I like the sound of my own voice or something....
I have 3 of the 4 below
Tempest - is the most complete and probably advanced device. It has "all the bell and whistles" from different airflow options, airport options, click discs, visual temperature gauge as well as a bunch of features you didn't know you wanted. With a convection bias, the Tempest has one of the better flavour profiles of the devices below. The Tempest iscompatible with existing ecosystem of 8mm stems and accessories. It also offers great compatibility with induction heaters as the Tempest heats up and cools down quickly, this enables for quick reload and multiple bowl with very little wait time. The stem of the Tempest comes with different sleeve for different cooling, insulation and looks, my favourite combination is the Tempest wooden sleeve & the helix tube (airflow options) this makes the Tempest have the coolest vapor of any stem based vape. The Tempest stem is 8mm compatable so its compatable with the TA, Anvil USA and dynavaps however its a little overkill for dynavaps, some of the features of the Tempest, like the isolated mouthpiece (isolated from the airpath and doesn't get hot) isn't really needed for Dynavaps but is really useful when doing back to back bowls with the Tempest/TA. The Tempest also comes with adjustable airflow options on the cap to increase or decrease the draw resistance as well as an adjustable bowl with 2 settings, however the Tempest's bowl is also a little different from the rest of the group as the bowl is partially isolated, the top section doesn't come in contact with the walls of the cap keeping the herbs protected during the heat up process (protecting those volatile terps) but allows for some conduction from the bottom of the bowl to help ground the signature.
The Tempest is my go to during the day or when ever I get a new flower and want to really taste every aspect of the plant. Its also my go to for rayon/cotton and concentrates with the VI and click discs allowing for really good temperature management.
(Link:
Tempest & TA3 comparison)
Thermal Accumulator (
I use the TA3) - is a powerhouse... its a forgiving, efficient and complete extraction beast... The Thermal Accumulator comes with a cap and bowl, the cap like the Tempest has adjustable airflow to be able to increase or decrease draw resistance as well as having an adjustable bowl with different sizes. The TA is again compatible with the existing ecosystem of 8mm stems and accessories - but unlike the Tempest the TA is less compatible with Induction heaters due to the amount of calories required to heat the device to the required temperature. I prefer to use the TA with a large torch for quick heat up. The TA is quite forgiving when heating as the sheer thermal mass of the TA is sort of a buffer as it takes a lot to heat it up. The cap of the Thermal Accumulator is directly connected to the outside of the bowl allowing for a lot more heat to directly conduct from the cap to the herbs in the bowl. This also means the TA takes a long time to cool down, it takes quite a while to cool, up to 10 minutes, however there is a Magsink accessory from Phattpiggie that decreases the cooling time to 3 minutes approx.
The TA is my pick for that heavy, physical / "stoney" experience and my go to at night to get that nice heavy feeling to relax and get to sleep better.
For higher flow, more water pipe use instead of on a stem there is also the VerdaVap (has 8mm stem options)
VerdaVap - is a complete device made in Australia, that is built around the "water pipe" experience and to be that stepping stone for bong smokers to switch to vaping. Its a (currently) built in stainless steel 304 and has a 14mm WPA (wooden with a stainless steel lining), handle and its heat matrix is filled with Rubies. The VerdaVap also had an optional 8mm adapter (available) and stem (in development) and also will have a bubbler option as well to fit the primary configuration (in development). The VerdaVap is different in that there is significant steel in the oven which provides the same sort of buffer as the Thermal Accumulator allowing for some additional control over the heating process which designed to be done with a Large Torch which is available on the site (the site is currently in presale).
My least favorite is the Stunner as it doesn't provide any additional utility.
Stunner - breaks from the 8mm standard with a 9mm default connection & in order to use 8mm accessories requires an addition purchase of an adapter, has different bowls (rev b) but separate purchases, has different airflow options but you have to buy different caps instead of providing an adjustable option, recommends a carbon fiber stem that is unlined that I personally don't like...
I have to say the Tempest would be my pick to take that title. The TA is a little more Hybrid but that's use dependent - the Hybrid kick is just something else tho and for sheer extraction power the TA takes the title but its first draw still has a strong flavor forward hit, where as after that it can lean towards a conductive toasty roast (depending on how you use it).
