Herb Grinders

[hazy]

Haha, after all my "hand-wringing" over hole and screen sizes, I ended up ordering the basic 2-piece Mixnball from bongoman's ebay seller. I've never owned a grinder so I thought this would be a good place to start, and I won't deny I'm a cheapskate so the lower price was attractive. If I decide to upgrade later, I've got a few friends who would be delighted with it.

By the way, I checked the price on the Mixnball website, and the shipping cost to Australia was outrageous. Bad move guys. If I hadn't found an alternative source for their products, there's no way I would buy one. Oh, and don't you just love these sites where you have to go through the whole registration and checkout process before you find out that you'll be ripped off for shipping? Arseholes.

 

[max]

I think you'll like the MB two piece. You got the Classic I assume? I've got the larger Mega Leaf (1/2" larger) and like it a lot. It was a freebie from the MixnBall owner when my screen grinder order was delayed. If I were buying a MB two piece though, I'd get the Classic-best buy in the line, along with the Classic Screen grinder.

By the way, I checked the price on the Mixnball website, and the shipping cost to Australia was outrageous.

Even shipping within the US is kind of high at $10 (for one grinder anyway), but he does have sales and specials on a regular basis. For a while you got a two piece 'Classic' with every order over a certain amount. Last week he had free shipping for orders over $50.

The eBay seller 'HydroponicsFast420' definitely has good prices. Limited selection but he does have the 'best buys' (IMO) of the MB grinders.

 

[hazy]

Yeah, I got the Classic from HydroponicsFast420. Shipping USD6. We'll see how "fast" he is.

Nice to know that Mixnball do deals, but right now I don't want to spend much. The shipping alone was about the same as the total amount I paid at HydroponicsFast420

 

[CDXX]

I've been using a TruBlendz, 4 piece, for a couple years now and love it. I don't have much to compare it to besides my fingers and a pair of scissors but so far I have no complaints.

On Edit: I lied. I do have something else to compare it to. I forgot that when I purchased my SSV they sent me a nice little 2 piece, metal grinder, but I have never used it. As a matter of fact these pics were the first time I even took it out of the bag they sent it in.



Here are both of them.

 

[stonemonkey55]

just got my mixnball classic. My question is, the herb that falls thru the holes but not thru the screen, what do you do with it? You take it out or leave it in there? I'm assuming you take it out but what is best way to collect kief? Should you shake it a certain way when you grind? Damn, I feel like a noob. Im sure the instructions are pretty basic, grind, take a part and see what's collected...can someone give a quick instruction list for someone thats never used a grinder that collects kief?

 

[VaporKing]

just got my mixnball classic. My question is, the herb that falls thru the holes but not thru the screen, what do you do with it? You take it out or leave it in there? I'm assuming you take it out but what is best way to collect kief? Should you shake it a certain way when you grind? Damn, I feel like a noob. Im sure the instructions are pretty basic, grind, take a part and see what's collected...can someone give a quick instruction list for someone thats never used a grinder that collects kief?

you may have to put a bit of weed through your grinder before you see anything significant. but that is all depending on the quality of your herb too. you can put a coin, like a nickle or penny, in the main compartment that catches your ground herb and after you grind up your buds you shake your grinder. but this will produce a coarser lower quality keif. the screen in your grinder can also alter how fast your keif builds up. some screens are finer than others in turn producing a finer keif.

hope this helps, good luck with your new grinder.

 

[stonemonkey55]

thanks vaporking, I will be patient and the kief will come!

 

[bongoman]

What's the humidity like there stonemonkey?

It's killer here where I am at this time of year and is NOT good for producing kif.

 

[SpiralArchitect]

Yeah, if your bud is damp, your going to get next to zero kief. The drier the better....

That's awesome, my MixNball arrived today too. I'm looking at it saying to myself 'god damn this thing is small!' I like it though. Really well machined.... I'll give her a rinse and after dinner I'll have a good grind and vape session, with pictures and a quick lil' review.


On a side note, a scale I ordered from Ebay came in too.... too bad it's power button is stuck ON. :/

 

[partially veiled]

Off-topic but quick: Spiral if that button is stuck because you opted for a cheapo scale, you should just send it back now and invest in a good, high precision one. I don't know what your situation is but I will say that I have a high quality scale and it's been one of the best drug related investments I've ever made. It is amazingly convenient, and NOT just for use with herb...it is obviously an important tool for all "dose" relative work.

Do post some reviews of those grinders guys, the Mix 'N' Ball is super sleek. I'd like to see the grind quality and keif production a little better...Spiral, you always seem to get good keif (lucky bugger ), why don't you give it a spin and hit us with some pictures.

Also...vtac, where the hell did you go? Had the chance to put anything through that SC yet?? Where are our pics???!!! I still haven't got mine...but I'm checking the box every day.

 

[Acolyte of Zinglon]

you may have to put a bit of weed through your grinder before you see anything significant. but that is all depending on the quality of your herb too. you can put a coin, like a nickle or penny, in the main compartment that catches your ground herb and after you grind up your buds you shake your grinder. but this will produce a coarser lower quality keif. the screen in your grinder can also alter how fast your keif builds up. some screens are finer than others in turn producing a finer keif.

yes, i keep a nickel in mine, it works verranice

sm- i usually just a weeks supply at a time and then keep it stored in the grinder, its a nice secure stash container to carry

 

[max]

I'm looking at it saying to myself 'god damn this thing is small!'

You got the Classic Screen? 56mm is my favorite size, but I guess if you had a 100mm it does seem small. The 3 inchers are too big for my taste.

sm, if you want quantity through the screen put a pebble or a dime on the screen to knock more loose. It will certainly degrade the kief quality to an extent but it'll also give the kief something to cling to and make it more manageable.

 

[SpiralArchitect]

vtac posted some pics of his SC fresh, but nothing reporting on it's use yet.....

pv, I have owned at least 10 scales in my stoner career. I always lose them, they break, or are stolen -- I got this one for like 14 dollars and I have another one coming in from Hong Kong that I got off eBay for 1.04! That one is 300gx .01, and this one is 500gx.1. I have calibration weights and checked it out, it's on the dot accurate. I just remove the batteries (like I always do with my scales) to turn it off...

K, finished chowing, scrubbing the MixNBall now.... Let me take this baby for a spin.

 

[stonemonkey55]

sm, if you want quantity through the screen put a pebble or a dime on the screen to knock more loose. It will certainly degrade the kief quality to an extent but it'll also give the kief something to cling to and make it more manageable.

thanks! if I grind an ounce thru this thing without the pebble or dime, should I expect something tangible at that point? I find its a little more trouble to use than a standard two piece because you have to unscrew another portion to get the herb that fell thru the holes. Are your experiences similar? I'm thinking in my head that in my quest to collect some kief, it puts one extra step into my grinding ritual. Also, do you suggest adding some sort of lubricant to keep the metal on metal grinding to a minimum?

 

[partially veiled]

Nah, I feel ya Spiral...you're a smart guy so I'm sure you've got something that does the job right for your situation. Just saying. I invested in a lab quality scale (for substantially more than $14, mind you...so maybe it's not worth it in the end ) ages ago and have taken really good care of it...and it's mind boggling how many alternative usages I've found for it. I'm just in love, that's all. Maybe you don't have as the need to weigh up many miscellaneous powders and minute amounts of strange substances carefully...I'm a twisted fucker like that Hell, I actually use my scale for lab work...so REALLY it's just a matter of needs/preference, just like vapes.

Or grinders for that matter. I can't wait to see some fresh pics Also, I had noticed vtacs pictures...that's why I was wondering where he ran off to--we need closure, damn it!

SM lubricant will be bad anywhere but outside of the grinder itself and on the metal to metal ridges at the topmost portion. I think it's absolutely unnecessary with the MNB though, as their anodized coating prevents a very hard surface whiel still being smooth, and they are finely milled so you should experience little to no "wobble" or wear and tear on the grinder parts. I wouldn't worry about lube, and personally I wouldn't worry about adding something to mix up the herb/collect more keif...but that's definitely a personal preference. I think if you ground an oz of the good stuff through it without any type of pebble or whatever, or even without any agitation, you'd get some nice keif. Blonde stuff at that.

Also SM, no, personally I don't find it's a hassle. This and I'm used to grinding with my hands or at best a coffee mill...so it's definitely a number of new steps in my grinding ritual. I for one savor those steps though, and think the hand grinder adds so much not only because of the keif abilities, the uniform grind abilities, but also precisely BECAUSE it feels more dedicated and ritualistic than say using a coffee mill. Clearly there are mechanical advantages over using your hands. So I'd say it's a win win situation.

 

[max]

Putting an oz. through should give you some quantity. Yeah, it can be a bit of a pain unscrewing to remove your ground bud. And if you really load it up with a lot of bud to grind, it tends to pile up on the screen. The nice thing about a screen grinder (besides the kief collector) is that the holes make for a pretty consistent grind.

As for the metal on metal, the MB is anodized-an organic protective coating. You're not gonna wear it out. There are 5 yr. old grinders out there working like new. I've found that it stays cleaner too, because of the anodizing.

 

[ILoveRadiohead!]

Do post some reviews of those grinders guys, the Mix 'N' Ball is super sleek. I'd like to see the grind quality and keif production a little better...Spiral, you always seem to get good keif (lucky bugger ), why don't you give it a spin and hit us with some pictures.

Here is my kief production after only grinding about .5 grams in the 56mm Mix 'N' Ball Classic screen. So imagine this amount pictured times 7 and that would be after only an 1/8 of an ounce. I don't think I'm taking off excessive trichomes because I am still vaked after 2-3 PD bowls. I'm pretty happy with the overall quality product I've been using though.

Close up:

About the grinding: The herb was very dry, almost brittle. I stuck it in the grinder then put the whole thing in the freezer for about 5 mins before grinding. I also stuck a newer well washed dime on top of the screen portion for shaking that maybe resulted in a bit of leaf material but small in ratio to the trichomes.

Here is a photo of the grind quality. Keep in mind that the glass container is a tiny baby food jar a little smaller than the mnb grinder.

Close up:

Seems to pack very well in the PD with good airflow.

 

[SpiralArchitect]

sm,

Putting an oz through a grinder will give you a shit ton of kief dude. Just grind as you go man, I know, waiting for that first pile of kief can be a long wait it seems like... I know it's probably really humid where you live, but the drier the buds, the more kief is produced. It makes the trichomes brittle and more prone to 'snap' off when being ground. Also vapes better, as I'm sure your well aware of....

Did you rinse and clean yours stonemonkey55? Mine had some grime and a lot of metal shavings in the threads. Might want to do that if you haven't already. It's always advisable with a new grinder.

Unscrewing 'the chamber' has just become part of the process for me. I will say that I am so use to the Mendo which takes only a 360 degree turn to get off. I couldn't twist my wrists around to calculate what it is for the MixNBall.




partially veiled,
without going to off-topic here. I have spent a pretty penny on a nice 500x0.01g scale. I needed a scale that was accurate to the minute amount. I loved it. It was stolen from me. "lost" he says.... fucking junkie.


Anyways, the MixNBall is interesting. I got some pictures and have ground up a few nugs. I really like how small it is, but I have a few minor complaints ( ). I can already tell it won't replace my Mendo for one reason which shall remained unnamed for now, but this is absolutely a great portable grinder. No more having to lug around that cheapo-shitty plastic one!!!



And I thought I should toss this out, me and Acolyte of Z were chatting on AIM and discussing this grinder, which I'm like 90% sure I posted in here before.... meh, here it is;

Super Shredder
NEW AND IMPROVED Unique Cutter & Blade System has actual loading port; turn to right to shred your material and turn to left to deposit into screen. 4 part magnetic aircraft 6160 grade aluminum.

I'll get pics and a quick review up later tonight..... time for some Team Fortress 2.


edit: Radiohead! nice pictures.

 

[partially veiled]

ILR: Yeah man, nice pictures. The grinder is slick as hell and that's a pretty nice keif build up. I have seen what you're working with, however, and it doesn't surprise me a bit I still don't get why you guys like the nickle thing though. At least you washed yours ILR haha otherwise it would just be extremely grody and grossss (and very unhealthy )

I've never tried that nickle thing, but it really seems to add green to the keif...I don't see the point. Good things in life are about patience and fortitude--strength of will. Like I said though, I've never tried it...so I should really just man up and try it some time so that I know what I'm missing. I like the blonde keif though...it's nice when you could potentially smoke it and not feel guilty Maybe once I get my new grinder I'll pick a small amount of herb, split it in half, and grind it up with the two different methods and see what falls out? I dunno, anyone who feels so inclined could try this really. You could make it more or less scientific as well, say by splitting the designated herb up into four equal sections and doing nickel + agitation, nickel without agitation, no nickel + agitation, no nickel without agitation...or whatever. I dunno if it's really worth all the effort

I guess I just miss hash though...whole other topic

Spiral: Junkies indeed. Those "friends" suck. Haha I think the MNB is bound to feel small when you're used to the full sized Mendo...that thing is a beast. I don't get how you can insinuate you have a reservation and then leave that nameless, however. I thought you were after the facts, madam! Share your vision, good Architect. And pictures, of course.


Edit: that Super Shredder hurts my eyes.

 

[ILoveRadiohead!]

ILR: Yeah man, nice pictures. The grinder is slick as hell and that's a pretty nice keif build up. I have seen what you're working with, however, and it doesn't surprise me a bit I still don't get why you guys like the nickle thing though. At least you washed yours ILR haha otherwise it would just be extremely grody and grossss (and very unhealthy )

Yeah, the idea of using a coin kinda grossed me out too but I found a new dime and scrubbed it with a scouring pad and organic soap and then soaked it in 99% iso and scrubbed it again. Let me say that that was one god damn shiny clean dime after finishing.

I've never tried that nickle thing, but it really seems to add green to the keif...I don't see the point.

I ground a small nug up before using the coin and it was so damn sticky that the grind didn't really move around at all when I shook it. In fact it kinda looked and acted like brown sugar would if it was golden yellow with little bits of green.....mmmmmm (great I just made myself more hungry).

Anyways the dime seemed to separate the material without stripping it clean like I imagined a nickle or penny might and allowed me to shake to satisfaction.

 

[partially veiled]

Right on ILR, thanks for the informative post. I'm going to have to try it now, but I have to get the freaking grinder first!! I'm really hoping it'll make it here before the weekend...anyway, it'll be nice to be making keif again. Hopefully sans the shavings this time. I still like the sounds of your nug PRE coin though...where is that Homer Simpson smilie?? This would be the perfect time for a "MMMMMmmmmmmMMMM ...brown sugar" Eh, maybe not?

ILR, how do you find the keif is affected by the anodized coating? Do you notice that the anodized finish does anything special for you? It's supposedly "non-stick", correct? Spiral I'd be interested to hear what you think as well, because I know you've collected keif in other grinders, but as far as I know none have had the anodized finish, right? Does it make a difference??

 

[vtac]

Also...vtac, where the hell did you go? Had the chance to put anything through that SC yet?? Where are our pics???!!! I still haven't got mine...but I'm checking the box every day.

Sorry to leave you hangin', just haven't had much time for such pleasurable pursuits. Actually haven't been at home either. Soon I hope!

sm55, if you want to speed up kif collection another thing you can do is shake the grinder from side to side when it's full. Same idea as a big sifter box.

Add me to the list of fuckers with a MnB on the way.

 

[SpiralArchitect]

Okelie dokelie

I'm just going to go in the order that these pictures are in.... pretty stoned and tired.

The middle compartment is well designed. The angle of the sides makes everything fall in the middle, including those precious crystals. One worry I have with this screen design though is small particles being trapped in the small recess between the screen and the metal... hard to explain. Luckily the gap is pretty small and the screen is on really tight.



So the bottom of the grinder is really nice. Smoothed edges so it's easier to get ya kief out... I didn't notice any kief particles being 'lost' in the sides like what happens in my Chromium and Mendo. I didn't really grind up enough bud to gather a lot of kief (I have a huge pile from the Mendo, no need at the moment). This is it clean.



The teeth are really sharped and well made. The holes are a very interesting pattern, but it seems to work well. Small holes. The small magnets that are on the side don't hold the top on very tight (unless they are perfectly aligned) but that is just a minor complaint. That unnamed thing was how loud the grinder is. I know, who cares.... but when it's late at night the screeching of metal isn't exactly comforting. It's more like a coarse grinding noise..... I think it's ok and probably designed this way, but I wonder if a rubber gasket might make it not rub together....

From the side and top


** that smudge isn't removing... just a little 'uh-oh', no worries.

Next to big Papa, who looks like hes been to WW2 and back...


edit///

It's supposedly "non-stick", correct?

Take a peek below and you tell me. THC is sticky. It's unavoidable crystals will stick but this finish does do a nice job of preventing most of it from happening. I'm afraid it's going to get scratched and ruin it's beauty though....

Time to steal her virginity......



A little bit didn't make it through the holes I was twisting for a good minute or so. I reapplied the lid and twisted some more to see if it would fall through. No go, but that is usually expected with grinders so no minus here. My mendo does it too, especially when it's sticky with resins.







A really nice grind. The top grinding compartment is easily removed, so with the next nugs I ground up, I spun them around a little bit longer, then reapplied it to the middle. Nothing got stuck and it gave me a little finer grind, which is what I prefer anyway...

I also noticed that you could make this into a 'two piece' grinder, in a way....



Interchangeable parts, that's a plus. I could see me grinding up some bud I might not want to de-kief, and as long as the tray is empty, it should be all good....

Anyways, this grinder is pretty nice. I really need to have more time with it to give it a fair grade however. I didn't grind up enough bud to make a mound of kief, just a few sprinkles, so I'll let it accumulate over the next few days and see whatsup....

Hope you enjoyed reading, pretty good grinder, glad I got one. Great price and fast shipping.

Oh yeah, it came with a really sweet pouch too. Just those red ones with Mix N Ball on it.... I have so many little pouches from stuff now it's insane. I should fill them with magic pebbles and gold coins, tie them to my waste and travel around like some kind of hobbit...

//me starts eyeballing the Cosmics.....


EDIT////////
For size reference

 

[greenganja]

Nice review Spiral, thanks for sharing. I've never owned a Mix N Ball grinder before. In the past I would have normally looked past the Mix N Ball foolishly assuming that since it wasn't in the same price range as a Space Case that it must not be very good. Nice to see that it's possible to get a nice three or four chamber grinder that works like a charm at a price that is rather kind on the pocketbook.

 

[SpiralArchitect]

Indeed. I couldn't help myself, so I grinded up some more nugs. I hate that, you end up with a huge pile of weed, but what to do with it? I know....

Now that it has a little bit more of use in it, the screeching sound isn't as apparent, but I can feel the friction... nonetheless, I really like how well this grinder works.