Discontinued The Grasshopper

[°k]

I just did another battery test with my new backend, wich doesn't get warm at all.
This time I got about 27 x 12 second draws vs last time 20 x 15 sec draws.

I started at 1 and did 3 x 12 sec inhales.
(well, I timed each of them, from click on to click off it was 12 sec, so including heat up time, I did however always kept going after the click.)
then I did the same on 2 and so on and repeated after 5 with a fresh bowl.

The first time I did this, I had a backend that got really hot on high temps.
This time I got a new backend and I got a total of about 0.4 minutes extra use time out
of the battery.

Note that I haven't been treating the battery like it should have been treated, I charge it multiple times
a day and have not used any of the other batteries it came with, so maybe it already lost a draw in capacity or more? Also last time I did this, I didn't start at level 1 and I did 15 sec draws so this will also be a reason I got more draws out of the battery the second time.

All in all it seems the hot back end doesn't drain the battery that much at all.

So really the back end doesn't get hot at all? (as in not even warm?) Mine can inconsistently get super hot to the point I can't hold it there, I wrote to GHL and they're asking me to send my backend back so they send me a new one... sigh..

How did it work with yours? did you have to send it back? have you asked for them to pay for the shipping? did you have to pay a customs fee again when you got the replacement part or have they labelled it as such?

 

[Hawk]

Proprietary or not , I feel $7 is reasonable for them , specs are listed on there site
12.4mm Diameter X 63.0mm Length (0.49in X 2.48in) they are a bit skinnier and longer than a standard AA i believe.
, good luck with your findings and please report back , here is the link : https://www.grasshoppervape.com/store/product/extra-battery/

I have no issue with the cost but would be nice to know, if the company folds at any point and your stuck with a GH and no power supply, there is somewhere else you can get them. And also I am curious about this proprietary claim. It would cost way to much to get a custom battery made. The big battery makers, Sony, Panasonic, LG, etc, I don't think would bother with such a small number of units. Even in the vaping industry the batteries they use, IMR's 18650, 18500, 18350, 14500, etc weren't made for them. They got it from the flashlight hobbyists who got it from the industry because they were used in laptop batteries (just a bunch of 18650 batteries, at least the older ones ) among other devices.

Of course I could be totally wrong and they did get them made specially for them. But it just seems the cost would be way to high. My guess is they just contacted one of the battery makers and told them they need a battery that handle these specs and as close this size as they got and went from there.

 

[CarolKing]

@StonedPerk i stated that the company is doing an awesome job replacing the faulty ones. I'm just going to wait to buy one is all. I've been the first on the block buying a new vaporizer, I'm in no rush. I enjoy reading some of the really good reviews and experiences other FCers have had. I fully expected a percentage of faulty units in the beginning.

I'm hoping this vaporizer proves to be a winner then all of us will be happy.

 

[Hawk]

Pretty sure everyone else is correct. GHL was unable to find a battery with the requirements necessary in the space available for their vaporizer. They did in fact special order a custom battery.

Check out this update from 6 months ago when they visited the factory - https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/grasshopper-vaporizer#/updates



Of course I fully expect we'll quickly see more vendors in China selling the exact same battery under different brand names in the near future as more grasshoppers make their way in to customer's hands.

Thanks. I didn't see that before. I would really like to know what kind of batteries these are, chemestry wise. And I would prefer if they were made by one of the big battery makers. These batteries can be dangerous with a short if they are anything like the ICR and even IMR batteries used in vaping and I think they must be because they are the only high drain batteries that I think could be used. In the vaping community we trust the Sony, LG, Panasonic even eFest (rebranded), but there are a lot of chinese bateries like TrustFire (basically any battery with fire in its name) that are not trusted because specs were known to be way off. Battery specs are extremely important in these devices that need high-drain with high Amp draw. Thats why people experiencing heat in the back end really bothers me. Wouldn't want that battery venting on me when I was vaping it.

 

[juke52]

Thats why people experiencing heat in the back end really bothers me. Wouldn't want that battery venting on me when I was vaping it.

I had back end heat problems and got a replacement back end from GH a few weeks ago. At first the new back end didn't heat up like the original, but now it gets just as hot when I have the temp set to 5, less at lower settings. Anyway, it functions fine other than the heat, but I was worried about the battery too. So after a session when the back end of the GH has as hot as it gets, I quickly removed the battery, and it was surprisingly cool, much more so than the stainless steel around it.

So the problem does seem to be confined to the electronics of the back end, while the battery itself seems to be unaffected, at least on mine.

 

[zymos]

So really the back end doesn't get hot at all? (as in not even warm?) Mine can inconsistently get super hot to the point I can't hold it there, I wrote to GHL and they're asking me to send my backend back so they send me a new one... sigh..

How did it work with yours? did you have to send it back? have you asked for them to pay for the shipping? did you have to pay a customs fee again when you got the replacement part or have they labelled it as such?

Is that literally what they said? In the past, they've shipped replacements first, and THEN the user returned the defective part.

@juke52 - the replacement seems defective also? That's not good....

 

[paytonpenn]

So this interesting thing just happened, I prepped a new bowl and batt. Took about 10 hits on 5 and the lights started flashing red (unit was also hotter than expected). Took out the battery and wiped off some 'gunk'.. Immediately put it back in and I was able to get about 10+ more hits.

EDIT:
I also received my replacement body and it is working well. Didn't notice until this morning it was just in the mailbox since yesterday.

 

[Mr. Me2]

So this interesting thing just happened, I prepped a new bowl and batt. Took about 10 hits on 5 and the lights started flashing red (unit was also hotter than expected). Took out the battery and wiped off the grease.. Immediately put it back in and I was able to get about 10+ more hits.

Grease??? That doesn't sound good...

 

[paytonpenn]

Grease??? That doesn't sound good...

I don't know. What ever this gunk is that is on my battery, its not as stain oriented as grease, it doesn't come off on my finger like grease.

I couldn't really think of what it actually should be called, I will report if the gunk returns on my batteries.

Also edited the post above to say gunk.

 

[°k]

Is that literally what they said? In the past, they've shipped replacements first, and THEN the user returned the defective part.

@juke52 - the replacement seems defective also? That's not good....

I've asked GHL support if they'd wait for mine before sending a new one and they replied over the night that they would ship it today.

 

[Mr. Me2]

I don't know. What ever this gunk is that is on my battery, its not as stain oriented as grease, it doesn't come off on my finger like grease.

I couldn't really think of what it actually should be called, I will report if the gunk returns on my batteries.

Also edited the post above to say gunk.

I'm guessing, but can you confirm that stuff didn't come from the battery? You may want to notify ghl about that.

 

[Mister G]

I've asked GHL support if they'd wait for mine before sending a new one and they replied over the night that they would ship it today.

So they are no longer providing postage paid return labels (or are you abroad and this is for non-domestic claims)? Does this indicate warranty service is getting too costly for them?

 

[paytonpenn]

I'm guessing, but can you confirm that stuff didn't come from the battery? You may want to notify ghl about that.

So my batteries are cycled daily, every one out of the six gets used. And charged on my Nitecore then set beside it. They did not come with stuff on them, its just the back end of the battery had some dirt or whatever on it (somehow). Scraped it off and it was back to business I am unaware of were the dirt came from.

If it appears consistent then I will notify them.

So they are no longer providing postage paid return labels (or are you abroad and this if for non-domestic claims)? Does this indicate warranty service is getting too costly for them?

They didn't offer or immediately send me a return label so I am assuming they want me to do that since they did tell me the address to send it to. Not an issue for me since my state touches CO but I would hate to be overseas where they have to pay to send it and pay to receive it when it's actually arrived.

 

[°k]

So they are no longer providing postage paid return labels (or are you abroad and this is for non-domestic claims)? Does this indicate warranty service is getting too costly for them?

I haven't asked for postage paid return label, I've asked for an RMA and they said I could use the number of my order.

Haven't people who got replacement part sent to them paid to send theirs back to GHL?

 

[juke52]

@juke52 - the replacement seems defective also? That's not good....

Well, it gets hot, that's for sure. Whether it's defective or not, I'm beginning to question, since it seems like there are so many reports of hot back ends on otherwise working units. Could this be "normal" rather than a defect?

But the point of my post above was that it seems like the problem is not related to the battery. I'm no engineer, but to me it seems like it's related to the potentiometer (or is it a rheostat?) in the temp adjustment dial that controls the amount of electricity sent to the heating element. There's some resistance there that is causing that mechanism to heat up, in my un-expert opinion.

 

[dzoinp]

Review by vapefiend:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=1&v=8dE-pXfu2V8

 

[virtualpurple]

His review made me want to order a second unit...I think I recall people quoting GH labs stating that adding to your order wouldn't delay your shipping...did I imagine that? I may have to start digging.

 

[Joel W.]

..I think I recall people quoting GH labs stating that adding to your order wouldn't delay your shipping...did I imagine that? I may have to start digging.

I have an email from Trevor saying this.

 

[virtualpurple]

Damn man, I barely took a breath and you fired off the answer! Much appreciated!

 

[hippogriff]

I haven't asked for postage paid return label, I've asked for an RMA and they said I could use the number of my order.

Haven't people who got replacement part sent to them paid to send theirs back to GHL?

I believe replacement parts show up w/ return shipping envelope? I can't see that policy continuing beyond Backers orders, really, we won't know what their sustainable warranty service feels like for awhile.

 

[hippogriff]

Well, it gets hot, that's for sure. Whether it's defective or not, I'm beginning to question, since it seems like there are so many reports of hot back ends on otherwise working units. Could this be "normal" rather than a defect?

But the point of my post above was that it seems like the problem is not related to the battery. I'm no engineer, but to me it seems like it's related to the potentiometer (or is it a rheostat?) in the temp adjustment dial that controls the amount of electricity sent to the heating element. There's some resistance there that is causing that mechanism to heat up, in my un-expert opinion.

Can't say what they're using exactly, I think the heater control is Pulse Width Modulation (ie rapid on/off, hence the "clicking" heater sound). The mass of parts in the backend have some issues that appear hard to test, either due to complexity, bad parts, or assembly errors, tho w/ units arriving faulty you have to question their testing capabilities. More details sure would be nice/interesting.

 

[Shit Snacks]

@paytonpenn I am 100% certain at least one other user has reported seeing the gunk on the battery, cannot recall who however...

 

[°k]

@paytonpenn I am 100% certain at least one other user has reported seeing the gunk on the battery, cannot recall who however...

I remember that as well, plus I've noticed a few small black stain on mine at some point, which I've cleaned.

 

[sundaddy]

Good to see Dopefiend's review! He's really the one who got me excited about vaping. I can't wait to try mine!

 

[paytonpenn]

So... Looks like my Grey isn't working anymore. Red/Blue flashing. Three was not meant to be.