Discontinued The Grasshopper

[GreenHopper]

WARNING LONG POST

THE PURCHASE

Bought my first hopper in April 2016 from vapefiend. A plain Ti, I had it for two weeks before losing the thing on holiday. It's OK I'm well over it.

I then got my pre-orders in early July, 2x SS and 2x Ti. Had to pay UK duty on them which delayed delivery by about 4 days (about 12 in total) BC to LDN.

THE USE

I gave one SS to a friend thats a light user, so far no complaints no warranty requirement.

I gave the other to a friend who is a heavy daily user. He said he uses it on T5 with the Silicone mouth guard. Also no complaints no warranty requirements. He's completely bowled over with it. He previously had a Flowermate 5 and all his issues with it (heat up time, device odour, build quality, subtlty, efficiency, etc...) have been resolved by using the hopper.

I have 2x Ti, one green (guess you knew that) and the other purple. The purple one had to be warrantied immediately for the red blue flashing lights. GHL sent out a replacement body that arrived (in the UK) about 7 days later. The replacement has resolved the issue and I sent the broken one back recorded for about £8 with Royal Mail. Also worth noting that the replacement matched the colour and tone of the other components so no complaints there either.

I use the hopper daily and rotate them in monthly shifts. So I use one for a month and then switch to the other.

I have a three battery rotation and can tell one is on its way out.

I use @Ratchett stand and funnel, these are a God send! I like the battery caps as well but didn't find the battery covers for insertion into an external charger all that beneficial but then I'm middle aged and don't have issues with grip or dexterity so I can see why some folk love them.

I use an Xtar MC1 most days due to its tiny dimensions but I do have an MC2 should I need to charge 2 batts at once. I had the VC2 as well but gave that to my friend, I prefer the smaller chargers and the screens don't tell me anything I couldn't feel out just through usage of the batteries.

I lightly pour in a medium to well ground selection (so far Wonder Woman, AK48 and Blue Cheese) of well cured (not moist, but not crumbling into dust) cannabis into the oven and then tap the side of the oven until it settles leaving 15-20% space left in the oven.

I can hit that natively (no Silicone guard) all they way up to T5 on a 10-15 second draw. I feel it but it's OK for me, I'm an ex smoker (nearly one year now). Flavour on 5 is OK but I'm mostly after the effects. I have tried temp stepping and the flavour below 3.5 is great but I'm no connoisseur and mostly can't be bothered.

I did try using the hopper on 3 until the vapour stopped to get the high buzz during the day time and then hitting 5 later on in the evening to get that CBD body buzz going and that was great!

I'm predominantly a T5 kinda guy.

THE CLEAN

I leave the mouth piece soaking in 99% ISO in a small glass jar. I put the jar in a bowl of hot water for the initial soaking right after having used the hopper so everything (ISO and mouthpiece) are relatively hot, this helps shift the reclaim. I keep the jar and used ISO and use repeatedly (looks like a well aged Islay Single Malt but I wouldn't drink it even if you double dared me too!).

I use an angled set of needlenose tweezers bought from Amazon at less than £5 to unscrew the screen in the mouthpiece after soaking to remove any stubborn bits of crud. This last bit isn't all that necessary but I do find the screen can have a few holes blocked and I just prefer to get all the crud out. It really doesn't take long at all.

I clean the threads now using the BluTack suggestion from this thread (great tip) along with a Vypes 99% alcohol wipe. I do not use any grease or Deoxit.

ISSUES

I don't really have any issues. The warranty solved my purple hopper cop lights and was quick. The vapor temp is alright for me, sure if I don't use water my throat feels a little sore the next day but it's not as bad as when I was smoking.

I'd like fusion or Arc reactor based batteries with unlimited power but for now I'll settle for the GHB1's I got. I do look forward to trying the GHB2's.

GLASS

I have a hydratrube, it's OK but I much much much prefer my MFLB Orbiter.

I don't bother with the whips, not a fan of those for toking. Currently I just hold the hopper in the 12 o'clock positioned 14mm joint with the Silicone guard to protect and seal. I just draw directly out of the other 14mm joint. I'm surprised I don't get any splashes on my lips and it works quite well but I'm looking forward to getting a couple of different length glass mouth pieces with 14mm male ends from Oregan Glass blowers.

I do use the whips for cleaning the Orbiter and Hydrotube. The Orbiter comes with 2x whips, a long one (about 1/2m) and a short one (about 1/4m). I took the small hard plastic bit off the end of the short whip and pushed the Silicone tube up into a standard hose connector. I then took the small hard plastic bit and reinserted into the end of the Silicone tube to keep it tight in the hose connector. The hose connector screws onto a standard universal tap adapter so I can hook it up in my sink. I got the whole idea from @t-dub
http://fuckcombustion.com/threads/pbw-the-chemistry-of-clean.7854/ well worth a read! A quick daily rinse with the hot water seems to keep the glass fresh. Monthly soak with ISO, I have some PBW but not tried it yet, haven't had to.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The hopper on T5 through the Orbiter is my favourite vape session so far. I own a few portables (Wispr, MFLB, V2Pro3, PAX2) and the hopper blows them all out the water.

My tolerance prior to the hopper (PAX2 +pusher and 3D screen) was fairly low, the first few times I tried the hopper I almost greened out. Now though I'm pulling 15 second draws through the Orbiter easily enough. Still the efficiency of the device doesn't have me feeling like I'm burning (vaping) through all my bud.

I'd say so far I'm delighted with the hopper and think the year long wait is well worth it. I'm not sure about all the warranty issues I've been seeing here and on Reddit, I feel for those guys but I can't help getting the feeling like basic maintenance may be key to a working hopper and that 50% (totally made up percentage based on gut feeling) of the cases may just be down to dirty threads causing poor conduction.

Happy hopping people!

 

[moondog]

So here's another Orbiter question. I like the idea of having a glass mouthpiece I can use as an alternative to the whip. Would something like this work? Does anyone have recommendations for any other solutions?

ETA: EXCELLENT post Greenhopper! Thanks!!

 

[GreenHopper]

So here's another Orbiter question. I like the idea of having a glass mouthpiece I can use as an alternative to the whip. Would something like this work? Does anyone have recommendations for any other solutions?

ETA: EXCELLENT post Greenhopper! Thanks!!

I went with http://oregonglassblower.com/14mm-GLASS-MOUTHPIECE-FLARED-MALE-14fmpms.htm as the 'vapour out 14mm joint' on the Orbiter is at a 45 degree angle already so you probably don't want a mouthpiece with a bend in it.

I actually got two, one at 5" and the other at their standard 6.5->7".

Ive not received them yet so can't tell you which I prefer.

P. S. The Orbiter is smaller than you think it is, it's dinky. I was a little shocked at first but it works really well.

I agonised over it for some time, looking at the D020(D) and a whole host of others. I wanted something

• With no colour in it
• Easy to clean
• Smallish (the fact it's smaller than I imagined worked out really well for me
• Could be used one handed (holding the hopper with the bubbler on a table)
• Minimal percolation so some flavour could remain (vapor is lighter than smoke so less perc is preferable)

I kept coming back to the Orbiter each time, glad I did as I love it.

 

[Icon13]

So here's another Orbiter question. I like the idea of having a glass mouthpiece I can use as an alternative to the whip. Would something like this work? Does anyone have recommendations for any other solutions?

ETA: EXCELLENT post Greenhopper! Thanks!!

Go to dhgate and search "glass bubbler" There is an incredible selection from $20-30 if you do not mind waiting 2-3 weeks from China. Honestly, it is a great deal if you do not mind waiting (which you don't if you've waited this long for a hopper). I'm sure you'll have a better piece than an orbiter in the end.

Get an 18mm to 14mm glass reducer if necessary as 18mm is wider than the hopper.

 

[moondog]

I went with http://oregonglassblower.com/14mm-GLASS-MOUTHPIECE-FLARED-MALE-14fmpms.htm as the 'vapour out 14mm joint' on the Orbiter is at a 45 degree angle already so you probably don't want a mouthpiece with a bend in it.

I actually got two, one at 5" and the other at their standard 6.5->7".

Ive not received them yet so can't tell you which I prefer.

That is a very good point about the angle. Thanks yet again. I probably wouldn't have caught that until it was time. My first reaction is that the longer one will be better for me, but I'll be interested to hear about your experiences when you've tried them both.

 

[GreenHopper]

That is a very good point about the angle. Thanks yet again. I probably wouldn't have caught that until it was time. My first reaction is that the longer one will be better for me, but I'll be interested to hear about your experiences when you've tried them both.

I'll definitely report back once I've played with them.

My concern with the longer one was I don't want the weight of it tipping the Orbiter.

Truth be told I ordered them before I received the Orbiter, now I have it I think the longer one will be fine. It's a stable little unit, works great with the hopper and I just love how it looks like something from a mad science experiment.

 

[flyfishwino]

First lemme say that as I'm sure many of us are very careful and thorough as we get to know how to Hop, I respect that you as well have been scratching through a few layers of scalp trying to figure this out. Respect.

It seems you've tried everything I would have, surely. I think the comments from @tubasco and @vapviking comprise a good "checklist" of things to note.

By the way, I'm not sure a "sprinkle" is all that good to test, either... Picture the hopper on its side with the herb in the chamber; if it "lines the bottom" and allows a majority of heated air to flow over the material, I doubt it will give you as much output than if the chamber at least has some "fluff blockage" in it so that air must go through it.

And not to sound all bourgeoisie, if you happen to own 2 hoppers, try swapping pieces and follow that trail of breadcrumbs.

Of most importance is that if you intend on making a warranty claim, be very specific, very certain of your conclusion. The more concise you can outline the conditions, the better for the fastest turn-around.



We can vape if we want to!

OK, trying again
New battery, #3 of 4 all ghb2 model.
med grind filled about 3/4 of bowl Temp set at 3.5.
Started up fine, red to blue
Took long draw, I'd say a medium draw. Did that 2x's. Will go back to finish later and see what the ability looks like.
Finally got some vapor feedback, top and bottom ends warmed up, but not overly hot.
A better experience, now see if it can be repeated. I don't want to push it to 5 as I don't want the excess heat in my throat.
Maybe the 2 previous batteries are not good? Maybe I didn't fill it up enough.
A puzzle that needs to be resolved, hopefully it will not take too long.
All I want is to fill it, turn it on and enjoy. Not spend all my time figuring it out.
But at least it appears I'm on a better path,
Thx

 

[moondog]

Go to dhgate and search "glass bubbler" There is an incredible selection from $20-30 if you do not mind waiting 2-3 weeks from China. Honestly, it is a great deal if you do not mind waiting (which you don't if you've waited this long for a hopper). I'm sure you'll have a better piece than an orbiter in the end.

Get an 18mm to 14mm glass reducer if necessary as 18mm is wider than the hopper.

Thanks for the reply. I did spend some time on DHGate a while back. I recognize the difference in cost but I'm fortunate in that I have the $$ to spend and:

-I really want a small, simple design that doesn't look like something from my college dorm room days (back when vapes were steam powered).

-The Orbiter with it's stand seems more stable to me. (Important in a house with cats.)

-I like the idea of supporting a small company that's done right my me in the past.

But I haven't pulled the trigger yet and who knows what will catch my eye while I dither away the hours waiting for my shipping confirmation.

 

[JoeMama]

Took long draw, I'd say a medium draw. Did that 2x's. Will go back to finish later and see what the ability looks like.
Finally got some vapor feedback, top and bottom ends warmed up, but not overly hot.
A better experience, now see if it can be repeated. I don't want to push it to 5 as I don't want the excess heat in my throat.

Ah, that's good feedback....

If I may (and I'm not saying the issue is resolved, maybe it's something else), my first day with the hopper was similar.... The sensation of "heat" coming up against my throat, with the unique sense of something other than "air" mixed in, I had a very strong mindset of, "hey, I'm getting lots of "vapor", and then upon exhale, nothing. I was disappointed because I thought it was either not functioning or I didn't understand how I was supposed to use it. I posted about it, and, yep, it was me.

Pardon the laboring, but, when you take that draw, take it long and mostly steady, maybe "slow and then resume" your draw.. but do not stop. Even when you think you're tasting way more than you think you want to get. For me, it was a deception of sensation, since I didn't know what to expect.

IF that is the issue, trust me, you will quickly adapt to taking the type of draw that gives you favorable results. In fact, it's likely you might get a bit more than you DO want, but by that point you will know how to run the throttle on that thing.

Keep us posted!

 

[Vapor_Eyes]

@flyfishwino
Are you tamping it down? I don't recommend that. I find the hopper works best with a loose pack. I fill it full but loose, which actually only works out to a pinch. I get two or three huge hits and then reload.

I've tried packing it tight and I get less vapor and a hotter mouthpiece.

A properly functioning Grasshopper should give consistent, reliably satisfying results. I say stick with it and refine your technique. Hopefully you see continued improvement. If your results remain inconsistent I would recommend filing a warranty complaint. My broken Ti functioned at full capacity maybe 20% of the time, just when I was sure it was broken I would have a good chamber.

 

[Icon13]

Thanks for the reply. I did spend some time on DHGate a while back. I recognize the difference in cost but I'm fortunate in that I have the $$ to spend and:

-I really want a small, simple design that doesn't look like something from my college dorm room days (back when vapes were steam powered).

-The Orbiter with it's stand seems more stable to me. (Important in a house with cats.)

-I like the idea of supporting a small company that's done right my me in the past.

But I haven't pulled the trigger yet and who knows what will catch my eye while I dither away the hours waiting for my shipping confirmation.

Maybe something like this would suit your needs? No reducer needed. $20, and not overkill.

http://m.dhgate.com/product/colored...green/386594949.html#s1-10-1;searl|2335390253

 

[Hogni]

@moondog: May be this bubbler from stevenlmz could be an alternative with more possibilities to the orbiter?

 

[VegNVape]

We can vape if we want to!

Yeah we can!!!

Always did like that song. Even before I found out that a guy I was doing graduate work with (this is back in the '80s now) was in that band and quit because they were becoming too commercial. He was more of a Residents type. Really cool guy and excellent studio engineer.

Wow that is really cool! I love hearing things like that. The 6 degrees & all that . . . .

And while the thread is on the topic . . . . .
One of many configurations, here are a quick (& dirty) few shots of my current Orbiter setup:

Love my TonG!

Grasshopper + Magic Flight Orbiter = SPACEHOPPER!!!

Boing!

 

[Mr.Sifter]

Ooooooh yeah,

That looks nice.
But so many different glass parts?

Why not simply connect the hopper to the orbiter directly?
And the sucking tube connects to the orbiter through a short piece of silicon tube.
It becomes bendable this way.

It really looks nice but a bit overloaded.


P.s.
Very beatifull wooden floor you have there.

 

[vapviking]

Yeah we can!!!

Wow that is really cool! I love hearing things like that. The 6 degrees & all that . . . .

And while the thread is on the topic . . . . .
One of many configurations, here are a quick (& dirty) few shots of my current Orbiter setup:

Love my TonG!

Grasshopper + Magic Flight Orbiter = SPACEHOPPER!!!

Boing!

-I really want a small, simple design that doesn't look like something from my college dorm room days (back when vapes were steam powered).

-The Orbiter with it's stand seems more stable to me. (Important in a house with cats.)

@VegNVape thanks for the pics, all cool looking stuff and obviously gets the job done. But I got to think it's starting to look like that dorm room rig @moondog is referring to. And Idk about stability around cats...
There are a multiple individual parts to this setup (even w/out the mouthpiece parts, a whip would still involve some extra things, like replacing tubing & cleaning), one of the reasons I'm leaning toward something like a Mobius Matrix or DHGAte D020-d. No loose parts at all, except maybe a silicone adapter on the hopper.
Thanks, guys, I'm also getting the idea from the current discussion to put a glass-stem mouthpiece on my wide-mouth mason jar rig, and use it instead of the whip when desired.

Edit
As @Mr.Sifter is saying, why not connect hopper direct?
Just learned that this fits on Hopper. Connects to either 14mm (Orbiter) or 18mm joint.
http://delta3dstudios.com/nearly-universal-vape-to-waterpipe-adapter-large/

 

[MoltenTiger]

@moondog: May be this bubbler from stevenlmz could be an alternative with more possibilities to the orbiter?

I cleaned up my Torus today, Steven has some good quality items.

My friend uses this and is pretty happy with it. Reckons I should get one, but I have too much glass now
http://de.dhgate.com/product/29-5cm-tall-top-quality-mobius-matrix-glass/386732962.html

 

[Hogni]

@Tiger: A really nice one. Standing on my list of favourites too. But seem to be not very 'cat-safe' I think? To less mass at the bottom.

 

[moondog]

Wow! Thank you so much for all the great ideas, folks. FC Think Tank FTW!!!

That Nexus piece looks closest to what I like about the Orbiter. I'll need to poke around and see if they offer one without the logo.

 

[vapviking]

So many interesting choices out there, you got me looking around.
This is pretty nifty for like, fifteen bucks! Hook a whip right onto it...
http://de.dhgate.com/product/wholes...238695114.html#cppd-14-5|null:108:r1078981903

 

[Hjalmark]

So many interesting choices out there, you got me looking around.
This is pretty nifty for like, fifteen bucks! Hook a whip right onto it...
http://de.dhgate.com/product/wholes...238695114.html#cppd-14-5|null:108:r1078981903

That looks awesome and giving me some great ideas for a little wooden box for my Enano and hopper but have an slot for that bubbler and a 3 feet silicon hose and everything would be enclosed but problem is always how to hide the big clunky step-down convertor

 

[Mr Mellish]

I've had a habit of taking the Crafty when walking the dog at night. It's easily hidden and if you cover the light, that black plastic makes it nearly invisible. However, I seem to get a little winded while drawing on the Crafty and walking (maybe it's the style of draw I use with it).

Last night, I decided to take the GH. It is a better solution, although those damn lights definitely need to be covered up. Because you can just rip it, walking and drawing are quite natural and I killed the bowl in less than half the time required for the Crafty (even if I leave out that damned interminable heat-up time).

 

[MoltenTiger]

I actually picked up a new piece today, a little Trap rig
It stands just shorter than the GH

Tiny bubblers are nice to have, but I wouldn't recommend one for a single piece collection.
A decent sized chamber makes for the fullest sized hits, and that's a must-have to properly experience the hopper, IMO.
The matrix sidecars / D020D are nice, a similar sized beaker bong would be ideal too.
There's a really nice Mathematix slime wrapped bubbler in Classefieds atm that would be amazing

The MFLB Orbiter is definitely a pretty cool mini rig though, very versatile.
Here is a seemingly decent mouthpiece for it

 

[moondog]

Last night, I decided to take the GH. It is a better solution, although those damn lights definitely need to be covered up.

I understand the need for discretion in many situations, but I'm wondering why the hopper's lights are a problem for so many folks. With everyone and their mother walking around with all sorts of flashing beeping electronic devices, don't the hopper lights just blend right in?

I guess I'll find out when I finally get my own.

 

[Hogni]

Wow! Thank you so much for all the great ideas, folks. FC Think Tank FTW!!!

That Nexus piece looks closest to what I like about the Orbiter. I'll need to poke around and see if they offer one without the logo.

Hi Moon, most sellers of the Nexus-clone are offering this choice

 

[MoltenTiger]

I understand the need for discretion in many situations, but I'm wondering why the hopper's lights are a problem for so many folks. With everyone and their mother walking around with all sorts of flashing beeping electronic devices, don't the hopper lights just blend right in?

I guess I'll find out when I finally get my own.

The lights really are bright. There's nothing to diffuse it, its direct diode, so it really punches a beam out one hole, like a lighthouse.
It's the most 'unfinished' aspect I think, works well enough though.

Also, you can easily remove most labels from glass with PBW