Herb Grinders

[Frederick McGuire]

Can anyone recommend a good metal grinder that performs as well/better than the volcano grinder?

I got a volcano grinder as a freebie from planetvape a while ago, and it outperforms my cheapish metal grinders I got from australianvaporizers (I have their large and small 2 & 4 piece)

I can throw a 1g bud into the volcano grinder, and within 10-20 seconds, have a nice fine grind.
With my metal ones (which have a teeth pattern very similar to those head chef ones above) they seem to be harder to turn, and don't give a consistent/fine a grind.

Right now I'm thinking a space case 2 piece, but I was wondering if there is a better option?

 

[WatTyler]

In short I can't.

I've gone through shitloads of grinders looking, and my opinion is that it's pretty hard to beat those volcano style sharp pyramid teeth in terms of efficiency- a fine even grind quickly and easily. But metal is so much nicer to use and so much more popular.

I think you can achieve as fine a grind with a very small cnc metal grinder, MFLB style, but only with very small quantities at a time. IME a space case only marginally outperformed other quality cnc metal grinders of the same size- I don't find itreally noticable in the final results, but it is maybe arguably easier to turn- sharp teeth and silky smooth.

 

[cluffy]

This is my favorite: http://www.amazon.com/Proctor-Silex-E160BY-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B00006IUX5/ref=sr_1_1?s=appliances&ie=UTF8&qid=1326534222&sr=1-1

 

[WatTyler]

Ah yeah, electric ones are good too- here's mine. I searched for ages to try and find the one with the smallest capacity to reduce the kief sticking to the surface areas, and I think that this is it for the UK market. It says 36 grams capacity, of coffee I expect but it's actually about the right size for a couple of grams of bud. Most others seem to be 70g, or 10 cup, size, which is twice the capacity/size for potential kief losses. It's quick, but they're easy to over do and it still knocks the trich's about a bit though.

 

[cluffy]

I'll never forget going to my buddy's house in HS and he used his mom's coffee grinder to grind a bunch of herb for one-hitters. good times...

 

[J.R.R.Tokin']

@Longbones. I have quite small hands and find the smaller ones a little tricky. So, if you have relatively large hands I would definitely recommend, at least, the medium. That is unless you have a vape that requires a really fine grind like the MFLB, then smaller is better imo.

As to the coating coming off. As long as you treat your grinder well, don't knock it together to loosen caught herb, clean it regularly and don't use excessive force to grind, then the coating should hold up.

 

[Longbones]

Understood. I'll probably go for the medium thenthat was my first inclination anyway, and if I'm going to be splurging on a Space Case the extra few dollars shouldn't matter.

Earlier in this thread someone said that the medium had 55 teeth and the large had 41...is this true? In this case, I'd rather get the medium than the large anyway.

Also, is there any other grinder brand which matches space case in quality? I've heard scattered reports of Cosmic Case and Kannastor, for instance, being on par. Any personal experience on these?

 

[Havelock Vetenari]

Check the grinder in my sig,will do the work.

 

[Vitolo]

I am a space case fan myself... but when I want a fine electric machine grind.. I use Krupps Grinder

 

[J.R.R.Tokin']

@ Longbones. Having read through this entire thread the general consensus is that Space Case is supreme in quality to all other brands...however, the extra expense and quality doesn't equate to a better or easier grind.

As to companies with similar quality - I would personally look into Mendo Mulchers - mainly because it's a stand-up product by a guy who clearly cares about producing a top quality product. They seem super sturdy - though there are reports in this thread that the grind is a little rough.

@ Havelock Vetenari - how is the grind consistency on that one. I really like the design but just can't see those round pegs giving as fine a grind as a diamond toothed grinder? Can you compare to an other grinder please.

 

[Longbones]

Thanks so much for your synopsis. I read through a few pages of this thread that seemed relevant, but haven't gone through the whole threadthat really helps. I'm just looking for a high quality product, because the 4-piece will be my 'pre-grind' grinder, and its main purpose is to collect kief and last forever (lifetime warranty!). The space case medium is .25in larger in diameter than my old puffitup 4-piece, and I didn't have particular trouble with that one. Seems that I'll go for it!

I also heard good things about the mendo mulchers, but the design seems a bit clunky to me. Call it vanity, but in a product that I'm going to use every day aesthetics are a factor.

Space case black anodized medium 4 piece and magic flight OEM will be on the way on Monday, I believe.

Looking forward to participating in this forum some more.

 

[J.R.R.Tokin']

^^No problems you are welcome. Looks like a good combo you chose - happy grinding

 

[Carbon]

Can anyone recommend a good metal grinder that performs as well/better than the volcano grinder?

I haven't found one either. I have said for a while that I wish someone made a metal grinder with the same design as it would give the finest grind short of something motorized.

 

[J.R.R.Tokin']

Ok, as promised heres a review of 2 of the larger Head Chef 4 part grinders.

Head Chef 40mm 4 Part Anodized Grinder Review:
From the exterior this unit looks all good. Like the previous models it has a nice anodized finish and an oring. Unlike the other models it has done away with the edge hatching and has notches around the edges for grip.

When you open this up my major gripe begins. Instead of the teeth sections being CNCd from a single piece this has the teeth on a separate plate which is inserted and glued/soldered into place. The problem with this style of design is that there is the possibility of the plate being knocked out from the lid due to clogging/pressure/force.

They have tried to make the teeth more s- shaped, like the MixnBall teeth design, but on such small teeth it hasnt translated very well and the teeth just look irregular. It has 11 teeth on the top and 9 on the bottom. The holes are 3mm and the mesh med/large. I have no gripe with the lower 2 sections.

I had no problem with the grind and found it easy and smooth. There was no problem with the ground matter passing through the holes and practically no plant/build up matter left in top sections. The end result was a medium grind, acceptable for my Extreme Q but no-where near fine enough for a MFLB. There was minimal kief from a couple of grinds, but was easy to collect due to the scraper provided.

Overall its not a bad unit with a really nice size and has some nice features. But, the stuck in teeth section and the possibility of it separating from the lid make this a no-go for me.

Head Chef 50mm 4 Part Anodized Grinder Review:
The 50mm follows the same construct as the 40mm. Nice anodizing and oring. Same stuck-in teeth sections and notched around edge for grip.

The main differences are that it has more teeth, 16 on top and 12 on the bottom, and that the holes are 5mm.

The grind consistency was almost identical to the 40mm, a medium grind, and was relatively easy.

All-in-all I feel the same about this as the 40mm above it's o.k. but in this day and age a fully CNCd unit is the norm not the acception.

Edit:
I was going to post full reviews for the 2 and 4 part Budleaf grinders. However, only a few lines will suffice for both.

On The lid they both have www.budleaf.co.uk, which I have checked out and does not exist as a trading company - or at least not from that web address.

On first look they seem fine. They have nice polished exteriors, hatching for grip on the edges and decent engraving on the lids. Once you open it you can immediately see that they have used an inferior grade of aluminium as there are visible tarnished spots on both units. When ISO cleaning they both stained multiple swabs with grey pencil-like smudges. The o'rings they use seem like cheap plastic to me compared to the ones used on the Head Chef grinders. Also the screens are held in place by plastic o'rings and the magnet on the 4 piece is way too weak.

Basically, I haven't run any bud through them because of the though of smoking tarnished aluminium that seems to give off a grey smudges when rubbed . IMO these are a no-go.

They are definitely not worth posting pics of but I had to share this one. In the pic you can see the box it comes in. Notice the 'Lifetime Warranty' for a company that is un-contactable and, as far as I can see, doesn't exist

 

[Havelock Vetenari]

@ Havelock Vetenari - how is the grind consistency on that one. I really like the design but just can't see those round pegs giving as fine a grind as a diamond toothed grinder? Can you compare to an other grinder please.

I have only the nano from the MFLB as a comparison atm and i can get it finer with the quick-grinder and with a lot more ease at that(my hands aren't particularly big or anything,but that thing's just too small,lol).
From what i can tell from (ancient) memory of other non-round pegs grinders and from recent pics and descriptions on the net,there's not much difference in attainable fineness.
What i mostly love about this is it's sturdiness(just weighed it for fun,it's 132gr./4.66 ounces,don't drop it on your toes! )and the ease in use,it handles full loads and 'fresh'(/properly stored)buds quite well.
And also although i still use a small screwdriver to get some small sticky bits of bud/kief out,it takes nowhere near as much trouble to get your ground bud out of this grinder as in all others i know,the push-buttons are a true godsend IMO.

Slight warning about time of delivery,i'm not that far from Spain here in Holland,but it still took some time to get here.
Could have been for a number of reasons though,just FYI.

 

[J.R.R.Tokin']

Tyvm for that. I think I'm going to bite the bullet and get one of these to try out. I like the 'push-out' design and if it gets a good grind too, well that's just peachy.

May Om be with you

 

[OhTheAgony]

I've bought a wooden grinder for a friend once that had those rounded pins instead of teeth as well. With his some of the pins fell out eventually but that was just because of the wood that started to give. He always loved it before that and got a few years of daily use out of it before it started falling apart. It worked great with dry bud, but had a little trouble with the moister stuff.

 

[max]

Even aluminum grinders that aren't 100% CNC made are susceptible to getting bent or broken teeth. When your teeth or pins are stuck into wood, they're much more likely to loosen up and come out eventually. I like the idea of a wooden grinder, but 100% CNC grinders, in the 2 pc. style, are so cheap that nothing else makes sense to me.

 

[friedricey]

Hey guys, been on hiatus due to work and fam.

I've been using my space case for a few months now. This bad boy cuts through buds like no tomorrow and looks almost new with an iso clean. Best $30 purchase ever.

After going through a few ounces of weed the teeth are still sharp as the day I got it.

 

[jeffp]

Agreed about the space case. I had a medium and actually prefer the small. It's one of those things that once you have it, you feel that there's no sense in looking any further for anything better.

 

[Longbones]

Really enjoying my space case, that's a good way to put it jeffp. I like how big this thing isdefinitely wouldn't want any bigger. But I have huge hands and it's easier to turn than my old grinder, so I'm liking that.

Liking the MFLB oem grinder but I just got the frostiest buds I've seen in a long time, and those things jammed that thing up pronto. It gets a very nice fine grind but I literally couldn't turn it more than 1/2 of the way around I guess that says good stuff about my bud though?

With the last 8th I had it was great thoughand I still occasionally use my method of lightly 'crushing' the bud up after a few hits. Don't have to take it out of the trench and the edge of the neg. end of a AA works perfectly.

 

[Ennui Cookout]

I rather like the small four-piece Space Case I picked up this week, myself. I was in the habit of grinding up far too much with the medium, something I'm far less tempted to do with a smaller grinder. I'm still a bit dismayed my medium Space Case is apparently stuck shut -- I'm sure with a vise and a good grip I could get it back open.

Are there any other, preferably cheaper grinders with a screen catch similar to the four piece Space Cases worth checking out? At the headshops there's usually a lot of janky looking grinders or Space Cases. I liked the two piece Cosmic I had, but I've not seen their gear at any of the local shops ever since I moved to a different state.

EDIT: Especially would love to hear if you've got any advice, Max. If I recall you preferred two piece grinders, though.

 

[vape4life]

Does anyone use the Storz & Bickel orange plastic 2 piece? I just start using it and really like its performance. What are the downsides to this grinder? Does the plastic shave off? How is it best cleaned? ISO?

 

[jeffp]

Does anyone use the Storz & Bickel orange plastic 2 piece? I just start using it and really like its performance. What are the downsides to this grinder? Does the plastic shave off? How is it best cleaned? ISO?

i have one and i like it alot but i don't use it because of my concern about cleaning it as well. it's the best plastic grinder grinder i've ever used, that's for sure. it has little depth so you can't really grind too much at a time with it, still it grinds to the perfect fine consistency and it's interesting to compare the cut and shape of this grind with results from other good grinders. as i recall there is a slight difference.

 

[vape4life]

i have one and i like it alot but i don't use it because of my concern about cleaning it as well. it's the best plastic grinder grinder i've ever used, that's for sure. it has little depth so you can't really grind too much at a time with it, still it grinds to the perfect fine consistency and it's interesting to compare the cut and shape of this grind with results from other good grinders. as i recall there is a slight difference.

I really like the grind, ease of use, and tactile feel. Compared to my 2 piece SS space case medium, which is awesome and all, it just feels better. You're right, you can't jam tonnes in there but I think the built in stash container is genius. You can just grind batch upon batch untl it's full, and it's design is so awesome that you don't need to dump the herb anywhere in between. I do keep a piece of paper under the grinder when grinding though, as the kif and some tiny particulate do fall out quite a bit, especially compared to my space case.

Haven't noticed anything negative about this awesome orange little thing except that the herb does stick a bit to the acrylic. So far it continues to spin freely and i've put through a few g's at least. I assume that iso would be ok to clean with? Anyone try? or i suppose a hot water soap soak?