Reviving an old thread here. I have three Alfa’s. I’ve been running two side by side to enable an in demand two strain situation at any given time - stealth is crucial to me. This third is retired due to the red led being on all the time and gradually draining the battery. I think others have reported a similar fault on here. Well with nothing to lose and being out of the warranty period, I took the unit apart and located the tiny square plastic led chip, using a needle, I attempted to carefully lift it from the board. This was successful. Following this, I thought I’d killed the unit as both green and red lights are now disabled. It does however function properly and also is charging fine, so no lights whatsoever to go by but it is nice to have this unit back in service again without it gradually draining the battery. Another point to note, is that a diy battery replacement doesn’t appear to look too technical and I think more modern batteries of the same size are available in a higher mah. Anyone else’s experiences would be very interesting to hear. I thought I’d have moved onto a more modern portable model by now but I don’t see the need with my Alfa trio line up doing so well over the years
Alfa Vaporizer by goboof
- Thread starter dopefiend
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maremaresing
Well-Known Member
I really enjoyed my alfa when I had it. Neat form factor and performance that was a bit ahead of it's time. I really love the camera style dial on top, though it liked to turn itself on in my pocket. How hard are they to take apart?
Fat Freddy
FUCK CANCER TOO !
blackstone
Well-Known Member
One of the Alfa's strong points might be the aluminium bowl (and inner rod/post). I notice the Iolite vapes used aluminum for the oven also, and the Alfa, and Goboof brand was a product of one of the Ogelsby & Butler's guys sons.
Alfa once offered a highly polished bowl option instead of anodized. Polished aluminum is known to emit a huge amount of heat as metals go.
That's what S&B are using currently on their portable range too. I'm not sure if the Iolites were anodized or raw/polished.
The Puffit 2 conduction also had an anodized oven and worked well for what it was.
I never really liked, or I even got metallic tastes from, most vapes with stainless bowls or heaters that I've owned.
Have heard of people getting tastes from titanium and I thought I smelled it recently even while cold.
Does anyone know if Alfa, or Iolite send out a newsletter email at sale times with good offers anymore?
Alfa once offered a highly polished bowl option instead of anodized. Polished aluminum is known to emit a huge amount of heat as metals go.
That's what S&B are using currently on their portable range too. I'm not sure if the Iolites were anodized or raw/polished.
The Puffit 2 conduction also had an anodized oven and worked well for what it was.
I never really liked, or I even got metallic tastes from, most vapes with stainless bowls or heaters that I've owned.
Have heard of people getting tastes from titanium and I thought I smelled it recently even while cold.
Does anyone know if Alfa, or Iolite send out a newsletter email at sale times with good offers anymore?
hinglemccringleberry
Well-Known Member
For conduction vapes it's always been underrated and flying under the radar. More efficient than the Pax lineup, flavor on par with the Arizers and IQs. Basically if you want a Davinci IQ without all the frills and bloated price tag (and less parts to potentially fail), the Alfa at $99 is the industrys best kept secret that no one cares about. I've used a Milaana, Linx Gaia and Volcano, and in my opinion the Alfa on low temp filled to the brim with fine grind/tight pack hangs with those devices in the low temp flavor department.
I think they bumped the temperature levels in the V2 Alfa, but still, you can get mad terps if you draw at the right time.
P.S.- do they even sell it in the USA anymore ?
I think they bumped the temperature levels in the V2 Alfa, but still, you can get mad terps if you draw at the right time.
P.S.- do they even sell it in the USA anymore ?
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PPN
Volute of Vapor
Except for a few websites it's not sold anymore.
It's a refined conduction heating system which can bring the best flavor on low, pull out clouds on med level and can vaporize concentrates on high level. Definitively underrated!
Abysmal Vapor
Supersniffer 2000 - robot fart detection device
THey are still sold at the official site,shipping from Ireland if i remember right,as for US retailers i have no clue.
blackstone
Well-Known Member
I just bought a "slight cosmetic imperfection" model (€65) from their website and with 5 extra screens it was only €85 all in delivered to me. Regular model is on January sale, only €20 more (€85). Just seems very worth it and I was missing a conduction vape lately.
I always wanted one of these too even though I might prefer a smaller bowl.
I'm thinking I'll reduce the bowl using some screens and also have the occasional full bowl for fun, we'll see!
Wish I had got the order in sooner this week but hoping I'll be surprised with a weekend delivery, I really look forward to seeing it and trying it out.
I forgot to check for a code here but I got a good price.
Thanks for making me look at these again FC!
I always wanted one of these too even though I might prefer a smaller bowl.
I'm thinking I'll reduce the bowl using some screens and also have the occasional full bowl for fun, we'll see!
Wish I had got the order in sooner this week but hoping I'll be surprised with a weekend delivery, I really look forward to seeing it and trying it out.
I forgot to check for a code here but I got a good price.
Thanks for making me look at these again FC!
The Alpha has a donut shaped bowl so not sure how well you can pack with screens around the central pin. The bowl isn't huge like the pax anyway and from memory (sold mine a while back) you can half pack and tamp around the pin with good results.
Ramahs
Fucking Combustion (mostly) Since February 2017
You do realize that it's physically possible to cut a center-hole in a few screens , right?
Oh true, never considered. Hole punch, of course
The Alpha heats from the bottom of the oven so maybe pack then donut screens on top to fill up to the door.
blackstone
Well-Known Member
Oh true, never considered. Hole punch, of course
It was actually the Alfa screens with a hole that I got with it. I was thinking donut screen/homemade liquid pad donut filling/donut screen, all bound with a little wire from a liquid pad. But I'll see when I get the thing, it should be great with a full bowl and I won't want to scratch up the oven either.
Think I've heard of that tamp method too, thanks.
Abysmal Vapor
Supersniffer 2000 - robot fart detection device
I think this one was designed by the same guy that made the Chewy grinder. They look very similar now that i think of it. 
blackstone
Well-Known Member
Interesting! Think I saw that info when Chewy2 came out but I forgot.I think this one was designed by the same guy that made the Chewy grinder. They look very similar now that i think of it.
Goboof, and Chewy grinders, are indeed both from the county of Louth in Ireland, with Iolite in the county of Carlow not too far away (but slightly different accents!).
With the radii and intersecting lines of both designs, I bet that guy was good at technical drawing in school and maybe found his calling there!
Chewy2 and Alfa vaporizer were born to be together?!
There's one chance my Alfa might arrive tomorrow, otherwise it'll be next week before i get to try it out!
Abysmal Vapor
Supersniffer 2000 - robot fart detection device
A friend of mine managed to snatch one around 420 and they were at 49 euro a piece with cosmetic effects
he even got a colored dial. HIs only complain is the short airpath ,i suggest either use a mflb glass tube or similar . even a 510 drip tip makes a differnce. I think they are made in CHina cause i;ve seen them on alibaba,but it might have been just a shill listing. I Remember the name Ninja 2 Vaporizer or smth back in the days.2016 Hot Selling Dry Herb Vaporizer Dry Herb Pen Ninja2 Boscow Titan Patented Product With Lowest Price
2016 Hot Selling Dry Herb Vaporizer Dry Herb Pen Ninja2 Boscow Titan Patented Product With Lowest Price
www.eworldtrade.com
maremaresing
Well-Known Member
I was so crazy for the alfa when it first released. It's making me really happy to see it's still being used and enjoyed. That form factor is great, and it's a great deal now that they have lowered the price. The "camera fstop" dial is so cool.
I still have one of the mouthpieces that I've used to mate lots of vapes to glass over the years.
I still have one of the mouthpieces that I've used to mate lots of vapes to glass over the years.
blackstone
Well-Known Member
A friend of mine managed to snatch one around 420 and they were at 49 euro a piece with cosmetic effects
OMG sale times are good value so!
I don't know, I can't find it now on their site but I was going to post a quote I saw, it said,
and when I google those words that is also mentioned in a few places round the web.
Sligtly unusual to have a dirty 'ol clone of a vape with no ties to China though. And it could hardly even compete with genuine prices from the maker!
Here are some other interesting quotes or points I just took from their site while looking:
hinglemccringleberry
Well-Known Member
blackstone
Well-Known Member
I bought a new ALFA recently it was a "slight cosmetic imperfection" model so it cost me €80 delivered from the GoBoof website, with a 2 year warranty and a post-warranty battery replacement service available for a fee, or reduced replacement vapes if yours ever dies.
So far it has been great fun and really impressed me, and I wish I got one years ago instead of a few others that I got back then.
With some new release, high tech! vapes in mind, it does not combust by mistake or char unevenly at all!
In fact the ABV is consistently VERY even compared to many more expensive and newer vapes by the looks of things.
The bowl is WAY smaller than I thought which is good for me, good clouds as soon as the light goes solid, and the effects and taste are well up there and in line with other conduction type vapes.
It's pretty powerful even with a one third or half full bowl with a spacer.
For a number of reasons, like others here have already said I prefer it to a PAX3 that I used to own. The price. The size, shape and material used for the bowl to name a few.
And it's less hot on the lips than the first shiny metal PAX3 (maybe the matt Pax is not as bad) and easy to adapt for various mouthpieces if desired.
I will use this vape for fun when I feel like something different, and it makes weaker herb seem stronger with the direct (isolated, stainless steel) airpath, conduction face melt and body high. Might be helpful at night for sleep too.
There's no reason why it wouldn't work as somebody's only portable vape, or one of a pair.
It's cheaper than a vapcap where I live and I would boldly say it kicks their ass for ease of use, stealth, and vapor.
Some modern portable vapes might do some things marginally better, but for 3 or 4 times the price.
Being a cosmetic defect model, I can see where the case finish got lightly marked (not all the way through just surface) in a machine or maybe fell across the bench and got polished up a bit but it's not bad at all, you'd have to look for it in good light and at least I don't have to worry much about marking it up myself. Also some people who got these ones said they couldn't see a defect at all so you might get lucky.
It was just €20 extra for a perfect, regular model with choice of dial color but I went for the cheaper one and it works great.
The dial is high quality knurled anodized aluminium like camera equipment, i only use "Mid" setting lately but "Low" was nice for flavor to start out also.
Other things I noticed:
It says "Made in Ireland" inside the oven door, and the parts are all sourced from Europe apparently.
There are only 3 parts to the vape, the body, the mouthpiece, and the screen. I used to admire PAX for having 4 simple parts.
The oven door clasp is not spring loaded so when you close the oven you have to pull the clasp over kinda requiring two hands or some technique with one hand, maybe this is just on my "cosmetic defect" unit?
There is a nice conduction smell from the oven when it reaches temperature, but it comes out a little bit less than PAX.
The airflow is nowhere as badly restricted as Pax or vapcap, even though the vapor path looks narrower than both.
A piece of drinking straw works to cool it down! But I came up with 2 or 3 other ideas for a mouthpiece extension and the sky is the limit! It's not needed for reducing heat to the lips but makes me feel better about hot vapor to my gums. The ALFA with stock MP should be just fine for occasional use, especially outdoors.
With a glass vapcap condenser inserted in the MP hole it works very nice!
And a Crafty MP fits it very well too.
Also I made a custom bowl reducer from a liquid pad and it works very well.
The ALFA bowl is roughly about the same size as a S&B capsule but maybe slightly deeper, I thought it would be bigger than a full Mighty bowl!
I put in a small amount and when set to "Mid" I get a great volley of clouds until the material is well spent, it offers pretty effortless results.
Vapecritic liked these once and his video is on the Goboof site, and I found a rare herb vape unboxing and first impression video of an early version of this from the hilarious Canadian 1Puglife on his The High Channel! Always wondered if he had ever tried dry herb vaporizers.
I think I can keep the oven and the rest clean with just wet qtips and iso wipes.
Cutting a small piece of iso wipe to shove through the vapor path.
Is this vape still relevant in 2021?
Well as long as Pax still send me exciting newsletters about Pax3 in a new color, and if Arizer and Davinci are still in business, and China, and part Chinese efforts still bring us similarly priced conduction with only 3 month to 1 year faraway warranties, then yes!
This seems great for those who want to keep the cost down, starting out, or as a supplementary vape for camping or hotels and holidays.
So far it has been great fun and really impressed me, and I wish I got one years ago instead of a few others that I got back then.
With some new release, high tech! vapes in mind, it does not combust by mistake or char unevenly at all!
In fact the ABV is consistently VERY even compared to many more expensive and newer vapes by the looks of things.
The bowl is WAY smaller than I thought which is good for me, good clouds as soon as the light goes solid, and the effects and taste are well up there and in line with other conduction type vapes.
It's pretty powerful even with a one third or half full bowl with a spacer.
For a number of reasons, like others here have already said I prefer it to a PAX3 that I used to own. The price. The size, shape and material used for the bowl to name a few.
And it's less hot on the lips than the first shiny metal PAX3 (maybe the matt Pax is not as bad) and easy to adapt for various mouthpieces if desired.
I will use this vape for fun when I feel like something different, and it makes weaker herb seem stronger with the direct (isolated, stainless steel) airpath, conduction face melt and body high. Might be helpful at night for sleep too.
There's no reason why it wouldn't work as somebody's only portable vape, or one of a pair.
It's cheaper than a vapcap where I live and I would boldly say it kicks their ass for ease of use, stealth, and vapor.
Some modern portable vapes might do some things marginally better, but for 3 or 4 times the price.
Being a cosmetic defect model, I can see where the case finish got lightly marked (not all the way through just surface) in a machine or maybe fell across the bench and got polished up a bit but it's not bad at all, you'd have to look for it in good light and at least I don't have to worry much about marking it up myself. Also some people who got these ones said they couldn't see a defect at all so you might get lucky.
It was just €20 extra for a perfect, regular model with choice of dial color but I went for the cheaper one and it works great.
The dial is high quality knurled anodized aluminium like camera equipment, i only use "Mid" setting lately but "Low" was nice for flavor to start out also.
Other things I noticed:
It says "Made in Ireland" inside the oven door, and the parts are all sourced from Europe apparently.
There are only 3 parts to the vape, the body, the mouthpiece, and the screen. I used to admire PAX for having 4 simple parts.
The oven door clasp is not spring loaded so when you close the oven you have to pull the clasp over kinda requiring two hands or some technique with one hand, maybe this is just on my "cosmetic defect" unit?
There is a nice conduction smell from the oven when it reaches temperature, but it comes out a little bit less than PAX.
The airflow is nowhere as badly restricted as Pax or vapcap, even though the vapor path looks narrower than both.
A piece of drinking straw works to cool it down! But I came up with 2 or 3 other ideas for a mouthpiece extension and the sky is the limit! It's not needed for reducing heat to the lips but makes me feel better about hot vapor to my gums. The ALFA with stock MP should be just fine for occasional use, especially outdoors.
With a glass vapcap condenser inserted in the MP hole it works very nice!
And a Crafty MP fits it very well too.
Also I made a custom bowl reducer from a liquid pad and it works very well.
The ALFA bowl is roughly about the same size as a S&B capsule but maybe slightly deeper, I thought it would be bigger than a full Mighty bowl!
I put in a small amount and when set to "Mid" I get a great volley of clouds until the material is well spent, it offers pretty effortless results.
Vapecritic liked these once and his video is on the Goboof site, and I found a rare herb vape unboxing and first impression video of an early version of this from the hilarious Canadian 1Puglife on his The High Channel! Always wondered if he had ever tried dry herb vaporizers.
I think I can keep the oven and the rest clean with just wet qtips and iso wipes.
Cutting a small piece of iso wipe to shove through the vapor path.
Is this vape still relevant in 2021?
Well as long as Pax still send me exciting newsletters about Pax3 in a new color, and if Arizer and Davinci are still in business, and China, and part Chinese efforts still bring us similarly priced conduction with only 3 month to 1 year faraway warranties, then yes!
This seems great for those who want to keep the cost down, starting out, or as a supplementary vape for camping or hotels and holidays.
hinglemccringleberry
Well-Known Member
It's funny because when vapecritic did his Alfa review video he liked it, but a few years later he was posting that it's not that good a device and that there are better options, like the Pax2/3. I'm like whaaaatever, you can't switch your tune like that! In his best vapes of 2015 video he had this vape in the same grouping with the Pax2 and Arizers, which he had just 1 level below below the Mighty and Crafty. That led me to purchase the Alfa as my first vaporizer which turned out to be an amazing decision.
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PPN
Volute of Vapor
Too nice to see some love for the Alfa, imo it's one of the best designed vaporizer... except for the bowl's lid. And the "heat by puff" and "heat by time" features seems amazing on the paper... but I ended to never use that features.
It's an amazing vape to extend your sessions, I remenber I vaped for +40mn with a full bowl of very resinous strain, I used low setting for +30mn although.
But it's too bad they never tried to improve it, I believe one "Alfa Pro" (i.e) with replacable battery, 5 T°settings and redesigned bowl's lid will be a good idea, not so much changes except for the bowl's lid. Why not to make the bowl removeable, it would be easier for loading... but I know, yes, contact issues with that sort of design,... except if it's a ceramic heater in the center pin (you'll just have to slide your loaded bowl on it), is somebody is aware of that heating element?
Somebody said the "short vaporpath", it's not short cause the bowl is on the other side, although I agree it's okay only at lower setting, I use myself a mflb stem to extend the vaporpath.
Mine start to get charging issues, it happened a few times I wanted to re-charge it after a 15-20mn session (I don't remenber if it was full or not before but I believe at least 70%) and after I linked it nothing happened (just green light shown), I tried to remove and replug several times and it was the same green light, no charging process started, it was like if the battery was already full and I know it wasn't...
If it die I will bought probably another... best of conduction!
It's an amazing vape to extend your sessions, I remenber I vaped for +40mn with a full bowl of very resinous strain, I used low setting for +30mn although.
But it's too bad they never tried to improve it, I believe one "Alfa Pro" (i.e) with replacable battery, 5 T°settings and redesigned bowl's lid will be a good idea, not so much changes except for the bowl's lid. Why not to make the bowl removeable, it would be easier for loading... but I know, yes, contact issues with that sort of design,... except if it's a ceramic heater in the center pin (you'll just have to slide your loaded bowl on it), is somebody is aware of that heating element?
Somebody said the "short vaporpath", it's not short cause the bowl is on the other side, although I agree it's okay only at lower setting, I use myself a mflb stem to extend the vaporpath.
Mine start to get charging issues, it happened a few times I wanted to re-charge it after a 15-20mn session (I don't remenber if it was full or not before but I believe at least 70%) and after I linked it nothing happened (just green light shown), I tried to remove and replug several times and it was the same green light, no charging process started, it was like if the battery was already full and I know it wasn't...
If it die I will bought probably another... best of conduction!
