Discontinued Hopper io
- Thread starter VegNVape
- Start date
Ha, I'd be more than happy for you to call it.
Although pinpointing time of death could be tricky, one thing is for sure: this cringe-worthy clown show has gone on for more than long enough.
Nice to see they still drop in from time to time though, eh? Yes, it appears they can log into FC but they won't reply to our emails & warranty requests or deliver on their commitments.
If only they had time to stop for a cuppa!
Holy shit brother this needs to be a livestream, plz!They are 15 minutes from my house in Boulder CO. I'll do a run there this week, good dispensaries, and go right up to their door and knock.I'll post here when I get back and update you guys fo sho!
The criteria that I have always used is "is the vape available for purchase from the manufacturer?". Has anyone recently purchased and received a new io/hopper?What are the forum’s criteria for such a determination? Curious. Thanks.
Adobewan
Well-Known Member
I imagine some folks might still appreciate a thread to discuss user fixes and workarounds, being they're being abandoned by the manufacturer.The criteria that I have always used is "is the vape available for purchase from the manufacturer?". Has anyone recently purchased and received a new io/hopper?
Shit Snacks
Milaana. Lana. LANA. LANAAAA! (TM2/TP80/BAK/FW9)
Just so we're clear, the thread getting a discontinued label, doesn't disable the thread or move it or hide it or anything, it's still the same active thread btw
As @Shit Snacks said, the discontinued tag is for inormational purposes only and doesn't affect the thread in any way.
ChooChooCharlie
Well-Known Member
They are 15 minutes from my house in Boulder CO. I'll do a run there this week, good dispensaries, and go right up to their door and knock.
Vapetrees
Vaped Out
If you try to add an IO to your cart there is an error message, so no I don’t think you can order one currently. Accessories like batteries, it lets you purchase.The criteria that I have always used is "is the vape available for purchase from the manufacturer?". Has anyone recently purchased and received a new io/hopper?
Shit Snacks
Milaana. Lana. LANA. LANAAAA! (TM2/TP80/BAK/FW9)
Update, I don't know if cleaning the back end would make a difference for mine, because sometimes it turns on, then suddenly shuts off even if I am drawing, and sometimes it then wouldn't turn off when I finally got it to give me a hit hahaha maybe that is what happens, just seems like odd behavior to me
ProfessionalHandJob
"A handjob is still a job, okay?"
they've been out of inventory of every hopper/hopper IO version, on each of the multiple "official" hopper sites for months. VGoodiEZ dropped them prob 6 months or more ago, I think TheHerbCafe in Canada had like 1 in stock last i looked but that's been a while too.The criteria that I have always used is "is the vape available for purchase from the manufacturer?". Has anyone recently purchased and received a new io/hopper?
Signs all point to them being no longer available for purchase from the manufacture, or even 3rd parties/elsewhere for quite some time now (going on a year or about that, maybe longer).
VapeKnight
Day Tripper
I might have to order a few batteries before it's too late. I still have two Ti OG grasshoppers that still work and have never needed to be sent back for repairs. Unicorns...
I still do like and use them on occasion. Most recently thru my new Magicstone Odyssey. It would be a shame not to be able to use them simply because of their proprietary batteries.
I still do like and use them on occasion. Most recently thru my new Magicstone Odyssey. It would be a shame not to be able to use them simply because of their proprietary batteries.
MonkeyTime
Well-Known Member
I've done both the iso soak and contact/electrical cleaner in the past with successful results, if only short term.
Having tried both multiple times while trying to continue using them, I found the most success using a compressor dialed down and a tip for filling air toys to push from the battery end out. Even after the soaks or sprays I got gunk out, which usually lead me to do it again or until it stopped.
Last ditch efforts to keep a great and unique vape going as long as possible..... It only lead to more frustration and then you throw the batteries on top and it was too much, even with a power adapter
Shit Snacks
Milaana. Lana. LANA. LANAAAA! (TM2/TP80/BAK/FW9)
Haha well there's no chance of me buying a compressor for this crap, certainly a unique vape, but in my opinion, even at its best, it is quite far from great 
Damn shame!
Damn shame!
MoltenTiger
Well-Known Member
being quite far from great I could not agree with when considering the rare better units I tried... the things proved too good to be true.
Sad to see it come to this, it's a lose-lose situation.
I found from googling that HL had set up shop in some shared workspace where Trevor had registered another business 'Colorado Tech Supply' another limited liability company... check the google map review.. that company has recently voluntarily dissolved/became inactive in March this year. Hopperlabs LLC is still allegedly in good standing, but it seems likely a similar destiny is looming.
I miss the convenience, but I do not miss the inconveniences.
Sad to see it come to this, it's a lose-lose situation.
I found from googling that HL had set up shop in some shared workspace where Trevor had registered another business 'Colorado Tech Supply' another limited liability company... check the google map review.. that company has recently voluntarily dissolved/became inactive in March this year. Hopperlabs LLC is still allegedly in good standing, but it seems likely a similar destiny is looming.
I miss the convenience, but I do not miss the inconveniences.
Shit Snacks
Milaana. Lana. LANA. LANAAAA! (TM2/TP80/BAK/FW9)
Yeah mine was never really convenient, even without any defects, I have other vapes that are far more convenient for me in pretty much every way... this design bred flaws
vapviking
Old & In the Way
Colorado Tech Supply was set up in 2016, address the same as Hopper Labs, so that part isn't particularly new - but-
The dissolution of CTS in March 22 speaks volumes.
Colorado Tech Supply Ltd. :: Colorado (US) :: OpenCorporates
Free and open company data on Colorado (US) company Colorado Tech Supply Ltd. (company number 20161311397)
MoltenTiger
Well-Known Member
It was beyond convenient for several reasons for me, especially the io.Yeah mine was never really convenient, even without any defects, I have other vapes that are far more convenient for me in pretty much every way... this design bred flaws
Instant on was a feature that I can't say I'm aware of elsewhere. Quick heat ups are not the same, and most devices like to take a few goes to really perform rapidly and then can't be immediately pocketed. I went through many devices, three io heaters, all different. That was the inconvenience, as well as the reality of the situation in many ways. Plenty of obvious flaws, and they doubled down on the design with the io.. I want an Xvape V3 style with HL heater tech and insulation and off-shelf buttons and power rail components (smaller would be good, never had a problem with the GH batteries and they charge fast).
I've decided to commit to buying the next Sublimator for the ability to turn it on remotely so that it can be ready the instant I'm home... for a long while the io didn't only serve this in-a-rush no patience quick hit tie over, it actually completely replaced my sublimator use. Most desktops only pretend they're that good... it seems to me that all portable flower heaters are flawed in several ways, nothing exists that simply does what I want, besides the functional degree I have experienced with the io.
In terms of having a proper beaker hit without any dicking around, anywhere anytime, it was almost perfectly the most convenient utensil I've owned. Better than a bic and a bonza stem and the hits were too.
I miss it yet it was always just a nicety and at least there are plenty of options that at least try to be a little similar. But not even hoppers were all that similar to each other. I'm just glad I got to have so many tokes, it was a splendid past time. 8 years later it seems like there's still nothing as exciting to me in this scene.
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Shit Snacks
Milaana. Lana. LANA. LANAAAA! (TM2/TP80/BAK/FW9)
Yeah I just hated that clicker button, and having to load a narrow chamber instead of separate chamber like glass stem style which I prefer... On top of the stock mouthpiece issues? And yeah I guess the battery, could be inconvenient, when I am using my TM I don't have the same feelings of inconvenience and I prefer to use TP80 like a desktop through glass instead of hopper ultimately as well. There is nothing the hopper does that I feel like these units are lacking really, because I don't need them to be pens (oil cartridge much more convenient than any of these really)
Vapetrees
Vaped Out
I totally agree with you. It is my favorite vaporizer because it was so convenient for me. I liked the small form factor and the ability to take quick hits and go on about my day. I hope we can get some batteries for it though. Otherwise, I will be pretty bummed out that I can’t use mine because of the batteries.
MoltenTiger
Well-Known Member
Yep the clicker, with custom springs that wound up getting some expensive mass of gold applied, the back-end was the major failure I had with my pre-release io. Ergonomically I never had a problem with it, but it also wasn't really a desirable element of the package either. It also caused them a huge waste of time - worse still was the fair share of disaster from that R&D time spent...
The front end had it's own set of problems too. HL needed to veer further from their original design goals to achieve a successful electronic product. They went too far with their custom solutions which is why everything is as it is now. It is simply way too complicated, and they should (and might) have decided that it was time for a proper, needed, ground-up redesign.
I didn't have much issue with the stock front ends. But again, the pen shape design goal and the fact that the cooling system was rubbish, wasn't ideal. One legacy RMA replaced body didn't fit my original mouthpiece (thread mismatch) so they sent out another before I shipped the original back. There was a lot of generosity in the early days that will be glossed over with the vitriol of today. Once the PFE was released years later, that's all I used and I found it really easy to upkeep. Filling the chamber by hand wasn't as nice as using a dank shank to fill the Sub or using the 3D printed Hopper Feeder, but it blended itself well to my cone packing experience and I never thought much of it. It was quick and easy and could accept whatever was put inside, fine, coarse, full bud, mostly empty, packed down hard. If the unit was a proper ripper, proper rips were all you got. Efficacy was excellent. Charging dynamic was seamless with a Micro B Li ion cylinder charger and a battery bank. I could go weeks off grid. Walking around the wilderness of Tassie the pen and leather sleeve wouldn't be noticed. Riding the MTB trails of Blue Derby I could stop in the middle of lush rain forest surrounded by huge berms, the clicker was welcome in moments like that. It was ultra portable with the power to offer near maximum ECS stimulation instantly. I won't forget what it was like, and nothing else is yet to fill that void. I'd like to try a TM but that isn't it.
The trickiest aspect to the power solution if batteries are defunct is routing power to the necessary terminals. Without the slotted adapter from MaxVapors efforts, a way to do this would be to drill into the body (away from the threads so it can still be assembled).I totally agree with you. It is my favorite vaporizer because it was so convenient for me. I liked the small form factor and the ability to take quick hits and go on about my day. I hope we can get some batteries for it though. Otherwise, I will be pretty bummed out that I can’t use mine because of the batteries.
A dummy battery would be needed, a bit of dowel and some gold pogo pins would do nicely. It would be very simple to rig something together.
I can run the io (with legacy back-end) or legacy heaters via a USB C power bank, using 12V PD with a 12V to 4.2V DC DC converter (this is what is inside the MaxVapor DC Jack / XT30 brick with some TH capacitors).
12V sources are quite versatile so a converter would be useful for portability. Otherwise something like a Meanwell LRS-200-4.2 power supply could be hooked up to the hopper directly for desktop usage.
Side note if anyone has a seemingly decent hot running unit shoot me a pm, I would have ordinarily purchased another unit by now given my past hopper tendancies, and you know what, I might still.
Further sideways, I thought I might mention how good the PFE works in reverse as a chamber/bowl for a vape (like a TUBOx) I found myself giving it a go since my Hoppers are all a bit shit nowadays - one io is lent to a sea faring friend who although I was struggling to use it with stupid tolerance, he gets good use out of it on his shore breaks. My oldest unit (HT Ti Legacy) has never been serviced and has never skipped a beat, it just runs a little cool and leaves a bit to be desired, one io body is said to be in Colorado although HL have dropped comms since mid-transit. One SS io is performing unsatisfactorily and sporadically shuts down. One blue Ti Legacy which was previously lent to the afore mentioned mate, is now hooked up to USB C and actually gives some nice super fine unique hoppery hits. It is usable, but nothing like what I have experienced before.
The io was much the same as the legacy units, some were off the rails insane. I initially pre-ordered 3 oringial units, and one bronze Ti Legacy was an absolute scorcher from the get go and for around 18 months into 2017. I wound up moving in with the owner and it was a pretty rad time, it gave up the ghost after a serious workout just before we both got HT units. I was luckier with that one, they have back-end issues, I should track it down as it is not in use and the body is decent, outperformed my first io. My second io was on another level, similar to the bronze. An absolutely perfect one-hitter. That is what I want, it was an unreal experience. Rare as hens teeth. I managed to basically solely have these heavy hopper hits for so many years, every day I got great results, and it really made everything pretty awesome and easy to deal with. It was flippin nuts man I'm telling you all as I always did. Why the vape market is how it is, is beyond me, it sucks, I'll say it straight up. A few nice artisan options, the trickling of battery-farm type labour is beginning to get to some level of adequacy, the "golden standard" options that line the shelves are overpriced, and basically dangerous garbage. HL might as well have another crack. They did get it almost perfectly right. Shame about the struggles of up-scaling, but that's the kind of experience that could lead to real and significant improvement. I would still like to see it happen, and so should the average consumer, but they'll have to snap out of the Pax business model and actually deliver something good!
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vapviking
Old & In the Way
Love all this, and I too miss some aspects, maybe pocketability and heatup the most. I did come to dislike the screwing and unscrewing all the time. (shout out to BCG!).
But I want to tell you that your post sounds much like that of a person recently freed from an abusive relationship, or forgive me for maybe projecting some of my own experience and lesson learned. There will be a better day and a better vape for you!
Now that we collectively have classified the io as unobtainium, I feel more license to make a comparison or two
Instant heatup? Even the Vleaf Go has that. But the Bowle has it and much more, big hits with flavor to die for. And needs no additional cooling (no water tools, etc.) beyond its stem.
I fit the Bowle's puck with medium stem in my jeans pocket, but my pockets are big.
The stubby stem would be even easier to pocket. An Altoids tin can carry pre-filled crucibles.
I haven't tried Tetra P80 or TM, but I have an RBT Splinter that heats up fast and rips big and tasty. Any one of those could make you fall in love again...something tells me you may be a TM kinda person...
A Milaana 3 or FW 7 or 8 perhaps?
We're in a time of rapid evolution of vapes and opportunities. I was a big HL supporter for years, really appreciated the pioneering, generous spirit and youthful optimism of it all, but the ride is over, for me.
MoltenTiger
Well-Known Member
Yeah it's a fair take. I've added more before reading this and I guess it alludes to me wanting what I had back. And that is in essence exactly right. But I didn't really feel abused at all by HL, (I've certainly witnessed many who obviously have felt like that) the Hopper was my go to to deal with my own existential crisis and also to celebrate good times, and also to cure boredom or whatever, and it was a welcome thing for it all the time. I thought it was a privilege to be able to have access to such a thing, because it was so far beyond what I thought of as viable (as many also said from the indigogo, because it wasn't viable ahah).
However, what it was doing was manipulating plant matter, and that can be replicated, and as I discovered with the Sublimator too it can be done in some different and amazing ways that cause unique experiences previously unknown with a common and familiar thing.
You can't unexperience these types of things, and so yes the convenience that the hopper presented to me was something that actually is difficult to describe at all, it has no analogy, it is purely an awesome concept in action.
Stuff like this takes a lot of considered effort to pull off, and the most difficult aspect of taking a unique niche item made by a closed group, is up-scaling. That is what broke this project, and with appropriate ambitions and awareness, it could be replicated in a matter of months and filling shelves in a year. It's rare to find someone who has the niche interest coupled with the industriousness to bring anything to mass market, who is also incredibly lucky and perfectly disciplined. It might happen eventually but it is not something to bet on. However things are trending in the right direction for the smarts to emerge. The bowle is an interesting example, as it is kind of stuck with the same drawbacks as the hopper by being an imitation form factor. The clickwheel was successful because it was not just unique it was caused using existing dynamics formed in some kind of natural evolution. It's incredibly basic to heat up some flower, it's a very basic concept that dates back beyond history. Maybe something can land that is actually fitting the description I've laid out of what I want (what I had but for the long term). I'm not really fussed by it, I'm at a state of tolerance where my CB2 receptors have receded behind cell walls and the rawbar from Dr Ganja is keeping it that way! I think oil pens are the worst example of a hopper alternate, and the fact that is the closest thing to an alternate is as telling as envisioning launching drops and getting air with a Taffee puck in my riding shorts. The Xmax V3 Pro can tide me over just fine when out and about (dynavap would become the bike vape), but what nearly anything can't do is keep up with the Sublimator day by day, while the hopper could. When you get a tolerance to the upper end of the power spectrum, all portables (which all of course work to some extent) do not work for me at all. The hopper did, plus it was way more convenient than any. That's all I ever cared about, I wanted it known that they pulled it off and it's a bit of a downer that they didn't quite do it.
The portable I'm happiest with as an alternate is the TUBOx, a Tetra could be worth a shot. I'd toss up between that and a TinyMight, but for now I just think they won't be enough of a step up from my Xmax V3 Pro, I get great ABV and decent results. It's super efficient with my Fury2/Xmax WPA mod, and works very well, if I were to take care of my tolerance better. The GH chamber size and style made that happen better by default. The Hopper fits a very tight description and once you get a taste of that, it's not really appetising looking at what is out there.
I would probably just build something like the G43 if I wanted to prioritise portable power, that's kind of how that came about (Grasshopper avoidance). But portable power is more of a happy convenience than a priority, being super stoned of an evening is fairly easy to manage. If I was a round-the-clock toker I would be more put out and probably have already scaled up my options. As is, the Xmax is fine. I got stuck with just it and its plastic mouthpiece for nearly two weeks and it was alright, tolerance was destroyed a couple of days after I returned and I have just kept doubling down haha. The biggest difference a functional Hopper offers me is less Sublimator time, and less monitoring of that damned 1hr timer. I don't think I'd be saying that even about the TM, and that's about the only reason I would consider it, just to see how wrong that could be.