Magic9 said:
Alight, so the guy sold out. While waiting to hear when he would get more in (has them now), I researched the HA a little more. Yes I read that thread too, and the HA vs. EQ one also. I posted my indecisiveness here though, since this is the thread that convinced me to start vaping. I'd like to hear from people that own or tried both but all opinions welcome.
I can get both roughly the same price. HA w/ warranty, EQ w/o warranty. My only vaping exp. was a glass dome type (very horrible). Now I'm bouncing back and forth between these two. I think I'd whip (EQ) or direct draw (HA) in daytime, bags at night. I'm not clumsy so glass doesn't bother me.
I guess my question comes down to, if you guys were shopping today, what would you buy? And why?
My comments would echo @flotntoke's. I haven't used an HA, so I can't make a hands-on comparison. But I am obsessively analytical about a decision like this, so I read - no, studied - everything I could find about both.
The Q's versatility was a major factor for me precisely because of my lack of experience, yet my demand for the best fit for me - somewhat of a Catch-22, i.e., without experience I couldn't know what would be best without experimenting. Something important that I discovered was that while there are several basic methods (bag vs whip vs fan assist), there are a number of additional (and not trivial) ways to enhance those methods. For example, I discovered that water filtration and cooling was even more important to me than I had thought, and consequently I really like how easy it is to set up the Q's whip or bag to work with my glass (which with the bag acts as a valve, and with the whip I can on one hand draw on a short length for bigger pulls or on the other hand use the fan to push the vapor through the entire whip length into the glass which provides max cooling while being easier to pull; I really like the GonG flexiblity). Additionally, the remote with its digital temp and fan controls, was also a surprise - really adds to the ease-of-use and even safety. My point is that the Q can be pretty much configured to do anything you might want, except for . . .
The multiple-bags-in-a-group scene. You indicated you would be a whip/direct guy user, so this may not matter much, but I'm including it because I think that the bag is the major distinction between the machines. IMO, the HA has 2 advantages, and I'm not certain about the second one. First, it has the external pump while the Q uses a fan. Now, the Q's fan is a Delta; that's excellent quality and it has 3 good speeds. But the HA has that external pump which can blow up 3 or even 5 bags at once. The 2nd advantage, which is related, is that the HA can process herb a bit more thoroughly, without even needing to grind. But some claim that this comes at the cost of higher temps, with the crucible getting so hot that the herb continues to "cook" after the airflow is turned off. Clearly the HA's powered jets airflow virtually obliterates the herb, but I'm not sure I would like that if using direct draw or even the whip (due to the extra heat and dryness).
Both the HA and Q's bag attachment (the Q with the o-rings over a glass mouthpiece and the HA with the radiator clamp over a plastic mouthpiece) are not the easiest to work with. It takes a while to get the hang of the Q's o-ring. Personally, I would lean towards the Q's glass. I don't like the HA's radiator clamp, the plastic mouthpiece even less. For that matter, while the Q being glass may (the glass is sturdy) require a bit of extra care, I don't like HA's plastic nor teflon tubes.
So the short of it, just speaking for myself of course, is that were I a group bag guy, I would have probably gone with the HA. However, being a solo bag guy (only occasionally), I'm very happy with the Q. But since you indicate you would use the whip, IMO in this respect the Q is better (do yourself a favor though, and switch to silicone tubing).
Finally, let me just add that whatever you decide, be patient with the device and yourself. If you went through the threads, no doubt you noticed how many questions are asked after the user has had the machine for all of a week or two. While there are variations in combusting too, there are many more so with vaping so it can take a while to find exactly what you like best - for some users this is an evolving (and fun) process. I've had my Q for months, and I'm
still learning new ways to use it, along with other aspects I was unaware of before, such as fun with glass (although this can get expensive!), ABV tinctures, etc.
So . . . the short answer to your question is, I would buy the Q again. The above is why.
Good luck.
EDIT: It occurred to me there is another plus that's unique to the HA, related to its using a pump rather than a fan. It would seem that this is not a big deal to most users (or maybe its just that few know about it). Whatever, of course all that matters is what's important to you. So, I've read that the pump is strong enough to push the vapor through a glass piece's water chamber, which would make the draw easier. This isn't a black-or-white thing. How this works will depend upon factors such as tubing ID, length of tubing, volume of water, method of diffusion, etc. So the pushing will vary depending on setup. But I thought that should be mentioned.
