The Firefly 2 vaporizer

[thecurmudgeon]

The smell seems to be gone from mine, hurray!

 

[mitchgo61]

Yes, after testing it for the past 24 hours, I would say there is a learning curve. In fact, I still do not know what the best technique is. I have already replaced the mouthpiece filter with my own custom one as I feel the original mouthpiece filter is a bit restrictive. I find that slower draws are the best, but still I feel at times that I am getting nothing, even though I will say I am getting high. I am using a 4 piece grinder so I will switch to hand-torn to see if that makes a difference..

Remember that changing the draw restriction affects vapor thickness. It's meant to be restricted a certain amount, to slow down draw and enhance the vapor. (I personally don't find it all that restricted, so it's interesting to see some folks describe it that way. Do an A/B test with a Solo....)

All of these early reviews I'm reading all say something different. I thought the FF2 was supposed to be much easier to use than the FF1. So once again, this is a device that needs technique and isn't as fool-proof as some of the bigger reviewers have stated. I won't know until my pre-order comes in.

It is much easier. But it's a sliding scale, not a binary thing...it's not like there's no learning curve whatsoever, but a drastically shorter one. (Much of what we're reading to me is the process of new users finding their preferences. Lots of folks enjoy lighter vapor and a looser pack works great for that. Some chase clouds, and they need a denser pack. Same with, say, the Mighty....no one would describe it as "learning curve heavy" but there are still many variations of usage among experienced owners. Takes a while to find out how you like to use it.)

But it's super easy to get thick vapor from the very first hit, which wasn't often true of the FF1.

Hey everyone. I recently posted over in the Air discussion. Recently found a Crafty/Mighty comparison video to the Firefly2.

To those who own the Firefly, or both even, would you say that for a first time buyer, the Firefly is more enticing to me? It's over a $100 cheaper, and I'm in Canada, so even more with taxes/shipping. I've heard a couple complaints when it comes to S&B's Customer service which is a little offputting. I don't want to drop the big money on something that I could be returning in like half a year.

The Mighty and the FF are so different that it's hard to answer this. The Mighty is more of a consistent machine, and the FF is more personal and sleek. The FF is better at on-demand, hit-it-a-few-times-then-set-it-down kind of action...the Mighty is more session-y, though there are ways to work around that effectively. If you want on-demand personal all-convection action, the FF is your choice. If you wanna pass something around with three friends regularly the Mighty is possibly better for you. (If it comes down to price, and service, the FF will win on both, especially the latter. In general with portable vapes it's best to get your mind around the possibility of problems at some point...rare is the port that has no failures. In fact, non-existent is really the right word. )

 

[studmuffin]

Hi Reggie,

As we both await the arrival of our gold Fireflys, I will share my best technique for optimal Firefly grindage. I use a grinder card, which I keep in a cardboard sleeve in my wallet. Grinder cards are perfect, in my opinion, because you have total control over the exact grind you achieve, plus, unlike a canister grinder, all of the material, including the trichomes, is right there on a piece of paper under your grinder card. Whether the material is kinda moist/crumbly, or super dry, you can achieve just the right grind for the Firefly. Remember, Firefly is a dynamic convection vaporizer, so maximizing the interface of the material exposed to the heated airflow is important. Not too fine. Not too coarse. Just right.

ps: I hung a single gram of Blue Dream nug high up in a tree outside my front door. Hopefully, my gold Firefly will zero in on it, and I can join them for a session. Mmmmm, entomology rules !

 

[purplenurple24]

Remember that changing the draw restriction affects vapor thickness. It's meant to be restricted a certain amount, to slow down draw and enhance the vapor. (I personally don't find it all that restricted, so it's interesting to see some folks describe it that way. Do an A/B test with a Solo....)



It is much easier. But it's a sliding scale, not a binary thing...it's not like there's no learning curve whatsoever, but a drastically shorter one. (Much of what we're reading to me is the process of new users finding their preferences. Lots of folks enjoy lighter vapor and a looser pack works great for that. Some chase clouds, and they need a denser pack. Same with, say, the Mighty....no one would describe it as "learning curve heavy" but there are still many variations of usage among experienced owners. Takes a while to find out how you like to use it.)

But it's super easy to get thick vapor from the very first hit, which wasn't often true of the FF1.



The Mighty and the FF are so different that it's hard to answer this. The Mighty is more of a consistent machine, and the FF is more personal and sleek. The FF is better at on-demand, hit-it-a-few-times-then-set-it-down kind of action...the Mighty is more session-y, though there are ways to work around that effectively. If you want on-demand personal all-convection action, the FF is your choice. If you wanna pass something around with three friends regularly the Mighty is possibly better for you. (If it comes down to price, and service, the FF will win on both, especially the latter. In general with portable vapes it's best to get your mind around the possibility of problems at some point...rare is the port that has no failures. In fact, non-existent is really the right word. )

I'm kind of a "like" whore right now (can't help but like everybody giving us feedback) but your post has put my mind at ease. I was getting a little bit worried, but the stuff you've touched on (learning curve especially) has quieted my (minor) buyer's remorse. Can't wait to get mine, although, it might be a while (stupid late pre-order)

 

[InfiniteGreys]

I took a few hits before work cause screw it and so far what I have to say the ff2 is better then the ff1, it's smooth as hell and no odd taste when vaping. Is it a cold draw as some ff1 draws would be, no but it's barely warm to make it a con. I would say it adds to the draw. As for my grinding methods I still yet to grind since I just put a small nugget in. Only thing I noticed is vapor visibility might depend on how long you heat it. It can be due to the nug so I'll play with it after work. Overall loving it.

 

[theCerberus]

The only thing that's kind of bugging me is that the battery level has not changed on the app at all. It has shown as full the whole time. So I'm not exactly sure what battery level I'm at.

Yea the battery meter doesnt work right on mine either. The thing stays full until its almost dead, then it jumps around, looks like 80% then 20% then 80% then 10%, then its dead.....

 

[purplenurple24]

Yea the battery meter doesnt work right on mine either. The thing stays full until its almost dead, then it jumps around, looks like 80% then 20% then 80% then 10%, then its dead.....

I'm sure you've probably read through it more extensively than I have, but the manual said you can tap the right (I think) button rapidly three times and the LED light will relay how much battery is left by blinking blue so many times. I think it was 5 flashes for 100% and goes down in 20% increments (4 flashes would be 80%, 3 for 60%, so on)

Does that feature work properly?

 

[FLMan420]

I'm sure you've probably read through it more extensively than I have, but the manual said you can tap the right (I think) button rapidly three times and the LED light will relay how much battery is left by blinking blue so many times. I think it was 5 flashes for 100% and goes down in 20% increments (4 flashes would be 80%, 3 for 60%, so on)

Does that feature work properly?

Yes, but the light flashes so fast that it is kind of hard to count.

 

[theCerberus]

I'm sure you've probably read through it more extensively than I have, but the manual said you can tap the right (I think) button rapidly three times and the LED light will relay how much battery is left by blinking blue so many times. I think it was 5 flashes for 100% and goes down in 20% increments (4 flashes would be 80%, 3 for 60%, so on)

Does that feature work properly?

Yea, that part works ok. the app meter doesnt work properly.

 

[marduk]

Yea, that part works ok. the app meter doesnt work properly.

Android or iOS? With what version and phone?

 

[mitchgo61]

Yea the battery meter doesnt work right on mine either. The thing stays full until its almost dead, then it jumps around, looks like 80% then 20% then 80% then 10%, then its dead.....

You mean on the app? I have noticed this as well, but only a couple times so far. I'm not sure what causes it but it appears sometimes when the batt is low-ish the app reads falsely high for a bit, then adjusts all at once. (I have talked to FF about this and I know they are looking into it.)

I'm sure you've probably read through it more extensively than I have, but the manual said you can tap the right (I think) button rapidly three times and the LED light will relay how much battery is left by blinking blue so many times. I think it was 5 flashes for 100% and goes down in 20% increments (4 flashes would be 80%, 3 for 60%, so on)

Does that feature work properly?

It supposedly works correctly and is more accurate and consistent than the app (when it acts weird). It appears to work correctly to me....although I never seem to get more than four flashes, if I'm counting right....

 

[theCerberus]

You mean on the app? I have noticed this as well, but only a couple times so far. I'm not sure what causes it but it appears sometimes when the batt is low-ish the app reads falsely high for a bit, then adjusts all at once. (I have talked to FF about this and I know they are looking into it.)

yea thats exactly what i mean.

Android or iOS? With what version and phone?

Android 5.1.1

 

[Reggie Watts]

I'm a little surprised that people are modding their FF2s already. Really? You can't give it a week before you decide that the engineers at Firefly, who spent years developing this vape, need to be corrected? Lol...

 

[BuzzDanklin]

@Pickz definitely use your 2amp charger, and you are correct that is 10 watts, whereas the first charger you were using was only 2.5 watts so it will charge MUCH slower.

 

[sky king]

OK..I should probably take another week to fully evaluate because I’m still learning and getting used to it. But here are my impressions after two nights of use. Note that since my “go to” vape is the Mighty, I can’t help but compare the two:


-slight machine or plasticky taste & smell detected. Hoping this disappears with more use.

-flavor (aside from the new vape taste) is excellent, especially the first couple hits.

-there’s a learning curve with this vape, especially compared to the Mighty. Grind, amount loaded, tamping, and draw style really seem to affect the performance. So far I’ve been able to get decent clouds some of the time, but not all the time.

-tapping the unit with the cover on to “stir” the bowl doesn’t seem to work for me. Maybe because I’ve been load it fuller to get a more dense vapor hit (I like big clouds).

-uneven extraction. When finished with a bowl the ABV is not very uniform…a few bits are very dark and some still greenish. Kinda like I used to experience with my old MFLB. I guess I need to stir but FF2 does not stack up well to the Mighty on this feature.

-Final hits to finish a bowl, especially at the HIGH setting seem a bit harsher than the mighty.

-Wish there was more exact temp control. The sweet spot so far seems to be medium high to start the bowl (for flavor) and then one notch higher to finish it. So just a “boost” button would be great. Also 20 degree increments are not ideal. I’m spoiled by the Mighty’s fully adjustable (on-board) temp control

-Fit and finish. I never owned the FF1 but I kind wish this model was a bit heavier and more solid, like the last one. personal preference.

-Still need more time to comment on battery life.

So far I would say that I prefer the Mighty for many situations. It’s just a bit more of a foolproof powerhouse of a device. Taken on it’s own merits though (great flavor, sleek form factor, and instant vapor) the FF2 rocks, especially if you’re not necessarily a huge cloud chaser.

Just my 2 cents after 2 days…and subject to change as I get to know it better.

 

[mitchgo61]

-there’s a learning curve with this vape, especially compared to the Mighty. Grind, amount loaded, tamping, and draw style really seem to affect the performance. So far I’ve been able to get decent clouds some of the time, but not all the time.

-tapping the unit with the cover on to “stir” the bowl doesn’t seem to work for me. Maybe because I’ve been load it fuller to get a more dense vapor hit (I like big clouds).

-uneven extraction. When finished with a bowl the ABV is not very uniform…a few bits are very dark and some still greenish. Kinda like I used to experience with my old MFLB. I guess I need to stir but FF2 does not stack up well to the Mighty on this feature.

-Final hits to finish a bowl, especially at the HIGH setting seem a bit harsher than the mighty.

-Wish there was more exact temp control. The sweet spot so far seems to be medium high to start the bowl (for flavor) and then one notch higher to finish it. So just a “boost” button would be great. Also 20 degree increments are not ideal. I’m spoiled by the Mighty’s fully adjustable (on-board) temp control
.

I do agree with your comments regarding the Mighty comparisons. In several areas (even cooking, exact temp control, zero learning curve, no harsh taste at the end) the Mighty really excels. Some of these issues are endemic to convection and kind of baked in (pun intended) to the way the FF operates. The Mighty uses some kind of hybrid voodoo that I think has mystified many of us in terms of how it does what it does (the whole "no stir even cooking" thing is like magic). Approaching the FF is a whole different process in my experience, one with at least a few of its own rewards.

 

[Ratklaw]

OK..I should probably take another week to fully evaluate because I’m still learning and getting used to it. But here are my impressions after two nights of use. Note that since my “go to” vape is the Mighty, I can’t help but compare the two:


-slight machine or plasticky taste & smell detected. Hoping this disappears with more use.

-flavor (aside from the new vape taste) is excellent, especially the first couple hits.

-there’s a learning curve with this vape, especially compared to the Mighty. Grind, amount loaded, tamping, and draw style really seem to affect the performance. So far I’ve been able to get decent clouds some of the time, but not all the time.

-tapping the unit with the cover on to “stir” the bowl doesn’t seem to work for me. Maybe because I’ve been load it fuller to get a more dense vapor hit (I like big clouds).

-uneven extraction. When finished with a bowl the ABV is not very uniform…a few bits are very dark and some still greenish. Kinda like I used to experience with my old MFLB. I guess I need to stir but FF2 does not stack up well to the Mighty on this feature.

-Final hits to finish a bowl, especially at the HIGH setting seem a bit harsher than the mighty.

-Wish there was more exact temp control. The sweet spot so far seems to be medium high to start the bowl (for flavor) and then one notch higher to finish it. So just a “boost” button would be great. Also 20 degree increments are not ideal. I’m spoiled by the Mighty’s fully adjustable (on-board) temp control

-Fit and finish. I never owned the FF1 but I kind wish this model was a bit heavier and more solid, like the last one. personal preference.

-Still need more time to comment on battery life.

So far I would say that I prefer the Mighty for many situations. It’s just a bit more of a foolproof powerhouse of a device. Taken on it’s own merits though (great flavor, sleek form factor, and instant vapor) the FF2 rocks, especially if you’re not necessarily a huge cloud chaser.

Just my 2 cents after 2 days…and subject to change as I get to know it better.

This echos my experience as well with respect to the vapor performance/uneven extraction. I'm glad it's not just me. Looking forward to getting over the learning curve. Thanks!

 

[jay87]

Recently I've been seeing some mixed reviews of the FF2, I've seen some people talking of sometimes getting wispy vapor and having a learning curve, but at the same time I also read another person talking about getting "monster clouds" on their first time using dry herb.

I've also read some people say the draw resistance is high, and other people say the draw resistance is quite light and more free flowing than a lot of other portables. I guess it really depends on what the comparison is but it's funny to see such different opinions.


Ironically I've only seen great raving reviews of the FF2 in regards to concentrate use which makes me very happy as someone who plans to use it primarily with concentrates

 

[Vapenado]

I know it seems like at this point you just got away without paying for tax, but you did not.
The letter comes in the mail in a couple weeks. Just wait. You will have to pay taxes. Its coming. No one gets away free from FedEx. No lies friend. Just warning you of the upcoming bill you will be receiving, it may be entirely correct tax value (unlike mine), but you will receive it, "advancement fee", incorrect phone number, and all.

Even when its the correct value, it is not fun to receive an unexpected bill so long after you get your package so I thought I'd let people know how it works when you import into Canada with FedEx, so that you dont get a rude awakening. I dont want people to get their hopes up thinking the shipping is entirely free.

BTW, my firefly 2 has no foul/plastic taste either. But I did wipe it down with isopropyl before use.

I received a herbalizer via FedEx many months ago..no bill followed in the mail. Time will tell though...I'm prepared to receive a bill but am hoping for best case scenario..

 

[Jill NYC]

So my blue arrived and for those interested it took less than an hour and a half to charge the first battery. I wish I could be more specific than that but I got impatient and vaped with my fm pro and lost track of time...
That's all I can be helpful with until my high wears off a bit.

 

[BabaRobDass]

They're early reviews, so don't lose hope! Besides I'm kind of a n00b. I have no prior Firefly experience. My second bowl of flower went MUCH better! I just did hand-torn packing technique rather than grind my flower and have been tapping it against my palm every few draws per The Vape Critic's suggestion. I'm getting very good rips on the medium high setting. The only thing that's kind of bugging me is that the battery level has not changed on the app at all. It has shown as full the whole time. So I'm not exactly sure what battery level I'm at.

If you closed the app at any point during your sesh, and then reopened, it may be showing the battery level when you were last connected.

You can also quickly tap the right touch sensor on the unit three times and the light will blink blue 4 times= 100% charge, 3 times= 75%, 2 times 50%, and 1 time is either 25 or 10%- there is a discrepancy b/tw what manual says and actual behavior of unit- very minor.

You mean on the app? I have noticed this as well, but only a couple times so far. I'm not sure what causes it but it appears sometimes when the batt is low-ish the app reads falsely high for a bit, then adjusts all at once. (I have talked to FF about this and I know they are looking into it.)



It supposedly works correctly and is more accurate and consistent than the app (when it acts weird). It appears to work correctly to me....although I never seem to get more than four flashes, if I'm counting right....

Same here. Fully charged, 4 flashes.

 

[jvapour]

...there is a discrepancy b/tw what manual says and actual behavior of unit- very minor.

I think I found another discrepancy. On page 11 it says "Register your Firefly2 for immediate firmware updates, faster support, and insider information." But I haven't found anywhere to register the device.

 

[BabaRobDass]

I think I found another discrepancy. On page 11 it says "Register your Firefly2 for immediate firmware updates, faster support, and insider information." But I haven't found anywhere to register the device.

I noticed that too. Could it be it's automatically registered when you connect to app? The serial number pops up after you do that. THey'll sort it out I'm sure.

 

[Morimoto]

One of the few things in life I really want to fill out a registration for

 

[lazypotato]

Been following this thread for a while and finally decided to make an account and post about my ff2 experience! Using flower in it is amazingly smooth, so smooth you'll think your not getting anything and then 15 sec later there's a billowing cloud coming out of your mouth. Using concentrates is crazy, the pad will soak up your wax and I usually get a solid 10+ hits from 1-2 "drops". There are some minor problems that I've noticed and I was wondering if any of you guys are also experiencing the same things. First of all, no matter what I do, the battery indicator only blinks 4x (meaning 75%) when I've fully charged it. This is slightly annoying and for such an expensive top of the line vape I would hope a simple battery indicator would be more accurate. Also I've tried it out in a group setting and found that the constant hits heat up the bowl side of the unit and the small metal beads withing the sensors to very uncomfortable temperatures. Have you guys also come across these problems or do I have a slightly defective device?