Discontinued The Firefly Vaporizer

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mitchgo61

mitchgo61

I go where the thrills are
fogbank said:
I read every page of this thread before purchasing. My "expectations" were that I would get instant vapor, possibly up to the point of combustion, with little or no "warm up" period. I expected Pax or PnP type hits that started right away. I expected to finish a session in only a few minutes. I was also convinced that the herb should remain in the bowl and not fly around or get stuck to the window. It is this last "expectation" that was the biggest obstacle to my success. My technique had been based in part on that misconception, so I was still drawing way too slowly.

I now feel like I am sprinting toward the finish line in the race to get the FF to work as I hoped it would. I am getting dense vapor much more consistently, and with stirring I can get pretty evenly browned ABV with decent extraction. And of course the effects I'm getting are very satisfying.
And for others having problems getting vapor from the Firefly...try drawing HARDER and FASTER than you are used to...
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Very interesting. Glad you are getting better results, and I guess letting go of expectations always yields better ends in any activity.

Here's the thing: I think everything you expected, more or less, is achievable with the FF given proper approach. (And always assuming you have a correctly-functioning FF....I'm still not convinced you're not running a little cold...)

I get pretty close to instant vapor with little or no warm up. 4 count on the heat button, another six-ten on the button and draw for 10 or so on a cold unit and I get a decent hit. Same thing again and I get a monster hit. So I think if your FF is working right, you can achieve this. (Yes, you need to draw pretty fast.) If you use a more medium finger-grind approach you can keep the material in the bowl for at least the first 2/3 of the session.

As for the fast draw, I personally would say FAST but NOT HARD. HARD will fling material. FAST and STEADY is how I visualize it. Start slow enough not to disrupt everything, immediately draw as fast as the FF's resistance allows, and when you stop, kinda wind down and not stop suddenly. Works for me and keeps debris issues down, early on anyway. (I have also ordered those glass honeycomb screens mentioned a page ago, so it'll be interesting to see if those do anything to help.)

Glad things are improving. I do think you should consider whether or not your unit might be a little cool, and if a more normal/hotter FF would get you the results you were expecting.
 
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Volteric

Volteric

Well-Known Member
Here are a couple close up of the Arizer basket in place...

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mckeen

mckeen

Tumrgrwer
WildChild said:
I really do believe that may be the case, grokit. I can bang on that heater button like I'm a contestant on Jeopardy and cannot make anything burn for the life of me. Wish I had one of the 'hotter' units. Anybody wish to trade?:wave:
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Send that cold bugger back. Shelby would love to send you a return authorization. If your unit is a cold one, then they will exchange it for no cost to you. Get on it! The only thing it will cost is a couple days without it's vapor. I'm certain they don't want any of these cold running units left out in the public.
 
WildChild

WildChild

Seeking My Shangri-La
mckeen said:
Send that cold bugger back. Shelby would love to send you a return authorization. If your unit is a cold one, then they will exchange it for no cost to you. Get on it! The only thing it will cost is a couple days without it's vapor. I'm certain they don't want any of these cold running units left out in the public.
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I dealt with Vape World and spoke to 3 different reps (nice ladies). I live way up north and shipping is costly...and my turnaround time would be about 1 month. Just don't want to put much more $ or effort into this when folks say you have to finish your ABV in another vape anyway. I'm a high temp vaper and just bought the wrong unit for me. It has a 5 year warantee so I'll just wait and see...

I do appreciate the good advice, though.
 
ktom1991

ktom1991

Member
I'm happy to say I can finally stop buying lighters. I grew up smoking and its still nice occasionally...but the last year or so, the harshness, the crude combustion waste, the poopy taste at the end of a bowl was kinda bothering me. I’ve had a few vaporizers before, but they were all cheap and didn’t really preform in a way that could replace a pipe. I've always wanted a quality convection vape but it seemed like that was limited to fancy tabletop units like the Volcano which don't really fit my lifestyle.

I had used the Pax before and although intrigued, it was not what I was looking for. The Pax stunk too much and used too much due to the conduction. The vapor and the (plastic) mouthpiece on the Pax were also a little too warm for me. I needed something portable that can match the ease and tradition of using a pipe, while delivering quality convection vapor usually limited to tabletop units.

I was about to settle for a Pax when about a month ago I found out about the brand new Firefly. I turned to the internet for some first hand reviews and didn’t really find much since it was so new. The only real good resource I came upon was FC. I was hesitant to be an early adopter but after lurking this forum for a couple weeks and after much deliberation, I decided to pull the trigger. The Firefly seemed to be ticking all the boxes of what I need in a vape.

I would like to thank everyone here at FC for their input as it really did help in making my decision.

7 days later I received my dark grey Firefly in the mail... :D

Right out of the box, I was very impressed with how solid it feels and how legit it looks. It was a fancier unboxing ceremony than my Galaxy S4. Pretty much every vape I've seen looks like something you'd want to hide. Not the Firefly. This thing looks nice. After about half an hour of experimenting I was starting to get really good results, not to much of a learning curve. The vapor is always very smooth, cool, and tasty. I didn't know vapor could taste so good. The first two draws are all about the flavor. Then it starts to take off. I think "The Vape Critic" guy on Youtube and some of y’all are thinking too much about the technique. I just press the button, and hit it with great results. I like to hit it overhand with my palm over the porthole, holding it below my chin and its very discreet that way. I haven’t seen the need to keep it level or anything.

The firefly is great for a day on the go...perfect for a day on the mountain snowboarding. If you've ever tried to use a lighter on a chairlift you know what I'm talking about. Its nice how you can pre-pack it then its all contained and ready to go whenever.

The only complaint I would have it that the lid gets pretty dirty, especially when your on the go. However, using a screen on top of the bowl will stop 98% of the mess. I don't really use the brush, just the toothpick which fits perfectly in the vapor groove. A dedicated toothpick groove in the base would be nice on Firefly 2.0.

The battery life is pretty good, but the external charger and at least one extra battery is a must. By the time one battery is spent, another one is charged.

I've only had it combust once and it was when someone else packed it...so I'm not sure about that. Seemed like a freak occurance.

All in all, I couldn't be more happy with the Firefly. If you don't have one yet...you should really get on that. Like now.

I might even get second one. Fire engine red this time.
 
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mckeen

mckeen

Tumrgrwer
WildChild said:
I dealt with Vape World and spoke to 3 different reps (nice ladies). I live way up north and shipping is costly...and my turnaround time would be about 1 month. Just don't want to put much more $ or effort into this when folks say you have to finish your ABV in another vape anyway. I'm a high temp vaper and just bought the wrong unit for me. It has a 5 year warantee so I'll just wait and see...

I do appreciate the good advice, though.
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Man I'm so sorry...I have purchased from Vapeworld, great company. I did buy direct and got a great deal. Free charger and battery and no freight. I would email them they would send through email a FedX return labeI. When I dropped it off at FedX they notified FF and my replacement was sent out that same day. I was a headache for them, it took 3 units to get the one that works for me. They charged me nothing for the freight or the process, nothing. The only drawback was being without the FF and having to use my Pax or Davinci for a few days each time. I would give them folks a call at FF and see what they have to say. I have had a bunch of conversations with them, I'm certain of one thing and that is they don't want anyone unhappy.
 
WildChild

WildChild

Seeking My Shangri-La
mckeen said:
Man I'm so sorry...I have purchased from Vapeworld, great company. I did buy direct and got a great deal. Free charger and battery and no freight. I would email them they would send through email a FedX return labeI. When I dropped it off at FedX they notified FF and my replacement was sent out that same day. I was a headache for them, it took 3 units to get the one that works for me. They charged me nothing for the freight or the process, nothing. The only drawback was being without the FF and having to use my Pax or Davinci for a few days each time. I would give them folks a call at FF and see what they have to say. I have had a bunch of conversations with them, I'm certain of one thing and that is they don't want anyone unhappy.
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Thanks, mckeen. I think I'll just chalk this one up as a loss. Not the vape for me and I just don't want to waste anymore of my time on it...

But your enthusiasm for this unit shows it is for some.

Take care.
 
C

cancertoast

Well-Known Member
steama said:
Yeah, that is not worth eliminating the feedback features for me imo. Never got a piece of material in my mouth since I have owned a Firefly.

Or....are you talking about that little fucking basket in the FF bowl someone is using in the photo.

Hehe, a confusing world of vape modification.
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Since I own a Vtower, I have a mesh basket. It fits perfectly in my FF unit. It helps a lot with even browning.
 
WildChild

WildChild

Seeking My Shangri-La
steama said:
I feel sorry and at a loss for people not finding success with their Firefly.

I had success from the very first bowl and have never had to question my purchasing decision or look back for a second. For me the Firefly is a superb and satisfying vaping experience every single time I have used it. It just simply works for me.

Of course the Firefly won't be to everyone's style of vaping or liking — such is life. For those that may not be happy with their Firefly, I recommend checking-out the Lotus Vaporizer. It is a deceptively excellent vape and in ways beyond comparison (best flavor hits imo).
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Happy it is meeting your needs, steama. I just feel like I am getting ripped off each time because it won't fully extract without a lot of effort...and even then. I just want the effects, not the hassle. All my other vapes do this effortlessly.

Again, this is obviously a satisfying vape for many who don't need their ABV uniformly dark brown...or don't mind working at it to get those results. I just don't have the time to spend on it.

Still great watching the evolution of these portables.
 
WildChild

WildChild

Seeking My Shangri-La
natural farmer said:
Someone with a FF success story should go down to WildChild's place and figure out what's wrong ASAP! Come on people! :D
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Thanks, Natural Farmer! lol

They would have to go 'up' to my place as I live in the Arctic.:D

I am not saying this is a bad unit...just not for me. I hope everyone else is having fun with it.
 
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F

fogbank

Well-Known Member
mitchgo61 said:
Glad things are improving. I do think you should consider whether or not your unit might be a little cool, and if a more normal/hotter FF would get you the results you were expecting.
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I do still feel that my unit runs cool.

I tried a screen on top, as others have, and I did not get anywhere NEAR combustion. I got plenty of dense vapor (after drawing really hard of course). The ABV was much less evenly browned, with a few dark brown/black spots on the bottom (near the bowl), and quite a bit of green still on top. I felt satisfied with the vapor during the session, but it was not noticeably hotter or easier to produce. All things considered, the only thing the screen did was keep my window clean, and make the ABV less evenly browned.

WildChild said:
Just don't want to put much more $ or effort into this when folks say you have to finish your ABV in another vape anyway.
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So far that is the one area that I can't complain about...extraction. I do not feel the need to finish my FF ABV in another vape. It seems very depleted by the time I'm done my session.

I wonder if conduction vapes make ABV come out darker than convection vapes, even with the same level of extraction? Maybe the contact with solid hot surfaces causes more "browning".

If folks are used to conduction vapes they may think their FF ABV is lighter, therefore there is more to extract?
 
hoyo77

hoyo77

Well-Known Member
hoyo77 said:
I am stuck in the Atlanta storm as well. my screens are due to be in tomorrow. Luckily I stocked up before the storm with meds.
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Screens are here...time to test!!

in order to avoid to the mod police I am editing my post...I like the screen...seems like my hits were a bit more dense. I am high as fuck right now...I love the fact I ordered 4 screens. the screens work for me they work real fucking good. I got some nice dense vapor and I did not have any metal taste. no combustion. also got a few more hits and the abv was more even than when I was using the FF screens.
 
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mitchgo61

mitchgo61

I go where the thrills are
fogbank said:
So far that is the one area that I can't complain about...extraction. I do not feel the need to finish my FF ABV in another vape. It seems very depleted by the time I'm done my session.

I wonder if conduction vapes make ABV come out darker than convection vapes, even with the same level of extraction? Maybe the contact with solid hot surfaces causes more "browning".

If folks are used to conduction vapes they may think their FF ABV is lighter, therefore there is more to extract?
Click to expand...

I'm having the inverse experience: the FF ABV is usually very dark...but can still hold a couple of hits that I extract with the VTE...which is convection. The VTE can extract everything from material, but when it's done, it isn't as dark as the FF abv which is slightly *less* depleted than I get with the VTE.

I do agree that conduction can create darker material as it sometimes nearly singes the stuff it comes in contact with...but using two very different convection vapes gives me very different ABV results. It's weird.
 
E

EveryDayAmnesiac

Well-Known Member
It's being marketed for those making more than $75,000 a year?

Wow. I am SOOOOO not its target market.

:ugh:

Although, I have to admit... having a Firefly kinda makes me feel like king of the castle. :D

EDIT: I would really like to see someone who owns an Herbalizer to show what their ABV looks like at 400 F. I want to compare it to mine when I can't get anymore out of it from the FF.
 
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