MiniVAP Vaporizer

[Smknbud]

Wow guys, thanks for all the quick helpful replies about my issue.
The basket is still too hot to hold when I open it up after vaping, yes. But then again, the unit does still vape a little, just not that much. So it still has to get hot, it just doesn't seem to get as hot as it used to and I'm not sure whether you can feel that difference by touching the basket.

Anyway, I'll be sure to test it again today with both the adapter and the battery, and I'll try to clean the inside as much as possible. And pick up some strong and tasty bud to check it with ^^.

Will report back! If it still performs poorly I guess I have to contact the shop where I got it from again... I bet the whole customer service there has etched my name into their memories by now... haha

If you are using the same herb, filling the basket like you always have and feel like it's not heating up like it used to and the vapor production is nowhere like it used to be, then like my old unit, and as others have chimed in and pointed out, your MV sadly is a candidate for a swap out replacement.

You are under warranty and Hermes never fights replacements, so other than the hassle of the return process, which understandably is a pain since I've been there, you know it will be made right.

Hang in there!

 

[JJ Cool F]

Does Hermes cover the cost of shipping a faulty unit back to Spain, or do MV owners eat the cost of postage each time their unit fails?

 

[Smknbud]

Does Hermes cover the cost of shipping a faulty unit back to Spain, or do MV owners eat the cost of postage each time their unit fails?

Well, like just about every company I have ever dealt with, and with very few exceptions, the customer gets stuck and pays for the return. Whether it's fair or not is debatable....

My return went to the USA authorized distributor. Two day USPS cost me about $12....Vapornation paid for shipping replacement back to me.

 

[JJ Cool F]

Yeah, that's what I figured.

Some companies allow you to print off a returns label from their website in the event of a faulty product, which covers the postage costs. I thought Hermes might be one of those companies.

 

[Kommyknocker]

That would be cool. Email them and suggest. Though if they found it to be not faulty then I guess they could ask the same from you? An obviously faulty MV is usually just such though.
Hope it gets fixed for you real soon buddy.

 

[JJ Cool F]

That would be cool. Email them and suggest. Though if they found it to be not faulty then I guess they could ask the same from you? An obviously faulty MV is usually just such though.
Hope it gets fixed for you real soon buddy.

I totally agree - if it's determined upon return to Hermers that it's simply user-error, Hermes could get the customer to eat the return postage costs. Else, I sort of feel it's in their best interests to provide customers with a fully functioning unit at the originally-agreed price, no matter how many units have to be shipped back and forth.

I don't own a Minivap yet. I'm still being a wimp and weighing up the pros and cons.

Secretly, I want you to invite me over to your place so I can try one in all its glory.

 

[Sid]

........................................................

- Pathway/ mouthpiece: some have created their own custom mouthpiece, like with short pieces of tubing (like 1") alternating with short 1" glass pieces. You can have glass at the end for mouthpiece and it never gets hot.

- Battery unclipping when putting the cap on. Slight technique change: just grip the upper half when you twist the cap on. Then there is no chance of unscrewing battery.

Yeah I realise that it's sort of user error with the battery As for the mouthpiece, if I'm honest it's this that really lets the MV down for me, I'd love to find a solution to this, but again just for the info of anyone thinking of buying one, don't think that because you're buying a v.expensive product that it's the perfect vape like I did! I'm not too happy about having to modify/find solutions to a product that cost so much, really it's the manufacturer that should be doing that, especially when you consider that it's not a new product to them, the MV has been around for years! My lips are being burnt every time I use it, so I need to find a solution.

I've no idea where to get 1" glass pieces from?

 

[stickstones]

@Sid i get you on the mouthpiece. I think it is the unit's main weakness. Most of us in this thread enjoying our units already have multiple solutions in our toolbox. I think the cheepest solution for you would be to get @Ratchett 's soon to be released adapter (18mm) and an 18mm glass mouthpiece similar to what vxl sells. These pieces will help you connect other stuff in the future as well. You could go 14mm on the adapter if you find 14mm glass you prefer.

 

[Sid]

@Sid i get you on the mouthpiece. I think it is the unit's main weakness. Most of us in this thread enjoying our units already have multiple solutions in our toolbox. I think the cheepest solution for you would be to get @Ratchett 's soon to be released adapter (18mm) and an 18mm glass mouthpiece similar to what vxl sells. These pieces will help you connect other stuff in the future as well. You could go 14mm on the adapter if you find 14mm glass you prefer.

Hey stickstones,

Cheers for the reply again, you've been really helpful! I realise that I might be coming across as a negative person in this thread, but as above I think it's useful for anyone thinking of buying the MV to be able to read about the down sides, if I'm honest I wish I had been able to before buying!

I really was expecting the MV to blow me away and the rest of my vapes out of the water, when if I'm honest, it doesn't. I'm not really into modifying stuff, and I've no idea who VXL are etc, and as said I just don't see that I should have to be buying bits to try and solve problems with a unit that is supposed to be a market leader, just to make it fully usable!

However, I DO think overall it's a great vape, and I'm using it more than any other, I'll persist with it, and will do my best to find these bits you're talking about, adaptors, mouthpieces, water bubblers etc etc!

 

[stickstones]

@Sid - I forget... Are you in the states? Just trying to get an idea of what your easy options might be.

Oh, and you're not coming off as cranky. Your complaints are legitimate and the same ones I have told Jorge about. I hope they are working on a turnkey solution.

 

[vaype]

Allright, my MV is really ****ed. My friends came over to chill out yesterday and one of them had a Mighty vaporizer by Storz&Bickel. Hitting that thing at 180 degrees reminded me how vaping should be, really thick clouds like my MV used to give. Same bud in my minivap on red barely produced any vapor.

Later that night, the Mighty ran out of battery and the guy who brought it didn't bring the charger with him. Guess what? I smoked a joint for the first time ever because my broken MV couldn't get us properly stoned.

Time to get it fixed.

 

[MinnBobber]

Yeah I realise that it's sort of user error with the battery As for the mouthpiece, if I'm honest it's this that really lets the MV down for me, I'd love to find a solution to this, but again just for the info of anyone thinking of buying one, don't think that because you're buying a v.expensive product that it's the perfect vape like I did! I'm not too happy about having to modify/find solutions to a product that cost so much, really it's the manufacturer that should be doing that, especially when you consider that it's not a new product to them, the MV has been around for years! My lips are being burnt every time I use it, so I need to find a solution.

I've no idea where to get 1" glass pieces from?

.................................................................
Sid, what exact mouthpiece are you using?
From stock parts, the coolest combo would be the flexicone plus and the top half of the hard mouthpiece inserted into that. See smiley face below : flexicone + is the 6" whip and attached cone. Your wire basket and wire screen on top would snap into it

For a water piece there are many many options but the simplest, with stock pieces is the flexicone
(silicone cone, upper left in above picture). Make a wire basket module with flexicone, wire basket and herb and round screen snapped into it). Then that just sits in a water piece with screen side up and mV inverted over it. Pics:

I start on lower temps with straight draws thru the 2" hard mouthpiece. Then it literally takes only 3 seconds to convert to water piece use for higher temps.
Chinese bubbler is like $30.

Also, I will be getting the first Song (silicone adapter ) from Ratchett to test in a few days. It will snap over the cover and then you invert into bubbler. That would be an easy method for you and a bubbler.


The most flavor comes with the 2" mouthpiece---shortest vapor path distance and least cooling.
Cooling = some vapor condensation = less flavor. You pick where to go on the continuum.
The coolest vapor would be thru a big ass water piece with ice , but it would also have the most flavor
and THC removed.

 

[stickstones]

It sounds counterintuitive, but I found the short plastic mouthpiece to deliver less harsh vapor than the flexicone+. The short plastic mouthpiece is hotter on the lips but cooler on the throat for me. If I take shorter draws with the plastic mouthpiece it doesn't get too hot.

 

[MinnBobber]

It sounds counterintuitive, but I found the short plastic mouthpiece to deliver less harsh vapor than the flexicone+. The short plastic mouthpiece is hotter on the lips but cooler on the throat for me. If I take shorter draws with the plastic mouthpiece it doesn't get too hot.

I like the hard mouthpiece a lot. It gives max flavor!!
I have always considered myself to have sensitive mouth , throat , lungs but I will hit the mV on green and red with the shorty mouthpiece.
The mouthpiece can get too hot to touch halfway up BUT I find the vapor ok. It doesn't seem harsh or hot, just more dry than lower temps. I usually inhale under my tongue and it gets dry from the inhale.

That's why I sometimes do the bubbler at high temps, to moisturize the vapor, not to cool it.
Everyone is different so folks should try all options---and there are a lot of them

 

[lazylathe]

Just had two amazing sessions with the MiniVap.
This truly is my best vape!

A lightly loaded small basket of Blueberry Kush yielded massive clouds upon clouds with very good flavour!
At least 12 hits through my bubbler at GREEN.
Pretty medicated by then, but onwards for science!
Oh and i had a bit of leftover Girl Scout Cookies left over that needed to be finished...!

So straight onto the second bowl of GSC.
Flavour and dense clouds from the first hit till i had to tap out and call it quits!!
The MiniVap would not stop producing choking clouds!!

I must admit that i have been playing with my newly acquired Crafty for the past two days...
Awesome little vape! Quick heat up, instant vapour, excellent taste and flavour.
Somehow the effects from it are seriously lacking for me...
I can vape 3 bowls and just be slightly medicated.
One bowl in the MiniVap and i am usually way too medicated.
Either way the Crafty appealed to the technology geek in me!

But the MiniVap is still way ahead of my other vapes.

Thank goodness for spell check...
this took 15 minutes to type...
i have been staring at the blue blinking light on my Crafty for a while now...

MiniVap

 

[kimura]

I must admit that i have been playing with my newly acquired Crafty for the past two days...
Awesome little vape! Quick heat up, instant vapour, excellent taste and flavour.
Somehow the effects from it are seriously lacking for me...
I can vape 3 bowls and just be slightly medicated.
One bowl in the MiniVap and i am usually way too medicated.

this seems to be the curse of the miniVAP? "vape signature" like no other? other vapes don't hit the spot anymore?

I wonder if the cooling unit on the craft/mighty is catching a substantial amount of actives in the form of condensation

 

[mixchu69]

One more week and the family will be gone for the holidays..it will be time to play with my new minivap. I purchased both the mighty and minivap on thanksgiving because of the discounts. I have used my mighty in my car because it does not have many moving parts. Love it. But when I read this forum, properly functioning minivaps seem to be untouchable in the taste and extraction department, my top two characteristics of a vape. I will re read all the pages and will be asking a lot of questions.

I am hoping to limit water filtration to times that I really need it, which is very rare. I haven't found a vaporizer that doesn't lose flavor when using water. I hope I have one that functions well. Fingers crossed

 

[MinnBobber]

this seems to be the curse of the miniVAP? "vape signature" like no other? other vapes don't hit the spot anymore?

I wonder if the cooling unit on the craft/mighty is catching a substantial amount of actives in the form of condensation

.............................................................................
I find that it does have a vape signature like no other, both for the flavor and the effects.

To me, it seems like the mV does not produce as much visible vapor and does not get ABV as brown as other top level vapes, yet it out performs them in taste and effect and efficiency. It might be the "laminar airflow" which is designed into the air pathway. This may be why it can run 437 F on red and the Mighty/Crafty max temp is 410 F.

The mighty/crafty cooling unit has to catch a lot of actives. Cooling = condensation = less actives.
Look at some of the pics of their cooling units and guys getting reclaim out of there, I prefer getting all the goodness out NOW, not later.

I've had two good long Mighty sessions and like lazylathe said, the S & B unit had very good taste but the effect seemed less than the mV. I found the mV does taste better , but the Mighty was close. I also find the mV taste never gets poor at the end of the session like most other vapes, it just doesn't extract any more actives.

 

[lazylathe]

One more week and the family will be gone for the holidays..it will be time to play with my new minivap. I purchased both the mighty and minivap on thanksgiving because of the discounts. I have used my mighty in my car because it does not have many moving parts. Love it. But when I read this forum, properly functioning minivaps seem to be untouchable in the taste and extraction department, my top two characteristics of a vape. I will re read all the pages and will be asking a lot of questions.

I am hoping to limit water filtration to times that I really need it, which is very rare. I haven't found a vaporizer that doesn't lose flavor when using water. I hope I have one that functions well. Fingers crossed

HOLY COW!!!
You have had the MV for so long an not touched it, i admire you!!
I know the circumstances but i would have found some way... Midnight toker here we come!!
I hope you have a great experience and cannot wait to read about your thoughts!!

.............................................................................
I find that it does have a vape signature like no other, both for the flavor and the effects.

To me, it seems like the mV does not produce as much visible vapor and does not get ABV as brown as other top level vapes, yet it out performs them in taste and effect and efficiency. It might be the "laminar airflow" which is designed into the air pathway. This may be why it can run 437 F on red and the Mighty/Crafty max temp is 410 F.

The mighty/crafty cooling unit has to catch a lot of actives. Cooling = condensation = less actives.
Look at some of the pics of their cooling units and guys getting reclaim out of there, I prefer getting all the goodness out NOW, not later.

I've had two good long Mighty sessions and like lazylathe said, the S & B unit had very good taste but the effect seemed less than the mV. I found the mV does taste better , but the Mighty was close. I also find the mV taste never gets poor at the end of the session like most other vapes, it just doesn't extract any more actives.

I agree that it must be the cooling unit trapping all the actives!
Looks like i might by a mighty cooling unit and chop it up to have direct flow with an 18mm GonG attached!

I have to disagree with you on vapour output but only for certain strains.
As well i can get dark brown ABV from my MV if i want, either dry or using a WT, WT tends to be a bit darker.
I will say that my Girl Scout Cookies, ChemDawg, OG Kush and a few other strains are serious vapour producers. Other strains i get about 10 good hits while the ones mentioned above i usually tap out before the basket is done.

Seems like my replacement runs a lot hotter than my original black unit.
I did not like this in the beginning but have gotten used to it and now crave those high temp flavourful hits!
This is by far my most favourite vape again!
Endless hits of flavour and absolutely NO popcorn taste ever!

It really is neat to see a vaporist emerge from the fog and realize that in order to fully enjoy our medicine, time is not your best friend if you are wanting the best experience!
I can start getting medicated in about 20 seconds if i use Herbie and before heading out the door it is a life saver!
I do however prefer a longer session these days with more time spent preparing for the ritual and have found the sessions to be much more enjoyable!

 

[Smknbud]

I have to disagree with you on vapour output but only for certain strains.
As well i can get dark brown ABV from my MV if i want, either dry or using a WT, WT tends to be a bit darker.
I will say that my Girl Scout Cookies, ChemDawg, OG Kush and a few other strains are serious vapour producers. Other strains i get about 10 good hits while the ones mentioned above i usually tap out before the basket is done.

Seems like my replacement runs a lot hotter than my original black unit.
I did not like this in the beginning but have gotten used to it and now crave those high temp flavourful hits!
This is by far my most favourite vape again!
Endless hits of flavour and absolutely NO popcorn taste ever!

It really is neat to see a vaporist emerge from the fog and realize that in order to fully enjoy our medicine, time is not your best friend if you are wanting the best experience!
I can start getting medicated in about 20 seconds if i use Herbie and before heading out the door it is a life saver!
I do however prefer a longer session these days with more time spent preparing for the ritual and have found the sessions to be much more enjoyable!

I'm torn if I would like one of the 'hotter' units, since this seems to be what Hermes is/ has done to the newest version of the MV, or how my gold version and apparently the 'older' versions with the more modest temperature profile works.

I was going to say pretty much what you said in your last paragraph in our side conversation but was too baked . I really enjoy the laid back no hurry approach to using the MV at home when time is not a priority.

 

[MinnBobber]

.....

I was going to say pretty much what you said in your last paragraph in our side conversation but was too baked . I really enjoy the laid back no hurry approach to using the MV at home when time is not a priority.

.................................................................................

I like to take my time too. It's kind of like a Japanese tea ceremony--enjoy the ritual and experience.
Like the difference between slamming down a few beers vs enjoying a looong glass of wine.
Sipping vs chugging....

 

[Kommyknocker]

Hells yeah guys, the ritualistic vibe is definitely there with this vape for me... And I am not on the fence about the hotter running models, I just straight up want one. Nothing wrong with the one I got but would love to get bigger clouds when I have lesser quality material. Seems like the little ramp up would facilitate just that.
Go team MV!!

 

[lazylathe]

Even though i feel like crap...
I am going to try and shoot a MiniVap video with my unit running on Green!
Let the clouds begin!!

Be back in a while if i can still stand...

EDIT:
Do not attempt this when you have a serious cold!
5 second inhales and 30 seconds+ of coughing...
Back to bed for me!
At least that hit medicated me nicely!

 

[Kommyknocker]

Been there buddy. Even worse with a sore throat.. Best just lay off it until you recover. Then that let's you get quadrupley f#cked uhhhhpp when you do allow yourself to hit dat !!

 

[mixchu69]

HOLY COW!!!
You have had the MV for so long an not touched it, i admire you!!
I know the circumstances but i would have found some way... Midnight toker here we come!!
I hope you have a great experience and cannot wait to read about your thoughts!!



I agree that it must be the cooling unit trapping all the actives!
Looks like i might by a mighty cooling unit and chop it up to have direct flow with an 18mm GonG attached!

I have to disagree with you on vapour output but only for certain strains.
As well i can get dark brown ABV from my MV if i want, either dry or using a WT, WT tends to be a bit darker.
I will say that my Girl Scout Cookies, ChemDawg, OG Kush and a few other strains are serious vapour producers. Other strains i get about 10 good hits while the ones mentioned above i usually tap out before the basket is done.

Seems like my replacement runs a lot hotter than my original black unit.
I did not like this in the beginning but have gotten used to it and now crave those high temp flavourful hits!
This is by far my most favourite vape again!
Endless hits of flavour and absolutely NO popcorn taste ever!

It really is neat to see a vaporist emerge from the fog and realize that in order to fully enjoy our medicine, time is not your best friend if you are wanting the best experience!
I can start getting medicated in about 20 seconds if i use Herbie and before heading out the door it is a life saver!
I do however prefer a longer session these days with more time spent preparing for the ritual and have found the sessions to be much more enjoyable!

I know. It's killing me. But I played with the mighty during this time. I want to make sure everything is perfect before my session with the minivap.