Disappointed in my DBV

[Hoof Hearted]

I've been really interested in vaping for awhile now so after researching this forum, and youtube vids I went all out and bought a brand new Da Buddha vape and a nice 12 inch bong to go with it because from everything I've been reading, a vaporbong setup was the way to go. I spent over $300 and this new setup is now sitting on a shelf in my closet. I already went back to smoking bowls and joints. I like the quickness, the easiness, the portability, and the stealthiness of those medicating options. I should have thought about those factors more before buying a vape. I should have went with a portable one over a desktop but I just heard so many great things about the Da Buddha vape that I just had to try it. I justified the purchase by the amount of money I would save from less herb being consumed but that hasn't been the case since I got it. I have hour long sessions where I'm just pullin from that bong trying to reach the point where I feel really medicated and I never do. Has anyone else experienced this letdown and went straight back to combusting? I originally became interested in vaping because of the health concerns associated with smoking. I've been smoking for 15 years and I was always told that what I was smoking wasn't nearly as bad as cigarettes. Well, those people were wrong. Smoking ANYTHING has a negative impact on ones health. I don't want to give up on vaping yet so are there any suggestions for a portable vape? I'm thinking a portable vape will still allow me to medicate at places where I like to, such as the park, while not harming my health like smoking does. Is the MFLB the cheapest portable vape there is? I usually am more concerned with quality over price but I want something cheap just in case I still don't like it.

 

[Hoops]

Hey Hoof,

About 4-5 years ago I too purchased my first vape around my 15yr mark...the Vaporbros. While the vape itself was great, I had a really hard time converting and went back to smoking pretty quickly. I'd break out the VB from time to time, but not consistently. I didn't like stirring, the vapor was hot on my throat, it was easier to just pack a bowl, hit it with a lighter and go.

About a year ago I finally quit smoking cigs and after a month of quitting those, I began vaping mmj again. After a week of vaping mmj, I tried to smoke a bowl and........dear lord, what an awful experience!!!! Once I quit smoking cigs and mmj for about a week, I could not go back to smoking....it's god awful!

Vaping is somewhat of a trial and error experience to me. You can't really understand the best functionality of a unit until you have found the worst functionality of the same unit, it all takes a little time. IMO, If the desktop vape isn't doing it for you, don't purchase a portable until you are sure vaping is for you. Work with the DBV and if it wins you over, look at portables to further your vaping experience.

Focus on....
1. Draw Speed
2. Grind type (fine, course, etc)
3. Vary temps until you find the best vapor density for your needs. Different temps provide different effects.

That's my advice, although admittedly, there is more sage advice coming from more experienced vaporists I'm sure.

 

[Hoof Hearted]

Thanks man. That's some excellent advice.

Yeah, I guess it makes sense to hold off on purchasing a portable unit until I'm sure that vaping is for me. In a way weird though, I almost want to force myself to quit smoking. I don't want to quit medicating, just smoking. If I completely quit smoking then I'm sure I'll get used to other methods of ingesting mmj like edibles and vaping. It just takes time for the body to adjust. But the bottom line is that I'm in my early 30's and want to live long enough to see my early 90's,, and without a hole in my throat.

 

[satyrday]

I think you might like the Classic Vapor Genie for $55. You can start at higher temps and make it closer to smoking, and gradually fine tune your use and try lower temps. You use any lighter or torch with it and it's extremely portable. All of this can help you recreate a smoking-like experience without actually combusting (if you're careful).

http://www.vaporgenie.com

 

[Hoops]

Man, that's exactly what brought me to this forum in my mid 30's last year. Around this time, you realize life is finite....you actually start to understand you're on limited time. Make the decision now or it will just get harder later...that's what I kept telling myself.

I can honestly say though, that vaping is now my preferred style of ingestion, by far. Most will say, just vape and only vape for a full week, then pass judgement in whatever way is best for you. I would agree with this.

If you are a cigarette smoker, that for me was by far the hardest thing to get around. Once I quit those I fell in love with vaping mmj and never looked back.

I'm upwards of a dozen vapes at this point and I really believe I'm breaking even overall due to the amount I'm conserving, without trying to conserve. Went from a z every two weeks to a z every month. I've cut my costs in half without trying. Spent the other half on GAS/VAS....worth every penny.

If the DBV doesn't do it for you, I doubt a portable will even come close. Good luck!

 

[JCat]

Get an Inhalater. I've found it's the closest thing to smoking out of the 20 or so vapes I've owned. It's portable, discrete (people think it's an eCig), it's versatile with a wide temperature range, and can be used with water as well when at home and I have a ThermoVape TrueFlow moisture conditioner for on the go ...

It takes an adjustment period, but there is no reason you shouldn't be able to get just as high off vaping as combusting (it may take some getting used to though ...)

 

[max]

There's nothing wrong with a DBV that a portable will cure. If anything, those going from smoke to vapor would likely prefer a big hitter like the DBV over any portable. Assuming you're not hitting it hard enough to lower the vaping temp too much, the DBV produces vapor just fine. There IS a difference between the vapor high and the smoke high though, and that's the 1st thing any vaporist has to deal with. Not getting sufficiently high from a vape like the DBV (assuming no issues with the unit itself) normally comes down to hitting it improperly or expecting the same effects you get with smoke.

Is the MFLB the cheapest portable vape there is?

No, the VaporGenie is half the price-needs a lighter though. If a Launch Box impresses you more than a DBV, then you probably need to contact 7th Floor about a warranty claim, although if you let it get hot enough and your herb is ground very fine the LB can certainly pack a punch. I just don't think the DBV is your issue unless it's defective. It's one of the most popular models on the market.

 

[darkrom]

Da buddha is hard to use wrong. Try it without the bong a bit to get used to it, then you'll probably want the bong every time once you are familiar with vaping.

What temp are you at? Maybe you need to go hotter to get a similar high to combustion for now?

 

[Breathemetal]

With my SSV i had issues at first as well.

How I learned? Max temp, heavy slow draws.
Once I got the feel for it, I am not able to back off my temp quite a bit, and not try as hard on my draw and get just as good as a it.

Dont give up on the DBV, it's a killer vape.

 

[stickstones]

My first night with the Extreme was an utter failure, and I used the bag function the next night with no problems. It takes a little time to get the whip method down. You have to get the temp setting and the draw speed right...keep trying!

 

[vaporonly]

i second the advice to get familiar with the DBV without the water filtration.

how hot are you using the DBV?

I don't ever remember having troubles with my SSV (my first vap)

but if the DBV leaves you unsatisfied after an hour, then I doubt the MFLB will be any better.

 

[stickstones]

I should have said that too...no way a noobie should be trying to get the hang of it through a bubbler. Get the whip draw down first.

 

[Meghan]

I switched to vaping in April after having smoked for 14 years. I never, ever thought I would be able to easily quit combustion. I loved the ritual, the smell, the taste, the effects, everything. I was mildly concerned about my health, but never enough to even cut down on my medicating. Two or three years ago I bought an iolite and liked the convenience/stealth aspect of it, but hated the taste and didn't feel that it medicated me as well as smoking. I used it occasionally for a few months and then never used it again.

I only tried vaping again because the smell and mess of combustion drove my non-medicating partner crazy. I had to stand by open doors to medicate, and/or go outside. So I bought a Pax. Immediately I liked it better than the iolite because it was total simplicity. After my first session, I realized I actually felt high. The effects were still there. I was thrilled because I, too, am approaching my mid-thirties and am suddenly much more health conscious. It really is worth it to make the effort to switch.

I actually quit smoking altogether without even trying. Due to my partner's constant complaints about smoke and my own excitement over my new toy, I ended up using it for five days straight with absolutely no combustion. Then I decided to light up a pre-roll I'd picked up that I was excited about. For me, a joint was a pleasure like no other. And yet when I took my first hit, I was shocked by how awful it tasted and felt. I couldn't believe the activity I'd once loved involved inhaling such a noxious, thick cloud of toxins. Seriously, that was it for me. All of a sudden, I was a vaporist.

So I agree with everyone else--stick with it! Go cold turkey on the smoking and you will very quickly learn to appreciate and enjoy vaping. I also agree that mastering direct draw with your DBV is probably a wise idea. I don't have one, but I do know that pairing my Underdog with a water pipe for the first time definitely involved a learning curve. I could get massive hits with the UD using direct draw, but my first session with the water pipe was pathetic. I pretty much felt like I wasted my meds. However, the second one, once I figured out that sweet spot...holy cow, I get more medicated now through vaping than I ever did smoking!

Good luck.

 

[Hoof Hearted]

Thanks for the replies. They were all very helpful and I will follow some of the advice given to me, especially by Meghan.

I'm going to try to quit combusting for a full week before I pass judgement on vaping. I planned on doing this the week before I got my DBV but that didn't happen. I'm looking for some better medicating effects because right now my DBV seems like a waste because it's not doing the trick like a few quick bong rips will.

I have a bad feeling that this week without combusting will be very tough but that seems like the best way to make the transition from smoking to vaping. Thanks again.

Who Farted

 

[stickstones]

work that draw, hoof!

 

[Tweak]

I have a bad feeling that this week without combusting will be very tough but that seems like the best way to make the transition from smoking to vaping. Thanks again.

IMO its the only way. Combusting gives a different high than vaping, more of a stoney feeling. Your eyes feel drained and you get tired after the buzz wheres off. These two things are lacking in vaporizing, so you think your are less medicated.

Try hitting the DBV a full session and then go directly to a store or other social environment, this is when you realize just how medicated you are,

 

[ShipDit]

I had to do the exact same thing. When I started Vaping,I was also smoking and that messes everything up.
Then I went one week only Vaping. Bingo! That showed me the way. It's a new kinda high,much cleaner and less muddy feeling if that makes any sense. Just try one week without smoking,only Vaping. Im willing to bet you'll see the light and convert. Might even extend your life a little and that's always a plus!

 

[Hoof Hearted]

IMO its the only way. Combusting gives a different high than vaping, more of a stoney feeling. Your eyes feel drained and you get tired after the buzz wheres off. These two things are lacking in vaporizing, so you think your are less medicated.

Try hitting the DBV a full session and then go directly to a store or other social environment, this is when you realize just how medicated you are,

That's a great idea, Thurgood!

 

[Meghan]

The biggest difference between vaping and smoking for me, and what has made the biggest impact in helping me learn to vape properly, has been understanding that a long, gentle, slow draw is best when you're not combusting. I honestly think I had a tendency to draw too hard in the beginning, more like I'd hit a pipe. I believe that was my problem with my first session with the water pipe and my UD, too. Even though I'd learned to take slow, shallow draws when hitting the UD directly, as soon as I had a bong in front of me I was back to my old ways. It was when I finally focused on hitting the water pipe the same way I do via direct draw--nice and easy--that I was finally rewarded with the big hits I had been searching for.

Good luck! If you practice, I think you'll find that a week without combustion will be no big deal at all. I promise you, as someone who has had massive tolerance for years (I smoked everyone under the table, always), vaping will definitely get you medicated. It's a fantastic, strong high. And I've cut my consumption at least in half without sacrificing any of the effects. So keep the faith!

 

[youbettavaporize]

My first vaporizer was the volcano. In a lot of ways that is an ideal beginners vape. You put your botanical in the chamber (I have the solid valve) place it on the preheated unit, start the air and then snap the bag on the chamber and it fills with delicious vapor. It controls the speed of the air so it takes the hardest part out of the equation when switching to vapor.

Intuitively I think it's a hard transition. With combustion a faster draw brings more air to aid combustion so it speeds up and you get more smoke. With vapor you have a heating element that air passes over (at least with the DBV and most others I'm familiar with) and heats up, so the slower the draw the more the air heats up. It's completely backwards from combustion.

In my case I fell in love immediately. I was much more worried about my wife taking to it, but she totally did right away just like me. For me I'm a lightweight and am somewhat prone to paranoia and anxiety. Being able to dial it back a bit has given me a whole new appreciation for the sport. She definitely likes a bigger stronger effect than me. vaping makes that easy to accommodate. How great is that?

 

[rabblerouser]

The DBV should be able to satisfy most people, I've had plenty of people get extra high trying it for the first time. even my friends, that think other vapes are wimpy, like the buddha. I would just leave it on all the time if the heat up time bothers you.

If you aren't getting comparitively thick clouds, at least when blown into a light, then you may want to up the temperature or slow your draw speed. Too slow can potentially light things on fire, but too fast won't give you much vapor, there is somewhat of a balance, although if you turn the heat up you can hit it pretty fast. A super fine grind will help the extraction too. and letting any overly damp bud dry out a little doesn't hurt.