Sick of proprietary parts/connections?

[Monk Debate]

Am I the only one who is utterly sick of almost every new vape on the market having non-standard/proprietary connections for things like mouth pieces? It seems like the purchase of most vapes really requires purchasing a suite of accessories that only work with that one specific vape, it kills me. Some of these vapes are already expensive just for the base unit, and then you add on the cost of cooling stems, water pipe adapters, portable bubblers, etc etc? No, they’re not strictly necessary but they can level up the experience of using a vape and being forced to have a small army of different accessories that only works with one vape is so tedious and tiresome.

Am I just being cranky? I’ve passed on a lot of vapes because I didn’t want to deal with a whole new set of accessories on top of my existing ones. It gets exhausting.

 

[Grass Yes]

First thing. Congrats on your 666th message. Lucky and still on 4/20 in my timezone.

I don't mind stems that are unique if there is a normal glass WPA with an 18mm option. I've mostly been enjoying plugins lately so that isn't much of a problem.

If there is no WPA, I would pass. Also proprietary batteries for portables are no good for me. And I hate capsules. So those are the non-standard deal-breakers for me.

Any particular device that is bringing this to your mind tonight?

 

[Ramahs]

I tend to not buy vapes these days that require that amount of proprietary accessories to get the full experience.

 

[Franco]

I don't know, there are also sometimes unexpected mix-and-match possibilities with different vape accessories.
And for some reason, I like when I find that (unexpectedly) a particular mouthpiece of a specific vape fits into other vapes as well.
For example, before XL8R stems came out, I was using the elbow and balloon attachment of an old Extreme Q as a mouthpiece for my Milaana 1.5.
Of course, you can't really do that with a lot of vapes, and I understand the OP frustration in that sense.
But, still, I'm amazed at what people on here come up with from time to time.

Edit: spelling

 

[Ramahs]

I don't know, there are also sometimes unexpected mix-and-match possibilities with different vape accessories.
And for some reason, I like when I find that (unexpectedly) a particular mouthpiece of a specific vape fits into other vapes as well.
For example, before XL8R stems came out, I was using the elbow and balloon attachment of an old Extreme Q as a mouthpiece for my Milaana 1.5.
Of course, you can't really do that with a lot of vapes, and I understand the OP frustration in that sense.
But, still, I'm amazed at what people on here come up with from time to time.

Edit: spelling

Yeah. It's surprising how much a little teflon tape and/or a slice of silicon hose (or, a couple of proper o-rings, if you want to get fancy with it) can make things work together.

 

[Sour Dream]

I tend to not buy vapes these days that require that amount of proprietary accessories to get the full experience.

Same here

 

[checkyourlibido]

I tend to not buy vapes these days that require that amount of proprietary accessories to get the full experience.

I always feel like I’m in the minority with this one, but I agree.

Not the same thing, but the FW9 got rid of the encased battery for a user replaceable 18650. This is one recent example of how what we say and do matters in this small community.

 

[Sour Dream]

yup, it gets annoying, costly, and takes up a lot of space to have a bunch of separate accessories that do the same thing. I dont like that the Dani vape doesn't work with the rest of the markets stems that's the only vape I've bought recently that goes against this rule

 

[Madtater]

If companies made interchangeable parts for different vapes or “standard” sizes, people would just build their own and companies would lose out on money they would be getting from purchases.

It is all about money…….

 

[Monk Debate]

First thing. Congrats on your 666th message. Lucky and still on 4/20 in my timezone.

I don't mind stems that are unique if there is a normal glass WPA with an 18mm option. I've mostly been enjoying plugins lately so that isn't much of a problem.

If there is no WPA, I would pass. Also proprietary batteries for portables are no good for me. And I hate capsules. So those are the non-standard deal-breakers for me.

Any particular device that is bringing this to your mind tonight?

Yes, the TinyMight 2. And the Yllvape. And the Mighty and the Crafty and the Edge and the Rogue and even the Sticky Brick. None of these use standard 10mm/14mm/18mm connections so you have to buy their stems/mouthpieces/adapters to use them.

I ordered then canceled the order on a Dablamp because I realized they can’t take regular dab buckets, you have to buy the ones they sell. The true cost of these vapes is so much higher than the price of the device itself.

 

[Grass Yes]

Yes, the TinyMight 2. And the Yllvape. And the Mighty and the Crafty and the Edge and the Rogue and even the Sticky Brick. None of these use standard 10mm/14mm/18mm connections so you have to buy their stems/mouthpieces/adapters to use them.

Yeah, that doesn't bother me. I think everything should come with a standard WPA, but I don't care beyond that. I would not like it if the TM had a standard 18mm glass joint in it. It's fine in my RBT devices*, but doesn't actually bring that much practically to the table. Although it does sound like you would like a TP80, if you don't have one already.

*Also the RBT joint is a little shorter than the common standard.

 

[Monk Debate]

Yeah, that doesn't bother me. I think everything should come with a standard WPA, but I don't care beyond that. I would not like it if the TM had a standard 18mm glass joint in it. It's fine in my RBT devices*, but doesn't actually bring that much practically to the table. Although it does sound like you would like a TP80, if you don't have one already.

*Also the RBT joint is a little shorter than the common standard.

What about a 10mm or 14mm joint? No reason it couldn’t have one of those.

 

[Grass Yes]

What about a 10mm or 14mm joint? No reason it couldn’t have one of those.

Yeah, to me, I don't want it to have a glass joint in there. I'm fine with it just being a 16mm tube secured with an o-ring. I think a glass joint would give me more problems and might interfere with the way the heater functions. That being said, there are plenty of vapes with that type of connection so it clearly works.

Seems like you have an excellent reason to not buy a TM and to buy a TP80 instead. I would skip the other vapes you mentioned for different reasons, but it is so great we have lots of options. (Except the SB. I have a few of those.)

Edited to add: Does anyone make a 10mm (glass piece side) stem? That seems weird to me but I suspect it is just because I would not have a use for it.

 

[Shit Snacks]

What about a 10mm or 14mm joint? No reason it couldn’t have one of those.

I mean that would totally suck? That's a tiny ass bowl... TM stems being 16 mm actually is a standard as there are a ton of after market options... Very versatile set up imo (also glass on glass is hardly as durable, furthermore there is a ton of variance with glass so even the standards are not so standard universally)

Edited to add: Does anyone make a 10mm (glass piece side) stem? That seems weird to me but I suspect it is just because I would not have a use for it.

Haha would you believe RBT actually made a 10 mm Milaana style prototype? It was soo tiny lol There's also a 14 mm one before the 18 mm version... MistVape Touch was 14 mm too, and I thought those bowls were a bit too tiny as well... Tetra and RBT and some others are nice to use with their standard 18 mm connections, as home vapes although I don't think they are quite as convenient portably, although I've used Milaana and Touch well that way in the past.

 

[Madri-Gal]

I'm pleased with the movement away from different charging connections for each vape, but am not bothered much by different fittings. Obviously, vape manufacturers have to make a living, but it seems that it's as much about design as anything. The accessories need to fit the holes that work for any individual vape, and there would be complaints if size were considered first over function. I also have found many alternatives uses for various mouthpieces and adapters outside of the original intent. Over time a glass collection grows, and I repurpose pieces all the time. I'm also not beyond buying a piece to see what it fits. Tasters and chillums have been my joy recently, as I buy them and see if they fit as stems for DynaVap, mouthpieces for other vapes, whips, etc. Usually I just open my small glass drawers, and see what I have that might work differently. I can see this wouldn't be a thrill if you wanted streamlined, so I'll put in that it's optional and it's OK to not buy vapes or glass that doesn't fit your individual tastes, style and preference. As the question was, am I sick of proprietary parts, I can say it doesn't bother me. This is a hobby, as well as medical treatment, and most hobbies have an element of buying odd and specific things related to the hobby to them.

 

[Monk Debate]

I mean that would totally suck? That's a tiny ass bowl... TM stems being 16 mm actually is a standard as there are a ton of after market options... Very versatile set up imo (also glass on glass is hardly as durable, furthermore there is a ton of variance with glass so even the standards are not so standard universally)

Smaller joints would only limit the bowl if the bowl was held in the stem, which is not the case for many vapes.

Also not sure why everyone is assuming everything must be glass, if the receiving end is the correct size it shouldn't matter if it's wood or medical grade plastic or SS/Ti. Same for the stem.

 

[Shit Snacks]

Yes, the TinyMight 2. And the Yllvape. And the Mighty and the Crafty and the Edge and the Rogue and even the Sticky Brick.

Okay, TM2 is a glass (okay it could be another material too) stem-based vape, unlike these other ones, which all have chambers you load (and all except the brick are hybrid session devices so I'd argue completely different from one another, how the hell would they all use any of the same standard parts?!? You also list different companies and chamber sizes so how could they be compatible with one another...?)

Smaller joints would only limit the bowl if the bowl was held in the stem, which is not the case for many vapes.

Huh? That is specifically what we are talking about with the tinymight though... You brought up glass connections so we brought up glass stem-based vapes since those are the ones that take advantage of it??

Also not sure why everyone is assuming everything must be glass, if the receiving end is the correct size it shouldn't matter if it's wood or medical grade plastic or SS/Ti. Same for the stem.

Um, because you said:

None of these use standard 10mm/14mm/18mm connections so you have to buy their stems/mouthpieces/adapters to use them.

Which refers to standard glass connections... That is why we were discussing that specifically...

Sorry if we went off on a different tangent, but now I don't even remember what your actual point is anymore??

ordered then canceled the order on a Dablamp because I realized they can’t take regular dab buckets, you have to buy the ones they sell. The true cost of these vapes is so much higher than the price of the device itself.

I understand more what you are saying here^ although there are standard sizes for bucket inserts and bangers, many companies use them, of course there are also many companies that have their own proprietary stuff and it is quite annoying, which is partially why I don't really enjoy erigs in general myself...

Am I the only one who is utterly sick of almost every new vape on the market having non-standard/proprietary connections for things like mouth pieces? It seems like the purchase of most vapes really requires purchasing a suite of accessories that only work with that one specific vape, it kills me. Some of these vapes are already expensive just for the base unit, and then you add on the cost of cooling stems, water pipe adapters, portable bubblers, etc etc? No, they’re not strictly necessary but they can level up the experience of using a vape and being forced to have a small army of different accessories that only works with one vape is so tedious and tiresome.

Okay and here you see you are kind of all over the place throwing out different examples, glass stems are a special thing because they are chambers and mouthpieces and they are almost as close to standard as you can get, although they vary and there are many different sizes depending on the setups... Standard connections for glass hooks, rigs, bubblers, bongs and dry cooling setups are exactly a universal way to enjoy multiple different vapes with the same pieces (that is what I do all the time with my vast collection, fortunate enough to try the same setups with many different vapes and then some) Yes they do level up the experience though they are not necessary aftermarket accessories are always available and there is a lot of cross-compatibility with them although nothing could ever be universal especially depending on each individual brand and design...

Am I just being cranky? I’ve passed on a lot of vapes because I didn’t want to deal with a whole new set of accessories on top of my existing ones. It gets exhausting.

Yes but seriously you are not alone, now that I have so much that I like a lot, I don't grab a lot of new vapes for that reason, sure I get taken to varying success sometimes, but I can be a bit more scrutinizing now because I have so much stuff that I don't use at all and it feels like a burden, so yeah a new vape that comes with a bunch of accessories that you already don't use is kind of annoying when you already have your own cross-compatible stuff... Would be nice if more bare bones kits were sold and yes would be very nice if there was even more universal standard, but it is what it is ultimately and you can vote with your wallet, even go custom or beyond with DIY???

I am really happy with a lot of my stuff now I'm happy to share suggestions too, although some of the examples here are a bit all over the place as I was trying to demonstrate above lol

 

[Monk Debate]

Okay, TM2 is a glass (okay it could be another material too) stem-based vape, unlike these other ones, which all have chambers you load (and all except the brick are hybrid session devices so I'd argue completely different from one another, how the hell would they all use any of the same standard parts?!? You also list different companies and chamber sizes so how could they be compatible with one another...?)


Huh? That is specifically what we are talking about with the tinymight though... You brought up glass connections so we brought up glass stem-based vapes since those are the ones that take advantage of it??


Um, because you said:

Which refers to standard glass connections... That is why we were discussing that specifically...

Sorry if we went off on a different tangent, but now I don't even remember what your actual point is anymore??


I understand more what you are saying here^ although there are standard sizes for bucket inserts and bangers, many companies use them, of course there are also many companies that have their own proprietary stuff and it is quite annoying, which is partially why I don't really enjoy erigs in general myself...


Okay and here you see you are kind of all over the place throwing out different examples, glass stems are a special thing because they are chambers and mouthpieces and they are almost as close to standard as you can get, although they vary and there are many different sizes depending on the setups... Standard connections for glass hooks, rigs, bubblers, bongs and dry cooling setups are exactly a universal way to enjoy multiple different vapes with the same pieces (that is what I do all the time with my vast collection, fortunate enough to try the same setups with many different vapes and then some) Yes they do level up the experience though they are not necessary aftermarket accessories are always available and there is a lot of cross-compatibility with them although nothing could ever be universal especially depending on each individual brand and design...


Yes but seriously you are not alone, now that I have so much that I like a lot, I don't grab a lot of new vapes for that reason, sure I get taken to varying success sometimes, but I can be a bit more scrutinizing now because I have so much stuff that I don't use at all and it feels like a burden, so yeah a new vape that comes with a bunch of accessories that you already don't use is kind of annoying when you already have your own cross-compatible stuff... Would be nice if more bare bones kits were sold and yes would be very nice if there was even more universal standard, but it is what it is ultimately and you can vote with your wallet, even go custom or beyond with DIY???

I am really happy with a lot of my stuff now I'm happy to share suggestions too, although some of the examples here are a bit all over the place as I was trying to demonstrate above lol

Okay, fair point about the TM2. Perhaps I'm spoiled because my Timber Elite has an 18mm equivalent socket? I guess you could see 16mm non-tapered glass is its own standard, just not one I am invested in at this point.

I was more going after the general idea of non-standard connectors that require you to buy the accessories from the device maker. Yes, aftermarket options do appear for most popular devices but it's also annoying to buy those if they're only for a single device. That's one thing I love about Dynavap, they've turned a device into a platform that supports a massive array of aftermarket solutions, including using DV parts in entirely other vapes (thinking Woodscents).

 

[Shit Snacks]

Okay, fair point about the TM2. Perhaps I'm spoiled because my Timber Elite has an 18mm equivalent socket? I guess you could see 16mm non-tapered glass is its own standard, just not one I am invested in at this point.

Haha yeah, everything can be a standard, it's just relative to what you already have? Vapwood specifically used wood this way, supposedly with long enough joint room, like Alan can do (better) but that itself is far from a standard considering the variance in wood and glass and other connections... So again relative to what you have at hand and are used to??

I was more going after the general idea of non-standard connectors that require you to buy the accessories from the device maker.

Right that is how I took it originally it just spun out when you brought in more specific examples that didn't match up is all

Yes, aftermarket options do appear for most popular devices but it's also annoying to buy those if they're only for a single device.

Yeah but in that case it's great they exist because even more annoying to have something like tafee bowle that doesn't even have any aftermarket options or accessories really lol simple all in one but so limiting...

That's one thing I love about Dynavap, they've turned a device into a platform that supports a massive array of aftermarket solutions, including using DV parts in entirely other vapes (thinking Woodscents).

Well I actually don't like that so much haha I think the market of DV stems is too crazy big and overlapping, also does not have any appeal to me at all since I am not a fan of those and was never interested in its compatibility with WS (prefer my logs from Alan who makes a ton of specific fitting stems though lol) you never know what might fit what, even DV stems are not always universal?? But that platform might be designed to have you continue spending money on them...

 

[Monk Debate]

Well I actually don't like that so much haha I think the market of DV stems is too crazy big and overlapping, also does not have any appeal to me at all since I am not a fan of those and was never interested in its compatibility with WS (prefer my logs from Alan who makes a ton of specific fitting stems though lol) you never know what might fit what, even DV stems are not always universal?? But that platform might be designed to have you continue spending money on them...

Well yeah, the platform is definitely designed to get people to spend more on it, but I do think it’s cool how much people have been able to do with the DV parts.

And DV stems aren’t universal but they can slot into any 10mm joint IIRC (except the VonG which does 14mm).

 

[Shit Snacks]

Yeah for me their only function is as a firewood mouthpiece lol coincidentally!