Discontinued Pax Vaporizer by Ploom

[appa]

Hello FC! Ordered my Pax today directly from Ploom hoping to avoid the issues of early Paxes (mouthpiece, battery, temp button, stuck temp mode, etc.). Although they assured me other suppliers will have the same models, I just felt it's good to get to know them right off the bat.

Love the content here at FC, but I fucking HATE the structure/organization. Just want to throw that out in my first post to get people pissed at me early on. Linear, really?! If someone knows a way to remedy this (other than the search fx, let me know). I will be using the time it takes for Ploom's free shipping option to bring me my Pax by continuing to sift through FC's 191 Pax pages to uncover the wisdom contained therein. I already want to especially thank Joekickass for his pics and for all those who have posted vids and pics. You know, there's definitely enough info to fill up a big Vaporpedia article on the Pax. There's so much good info on FC that is seriously hanging in the balance with a lot of people talking about "a few pages back" and "somewhere" in the early or middle pages of this thread... I especially think it would be EXTREMELY helpful to organize info on cleaning (specifically parts that can affect the operation like the spring), load sizes for conservation and best effect (0.1g - 0.65g), helpful tools (paperclip tamp/scrape tool), and hints on drawing methods (using mouth/cheeks not diaphragm, starting draw before the green light, etc.).

Anyway, thanks again!


EDIT: first post on page 192, woooooot!

 

[Dreamerr]

@ appa If you know how to do that kind of stuff maybe you can make a suggestion to the mods on how to fix it. I know I use the search all the time and never ever come up with my answer but I keep trying.

 

[TheDudeNextDoor]

I'm also interested in this mouthpiece problem. I have seen it mentioned after the fact (referencing the earlier discussion) but I have not found the right page to find out all about this. So sounds like this makes two concerns for this possible buyer. I'm holding the money waiting to find out whether these things are deal breakers or not.

I don't suppose someone would be willing to point me to the page where I can start learning about this problem? Or has Ploom already fixed it?

 

[pakalolo]

I'm also interested in this mouthpiece problem. I have seen it mentioned after the fact (referencing the earlier discussion) but I have not found the right page to find out all about this. So sounds like this makes two concerns for this possible buyer. I'm holding the money waiting to find out whether these things are deal breakers or not.

I don't suppose someone would be willing to point me to the page where I can start learning about this problem? Or has Ploom already fixed it?

Ploom hasn't fixed it because the problem is inherent in the design. They've released a re-designed mouthpiece that is supposed to alleviate the problem but some of the owners who got it have not been satisfied.

The problem is that resin accumulates in the spring and retraction mechanism. This not only causes sticking, it also prevents the switch from making contact so that the Pax won't go into heating mode, or will do so only intermittently. The solution is to keep that area clean, but in doing so you must avoid getting ISO on the button for setting the temperature. I have yet to find any reason to put ISO inside the mouthpiece chamber when cleaning, but some owners have applied ISO to the mouthpiece tube and clicked it a few times to fix their problem.

Others have extracted the spring and cleaned it with ISO. The MFLB cleaning brush with the hollow metal handle is perfect for this. I've done it myself as an experiment, since my spring wasn't causing a problem and had no visible resin when I took it out. Removing the spring gives you better access to the retraction mechanism and switch area. You can insert a pipe cleaner or dental cleaning brush with a minimal amount of ISO to clean this out, but again be careful about getting ISO anywhere near the temperature button.

What else...

• You can do most cleaning by simply heating the Pax first and using dry Q-tips or pipe cleaners.
• Don't poke a pipe cleaner through from the oven side.
• Don't soak the oven lid in ISO.
• Soak the mouthpiece and screen in ISO if you like.
• Always take a clearing hit after you've turned it off.
• Don't invert the Pax while it's warm because resin might run down towards the problem area. If you must charge it warm, place the charger stand on top of the Pax.

I'm sure others will pick up any points I've missed.

 

[Dogman]

I really don't want to make a big deal about this, and I apologize to Dogman if I have embarrassed him. If he bought a *new unit* from an *authorized vendor* on Ebay, then I do think Ploom should cover it. I'm sorry if I misread the original post. But in general I'm wary of secondary markets and I think we should be supporting the vendors that, after all, support FC. Obviously Ploom isn't happy about units sold on eBay, and I assume vapeworld (where I buy my stuff) can't be happy either. After all, if it was a legitimate vendor on eBay, wouldn't it have been best to return it to that vendor??
Anway, I *hate* when things get personal since I don't know Dogman and he doesn't know me. I can only emphasize again that he seems like a good guy, I'm glad he's being taken care of, and I say: happy trails!!

No worries Headdoctor, I am not a guy that holds grudges, again, negative energy. They do not have one on there now, but Vape World was selling a couple of them on ebay a few weeks ago for the $250 price with free shipping.

I agree with you in principle Headdoctor, ebay can be a real pain in the ass when purchasing certain items. I have always purchased my vapes from the manufacturers or from a legitimate vendor, this is the first I purchased from ebay, and it has not been a pleasant experience to say the least.

We use these items for medicinal purposes and for stress relief, when problems like this arise, it takes away from what we are really here for. This episode has caused a lot of stress, my apologies if I came off a little aggressive.

My Solo is sitting next to me and has just hit 7, time to take a stress relief break. My best to you and your family headdoctor!

 

[Futuretvowner]

It is now coming on two weeks since I ordered my mouthpiece from vapeworld. Haven't been able to use the vape in all this time. Pretty frustrating considering I ordered it to about 3 states away from where vapeworld ships from...... My pax took 2 and a half business days to get here and I have now been waiting over 10 business days for the mouthpiece.

 

[HephziBubba]

I have followed this thread since day one and I am pretty sure that I have read all 4780 posts before this. I have read about people removing the cir-clip in order to remove the spring for cleaning but I have a question. Has anyone posted pictures of the procedure to remove and clean the spring? Can someone post pictures? I do not want to try to remove the spring until I can see how to re install it properly. I don't think Vape World would take kindly to me returning a bag of parts because I couldn't put it back together.
That being said it is time for a sticky that addresses some of the basics. The Pax is becoming more popular and like it or not there are going to be more and more posts asking how to clean, what are the modifications to the mouthpiece, etc. It would be good to have a post to point people to that answers these questions. Right now I know that if I want to read about the MP mod I can search joekickass posts but someone new to the forum would not know that!
A clean PAX is a happy Pax!
My name is HephziBubba and I am a Paxaholic.

 

[Jethro]

So I thought I'd just bring the good folks here up to date with my PAX experience and my first vape experience in general. I've owned it a week and have already seen some malfunctions.

I have had two issues pop up that haven't been real bad at all, but of course do concern me:

1. On more than one occasion I have warmed the oven, and waited and waited and waited for that green light. One time I swear it was 2-3 minutes, and with a freshly packed oven I started smelling burning popcorn before the green light came on. At that point I shake the device and it shows the battery level and then it's green right away when it comes back. But it definitely was at temp and didn't turn green. Makes me wonder if it would have just tried to heat the oven until it caught on fire. This has happened on more than one occasion, maybe 3 times? So now I shake it every 20 seconds or so when it's heating up.

2. More than once I have turned it on and got nothing but a flashing orange light. I am assuming that is the bad battery indicator or a fault indicator? But removing the mouthpiece and putting it back fixes that problem.

Oh, and not so much a problem, but a concern I voiced earlier in this thread, my device takes a long time to heat. Enough to make me clock it from time to time. On low the very best heat up time I ever had was 62 seconds, more average of 70 seconds. On medium the best heat up time I have seen is 87 seconds. So the claim of 30 seconds or less is completely false in my case. I even heated an empty oven a few times and stopped when I passed 62 seconds.

None of these problems has done much more than aggravate me, I've never had a session not be possible after either shaking or fiddling with the mouthpiece. But for a $250 device, it makes me seriously question how long it's going to last.

And I can't in good conscious recommend this device to just anyone- even though I absolutely love it.

 

[Dogman]

And I can't in good conscious recommend this device to just anyone- even though I absolutely love it.

That sums up my feeling exactly. I absolutely love mine, but has so many tiny issues I can't feel right about recommending one without explaining the problems, as small as they may be.

My Pax is headed to San Francisco today, hope it finds its way home soon.

 

[JoeKickass]

That sums up my feeling exactly. I absolutely love mine, but has so many tiny issues I can't feel right about recommending one without explaining the problems, as small as they may be.

Since I've been banned I've actually had two friends buy their own Pax after trying mine! Neither of them have issues yet (haven't had to clean yet) and mine is easily kept problem free by a 5min cleaning once every 2-3 weeks.

Everyone I know just loves the Pax and if any of ours had problems I'd tell them to just get a replacement... but maybe it's luck-of-the-draw?

 

[jambandphan03]

So I thought I'd just bring the good folks here up to date with my PAX experience and my first vape experience in general. I've owned it a week and have already seen some malfunctions.

I have had two issues pop up that haven't been real bad at all, but of course do concern me:

1. On more than one occasion I have warmed the oven, and waited and waited and waited for that green light. One time I swear it was 2-3 minutes, and with a freshly packed oven I started smelling burning popcorn before the green light came on. At that point I shake the device and it shows the battery level and then it's green right away when it comes back. But it definitely was at temp and didn't turn green. Makes me wonder if it would have just tried to heat the oven until it caught on fire. This has happened on more than one occasion, maybe 3 times? So now I shake it every 20 seconds or so when it's heating up.

2. More than once I have turned it on and got nothing but a flashing orange light. I am assuming that is the bad battery indicator or a fault indicator? But removing the mouthpiece and putting it back fixes that problem.

Oh, and not so much a problem, but a concern I voiced earlier in this thread, my device takes a long time to heat. Enough to make me clock it from time to time. On low the very best heat up time I ever had was 62 seconds, more average of 70 seconds. On medium the best heat up time I have seen is 87 seconds. So the claim of 30 seconds or less is completely false in my case. I even heated an empty oven a few times and stopped when I passed 62 seconds.

None of these problems has done much more than aggravate me, I've never had a session not be possible after either shaking or fiddling with the mouthpiece. But for a $250 device, it makes me seriously question how long it's going to last.

And I can't in good conscious recommend this device to just anyone- even though I absolutely love it.

You have a malfunctioning pax, and need to contact either Ploom.com or the distributer you bought it from. There have been a few bunk units out there with similar issues. Contact customer service and start getting your replacement set up so you can be back in business ASAP.

 

[JoeKickass]

Love the content here at FC, but I HATE the structure/organization. Just want to throw that out in my first post to get people pissed at me early on. Linear, really?! If someone knows a way to remedy this (other than the search fx, let me know).

One of my favorite ways to find something is to google "fuckcombustion *the info*" I'm not sure if FC has a search engine but google just rocks. And thanks for the thanks!

 

[UnixRasta]

Does the PAX ship from Ploom in a sealed box?
My local HS has 2 in stock, but neither has a seal on the box.
I would feel better about buying a PAX if it was in a sealed box.

 

[pakalolo]

I have followed this thread since day one and I am pretty sure that I have read all 4780 posts before this. I have read about people removing the cir-clip in order to remove the spring for cleaning but I have a question. Has anyone posted pictures of the procedure to remove and clean the spring? Can someone post pictures? I do not want to try to remove the spring until I can see how to re install it properly. I don't think Vape World would take kindly to me returning a bag of parts because I couldn't put it back together.
That being said it is time for a sticky that addresses some of the basics. The Pax is becoming more popular and like it or not there are going to be more and more posts asking how to clean, what are the modifications to the mouthpiece, etc. It would be good to have a post to point people to that answers these questions. Right now I know that if I want to read about the MP mod I can search joekickass posts but someone new to the forum would not know that!
A clean PAX is a happy Pax!
My name is HephziBubba and I am a Paxaholic.

There is no cir-clip. Removing the spring is simple provided that you have the right tool. Here's how I did it using the MFLB brush:

The spring isn't really visible in this shot, but you can see a little resin that has accumulated on the lip of the airpath tube.

To remove the spring, insert the end of the LB brush and push down. You'll feel the spring compress, but keep pushing. You'll be able to feel the brush handle sliding inside the coil of the spring. Once the brush handle is in place, you'll probably have to twist it a little to get it to grab the spring. If you feel the spring slipping off it as you withdraw the brush, push it back down and twist it a bit more. Eventually the spring will come out with the brush handle.

This is how it looks when the spring is fully withdrawn. As you can see, mine hasn't accumulated any resin and in fact, never has. I've only removed it twice and both times it was squeaky clean.

Replacing the spring is trivial. Just insert it back in place (you don't need the brush to do this) and push down. Use the mouthpiece to get it firmly seated again. Done.

Does the PAX ship from Ploom in a sealed box?
My local HS has 2 in stock, but neither has a seal on the box.
I would feel better about buying a PAX if it was in a sealed box.

The Pax box is not sealed. There is no shrink wrap and thankfully, no bubble plastic.

 

[HephziBubba]

Thanks Pakalolo!
That is exactly what I needed!

 

[HSIHP]

Does the PAX ship from Ploom in a sealed box?
My local HS has 2 in stock, but neither has a seal on the box.
I would feel better about buying a PAX if it was in a sealed box.

My Pax box was not sealed. It just slides open with no plastic around the box. This is much more environmentally safe and is much less wasteful and usually the first thing you do is throw that stuff away.

 

[UnixRasta]

My Pax box was not sealed. It just slides open with no plastic around the box. This is much more environmentally safe and is much less wasteful and usually the first thing you do is throw that stuff away.

Thanks for the replies, so I will assume that these 2 available PAX's are good as new since they
just arrived. Retail is $240 with a 15% punch card discount. Not a bad deal.

 

[jambandphan03]

You might be able to have them demo them, make sure the unit turns on, check the different functions, if they will do so. I would think if you are a serious buyer, they should want to work with you, one would think anyway. If you are unsure about how the Pax should behave, here is a good tutorial video:

to activate party mode which bypasses the stand by feature, and allows the oven to maintain heating until you turn it off (led will blink rainbow)

 

[bdbx18]

I hate to be a thorn in forum that many of us seek to chill in. But I'm just not having any luck with my Pax. I have tried several times and along the way used up quite a bit of my bud and not getting much medicated. I've tried 1/4 to fully packed bowls, low to med to high, med to high, hard draws, slooooow draws, puff draws, waiting after the green for vapor to collect e.g. Heck, I've even tried using on a drive home and on empty stomachs.

At one point, I thought that I was getting some effect when I pressed on the door and thought that the draw was better. So I cleaned the door again, tried it with a full load with one finger on the somewhat hot door. I eventually didn't think the draw was the issue and sure enough, medicated I'm not. For companson, I used about what amounts to be 1/3 to 1/2 a bowl on an EQ and my pain is gone within the next few mins. Of course setting up the EQ is a PITA.

Clearly, the Pax has a great if not fantastic taste and my abv is pretty dark by the time I thought it will be done. But I'm just not getting medicated, head nor body eventhough there is a lot of vapor. Must I have an unlimited supply of bud or at least more than 2 bowls to get my Pax to equal my EQ? Based on my current price rate of about 60 an eight, it'll cost about $9 to fully pack a bowl and more than 2 bowls perhaps to get anywhere (for me).

My Pax is now at Ploom for a sticky temp button but when it gets back, I may just sell it. If some of you have a similar experience or insight into my problem, I'd like to hear from you. Any suggestions are much appreciated as I await for the Pax's return.

 

[headdoctor]

No worries Headdoctor, I am not a guy that holds grudges, again, negative energy. They do not have one on there now, but Vape World was selling a couple of them on ebay a few weeks ago for the $250 price with free shipping.

I agree with you in principle Headdoctor, ebay can be a real pain in the ass when purchasing certain items. I have always purchased my vapes from the manufacturers or from a legitimate vendor, this is the first I purchased from ebay, and it has not been a pleasant experience to say the least.

We use these items for medicinal purposes and for stress relief, when problems like this arise, it takes away from what we are really here for. This episode has caused a lot of stress, my apologies if I came off a little aggressive.

My Solo is sitting next to me and has just hit 7, time to take a stress relief break. My best to you and your family headdoctor!

Back at you, Dogman. Thanks for being such a good sport, and for engaging in this conversation so thoughtfully and respectfully. I should also say it was a *long* day for me yesterday and I apologize to you for my own tone. All good! I'll vape a toast to you and yours tonight!

 

[Deadshort480]

I'm baffled, to be honest. Every person that has hit my Pax has felt the effects. That really sucks.

 

[Purrito Purrpants]

I hate to be a thorn in forum that many of us seek to chill in. But I'm just not having any luck with my Pax. I have tried several times and along the way used up quite a bit of my bud and not getting much medicated. I've tried 1/4 to fully packed bowls, low to med to high, med to high, hard draws, slooooow draws, puff draws, waiting after the green for vapor to collect e.g. Heck, I've even tried using on a drive home and on empty stomachs.

At one point, I thought that I was getting some effect when I pressed on the door and thought that the draw was better. So I cleaned the door again, tried it with a full load with one finger on the somewhat hot door. I eventually didn't think the draw was the issue and sure enough, medicated I'm not. For companson, I used about what amounts to be 1/3 to 1/2 a bowl on an EQ and my pain is gone within the next few mins. Of course setting up the EQ is a PITA.

Clearly, the Pax has a great if not fantastic taste and my abv is pretty dark by the time I thought it will be done. But I'm just not getting medicated, head nor body eventhough there is a lot of vapor. Must I have an unlimited supply of bud or at least more than 2 bowls to get my Pax to equal my EQ? Based on my current price rate of about 60 an eight, it'll cost about $9 to fully pack a bowl and more than 2 bowls perhaps to get anywhere (for me).

My Pax is now at Ploom for a sticky temp button but when it gets back, I may just sell it. If some of you have a similar experience or insight into my problem, I'd like to hear from you. Any suggestions are much appreciated as I await for the Pax's return.

In my experience, I have found that packing the oven tightly with finely ground bud on medium works best for me, with many long slow draws until it starts to taste like burnt popcorn. To get the most out of your herb, you can crank it up to high for the second session - it just takes longer to get good vapor out. I've found that I'm using a lot less herb that way, too. I was burning through tons of it when I first got the Pax. I hope this helps you find your happy place.

 

[jambandphan03]

bdbx18, this makes me question 2 things, 1 being the quality of the herbs, and 2 being the Pax functioning properly. It could be you have a bad Pax, or it could be your herbs are not potent, or dry enough... it's hard to know for sure what the issue is, but you should be feeling the effects, esp. if you are already used to vaping. If you were coming out of being a smoker, I would say you are in the early stages of getting used to vapor, the different high it offers, but it seems you are already using a vaporizer. Are you getting visible vapor on the high setting? Is your Pax behaving as it should be in regular use?

 

[Jethro]

Holy sh!t, that is one thing I can't complain with the performance of my pax. I've never been more medicated in my entire life! But I should qualify that I am new to vaporizing altogether- aside from a bit of hash between to hot knives... But another strange malfunction tonight to report... tightly packed a grinder-full of some high grade and took the dog for a walk. First session on medium, normal function. Nice huge clouds on medium with these nice sticky buds I have. Took three real long draws, then put it in my chest pocket, mouthpiece up as I always try to do while it's warm. About 20 minutes later, warmed up for a new session still on medium, after maybe 20 seconds the purple warmup light just turned orange, then I shook it and after showing me a green battery it went orange for a few seconds and then resumed normal operation. I'm about to clean it out real good, but I guess I have to contact Ploom about this. I'm gonna try and baby this PAX until when my next paycheck is gonna bring me a new home vape of some sort, I can tell you that. I'm gonna do some research here on the forum and find the most toruble free, reliable vape on earth. I CANNOT go back to smoking! I guess I have discovered the hassle involved with vaporizing, it's too fucking technical for a luddite like myself. I might make a lightbulb vape... I haven't smoked any herb in a week, and I'd rather not.

Still kinda like this PAX, despite these issues, but getting less impressed with this "marval of technology". Hope Ploom is easy to deal with, I bought at a head shop a long ways away from me... I'd rather mail it back myself.

 

[Dreamerr]

Good luck getting it sorted out.

Wait three weeks and then try to smoke be for warned it will taste gross. You will never smoke again.

The biggest problem I have found with vaping is you want more vapes to see the differences. They all offer a new experience.