This is a review for the Simrell Vortex and Titanium Extraction Engine, compared to the Dynavap titanium XL stem with regular dynavap cap. I use these devices through significant cooling. There's a slight complication which made me pull out my glass vaporizers which I thought I was done with - which is that the adapters that come with the Simrell are glass, but don't have any stem length. That's a positive in they are harder to break, but a negative that in the Chill Steel Pipe, the large opaque steel and vacuum sealed ceramics, you can't see what the vapor looks like. If you get a bad hit, like if you haven't re-loaded it properly, or if you burn it, your only indication is the taste. I usually like having some warning when I get a bad hit, and the Simrell adapter provided has good intentions, but I need to use my old glass equipment like the Sneaky Pete mega-globe in order to see the vapor before it reaches me.
Also, it's already developed some micro scratches when I was experimenting with the Simrell Vortex in a Dynavap/Davinci IQ glass adapter I tried it out with (my Davinci has long since been unusable). One advantage aesthetically about the Dynavap, is that it's cut in such a way that scratches don't show up that well, with the wavy pattern.
The vortex itself does seem to offer some advanced cooling, but it still bothers my throat without my significant cooling equipment, and I do tend to take second click hits on the Titanium Extraction Engine. The Titanium Extraction Engine is very efficient. It uses weed usually on one hit instead of two or more, like the vapcap. It takes around 45 seconds to heat up the Titanium Extraction Engine.
The whole Vortex and Extraction Engine is threaded, which is another signficant advantage that Simrell has over the Dynavap; the Dynavap uses O rings, and the adapter that came with Simrell's Titanium Extraction Engine for the Dynavap stem, it already broke off one of the O rings. That was actually the precipitate for ordering the Vortex stem. The Vortex stem has no O rings, and it can be easily disassembled and re-assembled, which is why you can't really do the Titanium Extraction Engine with the Dynavap with its adapter long term, without ordering lots of O rings. I used wax on the O rings, and I twisted it like Simrell personally told me, but the twisting broke one of the O rings with the Dynavap stem. My O rings also break for the Dynavap itself, but less often, as it seems better fitted for the O rings.
The vortex inside is a nice feature, it can be taken out, washed down with an alcohol wipe, and used as a sort of key to unlock the metal piece that winds in the two metal heat clicking devices on the inside, two concave shields that look like two eyes touching when you put them together. All of it can be tossed into ISO, but Simrell recommends against it, even though it won't harm your equipment. I think I'll keep using alcohol. I also want to get the galaxy knurl for the grip, or just a silicone replacement. Because the wood that comes with it, it's so thin. It feels like it would be so easy to break, and it literally already has some dents, after one full day of use. Simrell wants you to moisturize the wood every 2 weeks as well. Nope, not doing that, getting silicone. As high maintenance that particular piece is, the rest of the thing can be washed with a Q tip, ISO, and alcohol wipe; pretty much everything that's required to maintain the Dynavap.
The Simrell Titanium Vortex is a clear upgrade to the 200 or so dollar Dynavap XL Titanium, for the around 325+ or so I paid for Simrell's stuff, not including the extra screens, the adapters for the cooling equipment I got, and the carrying tube and cooling stand I hope to get for the Simrell. Honestly, not having O rings is the biggest plus, because it means I don't have to order that specific proprietary part anymore. The ease through which the Simrell is an upgrade to the Dynavap, is mostly due to the cap. The Vortex itself is rather redundant as I already have big cooling rigs, like the Chill Steep Pipe, and the mega-globe, but the Titanium Extraction Engine is more efficient, and it makes me want to use an old rig I had to give up due to glass accessories constantly breaking off of it - the mega-globe. Get me a see through extender that doesn't break so I can see the vapor path into the Chill Steel Pipe, that sweaty beast, and that silicone grip, and I think I would have pretty much no complaints for the Simrell Titanium Vortex. Small nitpick, there's way more parts, including the titanium extraction engine. It's just one with the vapcap, it's like 4 with the cap, 2 inner clickers, and metal stopper you wind in underneath the clickers.
Aesthetically, beautiful. I want that galaxy knurl grip, but it's 40 dollars. Luxury prices, for handmade, beautiful stuff. I would if I didn't just spend all this money on the pieces themselves. A little bit too luxury and aesthetics based, with dents on the wood, micro scratches on the polished titanium right off the bat. A little more longevity forward thinking, not just low maintenance, high efficiency, but to remember that the appeal of items like this falls largely under the fact that they are EDC, everyday carry equipment. But it crosses over into show that puts some slight dents into an otherwise highly durable, and beautifully, artistically crafted piece of equipment, which I'm just nitpicking, and already seems much easier to clean, with the Q tip not requiring some of it to be pulled off to fit inside the Dynavap's thin tube. Overall, better than the Dynavap, very pretty, very efficient, could be slightly more EDC focused rather than luxury focused, no wood moisturization, no special equipment to prevent scratches.
