Phaang
Fog Huffer
I've had my HappyVappy for over a year, and thought I would share how it performs for you other vaping fans.
The HappyVappy is made in Vancouver, Canada (http://www.happyvappy.com). The heater core is made of aluminum with a stainless steel sheathed ceramic heating element which heats the air as well as the herb (convection and conduction). Warm up time is about two to three minutes. The unit has a 10? power cord. The unit is 5? tall, and fits easily in one hand. It comes with a small stem, a tamping/scraping device, and a "caddy" (small jar). I also bought a long stem for cooler vapors.
The chamber is 1/2" in diameter and 3/4" deep.
There is one (small) inlet hole in the front of the unit for air intake and four outlet holes in the chamber.
A pea-sized chunk of herb is simply dropped down into the chamber (best if the dope is not completely dried out). A Teflon stem is inserted into the chamber, and one simply sucks on the stem to draw air in through the unit. Due to the small inlet hole, the draw is akin to sucking on a thick milkshake. This serves to slow the air intake so as to get good uptake of the volatiles in the herb. The stems are two-piece with a small large-mesh internal screen (basically a perforated metal disc) to prevent inhaling any bits. A nugget will deliver anywhere from eight to ten hits or so, starting with the traditional flavor, getting good vapor, then tailing off to wispy fog with a ?pencil-shavings? flavor. I?ve never had a burnt-popcorn effect with this vaporizer, it holds its temperature below the point that would char the herb. According to the manufacturer, the HappyVappy operates from 360F to 390F. It delivers vapor consistently-vigorous inhaling does not seem to affect the available heat, nor do rapid, consecutive pulls. The air path enters through a Teflon block, through the heating chamber, then up through the Teflon stem. There has been comments posted about the health effects of inhaling through Teflon, and there is a good forum question and response by the manufacturer addressing the Teflon issue here: http://forum.happyvappy.com/viewtopic.php?t=1152 Basically, the response is Teflon is dangerous only in temperatures in excess of 464F. Folks that are concerned about inhaling through hot plastics should remember that there are many other, well-regarded vaporizers that use plastic somewhere along the path (plastic bags, plastic hoses, etc).
This is a very efficient vaporizer. Spent herbs are dark brown, about the same color as cigarette tobacco. Spent chunks are very dry and crumbly, and seem to be fairly well utilized. Based on a pea-sized chunk, one can get very vaped on one load.
(Blurry photo, but you can see the color of the ABV herb)
Since the vapor path from the heating chamber to your mouth is pretty short, there is a tendency for the vapor to be fairly warm when it hits your mouth. Keep a cold beverage nearby for hydrating and cooling your throat. The standard stem is 3?, but there are longer stems available. I certainly recommend a longer stem to help keep the vapor cooler. The stems do develop ?stem hash? which can be harvested and used. I found that the longer stems develop more ?stem hash? due to the longer, cooler surface to condense on. Still, the path is shorter than most whip-styles so there is not much loss due to condensation (which is harvestable anyway, so you?re not really losing it).
The unit includes a ?spike? that is essentially a long aluminum nail?the head is used for tamping and the sharp tip is used for breaking up the chunk for removal and scraping the chamber for cleaning.
A recent ?digital? version has been released. The details are sketchy, but what I can glean from the manufacturer?s site is this is solely related to the temperature control. Supposedly, the digital maintains heat range more precisely. I find the standard ?ano? version I own to have no problem delivering good vapor hits.
Although the HappyVappy can be left on for hours at a time, it never gets too hot to hold. I would not recommend leaving a nugget in the chamber, however, without hitting it for a long time. The convection chimney effect of hot air rising would eventually leach all the vapors up through the stem. Since the unit warms up quickly, it?s probably best to just switch it off when (temporarily) done.
The customer service from this manufacturer is excellent. When my switch failed due to my tripping over the cord and smashing the unit against the ground, I called the company and inquired about repairs. They asked if I was handy (I am) and gave me instructions on how to fix the switch. [Sending a used vaporizer for repair over the border is problematic.] They also sent a replacement switch free of charge. I?m happy to report that the original switch was easy to fix and the unit is working fine.
This is a very durable vaporizer, despite the one violent hurtle to the ground. I can?t tell you how many times I?ve dropped it or tripped over the cord and brought it tumbling to the floor. Maybe I should just sit on the couch when I?m done vaping so as to do no harm!
I also own a Vapor Genie and Da Buddha, and the HappyVappy easily performs as well as either of these units. I tend to use the HappyVappy when I am traveling somewhere and need to share. (Solo excursions-I bring the Vapor Genie). I bought an inexpensive dc converter for my car and use the HappyVappy on road trips. The stealth aspect allows me to ?drink? this in full view of passers-by.
Advantages:
Quick warm-up
Stealthy (looks like sipping a travel cup)
Durable
Easy to use
Very efficient
Can be left on all day
Disadvantages:
No temperature adjustment
Somewhat expensive (although currently on sale)
Hard to get deep draws due to small air flow
No all-glass air flow for the purists
Newbies to the vaporizer world would appreciate the ease of use and non-technical nature of this unit; pros may find the simplistic approach too limiting.
Overall, I do not understand the bashing this unit gets from other vaporizer fans. I suspect it is due more to an ongoing prejudice than any actual experience. This forum really likes the Purple Days (a similar approach to vaporizing) which I have not tried, and I would suspect the Happy Vappy performs very similiarily. I do recommend this to first-time buyers, but watch for sales.
The HappyVappy is made in Vancouver, Canada (http://www.happyvappy.com). The heater core is made of aluminum with a stainless steel sheathed ceramic heating element which heats the air as well as the herb (convection and conduction). Warm up time is about two to three minutes. The unit has a 10? power cord. The unit is 5? tall, and fits easily in one hand. It comes with a small stem, a tamping/scraping device, and a "caddy" (small jar). I also bought a long stem for cooler vapors.
The chamber is 1/2" in diameter and 3/4" deep.
There is one (small) inlet hole in the front of the unit for air intake and four outlet holes in the chamber.
A pea-sized chunk of herb is simply dropped down into the chamber (best if the dope is not completely dried out). A Teflon stem is inserted into the chamber, and one simply sucks on the stem to draw air in through the unit. Due to the small inlet hole, the draw is akin to sucking on a thick milkshake. This serves to slow the air intake so as to get good uptake of the volatiles in the herb. The stems are two-piece with a small large-mesh internal screen (basically a perforated metal disc) to prevent inhaling any bits. A nugget will deliver anywhere from eight to ten hits or so, starting with the traditional flavor, getting good vapor, then tailing off to wispy fog with a ?pencil-shavings? flavor. I?ve never had a burnt-popcorn effect with this vaporizer, it holds its temperature below the point that would char the herb. According to the manufacturer, the HappyVappy operates from 360F to 390F. It delivers vapor consistently-vigorous inhaling does not seem to affect the available heat, nor do rapid, consecutive pulls. The air path enters through a Teflon block, through the heating chamber, then up through the Teflon stem. There has been comments posted about the health effects of inhaling through Teflon, and there is a good forum question and response by the manufacturer addressing the Teflon issue here: http://forum.happyvappy.com/viewtopic.php?t=1152 Basically, the response is Teflon is dangerous only in temperatures in excess of 464F. Folks that are concerned about inhaling through hot plastics should remember that there are many other, well-regarded vaporizers that use plastic somewhere along the path (plastic bags, plastic hoses, etc).
This is a very efficient vaporizer. Spent herbs are dark brown, about the same color as cigarette tobacco. Spent chunks are very dry and crumbly, and seem to be fairly well utilized. Based on a pea-sized chunk, one can get very vaped on one load.
(Blurry photo, but you can see the color of the ABV herb)
Since the vapor path from the heating chamber to your mouth is pretty short, there is a tendency for the vapor to be fairly warm when it hits your mouth. Keep a cold beverage nearby for hydrating and cooling your throat. The standard stem is 3?, but there are longer stems available. I certainly recommend a longer stem to help keep the vapor cooler. The stems do develop ?stem hash? which can be harvested and used. I found that the longer stems develop more ?stem hash? due to the longer, cooler surface to condense on. Still, the path is shorter than most whip-styles so there is not much loss due to condensation (which is harvestable anyway, so you?re not really losing it).
The unit includes a ?spike? that is essentially a long aluminum nail?the head is used for tamping and the sharp tip is used for breaking up the chunk for removal and scraping the chamber for cleaning.
A recent ?digital? version has been released. The details are sketchy, but what I can glean from the manufacturer?s site is this is solely related to the temperature control. Supposedly, the digital maintains heat range more precisely. I find the standard ?ano? version I own to have no problem delivering good vapor hits.
Although the HappyVappy can be left on for hours at a time, it never gets too hot to hold. I would not recommend leaving a nugget in the chamber, however, without hitting it for a long time. The convection chimney effect of hot air rising would eventually leach all the vapors up through the stem. Since the unit warms up quickly, it?s probably best to just switch it off when (temporarily) done.
The customer service from this manufacturer is excellent. When my switch failed due to my tripping over the cord and smashing the unit against the ground, I called the company and inquired about repairs. They asked if I was handy (I am) and gave me instructions on how to fix the switch. [Sending a used vaporizer for repair over the border is problematic.] They also sent a replacement switch free of charge. I?m happy to report that the original switch was easy to fix and the unit is working fine.
This is a very durable vaporizer, despite the one violent hurtle to the ground. I can?t tell you how many times I?ve dropped it or tripped over the cord and brought it tumbling to the floor. Maybe I should just sit on the couch when I?m done vaping so as to do no harm!
I also own a Vapor Genie and Da Buddha, and the HappyVappy easily performs as well as either of these units. I tend to use the HappyVappy when I am traveling somewhere and need to share. (Solo excursions-I bring the Vapor Genie). I bought an inexpensive dc converter for my car and use the HappyVappy on road trips. The stealth aspect allows me to ?drink? this in full view of passers-by.
Advantages:
Quick warm-up
Stealthy (looks like sipping a travel cup)
Durable
Easy to use
Very efficient
Can be left on all day
Disadvantages:
No temperature adjustment
Somewhat expensive (although currently on sale)
Hard to get deep draws due to small air flow
No all-glass air flow for the purists
Newbies to the vaporizer world would appreciate the ease of use and non-technical nature of this unit; pros may find the simplistic approach too limiting.
Overall, I do not understand the bashing this unit gets from other vaporizer fans. I suspect it is due more to an ongoing prejudice than any actual experience. This forum really likes the Purple Days (a similar approach to vaporizing) which I have not tried, and I would suspect the Happy Vappy performs very similiarily. I do recommend this to first-time buyers, but watch for sales.
