Discontinued The Grasshopper

[YaFreekin Right]

I do turn it off between hits.

I click it on, wait a few seconds for it to warm up, the light goes red to blue, then I take a strong, steady, 10 second hit. Then I click it off and hold the hit for 20 seconds before exhaling. I repeat this until the bowl is kicked - which took me 23 minutes here.

I backed and pre-ordered with the impression that I could replace smoking a bowl or a joint with the Grasshopper, but after use, I agree with you that it's more of a sipper/micro-doser than a session piece.

Not surprised in the slightest that it's too hot after 23 min of 'continuous' use.

I'd me more annoyed that it took me 23 min to finish a 1/2 tsp of herb & by the sounds of it the Solo takes you even longer to session it.

Do you have a water piece to try it with at higher temps?

IMO any good vape cannot be used to "session", I'd be way too high/wasting herb. It's not going to replace a joint, it should render it obsolete, giving you stronger effects with way less product.

That's not what he meant. He's saying while you're drawing turn the unit off before you're finished hitting it. Keep drawing while it's off for a few seconds.

 

[Titties_and_Weed]

Do you have a water piece to try it with at higher temps?

Yeah, I've got one of these that I can try but I'm hesitant about doing something that will make the Grasshopper even hotter.

That's 23 minutes to kick probably because I had to keep the temp setting low enough (2.5) for the Grasshopper to keep from getting too hot.

Trevor tells me to turn it down further and hit it less frequently in order to keep it from getting hot.

 

[vapebuddy13]

Yeah, I've got one of these that I can try but I'm hesitant about doing something that will make the Grasshopper even hotter.

That's 23 minutes to kick probably because I had to keep the temp setting low enough (2.5) for the Grasshopper to keep from getting too hot.

Trevor tells me to turn it down further and hit it less frequently in order to keep it from getting hot.

I feel like thats more for a long session type of use. If it is a hit every minute or more for only a few hits it should be fine. And from other users reviews/experiences if that isnt getting you decent, you got a hell of a tolerance or something

 

[syrupy]

I received both of my stainless Grasshoppers on Tuesday and have been really underwhelmed with them.

Both get extremely hot during use (like the metal on a lighter that's been lit too long), and I have found that the Grasshopper uses more material, delivers fewer hits, and medicates less than my Solo.

I've been emailing Hopper Labs about the heat issue since Tuesday, but their stance is that it's perfectly normal for the body of the Grasshopper to exceed 90° in your hands (I sent them a photo of my digital thermometer reading 97.8°), and their best advice was to use it less.

Before I post these on eBay, I'm trying to see if anyone else's experience has been similar, or if I should continue pressing for replacements.

Thanks

I find it interesting that they could say the heat issue is OK. In the screenshot of the instructions, under Damage, it clearly states the user must discontinue use of the GH and contact support if there is unusual heat.

Edit: Replying "use our product less" as a solution? Not awesome.

 

[Titties_and_Weed]

I find it interesting that they could say the heat issue is OK.

Yep. And the manual says not to use it when it's hotter than 90° out, so there goes taking it to the beach....

I think that your Grasshoppers are functioning correctly. It is very unlikely that they both have a problem that we have not heard of. ~90F is not out of the normal. The Grasshopper heater operates at 410F and is only millimeters away from the housing. The insulation does a good job of keeping the temp down but there is no getting around heat escaping to the housing. Because the housing is metal it stores that heat very well. This heat must slowly escape the device into the environment through conduction and radiation.

The best advice I can give you is to shorten your draw time, but draw more firmly limiting the total time on.

I don't think I have a huge tolerance. Prior to receiving my Grasshoppers I split an Arizer Solo, once daily, with another person. A couple extra sessions on the weekend, but nothing crazy.

 

[vapebuddy13]

Yep. And the manual says not to use it when it's hotter than 90° out, so there goes taking it to the beach....



I don't think I have a huge tolerance. Prior to receiving my Grasshoppers I split an Arizer Solo, once daily, with another person. A couple extra sessions on the weekend, but nothing crazy.

That doesnt sound like hes telling you too hit it less frequently, just for not as long of a time

 

[Titties_and_Weed]

That doesnt sound like hes telling you too hit it less frequently, just for not as long of a time

I mean, I feel like that's splitting hairs. Hit it lighter, hit it less?

All I know is that when I try to use either of mine like I've seen demonstrated in review videos (so I'd expect that to be typical use - not quick, light hits, many minutes between), they get hot enough that I'm worried about the safety of the device.

 

[zymos]

I'm getting less and less confident that these guys can consistently delver a fully functional product.
From someone on reddit who just received two a couple of days ago. At some point, replacement costs are going to really add up. Oh, but great customer service!

"One thing that happened with the SS hopper this morning; my friend was hitting it and went to click it off after the hit and the button pressed down but didn't turn it off. The usual audible click went away and it has a different sound now. It seems as if the clicking mechanism inside the backend is stuck in the on position because when i screw it onto either hopper it automatically turns on and starts heating once the battery contact makes contact. It hasn't been working right since so I emailed Trevor earlier today and he responded. We confirmed it is just the SS backend so he will be sending one my way soon."

 

[smutman]

Try turning it off near the end of your draw. This will remove the heat from the heat exchanger and reduce amount of heat going into the body.

It will certainly deliver fewer hits than a solo, since it extracts all the cannabinoids much faster through convection. Not really sure what to say about it being less efficient than a solo. Doesn't seem possible as the solo is sitting there cooking the load even when your not hitting it.

Doesn't seem like there is anything wrong with your unit, don't see why you would get a replacement. Since as you mentioned on reddit the body is evenly hot, not just at the backend.

Sounds to me you are using it like a slow session vape like the solo, when its meant to be more of a one hit and quit unit.

So the GH is a overpriced 1 hitter?

 

[YaFreekin Right]

So the GH is a overpriced 1 hitter?

Not sure where you get that impression from.

I'd say it's a vastly under priced unit.

 

[natural farmer]

I mean, I feel like that's splitting hairs. Hit it lighter, hit it less?

All I know is that when I try to use either of mine like I've seen demonstrated in review videos (so I'd expect that to be typical use - not quick, light hits, many minutes between), they get hot enough that I'm worried about the safety of the device.

Lower temps will probably give you longer sessions which mean more heat for the GH's body. I would suggest 3,5 to 4,5 on the dial that would give you stronger hits, which in turn would spent the load much faster and hit you so strong that you would need a couple of minutes between hits and also give time to the GH to cool down… In short: lower temps=longer sessions=hot GH=throat irritation. Higher temps=shorter sessions=stronger hits=lower vaporizer body temps… I hope this helps. I don't have a Hopper but most convection vapes work similarly so…

 

[dac13]

So the GH is a overpriced 1 hitter?

I dont have a GH so i can only speculate, but i have a firefly, and my understanding with instant convection vapes (like GH and the Firefly) is that they perform at their best in short sprints. You can go from a turned off vape, to a completed hit in 30 seconds. Session vapes are meant to constantly distribute their heat because their engineers who designed them knew that people would be using them for 10-30 minutes continuously. the grasshopper serves a different purpose, its for the person who wants to take 3-10 hits every hour to stay evenly medicated while on a hike, at the beach, at a concert (where potability and stealth are important)

In my opinion instant convection vapes are like sprinters and session vapes are like long distance runners. You take a sprinter and make him run long distance he is going to get overheated, his muscles are trained to produce explosive bursts really fast. vice versa if you take a session vape like the solo and try to make him sprint ( like trying to take a hit after 30 seconds of heating) you are going to find yourself breathing out luke warm air. If you want a vape that distributes heat well, its likely that its also going to take awhile to heat up(because the heat is constantly being dissipated "well")

I wouldn't say its an overpriced one hitter judging by the reviews i have read. I would say that it is an underpriced multi- hitter that is misunderstood by some as a session vape. i mean if you wanna smoke at home for 30 minutes straight, just get a desktop.

 

[Titties_and_Weed]

So the GH is a overpriced 1 hitter?

If a one-hitter does the job for you then the Grasshopper will make you feel like you have Earth's first working lightsaber in your hands.

 

[Old School]

@Titties_and_Weed
I know it might seem a bit strange to view it the way NF has suggested.... but I was honestly about to make the very same suggestion.... pointing out almost the exact logic in regard to the heat lingering....

I would also suggest going with both of these very good ideas.... dial up the heat and the other is to turn it off and allow upwards of 3-5 seconds to evacuate lingering heat.....

There are several benefits to allowing the remaining 1/3 of your inhalation to remove any leftover excess lingering heat;
1. The herb itself and the taste and flavor will be extended
2. Much less heat will therefore be absorbed by the shell / body - cooler to the touch
3. The battery life will also likely be extended as well

All very good reasons to turn off the heater before you are finished with your inhalation......

 

[Titties_and_Weed]

the grasshopper serves a different purpose, its for the person who wants to take 3-10 hits every hour to stay evenly medicated while on a hike, at the beach, at a concert (where potability and stealth are important)

I mean if you wanna smoke at home for 30 minutes straight, just get a desktop.

I'm not smoking for 30 minutes straight. It's not like I've got it hanging out of my mouth, huffing away like it's a big, chrome cigar. I'm chilling at home playing Elder Scrolls, and clicking it on for a hit here and there.

I'm not expecting to fishbowl the living room for an hour but fuck, I'd like to be able to enjoy it. I waited two years for the damn thing. If this is overuse then what did they bother making it for?

 

[blankexpression]

That why its horses for courses...Some people like to take it slow when getting high. Me, I just want to get as high as possible as quickly as possible, I dont care if its hot, harsh or tastes like crap. The high is what Im after when Im in a setting where an Evo isnt an option, club, gig, pub garden etc

Maybe one day I might get to try one, my hope dwindles.

 

[natural farmer]

I'm not smoking for 30 minutes straight. It's not like I've got it hanging out of my mouth, huffing away like it's a big, chrome cigar. I'm chilling at home playing Elder Scrolls, and clicking it on for a hit here and there.

I'm not expecting to fishbowl the living room for an hour but fuck, I'd like to be able to enjoy it. I waited two years for the damn thing. If this is overuse then what did they bother making it for?

When you say here and there, how many minutes between hits?

 

[Titties_and_Weed]

When you say here and there, how many minutes between hits?

I don't know, anywhere from one to three.

Me, I just want to get as high as possible as quickly as possible, I dont care if its hot, harsh or tastes like crap. The high is what Im after

It's not really a rush for me, but I get impatient if something is holding things up.

I do smoke to get high though.

I enjoy the pain and anxiety relief, as well as the all around "being in a dream" feeling. I haven't gotten that with the Grasshopper.

I've gone through five total sessions since its delivery on Tuesday morning, and have had it get too hot or the battery give out before I got there.

 

[zymos]

Is it still pretty hot after cooling off for three minutes?

 

[blankexpression]

Well I plan on packing that SOB to the max and draining it at 4.5 in one hit, from what Ive seen that should do the trick Try it!

edit: I spent a very long time in my youth doing ridiculously large gravity bongs with shitty soapbar hash. The smoke was green I think its highly unlikely that the grasshopper will come anywhere near the harshness of one of those badboys for me!

 

[Titties_and_Weed]

Is it still pretty hot after cooling off for three minutes?

Yes. It takes a while to cool down, especially if you've taken multiple hits. It gets very hot, to the point that if you were in a situation where you had to put it away in your pants pocket quickly to avoid detection, you might have a very hard time keeping it there.

 

[Shit Snacks]

I dont have a GH so i can only speculate, but i have a firefly, and my understanding with instant convection vapes (like GH and the Firefly) is that they perform at their best in short sprints. You can go from a turned off vape, to a completed hit in 30 seconds. Session vapes are meant to constantly distribute their heat because their engineers who designed them knew that people would be using them for 10-30 minutes continuously. the grasshopper serves a different purpose, its for the person who wants to take 3-10 hits every hour to stay evenly medicated while on a hike, at the beach, at a concert (where potability and stealth are important)

In my opinion instant convection vapes are like sprinters and session vapes are like long distance runners. You take a sprinter and make him run long distance he is going to get overheated, his muscles are trained to produce explosive bursts really fast. vice versa if you take a session vape like the solo and try to make him sprint ( like trying to take a hit after 30 seconds of heating) you are going to find yourself breathing out luke warm air. If you want a vape that distributes heat well, its likely that its also going to take awhile to heat up(because the heat is constantly being dissipated "well")

I wouldn't say its an overpriced one hitter judging by the reviews i have read. I would say that it is an underpriced multi- hitter that is misunderstood by some as a session vape. i mean if you wanna smoke at home for 30 minutes straight, just get a desktop.

I agree with this, though some seem to have been able to session the Hopper in bubblers, albeit at higher temps, and a shorter session still. It still has to be hit at a time too, which it does seem he was going here more or less, just not inhing after turn off as much? Which is more careful strategy for efficient heating and battery, here and in the FF and others, not a useage necessity as I understand it. What's nice about my Zion is it actually can do both, more like an actual battery desktop. GH seems to have a lot of elements of that, but its super stealth form factor does require sacrifice to an extent, and more potential issues with its underlying complexity. It could improve, we just don't know, this is their first real world testing, hopefully it doesn't take too much longer...

@Titties_and_Weed if it really isn't getting you effects, that warrants replacement to me, unless its your stash or pack somehow... Herbs are spent looking when done? Getting a hit at low temps still, and you tried higher temps though? It's 3 is lower than a Solo even goes...

 

[Titties_and_Weed]

if it really isn't getting you effects, that warrants replacement to me, unless its your stash or pack somehow... Herbs are spent looking when done?

Stash is great. Right now I've got some finely ground Mango Kush that is very nice. It medicates just fine in the Solo, and does in the GH as well, but doesn't get me as high or nearly as long.

My herbs come out of the GH looking a nice, lighty toasted golden-brown, being more brown in the center, and the faintest hints of green around the perimeter. That's after it's stopped producing viewable vapor at the end of the session, with the last few hits on temp 4.

 

[AgentXero]

@Titties_and_Weed interesting that you find it wasting herb. Basically every review I have read says how crazy efficient this thing is with both preserving herb and feeling strong effects. One thing I can think of maybe you are packing in too much too tightly into the bowl? I know if I were to do that with my solo I can barely get any good draws.

 

[Titties_and_Weed]

@Titties_and_WeedOne thing I can think of maybe you are packing in too much too tightly into the bowl? I know if I were to do that with my solo I can barely get any good draws.

I fill it with a half teaspoon measuring spoon, and lightly fill it with 3/4 of 1/2 tsp (I filled it, then emptied its contents into the measuring spoon). There is zero resistance hitting the Grasshopper, it's one of its great features, so I'm pretty sure it's not packed too tightly.

For comparison I only use about 1/4 tsp in my Solo.

So, with my Solo I use 1/4 tsp over 30 mins to peak at a 6ish, and I'm good for about 3 hrs.

With my Grasshoppers I use 3/4 of 1/2 tsp over 25-30 mins to peak around a 3 or 4, and am good for about an hour and a half.

So yeah, I'm using more for less in the Grasshopper, compared to the Solo.

I just want to be clear that I didn't come here to shit on this thing.

I backed it on IGG in November of 2013, pre-ordered a second, and got three friends to pre-order as well. I've been a positive supporter on reddit's sub for the vape while waiting through the delays up to release. I've really looked forward to its release, and was super-excited when usage and review videos started popping up.

When I got my orders I was dismayed with their performance and have been reaching out to the community and the manufacturer since, trying to find if I've got duds or if this is just how this thing works.

Hopper Labs says this is just how it works, so that's kind of where I'm at.