, you may not have any guarantee, if that matters.

 

[max]

I get the feeling Mix n Ball has gone out of business

Not so. Lengthy 'out of stock' periods are standard for this brand. I've made several buys directly from MixnBall with no problem other than an out of stock delay. Even got a free two piece from them to make up for a long wait on my Triple Screen. Vaporstore's a good place to buy. You know when they have stock and you can get 10% off.

 

[hub]

I just wanted to cast my vote for the tiny Space Case Scout. I'm coming from a medium sized 2pc Space Case. The 2pc wasn't great. I always got either too fine of a grind, or too many chunks.

With the Scout, I can put in the perfect amount needed to use with the Extreme. The material 100% of the time comes out to a perfect, fluffy consistency. Usually it just takes a few turns. I'd have to say this is by far my favorite grinder I have ever used.

Of course, I was quite shocked when I opened the package and realized how tiny the Scout really is!

 

[tuttle]

I know I wrote a quick little review of the Mix'n'Ball Nano, but after further use I have to chime in again. Although I thought it highly unlikely, it has become my go to grinder when preparing stuff for the Silver Surfer Vape. It has about the same diameter as the wand, so I grind up what I want and suck it directly into the wand from the grinder. And for being so small, it does a great job grinding. It is also small enough that I don't leave it laying around, but it goes right back in the SSV bag pocket, so it is always around. It you need a single session grinder, it should get some consideration.

 

[graywulf]

Ah, well I ordered the MixnBall Nano from their site. I kind of wanted to upgrade to a kif catcher, but I realized if I'm going to generally be using my PD I ordered and my VG and hopefully in the future a LB, a Nano will be adequate. When my friend had a mini grinder I noticed it worked particularly well.

 

[max]

I just wanted to cast my vote for the tiny Space Case Scout. I'm coming from a medium sized 2pc Space Case. The 2pc wasn't great. I always got either too fine of a grind, or too many chunks.

With the Scout, I can put in the perfect amount needed to use with the Extreme. The material 100% of the time comes out to a perfect, fluffy consistency. Usually it just takes a few turns. I'd have to say this is by far my favorite grinder I have ever used.

Of course, I was quite shocked when I opened the package and realized how tiny the Scout really is!

Another option in this size is the 1.5" 4 pc. Cosmic. At $37 w/free shipping on eBay, it's a quarter inch larger in diameter than the SC and quite a bit less $.

 

[vaporlicious]

I got the "Aerospace" silver grinder from VapeWorld.com as a freebie with my IOLite purchase. Seems like a nicely made grinder, magnetic and well machined.

http://www.vapeworld.com/herb-grind...grinders/aerospace-pollen-grinder-medium-63mm

It's a four piece with screen and pollen collector. However, the holes are a bit large, and it doesn't grind the herb as finely as my Storz & Bickel acrylic (seriously). If I turn it upside-down and grind it for a bit before letting the herb fall through the holes, I do get a marginally better experience.

I tried figuring out who/where this grinder comes from, but couldn't track it down. The VapeWorld site suggests "We custom engineered this Aerospace Grinder to the highest standards." which leads me to believe it's a re-branded Chinese import.

For the record, the USPTO doesn't seem to know anything about this particular trademark ;-)

Edit: The box it came in said "Made in India" / "CNC-2".

 

[max]

which leads me to believe it's a re-branded Chinese import.

The box it came in said "Made in India" / "CNC-2".

Then I'd say it's made in India and not a Chinese import. Vapeworld probably told some company what kind of quality they wanted and added the name on top. With the exception of a few high priced brands (SC, Mendo, Cosmic, ?,), pretty much all grinders are made in China or India. There are different grades of aluminum used and different manufacturing methods (ideally, you want 100% CNC for high quality). It continues to be a guessing game as far as getting good quality at a decent price.

The Aerospace grinders seem to be good quality, especially for a freebie. $18 for the 56mm (2.2") is about the same as the CNC Chromium Crusher. $28 for a 3.3" size is a good deal.