Discontinued The Grasshopper

[Hjalmark]

As others have said, that is a heat gun.
HL designed their PCB, and initially they were hand picking/placing components, potentially outsourcing eventually. Later they purchased their own pick and place machine. This allows for rapid prototyping amongst other things.

This picture is showing someone fixing botched boards. Either a circuit had been bridged, or a component was broken.
This specialised and expensive heat gun is targetting 400+°C convection airflow to a particular component, melting the solder and allowing it to be plucked and removed by those tweezers.

Considering the size of the board, the technical limitations of adequately fixing boards with that methodology is a key reason the repeat faults have been so abundant. It's basically pretty difficult (conceptually easy, but it's tricky work), and as someone who was doing that kind of work during HLs pre-ordering fiasco, it's a big reason why I have been so patient with HL.
What they've done is seriously so much hard work, I really appreciate it.
I was intending to make my own vape before I found these guys project, and it exceeded my design ideals so what could I do but support their design efforts.


Same!

I have a couple of friends with great units, and I have been using one for an extended weekend away.
It's no sublimator, but it is such a good device. I can't wait to get mine back.

I enquired to HL about a few things over the week.
I asked about what processes they are bringing in-house, and if they could explain why they are confident about increased robustness.
They sent me the dot points from the latest update, but they further said this;

"Your patience is appreciated and we will be sure to keep you updated as we get closer to returning your device. Much of the processes and assembly techniques are proprietary and can't be shared, especially on a public forum. We assure you that the Hopper is going to be improved from these changes and that the company is not going out of business."

I went on to ask if they would extensively upgrade the entire device so all units sent out would be the same iteration. I mentioned the back-end single click switch as an observed difference.

"We plan to replace all internal electronics. I can put a note that you'd like a new Backend that requires only one click to turn it back on."

So, it seems enough is changing and it should be good for everyone. It's interesting to note about the back-end request, I'll see how that pans out.



Interestingly enough, those kind of devices would be the most expensive, most accurate convection vapes.
When I was using one, if it didn't belong personally to our engineer, I'd have loved to mod it to a glass bowl and bong!


Oh yeah, @JoeMama the compressed air is to be sprayed directly into the heater from the chamber side, I don't think they recommend blasting into the air holes themselves.

Haha yeah I think they are salvaging the important bits and wonder if it is the processor and memory for whatever runs the thing

Think it has 2 cpu's and I always wondered how much diagnostic they can do on them

Wonder what the specs and hardware are in a hopper :]

 

[slcbdco]

This device is ahead of its time and it feels normal, to me, to wait for time to catch up with it.

I felt the same way about the iphone which was my first smart phone and I got on day one when it comes to the tech (the grasshopper wasn’t my first vape, I had a pax and firefly before but the GH was the first to convert me to a vaporist) and perhaps more analogous to the apple watch which I was also an early adopter in terms of what the GH is for.

What I mean by this is that the tech of the grasshopper is “different” than the peer tech the same way samsung is “different” than apple, or Handel is different than Teleman. And because of that difference some folks are going to gravitate towards on preference or the other.

And what I mean by “what it’s for” I mean that it’s intended and designed to be a personal vaporizer, not a device to be shared. Working on cannabis policy one thing I’ve observed, concurrent with legalization and particularly with the strong increase of popularity of oil pen vaporizers (60% last year in Colorado) is a shift to post-prohibition consumption habits specifically “get your own”

I also witness the growing pains as some people feel slighted by not being offered someone else’s vape pen and the opposite folks being put off by being passed someone else's vape pen.

It’s not to say cannabis consumption is not a social activity, it is to say that it is, or at least used to be unique among social experiences in that everyone consumes the same thing all at the same time from the same thing. It’s just a hangover (or unfortunately for most people an ongoing symptom in most places) of prohibition. Under prohibition there is a limited supply, not only in volume but more importantly variety, and then there’s the safety in numbers effect.

When you go out for a beer, everyone gets a beer they want, drink it at their pace and has a good time. You don’t (in general) share a single cigarette. Post prohibition and personal vaping devices have normalized cannabis consumption to what I believe to be a better place.

Why should I have to consume the same strain as you, the same amount or the same time in order to hang out with you? A common complaint of the grasshopper is “it gets to hot to pass” , of course it does, so does a joint by the way but the grasshopper isn’t designed to be passed, its designed to be yours, and your freind has there’s. You got yours loaded with lemon haze and they have durban just like you have a bud and salad and they have a steak and a coors. We don’t share silverware to have a meal, why do we “need” to share a device to get high?

I know “not everyone has a vape”. I didn’t say the transisiton is easy, and frankly, once we pass Cannabis tasting rooms this year, which will be no smoking vapor only, I believe that owning a vape will be just a normal as a owning your own bowl or a lawyer owning their own suit. If we have to swap spit to have a good time we can always make out, but for cannabis consumption, just like an apple watch, the device is more functional and the hang better when everyone has their own!

 

[seaofgreens]

You still seeing folks at Hopper Labs @slcbdco ?

Just making sure they aren't packing up machines and getting out of dodge?

 

[slcbdco]

You still seeing folks at Hopper Labs @slcbdco ?

Just making sure they aren't packing up machines and getting out of dodge?

I saw them last week actually, It’s a hive of activity, moving in and setting new machinery but they are still setting up the new infrastructure and not shipping at the moment.

I am very excited to get a vape with the new and improved parts.

Let me put to rest any negative speculation about the company, they are FINE and not going anywhere anytime soon. It’s also a for those that don’t realize a very small company, I may compare their device to an apple product but to compare the company to apple requires too many oranges to be fair.

 

[seaofgreens]

Thanks man. Good to know. I love this device! Just don't want to lose them.

 

[Hammahead]

Looking into shipping history I could see it has been waiting for drop off since Jan 5th... Wew.

Same here. Having ordered batteries just a few days before my Hopper broke again, I asked if they could ship the batteries with the fixed Hopper and reimbourse the shipping costs, but unfortunately they were "already in transit to the UPS station" and I'd get a shipping ref. as soon as it arrived there. Which took 10 (ten) days, while it took just 9 from there to my house. In Europe. Well... honi soit, qui mal y pense.

 

[MonsterWithoutBorders]

Thanks man. Good to know. I love this device! Just don't want to lose them.

MeToooooooo

 

[MikeG7265]

I am very excited to get a vape with the new and improved parts.

I agree with this. I went ahead and ordered the Electric Blue (Carolina Panthers fan). I’m hoping it’ll have the new and improved parts. Luckily my Green TI has been a workhorse and so far haven’t had to send it back. If the improvements make it even more solid, I’ll take it.

 

[slcbdco]

I agree with this. I went ahead and ordered the Electric Blue (Carolina Panthers fan). I’m hoping it’ll have the new and improved parts. Luckily my Green TI has been a workhorse and so far haven’t had to send it back. If the improvements make it even more solid, I’ll take it.

I actually have that color, it does look slick in person

 

[MoltenTiger]

I actually have that color, it does look slick in person

Should share a pic


Also, nice write up.
I'll add that I enjoy sharing a hopper with up to a few people, it works alright for an Oz bong sesh. Just like the old days with a placcy, only classy and supreme.

But, last weekend when there was just one between two people, me with my ridiculous tolerance, there were a couple of times I was wishing I had my own to pack and punch whilst my mate was hanging onto his in a stoned stupor
Overall, especially after my first 3 day T break in years (lol) all it took was one or two chambers and I'd be set for hours. So when that's the case, sharing a device is actually fine, I find.

 

[JCat]

Should share a pic


Also, nice write up.
I'll add that I enjoy sharing a hopper with up to a few people, it works alright for an Oz bong sesh. Just like the old days with a placcy, only classy and supreme.

But, last weekend when there was just one between two people, me with my ridiculous tolerance, there were a couple of times I was wishing I had my own to pack and punch whilst my mate was hanging onto his in a stoned stupor
Overall, especially after my first 3 day T break in years (lol) all it took was one or two chambers and I'd be set for hours. So when that's the case, sharing a device is actually fine, I find.

This is what I generally find, a chamber or two each and everyone is good for a while ... so works well through a bong; only thing is the technique for the hopper, so not great for sharing with those that aren't very good at following directions

 

[Hjalmark]

This is what I generally find, a chamber or two each and everyone is good for a while ... so works well through a bong; only thing is the technique for the hopper, so not great for sharing with those that aren't very good at following directions

^

"Okey just hold it like this, dont hold here and over air holes, then just click and wait for blue then suck

Okey its blue ... no dont hold there, yes your holding over air holes, yes its hot ... yep still holding air holes

Yes oven part is hot part of vape"

Is sometimes my experience with teaching people to use this vape

but also took me some time to learn the best method to hold it comfortable

Sometimes I wonder if there is a good way to just silicon sleeve the whole hopper

but its a very tactile vape in that sense you need to feel all the things happening like which part is overheating telling you if battery is low

I have not scientifically proven it but think the backend heats up when your reach 4.1 v on your battery and then starting one on lower then 4v charge will heat up wrong part of the oven/air intake

well my hopper is pretty funky and would probably be told to warranty it if I talked to hopper labs

but its working great as long as you workaround the kinks

basically heat settings are wrong, 4 is 5 and 5 is the unknown 6 (need to get some extracts for a dab)

can also only run 5 on full battery + over heats if I am not precis as fuck and drawing a lot of air through it

 

[MoltenTiger]

^

"Okey just hold it like this, dont hold here and over air holes, then just click and wait for blue then suck

Okey its blue ... no dont hold there, yes your holding over air holes, yes its hot ... yep still holding air holes

Yes oven part is hot part of vape"

Is sometimes my experience with teaching people to use this vape

but also took me some time to learn the best method to hold it comfortable

Sometimes I wonder if there is a good way to just silicon sleeve the whole hopper

but its a very tactile vape in that sense you need to feel all the things happening like which part is overheating telling you if battery is low

I have not scientifically proven it but think the backend heats up when your reach 4.1 v on your battery and then starting one on lower then 4v charge will heat up wrong part of the oven/air intake

well my hopper is pretty funky and would probably be told to warranty it if I talked to hopper labs

but its working great as long as you workaround the kinks

basically heat settings are wrong, 4 is 5 and 5 is the unknown 6 (need to get some extracts for a dab)

can also only run 5 on full battery + over heats if I am not precis as fuck and drawing a lot of air through it

The bronze hop I was recently using had this. I tried 4.2 and it was a bit too much, but 4 was seemingly 5.
I discovered the elusive T6 the hard way, didn't quite combust but it was close . Good idea with the dab, I'll have to do that when I get it back in my hands!

This is what I generally find, a chamber or two each and everyone is good for a while ... so works well through a bong; only thing is the technique for the hopper, so not great for sharing with those that aren't very good at following directions

Truth. Most everyone I share my hoppers with can rip fat cones, so they take pretty kindly to the digital bong.
Another way that's great on the go is just a glass dome with 14f to go with the PFE.
Either way though, it is pretty funny seeing people trying to handle the GH. It's so simple but there's just something about it,

 

[Baron23]

I am very...well, not excited but maybe hopeful...that the in-house process, assembly, test changes that Hopper makes will result finally in a reliable, testable, and hence repairable GH.

I love the function of my GH but cannot agree with the view that Hopper's quality and repairability has been at all acceptable since initial orders. Its the only thing that stops me from recommending it. Otherwise, I adore it.

I'm hoping that redesign of some parts coupled with control over QA and testing will result in GH's with less failures and RMA returns that are actually fixed rock solid. If they achieve this, I will buy another.

I would LOVE to be able to wholeheartedly recommend the GH. Now its wait and see.

Now, this is a subject that I believe was addressed by Haze in their Square but not by many vape companies including Hopper and the MV-1 Ghost (among many others, perhaps). Specifically, IMO vape designs must give the owner the ability to access the heater coil and clean out detritus and crap out of there. If its a flower vape, and if the heater is directly in the air path as is with most convection vapes (versus wrapped around an airpath tube like the Mighty/Crafty and others), then it will need to be cleaned out.

I like that Haze recognized this and even made their heating coil owner replaceable.

Non-access to the heater section for cleaning is one of my remaining concerns with the GH.

Cheers

 

[JCat]

I am very...well, not excited but maybe hopeful...that the in-house process, assembly, test changes that Hopper makes will result finally in a reliable, testable, and hence repairable GH.

I love the function of my GH but cannot agree with the view that Hopper's quality and repairability has been at all acceptable since initial orders. Its the only thing that stops me from recommending it. Otherwise, I adore it.

I'm hoping that redesign of some parts coupled with control over QA and testing will result in GH's with less failures and RMA returns that are actually fixed rock solid. If they achieve this, I will buy another.

I would LOVE to be able to wholeheartedly recommend the GH. Now its wait and see.

Now, this is a subject that I believe was addressed by Haze in their Square but not by many vape companies including Hopper and the MV-1 Ghost (among many others, perhaps). Specifically, IMO vape designs must give the owner the ability to access the heater coil and clean out detritus and crap out of there. If its a flower vape, and if the heater is directly in the air path as is with most convection vapes (versus wrapped around an airpath tube like the Mighty/Crafty and others), then it will need to be cleaned out.

I like that Haze recognized this and even made their heating coil owner replaceable.

Non-access to the heater section for cleaning is one of my remaining concerns with the GH.

Cheers

Great post ... I could live with not being able to access the heater, if one could at least remove the chamber screen (without problems with warranty), to clean a little. Having to warranty the device once a year or so for thorough cleaning I'd be ok with since it has the lifetime warranty!

 

[kbrown5523]

I am very...well, not excited but maybe hopeful...that the in-house process, assembly, test changes that Hopper makes will result finally in a reliable, testable, and hence repairable GH.

I love the function of my GH but cannot agree with the view that Hopper's quality and repairability has been at all acceptable since initial orders. Its the only thing that stops me from recommending it. Otherwise, I adore it.

I'm hoping that redesign of some parts coupled with control over QA and testing will result in GH's with less failures and RMA returns that are actually fixed rock solid. If they achieve this, I will buy another.

I would LOVE to be able to wholeheartedly recommend the GH. Now its wait and see.

Now, this is a subject that I believe was addressed by Haze in their Square but not by many vape companies including Hopper and the MV-1 Ghost (among many others, perhaps). Specifically, IMO vape designs must give the owner the ability to access the heater coil and clean out detritus and crap out of there. If its a flower vape, and if the heater is directly in the air path as is with most convection vapes (versus wrapped around an airpath tube like the Mighty/Crafty and others), then it will need to be cleaned out.

I like that Haze recognized this and even made their heating coil owner replaceable.

Non-access to the heater section for cleaning is one of my remaining concerns with the GH.

Cheers

This was one of the main reasons I chose an Elevape Smart for my first vape. Too bad I just can't get it to work right for me. You can clean every single nook and cranny of that vape and swap out coils. I got the occasional good hit off of it, but most of the time I either got wispy to no vape, or it would combust my herb. I got two hoppers for the price of the one ESV 2.0.

Now my hoppers are on their way back to Hopper Labs, hoping for all the new upgrades and replacement parts, hoping to finally get a couple of reliable hoppers back. So far they never lasted long enough between RMA's to get plugged up, but that will be next worry if I can keep them working long enough.

 

[TheWhisper]

As others have said, that is a heat gun.
HL designed their PCB, and initially they were hand picking/placing components, potentially outsourcing eventually. Later they purchased their own pick and place machine. This allows for rapid prototyping amongst other things.

This picture is showing someone fixing botched boards. Either a circuit had been bridged, or a component was broken.
This specialised and expensive heat gun is targetting 400+°C convection airflow to a particular component, melting the solder and allowing it to be plucked and removed by those tweezers.

Considering the size of the board, the technical limitations of adequately fixing boards with that methodology is a key reason the repeat faults have been so abundant. It's basically pretty difficult (conceptually easy, but it's tricky work), and as someone who was doing that kind of work during HLs pre-ordering fiasco, it's a big reason why I have been so patient with HL.
What they've done is seriously so much hard work, I really appreciate it.
I was intending to make my own vape before I found these guys project, and it exceeded my design ideals so what could I do but support their design efforts.


Same!

I have a couple of friends with great units, and I have been using one for an extended weekend away.
It's no sublimator, but it is such a good device. I can't wait to get mine back.

I enquired to HL about a few things over the week.
I asked about what processes they are bringing in-house, and if they could explain why they are confident about increased robustness.
They sent me the dot points from the latest update, but they further said this;

"Your patience is appreciated and we will be sure to keep you updated as we get closer to returning your device. Much of the processes and assembly techniques are proprietary and can't be shared, especially on a public forum. We assure you that the Hopper is going to be improved from these changes and that the company is not going out of business."

I went on to ask if they would extensively upgrade the entire device so all units sent out would be the same iteration. I mentioned the back-end single click switch as an observed difference.

"We plan to replace all internal electronics. I can put a note that you'd like a new Backend that requires only one click to turn it back on."

So, it seems enough is changing and it should be good for everyone. It's interesting to note about the back-end request, I'll see how that pans out.



Interestingly enough, those kind of devices would be the most expensive, most accurate convection vapes.
When I was using one, if it didn't belong personally to our engineer, I'd have loved to mod it to a glass bowl and bong!


Oh yeah, @JoeMama the compressed air is to be sprayed directly into the heater from the chamber side, I don't think they recommend blasting into the air holes themselves.

If everyone is getting entirely new parts, then why would you need to specifically request one and why would they need to make a note of it?

 

[btka]

If everyone is getting entirely new parts, then why would you need to specifically request one and why would they need to make a note of it?

in my opinion not every one is getting entirely new parts, i believe if you send it in for rma then maybe...

the last time I sent my gh to gh labs for warranty, they replaced my backend, but I believe they replaced my older backend with an other old one because I have to click two times when it auto shut offs... and I was reading months before that they have new backends where you only have to click once after auto shut off..

 

[Cheesequake]

If everyone is getting entirely new parts, then why would you need to specifically request one and why would they need to make a note of it?

You wouldn't.

 

[TheWhisper]

Hopefully new orders will get entirely new parts.

 

[MoltenTiger]

If everyone is getting entirely new parts, then why would you need to specifically request one and why would they need to make a note of it?

I thought that was interesting myself.
Perhaps they mean they plan to replace all internal electronics, but they only intend to replace faulty electronics for devices that already exist. It seems that I’ll get a newer back-end as I mentioned the one-click power switch, and they said they’ll note that on my account. They have both my two hoppers, I’m not sure what to expect; two new one-clickers or a new one and the old back-end on my other device..

Brand new units have all new electronics, but old devices will only be upgraded as required still, it seems

 

[kbrown5523]

I thought that was interesting myself.
Perhaps they mean they plan to replace all internal electronics, but they only intend to replace faulty electronics for devices that already exist. It seems that I’ll get a newer back-end as I mentioned the one-click power switch, and they said they’ll note that on my account. They have both my two hoppers, I’m not sure what to expect; two new one-clickers or a new one and the old back-end on my other device..

Brand new units have all new electronics, but old devices will only be upgraded as required still, it seems

When I recently did an RMA request because both my hoppers are combusting again, this is the response I got back form Caroline:

"Sorry for the continued trouble. Please follow the instructions below to return your device for service. We will get this rectified by updating all the electronics in your Hoppers with the newest parts."

Since she said they will be "updating all the electronics in your Hoppers with the newest parts", I would guess that's what they're going to do with everyone's now.

 

[MoltenTiger]

When I recently did an RMA request because both my hoppers are combusting again, this is the response I got back form Caroline:

"Sorry for the continued trouble. Please follow the instructions below to return your device for service. We will get this rectified by updating all the electronics in your Hoppers with the newest parts."

Since she said they will be "updating all the electronics in your Hoppers with the newest parts", I would guess that's what they're going to do with everyone's now.

That claim is a bit elusive seeing as it seemingly doesn’t count the actuator, which is now an electric switch

 

[almost there]

When I recently did an RMA request because both my hoppers are combusting again, this is the response I got back form Caroline:

"Sorry for the continued trouble. Please follow the instructions below to return your device for service. We will get this rectified by updating all the electronics in your Hoppers with the newest parts."

Since she said they will be "updating all the electronics in your Hoppers with the newest parts", I would guess that's what they're going to do with everyone's now.

I got the same exact reply from my last RMA. guess what, the “new electronics” in my hopper is no different than the old as far as my personal experience has been. Only thing different is now one in every 5 sessions is actually up to par as oppose to having crappy sessions every time.

 

[TheWhisper]

I got the same exact reply from my last RMA. guess what, the “new electronics” in my hopper is no different than the old as far as my personal experience has been. Only thing different is now one in every 5 sessions is actually up to par as oppose to having crappy sessions every time.

I believe that the differentiator between your new parts and this time's new parts will be that they're now moving more processes in-house. Whether that will improve performance/lifespan remains to be seen, but I do think it is important to clarify that there is a difference.