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Vaporbrothers Vaporizer

vaporbrothers

Well-Known Member
Manufacturer
I'm really late to this thread but am considering getting a VB1 "hands free" unit and also the Aromed 4.0 vaporizer. The Herborizer and de Verdamper are also contenders. The VB1 appeals to me aesthetically and doesn't look as clinical as the Aromed unit but the lack of precise temp control is a concern of mine. I like to start low around 160C to get those terpy hits and then work my way up. ;) I loved using the Verdamper in Amsterdam and having an all glass unit really appeals to me but it's pretty big and more prone to breaking than a box unit like the VB1, so that's also a consideration.

I'm looking for a unit that gives excellent vapor quality, has a fully isolated airpath, allows me to microdose and also have longer sessions without reloading. Durability and being able to replace parts are a huge plus as well.

I'd really appreciate any feedback or suggestions that members have on how the VB performs and compares to any of those other desktop units that I mentioned if you have experience with them.
I'm checking in for the first time in a long time and would be happy to give you all the spiel about the taste and vapor quality... It's too much to put in a paragraph here but I'm sure I described it on a previous page. In short we allow the herbs to experience many different temperatures during the hit which in my opinion evaporates hundreds of compounds in weed and gives a well-rounded high. You have control over whether you get super wispy hits that just take some of the green color out, or if you get burly hits that brown the weed and get you higher than smoking. Medical patients tell us they need the higher temps to decarboxylate completely and get the cbn's and g's for their pain.
 
Thank everyone for your input. Some really good input there. :)

I see the VB and SSV as almost cousins, there's differences, they're definitely related, one is not better than the other, but the Surfer will give you slightly smoother rounder hits while the VB will provide a very simple and powerful vaporizing experience. The VB is almost immune from needing repairs because of its simplicity, while the Surfer on rare occasion may need minor maintenance. I say this from personal experience.
A slightly less expensive alternative option is the Da Buddah which is hands free, made by the same company that builds Silver Surfers.
Not sure about microdosing with the Buddah though.
Thx for mentioning this! I've also had the SSV and DBV on my radar. They all sound like solid choices but the one thing that concerns me is not being able to set precise temps on all these units--I guess I could get used to this but still being able to choose a certain temp and then gradually work my way up... I'd also love to connect whatever desktop unit I chose with a water piece but I think that's possible with the VB1.

I'm checking in for the first time in a long time and would be happy to give you all the spiel about the taste and vapor quality... It's too much to put in a paragraph here but I'm sure I described it on a previous page.
Thank you for mentioning this. I'll have to research this more carefully. One concern I have with all vaporizers is the kind of materials used in the heating element, the device itself and if there's any off-gassing of these materials as well as having a fully isolated airpath from electronics. Could you give me a quick "tear down" of the unit?
 
fifty_shades_of_green,
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jeffp

psychonaut/retired
Thank everyone for your input. Some really good input there. :)


Thx for mentioning this! I've also had the SSV and DBV on my radar. They all sound like solid choices but the one thing that concerns me is not being able to set precise temps on all these units--I guess I could get used to this but still being able to choose a certain temp and then gradually work my way up... I'd also love to connect whatever desktop unit I chose with a water piece but I think that's possible with the VB1.


Thank you for mentioning this. I'll have to research this more carefully. One concern I have with all vaporizers is the kind of materials used in the heating element, the device itself and if there's any off-gassing of these materials as well as having a fully isolated airpath from electronics. Could you give me a quick "tear down" of the unit?
Please don't feel that the lack of digital temp control is a weakness, it's not. The VB, the SSV, and the DB are all excellent vaporizers.
Overall my favorite is the non hands free VB, the SSV and hands free VB slightly under and then the DB. I own and operate all of these.
The reason I put the DB last is because it's hands free. For some reason I had a tendency of leaning back and pulling out the wand off the heater spilling bud on the table. The learning curve to this vaporizer was sitting still while hitting it. But it's a fantastic performer and could only be recommended highly.

I guess ultimately I would say not to overthink this too much. Eventually you'll probably own all of these, it's just the way it goes.

Also, the beautiful thing about all of these choices is the cleanliness of the vapor path.
And these are all made in the USA with great customer service across the board.
You can't possibly go wrong with any of these.

If you're going to get the VB hands free, spend a little extra for the EZ change whip or whatever it's called. It will make replacing the screen a breeze. And Vito recommend the mini wand which works with both but was designed for the non hands free. I use it all the time, it's fantastic.
 
Great interview of vape industry OGs

Skip to 1hr, 17min, 45sec for a verbal teardown of VaporBros vape by Linus himself, an uber cool individual, gotta luv his vibe
Thanks for sharing that! :)

Please don't feel that the lack of digital temp control is a weakness, it's not. The VB, the SSV, and the DB are all excellent vaporizers.
Overall my favorite is the non hands free VB, the SSV and hands free VB slightly under and then the DB. I own and operate all of these.
The reason I put the DB last is because it's hands free. For some reason I had a tendency of leaning back and pulling out the wand off the heater spilling bud on the table. The learning curve to this vaporizer was sitting still while hitting it. But it's a fantastic performer and could only be recommended highly.

I guess turning the knob on these units lets you increase by about 10C (160-170C and so on), so hopefully I could find a sweet spot somewhere...

One concern of mine about using vaporizers with whips is the ease of use when it comes to refilling, having to stir your herb after a few hits and the vapor quality. How do you find the vapor quality after a few hits on the VB1 or the other units you mentioned--do they need a lot of stirring to get consistent good hits? I borrowed an Arizer Extreme Q from a friend for about a month but wasn't that impressed with the quality of vapor and it really required a lot of herb and almost constant stirring after two or three hits to get any vapor (elbow packing didn't help things much either). Maybe it's because of the length/diameter of the whip or I wasn't doing things right but I wasn't that impressed, so I'm not sure buying a desktop unit that requires long whips is the best way for me to go. Having said that, I'd prefer a whip over balloons any day but was frustrated with the lack of vapor coming out of the Arizer Extreme...
 
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jeffp

psychonaut/retired
Thanks for sharing that! :)



I guess turning the knob on these units lets you increase by about 10C (160-170C and so on), so hopefully I could find a sweet spot somewhere...

One concern of mine about using vaporizers with whips is the ease of use when it comes to refilling, having to stir your herb after a few hits and the vapor quality. How do you find the vapor quality after a few hits on the VB1 or the other units you mentioned--do they need a lot of stirring to get consistent good hits? I borrowed an Arizer Extreme Q from a friend for about a month but wasn't that impressed with the quality of vapor and it really required a lot of herb and almost constant stirring after two or three hits to get any vapor (elbow packing didn't help things much either). Maybe it's because of the length/diameter of the whip or I wasn't doing things right but I wasn't that impressed, so I'm not sure buying a desktop unit that requires long whips is the best way for me to go. Having said that, I'd prefer a whip over balloons any day but was frustrated with the lack of vapor coming out of the Arizer Extreme...

I usually start around 12 oclock on the dial and adjust accordingly. I might raise the temp slightly as the bowl is almost finished.
As long as the glass and screen are clean, you'll enjoy consistent nice hits.
All vaporizers have a slight rough around the edges quality to the vapor as you reach the conclusion of a bowl.
I personally have never tried an Extreme so I can't speak to that, but I know from reputation that it's a very good vaporizer. Is it possible that the screen was dirty when you used it? I've also found that weaker strains may produce wimpy vapor.
Stirring is an important part of the process with all of these, just like shaking is important with the Magic Flight Launch Box.
I personally enjoy the stir, it's somehow therapeutic.
Maybe watch some YT videos demonstrating all these vaporizers so you'll get a better sense than words can provide.
 
I usually start around 12 oclock on the dial and adjust accordingly. I might raise the temp slightly as the bowl is almost finished.
As long as the glass and screen are clean, you'll enjoy consistent nice hits.
All vaporizers have a slight rough around the edges quality to the vapor as you reach the conclusion of a bowl.
That's good to know and I agree that stirring after a few hits keeps the vapor quality good. That's one thing I liked about the Extrem Q--the vertical chamber was very easy to stir and re-attach without any problem and that's a potential concern of mine with these box style vaporizers...

Maybe watch some YT videos demonstrating all these vaporizers so you'll get a better sense than words can provide.
Yeah, I'll have to check some out and get a better feel of using these vapes and how easy it is to detach and re-attach the bowl when it comes to stirring herbs up.
 
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jeffp

psychonaut/retired
with the non hands free VB stirring is natural and effortless and feels like part of the process.
with the hands free yes you'll have to detach and reattach to stir but that's not much of a big deal.
either or these are both legendary vaporizers that have stood the test of time.
 

jeffp

psychonaut/retired
As discussed earlier, many who go hands-free end up "propping" up the back of the unit so it's level. I personally prefer the manual vs hands free and I had both.

I also used a small sliver of tape to mark some sweet spots on the vape temp dial.

I used to be "certain" that the back end of the hands free VB had to be propped up so I placed the unit on a mouse pad with gel wrist support in the back. Yes it did the job but in truth it was never necessary. Bud will not spill out of the bowl with the unit sitting flat. Every aspect of the VB, as simple as it is, is intelligently designed and thought out with the highest quality components. Glad to see a resurgence of attention for it. In fact I'm, as Hubert Humphrey used to say, "pleased as punch" whatever that means.
 
with the non hands free VB stirring is natural and effortless and feels like part of the process.
with the hands free yes you'll have to detach and reattach to stir but that's not much of a big deal.
This is some great feedback!

I also used a small sliver of tape to mark some sweet spots on the vape temp dial.
That's a great idea!

I used to be "certain" that the back end of the hands free VB had to be propped up so I placed the unit on a mouse pad with gel wrist support in the back. Yes it did the job but in truth it was never necessary. Bud will not spill out of the bowl with the unit sitting flat.
Thanks for sharing your experience with using both the manual and the "hands free" whips. This is really useful when it comes to making decisions but I'm still no closer in deciding which unit to get...
 
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jeffp

psychonaut/retired
I think the reason why many of us, probably most of us, have more than one vaporizer at the least, is because they're all a little different and the experience is a little different. Some have built a collection and others "thin the herd" selling their pieces in the used vaporizer classifieds and move on to the next. If you have 5 or 6 now on your short list from these recommendations I would take a stab in any direction knowing you're getting a high quality recommended vaporizer. And from there you'll likely either build up a little collection or sell it one day to finance the next vaporizer. Either way you'll be fine.
 

Ripstar

Well-Known Member
This thread kinda makes me want to bust my old VB out.....nevermind, I am. 😂
I went to Amsterdamn 2007-08 and used a vape for the first time ever, I was blown away. That vape was the Vaporbrothers, I immediately got one and it was a huge hit with friends. It got me where I am today with the vape world!
 

thevapist

Well-Known Member
I used to be "certain" that the back end of the hands free VB had to be propped up so I placed the unit on a mouse pad with gel wrist support in the back. Yes it did the job but in truth it was never necessary. Bud will not spill out of the bowl with the unit sitting flat. Every aspect of the VB, as simple as it is, is intelligently designed and thought out with the highest quality components. Glad to see a resurgence of attention for it. In fact I'm, as Hubert Humphrey used to say, "pleased as punch" whatever that means.

I had both and just preferred manual over the hands free. It's not like bud fell often because of the angle, but I remember it did a few times. Then you get little bits of flower in the ceramic heater ele etc. Not a huge issue but I just prefer the manual and it's less money. Box in one hand, whip bowl end in the other. Feels like you can get better coverage with the manual as well where the hands-free can def get hot spots.
 

jeffp

psychonaut/retired
another "hack" for the hands free that I use is to rest the VB on top of a folding guitar foot stool. you can adjust the angle to your liking and the rubber grips on the stool holds the VB down securely.
 
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jeffp

psychonaut/retired
I received the VB Viper whip set two days ago and it deserves to have alot of recognition. This brilliantly designed high quality glass whip option is amazing and transforms and elevates the VB experience to a whole new level. The hits are so clean, comfortable and flavorful in a way that's incomparable with any other vaporizer I've used. That's because it's true glass on glass - the only thing between it is your bud. It's also truly, completely hands free. With the hands free VB there's literally nothing to hold, the mouthpiece, which is so cool, is positioned almost mouth level and I just reach forward to take an incredible hit. It's not to be missed. For me, for my home setup, it was more comfortable to elevate the VB about 12 inches above the tabletop, because the Viper points up high then out, just like the snake. The perfect solution was to repurpose my guitar footstool, if you can imagine the kind classical guitarists use. Its rubber grip keeps the VB stable and secure, and I can tilt the back end up an inch to level out the unit. It's completely perfect. They're about 10 -15 dollars on Amazon and it really helps. I don't see any need for the carb hole, and that would of course turn the setup into a non hands free situation.
 

Harrier Du Bois

Revachol Citizens Militia
After looking for an on-demand desktop vaporizer to complement my Mighty, I found this thread and the VB1. I received the unit yesterday (hands-free version) and got to testing in the evening.

I expected a learning curve but the experience was great from the very first hit. Nice clouds, great taste and intense effects.
Hard to believe that this thread isn't more popular.

I have a couple of questions:
  1. Will the rising heat continue to cook the material if the whip stays connected between hits? Should I disconnect the whip?
  2. How bad is it if some material falls into heater? While disconnecting the whip I noticed a short glow in the heater, a small particle must have fallen in.
  3. I read in a review that the author "stirred" the load by carefully blowing into the mouth piece a couple of times, without disconnecting the whip. That sounds convenient but surely it's not advised?
Thanks guys! Looking forward to many more hours with the VB1.
 

jeffp

psychonaut/retired
The VB is one of the best desktops and many agree that it should be more popular. It's a relatively old vaporizer and it's an old design, but it's as perfect as a vaporizer can be. I would place the Silver Surfer alongside the VB; they're very similar but look different and hit slightly different. The Surfer is a little smoother, the VB a little more intense (subjectively speaking).

As far as rising heat cooking the material, my answer is probably a little. When I use the Viper whip i just leave it connected except to stir in between a few hits, and with the regular hands free whip when I remove it to stir I'll loosely reattach the whip and firm it up when I'm about to hit again.

Regarding blowing outward to stir, that's an interesting idea, it's not something that I've tried yet. Sometimes if the whip is dislodged I"ll shake the bowl with my thumb on top if it's not hot to touch. I would take practice and subtlety to master the blowing out but it's doable. In order to do that, I would make sure the back end of the unit is raised up a little. It's not bad that sometimes a little material falls into the unit; if I notice an occasional speck I just shake it out, and you can get long sized qtip type cotton swabs to give it the unit a nice deeper cleaning into the corners.

It is not necessary but using either a computer mouse pad with gel wrist support to raise the back end of the unit up a half inch will level out the unit and pretty much alleviate material falling into the unit. Or you can use a guitar foot rest, like this - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CD1R7K/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This foot rest comes in handy with the Viper allowing the unit to rest almost directly alongside my face so hitting is completely hands free - no hands are used. Also with the Viper sometimes I'll lift the unit up to me and treat it as if it's a portable.

The most important advise I can give you is to keep it all clean. Give it a weekly cleaning, all the parts.
One easy way that i use is to disassemble the whip including the screen and place it all in a large pot or whatever - I use a plastic foot massage basin. Add hot water and dishwasher soap powder and just let it all soak for a few hours or overnight. Then wash out the soap and let it dry.
I rarely find it necessary to replace a screen.

Have fun with your new fantastic vaporizer. They seem to last forever. I bought mine used about 15 years ago.
 

jeffp

psychonaut/retired
There's also a little unseen feature many might not be aware of called "standby mode."
Basically, if you turn the unit on but keep the power level almost to zero, you can have the unit ready for action within a few seconds or so
by turning the heat level back up to where you like it, rather than wait the ten or fifteen minutes for warm up.
This is especially useful for those who prefer to use the unit immediately upon awakening.
(thanks to Vito for originally pointing this out.)
 

hoptimum

Well-Known Member
The VB is one of the best desktops and many agree that it should be more popular. It's a relatively old vaporizer and it's an old design, but it's as perfect as a vaporizer can be. I would place the Silver Surfer alongside the VB; they're very similar but look different and hit slightly different. The Surfer is a little smoother, the VB a little more intense (subjectively speaking).

As far as rising heat cooking the material, my answer is probably a little. When I use the Viper whip i just leave it connected except to stir in between a few hits, and with the regular hands free whip when I remove it to stir I'll loosely reattach the whip and firm it up when I'm about to hit again.

Regarding blowing outward to stir, that's an interesting idea, it's not something that I've tried yet. Sometimes if the whip is dislodged I"ll shake the bowl with my thumb on top if it's not hot to touch. I would take practice and subtlety to master the blowing out but it's doable. In order to do that, I would make sure the back end of the unit is raised up a little. It's not bad that sometimes a little material falls into the unit; if I notice an occasional speck I just shake it out, and you can get long sized qtip type cotton swabs to give it the unit a nice deeper cleaning into the corners.

It is not necessary but using either a computer mouse pad with gel wrist support to raise the back end of the unit up a half inch will level out the unit and pretty much alleviate material falling into the unit. Or you can use a guitar foot rest, like this - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CD1R7K/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This foot rest comes in handy with the Viper allowing the unit to rest almost directly alongside my face so hitting is completely hands free - no hands are used. Also with the Viper sometimes I'll lift the unit up to me and treat it as if it's a portable.

The most important advise I can give you is to keep it all clean. Give it a weekly cleaning, all the parts.
One easy way that i use is to disassemble the whip including the screen and place it all in a large pot or whatever - I use a plastic foot massage basin. Add hot water and dishwasher soap powder and just let it all soak for a few hours or overnight. Then wash out the soap and let it dry.
I rarely find it necessary to replace a screen.

Have fun with your new fantastic vaporizer. They seem to last forever. I bought mine used about 15 years ago.
I appreciate you advocating for the Vapor Brothers. It deserves more love. I slightly prefer the Da Buddha/SSV for versatility, but the VB is a worthy vape.
 
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Vitolo

Vaporist
the VB is a worthy vape
It is so extremely worthy!
@jeffp is the ideal advocate for "foolproof" medicating! An old school guy.
It's a relatively old vaporizer and it's an old design
See what'd I tell ya... old school guy?
@vaporbrothers's creation serves the vaping need's of a large number of the patient's that I serve here that use desktops.
They go on forever.
My VB1 has a devoted spot at my desk and is on daily.
 

jeffp

psychonaut/retired
It is so extremely worthy!
@jeffp is the ideal advocate for "foolproof" medicating! An old school guy.

See what'd I tell ya... old school guy?
@vaporbrothers's creation serves the vaping need's of a large number of the patient's that I serve here that use desktops.
They go on forever.
My VB1 has a devoted spot at my desk and is on daily.
Yes, my friend, my VB1 also has a devoted spot on the top of my shelf, but I digress.
 

happynomoretobacco

Well-Known Member
Hi im thinking to buy an vb1
Ist this vape good for microdosing and can i keep it on the whole day?Maybe someone know how much energy it needs when it is on.
Is the heater longliving - is the whole vape longliving?
Thx
 
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