**Ball vape comparison megathread** Compare your balls.

[Hagbard Celine]

Well that was my problem with the Couchlog! I couldn't session with it, because 3 hits through the stem exhausted the heater and it needed 10+minutes to refresh. With the WPA it was only one hit!

I highly recommend the Enano XL with the caveat that you need to use the Jodaglass WPA

Yeah, that seems highly irregular! You were keeping the Couchlog plugged in, and couldnt take 3 hits without exhausting the heater?
I didnt try using it unplugged too much, that just seemed a little gimmicky to me...but if that is your experience with the CL plugged in, it is nothing like mine at all.

Also, really like the Joda glass bowl I got that works with both the CL and the Omega 14mm injector ball vape.

 

[simba]

This was all plugged in, many emails back and forth with the maker. He believed my unit was perfectly functional but agreed to a return as I wasn't happy with the performance. I very rarely unplugged it.

One note though, I'm a very heavy user so of course YMMV.

 

[coolbreeze]

People around here are doing amazing things. Can't overstate my appreciation .

 

[coolbreeze]

Gorgeous halogen ballvape log by Vaporoonie (w/ power supply) available for $200:

Completed - New Halo Log Streamable video $200 OBO

Halo Log with 18mm glass heater with 3mm rubies. $200 or best offer comes with 110volt adjustable light dimmer. If you need anything added to the kit will additional cost. $20 extra for international shipping. Ships from Florida. https://streamable.com/rmeha2

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https://imgur.com/ESXFUJw

https://imgur.com/CCcZCiB

 

[Happy Fish]

Yeah, that seems highly irregular! You were keeping the Couchlog plugged in, and couldnt take 3 hits without exhausting the heater?
I didnt try using it unplugged too much, that just seemed a little gimmicky to me...but if that is your experience with the CL plugged in, it is nothing like mine at all.

Also, really like the Joda glass bowl I got that works with both the CL and the Omega 14mm injector ball vape.

Even though I've never used a couchlog, I believe his account. All these ball/log hybrids that I've seen are still using low wattage DC power supplies. This means they have the same achilles heel, the fact that they're all putting in less than 12 watts of energy into the heater core. No matter what type of core you use, that will mean you will need to wait for it to heat back up. A core with a larger thermal battery capacity will get discharged slower but also heat back up slower. If you are a sipper who takes some time between hits you might never even notice it, but a heavy hitter might notice the limitations. That's why in my mind, without having actually tried one, I'm just thinking of these log ball hybrids as just another log, not actually a ball vape substitute. The PIDs can put out a lot more power and heat and the heads hold more balls so in a ball vape you have both a bigger thermal battery plus faster charging of that battery.

 

[Hagbard Celine]

Even though I've never used a couchlog, I believe his account. All these ball/log hybrids that I've seen are still using low wattage DC power supplies. This means they have the same achilles heel, the fact that they're all putting in less than 12 watts of energy into the heater core. No matter what type of core you use, that will mean you will need to wait for it to heat back up. A core with a larger thermal battery capacity will get discharged slower but also heat back up slower. If you are a sipper who takes some time between hits you might never even notice it, but a heavy hitter might notice the limitations. That's why in my mind, without having actually tried one, I'm just thinking of these log ball hybrids as just another log, not actually a ball vape substitute. The PIDs can put out a lot more power and heat and the heads hold more balls so in a ball vape you have both a bigger thermal battery plus faster charging of that battery.

Well I do have a couchlog, and I've used it almost exclusively for close to 2 months now. I still dont believe his account is the NORM. I'll admit a caveat in that I do tend towards casual sipping, but believe me there are times I want to finish a bowl or two more quickly. It varies. Another caveat that might make a difference is that I dont usually load huge amounts, tending to keep bowls around 0.10g or so.

Actually, I have a LOT of different log vapes that I have used almost exclusively for 12 years or so. I do tend to keep two plugged in for each session. I am aware of the occasional lag in power in some of the older logs (I think this has been somewhat overstated, and sometimes, this was a matter of just getting an old heater replaced), but lumping them all together is a bit misleading too. All of the logs I have work on less than 10 watts. They dont have the thermal mass that necessitates ~100w of power like a ball vape requires. But these newer logs with some more built in thermal mass and larger heaters have opened my eyes a bit.

I also have a ball vape, which I only bring out for special occasions lately when I want to show off some new unique tech, so I do have some frame of reference here. I'm not trying to claim equivalence here between ball = log vape, but I believe many people might actually be surprised. For me the form factor for the log vape is just simpler, safer, easier to manage. YMMV

 

[simba]

Well I do have a couchlog, and I've used it almost exclusively for close to 2 months now. I still dont believe his account is the NORM. I'll admit a caveat in that I do tend towards casual sipping, but believe me there are times I want to finish a bowl or two more quickly.

I don't know what you count as the NORM? But the maker said the unit was working normally so I dunno what to tell you.

 

[Hagbard Celine]

I don't know what you count as the NORM? But the maker said the unit was working normally so I dunno what to tell you.

I guess what I am calling norm is what I have experienced the past couple of months, and maybe what I can gather from a few others who have talked about their experience. I have never needed to wait 10 minutes to take another hit with the CL after taking a few back to back hits... I guess thats all I can say.

 

[simba]

I also know people who have had the same experience so I guess down to different usage patterns and maybe some variation in the units that the maker thinks are still within spec?

 

[Bahama_Mama_please]

I guess what I am calling norm is what I have experienced the past couple of months, and maybe what I can gather from a few others who have talked about their experience. I have never needed to wait 10 minutes to take another hit with the CL after taking a few back to back hits... I guess thats all I can say.

Also CL user here.
Love the device.

After taking one huge rip through glass there is not enough thermal energy left for a second hit. Not even one with the same material to see if it's really spent. It does not take 10 minutes, but about 5 to take the next hit.
It doesn't bother me too much though.

 

[Hagbard Celine]

Also CL user here.
Love the device.

After taking one huge rip through glass there is not enough thermal energy left for a second hit. Not even one with the same material to see if it's really spent. It does not take 10 minutes, but about 5 to take the next hit.
It doesn't bother me too much though.

Several hours ago I just loaded a bowl with 0.10 - 0.15g and took 5 hits through water with the CL. I only waited enough in between to blow out the vapor and stop coughing. All the hits milked the piece except for the very last one. Stirred just a tiny bit for that last hit, then blew out the bowl.

Sorry so many seem to be having trouble problems with their device. I’m not affiliated with CL or 420Eng at all. If I had to wait 5 minutes between hits it would have taken me 20 mins to finish my bowl and this device would be sitting here cold on the sidelines… instead I used mine for another 4-5 bowls before unplugging for the night

 

[Bahama_Mama_please]

Several hours ago I just loaded a bowl with 0.10 - 0.15g and took 5 hits through water with the CL. I only waited enough in between to blow out the vapor and stop coughing. All the hits milked the piece except for the very last one. Stirred just a tiny bit for that last hit, then blew out the bowl.

Sorry so many seem to be having trouble problems with their device. I’m not affiliated with CL or 420Eng at all. If I had to wait 5 minutes between hits it would have taken me 20 mins to finish my bowl and this device would be sitting here cold on the sidelines… instead I used mine for another 4-5 bowls before unplugging for the night

Interesting. To be fair: The bowl is pretty spent after my one big rip.
I assume you do more sipping, right?
But you are right, mine gets not as much used as it should due to this. Too many other toys ;-).
Would I sell the CL? No way. Like it too much anyway.
Will experiment a bit with sipping the next days though.

update: Tried it. But two whimpy puffs and then nothing. Put the material in the Tempest (similar sized ball vape) and it still goes.
when i finish the bowl in one draw i get a good extraction. I tried fresh material right after, nope. Nothing. Needed to heat soak for another 10 minutes, then flavorful and good again. Too medicated to write more now :-).

 

[Hagbard Celine]

Interesting. To be fair: The bowl is pretty spent after my one big rip.
I assume you do more sipping, right?
But you are right, mine gets not as much used as it should due to this. Too many other toys ;-).
Would I sell the CL? No way. Like it too much anyway.
Will experiment a bit with sipping the next days though.

update: Tried it. But two whimpy puffs and then nothing. Put the material in the Tempest (similar sized ball vape) and it still goes.
when i finish the bowl in one draw i get a good extraction. I tried fresh material right after, nope. Nothing. Needed to heat soak for another 10 minutes, then flavorful and good again. Too medicated to write more now :-).

Certainly I do tend towards sipping, especially the longer into the night the session tends to go. But for the first bowl or two, I will usually finish them up a little more quickly. Also, it sounds like I dont have the lung capacity to take GIANT rips like you are talking about, although it seems I can finish a bowl pretty easily, by taking anywhere from 4 - 6 shorter hits with very little time in between.

If you feel you are getting a good extraction with your one huge rip, thats great!!! But I definitely wouldnt want to wait 10 minutes after each one of those. In my case, once I finish up a bowl I might wait a few minutes before starting another? Although there's no hard and fast rule here, i'm just not paying that much attention I guess. And I almost always have 2 logs plugged in for a session, so I'm definitely less likely to run into bottlenecks like this anyway,

I'll say I'm more of the casual vaper in general though, and it's likely this is partly why we are having different experiences.

 

[Axel_420]

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Pre-order for this fantastic bowl for the ZX is also still open, compatible with other 14MM injectors as well!

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New Ultra Low Profile 14MM black zirconia chamber custom designed and precision CNC machined to perfectly match our ZX heater heads. Zirconia is the most durable of all advanced ceramics, making it the perfect and only true alternative to our borosilicate glass chambers. *Updated with three...

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[coolbreeze]

People around here are doing amazing things. Can't overstate my appreciation .

Custom Flower Hardware's Electropath has the good ol' B0 hitting harder than ever. Most injectors and diffusers will fit it, including 14mm injectors in reducers and even 18mm glass hose ends. It uses heat, pressure, and restriction to reduce particle size, making more of your vapor available to more of your lungs. The effects are surprising. Flavor can be exceptional but the thick, smooth vapor derived from a pinch delivers an out-sized high. It turns your ballvape up to 11.

 

[hoptimum]

Certainly I do tend towards sipping, especially the longer into the night the session tends to go. But for the first bowl or two, I will usually finish them up a little more quickly. Also, it sounds like I dont have the lung capacity to take GIANT rips like you are talking about, although it seems I can finish a bowl pretty easily, by taking anywhere from 4 - 6 shorter hits with very little time in between.

If you feel you are getting a good extraction with your one huge rip, thats great!!! But I definitely wouldnt want to wait 10 minutes after each one of those. In my case, once I finish up a bowl I might wait a few minutes before starting another? Although there's no hard and fast rule here, i'm just not paying that much attention I guess. And I almost always have 2 logs plugged in for a session, so I'm definitely less likely to run into bottlenecks like this anyway,

I'll say I'm more of the casual vaper in general though, and it's likely this is partly why we are having different experiences.

You must be my doppleganger. My technique with my ball vape is very much like yours, and I also have 2 logs on standby

 

[coolbreeze]

DDave's got a few of his own Terp Torch kits, including heater, for $50:

 

[Bakin4Life]

Custom Flower Hardware's Electropath has the good ol' B0 hitting harder than ever. Most injectors and diffusers will fit it, including 14mm injectors in reducers and even 18mm glass hose ends. It uses heat, pressure, and restriction to reduce particle size, making more of your vapor available to more of your lungs. The effects are surprising. Flavor can be exceptional but the thick, smooth vapor derived from a pinch delivers an out-sized high. It turns your ballvape up to 11.

Took one look at this, and I'm already on the vendor's site looking at it (meaning... 'won't be long, now!')

If I could indulge you... I'm guessing this is about 3.5 in. tall? (and the only reason I ask is that my rig is a bit tall... but GAS covers glass, too)
Also... do you keep PID #2 the same temp as the B0's ? Figured I'd ask, and save time experimenting

 

[coolbreeze]

Took one look at this, and I'm already on the vendor's site looking at it (meaning... 'won't be long, now!')

If I could indulge you... I'm guessing this is about 3.5 in. tall? (and the only reason I ask is that my rig is a bit tall... but GAS covers glass, too)

It's about that exactly. I use mine on a deep dropdown usually. I use the TAG 2" or 3" dropdowns.

Also... do you keep PID #2 the same temp as the B0's ? Figured I'd ask, and save time experimenting

Ah, good question! I've usually kept mine a bit lower, like 450 or so with the head closer to 500; keeps it terpy and bright. But I've learned since that heating them to the same temps can make it function more like the Sublimator. Comments I've read suggest that running both at the same higher temp (~550+) terps are stripped and it's closer to pure THC. The claim was a purer high with less irritation. I'm afraid some experimentation may be necessary! ; )

 

[TigoleBitties]

Several hours ago I just loaded a bowl with 0.10 - 0.15g and took 5 hits through water with the CL. I only waited enough in between to blow out the vapor and stop coughing. All the hits milked the piece except for the very last one. Stirred just a tiny bit for that last hit, then blew out the bowl.

Sorry so many seem to be having trouble problems with their device. I’m not affiliated with CL or 420Eng at all. If I had to wait 5 minutes between hits it would have taken me 20 mins to finish my bowl and this device would be sitting here cold on the sidelines… instead I used mine for another 4-5 bowls before unplugging for the night

Interesting. To be fair: The bowl is pretty spent after my one big rip.
I assume you do more sipping, right?
But you are right, mine gets not as much used as it should due to this. Too many other toys ;-).
Would I sell the CL? No way. Like it too much anyway.
Will experiment a bit with sipping the next days though.

update: Tried it. But two whimpy puffs and then nothing. Put the material in the Tempest (similar sized ball vape) and it still goes.
when i finish the bowl in one draw i get a good extraction. I tried fresh material right after, nope. Nothing. Needed to heat soak for another 10 minutes, then flavorful and good again. Too medicated to write more now :-).

Here's what I discovered about the CL, as I also understand where @simba was coming from with only managing 3 big hits. It makes a huge difference

• what type of bowl you're using
• what temp the CL is at
• what your draw speed is like
• the time you take between hits.

If you use a glass injector bowl (like the VGoodiez one) then I found what @simba says is true. If I have the CL set to 5 (typical for glass) then I can take about 3 big pulls, back to back, the CL is spent with a 0.1-.15g bowl and the bowl is cashed. This is mostly because there is a 1cm or so distance to the flower and the glass absorbs some convective heat while contributing little conduction so these big hits drain the heat battery a lot. After the bowl is done, then you have to wait 5-10min for the CL to replenish. Not 5min after every hit. The problem is back-to-back bowls, not hits.

If you use the stainless steel CL bowl then you can get way more mileage out of your hits at varying temp levels, but you need to control your draw somewhat. The stainless bowl puts the flower much, much closer to the heater than your typical glass injector - a few mm away. Also, when mated with the CL tip then the bowl also gets heated via conduction somewhat for free since it's in direct contact with a large, heated surface.

To illustrate the difference in power needed, I can comfortably use the stainless bowl at 3 on the dial instead of 5 and clear a bowl in 3 big hits. But with the temp set to 3 only, I probably couldn't manage another bowl immediately after. However, if I use the CL at 5 with the stainless bowl, I can sip on a bowl for days with a small (7-10sec) pause between hits.

I can also clear the bowl easily and quickly with few hits, but I try to control my draw since at this temp and distance, things can get harsh. With the temp at 5, this will usually also allow me enough heat left in the CL to do another bowl immediately if I continue to clear it using big hits. But after that, it will need time to recover.

So in summary, the stainless default CL bowl (or something similar, DFreez wood bowl, JoDa glass bowl with the basket very close to the heater) will let you get more out of the heat battery of the CL. You can sip bowls for days and possibly chain back-to-back bowls that are ripped, not sipped. I haven't been able to rip back-to-back-to-back bowls with the CL but I'm happy with it as this is not my typical usecase.

 

[simba]

It's night and day the difference though with my Enano XL. As long as it's paired with a good stem/WPA such as the JoDa one then it will pump out seemingly endless vapour regardless of technique.

Having good technique for vapes is all well and good, but IMO the point of a mains-powered desktop vape is to constantly deliver otherwise what's the point of being mains-powered.

 

[elg33]

hello, I am just learning of ball vapes, I am currently interested in wireless options such as the Ace, TKO, ZXXL and looking for feedback and opinions. Looking for flavor, efficiency, durable/ease of use ect. Thank you!

 

[Grass Yes]

hello, I am just learning of ball vapes, I am currently interested in wireless options such as the Ace, TKO, ZXXL and looking for feedback and opinions. Looking for flavor, efficiency, durable/ease of use ect. Thank you!

The wireless TKO is great. I think it's a massive improvement in performance over the wired version. Haven't tried the Ace, but friends say it performs very much like the wired screwball. ZXXL doesn't exist yet, so you might have a challenge finding reviews.

I personally like my Omega best of all my ball vapes, although the Epitome is a close contender. I know a lot of folks who order them the other way around.

 

[coolbreeze]

hello, I am just learning of ball vapes, I am currently interested in wireless options such as the Ace, TKO, ZXXL and looking for feedback and opinions. Looking for flavor, efficiency, durable/ease of use ect. Thank you!

The TKO is really nice. I've replaced the balls for the Ti discs and while I havent used it a lot since, my impression was no loss of power or airflow, great flavor. I really love the clean look of this gear and the completeness of the kit. The Infinity Bowl fits most other diffusers and can be heated with an Omega injector-style.

The Omega kit is an amazing value, works wonderfully. It's probably better at fitting other company's bowls than the other two. Easy recommendation.

The ZXXL I think is based in the ZXL, which is really a superior vape with outstanding flavor and efficiency. Well worth the layout. I think the ZXXL should be comparable.