pjwalm- If you liked the pax, you will love this alfa. The alfa is the pax without all the trouble, better hits, shorter heat up, longer runtime, better extraction, more stealthy, lower price but same build quality.
I think you need someone to teach you how to use a dabuddha
It's everything you want it to be, and more, but you were using it incorrectly.
To address your questions:
- how bad is the smell?
Not bad? Less than, or equal to, the solo. Especially when the herb is fresh. It hits big, so it's not gonna be as stealthy. This is par for the course, unless you want tiny hits like the mflb. The upside is you will need to use this less to be where you want to be. If you don't pack it as much, you won't get as much smell.
And, it's a vape so it's going to be far less noticeable and easily dispersed. When off, there is little to no smell.
- does it smell when not being used?
No, not really, unless you put the door of the vape next to your nose. The door does a good job of locking away smell.
Remember, this vape fits perfectly in an OtterBox 1000
- is that oven lid as wimpy as it looks?
No, not at all. The entire unit feels robust and well made. The door could be allowed to open to a wider angle so it stays open easier when loading.
I was worried that the latch on the door would wear down fast and this would be a failure point, but it's shown no signs of weakening.
- is the pin in the bowl a pain?
Not at all, and worth it for the better extraction. I actually like it, as it keeps things in the bowl structured. I even jammed some unground herb in there and it held it in place while it extracted.
- how many people can share it? Can two? How about two mtn seshions?
That depends entirely on what you put in, and how much you need out of it before you stop.
Personally, I got myself and two other high tolerance people completely wrecked off of one bowl. Then got about 6+ people blazed off of the same bowl.
The nice thing about this is the bowl is smaller, thus less wasteful, than a lot of vapes. But it's plenty massive enough for a dayhike, esp if you pack it full.
- would you guys get this over the pax, puffit 2, or grasshopper (were i to wait that long)?
I would, and I did. Right now, it's a superior vape. IMO
It does no good to compare it to vapes that aren't fully realized.
- would you buy both vapes again or is one your go to?
Ever since my alfa came in, it's been my only vape used. It's powerful enough that I don't even need my dabuddha (which I love).
- how is the vapor quality? Sounds pretty good
Incredible. No singing or burning, no matter how hot or how long you run it. Excellent vapor and extraction. Not always visible vapor (though it's easy to set up to get that), but always potent effects.
- would you be worried carrying this in a car or your parents house? I usually keep my stuff in a mason jar but that attracts attention so...
No, it's the least recognizable or sketchy vape I've used yet. It's completely stealthy on visual, and so small that it fits in your hand when in use. It's the only vape I've used that I didn't feel like I was drawing attention to myself.
- how solid does that mouthpiece feel? Is it solid aluminum? Does it wiggle?
It's a smooth, yet squishy rubbery-ish material. This part surprised me the most. I expected hard plastic, but this is so much better. It holds itself in with friction, but doesn't have that tacky rubber texture (which I cannot stand). It being forgiving makes it a pleasant mouthpiece to use.
Yes, you could easily use this with gloves and a helmet.