Thank you all for your input...

[Hiswife]

Just wanted to say Thanks and say that we decided to take advantage of the Arizer sale, I ordered the Argo (husband liked the way it looks) and will be getting the Air free with it

I hope that we made a good choice, I know the solo was recommended but he really was into the Argo..lol he's a gadget guy

So I have a few questions as we await the arrival … as I said we are beyond noobs... I am trying to gather all the necessary info I can to get him started after it comes.. so I have a question....

how does this work ?? lol

I have watched the video on the website, but am enjoying the help I'm receiving here, I have been seeing people talking about grinding ...etc.. ELI5 the "proper" way to do this... also best way to store it ?? , he will only use it when necessary, like to ease stomach pain/ nausea (thank fully not too bad yet) help him sleep/ eat he's lost alot of weight ...he's eating good , but eating better would be great : )

After reading many posts on this website I feel like I am in a fine wine store with only the knowledge of Boones Farm ..

I am so interested in the dry vaping because we both dont like the "smoking" part of weed anymore am I wrong in assuming that vaping is entirely different than inhaling "smoke" ?

You guys/Gals have been wonderful thus far , thanks soo much
hiswife

 

[Siebter]

I am so interested in the dry vaping because we both dont like the "smoking" part of weed anymore am I wrong in assuming that vaping is entirely different than inhaling "smoke" ?

Oh totally – first of all it's much more potent, so a draw from a vaporizer equals to multiple draws on say a joint. Also it doesn't stink but rather smells very nice (herbal, green, sometimes lemony or minty, depends on the strain). It doesn't linger in the air for hours like smoke typically does, it's usually undetectable after only a few minutes. It's just much nicer. :-)

It still can make you cough when you try to inhale big clouds or vape at higher temps, so I recommend starting low (~185°C / 365°F) and temp step your way up until you find your sweet spot. Depending on the strain and temps the first one or two hits will generate little to no vapor, but you'll taste it (and feel it too). Don't let that puzzle you, the visible vapor will come eventually.

The ArGo is simple to use: take the stem, fill its chamber with medium ground herb (should sit firm but not too tight so air can flow through it), with the unit upside down insert the stem → ready to vape. Turn the unit on (3x click? There's a manual that knows better than me...), set a temperature, when it's reached, take a draw. Most vaporizers will work best when taking longer draws than what you are used to from joints or the like, so plan to rather go 10+ seconds, short puff will most likely not work.

The ArGo has a 5 minute shutdown counter, in case your last draw was still showing visible vapor and tasted good, you might want to reboot the device for some more hits. You can also remove the stem and take a look at the herb – when it looks like tobacco and smells toasty, it's probably spent.

I'm sure others with more experience with the ArGo will chime in soon, either way: good choice! Looking forward to your first reports! :-)

 

[Jill NYC]

So are you a complete newbie to vaping? I am going to assume you guys are, and if I am wrong, sorry for the long winded answer.

First, you will need a grinder. Start out with something cheap - you can always step up,later. You want to make sure it is made of titanium or high end aluminum. You don’t want pieces of metal being ground into your herb.
Check out puffitup.com - https://www.puffitup.com/category-s/239.htm all of their grinders are trust-worthy and will give you a good start.
2-piece grinders grind but have no place for ground herbs to go (just 2 sides of teeth).
3-piece grinders have a reservoir for the ground herb to drop into.
4-piece grinders have a reservoir and a strainer that drops all the small keif into another reservoir.
Many reasons to have any, but my favorite it 3 piece. There is a thread, you can go to for more info - or ask away, happy to answer questions here.
Steer clear of Amazon for grinders - a lot of cheaply made knockoffs on there.

Second, you need something store your buds in (before grinding them). Any airtight container will do as long as you keep it out of light. Many people swear by good old mason jars. If you want to take it to another level of freshness, get some bodeva packs at either 58% or 62% humidity. You can just put one right in the jar and it will last a decent amount of time. They are relatively cheap and Amazon carries them, haven’t heard of any knock off issues there. Also, another more expensive, but convenient container for your buds would be a c-vault. They come in several sizes and have a place in the lid to put your bodeva pack.

3) If you get a 3 piece or 4-piece grinder, you can grind a small amount and just leave leftover in the reservoir for later. But if you want to grind a little more for a few days worth, you can get small stash jar. Cheap ones are available on Amazon, or if you really want nice ones, spring for a few Jyarz (there is a thread for them here as well.) They are glass lined and a favorite amongst many FCers here.

4) You will need a scoop to get the ground buds from the grinder to the vape (or stash jar). The cheapest option is just using a measuring spoon. If you want to bring it up a notch, there are other options, but my personal favorite is the NewVape Pax loading tool. I love that thing, although $15 + shipping is a lot for a little scoop.

5) To clean your vape you will need a few things to start:
- A brush, to get out excess already vaped bud (abbreviated as ABV or AVB depending on ones’ mood). The Storz and Bickel are tried and true https://www.puffitup.com/Storz-Bickel-Cleaning-Brushes-p/vol.115_brushset.htm
But anything like it will do.
- ISO - you can use this to soak the stems when they get really dirty. Cheap, simple to use. just make sure to rinse well before using in vape again.
- Toothpick or the stir tool that the Argo comes with are handy when emptying out your AVB from the stem.

I think those are the bare basics you will need.

To use, charge your vape fully before first use. Clean all of the removable pieces with ISO and let the heater run once or twice without any herb to burn off any machinery stuff.

Then add some ground herb into the oven.
turn on, start with lower temps to start - maybe 365 F to start and then work your way up a bit after a few hits. See what temp you (he) likes best.
When no more vapor appears, step up 15-20 degrees and you should see more vapor.
When no more vapor appears after a hit or if you no longer enjoy the flavor, the bowl is spent.
Oh, should mention - you may not see vapor on first hit when vape is turned on from cold (room temp). It may take a bit of heat soaking. I don’t have the Argo, so not sure how it behaves.


Hope this helps - hope it wasn’t too basic.
Believe me, there are plenty other things to add to this list, but this should be a good starting point.
Good luck! And if you have specific questions about the Argo - go over to that thread. You will probably find the answer already and if not, experts await to help!
thanks
Edited to add Argo (barely) specific info (I only have a Solo, no Argo in my lineup)

 

[howie105]

I have been seeing people talking about grinding ...etc.. ELI5 the "proper" way to do this... also best way to store it ??

There are indeed gadgeteers here (including myself) and as such we sometimes focus on small details which may not be all that relevant to your situation, so don't get overwhelmed by it. My take on grinding is that it preps the pot so it will cook the same way load after load so you get predictable results and in the case of the Arizer vapes it helps keep small pieces of pot (too fine of a grind) out of your mouth. Storage of ground pot can be as simple as a pill bottle or as involved as you wish to get.

I am so interested in the dry vaping because we both don't like the "smoking" part of weed anymore am I wrong in assuming that vaping is entirely different than inhaling "smoke" ?

To a degree it is different, your not burning the weed but you are still heating it up enough to cook out the goodies. It often a case by case thing some folks don't mind a mid length stem like the Arizer has while other folks prefer lots of cooling and filtration beyond what comes stock.

 

[BabyFacedFinster]

For the Air, there are about 5 different color settings for different temps. I'd start in the middle, green I think, which I remember to be around 390F. You may want to go lower or higher, but by starting in the middle you can assure reasonable performance. You guys will each find your temp sweet spot for comfort, flavor and enjoyment. Many start low and walk the temps up with each hit, but this has already been mentioned.

At first I started on the highest setting (red), but found I preferred starting on the lowest (blue) setting and then finishing a bowl on the next temp up (white I believe). I found good performance by filling the glass bowl with herb, but not packing it down. With slow steady draws, you'll get a number of hits (6-10) before the herb is spent. It's a very easy vape to use once you get the hang of it.

Keep some drinks around when you vape, as sucking on warm air tends to dry your mouth and throat. I always have a bottle of flavored seltzer or hot tea around when I have a vape session.

Planet of the Vapes is a trusted website and this guy does a nice review.

 

[Jill NYC]

I totally forgot you got the Air as a freebie, and that I actually have one (blame it on VAS) but no matter, @BabyFacedFinster said it all.

 

[Krazy]

Have you looked into Rick Simpson Oil (RSO)? It's a full spectrum extraction that is longer lasting than any vaping will be.

+1

In my experience you can't beat the combo of alcohol extract (looong lasting) and vaping (instant) for heavy duty medical use.

 

[Hiswife]

Thank you everyone for your helpful insight, Yes WE are complete NOOBS to this , to me it comes across as complex, but likely because of the complete lack of knowledge, and I truly do appreciate all of your help, as I want this to be an easy and beneficial experience for him, but I recognize the convenience factor has to be there for this to work, and "smoking" won't cut it, last night he was sick , nausea, headache , fever, .. I am really hoping that this will be straight forward and easy. if vaping doesn't work... I will definitely need a back up plan, as I am 100000% opposed to adding more drugs to his already over drugged body. Thank you all very much !!

hiswife

 

[TheThriftDrifter]

Hi @Hiswife. It's heartwarming to see the love and care you have for your hubby.
You mentioned that this vaping thing comes across to you as complex(I remember being a little overwhelmed when I started out) but once you get your vapes, you both will work it all out I reckon.
Plus, there are plenty of people willing to help all over this forum, whatever your questions maybe.

Nice to have you on the forum.

 

[archangelz001]

Thank you everyone for your helpful insight, Yes WE are complete NOOBS to this , to me it comes across as complex, but likely because of the complete lack of knowledge, and I truly do appreciate all of your help, as I want this to be an easy and beneficial experience for him, but I recognize the convenience factor has to be there for this to work, and "smoking" won't cut it, last night he was sick , nausea, headache , fever, .. I am really hoping that this will be straight forward and easy. if vaping doesn't work... I will definitely need a back up plan, as I am 100000% opposed to adding more drugs

If you live in the SF Bay Area I'm happy to help. I'm a retired RN who is also a medical cannabis patient using small amounts.

 

[Diggy Smalls]

I am so interested in the dry vaping because we both dont like the "smoking" part of weed anymore am I wrong in assuming that vaping is entirely different than inhaling "smoke" ?

You guys/Gals have been wonderful thus far , thanks soo much
hiswife

Welcome to the community. I'm excited for y'all, I believe you will appreciate the experience. And you have two different vapes that I'm sure have a different "vape signature" and y'all could clean and then swap vapes for a while when your tolerance starts to build with one vape. The device does affect the experience and certain aspects of the effect. It's strange, but others have experienced the same.
Anyway, I'm high and watching TV while writing this, so I'm prone to


Vaporization is different than combustion. It's very different. My first experience was a slow effect high that would result in couch locked wacky out of my mind by the end of the bowl. But one regular sized bowl was a lot of smaller hits. Most of my stoner friends loved it, but one complained it wasn't strong enough.

I have a couple vapes that hit me real hard up front, and it's freaking awesome. But I also enjoy the slow session kind of high.

I don't know much about the vapes that you have chosen except that many people recommend them. Enjoy!

You might get more attention in the specific forums for the vaporizers you purchased. I wish you well and hope you find success and medication for the soul. Peace.

Oh yeah, I know it's all overwhelming. Don't sweat it. You got quality devices with lots of documentation and friendly people to help you. Its better support than you can find from the company, I would imagine. Its better than many. The community has provided feedback in the development of vapes, and some of our members even make their own vapes and sell them! The community is awesome, so rest assured, if your devices aren't faulty, you will be able to use them. I believe this. There. Peace.