MiniVAP Vaporizer
- Thread starter stinkmeaner
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JJ Cool F
Well-Known Member
Do Minivap owners still rate this vaporizer? The FF2 is a full convection portable with almost instant heat-up times and is said to deliver delicious flavor and a great vape signature (arguably the unique selling point for the MV). The Grasshopper heats up instantly, too, and milks flowers when paired with a water tool (much like the suggested optimal use of the MV by most users).
It's been around for years now, and not without its reliability issues. The only 'enhancement' Hermes Medical seems to have made to the device since the original release is adding the option of a glass core instead of teflon.
Since they haven't released an upgraded model, I would expect the failure rate of the devices they're currently producing to be close to zero. It this the case?
Have they stopped innovating as a company? Seems like commercial suicide in such a rapidly growing market. It is still priced as a premium device, too.
It's been around for years now, and not without its reliability issues. The only 'enhancement' Hermes Medical seems to have made to the device since the original release is adding the option of a glass core instead of teflon.
Since they haven't released an upgraded model, I would expect the failure rate of the devices they're currently producing to be close to zero. It this the case?
Have they stopped innovating as a company? Seems like commercial suicide in such a rapidly growing market. It is still priced as a premium device, too.
YungLeaner
Well-Known Member
The MV has a lot going for it in its niche...hopper is still run with incompetence and misleading purchase information while the FF2 is far from unanimously loved and if you've seen the tear down pics I'm not very impressed by the air path...MV is a portable desktop. Not a ton like it
JJ Cool F
Well-Known Member
Yeah, I'd go along with that. Do you own a MV, and if so, is it your daily driver?
It's just a little strange to me (or short-sighted, even) that Hermes aren't attempting to improve on their original design of 5 years ago. Aren't they concerned with all the new devices flooding the market over the last few years?
YungLeaner
Well-Known Member
No, I have used one and was fairly impressed. I agree that the price is very high. I don't know what their business model is. On the other hand I'm shocked that anyone would pay 500+ for a Volcano in this day and age. MV seems a little finicky to appeal to me vs a cloud evo for the price, but then again the Evo has had some pretty rough glass QC issues these days
JJ Cool F
Well-Known Member
Therein lies the conundrum for me.
If the MV doesn't outperform the Evo (both are probably best suited for home use and are at a similar price point, both have similar heat-up times, both should really be paired with a water tool, both have some niggling reliability issues), I'm asking myself what the advantage of the MV is over the EVO other than it can be powered by a battery?
YungLeaner
Well-Known Member
Really depends on who you ask. I would rather have the Evo. Herb baskets are a little pricy and a little breakable but a really consistent performer that easily adapts to all glass.
kimura
Well-Known Member
put simply, yes. absolutely.
I am always excited to try new devices but doing so makes me appreciate the MV even more. there's nothing I've come across yet that provides a more thorough extraction and delivers the level of medicating effect per a given quantity of material greater than the MV. definitely still my gold standard still in terms of absolute performance.
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MinnBobber
Well-Known Member
JJ,
It has been around for awhile but I still rate it #1 (and #2) in my personal list of top vapes.
For me and my wants/needs/what's important, it is still #1 because of supreme flavor, very efficient,
can sip or rip, the miniVAP Flexicone modules (wire basket and silicone lid) are the best thing ever invented, almost never needs cleaning, 20 minute shutoff vs 2 minute BS on some, can do partial loads and leftovers don't cook out, perfect ABV always, 445 F max and never a scorched fleck, never needs stirring, never gets tooo hot to hold, quality look and feel (sorry EVO owners as it is great!!! but looks like its made from recycled milk jugs) etc.
For me, best portable ever (IF you don't need stealth/ jacket pocket carrying is ok).
As a desktop, maybe tied with my Herbalizer for #1 as sometimes Herbies 7 second heatup is great BUT I also use my miniVAP Flexicones with Herbie to greatly increase its rating.
If you can live with slow warmup time, its top dog for me. You can work around that too: turn it on first, grab a cold drink, grind your bud, load a Flexicone, turn on some music.
In summary, for me, it is at the very top for portable AND desktop----and don't know any other vape that can do both so well.
So, it's been around some time but still gets the job done.
I'd like to see a hybrid design of many miniVAP features and some Herbie and some Mighty features...
EDIT---do love the EVO but hate the frickin glass ELB/stuff a screen in system---and I don't even break the ELBs LOL. After a full load in mV, take a sip with unit turned off and Flexicones are easy peazy to extract /reload or save highest temp for Herbie---pull Flexicone from mV, drop in Herbie, ready for fan assist in 3 seconds !!!
JJ Cool F
Well-Known Member
True.
I guess it just doesn't sit very well with me that the MV hasn't significantly dropped in price since its release 5 odd years ago, nor has Hermes Medical released new and significantly improved devices (or even accessories). So we're effectively being asked to continue paying a premium for slightly 'dated' tech.
EDIT TO AVOID DOUBLE-POST
@MinnBobber & @kimura
It seems like you're both on the same page concerning the continued performance of the MV. That's quite reassuring, because if memory serves, you've both owned one for several years.
I've always had a soft spot for the potential of the MV with glass, but the reliability issues and questionable customer service from Hermes over the years has always prevented me from buying one. Have things notably improved on that front?
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kimura
Well-Known Member
I don't have much bad to say about the Evo other than that I just stopped using it once I got my glass core MV. glass MV basically does everything the Evo does, with slightly more draw resistance and less heat up time. I just found myself getting stronger effects off the same dose, with better flavor, using the MV. so I sold my Evo to a friend because it too is excellent and should not collect dust
JJ Cool F
Well-Known Member
tonuzzi
Spoon Dogg
Very well said Kimura, I totally agree. I own both The MV and EVO and love both units. But The MV (Teflon Core) is still my daily personal driver, the taste and medicating effect per a given quantity of material are second to none IMO. I use the EVO for when friends come over, or when I just want a few quick hits. Both awesome vapes!
kimura
Well-Known Member
yes, I have an updated teflon core MV too.
the delrin adapter from @stickstones / @mestizo really puts the icing on the MV cake. paired with just a j-hook, it's perfect. when I use the glass core, I twist off the adapter in between hits to avoid any cooking from the residual heat lurking in the glass lined oven. good luck beating this setup. can do whole chunks too if you prefer not to grind.
edit: I've always had good experience with Hermes customer service. I did receive a few defective units back in the fall of 2014.... there was a "bad batch" of units that went out, but I was taken care of, and I don't think there has been an issue with bad units for over a year now. it was a little awkward, since many of those bad units apparently ended up at VaporNation (lol...), but I'm pretty sure that's all in the past now
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c76man
In search of the best terps and smoothest vapor
I love both my MV and Evo. I actually use the EVO as my daily driver simply because I have it on a WEMO switch and can turn in on from anywhere, then it's 100% ready when I get there. However, the MV is my favorite portable vape by far. If the heatup time was faster or I could get it to turn on without buttons (for WEMO), it would be a daily driver for me.
stickstones
Vapor concierge
@JJ Cool F - to clear up a couple of things...
The MV had a significant price drop well over a year ago and then another reduction at the beginning of this year, so it is more affordable than ever.
Other than that, functionally the vape appears the same. But what you won't see is the updated firmware that allows slightly faster heat up time than before. It also has breath inhalation detection to reset the auto-shutoff timer, although I haven't seen this in action so I can't confirm it. Almost all of the updates over the years have been to the firmware.
I have been discussing things with Hermes about their unit and upgrading it. They have some ideas for the future like smaller units that heat up faster, but I don't see these coming out any time soon. The company is small and it takes time to make those kinds of changes.
Most of Hermes' recent R&D has been around the medical fields, which only bolster's the miniVAP's reputation as a top notch device (only it and the Volcano have submitted their units to independent lab testing). They have been working on a medicinal unit that uses a lot of the same tech as the MV, and their increased understanding of the plant has helped the MV unit in return (glass core addresses some of their needs discovered through research).
The MV had a significant price drop well over a year ago and then another reduction at the beginning of this year, so it is more affordable than ever.
Other than that, functionally the vape appears the same. But what you won't see is the updated firmware that allows slightly faster heat up time than before. It also has breath inhalation detection to reset the auto-shutoff timer, although I haven't seen this in action so I can't confirm it. Almost all of the updates over the years have been to the firmware.
I have been discussing things with Hermes about their unit and upgrading it. They have some ideas for the future like smaller units that heat up faster, but I don't see these coming out any time soon. The company is small and it takes time to make those kinds of changes.
Most of Hermes' recent R&D has been around the medical fields, which only bolster's the miniVAP's reputation as a top notch device (only it and the Volcano have submitted their units to independent lab testing). They have been working on a medicinal unit that uses a lot of the same tech as the MV, and their increased understanding of the plant has helped the MV unit in return (glass core addresses some of their needs discovered through research).
can you elaborate on this?
stickstones
Vapor concierge
The glass core was in response to two things...customer desire for glass, and the conductive effects that the glass imparts to the vapor. The teflon core is about as convection as it gets, and they came out with the decarb kit to introduce some more conduction, as some customers were seeking those effects. The glass core does this better than the decarb kit, but then you lose flexibility.
Hermes is on the front lines of cannabis research when it comes to vape companies, as best I can tell, and they are actually testing the vapor from the different cores to quantify the differences. In the same way that a racing team can come up with advances and understanding of technology that makes its way to the sponsor's production cars, so it is with Hermes. They continually make little, unheralded adjustments based on their research that no one else is doing.
Does that help...I'm not sure I answered your question, @Hippie Dickie
Hermes is on the front lines of cannabis research when it comes to vape companies, as best I can tell, and they are actually testing the vapor from the different cores to quantify the differences. In the same way that a racing team can come up with advances and understanding of technology that makes its way to the sponsor's production cars, so it is with Hermes. They continually make little, unheralded adjustments based on their research that no one else is doing.
Does that help...I'm not sure I answered your question, @Hippie Dickie
JJ Cool F
Well-Known Member
@stickstones -
Thanks for all the info. You've listed all the things that, in my estimation at least, made the MV so appealing. I am still undecided between glass and teflon, although the more 'sedative' effects of the glass core probably suits my needs better.
I still think it's quite pricey, especially for the portable kit + decent glass.
Since the reliability issues have been ironed out, I wonder if @VapeFiend.com will ever stock them again for UK customers. Naturally, I would go through you if I was in the US, but the import taxes will make the device prohibitively expensive for me.
Thanks for all the info. You've listed all the things that, in my estimation at least, made the MV so appealing. I am still undecided between glass and teflon, although the more 'sedative' effects of the glass core probably suits my needs better.
I still think it's quite pricey, especially for the portable kit + decent glass.
Since the reliability issues have been ironed out, I wonder if @VapeFiend.com will ever stock them again for UK customers. Naturally, I would go through you if I was in the US, but the import taxes will make the device prohibitively expensive for me.
stickstones
Vapor concierge
Have you looked into buying directly from Hermes in Spain?
JJ Cool F
Well-Known Member
I have, and it seems straightforward on the website. I've ordered products from @VapeFiend.com before, and his customer service is as good as it gets. Where possible, I like to give him my business.
subway13029
Well-Known Member
I've got the glass and Teflon core and an evo...this minivap is right there with the evo and maybe better...I can invert it way easier than my evo and I can use hydratubes with it also..can be used as desktop and portable and the only thing "dated" would be heat up time which isn't too bad especially when plugged in...but it can be a straight ripper!! And great flavor..def worth the price for what you get...
lazylathe
Almost there...
I have the older Teflon MV, about 3 years old now and still going strong!
The only issue I have is that the temps are a bit too low and my ABV comes out either green or very light straw color.
I can still pull clouds off the ABV in other vapes but the taste is awful, so the MV is doing its job just differently.
Still thinking about doing a core upgrade but the flavor seems to last forever in mine versus the newer updated cores. It's a great super long session vape that comes out a lot during movies at home!
I have permanently upgraded my lid to use glass stems using some high heat epoxy and find it to work really well!
When using with a WT I just use the flexicone resting in the joint.
An awesome vape!!
I hate vape catch 22's!! Lol!!
The only issue I have is that the temps are a bit too low and my ABV comes out either green or very light straw color.
I can still pull clouds off the ABV in other vapes but the taste is awful, so the MV is doing its job just differently.
Still thinking about doing a core upgrade but the flavor seems to last forever in mine versus the newer updated cores. It's a great super long session vape that comes out a lot during movies at home!
I have permanently upgraded my lid to use glass stems using some high heat epoxy and find it to work really well!
When using with a WT I just use the flexicone resting in the joint.
An awesome vape!!
I hate vape catch 22's!! Lol!!