Herb Grinders

[whatitdew]

Matte Orange is sick, wish matte was standard on all models

 

[Aimless Ryan]

I want to do a 180 here. I've been pretty critical of Santa Cruz Shredder, including some aspects of both their grinders and their customer service. After having some time to think a little more about everything, I believe I have concluded that even though my small SCS isn't perfect, essentially everything about it IS perfect except the small amount of friction in the lid. Even with the friction, though, it's a very good grinder. However, I still consider the vertical grooves a design flaw, which keeps this very good grinder from being essentially perfect. The friction kind of annoys the hell out of me, and I hope the people at SCS have come to the same conclusion on their own (and have stopped producing grinders with vertical grooves on the male part).

I still don't know if SCS is sending me a replacement small 4-piece. Since the guy asked for my address and grinder color, I assume they are sending me one (or have already). But even if they don't (or haven't), I probably won't be upset about it, and what I've said in the first paragraph probably won't change. Because the fact is, their shit is the shit. Also, they were responsive to my concerns (after some prodding). They may need some improvement in the service department, but I don't feel like they're trying to screw anyone over.

Also, as I become more familiar with the four high-end grinders in my collection (large 4-piece SCS, small 4-piece SCS, mini 2-piece SCS, and large 2-piece Space Case), one of these grinders is beginning to shine in the quality of grind it produces. The grinder I'm talking about is the mini 2-piece SCS. It grinds so fine, even, and fluffy. The grind quality really stands out from the grind quality of the other three grinders. Unfortunately, my declining hand function makes it very difficult for me to use the mini 2-piece (because it's so small), which makes me suspect that I will eventually buy a small 2-piece SCS and love it.

Today's mail should include an SCS mini 4-piece and a Diamond Grind 56 mm 5-piece (3 mm larger than the diameter of the small SCS). These grinders represent the end of my recent grinder binge. Really looking forward to trying both of these grinders.

EDIT: I also found the very first post in this thread about Santa Cruz Shredder last night, from 7/16/11 (http://fuckcombustion.com/threads/herb-grinders.15/page-106#post-9542). So far I've only made it one page beyond that post, but I'm thinking there may not be another mention of Santa Cruz for like another 20 pages (or possibly a year and a half). Seems pretty crazy to me that SCS apparently wasn't able to grab much of a market share for a while after its birth. I wonder if their earlier models were inferior to their current product.

 

[MileHighLife]

I've tried searching and reading back but there are a lot of posts. I have an SC and some that came free from puffitup with orders. All 4 piece and all have a similar consistency. I'd like one with a finer grind. I had an MFLB finisher but gave it away with all my MFLB stuff.

2 piece santa cruz shredders produce a fine, fluffy consistency.

 

[max]

2 piece santa cruz shredders produce a fine, fluffy consistency.

Fine and fluffy are opposites where grinding is concerned. Any grinder can produce a fine grind if the bud is dry. If it isn't, a fine grind is very difficult, if not impossible to achieve. The plant fibers will stay connected due to moisture content and bust apart when dry.

my declining hand function makes it very difficult for me to use the mini 2-piece (because it's so small),

It's not so much the size, but the lack of a grip on one half of the grinder. I can turn my much smaller Headchef (30mm) or MixnBall Nano (also 30mm) quite easily because both halves are cut for a good grip. The SCS Mini, even with the blocky tooth design, would be much easier to turn when packed if they'd just cut a grip into the other half.

 

[MinnBobber]

which makes me suspect that I will eventually buy a small 2-piece SCS and love it.

Please consider the small 3 piece as it may be perfect for you.
- It's a little taller than the small 2 piece so probably easier to work
- It has the holding chamber that ground herb falls into. Yes, you have to unscrew section to get at it but it has nicely rounded bottom/side transition so easy to grab a pinch
- I find a 2 piece much more difficult to just get out a "load" as the teeth get in the way. If you are dumping out the entire grind, then ok but you need to then dump it on something.

I just find the 3 piece SCS works soooo well.

 

[MileHighLife]

Fine and fluffy are opposites where grinding is concerned. Any grinder can produce a fine grind if the bud is dry. If it isn't, a fine grind is very difficult, if not impossible to achieve. The plant fibers will stay connected due to moisture content and bust apart when dry.

Sorry, but I have to disagree. A 2 pc scs does produce a fine, fluffy, airy grind consistency. I find diamond tooth designs like the sc 2 pc and 7th floor 2 pc will not produce a similar grind consistency no matter the effort put into the grinding process and this is always using bone dry plant material. They tend to leave chunks and full calyx whereas the scs doesn't. The only grinder with a similar grind consistency to the scs of my grinders would be the free acrylic one that came with my Solo when I bought it.

 

[Aimless Ryan]

It's not so much the size [of the mini 2-piece SCS], but the lack of a grip on one half of the grinder. I can turn my much smaller Headchef (30mm) or MixnBall Nano (also 30mm) quite easily because both halves are cut for a good grip. The SCS Mini, even with the blocky tooth design, would be much easier to turn when packed if they'd just cut a grip into the other half.

Yeah, I agree. Which is why I was really looking forward to receiving a mini 4-piece today. As expected, just having something to hold onto with both hands makes the mini feel really nice for me. Also, this grinder seems pretty phenomenal so far. There are at least two aspects that just about make me drool. I'll share them in a review soon.

 

[mightyhigh]

Phoenician still not really delivering how i thought it would. grind is very course. maybe i am using wrong, but i don't think there should be a learning curve for a grinder that costs what this one does, especially one that claims to be for patients. I could have saved $25 and got the largest ti space case.. i do really like that it is threadless and that i can use it as a 3 piece if desired. not planning on using the built-in ash tray or paper holder much now that i'm vaping full time. does seem to grind well enough for the mighty and volcano but i haven't experimented much with grinding avb.. my gf's 4 piece space case and my cosmic 2 pc both seem to grind much better.. i'll report back after more use

 

[DDave]

Searched this thread before asking, but didn't find anything.... so I have to ask...

Anyone have a Haze grinder? How's it rate? Strengths/weaknesses?

Thanks...

 

[NickDlow]

Searched this thread before asking, but didn't find anything.... so I have to ask...

Anyone have a Haze grinder? How's it rate? Strengths/weaknesses?

Thanks...

As in the free grinder from vaporusa when you buy a Haze?

 

[DDave]

As in the free grinder from vaporusa when you buy a Haze?

Not sure if it's the same, but referring to the one linked below...

http://www.hazevaporizers.com/haze-vaporizer-metal-grinder.html

 

[NickDlow]

Not sure if it's the same, but referring to the one linked below...

http://www.hazevaporizers.com/haze-vaporizer-metal-grinder.html

Nope, I haven't seen that yet. Idk about it. Maybe someone in the haze thread has tho.

 

[MileHighLife]

Not sure if it's the same, but referring to the one linked below...

http://www.hazevaporizers.com/haze-vaporizer-metal-grinder.html

Interesting for sure ... looks like it has a similar tooth design to the cheap acrylic grinders. If they had a 2 pc I'd try it out.

 

[Pyr0]

Phoenician still not really delivering how i thought it would. grind is very course. maybe i am using wrong, but i don't think there should be a learning curve for a grinder that costs what this one does, especially one that claims to be for patients. I could have saved $25 and got the largest ti space case.. i do really like that it is threadless and that i can use it as a 3 piece if desired. not planning on using the built-in ash tray or paper holder much now that i'm vaping full time. does seem to grind well enough for the mighty and volcano but i haven't experimented much with grinding avb.. my gf's 4 piece space case and my cosmic 2 pc both seem to grind much better.. i'll report back after more use

Thanks for posting mightyhigh.
I'd been considering getting the 60mm version as I love the threadless design, chunky grips and changeable screens.. Not so sure now lol

 

[Aimless Ryan]

Review: Mini 4-piece Santa Cruz Shredder (rasta).

Positives

• No scratches or imperfections.
• If you turn the lid quickly and let go (that is, if you try to spin it like a top), it will keep spinning for a noticeable fraction of a second after you let go. The lid of this grinder turns even smoother if I pair it with the bottom piece of my mini 2-piece. Also, the male part is "flat", or smooth. In other words, it has neither vertical nor horizontal grooves, which is infinitely better than having vertical grooves.
• Even though I'll probably never need it for its portability, this would make an excellent portable grinder. (Also since I will probably never need it to be portable, I would love for it to have a deeper collection chamber, like the small 4-piece.)
• Since it is the rasta model, it has four different colors, each of which I didn't have on an SCS before yesterday.
• The size works very well with my dysfunctional hands. As suspected, it's much easier for me to use a 4-piece mini than it is for me to use a 2-piece mini.
• As with other minis (and larges), the lower teeth are arranged so that there are four sizable spaces with no teeth, where you can easily place your material before grinding. (Although this is not a big deal, it would be nice if the small size had some areas like that.)
• I saved this one for last for a very good reason. The screen on this grinder has a considerably finer mesh than any other screen I've seen on any other grinder. It's exactly what I've been wanting, but I really didn't expect to find it on an SCS, considering I already have two other 4-piece SCSes (small and large).

I intended for the next picture to be the only picture, but you know how sometimes when you expect your picture to be a portrait, your phone or camera gives you a sideways landscape pic (or vice versa).

Negatives

• The threading isn't as smooth as the threading on my small 4-piece, but I don't think that will bother me now that I have some Grinder Grease.
• It is more difficult for me to engage the threads on this one than it is with my small, but that may just be because of the size. That's kind of annoying so far, but hopefully I'll find a trick to make it work better.
• Shallow storage chamber.

Overall Rating: 4.5 stars (of 5).

Despite the somewhat similar quantity of positive and negative bullet points, this grinder is awesome. The negative bullet points are little things, while the positive bullet points are much more important.

While waiting for this grinder to arrive (along with a Diamond Grind 5-piece), I was actually more excited to try out the Diamond Grind than I was to try out this one. But after trying out the Diamond Grind, I saw the screen on the SCS, and right away I knew I had no need for the Diamond Grind.

Oh yeah. I haven't actually ground any herbs with it yet. The reason why it looks like it's been used is because I dumped some already-ground material into the collection chamber to try out the excellently-fine-meshed sifter screen.

* * * * *​

Also, yesterday (Monday) I received an email from SCS. They had called me (unanswered) two or three times between Friday and Monday because I asked that my small replacement 4-piece grinder be either orange or red. Since there was an option of either regular orange or matte orange, they didn't want to send it until I confirmed what color I wanted. I wasn't really sure whether I wanted matte or regular, but whatitdew's recent contribution helped me out, as a couple days ago he opined, "Matte Orange is sick, wish matte was standard on all models."

If the replacement grinder ends up being identical to the one it's replacing, functionally, but has a smoother lid and the same fine screen as my mini, it will make me very happy. Right now I think the mini 4-piece is my favorite grinder (in ways), but I hope the replacement orange grinder displaces it, as I prefer the size of the small to the mini. One big reason why I want the small to become my favorite is because the small has an extra deep collection chamber. I really like the small's deep collection chamber.

Also, my AroMed is due to arrive today. Tracking says it's out for delivery. I've been waiting for nine days. Come on, UPS!

 

[rafarquhar]

Hey guys. Just recently lost my grinder (4pc American Grinder, 4 years old) so I'm in the market for a new one, and I'm currently evaluating my options. Vapes are Arizer Solo and Da Buddha.

I'm interested in going with a 3 piece SCS or a 4 piece Mendo Mulcher. Mendo Mulchers don't get much love around here, but I love my cousin's. I know the merits and differences between 4 piece grinders, but I'm really trying to figure out if the 3 piece is for me. I feel like my kief sits in my grinder too long between uses and so I figure this will make sure it all gets used up as it is ground. Are you guys generally satisfied? I've been reading a decent amount and the only thing that gives me second thoughts about the SCS is the reports of varying tolerances between lid and body (though my American Grinder was no swiss timepiece lol) and also reports from people who say that it makes suction a less viable method of filling your vape. I fill my buddha primarily by sucking in the wand real hard, and I would /guess/ the curvature of the bottom piece would still allow air past to let the suction work, but who knows.

TL;DR: 3 piece SCS - worth it? Thanks for any input.

 

[Aimless Ryan]

I've been reading a decent amount and the only thing that gives me second thoughts about the SCS is the reports of varying tolerances between lid and body (though my American Grinder was no swiss timepiece lol)...

In my experience, most problems you might have with an SCS result from the high expectations set by your own first impressions of the SCS. That is, most aspects of any particular Santa Cruz Shredder are so good that it kinda sets abnormally high expectations; expectations you probably won't have with any other make of grinder.

The lid problem is different. However, having talked to someone at SCS, I get the feeling that: 1) They are aware that these lids are a legitimate problem; and 2) They aren't making any new grinders with the bad lid design. And if you do get a bad one, then just let them know, and they will probably take care of you by sending you another one, which probably won't have a bad lid. (I should find out for sure within a couple hours, as I expect my replacement SCS to arrive in the mail today.)

Also, that problem seems to exist only on certain small-sized grinders.

 

[rafarquhar]

In my experience, most problems you might have with an SCS result from the high expectations set by your own first impressions of the SCS. That is, most aspects of any particular Santa Cruz Shredder are so good that it kinda sets abnormally high expectations; expectations you probably won't have with any other make of grinder.

sounds good. thanks for all the info. i'll be sure to take a good look at the lid before exposing it to any materials that would prevent an easy return.

went with the 3 piece from ezvaporizers.com with a coupon code to knock it down to $38 plus $2 shipping. was gonna order from SCS directly until i saw $8 shipping

 

[Aimless Ryan]

I thought I posted this here several hours ago, but I actually posted it in the wrong thread. Derp!

The replacement small SCS did arrive today, if not yesterday. (I didn't check the mail yesterday, but the grinder was very warm when I got the mail today, two minutes after today's mail was delivered.) This one actually has a lot of different qualities than the grinder it's replacing, as well as other SCS grinders I own. The first difference (from my other small) is that it does not have vertical grooves on the male part. Yay!

I'll have more to say later, after I shave my head and take a bath. (Added later: Actually, I'll probably wait until tomorrow.)

There is one weird thing about this grinder that I want to mention right now: I put the lid from the new grinder atop the grinder it's replacing, and the lid wouldn't fit down into the female part. There wasn't any contact or anything, but the lid just wouldn't go down. After messing around with it for a minute, I realized it's because the poles of the magnets are reversed, between the two grinders. Kind of a bummer, but not a big deal.

 

[FlyingLow]

I travel with mine and would not be acceptable for it to have opposing magnets. IMO I'd ask for a replacement

 

[Vital]

Phoenician still not really delivering how i thought it would. grind is very course. maybe i am using wrong, but i don't think there should be a learning curve for a grinder that costs what this one does, especially one that claims to be for patients. I could have saved $25 and got the largest ti space case.. i do really like that it is threadless and that i can use it as a 3 piece if desired. not planning on using the built-in ash tray or paper holder much now that i'm vaping full time. does seem to grind well enough for the mighty and volcano but i haven't experimented much with grinding avb.. my gf's 4 piece space case and my cosmic 2 pc both seem to grind much better.. i'll report back after more use

Do you have the first generation or second generation?

 

[Aimless Ryan]

I travel with mine and would not be acceptable for it to have opposing magnets. IMO I'd ask for a replacement

If I wasn't clear, this happened when I tried to fit the orange lid onto the bottom three pieces of the blue grinder. I can't really complain about one grinder's lid not fitting right on a different grinder's body.

 

[grokit]

The small seems to have the least issues. For myself it hardly ever needs cleaning compared to my [next size up] model, I thought it was the silver color but maybe the machining's just better on the smalls

 

[Aimless Ryan]

Review: Small matte orange SCS 4-piece.

• First impression: Longhorns. This one should sell very well in Austin.
• Finish seems flawless.
• The collection chamber piece is about one or two hairs larger in diameter than the piece above it. That bothered me at first, but it doesn't really bother me now. Still, considering how much fine detail there is on these things, I don't think it should be like that. (My blue one isn't like that, and I like that part of my blue one a little more as a result.)
• Unlike my other SCS grinders, this one has no grooves/ridges on the exterior. Creates a very pleasant feel in the hands.
• The male part has horizontal grooves, but they're so small you pretty much can't even see them. To the naked eye, it looks like there might be some grooves, but I didn't know for sure until I looked at that part of the grinder through a loupe. Basically it feels and operates the same as an SCS with a smooth/flat-textured male part.
• Has kind of a powdery feel. Very smooth exterior; a pleasant sensation.
• Next picture: About 1-2 mm shorter than my small blue one.

• Next picture: The tooth configuration in the lid is different than the tooth configuration in my small blue lid. Also, the teeth have a slightly different shape than the teeth on my other small one. Even with the different teeth, I could still use each grinder with the other grinder's lid if each grinder's magnet didn't repel the other grinder's lid. (There is a picture of this a little farther down.)

• Same screen as my other small SCS 4-piece. Was hoping it would have the same fine screen as my mini 4-piece, which is pictured in the first post on this page.
• The threads are very smooth, like my other small 4-piece, but it feels a little different/nicer because of the matte finish.
• Lid turns smoothly. There is a little more wiggle room in the lid than with my other SCS grinders.
• Fairly weak magnet. Very uncharacteristic of SCS grinders. It's just a little weaker than my others, but I'm pretty sure it will cause a problem someday if I'm not very attentive. (EDIT: Yeah, my suspicion was just confirmed that the magnet is not strong enough, and that it almost certainly will eventually cause a spill if I use it regularly. I'm very surprised by this.)
• Similar to my other small 4-piece, I love the deep collection chamber. LOVE LOVE LOVE the deep collection chamber. Love.
• Think I'll call it Bevo. I really have no interest in naming grinders, but this one was pretty tough not to name. (College football fans should understand.)

Overall Rating: 4.51 stars (of 5).

Didn't realize I had that much to say about it.

Overall, there are two things that kinda disappoint me about this grinder: 1) The weak magnet; and 2) It doesn't have a super fine screen (like my mini 4-piece does). Regardless, I love this grinder so far.

I haven't used it yet to grind. Probably not important, though, because my experience says it's a given that Santa Cruz Shredders grind very well.

Next picture: As I mentioned last night, the poles of the magnets are reversed between each of these grinders. I can't really deduct any points for that, but it did surprise me. It was also slightly disappointing, as I really wanted to try the blue grinder with the orange lid. Which would work, even with the different tooth pattern, if the magnets weren't reversed. (If the magnet poles on both grinders were oriented the same way, it looks like I would have myself a couple Boise State Bronco grinders. Interestingly, I once stood on the Smurf Turf.)

If this matte orange replacement grinder had come with a finer screen than the blue one, I would probably use this as a 5-piece (pictured below), with the blue sifter screwed on above the orange sifter. That would be perfect. And it could work that way, too, even though the bottom of the pictured blue piece does not thread all the way into the orange piece below it. (EDIT: Actually, I think the two pieces thread together just fine, all the way. It just looks like they're not threaded all the way because their exteriors are not the same. Or something like that.)

Some other pics:

I have found myself in the pattern of starting out by grinding in my mini 4-piece (mainly because the screen in that grinder is so fine). Because the screen of the mini is so fine, I shake it when all the stuff is in the collection chamber, then I transfer everything to the collection chamber of the small orange 4-piece SCS (because I love the deep collection chamber, which makes things much easier for me).

When I'm ready to medicate, I scoop a little bit of herb out of the collection chamber of the small orange grinder, then transfer it to my mini 2-piece SCS, to get a really fine grind. At this point I transfer it to a 1/2 tsp measuring spoon with a hemispherical spoon part, then dump it into my brand new AroMed's herb holder. (Although I like this routine/ritual so far, I wouldn't be surprised if I have a totally different routine within 24 hours, because that's just how I am.)

If this orange grinder only had a really fine screen like the one in my mini 4-piece, I would probably buy a small 2-piece SCS and continue using the process I just outlined, but only with a small 2-piece and a small 4-piece.

The small seems to have the least issues. For myself it hardly ever needs cleaning compared to my [next size up] model, I thought it was the silver color but maybe the machining's just better on the smalls

I find this to be kind of an interesting topic. Here's what I think is going on:

I'd imagine there's no reason for anyone to practice making grinders unless they're actually in the business of manufacturing grinders. There's no grinder-making school I know of. You can study grinder design all you want on your own time, but you're probably not going to make a perfect grinder until you go through trial and error for quite a while.

Santa Cruz Shredder has existed for five years or less. I have no idea if their grinders were any good during the first couple years. Since there is no mention of SCS in this thread until about a year and a half after they existed, my guess is that their early grinders may not have been very good.

They're good now, and they just keep getting better.

I now have five Santa Cruz Shredders. A month ago I didn't have any. Still, in these five grinders I am pretty sure I can see the evolution of the company. To me it feels a lot like my last 18 years of pizzamaking (at home). When I started, I had no idea what I was doing. 18 years later, I know more about pizza than just about anyone anywhere. (If you don't believe me, just google my user name or the title below my user name.)

Nobody is born the best at anything. It takes practice. Lots and lots of practice. LeBron James, practice. Peyton Manning, practice. SCS, practice.

The way I see it, the last five years of practice is starting to really show itself with SCS. I may be totally full of it.

Also, I'm pretty sure the SCS employee I talked to a few days ago told me not all of the machines are programmed the same (or whatever the proper terminology might be).

God damn I write a lot of long posts.

 

[ginolicious]

How many of you are a firm believer of leaving a nickel in the kief area? Do you notice a significant difference?