Herb Grinders

[MoltenTiger]

The blades are not sharpened. It just uses the edge of the blade moving past the stationary body to cut. I'm surprised how uniform it cuts.
Also, it works better with a back and forth, rather than turning in one direction.
So far it appears that cleaning is not something that has to happen very often. I've used it for a dozen grinds, and it's clean.
The big benefit is that it's immediate. I dreaded grinding. Now I look forward to it.

Certainly sounds good!
Does the blade spin 1:1 with the handle? Is the idea to spin it quickly, or does it just slice through material?

Sorry for the questions Gregg, but it's just too interesting.

I am still very happy with my SLX over a year later, so I don't think I'll be buying anything soon.
But the Lift would be the best competition I guess

 

[Gregg K]

The blade is connected to the top piece. It turns with the same amount as the hand part.
The cool factor is amazing. As a designer and machinist, I can say this thing has a lot of work put into it. I get up in the morning, and look at it. It's just one of those pieces of equipment I love.

 

[Vapor_Eyes]

The Lift will be my next grinder, I'll buy one once it's widely available and had a few more reviews. The main reason is I've recently decided I want a finer grind for my cannabis, so the ability to switch grind sizes easily is a great feature.

I know the GR8TR has a lot of fans but it has too many reports of quality concerns for my liking, and customer service seems inconsistent at best.

The New Vape fine grinder is tempting but I'm not a fan of 2-piece grinders and would prefer a 3 or 4 piece. This also rules out the MFLB finishing grinder for me.

 

[biohacker]

OMG please stop it already!!! Killing meeeee!!!!

Thanks for the great feedback!!! This is incredible!

EDIT: Trigger pulled! 3 piece + coarse and fine plates!

Says it will be shipped in March!

@lazylathe you should be getting yours any day now?? You will love it for your new Grasshopper! I'm ditching the kannastor after the Lift arrives....I can't afford two vapes of this value lol $110cdn for the 3 piece and 2 extra grinding plates. I know it will be worth every penny though!

@steama do you have a kannastor? so the SCS does nothing the Lift can do? Just wondering if I will have a need to keep the kannastor too...maybe it grinds finer with the fine plate or something, but I doubt it....sounds like the lift does everything perfectly.

 

[Winegums]

My biggest concern is the crank and shaft in the lift grinder. The most common points of failure on all crank grinders.

Is there a bearing in the grinder where the shaft is attached? They don't show it in any pictures on their site.

 

[Gregg K]

The crank is beefy. No chance of that thing having issues. The bearing is a bushing made of some kind of nylon.
Just the cleaning aspect of this grinder makes it worth it. After a 1/4 ounce, it had a little resin on the blades and upper housing. It took all of five minutes to clean it up.
I'm totally in love with this thing. Best piece of paraphernalia I've ever bought. I think the Mighty has design flaws, but not this grinder. I'm a mechanical engineer/designer. I found this grinder while getting ready to design one myself, only to stumble on something very much like what I was going to build.

 

[natural farmer]

I am kind of puzzled about this new Lift grinder...
It is supposed to cut, so even if a different design from old grinders it is still cutting. Wasn't this the problem with moist and very resinous herbs and why we all loved the SCS? Cause SCS shreds, dividing the bud instead of cutting... I love my SCS cause of that. Fluffy is the name of the game for me. It is also more economic like that cause fluffy herb takes more space in a bowl that non-fluffy.
And if the blades are not very sharp as I have read here then how easily can it cut wet-ish material?

 

[MoltenTiger]

Just the cleaning aspect of this grinder makes it worth it. After a 1/4 ounce, it had a little resin on the blades and upper housing. It took all of five minutes to clean it up.

I don't follow that logic, my SLX has seen what might be approaching a pound of herb and I've never had to clean it (beyond brushing kief into a bowl).
It's over a year old, and while it shows some signs of age, it's still grinding better than my old grinder did new, and still producing kief like a champion.

I just bought a few for different people and the finish on the newer production is glossy and seemingly much improved/more durable. Grinding with one was insane, I think better than mine ever was, it took a quarter turn to fluff up a bud.. super sharp teeth, perfectly even chop and non-stick and no cleaning, just super efficient and easy kief collection.

I think the Lift grinder is very cool in its mechanism and function, but I am not convinced it's worth swaying from my current solution

 

[Winegums]

The crank is beefy. No chance of that thing having issues. The bearing is a bushing made of some kind of nylon.

I'm a mechanical engineer/designer. I found this grinder while getting ready to design one myself, only to stumble on something very much like what I was going to build.

I'd have used a sealed food grade bearing, much better in the long run for their type of design.

I also had an idea for an industrial shredder inspired grinder with a side crank.

 

[phattpiggie]

I'm still not sure about the Lift grinder @natural farmer, I've watched a few videos of it now and it looks to work well but as you say slightly moist of resinous material may give different results.

I can't see how it wouldn't just spin the load over the blade and it just end up tumbled.

Having used my present grinder for decades I should really treat myself but at that money I think I'll wait for mine to collapse on me.

 

[Gregg K]

All I know is I've used both kinds of grinders, and there isn't even a comparison. I am not sure how it grinds. It seems to separate rather than grind. Whatever works. This is actually a pleasure to use. One of the reasons I like it so much is I know good design when I see it. They put a ton of effort into this. I think it tears buds between the upper part of the housing, and the blade. The blade isn't that close to it, so it sort of tears it up, and the parts that are small enough fall through the sieve plate.
This is the area that has a small flat face that probably does shear the buds. The blade passes pretty close to it. It's just one cool item.

 

[Vapor_Eyes]

That statement about cleaning the Lift concerns me. Cleaning grinders frequently is what kept me from using them for a long time.

I'm even having problems with the SLX. It works beautifully with cannabis that is less than 25% TAC. Anything above that usually causes problems. Sometimes I get stuff that's over 30% and it can completely lock up the SLX with less than a gram, at which point a cleaning is pretty much required. To be fair the cleaning doesn't take long, just a quick wipe with an iso dampened q-tip followed by a rinse of water.

I have the smaller one, sometimes I wonder if those have more problems than the bigger model. I had issues with the coating wearing off once and had it replaced quickly and easily with excellent warranty service. The coating on the second one seems to be holding up, but the nonstick properties simply don't work when I need it most. It's unfortunate because I really like every aspect of the design.

My black titanium Space Case works great with even my highest TAC (total active cannibinoids) strains. Some kief clings to the sides due to static, which doesn't happen with the SLX, but the Space Case never sticks or locks up. It doesn't grind quite as fine as the SLX though.

At this point I'll probably stick with what I have, no pun intended. I'll be keeping an eye out for an SLX 3.0 or any other new nonstick grinders in the meantime.

 

[MoltenTiger]

it can completely lock up the SLX with less than a gram, at which point a cleaning is pretty much required.

I've definitely locked up my larger SLX, some buds are pretty damn tough and sticky, so filling the grinder makes it very hard to initially turn. I've had some strains require grinding only one or two nugs at a time and occasionally require a fair bit of force to crank. I guess there's less leverage with the smaller version, so the shredding action would be felt more.
But in terms of cleaning, running properly cured herb through it cleans it pretty thoroughly, I've never had to use iso, but there would be some resin to collect I suppose.

..
The Grav Labs grinder I linked to earlier in the thread has an interesting tooth pattern, claims to have no blind spots in the grind chamber. It might produce a nice vapeable consistency.

 

[FlyingLow]

I pack my scs full every time, no matter how hard material is. It just kills it with such ease, no hand cramping or strain even when trying to grind rocks... like butta.

 

[natural farmer]

I ppal my scs full every time, no matter how hard material is. It just kills it with such ease, no hand cramping or strain even when trying to grind rocks... like butta.

Right on!

 

[Vapor_Eyes]

@MoltenTiger: At first I thought I was overfilling. I ended up testing it by putting a tiny bud that weighed about .25 grams of my most problematic strain, Extreme Cream, in the SLX. It still locked up.

I've found running other strains through helps a little, but it can be a frustrating process when it keeps locking up. I usually prefer to do a quick cleaning.

My SLX seems to have tighter tolerances than the Space Case, which may be the problem. The lid is a little looser on the Space Case, and that is the main trouble spot with the SLX. Also, the inside circumference of the Space Case is scalloped, and it's flat on the SLX.

 

[abcd5432]

That statement about cleaning the Lift concerns me. Cleaning grinders frequently is what kept me from using them for a long time.

I'm even having problems with the SLX. It works beautifully with cannabis that is less than 25% TAC. Anything above that usually causes problems. Sometimes I get stuff that's over 30% and it can completely lock up the SLX with less than a gram, at which point a cleaning is pretty much required. To be fair the cleaning doesn't take long, just a quick wipe with an iso dampened q-tip followed by a rinse of water.

I have the smaller one, sometimes I wonder if those have more problems than the bigger model. I had issues with the coating wearing off once and had it replaced quickly and easily with excellent warranty service. The coating on the second one seems to be holding up, but the nonstick properties simply don't work when I need it most. It's unfortunate because I really like every aspect of the design.

My black titanium Space Case works great with even my highest TAC (total active cannibinoids) strains. Some kief clings to the sides due to static, which doesn't happen with the SLX, but the Space Case never sticks or locks up. It doesn't grind quite as fine as the SLX though.

At this point I'll probably stick with what I have, no pun intended. I'll be keeping an eye out for an SLX 3.0 or any other new nonstick grinders in the meantime.

I wish I had this problem. My SLX works perfectly, you have the 2.0 right?

I had to get a "real" one as I suspect I got a fake or damaged product from Amazon.

 

[Vapor_Eyes]

I wish I had this problem. My SLX works perfectly, you have the 2.0 right?

I had to get a "real" one as I suspect I got a fake or damaged product from Amazon.

I know, first world problems, right? I guess there's worse problems to have.

I do have the 2.0 version. I also was concerned about fakes because I ordered mine from Amazon. I ordered the larger version and they sent me the wrong size and I decided to keep it. However, my replacement came direct from the company and still has issues. Like I said, the warranty process was fantastic. Maybe I should contact them again just to see how they respond.

 

[abcd5432]

Their warranty process is top of the line. I was treated very well. Are you in a legal state?

I may need a new grinder when I move lol

 

[Vapor_Eyes]

Yes, I'm a legal medical user. It's amazing having access to cannabis that's lab tested for potency, and more importantly, purity. And having access to a large variety of strains makes a difference, because each strain has different medicinal benefits.

It's funny, the other day I was on my way to the dispensary, and just before I got there a cop got behind me. If that had happened in the dark days of prohibition I would have been freaking out, but I had nothing to fear. I was obeying all laws and was actually happy to see the cop. It's funny how much your attitude towards the police can change when you don't have to live in constant fear of them.

 

[MinnBobber]

It's funny, the other day I was on my way to the dispensary, and just before I got there a cop got behind me. If that had happened in the dark days of prohibition I would have been freaking out, but I had nothing to fear. I was obeying all laws and was actually happy to see the cop. It's funny how much your attitude towards the police can change when you don't have to live in constant fear of them.

.............................................................
Someday we hopefully can all vape in peace.

We are currently renting in a short term townhouse in FL. Yesterday, I'm on FC, looking out the window and.....here comes a cop up the driveway. Panic mode and---he's going to neighbors but scarey ass crap that we shouldn't have to put up with.

Someday

 

[MoltenTiger]

@MoltenTiger: At first I thought I was overfilling. I ended up testing it by putting a tiny bud that weighed about .25 grams of my most problematic strain, Extreme Cream, in the SLX. It still locked up.

I've found running other strains through helps a little, but it can be a frustrating process when it keeps locking up. I usually prefer to do a quick cleaning.

My SLX seems to have tighter tolerances than the Space Case, which may be the problem. The lid is a little looser on the Space Case, and that is the main trouble spot with the SLX. Also, the inside circumference of the Space Case is scalloped, and it's flat on the SLX.

I had some hydro that was like that, but using a piece at a time I could still grind it up quickly, but it did take some effort.
Are you referring to the tolerance differences between the teeth, where the SLX tends to shred like the SCS? With high oil content buds it does require some force.

I imagine the extra teeth and leverage make the larger version a lot easier for grinding the stickiest nugs

It's funny, the other day I was on my way to the dispensary, and just before I got there a cop got behind me. If that had happened in the dark days of prohibition I would have been freaking out, but I had nothing to fear. I was obeying all laws and was actually happy to see the cop. It's funny how much your attitude towards the police can change when you don't have to live in constant fear of them.

Someday indeed

 

[abcd5432]

Yes, I'm a legal medical user. It's amazing having access to cannabis that's lab tested for potency, and more importantly, purity. And having access to a large variety of strains makes a difference, because each strain has different medicinal benefits.

It's funny, the other day I was on my way to the dispensary, and just before I got there a cop got behind me. If that had happened in the dark days of prohibition I would have been freaking out, but I had nothing to fear. I was obeying all laws and was actually happy to see the cop. It's funny how much your attitude towards the police can change when you don't have to live in constant fear of them.

Thanks, ya I want to move for purity and knowing the exact content and what I'm getting. I'll be excited to visit a legal state and see what other accessories I may want and need. This lift innovations grinder seems great.
The urge and need to move has only increased as I've learned more from being a member of this forum.

Edit: just read some of the replies. I feel the small version isn't good for the slx. It's the large version with more teeth that's a great grinder.

 

[Vapor_Eyes]

Are you referring to the tolerance differences between the teeth, where the SLX tends to shred like the SCS?

I'm referring to the gap between the circumference of the lid and the piece below it. If you were to label the pieces of the grinder, with the bottom piece 1, and the top piece 4, it's how closely pieces 3 and 4 fit together.

There is a bigger gap between the two circles with the Space Case, if that makes sense. Sorry, I'm having a hard time describing it. What seems to clog up the SLX is small pieces of cannabis stuck in between those two circles.

 

[Osn Dosn]

What locks my SLX 2.0 up, is the dark resin on the outter/inner sidewalls of parts 3 and 4.
It starts to get visible after just 2-3 days and might build up enough to make it work shitty or totally blocked in about a week, and then it has to be cleaned.
Respectively I switch it out to my second parts 3 and 4, that I got after claiming that fast build up, which I thought was triggered by some small striae.
Freshly cleaned the grind is awesome, and green really doesn't stick to it, but the dark matter is fucking it up