Hey anyone know how to upload photos? I'd like to upload them before posting a review of the shootout
Shootout - Herborizer, Evolutions, Vaporfection, SSV, VRIP, Exteme
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stickstones
Vapor concierge
Here are my mini reviews, just to put things in perspective, the way I judge vaporizers is based on the quality and tastiness of the vapor first, and convenience second. For example, I use the VRIPtech set up for personal use and the Evolutions unit for when friends come over.
The first vaporizer I'd like to talk about is the Herborizer. A lot of people have wondered whether or not this unit is legit. I purchased this at least two years ago and this was before a dimmer switch was offered. The unit was too hot and I sent it back for a new one, the new one was too hot as well. You would get very thick vapor mixed in with a little smoke. I can see this unit producing really quality vapor since the construction is all glass. I plan on getting my heating element upgraded so I can run some more tests on it. I rate it 8.5 because a lot of my friends liked the thick, milky, slightly smoky hits and I can see it being almost perfect with the adjustable heating element. That's just my opinion but based on what I've on different threads, the dimmer switch does wonders for the vapor quality and is usually the vaporizer of choice at "vaporizer bars"
My favorite vaporizer for pure taste is the VRIPtech setup with the Steinel heat gun. One of my friends is an electrical engineer who has tinkered with all my vaporizers mentioned that the thermal couple used to control the temp on the gun is light years better than any of the other units. The Pro Water Tool and Venturi bowl are all glass which has minimal effect on the taste of the vapor. It is a bit more cumbersome than the other vapes but when you add ice to the water tool, the vapor hits that you can get (in my opinion) CANNOT be beat. As I mentioned in the other review, when I am by myself, this is the vaporizer I use. The learning curve for certain people might be a high, but if you can master the heat gun, I think you will agree that this is one of the tastiest, cleanest, milkiest vapor hits you can get. I give it a 9.5 rating, -.5 points for being harder to use
The Evolution was my favorite vaporizer for when friends came over. The seal on the end of the unit where the whip goes in is airtight, so there are hardly any accidents with people accidently pulling the whip out (which happens all the time with the box type vaporizers that also use whips). The vapor/air ratio is also very high, the only downside is that the screens get clogged easily and if you don't change them often, it gets pretty hard to take hits without using a lot of lung power. It always took a little more lung power to use the Evolution, but with a clogged screen, it would be REALLY hard to get thick hits. I got pretty good at changing screens after doing it 15 or so times so it's not that big a deal anymore, but in the first couple screen changes took me 20 minutes...argh. The tubing for the whip is silicone based so the effect on the taste of the vapor is minimal. I rate this a 8.75
I got the Vaporfection unit when I was researching vaporizers for the hell of it. I was impressed with all the glass that was used, and the heating element seemed top notch. I've had some really good rips hit from this thing but I've always have had trouble controlling the temperature properly. I would always have to turn it up one degree for each time I put in a new bowl. Sometimes it would give no vapor at 320, and at 321, it would be smoky. I returned the unit and got a "upgraded" one but it still did the same thing. Customer service has always been good so they said they will look into it again. Rating would be 4, especially since it was so expensive.
I've had some time to play with the Extreme and my opinion is that it is an awesome bag system. I think it is on par with the Volcano, maybe even a little better, I prefer ceramic heating elements even if the Volcano never gets hot enough for it's heating element to cause any harm. I run it through this bubbler/water filter (that I would also connect to the Evolutions unit) that I had 7th floor make for me before I even owned a SSV. I have still not been able to master the whip mode without the use of the fan. I always inhale too fast or slow, but I get great hits when turning on the fan to any speed. If you fill the bags on setting one, you get some really fat, milky hits. Taste definitely suffers in the bag though and can get dry and harsh if not inhaled quickly. All in all, this unit is pretty slick, I don't think it's my favorite in terms of vapor quality, but when I want to try something different or just play with the gadget, the Extreme is really fun to use. I see myself using this during parties and when I'm lazy.
I just got the SSV today, very short learning curve. I got the Willie Nelson special with the ground glass attachment. I turned it up to about 2 o clock on the heater knob and got some pretty darn tasty, milky heats. When I emptied the herb, it was still a yellowish/green color so I knew I wasn't getting any smoke. I really wish I could do a side by side with the Evolutions unit, but that one died on me a few weeks ago which prompted my Extreme and SSV purchase. One downside is that my heater cover is super loose and wiggles alot, they said they would send me a new one. The bag it came with was a nice surprise, but the zipper broke already. The customer service rep said that it happens all the time and I can get newer, improved bag in October at 50% off, kinda weak.
A friend of mine came over today and he preferred the Extreme bag hooked up to the water tool. He said that he got just as milky hits, but with less effort than with hitting the SSV (meaning no resistance from the bag). If you fill your bags at 215 C (newer unit) on fan speed one, you get really high quality, thick vapor. It's worth the wait for me but the taste was poor. My friend didn't care about taste at all, he just loved the massive hits. I really liked the SSV and based on first impression, this thing is as good as the $500 evolutions unit. I think it looks a lot cooler too and the fact that it does have a digital readout doesn't bother me. I always change the heat based on the herb itself to make sure I'm not getting any smoke. Even though some people don't like the rainbow speckles, I think the unit looks pretty bad ass. I give it a 9 because it didn't take a lot of lung power to get clean, tasty hits. I can't wait to run the connectors thru one of my water pipes with an ice chamber.
The first vaporizer I'd like to talk about is the Herborizer. A lot of people have wondered whether or not this unit is legit. I purchased this at least two years ago and this was before a dimmer switch was offered. The unit was too hot and I sent it back for a new one, the new one was too hot as well. You would get very thick vapor mixed in with a little smoke. I can see this unit producing really quality vapor since the construction is all glass. I plan on getting my heating element upgraded so I can run some more tests on it. I rate it 8.5 because a lot of my friends liked the thick, milky, slightly smoky hits and I can see it being almost perfect with the adjustable heating element. That's just my opinion but based on what I've on different threads, the dimmer switch does wonders for the vapor quality and is usually the vaporizer of choice at "vaporizer bars"
My favorite vaporizer for pure taste is the VRIPtech setup with the Steinel heat gun. One of my friends is an electrical engineer who has tinkered with all my vaporizers mentioned that the thermal couple used to control the temp on the gun is light years better than any of the other units. The Pro Water Tool and Venturi bowl are all glass which has minimal effect on the taste of the vapor. It is a bit more cumbersome than the other vapes but when you add ice to the water tool, the vapor hits that you can get (in my opinion) CANNOT be beat. As I mentioned in the other review, when I am by myself, this is the vaporizer I use. The learning curve for certain people might be a high, but if you can master the heat gun, I think you will agree that this is one of the tastiest, cleanest, milkiest vapor hits you can get. I give it a 9.5 rating, -.5 points for being harder to use
The Evolution was my favorite vaporizer for when friends came over. The seal on the end of the unit where the whip goes in is airtight, so there are hardly any accidents with people accidently pulling the whip out (which happens all the time with the box type vaporizers that also use whips). The vapor/air ratio is also very high, the only downside is that the screens get clogged easily and if you don't change them often, it gets pretty hard to take hits without using a lot of lung power. It always took a little more lung power to use the Evolution, but with a clogged screen, it would be REALLY hard to get thick hits. I got pretty good at changing screens after doing it 15 or so times so it's not that big a deal anymore, but in the first couple screen changes took me 20 minutes...argh. The tubing for the whip is silicone based so the effect on the taste of the vapor is minimal. I rate this a 8.75
I got the Vaporfection unit when I was researching vaporizers for the hell of it. I was impressed with all the glass that was used, and the heating element seemed top notch. I've had some really good rips hit from this thing but I've always have had trouble controlling the temperature properly. I would always have to turn it up one degree for each time I put in a new bowl. Sometimes it would give no vapor at 320, and at 321, it would be smoky. I returned the unit and got a "upgraded" one but it still did the same thing. Customer service has always been good so they said they will look into it again. Rating would be 4, especially since it was so expensive.
I've had some time to play with the Extreme and my opinion is that it is an awesome bag system. I think it is on par with the Volcano, maybe even a little better, I prefer ceramic heating elements even if the Volcano never gets hot enough for it's heating element to cause any harm. I run it through this bubbler/water filter (that I would also connect to the Evolutions unit) that I had 7th floor make for me before I even owned a SSV. I have still not been able to master the whip mode without the use of the fan. I always inhale too fast or slow, but I get great hits when turning on the fan to any speed. If you fill the bags on setting one, you get some really fat, milky hits. Taste definitely suffers in the bag though and can get dry and harsh if not inhaled quickly. All in all, this unit is pretty slick, I don't think it's my favorite in terms of vapor quality, but when I want to try something different or just play with the gadget, the Extreme is really fun to use. I see myself using this during parties and when I'm lazy.
I just got the SSV today, very short learning curve. I got the Willie Nelson special with the ground glass attachment. I turned it up to about 2 o clock on the heater knob and got some pretty darn tasty, milky heats. When I emptied the herb, it was still a yellowish/green color so I knew I wasn't getting any smoke. I really wish I could do a side by side with the Evolutions unit, but that one died on me a few weeks ago which prompted my Extreme and SSV purchase. One downside is that my heater cover is super loose and wiggles alot, they said they would send me a new one. The bag it came with was a nice surprise, but the zipper broke already. The customer service rep said that it happens all the time and I can get newer, improved bag in October at 50% off, kinda weak.
A friend of mine came over today and he preferred the Extreme bag hooked up to the water tool. He said that he got just as milky hits, but with less effort than with hitting the SSV (meaning no resistance from the bag). If you fill your bags at 215 C (newer unit) on fan speed one, you get really high quality, thick vapor. It's worth the wait for me but the taste was poor. My friend didn't care about taste at all, he just loved the massive hits. I really liked the SSV and based on first impression, this thing is as good as the $500 evolutions unit. I think it looks a lot cooler too and the fact that it does have a digital readout doesn't bother me. I always change the heat based on the herb itself to make sure I'm not getting any smoke. Even though some people don't like the rainbow speckles, I think the unit looks pretty bad ass. I give it a 9 because it didn't take a lot of lung power to get clean, tasty hits. I can't wait to run the connectors thru one of my water pipes with an ice chamber.
stickstones
Vapor concierge
sweet reviews, man...thanks!
vaporcloud
lurking kiwi
Thats some pretty soild reviews there stonemonkey. You have quite a collections of vaps!
Welcome to the forum.
Welcome to the forum.
Thanks for sharing, it's always nice to hear from someone with as much experience and as big of a collection as yourself. Your word is valued highly around here.
Too bad about your Herborizers, I guess they've gotten it down it out in the last 2 years, few people here have said the standard version works perfectly with no temp control. I'd think Sebastien would at least give you a big discount on a new heater/whatever, if yours has always run too hot.
Good to hear you like the ssv with ground glass set up, haven't heard of many people that have the GG.. You should pick up a standard heater cover and wand to compare; everyone comments on the ssv's thick hits, which likely differ with the narrowly focused hot air stream from the non ground glass version.
The Steinel HL2510 / HG2510 look really nice, RoHS certification is definitely a big plus. Do you think the Vriptech bowls/system are a lot better than just using the Steinel on a standard GonG waterpipe with a big bowl?
Too bad about your Herborizers, I guess they've gotten it down it out in the last 2 years, few people here have said the standard version works perfectly with no temp control. I'd think Sebastien would at least give you a big discount on a new heater/whatever, if yours has always run too hot.
Good to hear you like the ssv with ground glass set up, haven't heard of many people that have the GG.. You should pick up a standard heater cover and wand to compare; everyone comments on the ssv's thick hits, which likely differ with the narrowly focused hot air stream from the non ground glass version.
The Steinel HL2510 / HG2510 look really nice, RoHS certification is definitely a big plus. Do you think the Vriptech bowls/system are a lot better than just using the Steinel on a standard GonG waterpipe with a big bowl?
I've owned an inspector vapor's bowl as well and the VRIPtech bowl just works better. I saw some video on it a few years ago about some "venturi" effect due to the shape of the VRIPtech bowl. I'm not too sure if that plays a factor but I do know that it works extremely well. Most of my casual smoke friends don't like to use it because they think it is too much of a hassle, but my vapor conniseur buddies usually reach for the steienl, some crushed ice, and a nice water pipe as their choice of vaping.
I'm really enjoying filling up bags with the Extreme, it is really impressing me, thick cloudy bags and the plant matter is no where close to being brown.
The only gripe I have with the SSV is that their is no on/off switch. I keep getting paranoid that I am continually raising the temp and risking the possibility of getting some smoke mixed with my vapor. A switch would solve all of this.
I'm really enjoying filling up bags with the Extreme, it is really impressing me, thick cloudy bags and the plant matter is no where close to being brown.
The only gripe I have with the SSV is that their is no on/off switch. I keep getting paranoid that I am continually raising the temp and risking the possibility of getting some smoke mixed with my vapor. A switch would solve all of this.
Yeah the knob is easy to accidently turn, though I haven't had a problem with that (unless you count the OCDtastic checking it every time I grab the unit 
) or dialing it to the sweet spot every time. If you really want an on off switch you could pick up a timer or something that has an on/off feature, some of the digital ones even have remotes. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venturi_effect sounds pretty cool if that's what's happening. The Vriptech bowls do have that shape. After seeing videos of people getting great results from just a heatgun and standard GonG bowl, it sounds even better still.
The 'VripMaster Agent 007 Vaporization Kit' looks sooo nice, even a Peclican case.
) or dialing it to the sweet spot every time. If you really want an on off switch you could pick up a timer or something that has an on/off feature, some of the digital ones even have remotes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venturi_effect sounds pretty cool if that's what's happening. The Vriptech bowls do have that shape. After seeing videos of people getting great results from just a heatgun and standard GonG bowl, it sounds even better still.
The 'VripMaster Agent 007 Vaporization Kit' looks sooo nice, even a Peclican case.
I'm including a link to the picture of my lineup:
http://www.marijuana.com/attachment...on-vriptech-evolutions-shootout-shootout1.jpg
Vtac, just woke up this morning and vaped a bowl thru the SSV. I turned back the knob to about 2 o clockish and was getting huge hits. Last night I had to turn it to 3, I wonder if my unit might have a calibration issue or I was milking it too fast last night... Well, I'll keep testing it today, I'm not complaining but I'd like to get this thing dialed in as soon as possible. So far so good on the GG wand and heater cover. I'm really not too concerned with long term wear and tear as I see no difference between this and my old roor stems and they never broke for the 4 years I had it. Just have to be careful when handling glass I guess. But performance wise, the GG connection is giving me as big of hits as I can handle so not really feeling like I am missing out not having the standard wand and heater cover.
Just curious about those vids of people using heat guns with GonG bowls, how do they keep the herb from flying out of the bowl when aiming heat down on it? Anyhow, for me, it was worth spending 50 bucks to get one of these bowls and they work great, so definitely no buyer's remorse here. We've run it thru a PHX before with the three chambered water filtration system and got ridiculous hits off of that.
http://www.marijuana.com/attachment...on-vriptech-evolutions-shootout-shootout1.jpg
Vtac, just woke up this morning and vaped a bowl thru the SSV. I turned back the knob to about 2 o clockish and was getting huge hits. Last night I had to turn it to 3, I wonder if my unit might have a calibration issue or I was milking it too fast last night... Well, I'll keep testing it today, I'm not complaining but I'd like to get this thing dialed in as soon as possible. So far so good on the GG wand and heater cover. I'm really not too concerned with long term wear and tear as I see no difference between this and my old roor stems and they never broke for the 4 years I had it. Just have to be careful when handling glass I guess. But performance wise, the GG connection is giving me as big of hits as I can handle so not really feeling like I am missing out not having the standard wand and heater cover.
Just curious about those vids of people using heat guns with GonG bowls, how do they keep the herb from flying out of the bowl when aiming heat down on it? Anyhow, for me, it was worth spending 50 bucks to get one of these bowls and they work great, so definitely no buyer's remorse here. We've run it thru a PHX before with the three chambered water filtration system and got ridiculous hits off of that.
Acolyte of Zinglon
Wizard-Ninja
could you post it on an image hosting site? people who arent members of that site cant see pictures on it, and id rather not sign up
heres a good one http://www.turboimagehost.com/
heres a good one http://www.turboimagehost.com/
Here you go
Probably just hitting it hard, and as mentioned earlier, the ground glass version has a wider opening so probably needs more heat.
But you'll never know otherwise! I'm sure it works well, I really just want to satisfy my own curiousity.
That said, a standard heater cover + wand/whip only runs 35 bones, and from what I hear it's pretty easy to swap a heater cover, especially on the newer units. Just pull off. Also your other units are all ground glass, so maybe you'd enjoy the new style.
Was wondering this as well. So I guess it's safe to say that doesn't happen with the Vriptech bowls. Fuck I really want that 007 kit now.
Vtac, I'm going to put in an order for the standard heater cover and wand. Might as well get the full experience. I just took my second hit from the SSV today and again I had to turn it to 3, which is odd because earlier today it was working at 2 o clock. This time I just unplugged it after using it and will test it out at the same setting a couple of hours from now to see if it's holding it's temp setting properly. Even though the Extreme has more bells and whistles, I just find myself gravitating to the SSV. It's a lot cooler in person than it looks in the pictures.
I do favor the Extreme when I am in lazy mode though, much easier to just flip the switch on and blow a thick, milky bag. If you inhale the bag contents quickly, taste is still relatively good. In my experience, when I was holding in my bag hits to get maximum effect, I would notice the vapor getting stale tasting. Running the bags thru a waterpipe with an ice catcher enhances the experience as well. Never thought that I would like bags this much...
I do favor the Extreme when I am in lazy mode though, much easier to just flip the switch on and blow a thick, milky bag. If you inhale the bag contents quickly, taste is still relatively good. In my experience, when I was holding in my bag hits to get maximum effect, I would notice the vapor getting stale tasting. Running the bags thru a waterpipe with an ice catcher enhances the experience as well. Never thought that I would like bags this much...
Acolyte of Zinglon
Wizard-Ninja
with the gong bowls they usually fit a screen over the herb to keep it in
If that's the case, and it fits into the budget, I'd definitely buy the VRIP bowl. Easier to pack the medicine in, better effect, all glass...When the VRIP system first came out, you could download instructions on how to vape without his glass pieces and did mention using screens to hold the medicine in place. You would then get an attachment for the heat gun to focus the heat onto the herb. It actually worked but I've found tremendous value just buying the glass pieces. I also one an Inspector Vapors bowl and have tried a few other glass pieces that work with heat guns but I feel that based on experience, the VRIPtech bowls work best.
I let the ssv heat up for a few extra minutes and it was hitting well at about 2 I clockish. I'm not ready to say that the ssv hits better than the evolutions unit but it is pretty darn close. I'm sure with more time I will be able to get optimal usage from the ssv.
So I had my best session with the SSV yet. I have found the sweet spot for the temperature and am getting very tasty, milky vapor hits. One thing that I really like is that there is not much resistance when taking your draws. The Evolutions unit would take a lot more lung power when taking hits from the whip. I can see why the SSV gets a lot of rave reviews and it does work better than a lot of the wooden box whip vaporizers that I have tried. Since I got the GG version, I am assuming the Buddha hits basically the same so you might as well save a few bucks and get the DBV if you are going to get GG with the SSV. I like the Willie Nelson special so I went with the SSV but if you're on a budget, the DBV would be a great way to get a quality vape at a lower price. Still wish I knew exactly what are the differences for the increased price of the SSV.
SpiralArchitect
? & beyond
Out of curiosity, which would these be?
Aesthetics and build from what I understand (however, I own neither). They have the same 'workings' and functionality.
The wooden box types that I have used are the Vapor Bros and VaporDocs, my friend has a box unit with a digital readout but neither of us know what exact model it is. The SSV definitely outperforms those units in the quality and taste of the vapor it produces. I'm not sure what they use to control their temperature, but it seems to hold the heat very well. The Extreme also holds it heat very well and once you find the sweet spot, you can get super thick, milky bags. I'm a happy camper with the addition of both these units.
max
Out to lunch
Think about the vapor path on the SSV. Air comes in about an inch below the top of the heater cover. Short and clean.
It's not just a matter of comparing one model to the other and trying to find differences in the hardware. A lot of factors may play into a price increase, including the desire for more profit. We'll never know the reasons. One thing's for sure. The success of the SSV, at whatever price point it was at along the way, is the reason the DBV is available for $83 less.
If that is the case then I have no problem recommending the DBV to people who are on a budget, or if the prefer GG, you might as well save a few extra dollars. The heating element on the SSV holds it's temp very well and I have been very satisfied with the quality of the hits that I have been getting. I will be having a few friends over to see what they prefer later on today. As for me, the SSV is really shining in the whip department and I think it outperforms my Evolutions unit that I loved so much.
I think it was Marcuss who wanted to know how the SSV stacks up to the Herborizer. The Herborizer has the advantage in that there is no whip and it goes directly from the glass heater into whatever device you use to collect the vapor. I've connected my SSV to one of my glass pieces with a short silicone tube and the vapor hits are comparable but not quite as nice. This doesn't surprise me as I don't think any of the whip based models can produce clean vapor like the VRIPtech or Herborizer, but as far as the whip models go, this is definitely tops on my list, even more so than the $500 digital models...I'm sending back my Vaporfection unit to get recalibrated, but most of the stores I called told me they liked the Evolutions better than Vaporfection. I'll give the Vaporfection a second try though.
max
Out to lunch
Without even knowing exactly how you're defining "clean vapor", I can tell you I don't like that term. It implies that vapor from "any of the whip based models" is somehow 'unclean'. And when you consider that the Steinel heat gun is not even designed for vaporizing....
As for the Herbo vs. the SSV, you're assuming that everyone prefers bong type hits over whip hits. I don't. So for me, the Surfer is the better choice. When you're comparing quality vapes it's more about defining the characteristics of each model and deciding which is a better fit for you. Declaring a winner on the basis of 'better hits' is using subjective judgement as if it were objective data.
These are definitely subjective opinions of mine, I'm not denying that. What I meant by clean vapor is vapor that is low in tar and carcinogens, but also vapor that hasn't had it's flavor tainted. I believe whips and bags taint the taste of the vapor which is why I think the Herborizer and VRIP would produce the tastiest, "clean" vapor. That's why I say that my friends enjoy the bag and the whip, they don't think the flavor of the vapor is affected much at all. I have a more sensitive palette so I think I can detect subtle differences in flavor more easily.
Also, I'm not an expert on this, and although the Steinel wasn't designed for vaporizing, it does use a ceramic encapsulated heating element and has a thermocouple control for the temperature that is far more advanced than what is used in the high end vaporizers today. When used in conjunction with the glass pieces, I think it produces the cleanest tasting vapor. I have no idea whether or not this vapor is "better" for you though.
I apologize if I tried to make my review sound like the end all be all, just wanted to give my subjective opinion since I have a pretty decent collection
Also, I'm not an expert on this, and although the Steinel wasn't designed for vaporizing, it does use a ceramic encapsulated heating element and has a thermocouple control for the temperature that is far more advanced than what is used in the high end vaporizers today. When used in conjunction with the glass pieces, I think it produces the cleanest tasting vapor. I have no idea whether or not this vapor is "better" for you though.
I apologize if I tried to make my review sound like the end all be all, just wanted to give my subjective opinion since I have a pretty decent collection
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