Efficient extraction + small bowl size. Don't underestimate your inability to exert control over what you put in a bowl. The big hits are also explained because it uses convection to extract the cannabinoids.
The other part of the efficiency of log vapes is that you usually take longer to finish a stem full and you have time to realize the effects of the herb. I used to compare it to the difference between doing shots of something and sipping wine. Both get you there, one just gets you there faster and with more punch at first.
So convection is better for bigger hits? Should I get a UD instead of the LSV? My primary goal is to get huge, dense vapor hits. I've stopped combusting just a few weeks ago and the thing I miss most is the visible clouds. I currently only have a Solo btw.
The LSV is convection as well. The only way conduction would occur in the LSV is if the glass was getting really hot.
The nature of the log vape comes from the small bowl size, and narrow path. When you use a log vape you grind with the finest grind possible, which gives high surface area. High surface area means the oils vaporize faster than they would otherwise, but how thoroughly the air is heated also makes a difference in this respect, as well as the mass of the heating element (the more mass, the more heat is available to heat the air). I'm not a log vape expert, but it seems like every one I've looked at does a sufficient job of heating the air thoroughly enough, and since the quantity of material is so small, you get pretty good extractions on the first pull. If the path doesn't expand too much, very little of the vapor will decompressionally cool, and therefore stay saturated, and be more potent as a result. Conserving is the result of having a small bowl. An added bonus of having a small bowl is that by the time the vapor kicks in (takes much longer than combusting if the X-factor is not present) then by the time you reload a stem, you should already be starting to feel the effects. This means you are less likely to use more than necessary. BTW, with how most members of this board define efficient, big hits, and conserving both are irrelevant. Those are more related to efficacy than efficiency.
+1 for bowl size and convection But also.....You can remove the stem after each hit very easily with a log vape (with my UD and probably most others). If I put a stem on the heat port and just leave it there (for minutes or whatever), vaporization is taking place. The stem and herb is getting hot through conduction. Plus, there is probably some hot air rising through the herb by convection. This is NOT efficient as you are losing THC. When by myself, I remove the stem during the end of each hit and "clear" it, but continuing to suck room temp air through the herb. This cools the stem and stops vaporization. On other vapes, it seems like users to not remove the bowl from the heating element between hits. On the LSV, I believe there is actually a lock-ring that prevents the stem from being taken off the heating element between hits. This means that you are going to be vaporizing THC into the atmosphere between hits. Probably not much, but some.
You believe wrong. The only thing you could keep attached is the WPA, and you'd have to be using it against the manufacturers instructions. It has a little ring that you can unscrew when using the WPA, but you are supposed to leave that off when using it, you could screw it back on, but it'd be wasted effort because the bowl would need a stir after a hit or 2 anyways. Also, even if you managed to leave the WPA or mouthpiece connected, there is extremely little heat transferred without you drawing. I can put my finger inside the spherical joint of the LSV when it's been on for hours, and it's basically just warm... To be a bit more on topic, Logs are generally considered efficient (in this context meaning reduced overall herb consumption) because they can deal with very small loads. Most other vapes can handle as small a load as most logs, but the hits are usually pretty wispy. If you had a butt-tonne of self control, there's no reason you couldn't be as efficient with just about any vape, but a log forces your behavior to go down a path that will lead to less consumption. My average load in my LSV is between 0.1 - 0.2g. That could be as many as 8 PD stems. I might've been happy after 4 stems, but since I vaped that + some, my consumption is higher. You should also note that logs aren't going to magically force you to use less. My consumption didn't really change much when using logs, I just had more stems
