Efficiency: heat gun vs. normal vape?

[scottio19]

the normal vape I am referring to is an herbalaire 2.1. I want a nice bag vape to add to my collection of 2 box vapes and MFLB that i can really enjoy without much fuss- just blow up a turkey or volcano bag and kick back and enjoy the vapors

So, Im bidding on an milwaukee digital ceramic heat gun for $50 so far and can buy a $15 steinel nozzle and be all good for a bag or bong setup. so a total of 65 bucks unless someone else bids on it

OR for 175 I can get an herbalaire, a nice, sturdy, reliable, and last but not least efficient bag vape (that seems to be the general consensus in fuckcombustion).

I guess what I'm asking is, how much more efficient will the herbalaire be than the milwaukee? Will it even make much of a difference, or will the efficiency eventually pay for itself in time? If the difference is negligible i might as well go with the milwaukee because it heats up faster/has an lcd display/less cords. the only downfalls i see are ease of use and loudness.

Whichever option i choose, i will write a review on because I feel as if these two vapes dont get as much publicity as they should and its hard to get info on them for lurkers like me

 

[wowthisisrandom]

I'm not really sure. If efficiency is what you're after bag vapes wouldn't be at the top of my list, they're more party vapes. If you have to get one of these two though I'd say go for the herbalaire as I have heard of heat guns producing metal ions, and you don't want to inhale that.

Edit: Nevermind as long as it's ceramic you should be good

 

[max]

There are different ways to look at efficiency-different definitions if you will. With the herbalAire, high efficiency means it does an excellent job of thoroughly extracting everything from the bowl load. This high efficiency would be in bag fill mode, since in passive whip mode, it's up to the user and his/her lungs to get the bowl contents completely vaped.

The other way to view efficiency, as wowthisisrandom is stating, means getting the most 'high' out of the least amount of herb. This is a tricky concept, since user psychology comes into play. Vapes with larger bowls (IMO the typical, regular size whip bowls, as well as the herbie crucible, 'cano bowl, etc. are in this category) prompt the user to put in larger amounts. When using bags, or direct draw models that can provide big hits, the tendency is fill the bags with dense vapor and take big hits via direct draw. So it's not that these types of vapes are inherently inefficient, just that they tend to go through a good amount of herb because they get used that way. Something like the log vapes, OTOH, with the tiny bowls that still provide quite a few hits, promote efficiency because the smaller hits stretch a bowl out longer. With a big bowl (bag or whip) load, the tendency is to hit big and finish off the bowl (even if you're already ripped). The small bowls give you more time to feel the effects, and after bowl #1, 2, or whatever (depending on the person), you just lose interest in loading another. You can do the small load, dosing type of vaping with big bowls, but the vaping satisfaction just isn't there. The small hits from a log vape can be quite satisfying, but it takes a lot more effort and time to get really ripped, because you're basically sipping instead of chugging.

Personally, I'd favor the herbalAire over the heat gun. I used the herbie for years and think it's a real bargain. But for versatility, you're probably better off with the heat gun (in whip mode the herbie ain't great for big hits). They're not designed for inhalation though, and a ceramic element is just one piece.

 

[scottio19]

I ended up buying a used volcano classic base unit on craigslist in a parking lot snagged it for $150 and all i need to buy now is the $120 solid valve kit... so 270 total!!

Deep down in my heart I longed for the herbalaire, but the fact that I could probably resell the volcano for a higher value made it a wise investment!

On a related note, does the volcano compare to the herbalaire's efficiency? It has a larger bowl and doesnt vape as evenly as the herbalaire but they are both very similar bag vapes.

 

[Carbon]

IOn a related note, does the volcano compare to the herbalaire's efficiency? It has a larger bowl and doesnt vape as evenly as the herbalaire but they are both very similar bag vapes.

The Volcano isn't going to be as efficient as a heat gun vape, but it's still fine. People overstate the Volcano's "herb hungry" status. If you're patient you can get a lot out of a little. Even when I put a small amount in I'll still get plenty of effect as long as I inflate 2 or 3 bags. Don't be put off by the vapor not being super dense. It's the nature of the beast with less herb inside. Just be patient and make sure you're fully running through what you put in.

 

[Egzoset]

...does the volcano compare to the herbalaire's efficiency?

If you must compare the HerbalAire to another device i'd suggest you start with a non-stirring one - which doesn't leave many candidates to try out since the only one i can think of would be the Oracle and that one differs significantly by how fast it heats up (because it's halogen)...

You could as well start making comparisons with sturdy ones but once again there ain't too many left so i guess one might be correct to state that the HerbalAire is one of a kind.

 

[scottio19]

You could as well start making comparisons with sturdy ones but once again there ain't too many left so i guess one might be correct to state that the HerbalAire is one of a kind.

I will always have buyers remorse over not getting the herbalaire, lol. If I could sell the cano for like $400 and buy an herbalaire id be soo happy. But the volcano definitely has that "wow" factor, even my friends who are uninterested with vapes want to try it when i get the valve set.

 

[Egzoset]

I'm not a fan of glassware myself but, depending on how one defines the "wow" factor", if i were after such a feature i guess i just might go with something like this:


Herborizer Tube Review

But since you mentioned the Volcano why not a Verdamper!

...

 

[scottio19]

what a beauty

is the herborizer made in Germany too? Europeans really know how to put together a quality vape