Discontinued The Grasshopper

[MoltenTiger]

I quite like the feel of the coloured hoppers, a subtly textured matte finish. I only have Ti's, though I'd be interested to see the SS in person. I can see the appeal for the smoother threads, but can't say the grainy Ti feel has ever bothered me. Not having felt the comparison probably plays a role in that.

I should say, a while back I mentioned cleaning mouthpieces with PBW, well I did that again recently, and whilst it works efficiently, a longer soak changed the colour of my blue Ti MP.
So just a heads up, keep soaking times at a minimum with coloured mouthpieces (5 mins max should be safe). It does work well enough that I will continue to use PBW, it actually cleaned the MP threads so thoroughly I could easily turn the screen with just a toothpick, it brings back the sheen to the screen, but does require a brush or pipe cleaner with less soaking time. Still the fastest, easiest way to clean IME.

 

[Mr. Me2]

I quite like the feel of the coloured hoppers, a subtly textured matte finish. I only have Ti's, though I'd be interested to see the SS in person. I can see the appeal for the smoother threads, but can't say the grainy Ti feel has ever bothered me. Not having felt the comparison probably plays a role in that.

I should say, a while back I mentioned cleaning mouthpieces with PBW, well I did that again recently, and whilst it works efficiently, a longer soak changed the colour of my blue Ti MP.
So just a heads up, keep soaking times at a minimum with coloured mouthpieces (5 mins max should be safe). It does work well enough that I will continue to use PBW, it actually cleaned the MP threads so thoroughly I could easily turn the screen with just a toothpick, it brings back the sheen to the screen, but does require a brush or pipe cleaner with less soaking time. Still the fastest, easiest way to clean IME.

That may be another benefit of the ss; easy ISO soak cleaning.

 

[MoltenTiger]

That may be another benefit of the ss; easy ISO soak cleaning.

You can soak the coloured mouthpieces in isopropyl alcohol for as long as you please too, typically it needs at least 10 minutes for a not-so-thorough clean.
Soaking the plain metal mouthpieces in PBW for that long has them looking brand new.
However as PBW is a detergent rather than a solvent, very quick exposure (a dunk) and hot water rinsing with mechanical agitation (brush, skewer, toothpick, pipecleaner etc.) has it back to brand new spec in a matter of minutes.

I soaked my blue and plain Ti mouthpieces for almost 30 minutes whilst cleaning my glass bubblers and that was enough to thin the TiO2 layer a minute amount, which turned it a kind of grey/purple colour

 

[Vapor_Eyes]

@biohacker

Your SS may require cleaning or might even be defective if it's getting hotter. Neither model should differ a significant amount if functioning normally.

In my opinion the only advantage of the plain Ti is the lighter weight. This is a huge deal to me, even though it's only a little lighter it makes a big difference in the feel of the device. Also, this may sound weird, but I can use the Ti no-handed comfortably because of the lighter weight. Sometimes, for instance, I can click it on during a brief pause in a video game I'm playing. After that I can let go of it while hitting it and use both my hands. Then I just let the auto-shutoff engage until I have another free moment to set it down. The same applies during cooking or other activities. Again, this is probably an edge case, I have pretty weird habits sometimes. It does bring me back to my days of smoking blunts, joints, and cigarettes too.

The threads on the Ti are grittier feeling and oxidize more, requiring more cleaning. This is not that big of a deal in my opinion.

This is personal opinion but I find the texture on the Ti unappealing for some reason, it's more "grippy" than the SS and almost feels sticky. It also shows fingerprints more. This is a big deal in my opinion as the Ti just isn't as satisfying to touch and doesn't look as nice with all of the little fingerprints.

The Ti isn't magnetic like the SS is. That doesn't matter at all to me, but it could make a difference for someone else. I'm not sure how, but you never know. In fact, I just had an idea for a case with a magnet built in to keep the Grasshopper secure without any straps, etc. Such a case would only work with the SS model.

Titanium is more scratch resistant than steel, but there are many different grades of both materials. In practice, I find both my Ti and SS hoppers seem to be roughly equal in this regard. The Ti doesn't seem any more resistant to scratches. Neither the plain Ti or SS show scratches much, and in my opinion I prefer a slightly scuffed look to overly shiny. The colored Ti models are much more susceptible to scratches than the plain Ti or SS.

In the end, for me, it comes down to weight vs. feel. It's a really tough decision but I think I prefer the SS by a tiny margin. I'm glad I have both. I use the Ti mainly while out and about, and use the SS mainly at home. You can't go wrong either way.

 

[vapviking]

Maybe so, but I hate to say, again, why should I keep track of what I send them, when they have the record of shipment? I simply am not going to keep notes in this crap. They have the SN''s; they ca track it.

Which brings me to:

When a backend is replaced, what happens to the SN? Do they automatically change it to reflect the latest one are sent back in exchange??
And also, as there are no identifying marks on the body, how the heck do they keep track of design iterations? It can't be like, "oh lookie, there's an extra capacitor inside there; it must be a new revision we made".

I dunno, just weird.

Yes, after returning a whole Hopper, I received all back, but new Back End with new SN. In 'My Hopper' on the website, the original number is still listed and the new one has been added. I'm sure that the old number is now defunct and going fwd I'll use the new one.
The question they ask about when it was received is s bit silly imo. They ask once when you register, but then same question again every time you make a warranty claim. I agree, it's really Their number and they know the pertinent details.
My SS Hopper had a SN in the S0042XX range, and I got it in early Aug. '16. Almost four months later late Nov.), the replacement Back End is S0052XX. Within days, it became a ''hot" Back End just like the first, so I know I'll be making another claim sometime. The new SN has me wondering if it's refurbished. I'm a little curious re: SN of other SS Hoppers shipped say, just as the battery shortage was slowing things down, late Nov.?

So do you guys prefer the SS or Ti more? I'm finding that the SS gets hotter, and i'm starting to notice that the back end can get to scorching from time to time. I think i'm going with two new Ti for my backups instead of one of each like I originally planned. I like the lighter feel and texture of the Ti as well.

Still in disbelief what this thing can do. It's like an ultra portable EVO or something....

I've had good, I'd say equal results with both, in terms of vapor production, even heat that exterior develops with the exception that the SS developed "hot" Back End (twice now). It's a spiking heat that happens first in the clip ring, very quickly, very hot, and dissipates almost as fast (unless Body is already warm from use). So sometimes even in normal use, the Back End feels about as hot as the mouthpiece end. I believe performance also suffers in the hot-backended SS more when the battery is low, in part because of the power going to the wrong end!
At the same time, I believe it's luck of the draw on this defect, can happen to either type afaik.

My eyes ain't what they used to be and I have real trouble reading the temp dial on either one (my Ti is 'plain'). I'd love to see them all in person side by side and I believe I'd select the one I could see best.

I quite like the feel of the coloured hoppers, a subtly textured matte finish. I only have Ti's, though I'd be interested to see the SS in person. I can see the appeal for the smoother threads, but can't say the grainy Ti feel has ever bothered me. Not having felt the comparison probably plays a role in that.

I should say, a while back I mentioned cleaning mouthpieces with PBW, well I did that again recently, and whilst it works efficiently, a longer soak changed the colour of my blue Ti MP.
So just a heads up, keep soaking times at a minimum with coloured mouthpieces (5 mins max should be safe). It does work well enough that I will continue to use PBW, it actually cleaned the MP threads so thoroughly I could easily turn the screen with just a toothpick, it brings back the sheen to the screen, but does require a brush or pipe cleaner with less soaking time. Still the fastest, easiest way to clean IME.

Well, now you tell us! Yesterday I did my first mp clean with PBW, quick story;
I had left Hopper loaded after use and it cooled, mp was stuck tight in place. I gave it a bigger twist and it reluctantly unscrewed. When mp came off, it had left its' innards stuck to the body of Hopper - so what I saw was the copper funnel, then the screen was below that. This was a first, for me!
I dropped the mp parts all in iso for about half an hour and moved them around, swabbed threads, etc. The screen itself gets crap stuck inside that is just obstinate. I abandoned the iso and put all in warm water/PBW for about ten min. Everything had looked quite clean except a couple of gobs inside the screen, but I was surprised how much dirt floated to the surface of the PBW mix. I see no change to SS mp color. The screen got clean as a whistle, inside too! Re-assembly was a breeze with the threads so clean. A clean Hopper is a happy Hopper!

I have seen that cleaning mp by dropping in iso for a few minutes is not a deep clean. It may be fine if done very often. After a soak and thorough swabbing, q-tip looks to be clean, etc. But then, while still wet with iso, cram a paper towel deep into mp. Give it a couple of twists, and see how much resin comes out on the towel...
Maybe there's another trick I haven't employed. Could have used some heat, maybe compressed air, etc. The PBW worked great.

I forgot to mention, after this nice clean result, I put my plain Ti mp in the PBW. I've not been able to remove the screen nor funnel (used heat/iso/broke my precision tweezer tip!), so I had to put the whole mp shell in. I'm not seeing a difference in finish after soaking for about ten min.

 

[MoltenTiger]

Well, now you tell us!

apologies if anyone else found their MP to have changed colour after following my advice!
It's not a subtle change either. But also not unexpected, PBW can be problematic for Ti glass signatures as well, I only use hot water with my Nodz Glass signed dome.

I would suggest scraping the MP screen when it has PBW acting on it, it strips back to a shiny finish in no time at all, purely soaking isn't quite enough to remove everything, depending on how dirty it is.

Personally, I'll never bother with an IPA soak again, it's just wasteful and IPA costs a lot in Aus. PBW, and some agitation, is quick and simple.

I plan on using paper towel and IPA to clean the chamber, body and threads. But I'll continue to soak my MPs in PBW.
I've done the blue MP before, soaked for a few minutes and there was no colour change. It's only a problem if you soak the colour for a good while

 

[NizzyJones]

Huh. I'll have to pay closer attention but I've always given my Ti MP a quick (2-3 min) Isopropyl soak before swabbing it out. Haven't noticed a color change yet.

 

[biohacker]

It's a spiking heat that happens first in the clip ring, very quickly, very hot, and dissipates almost as fast (unless Body is already warm from use). So sometimes even in normal use, the Back End feels about as hot as the mouthpiece end. I believe performance also suffers in the hot-backended SS more when the battery is low, in part because of the power going to the wrong end!
At the same time, I believe it's luck of the draw on this defect, can happen to either type afaik.

This is the exact same issue i've been experiencing with my SS. Never seen it with the Ti. It almost feels like an electric shock it's so damn hot! I keep thinking the clip is poking me but it's just the extreme intense heat. Time for a proper thread cleaning!

I'm not following on the threads though..... doesn't the Ti have SS threads? Looks the same to me although I supposed the SS is smoother to twist on the mouthpiece.

Did a 5 min ISO soak on mouthpieces.....SS came out looking like NEW (guess i'll have to start wiping SS body!), and Ti no colour change.

I stopped using PBW when I started noticing a thin white film on certain glass pieces years ago.

Think I may actually sell my SS and just buy 3 more Ti! I just seem to like the Ti much more.

 

[Mr. Me2]

When I soak my ss mp, I put it in a Baggie with ISO and drop that into a glass of water as hot as I can make it from the tap. I leave it soaking for about a half hour. Rinse, dry and I'm good to go. This is the method I learned from Crafty cu cleaning.

I'll add that I always use my poker (from my @Ratchett mini scoop and poke) to scrape any debris off of the screen. But I do that between every load.

 

[vapviking]

I would suggest scraping the MP screen when it has PBW acting on it, it strips back to a shiny finish in no time at all, purely soaking isn't quite enough to remove everything, depending on how dirty it is.

I also used a small piece of Magic Eraser on the surface of the screen and it looks shiny new. The problematic part is in between screen and plastic funnel and I definitely don't want to take that apart to scrub.

Huh. I'll have to pay closer attention but I've always given my Ti MP a quick (2-3 min) Isopropyl soak before swabbing it out. Haven't noticed a color change yet.

He mentioned color change from using PBW, not iso.

I stopped using PBW when I started noticing a thin white film on certain glass pieces years ago.

Maybe not enough rinsing? That part seems to take a long time, everything feels slippery...

 

[NizzyJones]

Ohh my bad.

 

[biohacker]

I also used a small piece of Magic Eraser on the surface of the screen and it looks shiny new. The problematic part is in between screen and plastic funnel and I definitely don't want to take that apart to scrub.

I think the funnel is made from copper?

Maybe not enough rinsing? That part seems to take a long time, everything feels slippery...

Tonnes of hot water rinsing. Back in my hydratube days, I think there are posts in the PBW thread about it, and warnings, and that's when I stopped. In PBW defence though, it was due to some seriously stubborn oily residue, that seemed to attract the white haze/film. Overall I just find ISO much more effective, as long as it's not re-used too often. I'll use it for a 1/2 dozen uses or so and then toss out.

I still can't believe the milky vapours that this little beast can pump out. The vapour was so dense with my one strain (rockstar) that it looked creamy!

I take back what I have previously posted about the dial....I am actually now getting effective vapour through glass on temp 2! I think the temperature on the GH is as accurate as the digital temp of the Mighty, if you know what I mean. I think the GH is calibrated bang on.

Honeymoon continues and don't miss my Mighty nor Crafty! Just wish I had more batteries and an external charger. Which leads me to..... i've read on reddit and some other people on the internets that Hopper Labs doesn't support external chargers? Is this true? Should I just stick to the USB that was included like I have been? Hopefully external chargers aren't causing many of the sick hopper issues?

 

[mephisto]

I have found since using the usb charger, the hot backend issues with both my ti and ss have stopped. I cleaned the backend threads well, then applied deoxit. After a session, the hopper goes on the usb charger.
The constant screwing/unscrewing was a big pain in the ass, and accelerates the poor conductivity along the body tube. I had great success with the external charger, but even better results now.

 

[Mr. Me2]

I think the funnel is made from copper?



Tonnes of hot water rinsing. Back in my hydratube days, I think there are posts in the PBW thread about it, and warnings, and that's when I stopped. In PBW defence though, it was due to some seriously stubborn oily residue, that seemed to attract the white haze/film. Overall I just find ISO much more effective, as long as it's not re-used too often. I'll use it for a 1/2 dozen uses or so and then toss out.

I still can't believe the milky vapours that this little beast can pump out. The vapour was so dense with my one strain (rockstar) that it looked creamy!

I take back what I have previously posted about the dial....I am actually now getting effective vapour through glass on temp 2! I think the temperature on the GH is as accurate as the digital temp of the Mighty, if you know what I mean. I think the GH is calibrated bang on.

Honeymoon continues and don't miss my Mighty nor Crafty! Just wish I had more batteries and an external charger. Which leads me to..... i've read on reddit and some other people on the internets that Hopper Labs doesn't support external chargers? Is this true? Should I just stick to the USB that was included like I have been? Hopefully external chargers aren't causing many of the sick hopper issues?

Re: external chargers, I don't think that's true. If I remember right, Ghl recommended certain external chargers. Don't ask me which ones though...

I have only used a Nightcore and never, the included gh charger. I have 3 batteries in rotation so every time 2 are dead, it's into the charger.

 

[moondog]

Honeymoon continues and don't miss my Mighty nor Crafty! Just wish I had more batteries and an external charger. Which leads me to..... i've read on reddit and some other people on the internets that Hopper Labs doesn't support external chargers? Is this true? Should I just stick to the USB that was included like I have been? Hopefully external chargers aren't causing many of the sick hopper issues?

I can't speak to GHL's official stance on external chargers but I have yet to use the USB charger. Since I got my hoppers at the end of October my GHB2s have only been charged externally (on a D4) and both my hoppers are still working flawlessly.

Excuse me know while I go knock on wood for about an hour.

 

[vapviking]

I think the funnel is made from copper?



Tonnes of hot water rinsing. Back in my hydratube days, I think there are posts in the PBW thread about it, and warnings, and that's when I stopped. In PBW defence though, it was due to some seriously stubborn oily residue, that seemed to attract the white haze/film. Overall I just find ISO much more effective, as long as it's not re-used too often. I'll use it for a 1/2 dozen uses or so and then toss out.

I still can't believe the milky vapours that this little beast can pump out. The vapour was so dense with my one strain (rockstar) that it looked creamy!

I take back what I have previously posted about the dial....I am actually now getting effective vapour through glass on temp 2! I think the temperature on the GH is as accurate as the digital temp of the Mighty, if you know what I mean. I think the GH is calibrated bang on.

Honeymoon continues and don't miss my Mighty nor Crafty! Just wish I had more batteries and an external charger. Which leads me to..... i've read on reddit and some other people on the internets that Hopper Labs doesn't support external chargers? Is this true? Should I just stick to the USB that was included like I have been? Hopefully external chargers aren't causing many of the sick hopper issues?

There's the copper funnel and then there's the screen assembly which is a metal screen with a white 'plastic' funnel attached to it.

First couple of months I used the Nitecore D2 exclusively, never the HL charger, it has a slow charge setting that folks say is good for batts. As my batts have been declining, I've started using HL charger a lot, just put it on there whenever. A lot less screwing/unscrewing of backend...and now I'm getting a better feel for bad battery. Every few days I'm tossing another in the trash. From 7 I'm now down to 4. Oh, and some new GHB2's I haven't opened yet. Thanks, Caroline!
In early days, HL even sent some folks an external when they had no HL chargers on hand. I think they have changed their party line on that and just don't want to have to get specific about what may or may not be good for Hopper.

 

[BadDog No]

So it sounds like the new chargers work fine and charging on my trusty D2 should be fine too. We'll see how much use it gets. I can see how the screwing on and off will get old quickly but I also know that at least for a few days (or until it breaks...) I'll be giving it heavy use. What with new spare mouthpieces going for like $20, do folks think it's a good idea to purchase an extra or two? You know, for those of us who maybe don't clean our screens as often as we should? Oh, I just moved over from the shipping thread and my SS will be here Monday so please excuse my exuberance...

 

[Mr. Me2]

So it sounds like the new chargers work fine and charging on my trusty D2 should be fine too. We'll see how much use it gets. I can see how the screwing on and off will get old quickly but I also know that at least for a few days (or until it breaks...) I'll be giving it heavy use. What with new spare mouthpieces going for like $20, do folks think it's a good idea to purchase an extra or two? You know, for those of us who maybe don't clean our screens as often as we should? Oh, I just moved over from the shipping thread and my SS will be here Monday so please excuse my exuberance...

Welcome to the light @BadDog No !

I haven't read here of people buying extra mouthpieces to delay cleaning (like extra Mighty/Crafty cu's). I think it may depend on how heavy a user you are. Staying on top of the gh mouthpiece hasn't been a big deal for me. This vape is definitely lower maintenance than the Crafty (for me, anyway).

 

[biohacker]

WAY less maintenance without having to clean the CU. And even after 1-2 uses I found that the CU would stink! Just seems archaic in comparison now IMO. My wife can't stop raving about the ability to just turn it off and come back to it, whenever something comes up (mostly our puppy!).

I think i'm going to pickup an extra front end. Maybe it was because of the close call scare with the screen in mine coming loose and then performing surgery (sucessfully), or simply to have on hand for a backup "just in case", especially since they are so inexpensive, and i'm guessing that hopper labs may not just sell the screen on its own? Who knows, I don't care enough anymore to find out myself.

I love this vape! It's cutting my usage and tolerance tremendously with small .1g loads! LOVE one snap bong rips with this beast!

 

[Mr. Me2]

WAY less maintenance without having to clean the CU. And even after 1-2 uses I found that the CU would stink! Just seems archaic in comparison now IMO. My wife can't stop raving about the ability to just turn it off and come back to it, whenever something comes up (mostly our puppy!).

I think i'm going to pickup an extra front end. Maybe it was because of the close call scare with the screen in mine coming loose and then performing surgery (sucessfully), or simply to have on hand for a backup "just in case", especially since they are so inexpensive, and i'm guessing that hopper labs may not just sell the screen on its own? Who knows, I don't care enough anymore to find out myself.

I love this vape! It's cutting my usage and tolerance tremendously with small .1g loads! LOVE one snap bong rips with this beast!

Many (?) of us experienced loose screens. Having precision tweezers solved that problem! But better safe than sorry with an extra mouthpiece.

So...how old is the your puppy, and what breed?

 

[MoltenTiger]

there are posts in the PBW thread about it

I've read posts about white residue too, though due to the chelators included and my experience with proper 5 Star Chemicals PBW blend, I can't see how the claims are substantiated. The amount of PBW required is tiny, so perhaps using a large amount could lead to staining, but further rinses should remove calcification or whatever residue is left behind.

Something to be aware of, absolutely, but sodium percarbonate/sodium metasilicate is not PBW, which is a complex and involved mixture of those chemicals plus more. It really shouldn't leave a stain, even if a lot is used.

Isopropyl alcohol is a fantastic cleaner too, and is ample for cleaning hoppers and glass. I just find PBW faster, easier and a lot cheaper.

don't clean our screens as often as we should?

I clean my hoppers at most once a month, I don't think that an extra mouthpiece is a worthwhile purchase in terms of avoiding cleaning.
I've probably cleaned my hoppers extensively 5 times over the year (well, since March when I got one). They really are a super low maintenance vape considering my daily use

 

[Delta3DStudios]

Maybe not enough rinsing? That part seems to take a long time, everything feels slippery...

White film on the glass after a PBW flush indicates an excessive amount of PBW. (way too concentrated) @biohacker, I've been using PBW for a year with my clear glass and love it. The difference is I'm using 1/10th as much as I did in the beginning and it's working better.

The trick to PBW is use less of it, and perform more cycles of flush/soak/flush to fully clean the piece. However these days I find my glass is usually crystal clear after two PBW soaks

(NOTE - do not use PBW on metal or fumed glass!)



Back to the grasshopper - my internal screen is fused into place with reclaim - it hasn't come loose in months!

Still using the same four batteries that came with my hopper back in June 2016 and they're working just fine for my needs. (I always use my Nitecore D2 to charge, never the v1.0 charger)


Also stay tuned for another grasshopper accessory coming out soon, been playing with some new designs while I wait on my 3D printers to finish printing. Pretty happy with the end result so far

 

[vapviking]

I seem to be cleaning mp's every few days! When gooey is on the outside of it, I just have to clean something. I think using silicone adapters or condom lets stuff collect on outside of mp end faster. Quick iso soak in a shot glass and back in action. Iso alcohol is not too pricey in US.
But I did enjoy doing that deeper cleaning with the PBW.

 

[Modicum]

@JoeMama, perfect "chiller" for the GH,small & to the point .Could you tell me where you got that? Thanks.

 

[JoeMama]

Welcome to the light @BadDog No !
I haven't read here of people buying extra mouthpieces to delay cleaning (like extra Mighty/Crafty cu's). I think it may depend on how heavy a user you are. Staying on top of the gh mouthpiece hasn't been a big deal for me. This vape is definitely lower maintenance than the Crafty (for me, anyway).

I bought an extra MP a while ago thinking one of these days I'm gonna fuck up the screen trying to get it out. But I haven't, yet... And to your point, I feel that if you do NOT do an at least occasional tear-down of the MP for a truly thorough clean, it will become increasingly impossible to do that tear down at all without indeed fucking up the screen (you can dent it, trust me). Sooo, by keeping it maintained enough to enable relatively effortless screen removal, I'm thinking that I'm avoiding ever having to need that extra MP in the first place. Unless I lose it, of course

There's the copper funnel and then there's the screen assembly which is a metal screen with a white 'plastic' funnel attached to it.

First couple of months I used the Nitecore D2 exclusively, never the HL charger, it has a slow charge setting that folks say is good for batts. As my batts have been declining, I've started using HL charger a lot, just put it on there whenever. A lot less screwing/unscrewing of backend...and now I'm getting a better feel for bad battery. Every few days I'm tossing another in the trash. From 7 I'm now down to 4. Oh, and some new GHB2's I haven't opened yet. Thanks, Caroline!
In early days, HL even sent some folks an external when they had no HL chargers on hand. I think they have changed their party line on that and just don't want to have to get specific about what may or may not be good for Hopper.

You know, Vap, I liked your ideas until you started stealing mine.
Before I started reading the back-posts on this page, I had the revelation that, rather than all that (more) constant screwing and unscrewing when the batteries are in their death throes, using the USB charger to keep a dying battery constantly at it's highest charge will give you results as well as give you a much better idea of its health.

I also think there is a "corollary" to this, "if you will" . I have a batch of 6 batteries going through their end-of-life. As I'm now going to start keeping them on USB life support, I don't think I will introduce any new batteries into this batch. It just seems unethical and the older batteries I'm sure would be all, "Heyyy", so...

MORE important now is having a DOCKING station that makes connecting that thing more expedient... Ohhh, @Ratchett !?