Discontinued Pax Vaporizer by Ploom

[Bankrupt-Music]

I've read various reviews and although the pax gets alot of praise, there are two areas that concern me:

1. I've heard there is some resistance when taking a draw. My question is, how much resistance and how bad does it effect the experience?

2. You cant use it while its charging plugged in. I'm a heavy vaper, should i consider a different portable vape?

Thanks for the responses

mod note: Merged from Ask FC.

 

[newVaper420]

I've read various reviews and although the pax gets alot of praise, there are two areas that concern me:

1. I've heard there is some resistance when taking a draw. My question is, how much resistance and how bad does it effect the experience?

2. You cant use it while its charging plugged in. I'm a heavy vaper, should i consider a different portable vape?

Thanks for the responses

1. Yes, it's a bit tough to draw in my opinion. However, I don't feel it affects the experience to me.

2. No, you can't use it while it's charging, but you can plug it in, in between sessions, or get a car charger, etc.... There is no vape that provides unlimited portable power (unless you get a can of butane gas for the WISPR/IOLite, or a bunch of batteries for the MFLB). Do you need portability or do you need a home unit?

I love my Pax and think it does a pretty damn good job :-)

 

[pakalolo]

I've read various reviews and although the pax gets alot of praise, there are two areas that concern me:

1. I've heard there is some resistance when taking a draw. My question is, how much resistance and how bad does it effect the experience?

2. You cant use it while its charging plugged in. I'm a heavy vaper, should i consider a different portable vape?

Thanks for the responses

mod note: Merged from Ask FC.

I don't know how you measure resistance, but the Pax does have a restricted draw. It responds quite well to a gentle pull so for me at least, it doesn't affect the experience much at all.

Most portables can't be used while charging. You can always remove it from the charger, hit it, and put it back on charge. If you need it so much that you can't wait for a charge to complete, perhaps you need more than one device.

 

[jambandphan03]

If you want to try a decent portable that can be plugged in while using it, check out the Inhalater or the Solo. Pax is a good portable IMO, doesn't have all the bells and whistles, but is a great little pocket vape. I find the draw is not very restricted, it's more along the lines of, you need to have a slow steady draw to give the vapor time to build up in the oven as you hit it. I find no issues with the draw on the Pax.

 

[BittenBagel]

I've read various reviews and although the pax gets alot of praise, there are two areas that concern me:

1. I've heard there is some resistance when taking a draw. My question is, how much resistance and how bad does it effect the experience?

2. You cant use it while its charging plugged in. I'm a heavy vaper, should i consider a different portable vape?

Thanks for the responses

mod note: Merged from Ask FC.

This vape I have had no problem with other than the battery issue I had and with the 10 year warranty and the bomb ass costumer/technical service I do not care.. The draw part is again no problem for me what so ever. You do not want to pull to hard on the Pax at all. It may feel like it's resisting(it doesnt to me) but its not and most likely you are getting airflow. You do not have to pull hard and if you do your experience will drop a few notches. I'd like to say there is a learning cure with the Pax but in all honestly for me there wasn't. Its a hit and miss on the learning curve.

No, you cannot use the Pax whilst its charging If you are a heavy vaporist than you will be looking to cleaning this piece alot because this piece needs TLC for it to work at its best. But, for the vapor it delivers this is really no issue on my end and almost want to clean it more than I need to. Having to maintain this Pax clean was the problem for me before buying the Pax but I broke the ice and fell for the Pax and glad I did. Cleaning of the Pax is incredibly simple and will take a maximum 13 min. We eventually have to clean all pieces anyway, right? Hope you make the right decision whichever that might be!
Vape on!

 

[Espo]

I am experiencing my first Pax problem. If any of you have experienced this, please chime in.

I totally cleaned the pax yesterday and installed a new screen (I did NOT take the spring out or push anything down where the spring goes). I had one session with it and turned it off, nothing out of the ordinary. But I just packed it up again and now I can't get the mouthpiece out. It pushes in a little bit and makes a click sound but will NOT come out. I tried tapping it on all sides of the Pax while pushing the mouthpice but I cannot get it out at all. I emptied the bowl, took the screen out and tried pushing the pipe cleaner down the vapor tube but it will not push the mouthpiece out either.

Any tips to get the 'stuck' mouthpiece out? I hate the fact that I have been doing nothing but bragging about how well my Pax has been working wit NO problems, now this, I can't even get the mouthpiece out to turn it on!!

 

[Slightly Medicated]

Any tips to get the 'stuck' mouthpiece out? I hate the fact that I have been doing nothing but bragging about how well my Pax has been working wit NO problems, now this, I can't even get the mouthpiece out to turn it on!!

Yea, try this.

Get a hair dryer and run it along the mouth piece on a warm setting for a few moments. That should warm things up and cause the mouthpiece to become unstuck.

 

[Espo]

Yea, try this.

That worked!!
But what is causing the mouthpiece to stick? What are should I pay more attention to when cleaning?

 

[Dammit]

That worked!!
But what is causing the mouthpiece to stick? What are should I pay more attention to when cleaning?

Check the floating ring on the mouth piece and see if it's moving freely. I suspect there's resin in there that's preventing it from moving easily. Try cleaning it with iso and drying that area well. I find if dirty iso gets in that area, the iso evaporates but leaves resin residue behind.

 

[Espo]

Check the floating ring on the mouth piece and see if it's moving freely. I suspect there's resin in there that's preventing it from moving easily. Try cleaning it with iso and drying that area well. I find if dirty iso gets in that area, the iso evaporates but leaves resin residue behind.

I just cleaned it out with some q-tips and 90% iso 2 times, hopefully it wont stick anymore, espically if I am out and dont have a hair dryer!

NOW I am having an issue with the temp button, It was sticking, but now its not sticking per say, I can change the temp but the button wont 'click' anymore like it would before. I am done bragging about my perfect Pax on FC lol

 

[Dammit]

I just cleaned it out with some q-tips and 90% iso 2 times, hopefully it wont stick anymore, espically if I am out and dont have a hair dryer!

NOW I am having an issue with the temp button, It was sticking, but now its not sticking per say, I can change the temp but the button wont 'click' anymore like it would before. I am done bragging about my perfect Pax on FC lol

I think you went a bit overboard with the iso. That's probably what caused the sticking mouth piece and now the temp button issue. Try gently wiggling it back and forth with a pen knife or something...and lay off the iso a bit

 

[Cereal_MF]

Just messing around with the Youtube editor...

I already wanted a PAX, but now I want a Mobius Ion w/ Matrix perc

 

[elevation]

Haha, I guess I'd have to change the name. But I've still yet to try the pax.. so we'll see. I'd actually probably go for the inh 004, it looks like a light saber.

If you think it looks like a light saber, you could always take the name han-solo.
I think you made a pretty good choice. I have the Solo but i am still buying the Pax.

For a first vape i think you cant be disappointed. If you are going to love vaping im sure you will buy more vapes in the future to fill up your different needs, like most of us.

At the time a lot of us started vaping there were quite a couple vapes that could give a person the wrong idea of vaping. Now people can choose between a lot of awesome vapes.

I hope your vape journey is pleasant and effective!

 

[ipax]

If you think it looks like a light saber, you could always take the name han-solo.
I think you made a pretty good choice. I have the Solo but i am still buying the Pax.

For a first vape i think you cant be disappointed. If you are going to love vaping im sure you will buy more vapes in the future to fill up your different needs, like most of us.

At the time a lot of us started vaping there were quite a couple vapes that could give a person the wrong idea of vaping. Now people can choose between a lot of awesome vapes.

I hope your vape journey is pleasant and effective!

I meant the inhalator looked like a light saber, but there's definitely no shortage of cliche names

Sooo, I used it a lot yesterday. Lots of experimenting, high v low temps, full v empty ovens and how fine I grinded.

Not sure whether I got used to the flavor or if it was just better the second time around but I really started to enjoy it, and I was smoking up until I fell asleep... going to work this morning I still felt it which is weird and something that I can't really explain. (I got at least like 8 hours of sleep)

Anybody have suggestions for "pulling techniques?"

Whats the point in combining it with the mobious? bigger hits?

 

[vakedcow]

anybody made expirience with the shipito assisted purchase for PAX since they changed to non foreign credit cards?

I tried to order today and it won't pass credit card check opposed to the first time ordered. (same card, but this time a billing adress mismatch although it stayed the same as the old order)

or are there even smarter solutions for abroad forwarding / buying out there meanwhile?

 

[Dogman]

I have had my Pax for about a month and thought I would share my experience with it.

I bought it used from Ebay, it was supposedly used as a review piece. I wanted one really bad, and they were all backordered, so I took a shot on a slightly used one, and man has it been a trip! It was advertised as 'mint' and 'just cleaned'. Suffice to say it was neither.

The temp change button was sticking, temp light coming on, sticking mouthpiece, all the same problems right from the box. So I remembered reading this thread and the fixes for all the issues and started working. I ended up using bread wrapper twist ties to clean around the spring area, and they work great. I had a friend give me a huge bag of them 20 years ago, and I loved them for cleaning a one hitter bat tube and bowl, so I thought I would try them for cleaning the tube and spring area.

I don't know of place to buy something like that, but they always worked better for cleaning one hitters than pipe cleaners did, IMO.

I am happy to say that all the issues have vanished and it is a perfect working unit now, and it is quickly becoming my favorite unit. I clean the spring area after every oven full and soak the mouthpiece once a week in 91 iso along with cleaning the inhalation tube and it works flawlessly. I usually clean it and stick it right back on the charger, giving the iso a chance to evaporate away.

I just recently clean my oven screen using the wire wheel on my shop grinder, and it turned out like new! The wheel took all the old, brown residue off and took it down to bright, shiny metal again. Cleaning the screen definitely helped with cloud production.

Even with all the problems I had getting all the crud out of this thing in the beginning, I am amazed at how much I like it. I think it hits as well as a Solo, both units set to maximum, and kind of reminds me of a large Bic lighter in my pocket, which I always loved the shape of a Bic, very 'hand friendly'.

I find myself using this more and more every day. My buds like it the best of all my vaporizers, I can get all of them coughing their lungs out with either one, but the size, shape and portability are real winners in mine and all my friends minds.

Personally, I don't find this to be a real maintenance issue. I take about 30 seconds to clean the spring area after every oven full (may be overkill, but paranoia has set in at this point), and a once a week soak for the mouthpiece is no big deal for the portability that it offers.

I have found the battery life to be very good, allowing me a whole days vaping away from the house with no issues, and still heats well while the battery charge is showing red.

I love making an oven kief sandwich, the clouds on high are devastating, you only need a couple of those for a nice head bake.

The only bad thing I have to say is that it lets off too much smell in your pocket. I use some pretty stanky medicine, and at my daughters wedding on Saturday I was in a small room with all the men, and started noticing a skunky reek coming from my pocket, so I excused myself, went to the car, took a few quick hits and left it out there. I am a auto tech, and have been looking for a couple of oblong, silicone caps to put over each end, which I was able to do with my Thermovape equipment and the stems for the Solo, but have not had much luck thus far in finding the right caps. Maybe a custom cap set from Ploom? It sure would help cut down on the stink.

For movie theaters and enclosed places, I still prefer the T1 or Evo. It is what I consider to be a true personal vaporizer, and offers the ability to do one hit and shut it off without a lot of waste, which I see as a problem for conduction style portable vapes. Convection is definitely the way to go, IMO, for keeping the smell to a minimum.

Overall, I love this vaporizer, it shows great engineering and a solid package that should stand the test of time. What really excites me is that the portable vaporizer market is still a pretty new concept, and I am sure I will be thrilled as new tech and fresh ideas come to light, I cannot image what we will be vaporizing with just 2 years down the road.

My best to all my friends here on Fuck Combustion! Have a vapey day!

 

[newVaper420]

I am happy to say that all the issues have vanished and it is a perfect working unit now, and it is quickly becoming my favorite unit. I clean the spring area after every oven full and soak the mouthpiece and oven lid once a week in 91 iso along with cleaning the inhalation tube and it works flawlessly. I usually clean it and stick it right back on the charger, giving the iso a chance to evaporate away.

I wouldn't soak the oven lid in ISO. Ploom recommends that you do not soak the Oven Lid (I think it messes up the insulation or something).

From ploom.com:

"Can I clean the mouthpiece or oven lid in isopropyl alcohol?

Yes, isopropyl alcohol can be used. The mouthpiece can be entirely submersed. Do not entirely submerse the oven lid; we recommend using a Q-Tip or something similar.
PLEASE NOTE: Do not use isopropyl alcohol on the temperature setting button underneath the mouthpiece. ALWAYS ensure the mouthpiece, lid and screen are dry before reassembling them"

 

[jambandphan03]

One word of advice Dogman, the oven lid is not sealed, and is not supposed to be submerged in liquid. I am hoping that the times you have done it aready have not created any issues, but it states on the website for Pax not to soak the oven lid. You can clean it with a good wipe down, however, I use a q tip/iso. Just thought you might like to know that so you don't end up having to buy a replacement.

 

[Dogman]

One word of advice Dogman, the oven lid is not sealed, and is not supposed to be submerged in liquid. I am hoping that the times you have done it aready have not created any issues, but it states on the website for Pax not to soak the oven lid. You can clean it with a good wipe down, however, I use a q tip/iso. Just thought you might like to know that so you don't end up having to buy a replacement.

Thank you very much gang, another reason I love this site. I have not experienced any issue with that so far, but it will never be soaked again. If I end up with issues later down the road, I will be sure to share. Also heading up to edit my post, not good tell others to soak, thanks again!

 

[FLskwat]

Nice tip of the day:

Since I have lubricated the exterior of the mouthpiece stem & the spring zone my Pax has been rocking and I have learn to love it.
Anyhow, I found a tremendous difference in cloud production with a full and uber packed oven VS. a not filled & not packed oven. Therefore, the Pax in perfect conditions is not that economic/conservative at all and will eat your herbs pretty fast.
Here in france we also have a lot of hash and though the Pax performs BRILLANTLY with hash it is a real PITA to clean the oven correctly after a hash session.
Las but not least, as a big oil head I wanted a way to consume my BHO in my Pax without it being to messy/runny etc... SO I decided to cut one of my Cano Liquid Pads to create 4 Pax liquid pads:



DAMN I am pleased as they have several uses:

-Put a dab in sandwich between the 2 pads, and the Pax will vape your Errls perfectly without any mess at all, and in any position!
-put 1/3 of the normal pax oven flower capacity, pack it tight and on top, drop one of the pads + the lid: you have got a tiny, tight and economic pax bowl that will deliver monster clouds without carrying 0,5!

Hope that helps!

 

[al bundy]

dogman maybe use the finger of a latex glove for the pax to keep the smell down?
And thats a great idea for the conservation FLskwat.

Ive been eyeballing this and the INH004,I love the size of the pax the most. decisions decisions.

 

[missrocket]

It arrived! The size is literally perfect in my hand and the mouthpiece comes out in such a fluid motion. I was worried I would be too weak to get it out but it was easy. It's charging now! The dock is much smaller than I expected. I taped it to my desk and it's perfect in the corner and I feel safe with it charging there. It came with the battery at yellow, but I'm going to wait until it's fully charged to use it.

I thought I'd upload a few unboxing pictures. I'm just excited and want to share! They can be found here on my blog. (They're a bit large.)

So far, so good..

 

[mistergyro]

i agree that the pax is not efficient...you need to load a bunch in there to get decent clouds and thats on high. i don't know if i'm doing something wrong but i can't get decent clouds on low or even medium. there must be something wrong with mine with how many happy people that rave about this thing...

 

[willieR]

Actually, the Pax is more efficient than you think. You are doing something wrong. Try packing a 1/2 oven with finely ground and dry material. Pack it, pack it. Set it on medium. Hit it slow. After a couple hits, turn off, push the load to re-pack (it shrinks initially) and turn it on again.

 

[Cereal_MF]

Hey FLskwat, I saw that brill shit and thought it was bud for a moment there. I was just like what the shit? I need a closer look! Then i realised..