Firstly I'll say that taking a break from combustion before you seriously try to get into vaping is a very good idea. Initially when I tried vaping I found it a bit unsatisfying but then I took a break for a few months due to medical reasons and then when I came back to vaping I found it really hit the spot. Another thing that helped was using a vape through a water pipe which made it much more desirable and fun. This allowed me to take much larger hits in one go rather than sipping away on the wand which I found rather tedious. I'd like to add that he few times I've tried combusting since(mainly due to convenience) I've actually regretted it and not enjoyed the effects anywhere near as much as vaping.
As for the choice of unit, I own both an LSV(Heavy Hitter) and an Underdog(Log Vape) so I'd like to share my thoughts/experiences of the two. Please bear in mind that all this is completely subjective and is mainly based on my own personal use. Also please note that my comparison of the LSV with the SSV is based on the similarities in design and what I've heard from other people, not from any experience with the SSV I've had myself.
Comparison between the LSV and SSV (A lot of conjecture and hearsay with little facts so disregard at your own leisure)
The LSV is a 7th floor vape like the SSV but IMO has a form factor more conducive for use with a water pipe. I personally find this form factor very convenient as it is very similar to hold a lighter to a bong but with a bit of a "swirling" action to even the heat through the load. It can be used "dry"(without a water pipe) with the wand, kind of like an SSV with an all glass air path rather than a whip so in theory the taste should be slightly better. However I haven't used an SSV so I can't be sure.
The advantage the SSV has over the LSV is that it can stand by itself and of course some people find whips a lot more convenient. Also the LSV can get quite hot if it's left on for long periods. Personally I'm not affected by either of these two factors because I always use a water pipe with it so I wouldn't have much use for a whip and also I tend to turn it off in between sessions so it doesn't have the chance to get too hot. Although the LSV doesn't take long to heat up if you plan on leaving it on all day I could see this being a deciding factor.
Both the LSV and the SSV have a very similar if not the same heating element design so I'm guessing the performance of both to be equally similar. Please anyone who has used both units correct me if I'm wrong.
As far as comparing the LSV to the Underdog IME they both have their merits as I have tried to highlight below.
Firstly the Heavy Hitter(Life Saber Vaporizer aka LSV)
The LSV a very powerful unit that can vape a large amount so if you think you will be vaping more than about 0.2g in a session then it may be a good choice. One of my friends who is a heavy combuster prefers the LSV to my Underdog for this very reason. It is also very fast to heat up so you could be vaping within 5-10 minutes from turning it on.
One disadvantage I've found from using the LSV is that it requires stirring between hits and a "recrumble" (as recommended by @
lwien) to get the load uniformly vaped. Also I find that no matter what size the load is it will take a few hits to fully extract the goodies so it's not very convenient for me when using small loads(Although @
lwien may disagree, but I believe he likes to get multiple hits from one small load as that is his style of vaping). However with large loads this is less of a problem.
As I already mentioned, there is the fact that it can get a bit hot when left on, not too hot to touch but it can get a bit uncomfortable to hold. I know some users hang the unit on a nail so the element is vertical and excess heat is allowed to travel straight out into the air rather than through the unit itself. I can see this being a very good idea but since I only use it for short sessions I haven't needed to do this.
Secondly the Log Vape (Underdog aka UD)
IME the Underdog is excellent for fully extracting small loads quickly and conveniently. I can get a load of about 0.1g or less a nice dark brown in two hits. This is perfect for me as 0.05g -0.1g seems to be the perfect amount to get me where I want to be. This means I always finish the load fully with the UD and have a fresh load to enjoy with each use.
As I'm only using small amounts I don't need to take as many hits as I would with the LSV to clear to load which means each of those hits from the UD is actually thicker and has more taste. I know in theory the LSV should taste better due to the all glass airpath so I'm guessing there will be a tipping point at which the LSV will become tastier at a certain load size because the vapour will be thicker.
Another bonus is the fact that it uses such a small amount of power(Although TBH I don't know how much power the LSV uses but because it gets so hot I'm guessing it's more). The VVPS(Power Supply) that came with mine is rated at a maximum of 1 Amp and about 13.5V seems to be my sweet spot so I'm guessing it uses just over 10W. One thing that may be a disadvantage for some people is that the UD takes a little longer to heat up, maybe about 10-15 minutes. However when taking into consideration that it doesn't get hot to the touch like the LSV when it's left on it could be left it on all day and be ready to use at a moments notice. Admittedly I don't do this because after one session I'm good for at least an hour or two so it would be wasteful for me to do so.
Dry Hitting
Most of what I've said so far is based on my experiences using both units with water pipes however I would like to say that I have tried using both the LSV and UD dry. The main advantage of the LSV is the long wand allows the vapour to be cooled a lot before reaching you but I didn't find the vapour uncomfortable with the shorter stem of the UD at all but I did find the shorter length of the UD stem more convenient. This shouldn't be a deciding factor however since I know there is a shorter wand available from 7th floor and you can use any length piece of glass that has a 19mm male joint to mate with the LSV. In fact @
Vitolo uses an adapter that only a few inches long and he seems very satisfied with it.
Reliability and Customer Experience
On a final note I'd like to say that from what I've read both vaporizers are quite reliable units. The LSV did have issues with the cord getting an intermittent fault and in extreme cases fraying due to flexing near base cap of the unit. They have since added a strain relief which should reduce the chance of this happening or at least mean that it won't happen so soon. This shouldn't be worried about by US customers as the LSV comes with a 3 year warranty. Athough they have the same warranty this may be more of a worry for international users as the return postage costs would be considerably more.
The Underdog comes with a 2 year warranty and the manufacturer @
underdog maintains an extremely strong presence on these forums. From my experience of communicating with him and what I have seen in the
Underdog thread both him and @
underdogette seem like two people who really stand by their product and are willing to go the extra mile to make their customers happy. As if that wasn't enough they even offer a special code (UDFS) that FC members can enter at the checkout to receive free shipping and extra FC goodies.
When I started writing this post I didn't expect it to be so long, I never realised I had so much to say. Although it's probably clear that I have a favourite(or best friend if you will) from what I've written I know this is due to what suits my own personal requirements and usage patterns. I would like to add that they are both excellent vapes and I don't regret the purchase of either. Hopefully at least one person will make it through to the end of this rather long post and find this somewhat useful. Right...I'm off to go and rest my wrists in an ice bath after all that typing.
. and the e-nano is a fantastic log vape 
