First Vape: Is there a bad choice? No love for DaVinci?

[Wednesday]

Hello, FC! Brand new member, relatively new to smoking, never vaped before. I've always had to smoke through water since hot smoke causes too much coughing, but even then I don't want to be inhaling burning plant matter, plus water filters out components that I do want as well as ones I don't want. So, this seems like the perfect place to be to investigate alternatives!

There's a ton of information here on the forums, and I still need to go through the respective threads more thoroughly for the vapes I've narrowed my choice down to, but that's literally hundreds of pages of posts. And while normally I would lurk for a couple weeks and read up on all of those before delurking for a first post, there's a Cyber Monday sale today that I want to take advantage of.

It's starting to feel like there isn't an obviously *bad* choice. I had been debating between the PAX and the DaVinci, and had almost made my decision until I ran across excellent reviews of the Arizer Solo this evening. I'm leaning away from the PAX despite all the amazing reviews because I do need very tight odor control (which the DaVinci is supposed to have), and I'm wary of reports of the mouthpiece sticking. Also, the fans of the PAX sound suspiciously similar to the Apple fanatics, and while I'm a Mac and iPhone user myself and can appreciate the gorgeous aesthetic of the PAX, practicality wins out over a pretty accessory and even PAX proponents admit it has a couple practical design flaws. The DaVinci vs the Solo, though? It's a really hard choice! The Solo seems to be a lot more popular, and I can't seem to see why. Just because it's been out longer? Can anyone comment on why the Solo is really popular and the PAX has gotten a *huge* following in just a month or so (likely the sleek and sexy design), but the DaVinci seems like the red-headed stepchild of vapes? With the Cyber Monday discount, if I'm reading it right, then the DV and the Solo are significantly cheaper than the PAX, which pretty much takes the PAX out of the running for me. And yet I'd still probably enjoy the PAX quite a lot if I got one.

So, I think my next step will be to read as much about the Solo and the DaVinci in the product threads here as I can in my free time (hah!) tomorrow, and make a decision tomorrow night. If, in the meantime, anyone has a reason *not* to get the DaVinci or a comment on how much better the vapor is out of the Solo than the DaVinci, I would love to hear some input!

(As a footnote, since it may come up, here are the criteria I've been using to select a vape: max price of $250, preferably under $200; strong hits with more efficiency than combustion; supports up to 2 users.; strongly prefer portable; and an easy learning curve. And adjustable temperature control. Thanks!)

 

[ShipDit]

You've come to the right place! The knowledge contained here is a veritable "Library of Alexandrea" of the Vape world!
I've used the Solo and was impressed with the vapor it can put out. The only downside (if it can be called that), is it's kinda bulky. Not that it's not portable,far from it. Just not like the Pax,which just seems to disappear in your pocket. The Solo can be had from Puffitup for 160 bux. I think there are a few other places that sell it for about the same price,but I and many others like the service you get from Randy at Puffitup.
As for the DaVinci,I have zero exp. I'm sure some of the folks here will help you out. I know plowing through long ass threads can be a chore,but you will learn A LOT about the Vape of choice. Both vapes have their quirks so do your homework and dive in! All the vapes you mention are quality units, just figure out what's important to you.
No matter your choice,welcome to the club! Be sure to share your experiences with the community,you just might help the next person,and that's what FC is all about.

 

[max]

The Solo is popular mostly because you're getting a home vape that runs on batteries. It's not a pocket portable, but a cross between a home and away vape.

I've owned a few portables (and quite a few home units) and have settled on the DV for most of my on the go vaping (along with the Magic Flight box). I haven't used a Pax but know enough about it to know I'm not interested. I'd just as soon use my old iolite. The DV will meet your requirements I think. I wouldn't worry about combustion, but I'd also advise against going above 400 F with this model. My ABV is plenty dark at 385 and I suspect the actual temp you're getting is higher than indicated. The click steps for increasing temp makes this model easy to use. I usually start at about 350 and move up after a few hits by 5 degrees at a time. I've been quite happy with my DV decision-been using it since it hit the market and would buy one again.

 

[OhTheAgony]

I wish you would stop saying that, Max, or at least make clear that it's just your opinion.

My Solo is my portable, and works great that way. I don't usually have to be stealthy but there have been a few occasions that had to slip it in my pocket quickly for discretion (hot, operating, and with a glass stem in it) and the people I was hiding it from never had a clue.

 

[Stu]

I have both a DaVinci and a Solo. I prefer the taste I get from my Solo, but I prefer the DaVinci if I will be "out and about" as it is a very stealthy design (looks like a 2-way radio to most observers) and it has no breakable parts.

There are other pros and cons for each, but that's my Cliff Notes take on it.

 

[pakalolo]

Hello, FC! Brand new member, relatively new to smoking, never vaped before. I've always had to smoke through water since hot smoke causes too much coughing, but even then I don't want to be inhaling burning plant matter, plus water filters out components that I do want as well as ones I don't want. So, this seems like the perfect place to be to investigate alternatives!

There's a ton of information here on the forums, and I still need to go through the respective threads more thoroughly for the vapes I've narrowed my choice down to, but that's literally hundreds of pages of posts. And while normally I would lurk for a couple weeks and read up on all of those before delurking for a first post, there's a Cyber Monday sale today that I want to take advantage of.

It's starting to feel like there isn't an obviously *bad* choice. I had been debating between the PAX and the DaVinci, and had almost made my decision until I ran across excellent reviews of the Arizer Solo this evening. I'm leaning away from the PAX despite all the amazing reviews because I do need very tight odor control (which the DaVinci is supposed to have), and I'm wary of reports of the mouthpiece sticking. Also, the fans of the PAX sound suspiciously similar to the Apple fanatics, and while I'm a Mac and iPhone user myself and can appreciate the gorgeous aesthetic of the PAX, practicality wins out over a pretty accessory and even PAX proponents admit it has a couple practical design flaws. The DaVinci vs the Solo, though? It's a really hard choice! The Solo seems to be a lot more popular, and I can't seem to see why. Just because it's been out longer? Can anyone comment on why the Solo is really popular and the PAX has gotten a *huge* following in just a month or so (likely the sleek and sexy design), but the DaVinci seems like the red-headed stepchild of vapes? With the Cyber Monday discount, if I'm reading it right, then the DV and the Solo are significantly cheaper than the PAX, which pretty much takes the PAX out of the running for me. And yet I'd still probably enjoy the PAX quite a lot if I got one.

So, I think my next step will be to read as much about the Solo and the DaVinci in the product threads here as I can in my free time (hah!) tomorrow, and make a decision tomorrow night. If, in the meantime, anyone has a reason *not* to get the DaVinci or a comment on how much better the vapor is out of the Solo than the DaVinci, I would love to hear some input!

(As a footnote, since it may come up, here are the criteria I've been using to select a vape: max price of $250, preferably under $200; strong hits with more efficiency than combustion; supports up to 2 users.; strongly prefer portable; and an easy learning curve. And adjustable temperature control. Thanks!)

If minimum odour is important to you then you should avoid the Pax. It doesn't smell much when off but once it's on, it starts to be noticeable almost immediately. The odour gets stronger as it heats up and because the oven is always heating the load, it continues to give off a strong scent as long as it's on.

The Solo is popular mostly because you're getting a home vape that runs on batteries. It's not a pocket portable, but a cross between a home and away vape.

I wish you would stop saying that, Max, or at least make clear that it's just your opinion.

My Solo is my portable, and works great that way. I don't usually have to be stealthy but there have been a few occasions that had to slip it in my pocket quickly for discretion (hot, operating, and with a glass stem in it) and the people I was hiding it from never had a clue.

Being able to hide it in your pocket quickly doesn't make it a pocket vapourizer. A pocket vapourizer shouldn't make a bulge like a can of Red Bull in your pocket, or weigh half a pound, and it certainly shouldn't come with a long glass stem.

I don't think max needs to qualify his statement at all. I think you need to re-evaluate your definition of a pocket vapourizer.

 

[lwien]

Being able to hide it in your pocket quickly doesn't make it a pocket vapourizer. A pocket vapourizer shouldn't make a bulge like a can of Red Bull in your pocket, or weigh half a pound, and it certainly shouldn't come with a long glass stem.

I don't think max needs to qualify his statement at all. I think you need to re-evaluate your definition of a pocket vapourizer.

Is that a Solo in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

 

[Stu]

If minimum odour is important to you then you should avoid the Pax. It doesn't smell much when off but once it's on, it starts to be noticeable almost immediately. The odour gets stronger as it heats up and because the oven is always heating the load, it continues to give off a strong scent as long as it's on.

To be fair here, the DaVinci (and Solo for that matter) is pretty smelly during use as well. I don't want the OP to think otherwise. I often take my DaVinci golfing, and I typically turn it on and leave it to warm up in the golf cart's cupholder (yeah, I ride... I'm too lazy to walk.... sue me.) and as it gets up to temp, the smell is easily noticeable even to the rest of my foursome.

 

[Tweek]

I love my Pax, but it starts to smell like a herb fart after a while, so yeah, I would not recommend if smell is a concern.

 

[max]

I wish you would stop saying that, Max, or at least make clear that it's just your opinion.

My Solo is my portable, and works great that way. I don't usually have to be stealthy but there have been a few occasions that had to slip it in my pocket quickly for discretion (hot, operating, and with a glass stem in it) and the people I was hiding it from never had a clue.

Sorry, but you're in the minority on this. First protest I've ever heard, actually. A pocket portable is one you can not only put in/pull out your pocket, ready to hit, you can toss it in a chair/car seat, also ready to go, or toss it across the room to a friend. Putting the Solo in a pocket can be done, but it's a compromise. It's not a stealth portable, as pocket vapes are.

 

[ShipDit]

The smell issue can be dealt with by using proper defensive techniques. Vapor is generally less dense than tobacco smoke,and dissipates rapidly. Tactically this means you've gotta be pretty close to notice. The solution? Fart. Fart hard,fart often. The stench will cover the vape smell,and if you sound off the butt-trumpet with sufficient volume and frequency civilians WILL keep their distance.
To quote the great Stephen Hawking,"Nobody wants to stand next to a farting man".

 

[placetime]

The smell issue can be dealt with by using proper defensive techniques. Vapor is generally less dense than tobacco smoke,and dissipates rapidly. Tactically this means you've gotta be pretty close to notice. The solution? Fart. Fart hard,fart often. The stench will cover the vape smell,and if you sound off the butt-trumpet with sufficient volume and frequency civilians WILL keep their distance.
To quote the great Stephen Hawking,"Nobody wants to stand next to a farting man".

 

[Wednesday]

Great advice, thank you for being so welcoming and friendly! Ship, thanks for the note about where to get the Solo--$160 is the best price I've heard so far by a fair margin. Stu, I'd love to hear the extended version of your pros and cons if you wouldn't mind taking the time to share.

To date, all of my usage takes place at home (more specifically, at my significant other's home), so on-the-go vaping and form-factor stealth aren't high priorities. Odor-stealth is still a necessity, but even if there's some smell, as I understand it, vapor-smell is closer to burned popcorn than the distinctive smell of combustion. This is good because I can't fart at will, thanks anyway for the suggestion, Ship. Does the smell come mostly from the vaporizer itself or is any of it from exhaling the vapor? I suppose I could also consider plug-in vapes, but I still want portable for the smaller form factor and mobile flexibility, and I hadn't even started to look into odor control with plug-ins. So many choices! Max's comment actually has me leaning toward the Solo now, since a portable, quality home vape is basically exactly what I'm looking for.

Another thing that's coming to mind as I continue my research is amount of herb needed per session. The SO and I are both lightweights. I have a vague understanding that most vapes have a minimum amount of herb needed to get a good vapor going, and I'm concerned that the minimum amount (a) gets mostly vaped in a single session, but (b) will be more than we need, even for both of us, and conservation is, as always, a concern. Is there actually a minimum that has to be packed into a vape? Do they vaporize everything in the compartment or can you vape half and save the other half for another session in a couple hours? I don't recall how easy these things are to turn off, and I imagine once they're hot, they don't cool down instantly anyway.

 

[kingofnull]

Maybe not my favourite reviewer, but...

I own a Solo and used a DV for just under a month. The DV is a great pack-and-go vape, it's fairly solid and I'd classify it's stealth factor as 'medium-high'.

But few vapes can best the Solo imo. Like others mentioned, it's a great balance between a home and a portable unit. There's lots of accessory options available for the Solo, which I see as a boon. It's fast, it's flavourful and the price is so right, right now.

 

[NotPotRelated]

It really depends. the reason some people may prefer the pax is because its more "pocket friendly" rather than the solo which has a cylindrical shape. The solo is better imo.

 

[vapelvr]

Did you make a decision yet? I have both right here in front of me and I have never been able to figure out how to get the davinci to work very well and I've tried it a million different ways. I burn herb and do get a slight buzz, but nothing even remotely close to the Solo. I also find the solo to have a huge advantage in that it doesn't heat up like the Davinci. There are spots on the Davinci that you have to completely avoid, there is a grill where air vents from the heater area, but it is dangerously hot in my opinion, and I find it unable to produce noticeable flavorful vapor compared to the solo. The solo works great, was much more intuitive for me as well. The battery charge also lasts MUCH longer on the solo than the Davinci. I strongly recommend a log vape for home and the solo as a wonderful device that you can use also very easily with water, and the quality of the vapor and ability to order the PVHES stems, you have much more flavor. Without splurging on the Cloud or some of the brand new vapes about to come out, this is probably my favorite all around vape. I also tried out 3 different models and found them all to be comparable although some had small feature differences. I"ve tried the M103, 104 and 107. I also found that the solo works best with very dry herb.

I am still quite new to vaping, so my opinion is still based on limited experience compared to most on this site, but I still hope you can benefit from my actual and current experience with both units. I do NOT use the Davinci at all now and in fact, am going to see if I can trade it to someone for some other unit I haven't tried yet. I do enjoy trying out different items, but it can get ridiculously expensive. I don't even want to try and think how much some of the fc members have laid out for their gear. It could be technique, but it seems pretty simple, you let it get to the proper temp, and draw. I always feel like I"m not gettin anything, so not sure what the dela is. I do feel some effect though, but it doesn't taste much and compared to the Solo, is not as enjoyable to me. IF it isn't intuitive to me and to others, please share your methods as I would love to like this unit as I really thought it looked like the perfect unit before I ordered it. I even had the first unit I ordered replaced because it didn't seem like it was hitting, then the 2nd one seemed pretty much the same so I just chalked it up to the way it was supposed to be. But it just doesn't give a thick, dense vapor, and the Solo can hit plenty hard enough and was pretty straightforward to learn how to use.

I would recommend NOT using a screen with the Solo if you get it, although you may need to use it with finer grinds. Otherwise, the flavor gets worst with a screen I've noticed. IT also works with concentrate well, you can just mix it all together. I also strongly recommend you order a PVHES stem from Planetvape.ca for the Solo if you do go that way.

IF the Davinci would hit better and if the thing wouldn't get so hot, I would love it for all the cool features it has. Digital LCD is nice, the buttons are cool, the straw is flexible and made out of a really cool material, the compartments and cartrdiges all look amazing, but I just feel too much air. I didn't even get any vapor the first few times, yet I still burned the material in the chamber. I couldn't figure it out. It is definitely a cool engineering idea, but the performance to me is just not there.

There are a whole bunch of additional model #s now, but don't worry about that as I think you are going to be very happy with a Solo over the Davinci.

 

[OF]

The solution? Fart. Fart hard,fart often. The stench will cover the vape smell,and if you sound off the butt-trumpet with sufficient volume and frequency civilians WILL keep their distance.

You mean I've been practicing for public vaping all this time and didn't know it?

I think there's a great market for a 'fart cover sound' app for the Iphone.........

OF

 

[ShipDit]

You mean I've been practicing for public vaping all this time and didn't know it?

I think there's a great market for a 'fart cover sound' app for the Iphone.........

OF

Yep,you've been practicing alright. I think that may be the cause of the strange "fog" when trying to google map you!
The FCS app. is perfect. It would help the "fart impaired" immensely. I've got a court-date coming up so could you fast track the app? It would suck to be caught dry. My plan of loading up on Taco Bell could backfire badly if a real Trouser Stainer rears it's ugly head.