Discontinued Pax Vaporizer by Ploom

[HephziBubba]

kustre

Does the unit oven lid ever get hot? When you cleaned the unit did clean the screen as well? Are you using different product than when the unit produced vapor? If its not generating heat you may have to bite the bullet and contact your vendor......

 

[Tweek]

I have started to notice the quick charging thing. As I mentioned earlier, I do know that this sometimes happens with new batteries until their chemistry balances. For example, when I first got the unit, even after a full charge the light would indicate low charge. After a couple charges it snapped into place. I think contacting Vapeworld is still your best course of action.

 

[pakalolo]

Allison, I also have a viVape 2 as my main vaporizer, and an Iolite Wispr and PAX as my portable vapes.
Of the 3 I like the PAX the LEAST.
In addition to the myriad of problems outlined in this chain, there are a few things that I really dislike about the PAX.

1. The restricted draw. It feels like trying to drink a very thick milk shake through a narrow straw when hitting the PAX.
I personally prefer the draw on the Wispr, but not necessarily the vapor that is produced.
2. The taste of the flower. This may have something to do with my specific flower, but I do not like the taste at all, especially after the flower has been sitting on the hot oven screen.
3. The smell coming out of the oven, especially on the high setting.

I think that some of the above issues are related to the fact that the PAX is a conduction device versus the viVape 2 being a convection device.
I believe that the Wispr is mainly a conduction vape also, but read somewhere that it uses a combination of the 2 heating methods.
I have emptied the PAX after a session, loaded the ABV into my viVape 2 wand and gotten 3-4 more strong hits, this after seeing no more vapor from the PAX.
When it comes to discreetness and general design though, nothing beats the PAX.

I meant to respond to this and didn't get around to it until now. I've mentioned all three issues here in the past.

The first thing I did when I got my Pax was draw on it. It has a highly restricted draw and a little examination shows why. The airpath is limited at the intake, the exit point in the mouthpiece, and especially around the screen. Even with the screen removed there is almost no increase in airflow. This is by design and forces you to use a slow, light draw. Pulling harder makes it worse, not better.

Anyone who draws on the Pax before ever using it will notice that it adds its own taste. I didn't find it unpleasant but others might disagree. It does not come from manufacturing residue and does not disappear after a few oven cycles. You can easily determine this by drawing on the mouthpiece alone, which was the second test I did. The mouthpiece is plastic and that's where the taste originates. I've said before that I don't find this partiularly bad, just different. It is pretty clear that most people feel the same because we've not seen many posts commenting on the taste. For this and other reasons, I've always said that if taste is really important to you, the Pax is not a good choice.

The Pax smells in use, more than most vapourizers, and this is unavoidable. This is because the oven is always vapourizing your load while the unit is turned on. Even at the standby temperature the Pax will give off odour. When not in use, the Pax doesn't smell much at all. If the oven is empty I can't notice any smell at all from mine.

 

[Vitolo]

I do agree that the Pax smells .. sort of in the same way my Iolite does (also in a heated oven!)
To me the Pax has air flow, about like drawing through an unlit filter cigarette.
Many vapes give off a taste of their own.
I noticed this less on the Pax than with some other vapes.
I enjoy the taste of a new strain in the Pax......
but at the same time will admit that after the first 4-5 pulls, the flavor of the "blend"
becomes "generic" in the Pax, whereas in some vapes, the taste rings through for up to 10 hits.
I believe most vapes that employ an oven that has external air intake give off the aroma pakalolo describes in the Pax. (an exception to this generality may be the NO2, whose oven is well sealed off)

 

[Tweek]

I agree about the taste and smell...I notice on low setting, the herb tastes great with no noticeable Pax flavour...but as Uncle Vito mentions, after it's baked in the oven for a bit, the flavour quality goes down and personally, I find my oven starts to smell like a fart That being said, for myself I like the way this vape works. Not so great on the flavour, but it packs a visible punch that I enjoy. Heck, just last night while everyone was asleep, I enjoyed a nice long session puffing on my Pax like a fine cigar...it was really nice. My AVB was nice and even too, and I was medicated just right and got to sleep. I really do feel that the kind of folks who would enjoy this vape, are the ones who are looking for that cigar/cigarette feeling to their session.

 

[CarlosSpiceyWeiner]

It has been mentioned back in the beginning of this thread. But hasn't been brought up in awhile.

That the screen placement is critical for achieving thick clouds.

I have noticed if the screen isn't a little raised on the side where the air path is.

The draw seems to be more restrictive and there isn't enough space or void to produce thicker vapor.

 

[pakalolo]

I do agree that the Pax smells .. sort of in the same way my Iolite does (also in a heated oven!)
To me the Pax has air flow, about like drawing through an unlit filter cigarette.
Many vapes give off a taste of their own.
I noticed this less on the Pax than with some other vapes.
I enjoy the taste of a new strain in the Pax......
but at the same time will admit that after the first 4-5 pulls, the flavor of the "blend"
becomes "generic" in the Pax, whereas in some vapes, the taste rings through for up to 10 hits.
I believe most vapes that employ an oven that has external air intake give off the aroma pakalolo describes in the Pax. (an exception to this generality may be the NO2, whose oven is well sealed off)

The Pax is a poor choice for flavour because a) the temperature range starts too high, b) the oven is always cooking your cannabis, and c) it adds its own taste so even under the best conditions you never get pure flavour. The Pax (and probably the Iolite) smell more than most in use because, again, the oven is always cooking your cannabis. This seriously detracts from its stealth factor. My sister-in-law can detect it from across the room as soon as it starts to heat up. To compare, she only was able to detect my LB when I slipped up and exhaled some vapour.

It has been mentioned back in the beginning of this thread. But hasn't been brought up in awhile.

That the screen placement is critical for achieving thick clouds.

I have noticed if the screen isn't a little raised on the side where the air path is.

The draw seems to be more restrictive and there isn't enough space or void to produce thicker vapor.

Exactly. The screen does not sit flat against the oven floor, one end is slightly raised. When you replace the screen, always check that you've put the raised end over the airpath tube.

Edited to fix stupid mistake, originally I had it backwards.

 

[Tweek]

I will definitely agree that it's smell is very noticeable which may be a deal breaker for some. I stopped worrying about it so much...kinda enjoy stinking up my classroom.

Thanks for the screen tip. I was not aware of that.

 

[SoCalShore]

I do agree that the Pax smells .. sort of in the same way my Iolite does (also in a heated oven!)
To me the Pax has air flow, about like drawing through an unlit filter cigarette.
Many vapes give off a taste of their own.
I noticed this less on the Pax than with some other vapes.
I enjoy the taste of a new strain in the Pax......
but at the same time will admit that after the first 4-5 pulls, the flavor of the "blend"
becomes "generic" in the Pax, whereas in some vapes, the taste rings through for up to 10 hits.
I believe most vapes that employ an oven that has external air intake give off the aroma pakalolo describes in the Pax. (an exception to this generality may be the NO2, whose oven is well sealed off)

Vito and the rest of the Pax andviVape users; and I do apologize that this could be also posted in the viVape thread, how are you finding the viVape smelling compared to the smelling issues with the Pax?

Obviously, I have read that the viVape carries the taste much better than the Pax but in all honesty my Pax is my first and only vape at the moment and I can't remember when I spent time with the volcano how prominate the smell was. I don't have other family members around to worry about the smell and my place has excellent ventilation so I haven't noticed the smell other than when the oven is ready to turn green. However, I do want to be considerate of the smell when friends come over. The viVape my front runner for a home unit.

I don't think the Pax has that much of a smell issue. Now that I have recognized what medications work best for me in my Pax, I don't medicate as much as I used to when I was experimenting. Could it be that I am obiivious to the smell and just not noticing it?

 

[Dreamerr]

Vito and the rest of the Pax andviVape users; and I do apologize that this could be also posted in the viVape thread, how are you finding the viVape smelling compared to the smelling issues with the Pax?

Obviously, I have read that the viVape carries the taste much better than the Pax but in all honesty my Pax is my first and only vape at the moment and I can't remember when I spent time with the volcano how prominate the smell was. I don't have other family members around to worry about the smell and my place has excellent ventilation so I haven't noticed the smell other than when the oven is ready to turn green. However, I do want to be considerate of the smell when friends come over. The viVape my front runner for a home unit.

I don't think the Pax has that much of a smell issue. Now that I have recognized what medications work best for me in my Pax, I don't medicate as much as I used to when I was experimenting. Could it be that I am obiivious to the smell and just not noticing it?

I don't notice a smell in the house either and yes we are both oblivious to it since we don't care. I do however notice different strengths of smells when out especially when I go into my car and it stinks to high heaven. Anything that is not metal or glass holds the smell a lot. Tubing and such are the worse offenders IMO, they smell more then the fresh ground herb in my pocket.

On another note, I had a chance to hold the pax yesterday. It is pretty and feels good as I suspected. The size was real nice as well. I wish it would fit my needs but it doesn't. I took a draw off the empty pax and didn't even want to load it to try. That kind of draw is not my thing for various reasons. I am glad I realized that before buying one.

 

[JoeKickass]

Put the raised end away from the airpath tube.

Really you put the screen in like that? Doesn't the screen press and seal the air tube restricting flow more than usual?

 

[TheDudeNextDoor]

Guess who just got a brand new Pax in the mail? Charging now and then time to start playing.

Concerning the smell: Don't know about the Pax yet, but I don't notice much of a smell with my Iolite, which is also conduction, so it should be similar. I do think it smells more than I think - while using it, it's not as obvious as it would be to someone nearby not using it. However, my wife does not vape and is VERY sensitive to smells (she hates the smell of herbs; I LOVE it) and she never complains about the odor of the iolite. It doesn't bother her at all, and she says she barely even notices it, even when I use it in close quarters like in the car. I will pay attention to the Pax, but I am willing to bet that the smell is about the same as the Iolite: a little more perhaps than a typical convection vape but nothing really to be too concerned about unless you are vaping within five feet of a cop or something.

 

[VapeVoice]

If Im not mistaken it looks like there are 2 very small notches on both sides of the oven that the screen fits into causing the screen to sit in there almost in a "U" shape.

 

[pakalolo]

Really you put the screen in like that? Doesn't the screen press and seal the air tube restricting flow more than usual?

Gah! No, not like that, I fucked up. You're right, that's precisely backwards. I'll edit the original post.

 

[Dreamerr]

Dude IMO vapes don't smell the same as combusting. It is less offensive to people who don't use, so that might be why it doesn't bother your wife. I seriously don't know how tweek gets away with any vape in a classroom.

 

[pakalolo]

If Im not mistaken it looks like there are 2 very small notches on both sides of the oven that the screen fits into causing the screen to sit in there almost in a "U" shape.

I've examined mine pretty closely and I don't see any notches like this. I did notice from the beginning that the screen doesn't lie flat. Before I understood what was going on I tried to force it flat and couldn't. This results from screen being slightly longer than the oven floor.

 

[UnixRasta]

I meant to respond to this and didn't get around to it until now. I've mentioned all three issues here in the past.

The first thing I did when I got my Pax was draw on it. It has a highly restricted draw and a little examination shows why. The airpath is limited at the intake, the exit point in the mouthpiece, and especially around the screen. Even with the screen removed there is almost no increase in airflow. This is by design and forces you to use a slow, light draw. Pulling harder makes it worse, not better.

Anyone who draws on the Pax before ever using it will notice that it adds its own taste. I didn't find it unpleasant but others might disagree. It does not come from manufacturing residue and does not disappear after a few oven cycles. You can easily determine this by drawing on the mouthpiece alone, which was the second test I did. The mouthpiece is plastic and that's where the taste originates. I've said before that I don't find this partiularly bad, just different. It is pretty clear that most people feel the same because we've not seen many posts commenting on the taste. For this and other reasons, I've always said that if taste is really important to you, the Pax is not a good choice.

The Pax smells in use, more than most vapourizers, and this is unavoidable. This is because the oven is always vapourizing your load while the unit is turned on. Even at the standby temperature the Pax will give off odour. When not in use, the Pax doesn't smell much at all. If the oven is empty I can't notice any smell at all from mine.

Thanks for the reply Pakalolo... I have had my PAX for a bit now and despite how much I love the
look and feel of the device, I have decided it is just not for me.
I just can't make my peace with the issues described in my original post.
Fortunately I got a good deal on the PAX and have a friend who wants to buy it for what I paid for it.
I had planned to try a miVape but with this vaperfection fiasco I now have to look for a Plan B
for a portable vape. How disappointing....

 

[kushcloud]

TheDude, cant wait to see how you like it. Personally, im stuck between a rock and a hard place with the Pax. On one hand i love it, the size, stealthiness and big clouds are superb. On the other hand, minor problems with the temp light/warm up issue, the mouthpiece, even had an oven that stopped heating up eventually start pissing you off. For the amount you paid it better function. I also believe the cold affects the Pax with warming up and the mouthpiece "freezing" in place. The mouthpiece issue is a BIG design flaw in my mind. Then again, first models of anything usually have problems. Hopefully Pax 2 will be what Pax 1 should have been.

 

[UnixRasta]

Vito and the rest of the Pax andviVape users; and I do apologize that this could be also posted in the viVape thread, how are you finding the viVape smelling compared to the smelling issues with the Pax?

Obviously, I have read that the viVape carries the taste much better than the Pax but in all honesty my Pax is my first and only vape at the moment and I can't remember when I spent time with the volcano how prominate the smell was. I don't have other family members around to worry about the smell and my place has excellent ventilation so I haven't noticed the smell other than when the oven is ready to turn green. However, I do want to be considerate of the smell when friends come over. The viVape my front runner for a home unit.

I don't think the Pax has that much of a smell issue. Now that I have recognized what medications work best for me in my Pax, I don't medicate as much as I used to when I was experimenting. Could it be that I am obiivious to the smell and just not noticing it?

Socal, the smell from my viVape 2 is *considerably* less than my PAX.
The main source of smell from my viVape 2 is the hose, which I replace on a fairly frequent basis.
You can also clean the hose but I just replace it when necessary.
As stated the always cooking oven on the PAX is what produces the very unpleasant smell with
that device.
Whereas the PAX itself adds something to the taste of your flower, with the viVape 2 you have a very pure, glass on glass experience, unlike anything else I have ever experienced.
I have also found that the smell from my Iolite Wispr is considerably less and not as bad as the PAX.
That being said, my PAX is about to become my ex-PAX.
These are just my personal opinions, I know they seem to be at odds with most on this board.

 

[pakalolo]

As stated the always cooking oven on the PAX is what produces the very unpleasant smell with
that device.

To be clear, I don't find the smell that unpleasant myself, but it does get strong. If the load is fresh I actually like it, but once it's on for a little while or if it's been on before, the smell starts to go off. It only gets nasty when the load is completely done, and that's no different than any other vaporizer.

Taste and smell are closely linked, which is probably why you've found both unacceptable. I suspect you are just more sensitive than most. That's not a criticism, just an observation.

 

[Tweek]

Really you put the screen in like that? Doesn't the screen press and seal the air tube restricting flow more than usual?

lol I was wondering that for a bit. Thought I had it all wrong...

Guess who just got a brand new Pax in the mail?

Have a blast!

 

[TheDudeNextDoor]

Dude IMO vapes don't smell the same as combusting. It is less offensive to people who don't use, so that might be why it doesn't bother your wife. I seriously don't know how tweek gets away with any vape in a classroom.

Oh no, my wife can't handle smoke at all. She doesn't smoke and rarely vapes at all. What I mean is that she is a non-user (smoking or vaping) shotgun next to me in the car with the windows up and not only does the Iolite not bother her, she barely even notices the smell at all. I want to assume since both these vapes are conduction that the smell with the Pax will be about the same: not as good as convection but not bad enough to really effect stealth much.

My batt is fully charged, so I will be able to compare soon.

 

[bdbx18]

I just received a new replacement Pax from Ploom after sending mine in for a stuck temp button. Perhaps I've been trying too hard and was cycling through the temps to see why I'm just not getting medicated with just 1-2 full bowls. In any case, I'm very disappointed that my many tests (and much reduced stash) did not yield the results I wanted.

Most of all, I'm disappointed that I could not make this work because in my few dealings with Ploom, they have been outstanding. Great support, very friendly and accessible via chat and online. And very fast with shipping out a new replacement Pax eventhough I originally bought it from Vapeworld. Because I'm in Ca., Ploom worked with me to expedite a faster shipment rather than to redirect me to Vapeworld who I bought it from in Fl. I could have broken out the new Pax to see if it is makes any difference but I thought I'll just sell it on ebay as new rather than 'slightly used'. After all, before the stuck button, the old Pax was cycling through correctly but I just wasn't getting medicated. Oh well.

 

[Tweek]

How hard are you pulling? Pack the oven full and tight and then puff it like a cigar. Let me know how that works for you...

 

[Sikeadelik]

Ive been slowly stalking this website, never really registering because up until now I couldn't afford to vape. I have a dome vape thats honestly a peice, burns the herb far too much. After renewing my MMJ card, I purchased the PAX immediately. I do enjoy it, the stealth is ridiculous..was able to medicate both at work and at my parents house. (Who don't use [probably never have]) NO ONE noticed! However, unless I hold the vapor in my mouth and waste it by blowing it out, I never see a "cloud" that everyone speaks of. I only see slight traces of vapor. Or is that the point?