Discontinued Hopper io

Vaporific

All who wander are not lost...
Well this and the tiny might are way better form factors than the minivap.
There’s a Hopper vs. Tinymight thread here on NewFC: Tinymight vs Grasshopper. I’ve opined a bit there (TM wins in my book on several factors). It would be interesting to compare the TM to the IO and hope someone (not me - yet) can do so soon. Love the on-demand function of both though. Cheers. :peace:
 

Guest399

Well-Known Member
There’s a Hopper vs. Tinymight thread here on NewFC: Tinymight vs Grasshopper. I’ve opined a bit there (TM wins in my book on several factors). It would be interesting to compare the TM to the IO and hope someone (not me - yet) can do so soon. Love the on-demand function of both though. Cheers. :peace:

I was going to do that soon anyway. will do it today at the latest tomorrow but I can say so much that my impressions totally with your blankets!
 

Macicman

Well-Known Member
got my io days ago :)

it is my first device from HL. After some sessions I can not say so much, unless it is very good.

But the frontend gets very, very hot on the lips, which makes it almost impossible to kill a load without taking breaks. there helps the silicone mouthpiece a little bit.

What helps is to do a glass tube from RBT or TM before. Thanks for the tip @MoltenTiger

without silicone mouthpiece of which I luckily have some pieces is in my opionion the Hopper not usable and it would be disappointing at all or with glass tube before or with bong. but i only vape without bong. so it's ok and good.

I have some machine oil inside from the frontend and some inside from the herbal chamber from the hopper. after cleanig with isopropanol remain the stains. but i will want to see over it.

In all it is a very very nice inconspicuous vaporizer which looks fantatsic but not so practiable to using like the TM for me.

The Extraction is fantastic ! overall I'm very happy :)

Edit: i cant see or noticed a differnce between the old and new Frontend for now. but i dont removed the screen from the new one yet.
The IO is way cooler than my Grasshopper Ti. I am trying Performance Front End tonight.
 

Vapor_Eyes

taste buds
what i do not understand is
why HL ordered not 5000 pieces of Batteries or more (and thats in the best some years in the past -but past is pastand if they change it we dont must speak about the past i think) to make all customers happy. to get only some pieces are to low for all vapers
and they can so make money too
It is standard procedure when dealing with a new manufacturer to do a small test run as proof of production. This is different than the pre-production sample batch which is much smaller, generally only a few pieces, and simply proves they can produce the product. The purpose of a small test run is to show that the manufacturer can produce the product at scale with the desired materials and specifications. Or HL could just be broke. :shrug:

I would expect the next batch of batteries to be much larger. It would be nice to get an official update on the expected delivery date.

I started having issues with my clicker this weekend. Sometimes when I click it - it doesn't turn on and sometimes it doesn't turn off. Also, I hold it similar to how I hold a pencil and use my pointer finger to click and the sideways pressure can sometimes turn it off and on without clicking. I am still loving how it is hitting but I am worried. Hopefully I am a lone case of this. Anyone else experienced anything similar?

I’ve experienced similar issues with my OG Grasshoppers. I first tried cleaning the backend threads and contacts with no success. It sounds counter-intuitive but what eventually worked was thoroughly cleaning the frontend threads on the body and mouthpiece, it solved the problem completely. A clean hopper is a happy hopper in my experience.
 
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dac13

Well-Known Member
I asked support about getting extra batteries since my IO shipped without one and I paid for an extra one to boot. I'm down to 1 battery which is 3 years old and it's on its last leg.

They said no they don't have any available and then said they have a new batch of batteries being finished in July and then shipped to them... So I'm guessing it'll drag out to August/September before anyone sees batteries from that batch. Hopefully they ordered more this time.

on their site the batteries still say estimated shipping in June....
 

JCat

Well-Known Member
Accessory Maker
I asked support about getting extra batteries since my IO shipped without one and I paid for an extra one to boot. I'm down to 1 battery which is 3 years old and it's on its last leg.

They said no they don't have any available and then said they have a new batch of batteries being finished in July and then shipped to them... So I'm guessing it'll drag out to August/September before anyone sees batteries from that batch. Hopefully they ordered more this time.

on their site the batteries still say estimated shipping in June....
Wow. Worst company ever.

Edit: I'm sure if you order another IO they will send you a battery! After all, who doesn't want a $300 disposable device, where when the battery is dead, you have to buy a new one.

Edit Edit: If you send it in for your lifetime warranty service though, they'll be sure to get it back to you in a year or 2, after which you surely won't have any functional batteries and will HAVE to buy an IO v2 or whatever they decide to call the next one to get another battery.
 
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Stonedbadger

Well-Known Member
I asked support about getting extra batteries since my IO shipped without one and I paid for an extra one to boot. I'm down to 1 battery which is 3 years old and it's on its last leg.

They said no they don't have any available and then said they have a new batch of batteries being finished in July and then shipped to them... So I'm guessing it'll drag out to August/September before anyone sees batteries from that batch. Hopefully they ordered more this time.

on their site the batteries still say estimated shipping in June....

Maybe message @VGoodiez I saw on Instagram that he was going to be working with HL. Hopefully he could sort something out for you?
 

Vaporific

All who wander are not lost...
Wow. Worst company ever.

Edit: I'm sure if you order another IO they will send you a battery! After all, who doesn't want a $300 disposable device, where when the battery is dead, you have to buy a new one.

Edit Edit: If you send it in for your lifetime warranty service though, they'll be sure to get it back to you in a year or 2, after which you surely won't have any functional batteries and will HAVE to buy an IO v2 or whatever they decide to call the next one to get another battery.
LOL! It’s called planned obsolescence. Learned this in high school moons ago. There was a glimmer of hope late last summer (‘19) going into Fall that they started to come around - reduced RMA backlog, waiting for the large battery shipment from China, speculation about a new device (the IO), and more presence on old FC - and then the fire happened and things returned to normal (for them): SSDD - same shit different day. They’re so convinced this type of battery is the best when it’s clearly not, and I’ll attest I’ve had some bad ones out of the gate among a few different groups I’ve purchased. Now you can barely get one new one, if you’re lucky and the moon is in retrograde.

SSDD, SSDD...

Sorry I’m in an antagonistic mode the last few days. HL is such a foil for this though. :peace:
 

mushlove2u

Member
My IO and PFE are coming on Friday! I swapped to plain Ti after talking to them on Sunday. Another 30-60 days for color, I’m done waiting. My legacy has been in warranty for 2 years! I don’t give a poo about color at this point. I have my galaxy camo simrell stem for my dynavap, I can always lol at that!!! Cheers!
 

gergopolis

Well-Known Member
Well gang I'm disappointed to say that my IO of 3 weeks has been experiencing switch problems as others have reported. Since day 1 the on/off switch has been malfunctioning and last night the switch completely fell apart on me during use. Upon unboxing I noticed the switch was loose and did not click properly leading to unintentional activation of the device and difficulty turning it off. Even touching the button or setting the device down without touching the button would activate the device. This unintentional activation left me feeling very insecure about the safety of the IO as it would turn on and the faulty button would not allow me to click it off.

After a few days of use the button seemed to stop accidental activation but the action on the button click was still off. Often feeling like the click would get stuck and not depress properly this not activating or turning off the heater properly. I have owned two OG hoppers with their share of issues but the on/off button was always rock solid with a great tactile feel. I am sorry to say that I am extremely disappointed with the construction of this switch and was expecting such issues to be ironed out.

Button aside the IO is a beast and can deliver the way I want. However as said about previous hoppers the thing is great...when it works. As @Vaporific said SSDD. I want this company to improve and put out a reliable product but unfortunately given their track record this may not be likely. Part of me wants to see a more reliable company develop a similar but reliable product.
 

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invertedisdead

PHASE3
Manufacturer
That’s crazy cause they spent like 3 years designing the clicker.

This vape is the pinnacle of over-designed, so much that they even tried to create their own battery.

O’hopper... O’hopper,
What flashing lights through yonder window break
It is the East, and GHB3 the sun
Arise fair sun and kill the envious moon!
 

slozukimc

Well-Known Member
I started having issues with my clicker this weekend. Sometimes when I click it - it doesn't turn on and sometimes it doesn't turn off. Also, I hold it similar to how I hold a pencil and use my pointer finger to click and the sideways pressure can sometimes turn it off and on without clicking. I am still loving how it is hitting but I am worried. Hopefully I am a lone case of this. Anyone else experienced anything similar?
I have had mine fail to turn on when clicked and turn off in the middle of a hit a couple times. I have not ruled out an old battery as the cause. I have noticed that the threads on the back end will get dirty just like the OG and make the lights flash even with a good battery.
 

Vaporific

All who wander are not lost...
This vape is the pinnacle of over-designed, so much that they even tried to create their own battery.
Not quite sure that’s correct. Granted, it’s a rare type of cell but I recall in old FC thread that it’s not proprietary. It’s been discussed many times. But who the heck is also using it? I pity them too.

I guess I’ll continue sitting on the IO sidelines and reading the reviews herein - and start looking for another portable vape to buy to cure a mild case of VAS and to hedge my guess that new batteries are still a few months out to reinvigorate my legacy Hopper. Would love an IO but not this soon. I learned my lesson with my lone pre order Ti. Cheers. :peace:
 

kilo

Well-Known Member
They’re so convinced this type of battery is the best when it’s clearly not...
Can you explain what you mean? I haven't really had any problems with them. Yes, after they get old they need to be replaced. Same with the D cells in my flashlight. If you're talking about the supply chain, that's a different matter. Having components manufactured overseas at a lower cost than could be done domestically isn't really unusual.

This vape is the pinnacle of over-designed, so much that they even tried to create their own battery.
They did create their own battery. And they improved it with the GHB2. I've used a half-dozen in rotation for a long time. Still enjoy clouds of vapor within a few seconds. Why is designing a new battery to fit a new product a bad thing?
 

jardri

Vapor Dreams
Well gang I'm disappointed to say that my IO of 3 weeks has been experiencing switch problems as others have reported. Since day 1 the on/off switch has been malfunctioning and last night the switch completely fell apart on me during use. Upon unboxing I noticed the switch was loose and did not click properly leading to unintentional activation of the device and difficulty turning it off. Even touching the button or setting the device down without touching the button would activate the device. This unintentional activation left me feeling very insecure about the safety of the IO as it would turn on and the faulty button would not allow me to click it off.

After a few days of use the button seemed to stop accidental activation but the action on the button click was still off. Often feeling like the click would get stuck and not depress properly this not activating or turning off the heater properly. I have owned two OG hoppers with their share of issues but the on/off button was always rock solid with a great tactile feel. I am sorry to say that I am extremely disappointed with the construction of this switch and was expecting such issues to be ironed out.

Button aside the IO is a beast and can deliver the way I want. However as said about previous hoppers the thing is great...when it works. As @Vaporific said SSDD. I want this company to improve and put out a reliable product but unfortunately given their track record this may not be likely. Part of me wants to see a more reliable company develop a similar but reliable product.

Sorry to hear that but I cant see anything broken. Maybe a loose thread or a missing screw? Can you see if anything is broken? Maybe it is just some bad assembly.
 
Jardri,

gergopolis

Well-Known Member
Sorry to hear that but I cant see anything broken. Maybe a loose thread or a missing screw? Can you see if anything is broken? Maybe it is just some bad assembly.
For about 20 minutes I did try to assemble the button thinking it was a simple matter of pushing it all together into place. I was unsuccessful and did not really understand the assembly process. However even if I managed to get it together this would not address my concern with the device turning itself on and struggling to turn off. Bad assembly or broken is all the same to me as an end user who can't figure out how to piece it together.
 

invertedisdead

PHASE3
Manufacturer
Not quite sure that’s correct. Granted, it’s a rare type of cell but I recall in old FC thread that it’s not proprietary. It’s been discussed many times. But who the heck is also using it? I pity them too.

The cell is custom made for them, it's proprietary. Otherwise some savvy user would have surely found a suitable replacement by now.

Why is designing a new battery to fit a new product a bad thing?

Are you asking from an engineering perspective or a business perspective? Because from an engineering perspective I think it's certainly admirable to push the boundaries of technology, and I bought a ZenPen.Ti Hopper early on because I supported the mission!

But from a business perspective, it's gotta be a complete resource hog/money vacuum for a small startup of 3 people trying to compete with absolutely gigantic electronics corporations such as Panasonic, Samsung, and Sony.
 

vapviking

Old & In the Way
The cell is custom made for them, it's proprietary. Otherwise some savvy user would have surely found a suitable replacement by now.
Yes, the battery is custom made to HL's specifications.
But no, they are not proprietary. Anyone else could make and sell batteries of same size/similar function - but no one does because there is no market other than for use in these devices, and this is a tiny market.
 

invertedisdead

PHASE3
Manufacturer
Yes, the battery is custom made to HL's specifications.
But no, they are not proprietary. Anyone else could make and sell batteries of same size/similar function - but no one does because there is no market other than for use in these devices, and this is a tiny market.

Perhaps the battery technology is not considered proprietary from a legal law/patent standpoint, but like the Colonel's secret herbs & spices, it's very much proprietary for the consumer.

Maybe "outstanding exclusivity" would be a better term :cool:

I guess I don't understand why the e-cig industry isn't all over this battery if it does something better than their current technology?
 

Vaporific

All who wander are not lost...
Yes, the battery is custom made to HL's specifications.
But no, they are not proprietary. Anyone else could make and sell batteries of same size/similar function - but no one does because there is no market other than for use in these devices, and this is a tiny market.
Thank you and +1. Who the heck else is using these batts besides HL? :bang:

I guess I don't understand why the e-cig industry isn't all over this battery if it does something better than their current technology?
Who would want to - besides HL? Just slightly bigger is the widely popular (and definitely better!) 18650, but this has been stated a million times herein.

So they improved the efficiency of the IO in relation to a benchmarked version of the battery (which is taking a VERY LONG time for shipment BTW), great. But I think the battery could be better, i.e. GHB3, whenever that may happen. Quality control of the batteries needs to be better IMO. A GBH3 might be a cheaper option, assuming they survive that long, than redesigning it (or new model) using let’s say a 18650. I’m wondering if HL ever considered it not that they’d publicly say it. Let’s see if the IO takes off first. :peace:
 
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GoGlass

Well-Known Member
Well gang I'm disappointed to say that my IO of 3 weeks has been experiencing switch problems as others have reported. Since day 1 the on/off switch has been malfunctioning and last night the switch completely fell apart on me during use. Upon unboxing I noticed the switch was loose and did not click properly leading to unintentional activation of the device and difficulty turning it off. Even touching the button or setting the device down without touching the button would activate the device. This unintentional activation left me feeling very insecure about the safety of the IO as it would turn on and the faulty button would not allow me to click it off.

After a few days of use the button seemed to stop accidental activation but the action on the button click was still off. Often feeling like the click would get stuck and not depress properly this not activating or turning off the heater properly. I have owned two OG hoppers with their share of issues but the on/off button was always rock solid with a great tactile feel. I am sorry to say that I am extremely disappointed with the construction of this switch and was expecting such issues to be ironed out.

Button aside the IO is a beast and can deliver the way I want. However as said about previous hoppers the thing is great...when it works. As @Vaporific said SSDD. I want this company to improve and put out a reliable product but unfortunately given their track record this may not be likely. Part of me wants to see a more reliable company develop a similar but reliable product.


It's very disappointing because i remember the old thread at FC and HopperLabs has written :

"
Backend:
• New battery contact with self-cleaning prongs
• Increased spring pressure on battery contact
• Backend threading now made from Brass
• Eliminated 5 interfaces of potential power loss over time
• Gold plating added to every internal power transfer surface
• Solder connection between PCB and Spring assembly
• New Gold Plated springs
• New Direct Contact PCB design
• Black plastic Overmolded into Tickmarks and on button side
• New clip cover with Indicator Tick mark also with black plastic overmold
• New Dial rotation mechanics
• Added Kapton disk
• Adjusted button click
• Changed button contact "


And you have problem with the switch after 3 weeks ???!! Man, i have ordered an IO but i'am not hurry to receive it !!
HopperLabs can you talk with us and tell us what's goin' on ????
 

vapviking

Old & In the Way
HopperLabs can you talk with us and tell us what's goin' on ????
Hopper Labs was several years late to the party, in joining FC for real, and we all felt relieved and invigorated when @HopperLabs began posting last year - answering lots of pent-up Grasshopper questions and generally being responsive to members and their hopper needs.
On reflection, I view all of that as the buildup (dare I use the word "hype"?) of the upcoming Hopper io. It was to be released in 2019 but then the battery fire set everything back by months and months.

Now the very odd development is the absence of HL here, I think it's been over a month. To introduce an exciting new product with near zero fanfare is just bizarre. And as I'm prone to mention, those of us who are OG owners are beginning to feel like we are left in the lurch, so to speak.
 

Baron23

Well-Known Member
Oh, but they got it right this time, Smalls......NOT.

These are just my long held opinions:

1. HL couldn't manage their way out of a paper bag
2. There are much higher rel (as in reliable) ways to switch low power on/off than a frakin mechanical "clicker" switch they used in their slavish devotion to keeping it looking like a pen (FFS)
3. Same slavish devotion brings us a useless pocket clip (yes, I know it keeps it from rolling).
4. While the batteries are not some patent-able tech, they certainly are proprietary in that they do not meet any standards whatsoever and are produced under contract and sold by one source only, HL, and have been a source of almost constant problems and relatively low battery life.
5. Anybody who has an OG in warranty repair for two years does not have an OG in warranty repair, they have an OG that HL lost or destroyed and they just aren't admitting it.
 
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