Decision paralysis following death of HR Rogue (US, outdoors only)

[SockPuppetTheatrics]

The Healthy Rips Rogue was my first device, and it recently died (error message) after 2.5 years. While I've grown to prefer vapcaps + IH for solo home use, the Rogue was pretty good at the following:

- highly transportable with the travel cap, lid, and dosing caps
- low maintenance (dump the used dosing caps in my ABV jar & dunk the mouthpiece in ethanol when it got gunky)
- easy to share with a short learning curve (just tell first-timers to take a long, slow draw)
- performance doesn't seem to be impacted by weather (I don't vape inside my house)
- it's a little clunky, but I can shove it in my back pocket if necessary

I'm not crazy about:

- somewhat restricted airflow (exacerbated by dosing caps + borosilicate balls I added to the mouthpiece, which are necessary to reduce the harshness IMO)
- flavor isn't amazing (particularly compared to MVS + 9-fin cap + half bowl reducer)

Options are as follows:

1) I own a Tetra P80, but I've never really learned to use it. The hits taste great but are often super wispy, and I don't get much of an impact from them. I can't tell if part of the issue is the more open airflow (which I generally like) making it more prone to influence from cold weather. Also, it's a lot more fiddly to carry around and set up, and it feels more fragile and less easy to share with someone unfamiliar with TEDs. Plus the glass always feels hot on my lips. IDK, I'm still fiddling around with it, but it doesn't feel like an easy, portable, shareable vape to me.

2) While I'm past the one-year warranty, I could still get 50% off a new Rogue if I ship my old one back. This gets me back to where I was, but it feels a bit like doubling down on something that may not be the best option.

3) If I'm being honest with myself, at some point I'll probably pick up a Venty. I was planning on waiting until there's some kind of discount (probably not happening until 4/20 at the earliest), and I'd rather buy from VGoodies (I think they're still waiting on stock). This should be a significant upgrade in terms of performance and airflow, but I don't know if I'll find the added bulk to be an impediment to portability (or if the higher price tag will make it feel precious in a way that makes me want to leave it at home instead of bringing it out with me).

4) I could get a different battery-powered portable. I'd basically want something that's at least matches the Rogue in terms of pocketability and performance, and ideally eclipses it in at least one of those areas (preferably in the $200 range). The XLUX Roffu seems like the frontrunner, probably offering some kind of performance upgrade and a slightly sleeker shape. It looks like it's also compatible with Rogue dosing caps. I'm open to other suggestions, though, if there's a better pocket vape for travel and sharing. Cool vapor + better flavor > massive hits (speaking for myself, obvs).

I mostly wanted to get my thoughts down, but I appreciate any words of wisdom from the community. Many thanks in advance!

 

[stuey]

I really cant recommend the TM2 highly enough.

Very transportable.
Very low maintenance, although I'd dich the dosing capsules and just load the stem using the "Straw Method"
Easy to share.. I think it is but some people do disagree with that.
I use mine outside a lot and it works really well.
It would fit in your back pocket, although it would be quite clunky.

Airflow is pretty much unrestricted
Flavour is great.

Probably the only real issue is that the stock stems arent that great so you will probably want to upgrade the stem fairly quickly.
There are a ton of aftermarket stems for it so lots and lots of choice.
Batteries are removable so easily replaceable and if you want longer sessions.. get a few more batteries.

With a WPA either with or without the water, it does rival most desktop setups.

Worth a look!!!

 

[SockPuppetTheatrics]

I really cant recommend the TM2 highly enough.

Very transportable.
Very low maintenance, although I'd dich the dosing capsules and just load the stem using the "Straw Method"
Easy to share.. I think it is but some people do disagree with that.
I use mine outside a lot and it works really well.
It would fit in your back pocket, although it would be quite clunky.

Airflow is pretty much unrestricted
Flavour is great.

Probably the only real issue is that the stock stems arent that great so you will probably want to upgrade the stem fairly quickly.
There are a ton of aftermarket stems for it so lots and lots of choice.
Batteries are removable so easily replaceable and if you want longer sessions.. get a few more batteries.

With a WPA either with or without the water, it does rival most desktop setups.

Worth a look!!!

Thanks, and I figured someone would recommend the TM2 sooner or later. It's certainly on my radar as a high-quality vape that gets a lot of love here and on Reddit.

I guess it's not my top pick because I think of it as a different tier of vaporizer, like the Mighty / Venty, P80, and TM2 are all in the "premium battery-powered" category and I'm trying to figure out if I want something in the "ultra-portable / pocketable" category. The main drawbacks are:

- expensive
- seems somewhat redundant with the Venty (not that I'm opposed to at some point having both, but I feel like they would both occupy the same space in my collection, if that makes sense)
- reports of hot / harsh hits when used natively
- bulkier than the Rogue
- uneasy about having a glass stem sticking out of something that I'm potentially shoving into my back pocket (I'll look around at other stem options to see if there's something that looks both sturdy and like it won't add too much bulk)

Anyway, this gives me something to think about, and I like the idea of being able to use the dosing caps from the Rogue if I'm away from home and do custom-sized packs without caps if I'm at home (it looks like you can just adjust where the cooling unit sits to change the chamber size).

 

[TigoleBitties]

I think you're not wrong considering the Roffu. I would also take a look at the xmax v3pro and the POTV Lobo. They're all in the same class I think you're looking for.

They're convection, budget friendly, open draw and pocketable.

 

[Shit Snacks]

Yeah Roffu makes sense although it doesn't have as open air flow as the V3P, not sure how the air flow is on the lobo, but that could make a lot of sense to replace your rogue more directly...

For your tetra use, you will want to set the temp higher, with the heat soak, then you will get more vapor... You can still get flavor and it won't be too hot, you just have to kind of relearn the temp settings for it specifically... I also wouldn't recommend probably whatever stem you're using it with, much better with a WPA and larger hook, if not some sort of glass piece, in my case ideally with water (depending on the water piece of course, it can help you get the air flow right with the high temps for great quick thick hits)

TM is great yeah and what I would rely on out and about I think, but not with the stock stem setup, also it might be worth checking out the firewood9 too?? Air Max maybe...

 

[RxPlorer]

Have to recommend airvape Legacy Pro.
Dosing cap experience is an 8 or 9 out of 10
Low maintenance, IF using dosing caps (which you should, see above)
Flavor is great.
It’s is the opposite of hot and harsh!
Versatile. Great signature. Can handle flower microdoses, heavy packs, hash and rosin
Great battery efficiency
18650 with good on-board charging
Compact

 

[TigoleBitties]

Have to recommend airvape Legacy Pro.
Dosing cap experience is an 8 or 9 out of 10
Low maintenance, IF using dosing caps (which you should, see above)
Flavor is great.
It’s is the opposite of hot and harsh!
Versatile. Great signature. Can handle flower microdoses, heavy packs, hash and rosin
Great battery efficiency
18650 with good on-board charging
Compact

All this is true and I love mine but OP talked about putting vapes in your back pocket so I sort of assumed we're talking about small, rugged portables like the HR Rogue that died. I've pocketed my AVLP on occasion outdoors but Idk if it's rugged enough for doing that on the regular.

 

[Octavia]

Would recommend considering a Firewood 9 too since that’s my go to for outside use, but it is about as expensive as the TM2. It has a small learning curve with draw technique and maintenance but is simple enough that I can preheat and hand it off to a friend with minimal instruction. Plus the stem retracts into the body so it’s surprisingly durable!

If I had to pick a new vape with your constraints, I’d probably go with a new Rogue or any of the devices @TigoleBitties recommended, the Lobo in particular since it’s very similar to the Rogue but with a replaceable battery.

 

[SockPuppetTheatrics]

Yeah Roffu makes sense although it doesn't have as open air flow as the V3P, not sure how the air flow is on the lobo, but that could make a lot of sense to replace your rogue more directly...

For your tetra use, you will want to set the temp higher, with the heat soak, then you will get more vapor... You can still get flavor and it won't be too hot, you just have to kind of relearn the temp settings for it specifically... I also wouldn't recommend probably whatever stem you're using it with, much better with a WPA and larger hook, if not some sort of glass piece, in my case ideally with water (depending on the water piece of course, it can help you get the air flow right with the high temps for great quick thick hits)

TM is great yeah and what I would rely on out and about I think, but not with the stock stem setup, also it might be worth checking out the firewood9 too?? Air Max maybe...

Whelp, I tried the P80 again with the cooling tank stem pack full but still loose and just did some on-demand long draws at 380 and it completely kicked my ass. I've got proof of concept and now just need to dial it in (and probably figure out using smaller quantities). It tasted amazing the whole time, too, and a cheap mouthpiece from a headshop was enough insulation against the glass warming up.

Anyway, I didn't realize the TM2 came with a Ti stem. That plus an acrylic or wood mouthpiece would feel more portable to me than carting around a long glass tube if I wanted to use it outside the house.

I'll look into AVLP, V3 Pro, and Lobo. FW9 looks cool but IIRC is really hard to get, right? I know I waited months to get my P80, and I thought it was a similar deal for FW9.

 

[Shit Snacks]

Whelp, I tried the P80 again with the cooling tank stem pack full but still loose and just did some on-demand long draws at 380 and it completely kicked my ass. I've got proof of concept and now just need to dial it in (and probably figure out using smaller quantities). It tasted amazing the whole time, too, and a cheap mouthpiece from a headshop was enough insulation against the glass warming up.

Yep, this is the way, 380 minimum, especially if on demand without any preheat cruise you might want to start even higher, but also depends how many hits you want of course (lower temp settings are better with even more cruise heat soak and super slow draw with minimal visible vapor)

Anyway, I didn't realize the TM2 came with a Ti stem. That plus an acrylic or wood mouthpiece would feel more portable to me than carting around a long glass tube if I wanted to use it outside the house.

Oh, yeah, there are a lot of aftermarket stem options that are really great, the titanium stem does stick out a bit and you'll have to decide how you like it if you try it (make sure it is cleaned thoroughly before use) but yeah the glass is not really a problem, there are so many options they don't have to feel delicate or obtrusive

I'll look into AVLP, V3 Pro, and Lobo. FW9 looks cool but IIRC is really hard to get, right? I know I waited months to get my P80, and I thought it was a similar deal for FW9.

No this is not the same, FW7 would sell out instantly, FW9 is pretty popular, but there are drops every week on Sunday I think? around 7pm EST or so, sometimes they do sell out quick, but you can also email him, just missed out on a sale with 25% off discount though

 

[Durbandream]

Thanks, and I figured someone would recommend the TM2 sooner or later. It's certainly on my radar as a high-quality vape that gets a lot of love here and on Reddit.

I guess it's not my top pick because I think of it as a different tier of vaporizer, like the Mighty / Venty, P80, and TM2 are all in the "premium battery-powered" category and I'm trying to figure out if I want something in the "ultra-portable / pocketable" category. The main drawbacks are:

- expensive
- seems somewhat redundant with the Venty (not that I'm opposed to at some point having both, but I feel like they would both occupy the same space in my collection, if that makes sense)
- reports of hot / harsh hits when used natively
- bulkier than the Rogue
- uneasy about having a glass stem sticking out of something that I'm potentially shoving into my back pocket (I'll look around at other stem options to see if there's something that looks both sturdy and like it won't add too much bulk)

Anyway, this gives me something to think about, and I like the idea of being able to use the dosing caps from the Rogue if I'm away from home and do custom-sized packs without caps if I'm at home (it looks like you can just adjust where the cooling unit sits to change the chamber size).

I got a TM2 recently and it's very easy to recommend. Here's how I'd respond to your points:

1. The upfront cost is high but it's so efficient you can stretch your weed a lot longer and get higher with less, so it pays for itself pretty fast. Like I I'll literally just push the cooling unit almost all the way down until there's a sliver of space, break some weed off a nug, pack it into the bowl without grinding and vape it completely in two hits which are big and flavorful.

2. The Venty is a session vape and the TM2 is mostly On-demand. It has a session mode but I consider that mainly for using with the WPA because the convection nature means you have to take larger draws, which, for me anyway, makes longer sessions with the TM2 not so pleasant. Also, the battery drains very quickly in session mode.

3. I think this is mostly because people don't tamp their herb down. There's a reason the tamper is included in the body of the unit, if you tamp your bowls down carefully to control the airflow you can easily avoid hot hits up to ~6, and drawing slowly will cool it past that. But it's also easy to find aftermarket stems, j-hooks and recyclers. I have a 4.5" recycler I use for dry and water hits that works great.

4. It's not that bulky, and the shape makes it very easy and comfortable to hold. But it is a little fragile, I carry mine in my shoulder bag inside a hard case. Plenty of people just carry theirs in a pocket, though, I just can't take the risk.

5. I wouldn't keep this vape in my back pocket if there was any way I could avoid it.

Dosing caps are great, it's how I use it when I'm out and you can pull it out, vape, reload and put it up in a little over a minute (which is the warmup time for most vapes), but I'd take a little extra time between sessions to clean the screen off while it's still warm so it doesn't clog.