Silver Surfer Vaporizer

[partially veiled]

Ask and ye shall receive...I think the sheer volume of this post might make you think twice about asking for anything from me again...haha sheesh Sorry for those with slow load times, but this is a picture heavy post.

Okay, so this will be given in two sections. First, the good news:

Here are some pictures of my new set up. Click on the picture once, and then click on the picture that loads in the new window for the "full" view.




Super close up, so you can get some of the details:








Next to my Surfer:




Just for shits and giggles:




Same style, now with flash:






So, as you can tell by my overabundance of pictures, I'm very much in love with my new wand. I am very pleased that it matches well with my existing knob and heater cover, and most everything about this wand has satisfied my desires. The wand is actually a little thicker than the normal wands, and they're not made of thin glass. So it's thick. I couldn't guess how thick, but I think it could survive a decent fall. I love the simple raked design, the color scheme and the glass bumps are a nice touch. I do have a slight complaint about the wand, however. Here are some more pictures, to point out the problem.






As you can no doubt see, there are some white "blemishes" on one side of the wand. I don't know what else too call them really, imperfections perhaps. It's really not a huge deal to me, I don't find them unattractive or unsightly and they're actually sort of uniform, so it almost looks intentional. Anyway, it's a very small imperfection but it's worth mention, as on the SSV website they only provide one picture of the custom wands. Of course, the side I was shown was not the side with the imperfections. It doesn't bother me because this wand was being sold for a discounted price, and now I know why. I would not part with this wand either way, and I really do love it, blemishes and all, but it is something to consider for perspective buyers. If you're REALLY picky about your glass, you may want to ask for more views of a wand, mouthpiece, whatever, before you buy it. You can be sure they are showing you the best side...that is not a criticism however, as it's a pretty logical decision which side to showcase and they do the same with every piece. So I don't feel duped or as if it were a dubious thing to do or anything, just saying...if you're picky, you might want to ask for a few more shots before buying a piece. Same would go with any glass work, I'd assume. Anyway, I really do love this wand, and since it matches my heater knob so nicely, it feels a bit like a "set". Yee-haw. The only drawback is now I can't see the vapor traveling through the wand! That's my favorite thing about using the clear wands...watching that vapor start and stop with my breath...good times.


Okay, so on to part two--here is the bad news:

When I ordered that wand, I also picked up a few other things. Like 40ft of tubing, a few extra (plain glass) mouthpieces, a black stand (as shown in the previous pictures), two new heater covers and five new picks. On my order I specifically asked for ALL of the pieces to be blue. I specified that it didn't really matter what shades of blue, only that I would like for one heater cover to be dark blue and the other light blue. Well, here is what I got:




Not exactly what I was expecting. This may have been a shrug of the shoulders for another user, but I'm to share a secret with you here. Many of you can probably tell, but I have a bit of the ol' OCD. I cannot use these pieces with my all blue Surfer. It's a silly thing, I know, but I just won't. It's not the most logical of conditions...so as of now, everything but the one blue pick I did recieve is just sitting in a drawer. There is more though. I also commisioned a custom mouthpiece when I placed this order, to match the wand and heater knob. I was in contact with someone at 7th Floor, explained my preferences and all that, and was told that it would take X length of time, and that I'd be notified upon completion. I was then given a quote for how much it should cost. Well, that was before Christmas. I haven't heard back from them about the moutpiece at all, and I have tried to contact about the fucked up colors on the other glass pieces, but no answer. I haven't been hounding them or anything, as I've been EXTREMELY busy, so I can certainly understand how one e-mail would fly under the radar at such a busy, small company. I don't know. I'm a little ticked, I feel sort of slighted...my order was filled perfectly, but it's as if they just didn't read my comments, or as if they chose to ignore them. Why give the option to ask for custom colors if you're not going to fulfill the request?? Anyway, so far 7th Floor has been nothing but kind to me, so I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt. I am much less busy now than I have been recently, so I will start e-mailing them again and find out what can be done. I still want a custom mouthpiece to finish of the set, so hopefully I can send back the heater covers and picks and get them to send out the correct ones with the moutpiece, or something. I will be sure to let you know.

Anyway, just so we don't end on a sour note, I REALLY love my new wand and I can't wait to finish off this vaporizer with a sweet new mouthpiece!! It'd be cool to have a few blue heater covers to choose from as well, so hopefully that all gets rounded out. Hope that's expansive enough for ya, Spiral!!

 

[Beezleb]

Your negative issues are issues I have seen complained about before. When I ordered my vape originally they forgot my extra screens.

 

[stonemonkey55]

PV - you got the set up I wish I had. Oh well, I am grateful that looks have nothing to do with vapor performance. Sick glass wands! I really want one, but hard to justify when I keep telling the wife we gotta save money...

 

[SpiralArchitect]

Fookin' sweet. I could barely notice the blemishes. Stuff like that does happen....


Your complaints about the customer service and messed up order makes me wonder who is running the business.... a bunch of stoners? At least they do a good enough job to cover their ass and offer a great vape. Hopefully they'll get you 'all blue' soon.

So you own 2 ssv's?

 

[partially veiled]

Thanks SM. I assume you mean the black on black? I originally had a silver base, but I picked up a black one with my last order. Well worth...I know it's only aesthetics...but she looks fine to me. But you are right my friend, looks have NOTHING to do with vapor performance. So all of this is really just frivolity. I probably never would have bought the wand if it wasn't discounted, but now I want a mouthpiece...so it's not like I'm scrimping over here It's okay...I really don't spend money on anything but my habit, so it's a frivolity I can SOMEWHAT justify.

Your complaints about the customer service and messed up order makes me wonder who is running the business.... a bunch of stoners?

Actually made me LOL, way to go Spiral. Seriously though right?? Haha I actually just e-mailed them, and it was a long, detailed one...in classic PV style. So hopefully I'll have a resolution soon. I'll post back here as soon as I know.

Yeah, that's basically how I felt about the blemishes too. I really don't give a shit. I LURV me wand. Just it. Like I said, I paid less for it as well...so in the end it feels fair. I asked them about a mouthpiece again, as well...so hopefully, soon, I'll have a complete set.

No, I don't have 2 SSV's, only one. I assume you're asking because of the multiple heater covers? Basically I was planning on making this my last order from 7th Floor. I ordered a bunch of screens, some tubing, etc. I was planning on sourcing tubing and screens for myself from now on. The reasoning behind the multiple glass pieces (now 2 regular wands, one custom, 4 regular glass mouthpiece, hopefully soon one custom, 6 picks in total, three heater covers and one heater knob) was two sided:

- I do use this unit with friends, mainly the two guys in my circle who also smoke (and are interested in vaporizing). So I wanted to have three wands and at least three mouthpieces.

- The rest of the parts (extra mouthpieces, heater covers, picks) were just in case of breakage. If ever the day came when I broke a heater cover, I didn't want to have to place an order and wait for it to show up before I could use my Surfer again. So, like I said, I was just hoping to make this my last order from 7th Floor. They certainly do offer a great vape, as well. I'll give them that. I go back and forth on whether it was a sound purchase for me (especially considering the custom shit I've ended up wanting...), but in the end it really does have its place. I said before I regretted it in some ways, but I should say that's only when I think about the price tag...haha, when it comes to the performance, this thing really does kick my ass. Happy to have it.

Alright, well, I will surely update again when I hear back from 7th Floor.

 

[partially veiled]

Taking a hit:



No Flash




Flash




This is my version of the vapor bar!


So I brought out the SSV after a few weeks of not bringing it out. I brushed and flossed, washed my mouth out and did some yogic breathing (seriously) beforehand, and then drank a nice big glass of spring water. I let this settle, used the washroom and washed my hands and then I sat down at my "vapor bar" The herb is not the best, it's pretty tasteless...but it is really doing the job tonight. The SSV hits me hard after not hitting it in so long...I really think I've got the method down now, as well. I had my unit firmly on 12 o'clock all night, and I was just drawing with the right speed and consistency (for me it seemed to be almost like the PD...I was just sort of gently lipping the mouthpiece and drawing really easy, and slow...like a cig almost). I got some very thick, but not smoky, vapor. Like I said, the taste really wasn't there (I was primarily breathing out my nose, and cycling my breath deeper and deeper into my lungs after every breath): I think this is mainly attributed to the strain or more likely the curing. I dunno, it works well enough that I can't think straight to write this, so what the hell...

I still haven't heard back from 7th Floor. I have sent them a polite e-mail tonight to remind them of my questions/complaints, and along with this I re-sent my last e-mail just in case they missed it in the Inbox.


Edit: Oh yeah, I knew I was forgetting something but I just stared at the screen for like 10 minutes because I'm so frizzled

The lamp on the "bar" is a full spectrum fluorescent, and it's really great for viewing the vapor clouds.

Also, it seems that the longer the unit stays on without being hit, the more I have to compensate for the heat build-up. ie. I've had it on for several hours, sitting at 12 o'clock, and I'm only just now having the last (3rd) bowl--I've had to turn it down a few notches, as my hits were getting too hot. I've found that this has been the general curve with my SSV since getting it...I've had to "turn it down" successively. I'm also getting hits that taste way more "popcorn-ish" than hits I'd gotten previously on my SSV. This is a new development as of tonight, so It might just be the herb, it's weird stuff...but the hits do feel hotter. I don't know, I've been away from it for a while. Anyone else experience something similar with their vaporizers? Or is my unit malfunctioning!!??!!?? Perhaps my brain?

 

[Hennessy1414]

whattup PV


I recently built myself a SSV. the heating element on it is a hakko 456 and it is larger than the normal SSV ceramic tip...i simply retro fitted a ssv heater cover to the hakkos ceramic rod and hooked everything up to a soldering iron thermostat. i set the dial at 40 (0-100) and simply stick the handle of the hakko into my desk and im ready to ghetto vape!

the hits were GREAT! very forgiving..if i dragged quite hard it would make the bowl 'steam' off with more vapor...I picked up from reading this thread that if loading a "skimpy" bowl in the whip...it will only produce a thinner vapor and more of a tanish un vapored feeling at the end

gotta load it full with a .4/.5 of ground herbz always gives me an even toast then

(to really put the cherry on top I grabbed a SSV sticker from my headshop...I slapped it on the drawer im using to hold my "SSV" Hennessy's version)

overall I feel that I own an "upgraded" version of the ssv because hearing PV say he hits his ssv much like his pd to get his vapor clouds...really makes we wonder if a larger ceramic tip has a better chance at keeping things more regulated so things dont quickly fall out of the vapor zone...I hit my "ghetto" ssv ruthlessly and get nice streams of vapor...I keep a florescent lamp right next to the whip to see the stream of vapor if im sucking too hard to the point of 'wispy' vapors...doesn't happen to easy(or EVER burn for that matter)



all in all tho..the VHW is gonna knock this things socks off...both my ghetto vape and the SSV no about it....but, we shall see

 

[SpiralArchitect]

How the fuck did you levitate that wand for the picture dude? I'm sitting here.... drunk, vaping away a hangover at 6 am scratching my head here...


By the way, I also use a high intensity bulb for when vaping. It's a SAD light with 10,000 lux. It makes the vapor pop out, it's insane! Just about the only sun I get!!!

 

[Hennessy1414]

do you not see the tubing sticking out of the end of the wand you roasted son

 

[Vapedandfloored]

I picked up my SSV 2 weeks ago and its the BEST investment ive made. Period. Monster rips, Clean and Energetic High, and no smell on you or ambient. The SSV is also extremely classy! I cant wait to try out some of the accessories. This is just my opinion, but I absolutely love it and would recommend it to anyone looking to "Fuck Combustion" and move to an all smoke free/healthy high lifestyle!

Peace

 

[Beezleb]

Glad you like the SSV vapedandfloored.

 

[Progress]

Does one's wand choice greatly affect the draw the Surfer gives?

In particular a conversation came up in this thread ( http://www.fuckcombustion.com/viewtopic.php?id=427 ) in which I was made curious about my neighbor's Surfer. I went over and realized that he does, indeed have 1/4IDx3/8OD tubing (he thinks he just 'got in' on the big tubing-upgrade order with the other plasitcaphobic vaporists). Anyhow, he also still has the original (larger tubing). We hooked it up and it did help decrease the drag a bit (not enough experience to draw conclusions about differences).

Nevertheless, his wand gets really skinny at the end while others I have seen on the website look like they would have much less restricted air-flow (you can see the difference here http://www.silversurfervap.com/silverwands.htm ).

The more I think about it, I thought that the first DBV I tried preformed better (somehow?) than the Surfer I always use. I also have used other Surfers and recall being more impressed (but I wasn't sure if it was just me/the herbs/etc.--and I wasn't about to ask everyone to stop so I could check it out). All in all, it leaves me wondering if the wand affects drag/draw-volume/draw-speed/vapor-quality?/etc (actually, it leaves me really inclined to believe it does--and that my neighbor should invest in a 'cannon'/'double-wide' wand).

Could this also be part of the reason that I think the Extreme competes as a whip vape. I do think that it would be GREAT if the Extreme had elbows would fit both 1/4" ID and 3/8" ID tubing (point Silver Surfer...accessory diversity )

Any insight from SS (or DBV) owners OR regular 'surfers' is greatly appreciated

edit: (for the comment below) Thanks

 

[max]

I haven't used any typical size tubing (1/4", 3/8"), since they had started shipping the larger size (3/8", 1/2") when I bought my Surfer (I have used standard size tubing with other whip models though). I've also used both old (male termination) style and new style (female) wands with the Surfer and haven't really noticed a difference. Perhaps I would though if I were concentrating on noticing a difference. I'll try to remember to use both wand types during my next SSV session.

 

[shantytown007]

I Just posted some pics comparing my new SSV to my old Vapordoc, and the Mendo Mulcher vs a 25$ ebay grinder. Enjoy!

http://bit.ly/33a4Nt

Here is a preview

 

[smoking Joe]

I just received my silver surfer today with two different wands, the standard wand and the g.g wand. The "holes" in the gg heater cover and wand are 3/8 " vs. 1/4" on the standard wand. I installed the gg wand and heater cover and loaded the bowel with just a little about an 1/8 deep. I was able to get two vapor hits were I could see the white vapor and did get a nice buzz! I haven't used the standard wand yet. Any one used both?

 

[shantytown007]

Protip: remove mouthpiece from mouth before coughing or laughing or risk ejecting the contents of your wand into the heater cover/element, creating a smokey, fiery mess.

I have the GG connection on mine, plan on ordering the standard HC/whip after valentines day (or risk wrath of wife) as a backup.

I noticed a few people talking about lax QC, I noticed that on my unit, O-ring at the base is clamped inbetween the, erm, 'shaft' and the base on the front side, and one of the two base screws at the bottom is near totally stripped. Doesn't affect the usage (besides the unit wobbling slightly), but it did convince me that I don't need a second vanity base. They also forgot the extra screens, but c'est la vie.

Offtopic: FC (and tokinGLX's videos) were a huge help in convincing me to upgrade my vape to the SSV, so thank you very much for this excellent site - it is the best vape resource I've come across by a long shot.

 

[surfinusa]

Hello ppl- I'm the newest add-on here- I'm somewhat of a vape vet- got a vap. bros back in '03,friend got a surfer in '06, I got mine for Christmas 2007. Works perfectly still, I like the owners, its just hands down a great unit. Obviously. I have a sick fat long custom wand and double-doughnut mouthpiece, which I swear by, and I'll never use anything else (at my house, anyway) - I've taken it on road trips to concerts, it's great in the hotel room- no smell worry- benifits go on and on... anyway nice to meet all of you.

 

[Beezleb]

Welcome Surfinusa. I share you thoughts but I have Da Buddha and want for no other. It just fits my style perfectly.

 

[Phaang]

I'm about one day away from getting my DBV, but I'm curious about the SSV: with the standard whip, one would be constantly holding the whip to the outlet, and then removing, then holding, then removing, etc. With the heat control on the other side of the unit, is this a bit awkward? I like the idea of having both the whip and the heat control on the same side of the unit, but then, I don't have my DBV yet and I've never used an SSV, so what the hell do I know??

How do you SSV users physically handle the device?

Thanks

 

[EitherOr]

For me at least, once I find the temp sweet spot, I generally let it be. I really don't have to mess with the temp knob much, unless I am vaping different material's in the same session.

 

[max]

My Surfer sits on an end table to the left of my armchair. For the most part I'm the only user. I had to raise the vape an inch off the table for a comfotable setup. My forearm rests on the chair arm at a slight outward angle. My arm is perfectly relaxed. The wand sits in my left hand as I hold it to the hc. Removing it from the heat is just a slight pivot of my elbow. Temp changes are infrequent and easily handled because the knob is more to the side than the back with this angle. It's a very convenient setup for me, and because of that, the SSV heater angle became the main reason to get it instead of the DBV. It's just a better fit for me.

 

[dd]

I've been lurking for about a week on the forums but after I got my SSV I really had to post. Last weekend I bought a extreme vape by arizer and I definitely can't say I didn't have a very vaped week, and although I did take a look at this forum briefly before making my purchase, I do kind of regret not reading more. I ended up getting an ssv this weekend after reading more about it. Honestly, there are so many threads about how to actually use the E properly that it's easy to initially assume that is the most popular/best vaporizer.

The bags from the E were pretty nice, although they were somehow more dry than hits from the ssv. The flavor kind of reminded me of when I used to vape off a lightbulb with a lampshade(mcguyver style )in highschool. In terms of effifciency it was decent I'd say. Definitely not smoky, and pretty tasty the first few hits, but very dry.

There are three things that I noticed with the ssv that I didn't see on the forums though that I think you should know.
1. I bought it because I wanted something without metal anywhere near my herbs and I learned that the E is supposed to have a ceramic heater and a glass tunnel to the weed. AND NO METAL. I looked at the herbal air and saw the metal bowl and said forget it. The concept of the E sounded great but when I actually took a close look at it at home. I realised that the ceramic heater has a thin metal grill over it. The metal looks brownish reddish, somewhere in between the colour of brass and copper. Not sure what kinda metal it is, but it's not stainless steel. So it's a ceramic heater wrapped in a wire mesh wrapped in glass. So to me, that means that I might as well have a metal heater which is another reason I avoided the HE and Volcano.

2. In terms of efficiency, it's important to note that I found it seems like the E works best when preheated for a good 10 mins. The hot glass seems to do alot of the vaporizing beceause if I just turn on the fan even around 220 on the E version 3, the vapor is weak in the bag and worse via the whip. When you lift the bowl with weed in it out of the base, you can see vapor wafting out of the bowl. The problem is that once the weed is in the bowl it's always vaporizing. THIS IS WHY I FIND THE SSV WAY MORE EFFICIENT. The unit that the weed stays in with the SSV doesn't get as hot and doesn't hold as much heat as the unit that the herbs stay in with the E, so it's only vaporizing when you take a hit. Also the air really does it's job with the SSV.

3. Okay....this is kinda tough to admit, but I live with my parents, not proud of it but shit I'm still finish school so whatever. Anyways, STEALTH IS KEY FOR ME!!!! One of the main reasons I got a vaporizer is because the smell is way weaker than smoking and I find it dissipates completely. This way I don't have to sneak out on our balcony @ 4 in the morning to smoke a joint, or hit a bong and blow it out my window with a straw. I thought the E would be good to just hide under the covers or behind a bedside table and let the whip come up to my face. 1, it's just too tall to high in a bed without looking suspicious, unless you have alot of pillows, and 2 the whip mode I find requires some strong lungs. You really have to suck hard to get good vapor, especially towards the end.

Now in terms of stealth FORGET ABOUT the fan. Even on fan setting 1, if someone is knocking on your door, they'll hear it turn off. And maybe it's just the bags they shipped but I found them really crinkly. Definitely not something you could stash ANYWHERE without making noise.


Oh and I thought I should mention exactly how many hits I was getting since it always pissed me off before my initial purchase when people didn't include this info. Efficiency is always a subjective thing, and what is a small amount weed to a smoker for example may be 4 sessions to someone that vapes. I've vaped for a few years and I found the E to be very reasonable. It's at least as good if not more efficient than the Volcano I tried at vapor lounge in TO. A small pinch, appx a .3 or 4 gives a good 3 tasty bags and about 3 less tasty bags with the weed I used. I usually started the temp around 190 and went up to 230 max. Remember, when people say that the ssv gets to 900 degrees and has a higher limit than the E, the 900 refers to the temp of the element on the ssv whereas with the E its talking about the temp at the weed. Thats what the guy that makes them says although I don't know how they get a reading there since they is no sensor. On the whip I found it to be about half as efficient.

One issue with the E's efficiency as a bag vape is this. Yes when you leave the fan on setting 3and fill a bag, it gets more and more milky as the fan is left on and the glass bowl warms up however I'm a pretty heavy smoker and I can't actually finish those bags before they get stale, but I have to fill a whole bag the the bowl to warm up enough and get milky vapor.

Okay so to summarize I was using the e, liking it but not loving it and I decided an SSV would be more fitting for my needs. 1. Because I don't want any metal and with the E, the element is wrapped in metal which the air blows through before hitting the herns. 2.It's not efficient enough with the tiny amounts of weed I'm able to get my hands on. It's at it's best with a .5 i the chamber 3. Because it's not stealth with the fan and the whip doesn't provide good quality vapor.

So I got an SSV this friday.

For me at least BIG IMPROVEMENT. First of all, SSV comes in a sick little hemp pouch with a strap, the hose and the poker stick. THAT"S IT!. The E came in this big as box with like 5 other littles boxes and a bunch of ziplock bags with different connecting joints and bowls and shit, and a bag of dollar store potpourri and a potpourri bowl. sheeeiitttt. I'm not trying to burn friggin potpourri. The SSv keeps every thing simple and does one thing nicely!

and IT"S SO STEALTH!, completely silent and simple to use. I keep it in bed with a blanket halfway over it, if anyone walks in, just stash the wand under the cover and pull the cover over the heating unit, which is small enough to hide.
Shit my mom is actually sitting in here as I write this saying some shit to me and it's on the other end of the bed shes sitting on and she has no idea. LOL.

Okay secondly, the quality of this vapor is just heavenly. I've been vaping since high school and i'm in my early 20s, liste,n what they say about the quality of this vapor is true. It's not dry or smoky in the slightest, it's more like a THC mist. It looks very dense under a light but not dry, very tasty. And because it's designed to keep the herbs away from the element 90% of the time it's in the bowl you get misty dense hits MANY times because the herbs don't fully dry out after one bag, or sucking a bunch of hot air through it to heat of the glass. It's very efficient. a .3 gave me a good 15 solid hits of dense tasty vapor and 2 drier popcorny hits. I started the dial @ like 11:00 and over the hits, I moved it up to about 2.

The quality of the vapor is better in terms of potency I find as well. The SSV gets me fucked in way less hits than anything else. More stones that smoking a joint to myself, a few hits from the bong or any other vapes I've tried(E,Volcano,Lightbulb). I was sitting here last night thinking that I was high and lost track of how many hits I'd had because I couldn't believe how long I was getting think vapor.

THe SSV is really amazing. There is the one drawback though, if you want bags, the SSV just doesn't do it. The E is a good vape if that's what you are looking for. But if like me, you're going with the more expensive E over the HA which is supposedly more efficient to get away from the metal issue, don't. The heater that the air blows over in the E is wrapped in metal so it's no difference. Also if you're going for stealth, bags are not gonna do it for you and honestly as an ashmatic, I can say I haven't even thought about coughing once with the almost moist mist I exhale from the SSV, whereas I was hacking up a lung on my 4th big hit to clear a full bag. I think the quality of the vapor is way better when it's fresh.

One disclaimer I would add about the SSV is about the heater: the heater is made up of a thin rod of ceramic that goes down into a metal base which then goes into the aluminium body of the SSV almost liek the ceramic is the blade of a sword with the metal base as the handle. this whole system is covered in a n l shaped glass tube with a hole at the end of the L where the hot air comes out. I know this is kinda OCD but since the ceramic is touching that metal base, couldn't it be causing some kind of ionization? I know owners of the SSV will mention that it is the top of the ceramic that gets red hot whereas the bottom part that touches the metall stays white, I'm just not sure how hot that white part gets. Good enough for me though.

Of course this is all just my opinion. I just wanted to add my view so that other people(who are looking for the same thing as me) don't end up spending $ on two vapes.

Also where can I host some pics so I can show youguys when I'm talking about with the heater on the E. And the metal at the bottom of the ceramic for the SSV.

And sorry for any typos, I'm high as shit and too high to reread this biblical size review? Experience? blog? iunno, just my thoughts. Do you guys agree? disagree?





3.

 

[max]

Sorry you weren't happy with the Extreme. Both it and the SSV are excellent units. Maybe you should have asked some questions about the metal issue though. Many vapes use metal-aluminum or stainless steel, and it's perfectly OK. The temps used with vaporizing aren't a problem.

There are three things that I noticed with the ssv that I didn't see on the forums though that I think you should know.

I don't see anything here that we don't already know, at least those of us who have read the threads. Metal's not the problem you think it is. We know the Extreme does better with preheating. The SSV is arguably more stealth than the E, but it's far from what most would call a stealth vape. Even with the aroma top, it can still prompt questions.

once the weed is in the bowl it's always vaporizing.

Not to the point where it's an issue.

I know this is kinda OCD

Yeah, you're buying the 'metal is bad on a vape' big time.

but since the ceramic is touching that metal base, couldn't it be causing some kind of ionization?

No.

Now that you have a good vape (or two?), stick around and do some reading. You may learn some stuff you don't know and unlearn some that you think you know.

 

[Progress]

DD, thank you for sharing your perspective/experience. It seems (in ways) to be a unique perspective from others (like myself) who have used both of these popular and quality (IMO) units, and I appreciate you welcoming feedback regarding your various comments.

I can't help wonder if some (all?) of your issues with the your first unit were do to user errors (ex. DD - "One issue with the E's efficiency as a bag vape is this. Yes when you leave the fan on setting 3 and fill a bag, it gets more and more milky as the fan is left on and the glass bowl warms up however I'm a pretty heavy smoker and I can't actually finish those bags before they get stale, but I have to fill a whole bag the the bowl to warm up enough and get milky vapor."). I also felt compelled inquire about some of the statements you made which include misinformation (afaik) or were, at least, misleading to me.

DD - Remember, when people say that the ssv gets to 900 degrees and has a higher limit than the E, the 900 refers to the temp of the element on the ssv whereas with the E its talking about the temp at the weed. Thats what the guy that makes them says although I don't know how they get a reading there since they is no sensor.

Who are these people that say the SSV heats up to 900 degrees F (edit: Max, thank you for including that link/source/reference below ), and where does the guy who makes the other unit say that the readout measures the temp of the herbs in the chamber? You may be thinking of the fact (afaik) that the other unit's readout approximates the temp based on the temp of the heating element in an effort to display numbers that are similar to actual vaporization temperatures (is more misleading without this display adjustment IMO).

DD - The problem is that once the weed is in the bowl it's always vaporizing. THIS IS WHY I FIND THE SSV WAY MORE EFFICIENT

Really? Where does the lost vapor go (through the glass bowl?, out of the mouthpiece which can be sealed into the downstem of a water tool?, into the elbow and whip from which you will be drawing...). If curious in an experiment, fill the bowl, leave the unit on for a couple of hours with everything in place (feel free to place the mouthpiece in a water tool to keep vapor from escaping that way) and see if all of the goodies have been vaporized and wasted while on (I would be very surprised if there were any notable difference other than muted flavor/aroma)--this may also help you with some potential user error (mentioned in the opening paragraph) involving insufficient heating time

I saved what I feel is the most misleading information you included in your original post for last:

DD - But if like me, you're going with the more expensive E over the HA which is supposedly more efficient to get away from the metal issue, don't. The heater that the air blows over in the E is wrapped in metal so it's no difference.

I believe that you must be referring to the thermo-protective sheath that is wrapped around the glass heating element cover (which does not have a hole in it's side like the silver surfer--rather an intake at the bottom and exit at the top). OTOH, there is a stainless steel (afaik) flat screen in the bottom of the cyclone bowl and a titanium (afaik) cup screen in the elbow that connects the cyclone bowl to the whip (both which are located withing the air path).

DD, I appreciate you toking the time to share your personal experience with two very popular units, and, therefore, hope that you do not view this reply as some sort of personal attack (but rather an attempt to clarify statements that contradict my/popular beliefs. Please make efforts (either in the future and/or when you edit the post above to clearly notate when something is an opinion (IMO) from your personal experience (IME), to the best of your knowledge (AFAIK), or actual cited fact (in that case please cite your source, like Steve from Arizer said "____" on (link/resource). Thank you for toking the time to contribute (and, in advance, for being open-minded about my comments and considering what I have said).

Please feel free to reply to any of my comments about the silver surfer here (or the comments about the 'other unit' in its respective thread).

Toke it easy!

 

[max]

"Who are these people that say the SSV heats up to 900 degrees F"?

"The element is fully adjustable from 200F all the way up to 900F."
http://www.silversurfervap.com/herbalvaporizerinformation.htm