Desktops for Concentrates

[Vaporware]

To answer this question and hopefully avoid detailing another thread, I’m answering it here. Anyone else who has recommendations, please add them!

Edit: Just to clarify, this is for concentrates *and* flower. I should have included that in the title. Please read the original quote below for more details.

ok, this is prolly more VAS speaking than anything else, but in case Santa asks...
I'm entertaining the idea of replacing my hardly used HerbalAire Elite,
since I have a small fleet of mod-boxes with Divine Tribe atomizers which I love, I would like a desktop vape
that can hold it's own too. I can crank the Herbie up to 410F, but THCv and others up there for me help, and that's 428F. Don't have a giant need for filling bags unless there's a party.
Most of what I do is concentrates, be they CO2, live resin, live rosin, some wax/budder/crumble, kief...
but I would like to be able to use flower, or flower greased up with concentrate.
So, I'm thinking Cloud Evo, and Enano are the two contenders for me based on the love shown for them by so many. Can they both do concentrates? Water tool for sure.
Ideas, input? Ease of use, cleaning. Easy on the lungs/throat.
@Vape Donkey 650, @OF, @KeroZen, @ataxian, @Vitolo

I haven’t used the Evo or any log, but my recommendation is the NewVape FlowerPot - VRod version with a SiC dish.

It does flower and concentrates - at the same time if you want, and you can put the concentrates on the SiC dish or in the bowl with flower or a concentrate pad. This is more flexible and I think offers more of what you want than any other option I’m aware of.

I’ve said a lot about it elsewhere in Ask FC and the FP thread and I need to go eat, so I’ll leave it at that for now.

 

[looney2nz]

I have looked over the flowerpot thread in the past, my only concern was the unwieldiness of the heat source. I'll have to dive back into the thread and refresh myself.

 

[Ramahs]

I have looked over the flowerpot thread in the past, my only concern was the unwieldiness of the heat source. I'll have to dive back into the thread and refresh myself.

As long as you have a decent stand to put it on, like the one NewVape sells, or something similar...you can keep it at arms length or whatever and you'll be fine.

It's probably less dangerous than a candle.

 

[Vaporware]

I have looked over the flowerpot thread in the past, my only concern was the unwieldiness of the heat source. I'll have to dive back into the thread and refresh myself.

There is a legitimate concern with the hot head, but if you pick it up by the handle and put it back on the post or somewhere safe when you’re done, almost everyone is fine with it.

If you often drop things that have good handles, it may not be good for you, otherwise I don’t think there’s a lot of reason to worry. I just put the other tools on the stand in front so I don’t have to reach right over it and while I touched the rim for a fraction of a second once (no real damage), I’ve never burned myself in a year of using it almost daily, and no one else has burned themselves on mine either.

This is an issue with any kind of nail for concentrates, and (to a lesser extent) with plenty of other vaporizers that get pretty hot in certain areas. For me, it’s been a lot less of a problem than I expected and all of the benefits of the FlowerPot far outweigh that drawback!

Since you were concerned about cleaning, I should also mention that the FP is one of the lowest maintenance options around.

A quick regular cleaning of the SiC dish with concentrates is a good idea (as with almost every delivery system I’ve seen, disposable cartridges being the exception), so swabbing the SiC dish after use is a good idea*, and you do need to clean the FP bowls when they get too dirty for you, but that’s about it.

I don’t have the VRod yet, but a couple of weeks ago took my ShowerHead apart and dropped it in iso for the first time in almost a year of having it and I found that it didn’t even need it. It’s really just the bowls, plus the concentrate dish, carb cap and tools if/when you use them. No big disassembly and careful attention to a bunch of parts like many other devices.

Oh, and you should clean your glass, but that’s the same for anything you use with glass.

*If you don’t mind a little residue on the SiC (or quartz) dish you can wait and just soak the dish periodically, but to maintain the best flavor most seem to swab dabbing surfaces regularly.

 

[looney2nz]

There is a legitimate concern with the hot head, but if you pick it up by the handle and put it back on the post or somewhere safe when you’re done, almost everyone is fine with it.

If you often drop things that have good handles, it may not be good for you, otherwise I don’t think there’s a lot of reason to worry. I just put the other tools on the stand in front so I don’t have to reach right over it and while I touched the rim for a fraction of a second once (no real damage), I’ve never burned myself in a year of using it almost daily, and no one else has burned themselves on mine either.

This is an issue with any kind of nail for concentrates, and (to a lesser extent) with plenty of other vaporizers that get pretty hot in certain areas. For me, it’s been a lot less of a problem than I expected and all of the benefits of the FlowerPot far outweigh that drawback!

Since you were concerned about cleaning, I should also mention that the FP is one of the lowest maintenance options around.

A quick regular cleaning of the SiC dish with concentrates is a good idea (as with almost every delivery system I’ve seen, disposable cartridges being the exception), so swabbing the SiC dish after use is a good idea*, and you do need to clean the FP bowls when they get too dirty for you, but that’s about it.

I don’t have the VRod yet, but a couple of weeks ago took my ShowerHead apart and dropped it in iso for the first time in almost a year of having it and I found that it didn’t even need it. It’s really just the bowls, plus the concentrate dish, carb cap and tools if/when you use them. No big disassembly and careful attention to a bunch of parts like many other devices.

Oh, and you should clean your glass, but that’s the same for anything you use with glass.

*If you don’t mind a little residue on the SiC (or quartz) dish you can wait and just soak the dish periodically, but to maintain the best flavor most seem to swab dabbing surfaces regularly.

yeah, I'm pretty thorough on my cleanings, especially iso through my glass... may try some PWB tho.

just like to make sure all that iso is gone when I'm done

I'll have to go look at what the VROD is, a different bubbler?

I haven't used a nail yet, closest I've come is using the Divine Tribe ceramic atomizers,
including the Quartz Quest atomizer and crucible/bucket. Very nice, full of flavor, fairly efficient.
Have to swab it clean each use, but with organic cotton swabs and some pricey organic 200 proof ETOH,
it's cake.
Stash the swabs to be processed later for reclaim (which is considerable).

Stepping up the fight against the cancer, so going to ask for 1 more tool
Nails and Dabbing are foreign to me just because I've never done 'em, yet.

The bulk of my intake is brownies I have help making, they last me around 3-4 hours (used to be 6-7).
That dose is around 500mg of THC with around 1/3 of that added CBD, very powerful.
Made from concentrate. The dosage is for 1/64th piece of a 9x9 pan. Very small, low low sugar.
I can put away 4-6 of these cubes per day (2-3G, not including what is vaped).
Vaping, even with concentrate lasts me around 30-40minutes and then it's gone.
Good for breakthrough pain, which is staggering.
For right now, I've even relented to buying clean carts for my palm-vapes (Joyetech VTwo Minis, and an Invoke 220) so I can get some of the clean strains I want (and can no longer find in clean syringes).

so if I can clean a spot on the hospital table over the bed, I can have a stable setup sans harmful accidents? . I can take the palm-vapes with me around the other parts of the house.

gonna go dive back into the FP thread

thanks.

 

[Hogni]

Yep, for doubledeckers or for the use of herbs or trates with the same device there seems to be nothing that reaches to the performance of the VRod.
- perfect performance, extraction and taste with flowers
- nearly perfect for concentrates, there are better solutions for sure but nothing that can do both as good at those high level
- easy and fast to load/unload, nearly no maintenance
- nearly indestructible. The coil may burn out after some years of use but the ti parts last forever.
- Absolute save stand when using the NV coil post, safe handling when using the NV enail handle (both parts absolutely recommended!)
- In my experience, the only part that could be a bit dangerous is the carb cab when heated up to working temp of the heater and you are clumsy handling it.

All in all the best desktop AIO solution at the market atm.

EDIT: Safetywise you better give it an own table at your bed. The whole setup needs some room for secure handling.

 

[looney2nz]

Space being at a premium when largely bed-bound, the hospital table seemed the most likely stable platform, I can velcro it to the table. But there is still a lot of other supplies (RX medicine, med cannabis, isolates, resins/rosins/sauces and cartridges, supplements) some of the palm-vapes, etc on that table.
Have a small end table on left side, alarm clock, phone, more palm-vapes and charged batteries, the ETOH and organic swabs, jewelers screwdrivers (charger lives on an adjacent chest of drawers, where my Herbie also lives). How much room should I try to dedicate to it?

 

[Vaporware]

Space being at a premium when largely bed-bound, the hospital table seemed the most likely stable platform, I can velcro it to the table. But there is still a lot of other supplies (RX medicine, med cannabis, isolates, resins/rosins/sauces and cartridges, supplements) some of the palm-vapes, etc on that table.
Have a small end table on left side, alarm clock, phone, more palm-vapes and charged batteries, the ETOH and organic swabs, jewelers screwdrivers (charger lives on an adjacent chest of drawers, where my Herbie also lives). How much room should I try to dedicate to it?

I have mine on a small table maybe 2’x18” or so with bubblers and some other stuff and there’s plenty of space around it...the only reason to give it a bit of room is to keep you and your temperature-sensitive things from touching it.

At worst you could build a little wall between it and the rest of the table to keep it isolated. As long as nothing that can’t take high heat is touching it, you’re good. I can put my hand pretty close to it with no problems, I just don’t touch it.

What I would do in your situation is put the stand on one side of the table (you could even screw the post directly into the table instead of using the stand if you need more room, but velcroing the stand down should work too), and attach the controller to the bottom of the table so you have access but it’s not taking up valuable space.

In that configuration, while I would still avoid putting anything that can’t take 500+f temps close to it while it’s turned on so they don’t accidentally touch it, I think you could use it safely and you’d only need enough distance to avoid pushing things right onto the hot head.

If you secure it to the table somehow, I think just putting your other cannabis supplies between the FP and other things you keep on the table would be more than enough to keep it safe.

On the other hand, if you walled it off in a corner of the table to give maximum space for other things, I’d say the minimum space you need is only a few square inches. If you use the stand it’s 5” (12.7cm) in diameter if that helps, and like I said you could also put the post to hold it directly into the table or make your own custom stand. Your side table could also work if that’s more comfortable.

You can even just stick the head in an ash tray or coffee cup and put that somewhere if you want, but that would be less stable, just trying to help you imagine what might work for you. Maybe a custom ceramic FlowerPot Cave you could slide it into to keep anything from touching it would be your style, I don’t know, but I wouldn’t worry too much. I’m a lot less worried about it than I was when I got it.

Someone recently made a good comparison I think; it’s kinda’ like having a candle burning. If you can deal with that, you should be fine.

As for the cleaning stuff, what I was trying to point out was that other than the concentrate cleanup you’re already used to, the bowls are all you really have to clean. That makes it one of the easiest vaporizers to maintain. Some people who brush the bowls out regularly say they rarely even have to soak those.

Finally, the VRod is the latest version of the FlowerPot. Unless you’re trying to buy used (which could take a while for the new model), it’s the one to get at this point, especially for concentrates.

If you have any more questions you can’t find answers to, plenty of FP users (including me) are still here to help! NewVape also has a lot of answers to questions, including questions you didn’t even know you had, here: https://www.newvape.com/flowerpot/fp-faq

 

[looney2nz]

@VaporWare

thank you my friend, now I have to go to their site, figure out what it's all going to add up to with all the various doo-dads they have . Then see if the Santa team thinks that's feasible collectively

I wonder what I can get for a barely used Herbalaire Elite with the high output pump... it really IS a great vape, I upgraded after using the previous v2.2 around 10 years, it was the poor mans Volcano, and it was and is almost indestructable (remember those videos of them tossing it across the room, it is THAT studly).
I gave that older unit to my brother with an upgraded pump and a water tool, and it's still jammin'.

But I guess it's time to move onward and upward (sooner or later).

I should have no problem carving out a section to protect everything, hell I could make.a wall of concentrate jars, I've collected over the years!

The joys of too small a fixed income, while in the fight of your life.
I wonder if insurance companies will ever pay for cannabis as medicine (unless it's a big pharma pill!)?
Certainly not MedicAid with the existing federal duplicity

I normally clean my stuff with ISO for a full cleaning, and 200proof ETOH for the quick cleanups in between sessions. I know some folks are cleaning some of these things with ultrasonics, but I don't know how well it works... some of those units are not designed for certain solvents like alcohol. Not that worried about the heater, bowls, etc. Whatever glass I pick I'll have to keep clean too.

ok, next brownie is up... hopefully with a nap attached.

thanks folks!

 

[Baron23]

Space being at a premium when largely bed-bound, the hospital table seemed the most likely stable platform, I can velcro it to the table. But there is still a lot of other supplies (RX medicine, med cannabis, isolates, resins/rosins/sauces and cartridges, supplements) some of the palm-vapes, etc on that table.
Have a small end table on left side, alarm clock, phone, more palm-vapes and charged batteries, the ETOH and organic swabs, jewelers screwdrivers (charger lives on an adjacent chest of drawers, where my Herbie also lives). How much room should I try to dedicate to it?

Brother, I love my FP and do think that in most instances a FP Vrod with SiC would be the best available answer to your inquiry.

However, I gather you are bed bound and are looking to use this off of one of those little bed tables that they have in hospitals.

With that in mind, I quake at the thought of a 700 F exposed heater.

Sorry, but my experience in hospitals (and I have been and been) is that I can hardly eat off of one of those things without getting it all over me. Hot heater....well, not for me.

To be perfectly honest, it sounds to me like good quality carts in mod would be best for your situation. Very fast for break out pain and not dangerous in any way. Only draw back is that they are often not quite as powerful as straight up 'trates (but some are) and you need to be in a legal state in order to get anything of quality.

Just my thoughts along with my most sincere best wishes.

 

[Hogni]

Yep, totally agree. We didn't talk about the weakest point regarding security - the cable. There is less a danger of tipping over your bubbler or heater with a careless move but more of revel yourself or something else with the cable between the controller and the heater/VRod and that drag down your heating parts or your whole setup.
I'm not very carefully in my daily behavior but I wouldn't use such a setup in a hospital placed on a small bedside table TOGETHER with other things I'm always using, especially if I would have to do my handling in a lying position.
Therefore, a perfect device for your needs but not without a separate table.

 

[looney2nz]

argh, gonna drive me mad.

That was one of the things I found attractive about the Cloud Evo., self-contained, stable, the water tool for it is slick. But I've got to dig deeper and see how it vapes concentrate... I think I recall a post that said it was a nail inside that protective cover (which seems like a PITA, especially for cleanup).

I've got my DT Quartz Quests and v3's, and I'm using one of the Joyetech units for the carts.

The palm vapes are great for around the house, and even taking out to doctor appts if push comes to shove.
If I get hauled over to my sisters for Thanksgiving, I'll bring my DT Vape Donkey Custom Tank of CBD with me The DT atomizers are incredible.

But I started off this adventure with the Herbalaire and there are things I like about a desktop vape... so if it's as smooth, potent and efficient as folks say, and I can do both flower and concentrate or both... cool.

Perhaps down the line, I'll be able to invest in a FP, knock on wood.

Anything else detracting from the Cloud Evo to fill this gap?

 

[BabyFacedFinster]

I love my nano for concentrates. Lately I've been vaping shatter and waxes with a little cotton, more than flower. A desktop really plows through that oil no problem and gives great hits. The results were mixed at first, until I learned to use the first hit as a way to soak the cotton with the melted shatter. The important next step is to mix the cotton around with a dab tool, spreading the concentrate over all the cotton fibers and increasing surface area. The next hits are massive.

enail dabs are way too much at one time for me.

 

[looney2nz]

ok, a vote for the Enano?

 

[Vaporware]

Thanks for adding some options everyone! The FP (secured to the table) would still be my choice, but I completely understand being uncomfortable with it, and there are other good options out there.

On the safety front, if the candle comparison doesn’t work for you, I’d think about whether or not other things on your tables are safe. If you knock things off a lot I would worry, but I’d also worry about the Evo being so tall and having glass on top of it. A hot Evo is a lot less likely to burn you, but the glass parts inside and on top are likely to break if you knock them onto the floor, etc.

If you’re careful and/or you can set them safely off to the side when not in use or otherwise protect them though, either could work.

I do want to point out that I haven’t heard as good reviews of the Evo for concentrates, and while some rate it just as high or higher for flower, most comparisons I’ve seen rate the FP higher. Still, the Evo is one of the best regarded desktops for a reason, so I’d look into both or whichever you’re comfortable with right now.

In case it helps, here’s one more shot at making the FP super safe:

Get a box with a sliding or latchable lid (made out of a material suitable for high temps), put a gap in the side that the handle can fit through but not the head, screw a post into the bottom of the box and secure that box to the table.

If you put the head on the post and close the box when you’re not actively using it, that or any similar concept will make it as safe to be around as any desktop I can think of.

That might be overkill, just saying there are ways to solve these problems if you decide on the FP.

If you want to go with something else and maybe re-consider the FP in the future though, do what makes you comfortable and happy! It seems like you’ve got more than enough problems already; choosing a new vaporizer should be fun, not too stressful, and any of the options that meet your needs and are well-regarded on this forum should be great.

 

[little maggie]

Could someone point me to the thread that talks about how to use concentrates with the enano. I didn't realize concentrates worked with logs.

 

[PPN]

Yes the Nano works with concentrates but, unlike the FP, it's full convection concentrates vaping which is time consumering but very economical with your stash. Personnaly I use a HGL log but used to vape concentrates with my previous E-Nano like now with my HGL.

Here my favourite way to process: put a small spoon or two of kief (from your grinder i.e) in a GonG and add the concentrate of your choice. Kief act like a sponge and after initial hit(s) you can stir to break the "cake" and let the hot air to hit the maximum of surface for bigger hits. Imo kief doesn't impact the taste so much and it's even better when you use kief and a drop of reclaim on the top.
Although I vape my concentrates with some hemp fibers or coton too, the idea is the same than with the previous method except you can't stir but you can spread the oil on the cotton's ball using your fingers or a pair of pliers.

I think concentrate vaping is better with my HGL not cause the base unit but cause it came with a short WonG which alloys the heater to be closer of the load for a more efficient vaping.

Concentrate convection vaping is time consumering, at least 2 or 3x the time you need for a flower bowl, it's not a dab like experience but more economical with your stash imo.

Edit: Don't overload and start with very small amount.

 

[Hogni]

Yep. I don't have one myself but heard the best about the e-nano especially from friends their opinion I very respect regarding vapes, who have one and are excited about. For sure a safer option than the FP.

BTW I want to recommend you the best bubbler for use while lying IMO.

The Matrix sidecar from StevenLMZ79 on DHGate

First of all, it has a good performance and is pretty tasty. A good compromise size for dabbing concentrates and vaping flowers.
But the most important point is the safety of handling. You nearly can't lose it out of your hands even while lying cause of its construction. You don't need to hold it. Just hang the point of connection between neck and body in the deepest point between your thumb and index finger. It will hang secure and stable without any grip. Because of that, it's my absolute favorite for use while lying.