Mighty or Arizer Air for First Daily Driver?

[hiddengecko]

So, I'm about to purchase my first vape, and I've been doing some research and asking around about which I ought to get. This will be my first herbal vaporizer purchase.

First, some background. I've I'm a California resident and have recently received my medical card. I dislike combustion since it's smelly, indiscreet, generally makes my throat feel awful, and is a waste of weed - the less often I have to go out and purchase more herb, the better! I've tried those little O.Pen Vape things, and they're stealthy, but the effect doesn't last long and I can burn through the disposable cartomizer way too fast. As such, I've decided on a portable herbal vaporizer.

I'm living at home before I leave for college next year, at which point I'll be living in the dorms. As such, a degree of stealth and portability is necessary - I don't need to be a ninja, but I need to be able to get it out to my car without an obvious carrying case. Normally, I just smoke in my room or out in the desert. As long as it fits in a pocket (I'm 6'7, so it can be a fairly large pocket) it should be fine. My sessions are normally short and somewhat light - a puff or two most of the time, unless I'm settling in to play video games or something.

I'd prefer the vapor to taste good and be easy on the lungs and throat, and the more efficient the device uses the herb, the better, so it seems like a convection vaporizer is what I need. I'm generally not interested in butane vapes or desktop vapes at the moment. This will be a daily driver, and may be taken with me in my car fairly often - probably not on my person most of the time, though.

I've considered the MFLB, the Pax 2, the Firefly, the Crafty, and have currently narrowed the most likely purchases down to the Mighty and the Arizer Air. The MFLB is too difficult to use socially, the Pax 2 apparently has mediocre vapor quality and smells enough to mitigate the advantage it would normally have with stealth, and I hear it's something of a weed hog. The Crafty is great but has poor battery life and I'm rather scared by the horror stories about it breaking - I need a device I can trust.

The Mighty is bulkier but fixes the battery life issue, has top-notch vapor quality, and from what I hear seems to have fewer reliability issues. The size seems manageable - like a Galaxy phone in an otterbox. I can get a genuine one from puffitup for $340. Provided it's fairly reliable if treated well, I'm quite smitten with the thing.

The other, much cheaper option is the Arizer Air. I can get this for about $160, and it is slimmer and probably easier to carry than the Mighty. Plus, it has swappable batteries, meaning I can bring extra charges with me and that it will likely last much longer. It's a harder draw, but I honestly couldn't care less about that - I tend to pull gently anyway. The downside is that I dislike needing to assemble and disassemble it, and that the glass stem seems like it'd be a huge pain to carry.

How does the vapor quality compare to the Mighty? Overall reliability and ease of use? If I'm only buying one, is there one you recommend? Or should I just bite the bullet and drop an extra $160 to buy both of them? I pretty much just want to buy a quality vaporizer that I can trust for a few years. If it converts any of my friends from combustion by its greatness, more the better.

Feel free to make additional suggestions if there's a vaporizer you feel would better suit my situation.

 

[AJS]

The taste of the Air is amazing, all glass airpath.
With that said, the Mighty has more consistent flavor throughout the bowl.
The Air can pre-load stems, has a belt clip, and is super easy to clean, load, turn on, etc.
The Mighty is a heavy hitter, and will wreck anyone who tries to not feel it's effects. With that said, you need to use more herb in the Mighty compared to the Air.
The Arizer portable products tend to be a bit sturdier and more reliable than the Storz n Bickel products, but S n B will have a warranty (as well as Arizer), so it's not that big of a deal.

Summary:
The Air is more convenient to operate, cheaper, with all glass vapor path, easy loading/unloading, easy cleaning, and has interchangable pre-loadable stems/interchangable batteries. WILL get you medicated, so don't even worry about that, it's not a cheaply made or cheaply functioning vape, it's high quality.

The Mighty is a harder hitter, will get you more stoned, has a longer battery life, but uses up more herb and may have problems down the line (but S n B will take care of you, so don't worry about it).

All in all, the Mighty is most likely a better vape, but is very expensive, bulkier, and uses more herb.

Can't go wrong with either choice.

I have an Air, but follow the Crafty/Mighty threads so have a decent understanding.

I absolutely love my Air.

 

[CarolKing]

I have the Arizer Air and it is quite stealth and a well made unit. The Mighty I don't have but from what I hear its a harder hitter than the Air. The AA is cheaper. I'm surprised the Mighty has come down so low? If you can get the Mighty I would try that vaporizer out. It looks kinda big for a portable but so is the Solo. You can always get the Arizer Air as your second vaporizer further down the line.

Make sure you get a smell proof container for your cannabis, since you are living in a dorm.

 

[hiddengecko]

That's encouraging to know! The Air is definitely on my short list.

And, Carol, it's available for that price with a coupon code - the standard price is still $400. However, getting it for the same price as a Crafty is...tempting. I am seriously considering it, and the only thing stopping me is my metaphorical boner for build quality and reliability. That, and I'm waiting for the check to clear.

The smellproof container isn't a problem yet - I won't be in the dorms until Fall of 2016, and that will probably be at either UC Santa Cruz or Humboldt, which I understand are both quite 420-friendly campuses, as campuses go. I just have my stash in their bottles in a cardboard box out of the way, and that seems adequate for now.

 

[Gonzo]

Mighty will blow bigger clouds and more consistent taste throughout. Precise temperature is also a nice feature I take full advantage of. Lack of swappable batteries and price are my only issues with it.

Air is IMO the best bang for buck in the portable market. Good taste, swappable batteries, and very respectable clouds. Slightly restricted air path and the heat of the stem on my lips are my main gripes with the unit.

I can handle harsh vapor but hate the feel of even a slightly warm stem on the lips. This is a personal issue though and not one that affects everyone. The cooling unit on the Mighty really helps me with this.

If money is not an issue the Mighty would be my first choice. The Air is no joke though and gets the job done every time I have used it.

 

[hiddengecko]

Thanks! Precise temperature isn't something I've ever used, so I have no idea if it's something I'm going to be excited about later down the line. I simply don't know how useful it will be.

Money is an issue, but I can afford either without ruining myself. Paying less is great, but I don't want to end up buying a "starter" model and upgrading later if I can just buy the best out the gate and use it for years. That said, I'd also rather not buy an expensive item and have it bricking early in its lifespan.

That's interesting, though. I have the opposite problem - a warm stem or heated unit doesn't bother me, but I can't stand harsh vapor. Nothing ruins a high for me like coughing and gagging, or that terrible scratchy feeling in the back of my throat.

 

[Gonzo]

If the stem is too warm I find my lips get dry and start to crack after time. Happens more since moving to a drier climate.

I hear you on not having to upgrade later. I guess it depends on personal habits.

Both units are good for different situations. The Mighty is like having a desktop that can unplug for 6+ bowls depending on the person. I use it a lot on the couch and in the garden.

The Air is better IMO for travel and stealth because 1) the ability to pack stems and cap for on the go and 2) the size is more pocket friendly.

I think you would be happy with either unit but you may find both in your possession one day. They really compliment each other quite well.

 

[AJS]

Man .. It's so hard based off your needs.
The mighty is the highest upgrade of the portable vape world (subjectively, but based off tons of research), so if you constantly chase improvements just take the easy road and get the mighty.

While being a very daily user, 3+ times a day, the Air, as a portable (and even as a daily for a while) has never failed to meet all my needs in a portable. Because of it, I no longer EVER want a joint over the Air. The air is basically a joint, that last longer, with a quarter of the bud, gets you more stoned, and tastes better.

Imo, get a desktop log vape to accompany an Air. I think that's the absolute best collection for almost anyone's needs. I could explain why in PMs, but too much to write here, and would require too much back and forth to really narrow down what you want/need in the vape world.

 

[hiddengecko]

Thanks, Gonzo. As someone who's used both, are you saying the vapor quality is similar, but that the Mighty maintains that flavor longer? Or is the Mighty's flavor just generally better?

Yeah, I understand that, AJS. I've considered a log, but desktop vapes just don't work for me currently. I'll definitely look into one later down the line, though.

This is really an incredibly tough choice, so I do appreciate all of your input.

 

[Gonzo]

The Mighty wins in vapor quality IMO. Flavor is better, flavor stays nice longer, and clouds are bigger with less restriction.

Over the lifespan of the vape will it be worth the $200 extra. To me yes. I vape daily and use the Mighty 2-3 times a day. At this point I can't imagine not having it.

The Air was purchased for ski season but will work its way into more use because the vapor quality is better than I was expecting for $160. Couldn't justify taking a $400 vape out on the slopes.

 

[hiddengecko]

I decided to spring for the Arizer Air to start with, since I could get it and a set of batteries for $150 off PlanetVape.

I figure that for less than half the price of a Mighty, it gives vapor that isn't too far off in quality and is a more reliable unit overall.

If I upgrade to the Mighty later, I'll have a serviceable backup for it, and it's not like I've spent enough to ruin myself here.

Thanks for your advice! It was quite helpful. I'll probably post some feedback in the Air thread once my unit arrives.

 

[AJS]

That sounds like a very very reasonable decision. Your reasoning is pretty spot on.

 

[bluenavey00]

I reliability is important to you then go Air.

I don't have a mighty but the faulty devices are quite shocking.

I've been following the Air thread for nearly 11 months now and I am pretty sure I've only seen 3 people mention issues? And I am pretty sure one of them was a n00b that was just using it wrong.

On the note of reliability, it would be great if retailers like @VapeFiend.com would post return info? Maybe % of a specific vape model returned. Not sure if they are allowed to discuss stuff like that. Would be a great way to get some real data on the reliability of various vapes.

 

[hiddengecko]

Yeah, that was my reasoning. If I ever decide to upgrade to a Mighty or Crafty, I'll have a reliable herbal vaporizer that should last for the foreseeable future, given its record of solid build quality and exchangeable batteries. Besides that, I'm looking for a step up from combustion with a tiny pipe and using a re-branded O.Pen Vape with glycol-based disposable cartomizers.

It would be nice to have access to return data, though I think the results would be a bit inaccurate since a significant percentage of any product's returns will probably be handled through the manufacturer rather than the vendor, which is information they will probably not have access to.

 

[herbivore21]

From what I've read, the Air is very, very similar to the Solo, with some tradeoffs meaning in some ways it is not as good (in portability/battery stakes, it is better of course).

Based on my use of many different solos now and several Mighty's, the Mighty is hands down the better vape. The draw resistance on Air IIRC was meant to be slightly more restricted than the solo even. If I remember this accurately, I would recommend steering clear of the AA. Life's too short to fight with your vape over a hit!

My Mighty had the err 004 come up on first operation. Has worked flawlessly since. That being said, I only really use my dnail flower adapter now.

Also avoid the muzzmod with the Mighty, it messes up the draw and makes the hit too open with much less clouds. If you want to connect the Mighty to glass, get Ratchet's 3d printed SonG adapter.

 

[HellsWindStaff]

I decided to spring for the Arizer Air to start with, since I could get it and a set of batteries for $150 off PlanetVape.

I figure that for less than half the price of a Mighty, it gives vapor that isn't too far off in quality and is a more reliable unit overall.

If I upgrade to the Mighty later, I'll have a serviceable backup for it, and it's not like I've spent enough to ruin myself here.

Thanks for your advice! It was quite helpful. I'll probably post some feedback in the Air thread once my unit arrives.

I think you made the right choice

Not to be this guy, but in my experience, freshman year of college...you will meet new people who will not always treat your stuff right, and you can potentially get busted vaping in the dorm. I didn't....but it certainly could happen with the right device. Did get busted smoking a blunt xD, had to get rid of some weed, not a huge loss, but a loss. Was stupid and took no precautions really. Also drunk.

I used a MFLB, small profile in both vapor and the actual unit. (this was 2009 before the Power Adapters) and a Chinese Vapor Bro's Box. The boxes wands ended up breaking through careless drunk freshman (myself included) and the MFLB's batteries eventually shit the bed by us overcharging them. The MFLB was 89, and actually still works,just needed new batteries. the box was $50 and we threw it out end of the year.

Personally, I wouldn't want to shell out serious money on a vape til I had my own place. I think the AA is reasonably priced, I think its small enough for what you want, I think you can chief pretty discretely with it provided you hold hits in/Smoke Buddy. I also don't think steaming up a bathroom and vaping in it is all that great for the electronics, but IMO that would be the safest way to consume cannabis in a dorm. ( I think it would be safer using the AA then Mighty in a steamed bathroom) Steam shower, towl under door. Smoke/vape. Turn off shower. Exit room, but then make sure you shut the bathroom door and keep it towled!! And make sure the fan is on, all the smoke/vapor will be out of there in no time, and I have never gotten caught using this method anywhere (be it a hotel, dorm, house, etc.) I have seen/heard of people getting caught, but thats cause they think steam/smoke somehow won't smell if you just open the door after...I just liked doing it as a contained system so to speak, and found it usually worked well. YMMV and I actually don't advocate smoking/vaping in a dorm, the risk is not worth the reward....but if you choose to do it, that is how I used to do it. Stupid though in hindsight.
(I also lucked out, as many freshman dorms have "common" bathrooms. My freshman dorm had 1 bathroom per 2 rooms, neighbors didn't smoke but they did not care)

Sophomore year, I just vaped in the back of a 6 person suite, as we only had 2 people as all my roomates ended up dropping out through the year Actually used to smoke cigarettes, no problem. Also only had 1 RA per two floors in this dorm. Again, stupid in hindsight, but the extra space + windows, it never stunk. I also was really high up (13 stories?)

Enjoy college, and enjoy your new vape! Just try to enjoy the vape in moderation it is easy to get caught up in all the new freedoms and sometimes college may seem tough, but its exponentially more tough to finish school once you drop out and get a real job. College is easy peasy in the scheme of life, but without perspective it can seem pretty daunting. I don't mean to preach, but I myself dropped out and now am working through school, and know many others in similar cases, and we all agree how fucking stupid were we?? Lol. Best of luck you!

 

[ginolicious]

Look at the elevape smart vaporizer. It has no heat up time. Pure convection. Fully customizable temperatures.

 

[hiddengecko]

Thanks for the tips, everyone, but I have already purchased the Arizer Air. I'll probably have to wait until next week to get it, unfortunately.

As for its quality versus the Solo, I haven't encountered any reviews that say it's worse than the Solo in any way but battery life and fewer heat settings. The ability to change the batteries myself handily negates the edge in battery life, and I think five heat settings are quite adequate for the foreseeable future. It's a big step up from torching it either way.

 

[Gonzo]

I have a Solo and Air and the difference to me is very little as far as vapor quality.

My solo is an older M106 so the Air's air path actually feels less restrictive.

 

[Tommy10]

Great call! Solo was my first good vape, and the only portable I'll pull out around drunken friends as others have mentioned. $15 for a new stem, and I have found the device hard to break plus most of my portables are butane and drunk people who don't know much about vaping have a tendency to negate all common sense when trying a device, solo is too dead simple. If it were me and I were purchasing now I'd probably got the air over the solo too, it just wasn't out when I got mine.

 

[hiddengecko]

That's actually part of my reasoning for it, hah! A friend of mine has a habit of dropping or sitting on things that should not be dropped or sat on whenever we smoke. He's gone through quite a few pipes and bongs in the couple years I've known him.

I ordered one of Ed's TnT wooden stems - the 3" Arizer one - and a few filters for it, as well. I'll probably use the glass at home, but I like the smell and feel of wood. Plus it means I can leave the entire unit in my pocket without worrying about breaking it off, or looking like I have a crack pipe sticking out of my pants.

Also, it looks classy, and I like that.

 

[Tommy10]

That's actually part of my reasoning for it, hah! A friend of mine has a habit of dropping or sitting on things that should not be dropped or sat on whenever we smoke. He's gone through quite a few pipes and bongs in the couple years I've known him.

I ordered one of Ed's TnT wooden stems - the 3" Arizer one - and a few filters for it, as well. I'll probably use the glass at home, but I like the smell and feel of wood. Plus it means I can leave the entire unit in my pocket without worrying about breaking it off, or looking like I have a crack pipe sticking out of my pants.

Also, it looks classy, and I like that.

With that ed's stem and the air silcone case you'll be able to impress your clumsy friends worry free! Much less worry than a notorious paraphernalia breaker handling your mighty!

 

[Stevenski]

I decided to spring for the Arizer Air to start with, since I could get it and a set of batteries for $150 off PlanetVape.

I figure that for less than half the price of a Mighty, it gives vapor that isn't too far off in quality and is a more reliable unit overall.

If I upgrade to the Mighty later, I'll have a serviceable backup for it, and it's not like I've spent enough to ruin myself here.

Thanks for your advice! It was quite helpful. I'll probably post some feedback in the Air thread once my unit arrives.

An excellent choice & one not to disappoint. The Air is versatile where I can enjoy lower temp stems or crank it on red with my GonG. I would suggest a silicone skin if it will be passed around etc especially in public.

I ordered one of Ed's TnT wooden stems - the 3" Arizer one - and a few filters for it, as well. I'll probably use the glass at home, but I like the smell and feel of wood. Plus it means I can leave the entire unit in my pocket without worrying about breaking it off, or looking like I have a crack pipe sticking out of my pants.

Also, it looks classy, and I like that.

You now have a bulletproof vape limited only by batteries since you have an unbreakable stem in your arsenal. Pretty sure you have a 14mm WonG now so you can use it with a small water pipe if you so desire . A great way to kill a stem in only a few big hits or just sip away.....I am in no doubt that the Mighty is called it for good reason but it is at least $200 more than the Air (where I live) & does not have user replaceable batteries it is tough to justify.

 

[Pyr0]

I've only just seen this thread, I have both the Air and the Mighty and have to say if smoothness of vapour and throat irritation are high priorities then the Mighty is the one to get.

I started with the Air, but didn't like the restrictive draw and the throat irritation.
As a daily driver I had to constantly drink water when using it to soothe my throat, so I started reading again and decided a Mighty might suit me...
I was right, the Mighty is a beast, it has low draw restriction and hits hard but it also produces some of the smoothest vapour for a dry vape due to the cooling unit

 

[VapeFiend.com]

Both the Air and Mighty are equally reliable according to our data. We receive very few returns of either model.