Discontinued The Grasshopper

[Frostflower]

What's the current consensus on the reliability of the Grasshopper? Are the newer units less prone to failure? I'm looking to buy my first vaporizer, and the hopper ticks pretty much every criterion on my list, but I don't want to risk getting caught in multiple RMAs to make it work.

 

[Mr. Me2]

What's the current consensus on the reliability of the Grasshopper? Are the newer units less prone to failure? I'm looking to buy my first vaporizer, and the hopper ticks pretty much every criterion on my list, but I don't want to risk getting caught in multiple RMAs to make it work.

Welcome @Frostflower !

I'm curious to hear from new purchasers too! My gh is about a year old and had 1 RMA a few months after I got it. And it was a fast and painless warranty experience. It's basically been my daily driver since I got it in my grubby paws. I just love this thing!

I know some others haven't been as lucky as me, but I'm hoping to hear those days are gone.

So come on board!!!

 

[slcbdco]

Here's something you might read from a different perspective.
HL is a startup company, has not taken boatloads of investor or big pharma cash to get going. I give them huge credit for how far they've taken this product -- just a few people on their own power.
They have been and still are a direct seller of their own invention, allowing only a few retailers, whether in US or abroad.
Almost every Hopper they have sold has been on a cash-up-front basis. Early birds laid out cash and waited. I waited patiently for a full year, some people a lot longer -- after giving them hundreds of dollars (I ordered four and got a great discount for pre-ordering) on the hope they'd deliver a good product, sometime.

I am sympathetic to people outside of US, because it is much more difficult to be a Hopper owner for several reasons. But I don't fault the company for keeping things close to the belt and close to home.

They have delivered on the product, it works great and I have used the lifetime warranty multiple times receiving excellent service every time, from the very same people who made the hoppers. I love that!

I apologize if my response to your post is strong, I hope you might understand some of the nice things about these good folks, even as they stumble a little, and I know they have disappointed some folks and stepped on some toes. But they really don't need any retail or distribution outlets when it comes down to it and I find I can respect that. It's a different business model than the traditional ones we are used to.

Great post and I've said similar things on this thread before. Capital formation all too frequently dictates how consumer products go. Any person may not like the grasshopper for any reason, thats totally fine. The difference between the Grasshopper and the Pax and one of the main reasons I so strongly support Grasshopper, particularly as a professional in the cannabis industry is that grasshoppers decisions whether you like them are not are based on making the best product unlike most vapes where the decision is based on sales period.

Not to mention in my experience the grasshopper is actually no less reliable than other venture capital backed vapes, I've had to RMA my pax, pax2, firefly (twice) firefly 2 (once) my Davinci IQ has been sent already once and stopped working again last week.

Portable vapes break, its the reality, guess what so do pipes, lighters etc. shit breaks thats life.

The question for consumers is do I want this product?

If the answer is yes, and for me that answer is yes because they are not a venture capital backed company making compromised decisions, because its a startup company based in my city, because I believe in the business model of bringing a product to market free of decisions being made by financiers and bankers.

I walk my talk, I've also got some twist speakers on the way, I really think that crowdfunding is a important business model that should be supported in its own right.

Its also "back to the future" Thomas Jefferson has a lot of writing about things he was buying "on subscription" sometimes he got the product, sometimes he didn't sometime it exceeded his expectations sometimes it didn't.

As a vaporizer when its working which is by the way, most of the time for most people, this vape is an incredible product. That it was brought to market without the chains of "traditional" financing is all the more impressive.

@vapviking I was actually at HL a few days ago and we spent a good amount of time talking about exactly this issue. I think its easy to underestimate how difficult it is to bring any product to market let alone without venture capital as a sledgehammer to break down the barriers to market industry.

My advice is if you don't like this vape don't buy it. I also say vote with your dollar. I think supporting small companies that I like is an important use of my dollars. Other people don't care at all about a company and what they do so long as they like the product. All totally valid consumer choices.

That said, in my opinion and experience, the grasshopper is the best vape for my usage. When my other vapes break sometimes it takes months for me to send it back because who cares, I wasn't using it anyway. I really think all the passion on reliability of the grasshopper is BECAUSE its such an awesome product and once folks have it they don't want to be without.

If the grasshopper wasn't an amazing experience for the user, no one would care about their business model or if it breaks or not.

 

[MoltenTiger]

As much as I love my hoppers, one's only a good device for those prepared to be without it.
I think it's a wonderful vape, but many would say there are other, better options for a first vape.

I say it depends on what you're after. The GH really fits a niche perfectly, generally it's best for portable, on-demand vapour bong hits, but it's a very effective and easy to use device that is well suited to ex-smokers who can handle its grunt.
It's also perfect for simply enjoying cannabis.

Since I've had mine back for 3 days, I've been nearly constantly reminded of why I like it so much.
It can easily follow me around and actually allows me to avoid smoking, I find most other portable vaporisers fall short of what I'm chasing, where as the Grasshopper is actually more convenient than a bic lighter and creates better flavour and effect. It's dynamic matches my consumption patterns best.

I'm really impressed with how mine have been working since I've got them back, the ABV quality is perfect. Totally even and super thoroughly baked, just like it makes me.
The new components from the free warranty service do seem to be the best quality yet, and in an effort to further avoid needing additional services, I'm going to be making more efforts to keep the devices cleaner - packing less, brushing between chambers and occasional empty tokes at max temp. So far this has kept both my units as drag-resistant and cloud-happy as ever. I'm also going to avoid letting them heat up so much whilst continuing to use them. Getting lax on those factors can lead to issues, I'd note that my device issues have all fallen between cleaning sessions (or just after with isopropyl damage) and have mostly always been after a period of degradation - drag-resistance increase, front-end not screwing fully on, gunk in chamber. Better maintenance patterns would have prolonged my devices life. As long as you don't receive a lemon (which isn't likely and can be resolved easily anyway), take care of the devices and can tolerate service periods, it's a wonderful vape.

A couple other things I'm noticing: My units still both need to be clicked twice after a time-out (older back-end tech). The PFE, which I'm loving, can really heat up a crazy amount and take a bit longer to cool down than the normal front-end. My friend handed the hopper back to me earlier tonight after having a chamber outside, and the SS PFE nearly properly burnt my hand as I first held it, and it stayed hot for a few minutes at least. They also don't stay clean long, though are easy to clean.

And I gotta say, I really appreciate the lifetime warranty with these things as I have no reluctance letting other people use the Grasshoppers. Although I've had to warranty, it's been entirely painless for me and I feel pretty happy to be back to hopping after a short break (and although it wasn't a t-break the first sesh had me feeling like it was).

 

[kilrtjat]

Does this device have any problems? Is it worth the money? So far I have a boundless cfc and I'd like something better.

 

[invertedisdead]

Does this device have any problems?

You might consider reading at least one page of this thread.

 

[kilrtjat]

You might consider reading at least one page of this thread.

OK

 

[vaporist4LIFE]

You might consider reading at least one page of this thread.

Funniest thing I've read all day LOL , "any problems " hehehehe

One day

 

[ChooChooCharlie]

I'm very impressed. One week RMA turnaround, and that includes Memorial Day weekend. My first RMA after over 7 months.

And then, this happened. Put in charged GB2, set at my usual 4.2 and got a huge cloud and vile taste.

Emptied, put in different charged GB2, set it back to 3, and it's like it was before RMA at the higher setting. Seen a few posts like this before, and wondering if I should just leave it at 3 and keep it?

Here's a pic of abv, put in Mighty sample for comparison. All same herb. Think I should file another RMA?

 

[GreenHopper]

I'm very impressed. One week RMA turnaround, and that includes Memorial Day weekend. My first RMA after over 7 months.

And then, this happened. Put in charged GB2, set at my usual 4.2 and got a huge cloud and vile taste.

Emptied, put in different charged GB2, set it back to 3, and it's like it was before RMA at the higher setting. Seen a few posts like this before, and wondering if I should just leave it at 3 and keep it?

Here's a pic of abv, put in Mighty sample for comparison. All same herb. Think I should file another RMA?

Are you experiencing any other negative symptoms like rapid battery depletion?

If it's just a case of setting the device to 3 and the results are acceptable to your standards I'd hold onto it.

If it gets any worse you can always RMA at that point.

 

[ChooChooCharlie]

Too early to tell about other issues. Think I'll file an RMA. As a Fuck-Combustionist, I suppose it's my duty, no ... my honor bound obligation to return a malfunctioning vaporizer.

 

[GreenHopper]

Too early to tell about other issues. Think I'll file an RMA. As a Fuck-Combustionist, I suppose it's my duty, no ... my honor bound obligation to return a malfunctioning vaporizer.

fair enough fella, at least you'll get peace of mind knowing it's had a service.

Good luck and god speed

 

[ChooChooCharlie]

fair enough fella, i'm gone

 

[MoltenTiger]

I'm very impressed. One week RMA turnaround, and that includes Memorial Day weekend. My first RMA after over 7 months.

And then, this happened. Put in charged GB2, set at my usual 4.2 and got a huge cloud and vile taste.

Emptied, put in different charged GB2, set it back to 3, and it's like it was before RMA at the higher setting. Seen a few posts like this before, and wondering if I should just leave it at 3 and keep it?

Here's a pic of abv, put in Mighty sample for comparison. All same herb. Think I should file another RMA?

It does sound like a temperature retune is needed, although I wouldn't rush it away if it's still working at all predictably. Up to you but unless you miss the bottom temp spectrum maxing out at 3 is easy enough to deal with.

I'll add that my units at 5 definitely produce very dark ABV, but it's not quite scorching the herb. The taste can be pretty bad still, but the extraction must be pretty complete.

When mine was combusting this time last year, it was performing very inconsistently and an RMA wasn't really questionable.

_____________________________________
EDIT: I just found this juicy chestnut on reddit:

"Hopper Labs is switching to a full heater calibration routine for each device. This custom machine uses IR sensors to read the heater temperature across the entire temperature range accurately. There was a small batch of units which were calibrated too hot. This was an error and was remedied as quickly as possible. Every unit that was still at Hopper Labs was re-calibrated over the course of 3-4 days.

We know that some users find it frustrating that we are continually tweaking the device, but each of these changes is for the better. We activity monitor forum activity and collect extensive warranty data ourselves. Much of the last year has been spent silently improving the device. That does not mean there are not small pockets of problems like the one described here that will pop up as we switch to new versions. The main goal is to improve overall, both reliability and performance.

We consider the Grasshopper to be a cutting edge and there are challenges to overcome still. Warranty service which has been an active topic here over is an area that is improving. We spend a lot of time with each device, have checklists and protocols that every warranted unit goes through, and no device ever leaves Hopper Labs broken. If you are someone who feels like they have had excessive Hopper problems we would like to speak with you, have you try our new versions and provide feedback on your experience. Some users seem to experience multiple problems successively and others none.

We hear you and are working to improve every day. Thanks!"

If anyone has any of the issues that HopperLabs mentions, but is not a member of reddit and doesn't wish to be, just email Caroline

 

[Mr. Gweilo 420]

Does this device have any problems? Is it worth the money? So far I have a boundless cfc and I'd like something better.

lol. sorry but just lol

 

[kilrtjat]

lol. sorry but just lol

Sorry but English is not my national language. So I asked to write 700 pages to the translator. Your narrow look might have amused you. So do it.

 

[Baron23]

Great post and I've said similar things on this thread before. Capital formation all too frequently dictates how consumer products go. Any person may not like the grasshopper for any reason, thats totally fine. The difference between the Grasshopper and the Pax and one of the main reasons I so strongly support Grasshopper, particularly as a professional in the cannabis industry is that grasshoppers decisions whether you like them are not are based on making the best product unlike most vapes where the decision is based on sales period.

Not to mention in my experience the grasshopper is actually no less reliable than other venture capital backed vapes, I've had to RMA my pax, pax2, firefly (twice) firefly 2 (once) my Davinci IQ has been sent already once and stopped working again last week.

Portable vapes break, its the reality, guess what so do pipes, lighters etc. shit breaks thats life.

The question for consumers is do I want this product?

If the answer is yes, and for me that answer is yes because they are not a venture capital backed company making compromised decisions, because its a startup company based in my city, because I believe in the business model of bringing a product to market free of decisions being made by financiers and bankers.

I walk my talk, I've also got some twist speakers on the way, I really think that crowdfunding is a important business model that should be supported in its own right.

Its also "back to the future" Thomas Jefferson has a lot of writing about things he was buying "on subscription" sometimes he got the product, sometimes he didn't sometime it exceeded his expectations sometimes it didn't.

As a vaporizer when its working which is by the way, most of the time for most people, this vape is an incredible product. That it was brought to market without the chains of "traditional" financing is all the more impressive.

@vapviking I was actually at HL a few days ago and we spent a good amount of time talking about exactly this issue. I think its easy to underestimate how difficult it is to bring any product to market let alone without venture capital as a sledgehammer to break down the barriers to market industry.

My advice is if you don't like this vape don't buy it. I also say vote with your dollar. I think supporting small companies that I like is an important use of my dollars. Other people don't care at all about a company and what they do so long as they like the product. All totally valid consumer choices.

That said, in my opinion and experience, the grasshopper is the best vape for my usage. When my other vapes break sometimes it takes months for me to send it back because who cares, I wasn't using it anyway. I really think all the passion on reliability of the grasshopper is BECAUSE its such an awesome product and once folks have it they don't want to be without.

If the grasshopper wasn't an amazing experience for the user, no one would care about their business model or if it breaks or not.

If you talk to them that often, please tell that that a reliability/maintainability improvement program should be their highest priority because the reliability of the unit is too low while the ability to accurately fault diagnosis seems to be lacking (hence the numerous returns that didn't solve the issue).

Anything else said about it, any other justification for current behavior, is utter BS IMO.

Just how long can they keep playing the "oh, we are just a tiny, crowd funded, start up" card. sigh

I love the device, I have not had any issues with mine, but I still can't recommend this vape to anyone other than an experienced vaporist with a stable full of other vapes....rather like @Melting Pot said. That is a shame.

 

[Hogni]

That card thing is on point - nothing else! Can't hear it anymore...

 

[radiant34]

lol. sorry but just lol

Hopper is best vaporizer I have to date. if it existed before mighty I would've saved myself 300 dollars. Mighty plastic breaks and batteries go bad after a year. Their warranty service is garbage too.I do not understand the naysayers here. It's lifetime warranty. The individuals in the company designed a sustainable product. That is why they have a lifetime warranty. I cannot give Matt and Trevor and the whole crew at hopper labs enough credit. What they have created, the price point and service is just un-imaginable and you will not see a product better than this. American made quality, that has yet to see the light of day. I can't iterate just how much I'm excited for this company and the product that will emerge from their minds

 

[MonkeyTime]

Hopper is best vaporizer I have to date. if it existed before mighty I would've saved myself 300 dollars. Mighty plastic breaks and batteries go bad after a year. Their warranty service is garbage too.I do not understand the naysayers here. It's lifetime warranty. The individuals in the company designed a sustainable product. That is why they have a lifetime warranty. I cannot give Matt and Trevor and the whole crew at hopper labs enough credit. What they have created, the price point and service is just un-imaginable and you will not see a product better than this. American made quality, that has yet to see the light of day. I can't iterate just how much I'm excited for this company and the product that will emerge from their minds

All of the naysayers are here because not everyone has had the same experience as you. My Mighty has been flawless, batteries still great and nothing has broke on mine. CS with my Crafty was outstanding and they threw in extras, and that was without any additional problems, just because.

My GH on the other hand is all but useless. The only reason it gets any use is in hopes of it dying so I can send it in. Their CS has been poor to be polite and nothing about this experience has been enjoyable. It has worked a few times, and it's then that I see why everyone puts up with this thing.

It's all a matter of perception.

 

[Hjalmark]

It's all a matter of perception.

Or more like "experience" because I had 1 repair in a year that took less then 9 days and costed me 6 bucks from Sweden to USA and back

My experience with the Davinci ascent customer services is on the other hand horrible

At least the hopper get upgraded with latest technology and has a life time warranty

 

[biohacker]

Mighty plastic breaks and batteries go bad after a year.

Maybe in your experience, but that's quite a generalization.

Their warranty service is garbage too.

Again, quite a generalization when their customer service has been impeccable for many, many users. Alot better than HL that's forsure. They have a phone number too and VM. Shame HL doesn't. I'd LOVE to speak to them myself about the bullshit i've been through, and many others.

I do not understand the naysayers here.

Check reddit if you think they are naysayers here! LOL

It's lifetime warranty.

Good one, this has been explained before.

The individuals in the company designed a sustainable product.

L O L

That is why they have a lifetime warranty

See above.

you will not see a product better than this.

I sure fucking hope I do. If this is as good as it gets

American made quality

Oh my.... and here I was thinking that most of it (if not all) was made in China!

Thanks for the chuckle today. @MonkeyTime I think your perception reflects reality a little more

If you talk to them that often, please tell that that a reliability/maintainability improvement program should be their highest priority because the reliability of the unit is too low while the ability to accurately fault diagnosis seems to be lacking (hence the numerous returns that didn't solve the issue).

Anything else said about it, any other justification for current behavior, is utter BS IMO.

Just how long can they keep playing the "oh, we are just a tiny, crowd funded, start up" card. sigh

I love the device, I have not had any issues with mine, but I still can't recommend this vape to anyone other than an experienced vaporist with a stable full of other vapes....rather like @Melting Pot said. That is a shame.

Hear! Hear! Very well summed up!

At least the hopper get upgraded with latest technology

You mean the recent upgrades to the temperatures? Has anyone disclosed how much higher they are yet?

@slcbdco conveniently ignored all my questions.

Does this device have any problems? Is it worth the money? So far I have a boundless cfc and I'd like something better.

Apparently it's awesome now? Kinks have been worked out! Definitely worth the money!

You don't need to translate 700 pages, maybe just the last few?

 

[MoltenTiger]

And the cycle continues lol

You mean the recent upgrades to the temperatures? Has anyone disclosed how much higher they are yet?

The temps aren't any higher. The algorithm was just tweaked. I'm not noticing anything all too different. It's definitely hitting the top temps at T5 and making huge clouds, it's choked me out a few times and has been much, much better consistency than my EQ with ABV. Glad to be back at it

 

[biohacker]

The temps aren't any higher. The algorithm was just tweaked.

What Caroline and I meant is that temp 3 is a higher temp than it used to be. The temp at each temperature is constant like the old version, each temp is just slightly higher than before that was the change

So which is it?

It's definitely hitting the top temps at T5 and making huge clouds, it's choked me out a few times and has been much, much better consistency than my EQ with ABV.

Oh, so no charring at top temp at all? Care to post some ABV pics (temp 5) or even better a milk video with a glass piece on temp 5? Would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Hoey420]