Should I buy the Pax 2?

[TGA225]

So this is my first post, I read a decent amount of stuff from the forum and this thread before deciding to post, and I have some questions.

First some primer info: I'm looking for my first vape. I'm relatively new to MJ and I wanted a flame free alternative because my husband smokes with me and doesn't like how you have to light bowls and bongs. I don't own any glass wear, we usually roll spliffs. I'm only interested in Dry Herb vapes, concentrates don't interest m
I have been researching a bit in the past few days but it appears there's just a lot of junk out there. I stopped by a local headshop to ask some questions. The shop is an authorized PAX retailer, but right out the gate the employee tried to sell me on a different device. Mocking the "fun" features--party mode and Simon says--instead of giving real information about the PAX 2. The device turned out to be a Chinese knock off of an order device so I doubt I'll go back there.

Question 1) When we smoke don't smoke much, and to be honest I couldn't give an estimate to the weight of what we do smoke. Would the Half Pack or Pusher be a necessity for us out the gate?

Question 2) If you were to go back and pick out your first vape, would you pick the PAX 2?

Question 3) Portability isn't a huge factor for us, but looking at the desktop/plug-in vaporizers none seem to interest us the way the portables do.

I'm not wholly against the price point of the PAX 2, being a e-liquid vaper I've put out good money for good devices, and have had my fair share of cheep crap, but I wanted to get some suggestions from users of this device because at the end of the day 279 is a good chunk of change.

Thanks

 

[Mr. Me2]

So this is my first post, I read a decent amount of stuff from the forum and this thread before deciding to post, and I have some questions.

First some primer info: I'm looking for my first vape. I'm relatively new to MJ and I wanted a flame free alternative because my husband smokes with me and doesn't like how you have to light bowls and bongs. I don't own any glass wear, we usually roll spliffs. I'm only interested in Dry Herb vapes, concentrates don't interest m
I have been researching a bit in the past few days but it appears there's just a lot of junk out there. I stopped by a local headshop to ask some questions. The shop is an authorized PAX retailer, but right out the gate the employee tried to sell me on a different device. Mocking the "fun" features--party mode and Simon says--instead of giving real information about the PAX 2. The device turned out to be a Chinese knock off of an order device so I doubt I'll go back there.

Question 1) When we smoke don't smoke much, and to be honest I couldn't give an estimate to the weight of what we do smoke. Would the Half Pack or Pusher be a necessity for us out the gate?

Question 2) If you were to go back and pick out your first vape, would you pick the PAX 2?

Question 3) Portability isn't a huge factor for us, but looking at the desktop/plug-in vaporizers none seem to interest us the way the portables do.

I'm not wholly against the price point of the PAX 2, being a e-liquid vaper I've put out good money for good devices, and have had my fair share of cheep crap, but I wanted to get some suggestions from users of this device because at the end of the day 279 is a good chunk of change.

Thanks

Welcome @TGA225 !

If you plan to spend time on fc, you'll find that many people have their favorite or go-to, but few end up with just one vape. There are a bunch of reasons and they vary, but the end result is where to start.

You seem to be focusing in on the pax2 and that's a great one to have, but there are many choices out there.

If you haven't already, I'll start by suggesting you spend a little time on vape reviewer sites. My favorite 2 are Buzz Danklin's (vaporizerwizard.com) and the Vape Critic. Both have extensive experience, provide detailed reviews, and rate the vapes. You'll see pretty quickly that there's a close concensus of what's top tier.

If you don't already know, portable vapes generally fall into 2 categories; conduction and convection (which relates to how material is "cooked"). Conduction vapes heat the oven and are considered session vapes because what's in the oven is cooked so you need to finish what you start in one sitting or session. Convection vapes super heat the air that is pulled through the material, so it is only "cooked" during each draw.

Okay, enough background.

Pax2 is a conduction vape, and a really good one. Great design, very reliable, maintenance (which is important for every vape) is pretty easy, I like the taste, what did I miss...

Vapes that consistently get rated higher than the pax2 are the Crafty/Mighty. Considered better flavor and easier to master (very little technique), but less reliable that the pax, and maintenance is more of a pain (but there are work arounds for that). These are considered a blended conduction and convection vape.

I could go on, and I'm sure others will chime in with their suggestions, but more info from you will really help (your expected or planned use, what's most important to you (flavor, ease of use, low maintenance, appearance/build quality...).

To answer your specific questions:

1) I have the pusher and like it and recommend it. I think you'll want it, especially if either of you will ever be vaping alone. But initially you can use a folded screen to serve the same purpose. So don't worry about this one as an emergency.

2) I might, but it depends on budget. And what other considerations are important to you (or me). And you should probably prioritize your wish list. For some, flavor is at the top of the list. For others, stealth or battery life, or ease of use (or other considerations) are. Pax1 was my first, and I'm not sorry, but I learned its weaknesses pretty quickly and moved on. Having said that, I did get (and love) my pax2, but that wasn't my 2nd vape. I think a bunch of people would recommend a solo/air or Boundless vape as their first, but I haven't tried those. This is a very subjective process. And FUN!

3) I'm not a desktop guy either. I don't want to be tethered to a power cord, or deal with a bunch of pieces. And there are a bunch of great portables out there.

Even if you get the pax2 (and I'm confident you'll love it), I'll be shocked if you don't end up with others too. And personally, I think you should give a hard look at the Mighty/Crafty; particularly since stealth isn't a priority.

And regardless of your decision, consider buying from Puffitup. They have a presence here, have the best prices and service, fast delivery... Don't forget to get the fc discount!

 

[Jethro]

Question 2) If you were to go back and pick out your first vape, would you pick the PAX 2?

I'm gonna answer this one specifically... and I don't own a Pax2, mines an original Pax but I think the things I say here will still apply. I got a Pax as my first vape and used it exclusively for almost a year (along with still combusting quite a bit). Later in my vape "career" I had two distinct epiphanies, which I will explain as follows:

Epiphany number 1: On a whim one day I stopped into my local head shop which is pretty good. They had a VaporGenie and I impulse bought it. I figured it would be good to have a backup and maybe use off the grid camping. It took a bit to get the technique down but once I did I was shocked by the flavor I was missing in my Pax. I buy only the best flowers I can- maybe I'm a little guilty of being a weed snob? Anyway, I seriously think that people should try both a convection and conduction vape before buying because if you like the improved flavor aspect that vaporization provides, than a convection vape is FAR superior in that respect. There is also something to be said about the beauty of butane vapes in the fact that they are instant- no heat up required. Not long after that my Pax did fail and had to be sent back, thank god I had the VaporGenie.

Epiphany number 2: My father in law was amazed by my Pax, and asked me to get him one. He is 70 years old and a big Apple fan, and the Pax is kinda Apple-esque- I even referred to it as my I-Pot (I'm sure I am not the first person to think of that). But I explained to him that it's really a bit of a pain to own in that you need to keep it clean. I had heard a lot of good things about the Solo and I suggested that I get him a Solo, even though I hadn't used one, I thought it might be a better choice for the old guy than a Pax. When it was delivered I had to see what the fuss was about and make sure I know how to use it before handing it over to the old man. It was great, but vapor production and flavor was not really better than my Pax- at least not markedly better, but it worked very well indeed. About two weeks went by before I saw my father in law and in that time I must have went through dozens of sessions with the Solo. But no cleaning! No incessant, almost daily cleaning like the Pax! All there is are these glass bowls that get dirty, the device needs no cleaning- ZERO cleaning! The glass bowls can be cleaned in a matter of seconds with some isopropyl and the device itself is zero maintenance. Not only that, you can put tiny, tiny amounts in the Solo and get medicated. I used my Pax with the double screen method to conserve material, but even then the flavor goes to popcorn way before the vapor is done. Hard to put in perspective, but the same amount in the Pax that would give me 10-15 good draws before I dumped the ABV into my duff jar would fill my Solo stem 3 times, and each of those 3 times would be more than 20 draws off each stem. The Solo is so damn efficient that even my supplier asked what was up- my consumption probably was cut in half with the Solo, no kidding. Not so with the Pax.

Now something to consider is that my original Pax is much more important to keep clean than the new one, because if you let it get sticky you can have the mouthpiece get seized in the device. That happened to me and I got paranoid about it so I clean it even more religiously. The Pax 2 has solved that problem but it still must need to be cleaned a bunch.

I am soon entering my latest journey of my vape "career" and it's with a power convection desktop, a VX cloud Evo. So let me sum it all up for you... I love the Pax and would even love to buy a Pax 2, but I now use it only as a travel and party vape. I love passing around the Pax like a vapor joint at parties- although there is anxiety about people not hitting it constantly because it just keeps burning. I also love having the Pax in the car on road trips it's just amazingly easy to have it pre-packed and use it like a one hitter, put it away for another . But for a power user at home it is severely lacking for many reasons. I use my Solo over the Pax 10 times to 1.

 

[Mr Mellish]

Question 2) If you were to go back and pick out your first vape, would you pick the PAX 2?

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of the Pax2. It smells (sounds like this isn't a concern for you) and the taste just isn't there. To me, the Pax2 is a higher-tech Magic Flight Launch Box. There is NOTHING wrong with that...plenty of people love the MFLB and the Pax2, but it doesn't suit my needs. If you're just looking for effects, it's fine. If you want to enjoy your flower more, my opinion is that there are better options.

What are your priorities?

I have a number of portable vapes in my current rotation.

Flavor:
1. Firewood 3 (well beyond the rest)
2a. Crafty
2b. Grasshopper
2c. Vapman (but this uses a lighter)
3. Prima

Ease of use (they're all pretty easy):
1.Grasshopper
2. Crafty
3. Prima
4. Firewood 3
5. Vapman

Ease of cleaning:
1. Grasshopper
2. Firewood 3
3. Crafty
4. Prima
5. Vapman

Stealth:
1. Grasshopper
2. Firewood 3
3. Prima
4. Crafty
5. Vapman

I mostly use the GH and the FW3 but cycle in the Prima and Crafty if I have the additional heat-up time. Vapman I have to reserve for times when the click of the lighter (and faint smell of butane) is not a concern.

ETA: To be clear, my intent here is not to bash the Pax2; it does the job and has raving fans. I was just responding to the question with my own opinion.

 

[pakalolo]

I moved this discussion because it's not really nice to recommend other brands in a manufacturer's thread. The questions are fine and so are the responses, just not in the Pax 2 thread.

 

[HighSeasSailor]

I used the Pax 2 to transition from pure combustion to zero combustion, so it gets my recommendation.

Don't know why the party mode type features even come up, I never use them and it's not what the vape is about. I'd certainly say the Pax 2 is a nice sharing vape, it has a bigger oven than many vapes.

 

[max]

I'm only interested in Dry Herb vapes

I haven't used a Pax or Pax 2, but I have used/owned a lot of vapes (both home and portable) over the last ten yrs. or so. Although I haven't posted anything on my latest portable yet (have only had it a few days), I can certainly recommend it as a 1st vape. The Odin as an easy to use portable that packs a punch. In fact, if you told me I could only keep one vape and had to dump the rest, this would be my keeper, due to the fact that it covers all the bases- portability and hits that can make your eyes water, and small hits available as well, with a light touch on the draw speed. Currently it's a very good deal at 25% off (OD is the discount code) from Puffitup.com. $105 for this kind of performance is a real deal. Randy, the owner of Puffitup, is a long time friend of FC, and is as good with customer svc. as you'll find with an on-line dealer, so the one year warranty is solid. We have a thread on this model under Portables, but there's not a lot of info yet.

I stopped by a local headshop to ask some questions.

Being a staff member, I know where you live and I'm familiar with the area. Stick to FC for vape advice and on-line sellers like Randy for purchase.

 

[ChooChooCharlie]

Thank you @max ! Great tip on the discount code.
Order placed. Quite a deal. Can always use a backup, especially for a C*****
(That last word means C-note, $100, and does not stand for any well known vape)
Thanks also to @pakalolo and others in the Odin thread for your reviews

 

[stinkytofus]

haze v3, so easy to use, get a glass piece too

 

[sickmanfraud]

For the price of the Pax you should be able to buy an Arizer extreme Q (plug-in) and an Arizer Solo.

 

[TGA225]

Thank you all for the replies, opinions, and the discount code. Also sorry about putting those questions in the wrong place

As per a lot of your recomendations I looked at some other options but I'm still pretty firm on the pax 2. I have a few more questions before I pull the trigger.

How hot is the vapor in general? I have read a few things mentioning it being a hot vape and especially about the (older I think) raised mouth piece.

Dose the unit get hot to the touch? I've seen that reported in a few places--maily Reddit-- but with the number of posts asking for autheticity verification I wonder if they bought knock offs by mistake.

Is there any official word on a Pax 3? I've seen a few things on the net but nothing official.

Thanks again

 

[j-bug]

So I had a Pax 2 for my first vape and knowing what I know now and with the financial ups and downs I've had since I got it I kinda wish I got a different model. That said its a perfectly solid little vape and people have laid out essentially all the drawbacks and recommended essentially many of the vapes I might recommend myself.


But now you have new questions so I'm going to try to answer them based on my experiences with the pax 2. (Which I ended up passing on to my sister who lost it or doesn't bother with it much and mainly combusts still)

The mouthpiece on the Pax 2 can get uncomfortable in places and even potentially quite hot if you're doing multiple ovens, but that doesn't sound like a use case you'd run into frequently. It's certainly possible to carefully avoid those hotspots on the mouthpiece if you're careful during use at first, it'll probably just become second nature for you but will be worth explaining to a group if you're passing it around a lot.

The vapor itself can be harsh on the higher temp settings, but to a certain extent this can depend on the quality of the material you're using in it. But the first few hits of each oven on lower temps were absolutely delicious. So if you pack small enough to use it as a micro session device you can get super great flavor with every hit. Not sure it's possible to pack it that lightly, I ended up having to use at least one full oven for my needs so never tried it. Though the "burnt popcorn" taste people refer to was definitely there, even if I think of it more as like a far too overroasted coffee bean.

Anyway, it's a vape that got many of us into vaporizing and once you've tried it and discovered what you do and don't like about it you'll be able to make a more informed choice about the kind of vape that will suit you best. There is no best vape just vapes that suit some people better and vapes that serve other people better and your first vape will hopefully not be your last vape or perhaps the pax 2 will perfectly meet your needs.

 

[sonti]

I used the Pax 2 to transition from pure combustion to zero combustion, so it gets my recommendation.

Don't know why the party mode type features even come up, I never use them and it's not what the vape is about. I'd certainly say the Pax 2 is a nice sharing vape, it has a bigger oven than many vapes.

I was quite amused playing around with them the first few uses. But they actually have some purpose, for example Party Mode 1 (spin it 3 times) puts the oven cooldown timer to 60 seconds (from 90) and party mode 2 disables it, meaning the unit will not cool down on its own.

BTT:

My first vape was a Magic Flight Launch Box. After 2 years I decided to go for something new and fell in love with the PAX2. The Design is very slick and its very portable. Its a bit on the higher price side when you first want to buy a vape, so it probably depends on budget. I remember being quite hesitant when I first got interested in vapes, when I thought (well I could just spent that 120+ on weed or something else fun instead, and i dont even know if I actually LIKE vaping too)

Its very easy to use and everyone will understand it immediately. I think the vapor production and flavor are pretty good, but I have no real comparison aside from the Magic Flight Launch Box.

Thank you all for the replies, opinions, and the discount code. Also sorry about putting those questions in the wrong place

As per a lot of your recomendations I looked at some other options but I'm still pretty firm on the pax 2. I have a few more questions before I pull the trigger.

How hot is the vapor in general? I have read a few things mentioning it being a hot vape and especially about the (older I think) raised mouth piece.

Dose the unit get hot to the touch? I've seen that reported in a few places--maily Reddit-- but with the number of posts asking for autheticity verification I wonder if they bought knock offs by mistake.

Is there any official word on a Pax 3? I've seen a few things on the net but nothing official.

Thanks again

I only use the flat mouth piece and it never gets too hot. Sometimes the unit itself can get a bit hot if you do a long session and use it on the higher temperature settings (imo 3&4 are too hot and rarely worth using anyways, maybe 3). But its really not a big deal, never got too hot to touch or anything like that

Sorry for the double post, was on accident and I dont know how to delete this post