The Firefly 2 vaporizer

[Baron23]

my honest opinion*....

safe: yes, likely by all standards known to man.

designed in a way that gives me a warm fuzzy feeling all over: no, not really

It's an important distinction. My warm/fuzzy standards are likely irrational. I feel exactly the same about the S&B products. Very few vapes give me the warm/fuzzies, I think zero battery-powered portables do.

* It's an opinion. I'm in no way qualified to make an assessment.

I'm with the Green man on this. While I believe that they really could have done a much better job of completely isolating all electronics and associated material from the vapor path, I wouldn't give substance toxicity a second thought with regards to this vape. Want to know awful, go stand by a city bus stop on a hot humid Aug day and just breath.

I don't own a FF2...yet perhaps.....but I would not let worry about material issues keep me away from it at all.

Cheers

 

[malsanti]

Its made in America. Shit like this aint gonna be much safer. Unless, there is some known prob, wouldn't really worry too much about it. Very stringent regs in Cali actually, I believe. Just my opinion, but maybe I am being naive.

 

[BabaRobDass]

Well, if you look at the first link (the four pager) there is a table with all of the chemicals that they tested for in this solder. Aside from lead being present, all other toxic substances were either not detectable except for one that was 'negative' with a recommendation to try a different detection method (this being hexovalent chromium).

Lead present? That's not good, right?

But then you say:

I wouldn't give substance toxicity a second thought with regards to this vape. Want to know awful, go stand by a city bus stop on a hot humid Aug day and just breath.

So must be acceptable level in your opinion?

I know nothing about any of this stuff. It's kinda cool there are peeps on here that are on top of it though. Here! Here!

 

[malsanti]

All metal leaks trace amounts of itself when heated. Just a matter of how much and if its bad enough at that level. But an aluminium pan, will leak aluminium, which is not great for you. But we can absorb trace amounts of many different metals without much negative impact. Thats why cast iron pans are recommended for cooking, because the iron it leaks is something more useful and less toxic for our bodies.

Tons of porcelain pans and slow cookers still leak trace amounts of lead. And I don't even see any info the FF2 is leaking lead?

Again, America is a place that has pretty strong regulations and testing in place for these kinda things, so I personally, I haven't read anything here yet, that tells me there is cause for concern. Pretty sure its not a prob.

 

[jim-bob]

Its made in America. Shit like this aint gonna be much safer. Unless, there is some known prob, wouldn't really worry too much about it. Very stringent regs in Cali actually, I believe. Just my opinion, but maybe I am being naive.

It's a great vaporizer and I like it a lot, but it's made in China.

(photo from paintthemoon.org)

 

[stinkytofus]

one green blink, then nothing, what does that mean

 

[NoCo970]

one green blink, then nothing, what does that mean

Had an issue with mine once where it did that to me. Try changing the temperature setting or pull the battery and put it back in. Sometimes there is a software glitch.

On another note I dropped my balls and decided to try a concentrate (grape goji live resin) with this bad boy and all I can say is wow...flavor...cleanup (what cleanup)...whats not to like. Found the best way to keep the concentrate from clogging the holes are. 1- flip it upside down and let it set until it cools or 2 - turn it upside down and take a few short draws, without it being on, to clear what may have went down while still warm.

 

[mitchgo61]

It's a great vaporizer and I like it a lot, but it's made in China.
photo from paintthemoon.org)

Sort of. The whole thing is "assembled' in China (under FF supervision). The critical components, like the heater and the restrictor plate assembly, are manufactured in the US.

 

[Vapenado]

Sort of. The whole thing is "assembled' in China (under FF supervision). The critical components, like the heater and the restrictor plate assembly, are manufactured in the US.

Just curious why would they make everything in the US of A and then ship it all to China to have it assembled? And it actually says...MADE in china...not assembled in china. Doesn't seem very cost effective to make everything here and then ship it to China to have it assembled. I think someone at FF may be blowin some smoke...? (Not the good kind)

 

[Baron23]

Lead present? That's not good, right?

But then you say:



So must be acceptable level in your opinion?

I know nothing about any of this stuff. It's kinda cool there are peeps on here that are on top of it though. Here! Here!

Don't drink the kool-aid about lead. If you don't eat the solder in your FF2....or melt it to where you are breathing over fuming molten lead (which you will not) then don't worry about it.

People tend to forget where this AWFUL substance lead comes from.....the ground. A natually occurring mineral.

As far as acceptable level...I meant what I said. Without any scientific quantitative proof, I would worry more about breathing air at a city bus stop in Aug than drawing through this device.

I just think they could have done better in regards to isolation of air path and that would have served them and their customers well. Just my opinion.

But I have read almost all of this thread and I have only seen only a few people complaining about some sort of chemical odor from their brand new FF2 and I believe that was resolved to gasket glue?? In any case, no....I would not worry about an FF2 giving me toxic substance poisoning.

 

[greenextinguisher]

Exactly. Lead begins to vaporize over 1500F

The main drivers behind RoHS standards, which the FF2 solder meets/exceeds, are to protect the environment and people that manufacture and decommission/disassemble electronics thereby coming in direct contact with solder and other electrical components.

The lead PPM in the FF2 solder is definitely well below EPA standards for the solder and flux in water pipes (0.2%). The risk of exposure to lead in pipes and solder used for drinking water is higher because a solvent is washing over it regularly and then you are ingesting the resulting cocktail.

 

[mitchgo61]

Just curious why would they make everything in the US of A and then ship it all to China to have it assembled?

Go back and read what I wrote. A couple key components are made in the US. The rest are manufactured in China, then the units are assembled in China under FF employees' supervision. Not knowing all the cost/benefit numbers, I don't know how cost effective one process is over the other. Neither does anyone else outside the company.

And it actually says...MADE in china...not assembled in china. Doesn't seem very cost effective to make everything here and then ship it to China to have it assembled. I think someone at FF may be blowin some smoke...? (Not the good kind)

I know what it says. I've also had several conversations with them about this process. You'll have to forgive me if I take their word for it. You seem to be accusing them of being less than honest about thieir manufacturing (if I'm misreading your "smoke" comment, feel free to set me straight here)....there is no reason for them to do that, but you can believe whatever you like, obviously. I'm just trying to separate fact from speculation. You are clearly just speculating.

 

[jim-bob]

I'm happy to take 'made in china' at face value. They didn't seem to see any need to clarify beyond that so I'm not sure what there is to argue about.

I just feel that trying to paint the picture that this is all being made south of market by a workforce obeying all pertinent California/US health and safety regulations is a bit disingenuous when it says "Made in China" right on the unit.

I'm still using mine, I'm still very happy with it, but it's best not to be under any illusions.

 

[mitchgo61]

I'm happy to take 'made in china' at face value. They didn't seem to see any need to clarify beyond that so I'm not sure what there is to argue about.

I just feel that trying to paint the picture that this is all being made south of market by a workforce obeying all pertinent California/US health and safety regulations is a bit disingenuous when it says "Made in China" right on the unit.

I'm still using mine, I'm still very happy with it, but it's best not to be under any illusions.

It is, technically, "made in China", which is why that's what it says. And it's great that there are users for whom this is sufficient. However, there are many users (me being one of them) who are even happier knowing that a couple of the most important elements are made in the US...for me this is less about safety and more about efficacy (knowing the heating element is made here is huge for me personally, just because it's such a critical and potentially finicky part of the device).

No one is saying the assembly meets or exceeds all US safety standards, nor, do I think, that's implied by talking about FF supervision. But it's also important to separate the kind of Chinese manufacturing that many people picture in their heads (there was a post a little while ago implying that Chinese workers aren't really paying attention to what they are doing from one unit to the next) and a process that is overseen by FF themselves. I have no idea what that looks like, nor do I have the knowledge to assess it even if it were unfolding in front of me...I do know key FF folks are constantly in China, working with the manufacturer there.

There isn't anything to argue about, but I personally think it's useful for users to know more about this process, rather than just "made in China", which has a whole slew of implications for many folks. (Just peruse any of the threads here to get an idea of how many people react to "made in China" when it comes to their vapes.)

 

[jim-bob]

No one is saying the assembly meets or exceeds all US safety standards, nor, do I think, that's implied by talking about FF supervision.

Apologies - i'm responding to this quote, which I'm not sure you've registered.

Its made in America. Shit like this aint gonna be much safer. Unless, there is some known prob, wouldn't really worry too much about it. Very stringent regs in Cali actually, I believe. Just my opinion, but maybe I am being naive.

The FF2 certainly doesn't seem any more erratically-built than the FF1 - my FF2 is still going four months later, which is longer than an FF1 ever lasted me. In all honesty, the sea change in CS from FF1 to FF2 is what has me personally worried.

 

[mitchgo61]

Apologies - i'm responding to this quote, which I'm not sure you've registered.


The FF2 certainly doesn't seem any more erratically-built than the FF1 - my FF2 is still going four months later, which is longer than an FF1 ever lasted me. In all honesty, the sea change in CS from FF1 to FF2 is what has me personally worried.

Oh I see....yeah that was the original post that started this. Obviously that isn't really accurate....in this case "made in China" is more accurate than "made in USA".

I think the stability issue (with the heating element) was solved by much tighter tolerances with how the coil is attached to the device....the FF1 had too much potential play in coil placement, causing some units to run hotter or cooler than others. For me this is one of the biggest improvements in the 2....a much more consistent experience from device to device.

The CS thing....no idea what's caused this....I'm guessing they got overwhelmed by the success of the 2, but, full circle, that's totally speculation on my part.

 

[justvapin]

I noticed a lot of draw restriction on my device yesterday. I took off the lid and blew back through the mouthpiece and a good bit of debris came out. So I popped off the mouthpiece and cleaned the screen, which still had stuff stuck to it. Extreme improvement in airflow. Because it clogs up gradually, you don't even notice it at first. Enjoyed several nice bowls last night.

I agree with the assessment about CS. The FF1 was never as popular as this vape has become, so they were able to keep up with issues. The FF2 exploded onto the scene with much anticipation, and I believe they are just struggling to keep up. I believe this will get better with time. Of course, just IMHO.

 

[Elac]

While the solder of a device used for inhalation that contains trace amounts of lead or other toxic materials poses little threat at these lower end of the spectrum temps when new.
The importance of the MSDS is to know what will be contained in the corrosion of these solder joints if it occurs.
Some corrosion is inevitable, more so when heat and humidity are combined.
They start out shiny and new but don't stay that way.
If you never have, open and old electronic device and look at the solder joints, some with corrosion might have developed a fine powdery layer.
Wouldn't want to inhale any of that.
Thanks to @stickstones we have the ability to address our concerns based on facts.

 

[stinkytofus]

Whats not made in china nowadays lol

 

[MonsterWithoutBorders]

I have been generously cleaning the lid with iso. Should i be worried about the adhesive of the seal.

 

[vape4fun]

I use baby wipes on the lid they are awesome you can buy them anywhere and they clean lids well and the actual vape, and no chemicals

I'm a bit annoyed about the app update. Guy on phone assured me 4 weeks ago they were finishing up testing and it would be out in a week at the most!!

 

[mitchgo61]

I have been generously cleaning the lid with iso. Should i be worried about the adhesive of the seal.

Yes, be careful not to soak the seal. You can destroy the adhesive if you get too aggressive with it.

I use baby wipes on the lid they are awesome you can buy them anywhere and they clean lids well and the actual vape, and no chemicals

I'm a bit annoyed about the app update. Guy on phone assured me 4 weeks ago they were finishing up testing and it would be out in a week at the most!!

He probably shouldn't have been so specific. There was a second build of the new version that dropped earlier this week so I think there's still some last-minute testing going on. I can't imagine it'll be all that much longer at this point.

 

[jim-bob]

I'm interested to see if they've made any headway with this crazy new "measure and report the level of a battery's charge" thing. Seems like it could catch on if someone really has a way to measure a battery's state. I mean I can see practical uses in phones, computers, portable video game machines, even other vaporizers!

 

[kcmochris]

I'm a bit annoyed about the app update. Guy on phone assured me 4 weeks ago they were finishing up testing and it would be out in a week at the most!!

Same. My guess is in less than two weeks. Oh well.

So I popped off the mouthpiece and cleaned the screen, which still had stuff stuck to it.

Totally agree--slow build up, until finally it clogs just enough holes for us to notice! Wiping the resin and taking the point of a needle through the clogged holes usually does more than meets the eye. Honestly, with regards to troubleshooting, if it's not the mouthpiece clogging, it's either the magnet lid isn't seated 100% properly or the holes in the bowl have clogged. These have truly been the only three problems I've encountered--and solved.

 

[shamethedevil]

I really like my new Firefly 2 and it rocks with concentrates.
I soak the concentrate pads in ios and that works great.
Is it necessary to rinse the pads in water after ios soak or can you just let them air dry?
Can I used compressed air to dry the concentrate pads?