is there "volcano" of oil pens?

[UncleJunior]

or in other words, a standard, top of the line brand making oil pens?

i've always been sketched about pens; the heating element they use, the plastic casing.. and how it's all so compact.

 

[Yoosh]

The concerns are valid, there are a lot of subpar quality wax pens out there. The world of wax moves at a quicker pace too so the 'standard' for a pen is constantly evolving but here are some brands i use and recommend most often: W9tech, DivineTribe, and Yocan.

You won't really find a wax pen that is the 'volcano' of pens but I'm sure many might see the Hercules to be that. It's a connoisseur device and I usually don't recommend starting out with it but W9tech has some other great, entry-level products. I would look into their new Omicron v4 pen. (Check out puffitup).

DivineTribe makes a variety of atomizers but most love the Donut which uses a ceramic donut to heat the wax (no coil visible). This donut technology is the latest and greatest and most pens have a version of them now.

Yocan has a few good pens that I always recommend to beginners. Specifically I'd check out the Evolve or the Evolve+. They also have the Nyx atomizer if the idea of a carb sounds cool to you. Yocan also makes donut coils now too.

Good luck!

 

[ragnorokk]

The new Errlcan looks neat, too. Haven't tried it, but it looks like it can take some abuse (like a Volcano). It's a donut, like the w9 1700 and other donut type atommizers. W9's Hercules might be kind of Volcano-like in some regards (big, can pack a lot, gives big hits), but it has a tough learning curve.
Edit: @Yoosh hopefully once it hits retail at other venues, their prices will be slightly more reasonable.

 

[Yoosh]

The new Errlcan looks neat, too. Haven't tried it, but it looks like it can take some abuse (like a Volcano).

I've had my eye on this one but am gonna wait until the price drops..lol

 

[UncleJunior]

cool cool, i'm mainly trying to find a pen that makes health concerns a top priority. using the safest materials and heating method possible. but my knowledge of what is actually "safe" when it comes to vaporizers is pretty limited.

 

[ragnorokk]

cool cool, i'm mainly trying to find a pen that makes health concerns a top priority. using the safest materials and heating method possible. but my knowledge of what is actually "safe" when it comes to vaporizers is pretty limited.

There are numerous iterations of the donuts and coils if your definition is more lenient, but if you're being more strict w9 has solder-free cartridges of varying styles and price. I'm not sure if anyone else has solderless carts.

 

[pdx3325]

The new Omicron V4 sure is nice. And solid.

 

[ragnorokk]

The new Omicron V4 sure is nice. And solid.

And it comes with the Alpha Centauri v2.

 

[OF]

There are a lot of 'better quality' vape pens to pick from. A long time, respected source is Vapor Brothers, the Dabbler being an example. New on the scene, and IMO worth considering are the Linx Hypnos and Yocan Evolve. I've been using them and have yet to find reason not to recommend either as well with the understanding that being new they could be problematic later (like battery problems, early cart failures, etc.). But thus far they look like solidly engineered well built dedicated attempts. Not some lame cobble up of e-cig parts.

But none of them is an industry standout like Volcano.

For that you'll have to 'expand the definitions' a bit, just as Volcano did? There I agree with the Divine Tribe recommendation above. The (glazed) ceramic doughnut is indeed 'the hot thing' it seems. This means no exposed anything but glass really. No metal, no wick of any sort. Super clean. DT makes history here, I think, because they're using the best possible construction and materials (lots of lesser attempts at the same sort of stuff around). Secondly they were not 'cramped' in the pen format, their atty is 20mm (small e-cig tank size). When put on top of a couple of the smallest Temperature Controlled 'Mods' they are very compact, allow for TEMPERATURE REGULATION at the load (no way you can 'burn the oil' if you set it up right, it's protected), very easy cleaning, low cost, and 'the best taste possible'. I'd check it out. Right now you can get the latest model atty and mod to drive it with for $50 (shipped), link below:
http://fuckcombustion.com/threads/divine-tribe-attys.14455/page-50#post-959702

That mod, while it won't do Temperature Control, still gives excellent service in Variable Power mode (at about 11 or 12 Watts) but then, like a normal oil pen, burning oil is possible if the performance is high enough to be really practical. You have to pay attention to what you're doing.......

The 'best pen vape ever' goes to Cera EO hands down. It's big, an inch in diameter, but holds up to a gram an dishes it out like you wouldn't believe if call on. Easily capable of 1/20 gram hits ('small dabs'?) as fast as you can suck them up (I can't even come close personally, it's like owning a Lamborghini as a personal car.....and Jay Leno I ain't). Bad side is they are no more, and you don't find guys willing to sell 'em. It's little brothers are 'pen vape' size. But Revolution/DART is no more as well. I still have a couple I save for 'special times'. Too bad the company crashed and burned for many of the traditional reasons but the big loss is those products are no more.

But today, we have the DT 2.5 and 2.7s (different mouthpieces) in two depths for the bowl (same heater). Great stuff, much better IMO than the rest. Couple that with any of the 'about $40' TC mods (there are several to pick from identified) and maybe $10 more for a High Performance 18650 if you don't have one and you're good to go. And go. And go and grin, and grin, and......

OF

 

[FlyingLow]

Must look at Source orb, fantastic package!

 

[ragnorokk]

There are a lot of 'better quality' vape pens to pick from. A long time, respected source is Vapor Brothers, the Dabbler being an example. New on the scene, and IMO worth considering are the Linx Hypnos and Yocan Evolve. I've been using them and have yet to find reason not to recommend either as well with the understanding that being new they could be problematic later (like battery problems, early cart failures, etc.). But thus far they look like solidly engineered well built dedicated attempts. Not some lame cobble up of e-cig parts.

But none of them is an industry standout like Volcano.

For that you'll have to 'expand the definitions' a bit, just as Volcano did? There I agree with the Divine Tribe recommendation above. The (glazed) ceramic doughnut is indeed 'the hot thing' it seems. This means no exposed anything but glass really. No metal, no wick of any sort. Super clean. DT makes history here, I think, because they're using the best possible construction and materials (lots of lesser attempts at the same sort of stuff around). Secondly they were not 'cramped' in the pen format, their atty is 20mm (small e-cig tank size). When put on top of a couple of the smallest Temperature Controlled 'Mods' they are very compact, allow for TEMPERATURE REGULATION at the load (no way you can 'burn the oil' if you set it up right, it's protected), very easy cleaning, low cost, and 'the best taste possible'. I'd check it out. Right now you can get the latest model atty and mod to drive it with for $50 (shipped), link below:
http://fuckcombustion.com/threads/divine-tribe-attys.14455/page-50#post-959702

That mod, while it won't do Temperature Control, still gives excellent service in Variable Power mode (at about 11 or 12 Watts) but then, like a normal oil pen, burning oil is possible if the performance is high enough to be really practical. You have to pay attention to what you're doing.......

The 'best pen vape ever' goes to Cera EO hands down. It's big, an inch in diameter, but holds up to a gram an dishes it out like you wouldn't believe if call on. Easily capable of 1/20 gram hits ('small dabs'?) as fast as you can suck them up (I can't even come close personally, it's like owning a Lamborghini as a personal car.....and Jay Leno I ain't). Bad side is they are no more, and you don't find guys willing to sell 'em. It's little brothers are 'pen vape' size. But Revolution/DART is no more as well. I still have a couple I save for 'special times'. Too bad the company crashed and burned for many of the traditional reasons but the big loss is those products are no more.

But today, we have the DT 2.5 and 2.7s (different mouthpieces) in two depths for the bowl (same heater). Great stuff, much better IMO than the rest. Couple that with any of the 'about $40' TC mods (there are several to pick from identified) and maybe $10 more for a High Performance 18650 if you don't have one and you're good to go. And go. And go and grin, and grin, and......

OF

I mentioned the myriad of donut style carts, and I disagree that DT is any better than anyone else's. My is that the donuts are all basically the same, except for minor differences (DT uses an old ceramic "wax pen" skillet, with holes on the side, w9 has a hole for air path through the center). The only company to offer them without soldered wires or glue was w9, last I saw. Take a DT 2-2.7 apart and you'll see what I mean. It's the same old tech in a pretty, ceramic package. It's very reasonably priced, and DT has good service, so I'm not recommending against them... I just don't see how they're more safe than any one else's donut.

 

[aesthyrian]

if by Volcano, you mean you want an effective portable vape that is made of safe materials? Well, not many choices there except for maybe W9tech since their carts are very effective but more importantly, they do not make the consumption of cannabis dangerous to your health like so many other products.

And please avoid crap like Source. All marketing gimmicks and flashy packaging. The product itself may work, but it's not safe compared to W9tech who openly shares the components in their carts and shares the testing of their Ti wire as well.

On top of it all, W9tech carts are usually the same price point as others, if not a bit cheaper. Save some $, save your health, and support a decent company that cares more than just selling a dangerous crappy pen to stoners.

 

[FlyingLow]

How about show some proof the Source pens are more dangerous to your health? I read reddit and it is all just rumors- nobody has posted any facts or lab reports and neither have you. Please don't post such accusations without linking to any true information to support your claim.

 

[ragnorokk]

How about show some proof the Source pens are more dangerous to your health? I read reddit and it is all just rumors- nobody has posted any facts or lab reports and neither have you. Please don't post such accusations without linking to any true information to support your claim.

https://www.w9tech.com/oil-vaporize...ts-putting-vaporists-health-first-since-2008/
Has this and this regarding their own products. I have yet to see similar tests from other companies, but maybe I missed them?

Also, Reddit is another forum; what you read there is only guaranteed to be as factual as what you read on other forums.

 

[OF]

Take a DT 2-2.7 apart and you'll see what I mean. It's the same old tech in a pretty, ceramic package. It's very reasonably priced, and DT has good service, so I'm not recommending against them... I just don't see how they're more safe than any one else's donut.

But I have, it looks like this:

The discussion at the time centered around concerns about the cement used, the V3 isn't going to have any since folks were concerned. I sure don't see any reason to do so, the cement is basically cold and way away from the action IMO.

There are 'lesser doughnuts', in fact there's an ongoing discussion of this on the DT Forum. And inferior 'look alike' attys (even in black) on EBay and such. I'm not sure you can say they are safer than everyone else's, but you can, I think, show some others are not as safe (even if they use doughnuts.....) and I don't believe you can identify any that are safer? That test, 'safest possible unit', I think DT satisfies, even if others might be just as safe?

Matt is using the best materials available I think, state of the art stuff, and guys seem to really like the results. That's a mighty popular thread full of guys praising performance/taste. I'll stick by 'it's the volcano' of such things.

Lots of BS about this stuff out there for sure, marketing types at work seems evident. For example the DT doughnut claims to be soldered with PURE SILVER (which of course would be brazing, not soldering). And that is sealed under a layer of glass? IMO pretty hard to call that dangerous with a straight face. Unless the goal is to blow one past guys who don't know, get them afraid (fear, the 'gold standard' of marketing) of the unknown so they'll buy from you?

Traditional I guess? For sure it's not unique to vapes, either.

But my nomination of the DTs for "volcano of oil pens" stands. I recommend them and think with a TC mod to drive them are 'take it to the bank in Denver' certain to please (if anything can).

OF

 

[ragnorokk]

But I have, it looks like this:

The discussion at the time centered around concerns about the cement used, the V3 isn't going to have any since folks were concerned. I sure don't see any reason to do so, the cement is basically cold and way away from the action IMO.

There are 'lesser doughnuts', in fact there's an ongoing discussion of this on the DT Forum. And inferior 'look alike' attys (even in black) on EBay and such. I'm not sure you can say they are safer than everyone else's, but you can, I think, show some others are not as safe (even if they use doughnuts.....) and I don't believe you can identify any that are safer? That test, 'safest possible unit', I think DT satisfies, even if others might be just as safe?

Matt is using the best materials available I think, state of the art stuff, and guys seem to really like the results. That's a mighty popular thread full of guys praising performance/taste. I'll stick by 'it's the volcano' of such things.

Lots of BS about this stuff out there for sure, marketing types at work seems evident. For example the DT doughnut claims to be soldered with PURE SILVER (which of course would be brazing, not soldering). And that is sealed under a layer of glass? IMO pretty hard to call that dangerous with a straight face. Unless the goal is to blow one past guys who don't know, get them afraid (fear, the 'gold standard' of marketing) of the unknown so they'll buy from you?

Maybe mine was 2.0? It was a replacement from Matt for my 2.0 that blew up (great CS). It came apart in ISO, and the insides did not look as pretty as yours. I had thought it was a 2.5, but perhaps not. Guess I didn't post a pic in the thread, cause I don't see it there. I saw no glass covered solder in mine, but maybe I just didn't know what to look for? I don't really see solder in yours, and I don't see color coded wires like mine had.

I like Matt and Trevor, so I guess that's something to tally on their side as well; they're responsive (within a day or two) and always polite.

I'm not saying that wires will kill you, btw -- I'm saying that different people have different opinions on whether that's safe or not.

 

[OF]

I saw no glass covered solder in mine, but maybe I just didn't know what to look for? I don't really see solder in yours, and I don't see color coded wires like mine had.

The solder in question is where the leads attach to the ceramic doughnut itself. A tiny connection were spot welds are sometimes used to make connections with the metal film deposited on the doughnut that actually makes up the heater element. The glazing (glass coating) on the doughnut covers this connection so all that extends out 'into the air' is the metal of the lead. The leads are crimped in place, you can see one tucked under the rubber on the bottom making contact with the threaded plate? The other goes down the center and the center pin forces past it crimping it against the rubber insulator in the center of the 510 thread. If you look carefully around the center pin you can usually see where it's cut off. No solder down there at all of any sort.

I don't know about the earlier ones, but today when you buy a 2.5 or 2.7 you get the same base (different MP) but it comes with a deep (four round vents in pairs) or shallow (two round, two 'tombstone' shaped evenly spaced). The doughnuts are the same the leads just a bit longer or shorter.

Good stuff, IMO a great deal at the price.....and now it's discounted? Fifty bucks for 'can't be beat' performance (by some definitions, it's not a great vape for cloud chasers......), for a little more you can substitute a 'don't worry about it, cruse control version' mod and be in tall cotton.

OF

 

[ragnorokk]

The solder in question is where the leads attach to the ceramic doughnut itself. A tiny connection were spot welds are sometimes used to make connections with the metal film deposited on the doughnut that actually makes up the heater element. The glazing (glass coating) on the doughnut covers this connection so all that extends out 'into the air' is the metal of the lead. The leads are crimped in place, you can see one tucked under the rubber on the bottom making contact with the threaded plate? The other goes down the center and the center pin forces past it crimping it against the rubber insulator in the center of the 510 thread. If you look carefully around the center pin you can usually see where it's cut off. No solder down there at all of any sort.

That is very competitive to the w9 products' construction.

The v3 being rebuildable will definitely make it more my speed, personally. It feels wasteful to buy replaceable carts, but I will say I've had fewer issues with the 2 units I bought after the initial release of the v2.0 -- so the current gen are not as disposable as a lot of wax carts have been.

 

[Wizsteve]

cool cool, i'm mainly trying to find a pen that makes health concerns a top priority. using the safest materials and heating method possible. but my knowledge of what is actually "safe" when it comes to vaporizers is pretty limited.

Have you thought about making your own? if you have a rebuild able coil setup and have wrapped your own coils before you can build your own .

For this mod you need a battery that can do temp and watts, wire ,and your rebuildable ((full size one ))
and last small glass vial (Pyrex oil vials). and a tester don't over do the wraps test at 3 and 4 wraps

The wire is wrapped around the outside of the vial just above the bottom of vial, vial is positioned upwards push down as for as possible there should still be air flow when you draw.
use whatever wire you think is best and will work with the temp and now you have a fully temp controlled
dab pen.Now just remove drip tip to load drop in some goodies and your good to go.

 

[aesthyrian]

How about show some proof the Source pens are more dangerous to your health? I read reddit and it is all just rumors- nobody has posted any facts or lab reports and neither have you. Please don't post such accusations without linking to any true information to support your claim.

I'm lazy, and since I already decided to avoid using Source products I am just too lazy to search again and find the info again, but it's out there, people have torn their carts apart and provided photos. They don't use nonresistance leads like W9, which is alarming when those wires are so close to the silicone bushing. They can get too hot and potentially melt that silicone. If you use source branded batteries you should be ok, but many do not. They can just use crimp their wires and avoid this possibility, but I guess that an extra step of labor that cost them $? Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/Waxpen/comments/43ke56/heres_a_v3_source_coil_torn_apart_they_didnt/

Actions like that simply tell me that they are more interested in my $, than my health. Or at the very least they cut corners on R&D. That's fine but I'm a fan of transparency so I choose to spend my $ with a company that seemingly has less to hide. Funny thing too, W9 products aren't even that expensive compared to others, and you get the added piece of mind in materials used.

Will it kill ya? Prob not. Really just comes down to if you care or not. I know I do, and certainly a few others do as well. I just don't understand using a potentially unsafe product that doesn't even provide superior results than the product(s) that have a bit more credible level of product safety.

I won't apologize for trying to help people avoid products that aren't the "purest", but I do apologize if I offended you or your use of Source branded products. Vape on.

 

[cannabis.pro]

I know this article isn't specific to the pens we are discussing in this thread, however, the article does mention the Volcano, and I can't help but think that smoldering is also happening in some of the pens being discussed in this thread: https://www.projectcbd.org/article/how-safe-your-vape-pen

 

[SamuraiSam]

I happen to own a Volcano as the Digit was my first vaporizer that I purchased in 2012, shortly before acquiring my first oil vaporizer, an Omicron v2.0. Having used the original ceramic donut atomizer, the 1701 as well as the DT and Ceramizer, as well as having used both the analog and Digit Volcanos with Easy and Solid valves, I might be well equipped to draw some comparisons between these devices.

The Volcano is a clean sheet design that was engineered by Storz & Bickel and released for sale after much research, development, and testing, and it is obviously engineered for a specific purpose, which is to vaporize active chemicals at a specific temperature and fill a bag to capture their vapor. It was not an existing device that Storz & Bickel found being offered for sale from an overseas manufacturer and decided to begin vending as their own. http://fuckcombustion.com/threads/divine-tribe-attys.14455/page-3#post-619555 shows that product is an existing design that the seller of is "wondering" about. In the contrast to that and in similarity to the Volcano, our Omicron vaporizer and its various heating elements like the 1701 are not a rebranded product from someone else, they're of our own design and manufacture.

One thing that I like about the Volcano is its valve system, solid to use, and easily cleanable. The EO carts that came with my Omicron weren't cleanable, though, and were disposable. Kind of like the ceramizer elements that OF showed a picture of broken apart, that's required to get to the chamber underneath where you can see the oil that leaks down through the holes in the ceramic cup, where the leads from the ceramic donut run. The housing we can peek into here can fill with oil until it makes its way into the threadings of the battery/vaporizer, and there is no way to clean it out as the chamber is inaccessible unless you break it open. For these reasons I consider the long term usability of the EO carts and the DT / Unimizer / Kiln to be similar. Not sure if there's any glue inside the Easy Valve but they might be a fair comparison, these atomizers are kind of like the Easy Valve for a Volcano in the sense that you can enjoy it for awhile, but when it breaks or gets gunked up due to use as intended, you must throw it away and purchase a new one. Plenty of people prefer this type of design and they are easy to use, can't fault for that, but some vaporists want a bit more long term of a device. After all they put a warranty on that Volcano and market it as an investment, it costs a bit and you hope it will last a long time. For that reason I bought a Solid Valve with my Volcano so I could avoid purchasing new bags and valves, and just maintain one quality part that would last a long time.

A few years ago @THC SCIENTIFIC addressed this issue by making the 1701 a modular design where the cup and heating element unthread from a base, so that any leakage that comes through those holes can be wiped up easily and put back into the cartridge, and the cartridge features a porous ceramic wick - a real easy surface on which to wipe that oil onto. (Similarly to how the Hercules is designed to come apart and any drained oils can easily be put back up top). Beneath the oil chamber and heater, the base that the heater threads into catches any excess drained oils and prevents them from leaking through to the threading of the battery.

You can wipe off residues and use cotton swabs with alcohol to clean up after use, and should they need it, you can actually clean each part like the base, heater, and coils in much the same way as a Volcano's Solid Valve by soaking isopropyl alcohol and hot water to return them to like new condition. Should anything need replacement you don't need to buy a whole new Volcano, I mean atomizer, simply replace that component to get back up and vaping again! And just like the Volcano there is the disposable or Easy Valve option if you don't want to rebuild and would rather replace Plus neither style uses glue whatsoever.

 

[FractaLSD]

Im a fan of the Dr. dabber Ghost but its much like any of those pens. That said, it sure gets the job done. Can't think of a single thing i dont like about it except replacing the ceramic coil part every few months. But its great for going places and discretion. Though ive seen the same results from a modified e-cig. But i still really like it. Wonder if other people use it. During periods where i really use it more i dint even really touch the oil rig. And sometimes when i do i think "i should have just used the Doctor" lol (also live in a state where wax is not the easiest to come by but im also *from* LA and visit often)