Ball vape
- Thread starter geoff_45
- Start date
I would definitely read through the ball vape thread (ignore the poll at the top):
**Ball vape comparison megathread** Compare your balls.
The internet seems to be lacking a really good comparison on ball vapes. Please start with which ball vapes you have and your thoughts comparing between them. I seem to be limited on the choices for the poll, so this is just a bit of fun. Your comparisons are most important. Please stick to...
fuckcombustion.com
I have a bunch of ball vapes including the Screwball and a B1. I would recommend the CC Omega over both of those. It's performance is better in my experience. It's also more adaptable to different use cases. It is really a platform as more modules and interchangeable pieces are developed. It's also one of the least expensive (especially if you buy one if the kits).
But you can definitely get a lot of insights in that thread above. And I am sure others will weigh in here.
Welcome to FC!
coolbreeze
Well-Known Member
Here's a good place to learn a lot: https://fuckcombustion.com/threads/ball-vape-comparison-megathread-compare-your-balls.52970/
Can verify the Screwball as a bargain and a powerhouse. Flavor's great, kits is comprehensive.
The Screwball may be my most powerful vape. It's a good starting and ending point if that level of power is what you're after.
The Phase3 ZX is a 14mm injector system that is amazing for smaller loads. It's my daily driver.
BeltedCoyote
Foggin up the woods
Third vote for the Phase 3 ZX. It's my first ball vape and I'm now questioning if I actually need another unit. I didn't expect that. So. Idk. I recommend it
BeltedCoyote
Foggin up the woods
Good point
LotV
Well-Known Member
Agree with this, especially for microdosing cannabis at lower temperatures using the half-size screen position in the bowl.
coolbreeze
Well-Known Member
It's the design, materials, and the configuration. The ZX is a 14mm injector, the ZXL an 18mm injector, and the Screwball a 22mm diffuser. Generally diffusers can roast more evenly and at least in my collection I consider them very powerful because of the larger surface area they affect. The ZXL is also very powerful, the ZX is very powerful too, but meant to roast a smaller amount. The ZXs are injectors whose bowl configuration allows them to behave like diffusers in that they are very even and eliminate the unroasted ring.
There are other things: the SB is built for preheating your herb/bowl to add conduction, the Zs are more insulated and meant to virtually bypass the bowl in terms of conduction. In practice, the Screwball for me is more a session of cool, massive hits with great but degrading flavor and exceptional effects while the ZX is more the perfect one-hitter of clean, crisp flavor, thick vapor, sparkling, heady effects. The ZX will be somewhere in between, I think, capable of very large single-hits, as well as larger bowls that can be more slowly roasted.
Either's awesome, and together they cover the range.
I think the ZX is also more flexible with the size of the load. Though it has a smaller bowl, you can load a minute amount or stuff it full. The ZX (and the SS version, the SX) are designed over many iterations to work ideally with its coil, housing material, and fill material. I don't have a ZXL, but everything I have heard so far is promising.
The Screwball has a large coil and thin housing, because of this is needs to have a supercharged fill with gem cut rubies. So it's a bit inefficient and extracts less reliablely. This also has a the impact of added restriction. Vapor also pulls a bit slower than my favorites. I think the Screwball works but it needs a few more revisions to get up to the performance and flavor of most of the current of ball vapes.
I like zirconia ball vapes, I have two. But I think the material itself is overrated. But I don't think any person would be disappointed with a ZX as their first ball vape. Although I suspect that is true of even the B1, my least favorite. Ball vapes all perform well and when you get past their individual quirks you can make them sing.
LotV
Well-Known Member
Really fascinating to read about the differences between the many options out there, especially as someone who only recently started vaping.
For me, the draw feels wide open and the extraction is thorough; hard for me to imagine better due to limited experience with other vapes.
I'm using a soft, fluffy medium grind in the half-size bowl setting, no packing down, ~.1g, with a dry bubbler.
I heat soak the bowl for about 10 seconds before drawing slowly.
When pressed for time, PID set at 470F; one hit extraction leaving behind dark and golden brown AVB.
Otherwise, PID set at 420F; 2 long, slow draws leaves behind golden brown AVB.
For me, the draw feels wide open and the extraction is thorough; hard for me to imagine better due to limited experience with other vapes.
I'm using a soft, fluffy medium grind in the half-size bowl setting, no packing down, ~.1g, with a dry bubbler.
I heat soak the bowl for about 10 seconds before drawing slowly.
When pressed for time, PID set at 470F; one hit extraction leaving behind dark and golden brown AVB.
Otherwise, PID set at 420F; 2 long, slow draws leaves behind golden brown AVB.
What ball vape do you reach for the most or like the best? Any specific reason why you like that one the most?
I like the Omega best of all my ball vapes. It can handle any amount of material, it always delivers immediate vapor. It handles low temps and high temps. I also love to use all the modules. The diffuser is my default, then the 14mm injector. I love to use the 18mm module over an RBT stem as a kind of mini T360.
Also I just love going wireless. I thought that would be a novelty. I mostly vape in the same spot but being cordless is a game changer. It's just nice to not manage cords. I also now vape in other spots.
I have lots of other vapes, including 8 other coil-heated ball vapes. The Omega keeps winning the reach test.
If we expand the definition of ball vapes, I use the CouchLog about as often as the Omega.
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The Screwball suggested temperature range is between 440-500F (seem to recall someone claiming it is the lowest temp ball vape). Is your Omega producing good vapor at temps that low? I would think the CouchLog would be productive at temps below 400. Right?
For wireless that is lower than I go. For wired temperatures, I have gone as low as 400, but it is whispier than I might like. 420 is very satisfying, 450 is very nice and plenty of vapor. For wireless, I go up about 60-100 depending on the coil. Of course the vape is the same temperature, that's just the difference the PID reads (Auber RDK 300B).
Of course my Zirconia Zeal goes lower still. My SX/ZX is similar.
I like my Screwball at about 480. Any lower and it really doesn't work well, but that is satisfying. I'm sure folks like to go lowerer, but I don't like the results. The claim that it is the lowest temp ball vape is absolutely false. But that's fine. The number on your pid controller matters less than the number on another vapes digital display. Perfectly meaningless on this own, only relevant to the vape and vaper.
The CouchLog, fortunately, has no temperature display. Only a dial with ten tick marks.
The lack of temp settings is why i haven’t tried a CouchLog. My experience with the TM2 made me reluctant to try a similar 1-10 scale vape. Cloud Conniseur makes great looking stuff. I’ve been following him since the Zenith. Wish I’d bought one of those.
Shit Snacks
Milaana. Lana. LANA. LANAAAA! (TM2/TP80/BAK/FW9)
FYI zenith/atlas does also not have a temperature reading, you are using voltage power or watts instead... I actually like the analog scales personally a lot though
I'm with you in that. The CL can be run easily off a VVPS, but I don't find that any better than using the PWM puck.
LotV
Well-Known Member
Hey @Oil420FL I saw your comment regarding low temp vaping in another thread and wanted to leave some more screwball data in this post for anyone interested.
Settings:
Cleared mostly in 1 long, slow drawn hit yielding golden brown AVB, amazing flavor and really smooth for me.
Settings:
- half-bowl config
- scale measured 0.100g fine grind, no tamp
- PID set to 390F
- heatsoak bowl for 10 seconds
Cleared mostly in 1 long, slow drawn hit yielding golden brown AVB, amazing flavor and really smooth for me.
Oden
Well-Known Member
Have you tried your Omega with the 14 insert, with the ZX bowl?
If so, how does it compare to the ZX-Zbol?
Is it worth buying an Omega just for that?
I'm from the micro dosage team, but reading your message makes me think that omega could be what I'm looking for to use with my Zbol and my glass bowls 14
There is still a very affordable Omega 220 kit that I could convert to wireless
I purchased my ZX before the ceramic z bowl existed. So I only have the glass one. The Omega works great with it and I suspect the ZBowl would also be great. Although my favorite 14mm bowl is actually the JoDa CouchLog WPA. It's fantastic with all my 14mm injector vapes.
Oden
Well-Known Member
Great! I'm waiting to see some stock to take the glass bowl with the ss screen and the Vulcan.
This Omega is good for using with my 14mm bowls and trying the 22mm diffusers which I have never tried.
But you absolutely need a Zbol for your ZX!
You missed like 50% of the Phase 3 experience.
I was using my ZX with 14mm bowls like the SKO metal and wood bowl, and 14mm glass bowls and the Zbol changed everything when I received them
I admit that I liked my SX so much that I was a bit disappointed in the ZX. So buying the ZBowl felt like throwing good money after bad.
I know a lot of folks like their ZX better than their SX, and the ZX is 90% as good as the SX for me. So if I had never bought the SX, I'm sure I would love the ZX.
Although it's been a long time since I've pulled out a wired ball vape. It's just no worth the hassle of the wires
Oden
Well-Known Member
Ah I understand, you are also in the wireless game.I admit that I liked my SX so much that I was a bit disappointed in the ZX. So buying the ZBowl felt like throwing good money after bad.
I know a lot of folks like their ZX better than their SX, and the ZX is 90% as good as the SX for me. So if I had never bought the SX, I'm sure I would love the ZX.
Although it's been a long time since I've pulled out a wired ball vape. It's just no worth the hassle of the wires
This is perfectly understandable.
I too want to transform my setup into a wireless version.
But I would like to stay mainly with 14mm zircon, because metal no longer interests me like it used to.
I mean before I received my ZX.
I also had the SX before, but stopped using it simply because the zircon combo made sense.
But this SX works equally with the ZX. However, it was inferior in terms of flavors and less effective at low temperatures.
To solve the flavor problem I replaced the SX rubies with zircon balls, and that changed everything. Tasty like the ZX but not identical.
I finally gave it away because I don't use it enough and the new owner is very happy with it.
It's a shame Ryan doesn't make a wireless ZX.
I think overall, the majority of owners who actively use their ZX would want a wireless version.
This is the way to go