Ascent Vaporizer by DaVinci

[OF]

If that rubber taste goes away, I'll be a happy customer...fingers crossed eh!

We all went through the initial smelly time. It will go away.[/QUOTE]

Exactly so, it's been discussed a lot here. Nothing to worry about. Once the surface is coated with reclaim all you can taste is reclaim?

I'm sure the OP will come around too. I hope he ordered some glass flowers to try........

OF

 

[sickmanfraud]

I spent the evening 'breaking in' the device. My initial thoughts are 'disappointing'.

I spent the entire day at work doing empty 'burn offs', looking forward to the glorious clean fresh taste of an all-glass pathway when I got home that all the reviews bang on about, and all I could taste was rubber!

The all glass pathway isn't strictly true, because it's not as though the two glass pieces fit together air-tight! There is air being added to the draw through the sides via the gap in the glass and the middle body of the device where the glassware fits is made of rubber!

I'm hoping that this will subside over time, as it did taste a little better this morning, after an evening of heavy use, but I am getting the feeling that any review on the net that shows a brand new vape being unboxed, filled with dry herb, and immediately used with no prior 'burn off' or 'breaking in' and then bangs on about how amazing the device tastes, either has no sense of taste / smell or is a complete liar.

Putting this aside, I do like the device, I just wasn't expecting my Titan to currently taste better, but as that took a week to 'break-in', I'm going to give the Da Vinci a fair crack of the whip, before making final judgement.

I'm certainly enjoying cooler vapour from the Ascent plus faster heat times and the battery has a decent session length.

I like the 3 stage session programming you can set, so it increases temps over time through the session.

I had hoped to use the jars for solid (crumbled), but the jars are quite thick so can't hold much, though it does work.

You need to ensure you pack dry herb fairly well, otherwise loose grain enters your mouth through the glass stem, making you spit granules of grittiness as you vape, a bit unpleasant and uncouth.

I'm also surprised there isn't a cleaning brush provided with the accessories, something all the cheap Chinese vapes and even the G-Pen comes with.

I can also confirm what others say about escaping vapour through the bottom of the device, so even though there is a rubber stopper for the mouth piece, because the oven is exposed at the bottom, it still leaks aroma into the surrounding area.

I had read that the screens provided were to help with the granules entering the mouthpiece, but as the oven shape is oval and the screens are round, I'm a little confused how they are meant to fit?

I've used one in the bottom of the oven to stop the herb falling though as the holes in the bottom of the oven aren't exactly small, and it seems to be working well, so perhaps that is what they are for?

I've ordered a bubbler to accompany the U-Tool which should be here sometime this week, so I have more playing with the device, before any final conclusions can be made.

If that rubber taste goes away, I'll be a happy customer...fingers crossed eh!

Many Ascent users have used cotton on top of the herb to stop the bits from reaching your mouth.

 

[vapen00b]

It's nice to hear that the plastic taste has disappeared for the people reporting it - I'm not one of them. Never got rid of that horrible taste. Tried for months to love it but it just didn't match. Had to return it after electronics gave up... No love story for us

 

[Hubs88]

As much as I love my Ascent I quickly got tired of cleaning it so here is the mod I made.

I ground off both ends of the glass screen until there was a good size opening. This opened up the air path and greatly improved the draw. These larger holes take a long time to clog and reduce the amount of maintenance.

To keep the load in place I took a ss screen and bent it over one of the glass oil jars to shape it. It fits snugly into the chamber and works with any amount of herb. No need for spacers.

I hope this will help others enjoy their Ascent.

 

[1DMF]

It is definitely tasting better and I'm finding it harder to detect the rubber, so moving in the right direction.

As much as I love my Ascent I quickly got tired of cleaning it so here is the mod I made.

Nice mod, wish I was good with my hands

Incidentally what do people recommend for cleaning, already the draw has gotten harder, so assume the holes in the glass screen are clogging up, which helps reduce the mouth full of particles but not so much with getting a drag out of the thing. (Yeah really nice mod!)

I guess tooth picks will suffice for poking the holes? what about the stem, do I need to find some pipe cleaners?

Your advice and recommendations are appreciated.

 

[Davinci_vaporizer]

It is definitely tasting better and I'm finding it harder to detect the rubber, so moving in the right direction.



Nice mod, wish I was good with my hands

Incidentally what do people recommend for cleaning, already the draw has gotten harder, so assume the holes in the glass screen are clogging up, which helps reduce the mouth full of particles but not so much with getting a drag out of the thing. (Yeah really nice mod!)

I guess tooth picks will suffice for poking the holes? what about the stem, do I need to find some pipe cleaners?

Your advice and recommendations are appreciated.

The new taste will subside. I'm sorry you were a disappointed initially but I'm also confident the vaporizer will grow on you. I've honestly put down my Ascent for other vaporizers in the past (don't tell my boss) but I always seem to find myself going back to it and when I do I forget why I even put it down. The flavor is just incomparable to anything I've ever tried, and the vapor production is solid too, especially when using a spacer or glass flowers.

To clean the stems, we recommend a regular soak in isopropyl alcohol. Your usage will determine how often regularly is but I know people who have never ever cleaned it and have build up all the way up to the mouthpiece and the vape still works fine! For cleaning the bowl, just use a cotton swab dipped in alcohol. The more often you clean the bowl the whiter it will stay. Some people have problems with staining and the truth behind that is a lack of maintenance. Again, usage will dictate time in between cleanings.

Tooth picks, safety pins, thumb tacks, paper clips etc.. are all OK for unclogging the holes in the bottom stem. Just be careful not to crack the stem as glass is not covered under warranty. I personally never really poke out the holes in mine because if its clogged to the point where it's noticeably effecting my draw resistance that means it's time for a full cleaning, but that's just me!

 

[virtualpurple]

I too take breaks from my Ascent, sometimes long breaks as I've been acquiring new vapes. I do come back quite often though, as the Ascent is still a contender and you never forget your first.

These days though I pretty much use the ascent exclusively through water and when I am taking dry hits it is with the 14mm stem.

There are more efficient vapes out there, there are smaller vapes out there, but the ascent is kinda like a Cadillac. It's real fun to drive and you may find yourself wanting to coast past your original destination.

VP

 

[1DMF]

Thanks, appreciate the support. 100ml of isopropyl alcohol has just been ebayed along with 100 pipe cleaners

Now all I need is to get my hands on some Ascent glass spacers.
My bubbler has just turned up, so very excited to get that home and take it for a spin after work.

Got some new greenery last night, so should have the device smelling and tasting real sweet by the end of the week

 

[1DMF]

OK, I think I'm in love....

I haven't had any 'Hits from the bong' in nearly 20 years... Da Vinci Ascent, where have you been all my life!

 

[CarolKing]

I don't use the Ascent all the time but I keep it in the line up. I too won't use it for a while then I realize how much I appreciate it. I'm really like the new glass spacers. They are worth it IMO. I like using the glass flowers too because I have them but they do break easy from the high heat unfortunately.

 

[Nunavut Tripper]

Getting back to the initial smell problem on new Ascents my original Ascent had to go through a breaking in period to get rid of the rubbery smell of the silicone. I just had it replaced under warranty several days ago by Davinci because of an electrical problem and the new one doesn't seem to smell at all. It doesn't have the R in the serial number so I'm pretty sure it's new. I'm assuming they have addressed the smell issue somehow ?

 

[CarolKing]

I have been curious how a newer Ascent would compare to mine that i bought 2 years ago. I have seen them on sale lately. It can be tempting.

 

[virtualpurple]

I have been curious how a newer Ascent would compare to mine that i bought 2 years ago. I have seen them on sale lately. It can be tempting.

Carol I believe you and I purchased our initial Ascents right around the same time. I have had several factory replacements and had to buy a new one out of pocket after my Puppy ate the Ascent I owned at the time. I have not noticed any functional difference from my first Ascent to my current one.

Maybe you'll get a little more battery time, but I bet otherwise your Ascent works as well as one coming new in the box.

I can't blame you for thinking about going for another round, the Ascent is a really solid device. Even though alot of solid portables have surfaced the Ascent still holds its own.

 

[CarolKing]

I received my Ascent 2 years ago September and I had to send it back and got a replacement in October about a month later. This is the second one. I am thankful this isn't my 3rd or 4th like some. That happens with a new vaporizer. There's always a percentage of failures and that's to be expected. They are feeling it in the GH thread right now.

 

[virtualpurple]

Looks like I was a little farther after you. I had bought mine in November of 2013. I remember going over the thread several times with a fine tooth comb. I was very new to cannabis as a regular thing, and had only heard of Vaporizers from Joe Rogan. I asked someone at a headshop for recommendations and she told me about the Fuckcombustion forums. She had recommended the Solo but when I came to the forums I looked for threads with the newest start dates and the higher post-counts. The Solo had a ton of posts but was older than the Ascent so at the time I figured that the Ascent must have been the better vape at the time.

I still never have tried the solo. I've mostly gambled on the new kids on the block for some reason. However, I do have a Solo or Air in my sights for someday, just waiting for a super slick deal I suppose.

Although I used a weird methodology when searching for a new vape I'm glad that I pulled the trigger on the Ascent, it's been a great vape all-around.

 

[Nunavut Tripper]

I have been curious how a newer Ascent would compare to mine that i bought 2 years ago. I have seen them on sale lately. It can be tempting.

I had one of the originals which died two weeks ago. My new one seems identical except the hinge on the oven part has a detente which kind of locks it into open position.

 

[OF]

I still never have tried the solo. I've mostly gambled on the new kids on the block for some reason. However, I do have a Solo or Air in my sights for someday, just waiting for a super slick deal I suppose.

You might keep a really sharp eye on PIU's "Last Call" page. I've bought several Open Box versions there for $60 to $80 depending on timing and conditions. Tested units with new stems. I've had zero problems with any of them and have been able to get friends/new vapists a great deal on a great vape.

Nothing of interest (at least to me) there now, but it can change fast.

You might also lurk some on the Solo thread, the good word generally shows up there.......but be ready to jump fast they sure don't last long for the obvious reasons.

OF

 

[Modicum]

Regarding the "new appliance"smell,I did 2 - 20 minute burn offs at 425F then opened the oven and left it overnight by an open window.Whatever scent that was left after the burn offs was gone the next morning.

 

[1DMF]

Well after a week of daily use including with GonG water u-tool and bubbler, the only thing the device now smells of is glorious herbage

My biggest bug bear with the device now is cleaning it. It gets dirty rather quickly, which I think is partly down to how small the holes are in the glass stem screen.

Just waiting for my alcohol to turn up as soaking it in soapy water didn't work, it's still covered in oily gunk.

 

[Davinci_vaporizer]

I have been curious how a newer Ascent would compare to mine that i bought 2 years ago. I have seen them on sale lately. It can be tempting.

There was some glue used in the beginning that has since been replaced with double sided tape. We also have only gotten better and better at our in house silicone curing process. Old or new, both units should be OK but these two changes are probably the main culprits in scent differences between 2 year old units and today.

 

[1DMF]

I have been curious how a newer Ascent would compare to mine that i bought 2 years ago. I have seen them on sale lately. It can be tempting.

Well mine is only a week old and OOTB it stunk of 'newness' and the first few bowls were a waste of product (unless you like rubber!)

I assume mine is a brand spanking new device, not one found in the corner of the warehouse?

Either way the smell has gone away with use, so I am a happy camper.

 

[Sativape]

As much as I love my Ascent I quickly got tired of cleaning it so here is the mod I made.

I ground off both ends of the glass screen until there was a good size opening. This opened up the air path and greatly improved the draw. These larger holes take a long time to clog and reduce the amount of maintenance.

To keep the load in place I took a ss screen and bent it over one of the glass oil jars to shape it. It fits snugly into the chamber and works with any amount of herb. No need for spacers.

I hope this will help others enjoy their Ascent.

Nice mod on the stem.

I did try using a screen tucked into the oven too but found that the heating time was greatly increased.

I think this is because there is less surface contact between the bud and the oven walls.

I ended putting a screen right below the stem.

It's been holding up very well.

The only maintenance I need to do is take a tooth brush and clean the screen off between loads.

Also, has anyone else experimented with vaping decarbed flowers?

I use it along with a tiny drop of non-nicotine e liquid for use in public settings.

By decarbing the bud, it takes away a lot of the delicious taste and smell away from the bud.

I actually found the last few times i'ved used it, the high seemed a little be more intense too... (but, it could have just been all in mah head).

When absolute discretion is required, decarbed bud is awesome, in any vape.

 

[CarolKing]

The Ascent seems to absorb smells more than some of my other portables. Maybe it's from the soft silicone lining inside? Even if I clean the stems and the oven I still notice a cannabis smell from it. My unit is 2 years old too.

The decarbed cannabis doesn't have much of a smell. Whatever works and won't give you away. Have a friend give you a heads up if they smell anything. The user sometimes can't judge how stinky the cannabis is, we become accustomed to smells. You know when you come home and your house smells like dog, because you have a dog. You didn't notice the smell earlier before you left but you notice it as soon as you walk in.

 

[Davinci_vaporizer]

The Ascent seems to absorb smells more than some of my other portables. Maybe it's from the soft silicone lining inside? Even if I clean the stems and the oven I still notice a cannabis smell from it. My unit is 2 years old too.

The decarbed cannabis doesn't have much of a smell. Whatever works and won't give you away. Have a friend give you a heads up if they smell anything. The user sometimes can't judge how stinky the cannabis is, we become accustomed to smells. You know when you come home and your house smells like dog, because you have a dog. You didn't notice the smell earlier before you left but you notice it as soon as you walk in.

The pores inside the polymers expand with heat, allowing resins from the herbal material to coat them. This is what causes the change in smell and flavor over time. You might have success getting rid of the flavor by cleaning while the unit is still warm.

 

[Ricardo]

Just waiting for my alcohol to turn up as soaking it in soapy water didn't work, it's still covered in oily gunk.

Mate, you don't need to order alcohol off eBay - any chemist's will sell it. I pack some salt down the glass tubes before soaking, seems to help but really it's the alcohol that does the job. Can't really get the "oven" clean - people have mentioned a "magic eraser" - dunno what that is but I'm not really worried - just as long as the glass is clean I'm happy. I really like my Ascent