Herb Grinders

[thisperson]

An update on the Kingtop grinder. My cousin does this thing to his grinders where he pokes holes on the screen to maximize collection of kief and I guess bud particles.

He decided to do that with the new Kingtop grinder (I got 3, one for me, one for my cousin and one for my friend) and well, the screen popped off. The unit has a ring surrounding the screen that pops off. It's on the kief collection side.

Well he pushed the holes down from the top and it popped the screen off. I couldn't tell if the ring had glue residue that had kept it in place. At first I thought it quite cheap (my sharpstone seems to be a metal ring surrounding the screen fused to the body of the grinder) but I guess it can be a feature. The ring did pop back into place. It just took some work from my cousin and I using our hands to apply pressure at four positions on the ring.

So yeah, replaceable screen on those Kingtop grinders.

The only thing I will say is that being used to aluminum, zinc feels quite lightweight and almost tin like. You can tell it's a bargain grinder. But I'm just going to be grinding flower so I'm not too worried about its durability.

 

[simoninaustralia]

EDIT: I just realized the teeth in all three of my small SCS lids (two 4-pieces and a 2-piece) are noticeably different from each other. Two of them have the same teeth configuration but differently-shaped teeth. The other one has a totally different teeth configuration and differently shaped teeth. The bottom teeth all seem to have the same configuration, but at least two of them have differently-shaped bottom teeth.

What is the difference in the teeth?

Noticed this photo on the SCS website showing vertically shaped teeth...

 

[Socks And Sandals]

Mini = 42 mm.
Small = 53 mm.

The small actually looks a little bigger in my picture, relative to the mini, than it does in real life (because I'm pretty sure the camera was noticeably right of center).

I think you make a very relevant observation about the large holes on the mini. When I ground 0.26 g in it yesterday, the herbs came out very lumpy and inconsistent. I don't think that ever happens with my small(s). Consequently, I think you almost have to grind upside down or sideways to get consistently ground herbs out of a mini.

So for anyone with an aversion to grinding upside down, don't buy a mini SCS. Unless you really need a grinder you'll rarely notice in your pocket. In that case, buy a mini SCS and use it upside down for a few turns.

(I want to add that I did not receive a notification indicating @Socks And Sandals tagged me in an edit to his original post. So if anyone tags anyone else when editing a post, I don't think that person is going to know they were tagged unless they just happen to look at the post again.)

EDIT: I just realized the teeth in all three of my small SCS lids (two 4-pieces and a 2-piece) are noticeably different from each other. Two of them have the same teeth configuration but differently-shaped teeth. The other one has a totally different teeth configuration and differently shaped teeth. The bottom teeth all seem to have the same configuration, but at least two of them have differently-shaped bottom teeth.

9mm really isn't a big difference you're right.

This is Exactly what I was trying to tell @simoninaustralia. Even the pic I took made my small much bigger than it really looks in person, It doesn't surprise me you noticed it with your pic as well. Yes my assumption would be that the Mini would almost have to be used upside down or sideways exclusively and thanks for confirming it.

Now that we have all come to the conclusion that the hole and teeth spacing is dependent on the size of the grinder, have we also really determined that the newer SCS grinders have coarser screens? I've only heard about that on these forums and I'd still love it if someone could confirm that this is only kief falling through my 4 piece small SCS. I know it's hard to tell from a pic but it doesn't look like plant material to me, it looks like crystals.

 

[simoninaustralia]

9mm really isn't a big difference you're right.

This is Exactly what I was trying to tell @simoninaustralia.

LOL, no, you were trying to tell me that your green small SCS was exactly the same size as the blue mini SCS from their website, and therefore there was a major change in design.

And it is 11mm increase in diameter (not 9), from the mini to the small, which is 26% larger in diameter, or a 60% increase in area, that is substantial, and was obvious in the photos you posted.

 

[Aimless Ryan]

Now that we have all come to the conclusion that the hole and teeth spacing is dependent on the size of the grinder, have we also really determined that the newer SCS grinders have coarser screens?

That seems to be true, from my perspective.

Whether or not your kief is kief is something I can't answer (because I know nothing about kief).

I'll take a picture of the three lids whenever I have them all handy and I remember to do it.

EDIT: The blue lid nearest the camera is from a 2-piece. The blue lid farthest from the camera is from a 4-piece. The orange one is also from a 4-piece. If it's difficult to see the differences because of how I arranged the lids, someone let me know and I'll take another picture.

 

[caliwisp]

Kannastor has a new line of graters made especially for vaporists (supposedly make a finer grind) called GR8TR: http://www.kannastor.com/products/gr8tr.html.

Has anybody tried these? The basic model has room for unground and ground herb storage, too. There's a bigger version with a pollen screen. Kind of a cool concept; you can swap out the grinding plate for either regular grind or fine . . .

 

[Aimless Ryan]

I feel like everyone should more easily be able to detect the differences in this picture. Left is the 2-piece. Right is the 4-piece.

Both of these lids have the vertical groove pattern on the male edge, which creates an annoying grating sensation. Thankfully it's not as bad on the 2-piece.

 

[Socks And Sandals]

That seems to be true, from my perspective.

Whether or not your kief is kief is something I can't answer (because I know nothing about kief).

I'll take a picture of the three lids whenever I have them all handy and I remember to do it.

I absolutely will for sure!

LOL, no, you were trying to tell me that your green small SCS was exactly the same size as the blue mini SCS from their website, and therefore there was a major change in design.

And it is 11mm increase in diameter (not 9), from the mini to the small, which is 26% larger in diameter, or a 60% increase in area, that is substantial, and was obvious in the photos you posted.

No, not therefore, there was a design change.. I went into this thinking there was a design change because I know I read that in this thread or in another forum. That much I know for certain lol and why I went into this thinking that in the first place.

Other than that, did you not just comprehend what you just said? That corresponds exactly to what @Aimless Ryan said in the first place.... that it was a small. I don't think you fully get the correlation here at all pal. LOL.

He said that the blue pic was a small and I assumed it was, I also assumed because of that and.... how closely it resembled the mini when laid out on my bed TO ME. THAT CORRELATES TO EXACTLY WITH WHAT I SAID. Not sure if you happen to be high at the moment or not, but I'm on my TB now and it's become quite obvious you don't understand that me telling you that my green SCS was the same size of the blue mini was due to the fact that @Aimless Ryan SAID IT WAS A SMALL. LOL and I also assumed it when I laid my SCS out next to my Bic lighter in exactly the same fashion. What you're failing to understand is that I went into this assumption with the idea that they changed the hole design in the newer units IN THE FIRST PLACE.

If you want to be a smart ass about the bad pic, be my guess, it was a bad pic LOL I admit it! .. but I'm telling you, Substantial difference or not, the difference is barely negligible in person in relation to the lighter and that is what I was going by.

If that doesn't clear things up and make you understand the correlation between me telling you I thought my small was the same as the blue mini because of what Ryan said and how that reinforces the idea that how my small looked laid out on my bed next to the lighter just like the mini, then I don't know what will...

Now don't get me wrong, as I said before, in the pic I can see it does look bigger and can see why you would see that as an outsider looking in, but in person, that 11mm difference didn't stand out to me period. Substantial or not, it doesn't mean dick to me because when I laid it out it did look roughly the same size in correlation to the lighter.

 

[Aimless Ryan]

So anyway, the differences I can detect between these three lids:

• The orange one has teeth that are concave on all four sides, while the blue ones are concave only on two sides.
• The teeth on the blue 2-piece are wide, while the teeth on the blue 4-piece are narrow.
• The teeth on the orange one are arranged kind of like a sliced pizza, while the teeth on the blue ones are arranged in a way I can't easily describe (off-set?).

Here are the pictures again:

 

[Socks And Sandals]

So anyway, the differences I can detect between these three lids:

• The orange one has teeth that are concave on all four sides, while the blue ones are concave only on two sides.
• The teeth on the blue 2-piece are wide, while the teeth on the blue 4-piece are narrow.
• The teeth on the orange one are arranged kind of like a sliced pizza, while the teeth on the blue ones are arranged in a way I can't easily describe (off-set?).

Here are the pictures again:

I can see the orange being concave on all 4 and I also notice the width differences between the two blues. I also see what you mean by offset I think. The orange one has 5 teeth that come around to 1/2 a circle while the offset blues have 4.

Nice observation. Wish we had one of their engineers here so we can ask him if all this amounts to subtle differences.

 

[momofthegoons]

I have just removed the last 12 or so posts and given a couple of members a short vacation for their posting 'style' in this thread. Let me remind you nice folk of a couple of our rules:

• No trolling. Please do not post any content that disrupts the peace and harmony of this board. Don’t post for or the purpose of starting a dispute.

• If you feel someone is breaking the rules or causing some kind of problem, don’t try to deal with it yourself. Use the Report feature located at the bottom of each post.

This forum is for information. It is not a place for personal bickering. We have a pm system for that.

 

[mikeben]

OK the SCS beats the SC. I admit it! My SC is very, very good, but I have the equivalent small in SCS and it is just better.
First it is easier to turn.
Second it is done faster.
Third I do not have to turn it upside down to get a nice grind.
Fourth I seem to have a better consistency.
Both vaporizers I tried my herb on hit me considerably harder with this shred. Thus I don't have to use as much.
Finally I like that deep chamber. What remains to be seen is how good it is at catching keif, but I am impressed. The SC will be my spare.

 

[ichibaneye]

I just ordered a large matter purple SCS I'm exited to try them out finally. I've used the SC before and for the price I thought should have been better all around. The finish on the SCS I ordered looks amazing! I've used Cali Crushers too and thought the grind should be more consistent with them. The thing about the SC & CC is why make large grinders with minimal grindage holding space. I do however like that you can replace the screens on some of the others. I would pay a little more for the SCS if they did this. I like the option of being able to replace something damaged or installing screens of various micron filtration. I mean that's a geeks grinder, right. I know I like geekin out on this lifestyle too.

 

[Aimless Ryan]

First picture: Three small Santa Cruz Shredders, each with a slightly different tooth design. Half a gram of bud in each lid. The tooth configuration is different between the orange one and the blue ones. (The blue ones have the same tooth configuration but different tooth size.)

Since the 2-piece doesn't have a hopper (collection area), I substituted a large SCS hopper for the next picture.

Results
First of all, since there are no drop holes on the 2-piece, I had a little trouble getting the 2-piece to perform equivalent to the 4-pieces. At first I thought the grounds from the 2-piece looked considerably different from the 4-piece grounds, but upon further inspection, I don't see much difference. The grounds from the 2-piece appear a little finer than the others, as well as possibly a little less consistent in size. Other than that, not much to say at this point.

The grounds from each of the 4-pieces look identical to me. The difference in the 2-piece grounds may have resulted from user error. Considering I turned the lids as little as possible, I'd say the results are very good, from all three grinders.

Conclusion: Between this "experiment" and my recent comparisons between different sized SCShredders, I feel pretty confident that small Santa Cruz Shredder is probably the best grinder available; probably regardless of model (2-piece, 3-piece, or 4-piece) and regardless of differences in tooth size/configuration.

Keep in mind, there are plenty of grinders I have never used. I have only used Santa Cruz Shredder, Space Case (2-pieces), and Diamond Grind (5-piece).

 

[throwawaytre3s]

So, I'm moving back into my own house in a few weeks, and will be able to smoke and vape freely once more. I'm currently planning out my big gear purchase for once I move, and I'm looking at grinders. Currently, I've been using the 4 piece that came with my vape from PIU, for both smoking and vaping. It seems sufficient, but I can't escape the feeling I should upgrade. Right now, I'm looking at the 1.5" 4 piece Kannastor grinder, or the 2.2" 2 piece grinder, as i'd be willing to spring for either of them. My main concern with space case and SCS is that I hear the can chip off aluminum, and Kannastor has a really good reputation. My question to you, is, will the size of the grinder really matter? Am I going to miss the half an inch plus on the 1.5 four piece? Because that's what's really determining it for me. You can always turn a 4 piece into a 2 piece by turning it upside down, you know?

 

[Aimless Ryan]

I think you would probably miss the extra half-inch+. I use my mini SCS (4-piece) sometimes, but only because I have one. And it's a little bigger than 1.5".

The difference between 1.5" and 2.2" may not seem big, but it's huge. Not only in capacity, but also in how it feels and operates.

Pictured: 2 SCS minis and a PIU grinder. (I guess I should've put the quarter on top of the 2-piece. Sorry.)

EDIT: I have six Santa Cruz Shredders. None of them has chipped or produced any shavings. I also have three Space Cases. No chips or shavings. I can see how there might be chipping issues with Space Case's titanium finish, but not with their standard finish.

Keep in mind, I have a lot of grinders, which are all relatively new. Which means none of them has been used a lot. Consequently, none of my grinders has been through the test of time.

 

[MinnBobber]

My main concern with space case and SCS is that I hear the can chip off aluminum, and Kannastor has a really good reputation. My question to you, is, will the size of the grinder really matter?

..........................................
I can only speak to the SCS and absolutely no chipping or shavings. Love the SCS 3 piece small, 2.1".
I might have heard of one out of a gazillion SCS owners report a problem but very well designed and machined.
I find that 2" area to be the sweet spot, smaller and it is harder to hold and not as much mechanical advantage. Bigger and they get kind of cumbersome size.

EDIT: 2" sounds really tiny but it's not

 

[mikeben]

Both my grinders. The Space Case small TI, and SCS Black Matte Small have produced anything bad at all. I do recommend the SCS over the SC as far as what you get product wise, but both are quality.

 

[throwawaytre3s]

@MinnBobber

Sounds likes its down to the SCS and the Kannastor for me, then. I agree though, 2" does seem to be the sweet spot. My PIU Grinder is a 2.2" and I love it. I can't imagine something bigger.

 

[Aimless Ryan]

One thing I really like about the small 4-piece SCS is that it's tall. The height makes it easier for me to use. Plus it has a very deep collection chamber, which I love.

 

[Socks And Sandals]

Conclusion: Between this "experiment" and my recent comparisons between different sized SCShredders, I feel pretty confident that small Santa Cruz Shredder is probably the best grinder available; probably regardless of model (2-piece, 3-piece, or 4-piece) and regardless of differences in tooth size/configuration.

Keep in mind, there are plenty of grinders I have never used. I have only used Santa Cruz Shredder, Space Case (2-pieces), and Diamond Grind (5-piece).

That's good to hear. Is it just me or isn't the small the most popular size anyhow? I mean It just seems like the most practical size for one person.. that's why I chose it. The Large just seemed too big for someone like me who only grinds at most maybe a gram at a time and the Jumbo.. forget about it.

Thanks for the observation!

 

[matthend]

hmm, well I just ordered a titanium finish SC 4 pc after researching around for the consensus best grinder out there. Will report back how i like it. Had nothing but cheap grinders in the past. The one thing I have used consistently has been a good set of klein stainless scissors that i have had for close to 20 years now, I will be sad to retire them actually...

 

[Aimless Ryan]

Picture: Half a gram of herbs ground in a small 2-piece Space Case (left), beside half a gram ground in a small SCS 4-piece. (The blue grinder's only purpose in this picture is to hold the Space Case grounds.)

Surprisingly, my first impression is that the Space Case grounds have a more consistent size, as well as probably a better overall appearance. Since there are no drop holes in the Space Case, I turned the lid only until there was no resistance from herbs.

I ground the herbs in the orange grinder a couple days ago. I doubt that makes a difference in this comparison, but I just want to include all potentially relevant information.

Also, I broke up the bud pretty well as I loaded the Space Case. Don't think I did that with the SCS. Consequently, I think I'll consume the SCS herbs today and grind another half gram tomorrow in the orange SCS, using slightly broken-up bud.

 

[Aimless Ryan]

With my Air, I don't really feel like grind size or consistency matters at all. But with my Aromed, I want my grounds to take up as much space as possible.

There are a couple reasons why I like larger grounds in the Aromed. First of all, I'm beginning to feel pretty sure that my Aromed is defective; sometimes I feel like it doesn't get to within 100 degrees of the displayed temperature. So when I use herbs that take up more space than finely ground herbs, my herbs are lifted closer to the heat source by other herbs. Plus finely ground herbs can get through the screen and become "lost" to the water filter.

I just wish I had a way to try out someone else's Aromed, to get a better idea of whether I should send mine back to California for a replacement.

 

[delloy]

Ok folks I've had my Kannastor GR8TR for about a week now and have been using it everyday since it arrived.






Admittedly at first I wasn't completely sure about all the different parts, but over the week have seen the versatility of this grinder really shine!

The packaging that came with the grinder was of a nice simple pleasing design and easy to access without losing or cutting fingers! (hate that stuff!)

On first inspection it was clean and free from any factory residues sometimes leftover during manufacture and no sign of any bad machining or loose bits of swarf.

The grinder comes with 8 different parts in total from 60/61 Aluminium. 10 if you include the cotton storage bag and pollen pick (which has already been lost down the side of the couch

2 Removable Grinder Plates Fine and Medium
Black Lid
Storage/Grinding Press
Grinding Chamber
Ground Herb Chamber
Removable Mesh60 Sifter Screen
Pollen/Kief Chamber



All parts screw and fit together nicely and the exterior finish gives good grip enhanced further by the knurled edges of the lid and grinding press. I also found that the long barrel of the body improved grip when handling and grinding.

Magnets are strong and will hold the grinding press, lid and spare grinder plate intact even when turned upside down.

First use was with the removeable fine grinder plate. The grind was super fine, consistent and fluffy which for my LSV was just too fine and I found it fell through the screen far too easily but may be great for a MFLB. Will have to give it a try

The medium grinder plate was just as fluffy and consistent as the above and pleasingly just right for how I like it in my LSV.

Nice Deep Ground Herb Chamber


Medium Grind


Medium Grind


As mentioned briefly, earlier in the review the versatility is where I think this grinder shines. With all the different options you can basically make it the type of grinder you want!

All the parts are interchangeable and screw together in different configurations. 3 piece, 4 piece whatever and storage is great.

You have the compartment in the black lid where the spare mesh or grinder plate is stored and the compartment in the top of the press for herb or ABV. But I've been using it to store the pollen pick. (until I lost it..see earlier)

Then if you like, say after you have ground your herb, use the lid to screw onto the ground herb chamber and just throw in your backpack or wherever for travel purposes as in the pic below



Then theres the storage puck option



So all in all I consider this a great grinder! I do not have a SCS so cannot compare the two unfortunately.
But I do know that this will now be my daily use grinder out of the small selection of others I have.

Would recommend it wholeheartedly.

If anyone requires more pics or wants any specific info please ask


............ (I've just dug my own hole with those last 2 thoughts) and excuse some of the slightly outta focus shots .....now time to try that MFLB and the fine grind..........damn...no charged batteries