Discontinued Pax Vaporizer by Ploom

[newVaper420]

Hey guys, I'm finally back :-).

So here is my story. Everything went splendid with the Pax. Took an international trip to Aruba :-). I cleaned the Pax thoroughly, using Coarse Steel wool for the oven / screen, soaking the mouthpiece, and using pipe cleaners for the tube. I used alcohol pads for the magnetic cover and used paper towels to clean and dry it. Made it there no problem. The medicine down there is moist and was kinda difficult to use, but it worked out. VERY EXPENSIVE. I'm pretty sure I paid $120 for 4 grams. I didn't have a scale. One time I was able to get a deal for $85 for 4 grams but still. But medicinal needs are necessity. And the Pax (in my opinion) needs a bit to operate best. I did use light loads at times, and it worked definitely.

Coming back, I soaked the mouthpiece for 30 minutes, same steel wool for the oven / screen, and pipe cleaners for tube. I also brought down the Vape Mini-Tool, and a plastic grinder from got vape. I soaked those in rubbing alcohol too (70%). I also had a pack of Borkum Riff in there as a ploy that I didn't even open, LMFAO.

I opened my suitcase back home, and everything was there :-).

The Pax is amazing. It worked extremely well in the tropical climate. I didn't need to clean it as often as I thought I would. The clean before the trip allowed it to work pretty well for most of my trip. Every once in a while it would get stuck a little bit, and then I'd clean that tube area and it worked.

 

[Nycdeisel]

Hey guys, I'm finally back :-).

So here is my story. Everything went splendid with the Pax. Took an international trip to Aruba :-). I cleaned the Pax thoroughly, using Coarse Steel wool for the oven / screen, soaking the mouthpiece, and using pipe cleaners for the tube. I used alcohol pads for the magnetic cover and used paper towels to clean and dry it. Made it there no problem. The medicine down there is moist and was kinda difficult to use, but it worked out. VERY EXPENSIVE. I'm pretty sure I paid $120 for 4 grams. I didn't have a scale. One time I was able to get a deal for $85 for 4 grams but still. But medicinal needs are necessity. And the Pax (in my opinion) needs a bit to operate best. I did use light loads at times, and it worked definitely.

Coming back, I soaked the mouthpiece for 30 minutes, same steel wool for the oven / screen, and pipe cleaners for tube. I also brought down the Vape Mini-Tool, and a plastic grinder from got vape. I soaked those in rubbing alcohol too (70%). I also had a pack of Borkum Riff in there as a ploy that I didn't even open, LMFAO.

I opened my suitcase back home, and everything was there :-).

The Pax is amazing. It worked extremely well in the tropical climate. I didn't need to clean it as often as I thought I would. The clean before the trip allowed it to work pretty well for most of my trip. Every once in a while it would get stuck a little bit, and then I'd clean that tube area and it worked.

Sounds like a sweet trip NewVaper! I can imagine Paxin it up to go to Aruba

 

[wiggles]

I'm somewhat sad reading through this that I may have screwed myself out of my warranty. I threw my darn receipt out

I've had my pax a bit more than a month now and have been very badly plagued by the temp light issue despite cleaning after every bowl pack.
I also have noticed that the pull has gotten wickedly bad, nearly unusable. When I first used it I could pull through it, slowly of course, but still it worked. Now on the other hand when it is packed, if I attempt to pull I may as well be trying to suck air through a balloon. The only air entering the unit actually seems to be coming from where the light indicator is. If I cover that, I get no airflow at all. But if I empty it out, it lets air through without a problem. I'm not sure what the issue is. I'm currently out of green so I can't play too much anyways. I will pick up some of those dental picks tomorrow and some 90% iso.

Also I saw folks mentioning using lube. I have food grade silicon grease I use for a home slicer... Think that would work? Where exactly does it go? The pic I saw doesn't really point out where to lubricate.

 

[JoeKickass]

I'm somewhat sad reading through this that I may have screwed myself out of my warranty. I threw my darn receipt out

I've had my pax a bit more than a month now and have been very badly plagued by the temp light issue despite cleaning after every bowl pack.
I also have noticed that the pull has gotten wickedly bad, nearly unusable. When I first used it I could pull through it, slowly of course, but still it worked. Now on the other hand when it is packed, if I attempt to pull I may as well be trying to suck air through a balloon. The only air entering the unit actually seems to be coming from where the light indicator is. If I cover that, I get no airflow at all. But if I empty it out, it lets air through without a problem. I'm not sure what the issue is. I'm currently out of green so I can't play too much anyways. I will pick up some of those dental picks tomorrow and some 90% iso.

Also I saw folks mentioning using lube. I have food grade silicon grease I use for a home slicer... Think that would work? Where exactly does it go? The pic I saw doesn't really point out where to lubricate.

Just a guess, you've never taken the screen out for "total"cleaning?

 

[mollee]

I hope you combed through the rug.

You know us all too well.

LOLOLOLL!

 

[Trickfire]

It's a pisser and a half, isn't it?

Any comments on my setup would be appreciated, im trying to get a pack set down where i can have all the fundamentals but yet still be as completely pocketable as can possibly be. I will post pics with everything in the vatra capsule, it's got the straps like yours to keep everything in place.and is pretty much the same as your setup, I have been doin the same with my MFLB for a year or 2 now but with the pax I want top of the line everything.

 

[newVaper420]

Sounds like a sweet trip NewVaper! I can imagine Paxin it up to go to Aruba

Oh, one more note about flying with the Pax. What I did was, I put it in my check-in luggage, and I separated the mouthpiece from the unit, so unless they found both pieces at the same time, they wouldn't have any idea how to operate it. LOL :-)

NYCDeisel, the medicine quality was actually much better this year than in previous years, just STUPID expensive. So I couldn't go nuts.

 

[wiggles]

Just a guess, you've never taken the screen out for "total"cleaning?

Every time I clean it gets removed, and rubbed down with an alcohol wipe. I don't yet have Iso on hand, so that's about the best I could manage. I'm hoping to rectify that soon.

 

[pakalolo]

Every time I clean it gets removed, and rubbed down with an alcohol wipe. I don't yet have Iso on hand, so that's about the best I could manage. I'm hoping to rectify that soon.

How's the draw through the mouthpiece alone? I've always found a lot of build-up at the top of the mouthpiece tube, right at the exit hole. An ISO soak takes care of it, but if you have no ISO you can poke it clear with a toothpick.

 

[Tweek]

I'm somewhat sad reading through this that I may have screwed myself out of my warranty. I threw my darn receipt out

I've had my pax a bit more than a month now and have been very badly plagued by the temp light issue despite cleaning after every bowl pack.
I also have noticed that the pull has gotten wickedly bad, nearly unusable. When I first used it I could pull through it, slowly of course, but still it worked. Now on the other hand when it is packed, if I attempt to pull I may as well be trying to suck air through a balloon. The only air entering the unit actually seems to be coming from where the light indicator is. If I cover that, I get no airflow at all. But if I empty it out, it lets air through without a problem. I'm not sure what the issue is. I'm currently out of green so I can't play too much anyways. I will pick up some of those dental picks tomorrow and some 90% iso.

Also I saw folks mentioning using lube. I have food grade silicon grease I use for a home slicer... Think that would work? Where exactly does it go? The pic I saw doesn't really point out where to lubricate.

Where did you buy it from? If it was online, they should have your info on file. If it was a headshop and they won't help you, contact Ploom.

I had that issue with pull and it just took a really good cleaning as folks have pointed out.

 

[wiggles]

How's the draw through the mouthpiece alone? I've always found a lot of build-up at the top of the mouthpiece tube, right at the exit hole. An ISO soak takes care of it, but if you have no ISO you can poke it clear with a toothpick.

The draw through the mouthpiece alone is just fine. It has gotten cleaned with an alcohol moistened pipe cleaner after every use.

Where did you buy it from? If it was online, they should have your info on file. If it was a headshop and they won't help you, contact Ploom.

I had that issue with pull and it just took a really good cleaning as folks have pointed out.

Sadly it was a head shop, and I don't think they can help too much. As mentioned, I gave it a really good cleaning every time. All pieces have good airflow on their own. It's just when the unit is fully assembled pretty much no airflow passes through.

 

[Tweek]

Is your screen in with the raised edge over the draw hole?

 

[wiggles]

Is your screen in with the raised edge over the draw hole?

Yup. I am going to try soaking almost everything in iso and see if there is any change. It's just weird. Plus I am wondering why air is going in through the light on the front - is it supposed to do that?

 

[ILoveCollege]

So my smaller Voss bong got messed up.. I got lifted, and some friends got me to try to melt the bottom, so it would sit at an angle.. Well.. That ruined that bottle. HOWEVER. I made a new one, and it is so much better.. A coil pattern and many small slits, and this thing bubbles like an average glass piece. I would one day like to get a nice glass piece, however, being in college, I am broke.

Pictures to come later.


Another thing.. I have some friends who don't like the pax because when you hit it, it doesn't hit like a combustion bong. I rarely have a time where I take one massive hit and then feel elevated. I know what when you hit the pax, it takes some build up.. I have another friend who knows this and is willing to sit and split a session with me, and both of us can get really lifted as we have tried different sessions. -Low, Med, High. -Low, High. -High. All with different results. Some of the guys think that my vape was a waste of money, and then others believe it was well worth it..

I guess what I am getting at is this: If you have friends who want to use the pax, let them know it isn't like combustion and it takes some time to get up.

 

[JoeKickass]

Yup. I am going to try soaking almost everything in iso and see if there is any change. It's just weird. Plus I am wondering why air is going in through the light on the front - is it supposed to do that?

I don't think so... if everything flows there are only 2 things I can think of:
Try rocking the oven door back and forth, it can cause restriction
Also look at your screen, is it still wavy on the edges or has it worn smooth?

 

[Live-N-Learn]

Speaking of screens, look what finally arrived after 2 months of waiting

 

[JoeKickass]

Speaking of screens, look what finally arrived after 2 months of waiting

Is it just the pic or did they become more shiny/change the pattern?

 

[Live-N-Learn]

Is it just the pic or did they become more shiny/change the pattern?

Thats probably just the pic, but those are some pretty shiny screens compared to my original screen which is looking a bit faded. The design is still the same, the little diamond shape thing.

I love the packaging baggy, so pretty.

 

[pakalolo]

Yup. I am going to try soaking almost everything in iso and see if there is any change. It's just weird. Plus I am wondering why air is going in through the light on the front - is it supposed to do that?

Are you sure that's what's happening? I've had my Pax apart and I can tell you that the air path does not take air from inside the casing. The flow is completely sealed from the internals of the Pax.

Edit: Ouch. I just realized that there is path air could take through the LED cutout. There's a slot for the infamous retraction mechanism in the side of the well where the spring sits. You can see it holding the spring in when the mouthpiece is removed. If air isn't flowing up from the oven when you inhale, then I can see how air enter through the LED.

This means your blockage isn't in the mouthpiece, but you already knew that. You can see right through the vapor path tube once you remove the screen, so you should be able to eliminate that easily. The initial air inlet is the gap around the oven lid when it's in place. Again you should be able to eliminate that with a quick examination. That would leave the screen as the culprit.

 

[wiggles]

Are you sure that's what's happening? I've had my Pax apart and I can tell you that the air path does not take air from inside the casing. The flow is completely sealed from the internals of the Pax.

Yes, it is. If you inhale through the mouthpiece, you can feel air pulling in from the light (or the cuts in the aluminum to allow the lights to shine through). If you put your finger over that, it becomes pretty much impossible to inhale through.

I don't think so... if everything flows there are only 2 things I can think of:
Try rocking the oven door back and forth, it can cause restriction
Also look at your screen, is it still wavy on the edges or has it worn smooth?

The screen does still have wavy edges on it, though not as "wavy" as they used to be. I'll try soaking it this evening. I was going to go to the store and pick up the Iso but I forgot my fiance is borrowing my car for the day


When completely empty, it pulls ok, so maybe I'm just packing it too tight? You still can feel some air pulling in through the light port on the front, but much less than when it's packed.

I'm a pretty strong dude, maybe I'm packing too tight to let air through and that's the cause?? I tend to grind green down to nearly powder before putting it in.

 

[TheDudeNextDoor]

When completely empty, it pulls ok, so maybe I'm just packing it too tight? You still can feel some air pulling in through the light port on the front, but much less than when it's packed.

I'm a pretty strong dude, maybe I'm packing too tight to let air through and that's the cause?? I tend to grind green down to nearly powder before putting it in.

Hmmm...have you tried backing off on the grind somewhat? A fine grind is good, generally speaking, but too fine can cause problems also. I've not experienced it myself in the Pax yet, but I have with another of my vapes. You want a fairly fine grind (I guess I prefer more medium find for most of my vapes) so that the air can effectively move through the herbs. On the other hand, if you grind too much the air has difficulty moving through the herbs at all and tries to resort to moving around it. Remember that the air will follow the path of least resistance, so if the herbs provide too much resistance it will not flow well. If I were you, I'd try backing off a little bit on the grind AND the pack and see if anything changes.

I can tell you that I like a medium fine grind in my Pax and I fill full but just tamp down with my finger with just a small amount of force. I've never had a draw issue yet with that method.

Now, all that might do nothing because this air coming through the light...I don't know what to make of that. I just blocked my oven lid and tried to draw. I get nothing whether my finger over the light or not. Weird.

 

[mike04450]

Has anyone had issues with the pax not showing the battery life flashes?

I just got mine today and checked the battery life when I opened the box. It flashed red so I threw it on the charger. I waited until it was fully charged then tested it out. Everything else worked good but since I charged it the LED will not show the battery life.

Also the LED always seems to dim a little bit then goes back to normal brightness looks like the light is flashing or pulsing in all modes and on all light colors

 

[jambandphan03]

The light is supposed to "pulse" as it is running, the Temp light and the green light won't pulse. I don't know why your battery indicator won't show. Maybe use it a few time, then try it. I had mine act weird once, had a full charge but shook to see and was getting a blinking orange light. I used it anyway, and then shook it mid session and it showed a full battery (green) flashing light again... pax is a little quirky.

 

[TheDudeNextDoor]

The pulse is by design. I love that. Looks like a heartbeat.

My battery indicator is a little finicky sometimes too. I usually have to hold it in my right hand with my elbow cocked so that the Pax is upright and shake it just so to get the battery light to indicate. I'm not saying it's hard to get it to do it, but I have to do it right. Any other method of holding it or degree of shaking it and I get nothing. You might just play around with technique until you get find what it likes...so to speak.

Edit: Really, jamband? My green light pulses just like all the other lights. Interesting. I wonder if that is a design change.

 

[newVaper420]

The pulse is by design. I love that. Looks like a heartbeat.

My battery indicator is a little finicky sometimes too. I usually have to hold it in my right hand with my elbow cocked so that the Pax is upright and shake it just so to get the battery light to indicate. I'm not saying it's hard to get it to do it, but I have to do it right. Any other method of holding it or degree of shaking it and I get nothing. You might just play around with technique until you get find what it likes...so to speak.

Edit: Really, jamband? My green light pulses just like all the other lights. Interesting. I wonder if that is a design change.

Yes, my green light pulses as well.