Ok, just thought I'd pop in and provide an update here, as I've been in discussions with HL support, and I have to say, they've done everything they can to make me a happy customer, have been responsive, and made me a reasonable offer on credit for the exchange of my SS Hopper.
So based on that, and the other communications I have had as of late with them, I now have a Hopper IO on the way.
Good to hear dude, I hope you get a golden egg and can chill in peace as if the shadier times never happened, sometime soon. The shadows prove the sunshine. If the legacy unit was what it took to cause the io to be, well then so fucken be it I say.
This thing is just amazing, unimaginable to me, yet in hand it's just fantastic, no not perfect, fucking fantastic. Very familiar, but better. Still getting use to the white lights, but it is making my boro and me delighted.
The back-end on mine #294 has popped off twice, but I think I 'undid' it, and that it has a pin loose(?) which explains why it has rattled since I got it.
I had to wait damn near 3 months for USPS and AusPost to get it to me, and it got a little abuse in customs, they ripped everything open for inspection and managed to leave a little tell tale wear on every bloody item the scoundrels.
The box was slashed through the bottom, and on the top of the nice io packaging (should be a drawer but) there was a big depression that perfectly outlines the clip - so somehow that happened, which has got to have put some undue stress on the back-end.
No big deal really, but I can't easily change temps one handed, a fair yet pedantic complaint I suppose. When it gets a bit stuck, that's when I start spinning it backwards and forwards and fairly aggressively, that's how it has come undone. But it clicks back together and is much smoother after, but still with the rattle, and compared to my HT GH back-end, well that is actually an incredibly nice dial and is amazingly smooth. Super easy one handed usage, handy for mid hit adjustment and more.
Hopefully that's what the retail io's are like. Mine is prerelease, and may be completely hand made, I commented at one point about conformal coating, I was wrong but mine has a bit of flux splatter and iron marks. Could just be from there wicked auto front end assembly solderer robot, whatever the case, the front end is quite awesome.
You can get stung if you blast a few chambers and while doing so touch below the light/intake holes. Hurts, it's gotta be pushing 70° C maybe, it takes a bit to get there, but the hits are so good and on tap, so easy enough to do. I'll have to borrow the Flir from work sometime to watch it in action.
Point is, it is powerful, and fast. Vapour pours out in a way I haven't noticed before with the legacy.
It's super similar, like SS or Ti sort of stuff.
I've never used a Ti dynavap just the 17 M, I think there's going to be noticeable differences for someone like me, and I think there is enough difference in the io to trade in a legacy if you can work out a deal where everyone is happy, the recipient is never going to regret it.
If shit hits the fan with my io, I'm buying another one immediately and tiding over with a legacy.
The io is giving very consistent ABV producing very pleasant, tasty vapour with strong enough effects.
That shows some ABV from the last couple of days (well, nights) it's a bit of a mix, but there's a fair bit that finished on T5 in there.
It's not the darkest ABV but it's even, and with a nice healthy level of extraction.
Using the Sublimator might put the cloud production to shame and defines perfect ABV, but the io does a different job (and you could say the same for the io compared with most vapes including desktops, the io is no slouch), and you will never be able to pocket a sublimator. It's the perfect pair. My warranty replaced older style Monkey Controller's days are numbered, and I'll get the Orion when necessary.
It's just incredible being able to get this much joy and efficacy from just a pinch of plant matter. There's a lot to be said about the right tool for the job. With how convenient the io is, it's a must have.
I've had mine a little over 4 weeks now, and what a blast it has been.
I hope it lasts like my HT legacy, which is almost 3. It will sure be interesting to see what happens and just wtf is going on in 2023. We might need to RMA society and/or the planet in that time frame.