Review after a few days.
The unit has had well over 20 hours operating time now, in say 5 or 6 bursts. So far, no drama whatsoever. I have a small, all-glass hookah with two hoses, and the heater worked very well for this purpose, not seeming to lose much if any heat from the air passing over it. I again think the heater definitely could use a shroud over it for safety's sake. Part of me would prefer to have the heating dial on the unit itself somehow, or somewhere on the cord itself near the wand-end. I prefer to start low and end high temp-wise in any given vape, and it would be nice to have adjustability closer at hand. I could see where this could be less desirable or more expensive for multiple reasons, and am just thinking of what would seem to work for my given tastes.
Think of the MW as a naked-ass Incognito heating element which is then encased in a glass tube, lightweight and easily wielded but also very sturdy to my standards, with two silicone rings so it can be set down, with one also acting as a physical barrier to keep your hand from wandering onto the hot length of glass which contains the heater.
This has pretty much been my primary vape for a few days now and I'm actually very pleased.
The combination of a large (wide!) bowl and low heat makes for dense clouds which seem to last and last - the default setting here seems to be very near that super-sweet spot we all hunt for given the variables of our vapes - for instance messing with screen position and dial temp endlessly with a DBV/SSV, finding right amount of intake choke and temperature and bowl size on an HA for bag blowing, or finding the right jet lighter setting (or even the right jet lighter) for use with vapes like the Vapocane and vapobowl. That sweet spot is made by going to a 11:45-12:30 position with a smallish MFLB trench-full in the bowl, IME at this point.
Unwanted conduction or radiant type vaporizing, the type which happens when no one is inhaling due to exposure to hot surfaces or material being too close to the heater, seems minimal. This is kind of a pet peeve for me and one of the things which somewhat diminishes some vaporizers, like the HA and Iolite. Some people would disagree it even occurs in the HA and some others I would mention.
Keep in mind those who have it now are basically beta testers and the unit will change some, with a heater which I was told is hotter and higher quality than this one, and all the Incognitos (if I recall correctly) have this better heater. It's also going to be modified to blow bags, which is an interesting prospect.
I have a long time friend who has used all of my vaporizers for quite awhile, generally preferring to combust. He was literally awed at times by the MW for brief moments, staring at it and trying to trace the airpath, comparing it to the other vapes like the DBV and vapobowl we've used, and said it was his favorite after all of like fifteen minutes. I'm a hell of a lot more reserved than that, but definitely impressed by it.
It's also heartily approved by me and I for solid concentrates. I could maaaaybe see where a little higher maximum temp might be useful for some applications.
Glass quality - I have the 14mm bowl, the 18mm bowl, and the 9mm to 14mm adapter. I was told all glass was made in Richmond and it is obviously nicely made. For the package price you get a really nice little collection of glass. Personally, I needed a 9mm to 14mm adapter anyway - with a fatty O-ring (like the type included with the Eclipse H20, also an awesome vape) the adapter can also fit into a 12mm, so I can officially MW vape out of every piece with a glass downstem except the super obscure teeny, tiny glass on glass joint. Also, dumb fun bonus, The 14mm bowl can also be used as a 14mm to 18.8mm adaptor for using other pieces/vapes. The hookah bowl is still being made so I can't comment on it, but I expect it to be every bit as nice.
Given its low cost, the fact its made in CA, warranty, a heater shroud or armored cable, and the apparent build quality, and also presuming truly healthy components are used, and that Hipi stands behind his product, I can feel safe giving it an 8 as it stands in my hand right now and a solid 9 given some (Safety!) tweaking and the pretty awesome promise of being able to blow bags. The MW is a serious heavyweight waiting to happen after little refinement, and also after having truly proven itself as a reliable long-term vape to the community and to the world. But so far, so good, and a vape all cloud chasers should take note of.
Sorry if this review seems a little verbose, felt like typing I guess..