Nice to see a fresh perspective @ssrrosey , I have been through 5 hoppers and I just bought a used one to honk on when my new one needs to go RMA for awhile. The damn vape is badass when it works! I can't find another (I've tried ) that even comes close for 1 hit change of attitude hits to the brain. They still owe me and a slew of others some cases and oil front ends.......the call of the Grasshopper is impossible for me to resist.....
Discontinued The Grasshopper
- Thread starter midgetsanchez
- Start date
For those of you tracking order/ship/receipt dates, I received my new plain Ti yesterday (6/7). I ordered it on 2/28. I never received a shipping confirmation, and my order on the HL site still says "Processed" with no estimated ship date (compare that with my external charger order, placed on 9/25/2017, which states "In Progress" with an estimated ship date of December 2017).
I probably won't be firing the new Ti up soon, so no performance report at this time. I can offer my observations from comparing it with my January 2016 Ti unit.
First, the back end seems different. When threading the back end onto the body it turns freely for longer than my old unit. It only seems to become difficult to turn when it's almost fully tightened, whereas on my old unit the threads seem to "catch" earlier and offer resistance longer (hope that makes sense).
The clicker behaves differently than the one on my old unit - almost exactly "opposite". On my old unit the red light comes on about half way through the initial clicker push, before the clicker actually "clicks". On my new unit the light doesn't come on until I release the clicker, after it actually "clicks". The behavior of the lights is similarly reversed when turning it off. I believe that this describes the difference between the initial clicker design and the newer ("digital") design.
The temp dial turns more smoothly on my new unit, with no detectable "gritty" feeling, but overall it is harder to turn than the dial on my old unit.
Now the fun part...
I was really excited to get my new Hopper. I decided to charge the new battery that came with it (GHB2 of course), so I connected the Hopper charging cable to the back end and plugged it in. The lights flashed red once, as per usual, then nothing. No red flash every 3 seconds as expected. I tried it again, same result. I tried a different battery, same result. I tried a different charging cable, same result. I tried a USB port on my computer instead of the USB/AC adapter that I've been using for years, same result. Panic set in. I have lots of charging options (4 Hoppers, 4 Hopper charging cables, a Nitecore D4, and a two bay Tenergy 18650/14500 charger) so I wasn't really concerned about not being able to charge the battery, but this IS my brand new Hopper and I like having the option to just throw it on the charger without removing the battery.
So I kept trying. I connected it to the charger and tried fiddling with the clicker. Suddenly I got another red flash, and it started charging! So I tried to repeat the procedure, but nothing happened the second time when I fiddled with the clicker. I kept trying different things. At one point I just touched the back end and the body at the same time, and it started charging! I tried repeating this procedure, and it seemed to work occasionally, but not always. So I slept on it and tried again today.
Today I connected it to the charger and got the initial red flash. I had to attend to something else, so I just laid the unit down. A few minutes later I looked at it and it was charging. So I tried it again - connected the charger, saw the initial red flash, laid it down, looked at it a minute later, and sure enough it was charging. So I tried laying it down and connecting the charger without touching the Hooper itself. Same thing - initial red flash then charging a few minutes later.
So I started timing how long it took before the charger "kicked in". Each time it started charging right around 27 seconds after I plugged it in.
I'm relieved that the charger actually works, but I don't recall anyone reporting this type of behavior before on this forum. It is reproducible, and it is pretty close to just under 27 seconds each time before it starts flashing/charging. It has successfully charged batteries (to flashing blue), so it appears to be working correctly despite this odd behavior.
So the whole time when I was fiddling with the clicker, or touching the body in different places, the 27 second timer was actually counting down, and eventually it just started charging on its own.
Anyone else experience this issue with the Hopper charger?
I probably won't be firing the new Ti up soon, so no performance report at this time. I can offer my observations from comparing it with my January 2016 Ti unit.
First, the back end seems different. When threading the back end onto the body it turns freely for longer than my old unit. It only seems to become difficult to turn when it's almost fully tightened, whereas on my old unit the threads seem to "catch" earlier and offer resistance longer (hope that makes sense).
The clicker behaves differently than the one on my old unit - almost exactly "opposite". On my old unit the red light comes on about half way through the initial clicker push, before the clicker actually "clicks". On my new unit the light doesn't come on until I release the clicker, after it actually "clicks". The behavior of the lights is similarly reversed when turning it off. I believe that this describes the difference between the initial clicker design and the newer ("digital") design.
The temp dial turns more smoothly on my new unit, with no detectable "gritty" feeling, but overall it is harder to turn than the dial on my old unit.
Now the fun part...
I was really excited to get my new Hopper. I decided to charge the new battery that came with it (GHB2 of course), so I connected the Hopper charging cable to the back end and plugged it in. The lights flashed red once, as per usual, then nothing. No red flash every 3 seconds as expected. I tried it again, same result. I tried a different battery, same result. I tried a different charging cable, same result. I tried a USB port on my computer instead of the USB/AC adapter that I've been using for years, same result. Panic set in. I have lots of charging options (4 Hoppers, 4 Hopper charging cables, a Nitecore D4, and a two bay Tenergy 18650/14500 charger) so I wasn't really concerned about not being able to charge the battery, but this IS my brand new Hopper and I like having the option to just throw it on the charger without removing the battery.
So I kept trying. I connected it to the charger and tried fiddling with the clicker. Suddenly I got another red flash, and it started charging! So I tried to repeat the procedure, but nothing happened the second time when I fiddled with the clicker. I kept trying different things. At one point I just touched the back end and the body at the same time, and it started charging! I tried repeating this procedure, and it seemed to work occasionally, but not always. So I slept on it and tried again today.
Today I connected it to the charger and got the initial red flash. I had to attend to something else, so I just laid the unit down. A few minutes later I looked at it and it was charging. So I tried it again - connected the charger, saw the initial red flash, laid it down, looked at it a minute later, and sure enough it was charging. So I tried laying it down and connecting the charger without touching the Hooper itself. Same thing - initial red flash then charging a few minutes later.
So I started timing how long it took before the charger "kicked in". Each time it started charging right around 27 seconds after I plugged it in.
I'm relieved that the charger actually works, but I don't recall anyone reporting this type of behavior before on this forum. It is reproducible, and it is pretty close to just under 27 seconds each time before it starts flashing/charging. It has successfully charged batteries (to flashing blue), so it appears to be working correctly despite this odd behavior.
So the whole time when I was fiddling with the clicker, or touching the body in different places, the 27 second timer was actually counting down, and eventually it just started charging on its own.
Anyone else experience this issue with the Hopper charger?
MonsterWithoutBorders
Philosophim
Mine is coming home. I am sure it has forgotten who I am and there is a new ghostly sherriff in town. One email a week ago might have done the trick. It was AWOL since dec 4 when it fell into HL clutches.
MoltenTiger
Well-Known Member
I don't care for direct hits at all, not really. Simply because of the heat and harshness.
Though I do find though, when stealth is most required for myself, I find I don't want to be taking more than a couple of hits, and for that the GH is bearable. On a cold day or in high altitudes it's actually quite nice, but generally it's quite harsh and sharp. The front ends I can bear for a couple of hits, I find the standard pen shape is the nicest because it has better heat insulation.
Compared to all my vapes including the MFLB and Dynavap M, the GH is ultra portable, and stealthy. Though I feel lame vaping in public because of the ejuice scene, at least there's something to blend in with for a real world benefit
ktmstick
Well-Known Member
Went to the emergency ward (A & E) yesterday and was left in a consultation room for over an hour on my own, needless to say the grasshopper got used for 2 super tasty hits, one at 3 and one at 4. No other vape would be as quick and discreet enough to give me the confidence to use in that situation.
Copacetic
Somewhere North of The Wall
Hope you're OK now man
Best wishes for the rest of the family too
I've been trying out my new PFE quite a bit, and although it does provide an 'airier' hit with greatly reduced draw restriction, I actually still prefer the OG mouthpiece.
I tend to hover around 1/3Rd to 2/3Rd on the dial and my MP never gets too hot to use.
If I turn it right up, and take looong hits back to back (which I never need myself, but can imagine when sharing) then it can get too hot to finish a rip.
I never do that though
One of my new batteries causes the back end to get toasty (not scalding) when on high temps/long draw, but it's just that one battery, the other 2 I have don't exhibit this behaviour, and the one that does is fine at temps below 'RAGE!' anyway.
barleecat
Well-Known Member
Yep mine does that...came back from RMA 2weeks ago. Charged it 3times as my Hopper wasn’t working properly and I thought maybe it wasn’t charging right. Would plug in to charge Hopper, red light might blink once then nothing for almost 30seconds then it would start blinking and charging...seemed to charge fully I think...Never had that issue before RMA....always would start charging right away....
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After waiting since mid-December 2017 when i sent in my Grasshopper for repairs for the sixth time i finally got it back last week and my unit is acting EXACTLY like yours !
Since my unit had always exhibited problems when charging (very/very finicky combo !) i imagined that after this recent parts update the problem would go away but, if anything, is worse than usual, and i started to panic thinking "here we go again: time to email Grasshopper and start a return process", but now that you and others are also reporting the exact same problem i will do as you suggest : plug my Grasshopper to its cable & wall charger and wait for approximately 30 seconds to see if the red LED starts to blink indicating it is working as it should.
Thank you very much for posting your finding . I certainly hope that is all there is to it !
kbrown5523
Hopping in Washington
I didn't time mine, but I went through a similar process to figure out there was a delay and that the chargers are indeed working.
My hoppers came back Monday from late Jan RMAs. At first they didn't seem to be producing much in the way of clouds so I cleaned the threads on the backend and tried different batteries and turned the temp dial a few times and it starting giving me clouds pretty much like it should. Since then I've noticed that I do have to play with the temp dial sometimes to keep it going strong, but they are working.
My problems with my hoppers was that they were instantaneously incinerating my herb. Not just burning it or combusting it, but turning it into complete ash in a nanosecond, it was freaky. Since they've come back they are not heating as hot as they were before I ever had the incineration problems. My ABV used to be a nice dark brown, now it's a dark blond color and while I get clouds, it's not at the level it used to be.
I think I'm going to wait until they get all caught up with everything and send them in one at a time to see if I can get them turned up a little bit. But they are working great so far, I just hope they keep it up.
Hogni
Honi soit qui mal y pense
I'm so sorry for us all to read all those disappointed reviews on first use of the new GH. How can they send all these devices with obvious malfunctions??
Yesterday at the Mary Jane in Berlin I've heard from the guys from VDNM that they are still waiting for hoppers worth some k since one year without any notifications or updates from GHL. And they have a whole palett of defective hoppers in storage which they don't want to send back until the issues are solved. But they don't believe in that meanwhile.
If all hoppers which are already in stock are sold they will not do any "Gewährleistung" anymore. Customers have to send their defective hoppers back to GHL by their own.
Yesterday at the Mary Jane in Berlin I've heard from the guys from VDNM that they are still waiting for hoppers worth some k since one year without any notifications or updates from GHL. And they have a whole palett of defective hoppers in storage which they don't want to send back until the issues are solved. But they don't believe in that meanwhile.
If all hoppers which are already in stock are sold they will not do any "Gewährleistung" anymore. Customers have to send their defective hoppers back to GHL by their own.
Hammahead
Well-Known Member
Hm, as long as they sell them to a german customer, they have a defects liability, that is at least half a year after sale for any defects that have not been caused by the buyer, which has nothing to do with the manufacturers guarantee. So that would mean they are not selling the hopper any more after they sold all of their "2017 model" Hoppers† Well, good luck with that.
I guess one of those hoppers they have, waiting to be returned, is my old one, which they took back after it broke again after three repairs within the first half year. Not their repairs though, I had sent them to Hopper Labs on MY dime (Travel + service time GER/USA/GER some 20 days, those were the days). When I sent it to VDNM it took them three weeks and a couple reminders by me to basically confess they couldn't do jack anyway. I'm not sure if they have been authorized to repair it in the meantime, if not, nothing would change anyway. They're a good company but as a german proverb says: they're only cooking with water, like the rest of them.
I guess one of those hoppers they have, waiting to be returned, is my old one, which they took back after it broke again after three repairs within the first half year. Not their repairs though, I had sent them to Hopper Labs on MY dime (Travel + service time GER/USA/GER some 20 days, those were the days). When I sent it to VDNM it took them three weeks and a couple reminders by me to basically confess they couldn't do jack anyway. I'm not sure if they have been authorized to repair it in the meantime, if not, nothing would change anyway. They're a good company but as a german proverb says: they're only cooking with water, like the rest of them.
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Mr. Gweilo 420
Dude
I totally agree with all of that. Vapcaps are great but not stealthy. I usuallly hit it at 4.5-5 so maybe mine gets hotter. Fury2 remains my champion stealth vape for now. Are you in Tasmania? Must be getting cold. Im Australian too but sweating it out in Asia (Comfortably in a\c actually LOL).
I have had my Grasshopper RMA (or GV.2) for 5 days. It is working perfectly (still super hot but it is a glass milking specialist for me) and the vapor is super thick and tasty. It looks the same apart from more new scratches as well as scratches that look like they were caused by a vice. I dont care about that at this stage. In terms of function and vapor quality I am really floored.
I used to use the standard magnet charger but have now switched to a Nitecore 4 battery charger which is awesome. Also I clean my PFE in ISO every night and I empty and clean the oven after every use.
So far this unit is great. I just hope it proves reliable.
Hjalmark
Oldest boy alive
Hammahead
Well-Known Member
not even the french can heat their wine above 100°C. And for the old rooster, there's always a nice curry to make it edible.
wkndwarrior
Active Member
Man ...pains me to read this ("I'm so sorry for us all to read all those disappointed reviews on first use of the new GH")- I keep waiting for the grasshopper to settle down - it seems like the product that so many here want (despite all the issues it still has a strong following base and desire for ownership). They should just go to a monthly club where you get a refurb every month and send your old one back for servicing.
Updating my disgruntled post from a couple of weeks ago...
My unit was sent in for repair in January after it woke up dead one morning
, and the customer service team stopped responding to my messages in May. Finally late last month I sent a slew of messages all around the same time to every Grasshopper Labs email address I could find. Couple of days later I got a response indicating my unit was going to be returned soon and a few days after that, I got the shipping notification.
I've been using it for the last few days, and I have to say, it's working better than new so far. The heat in the back end that was a problem (for me) from the very beginning seems to have been solved. When I turn the GH on, it seems to heat up to operating temperature faster than it did before, literally less than 5 seconds from 0 to hit-ready every time. So I'm happy again for now.
A couple of things I'm curious about though. I wish they'd tell you what's new about your unit when you get it back after a repair. There was literally no information at all with the unit when I received it - it literally was just a Grasshopper in a brown cardboard box. No paperwork, receipt, or anything else. I'd like to know exactly what was fixed or replaced, just like anything else you would send out for repair.
The other thing is that the charging cable is different now. The little ring that attaches magnetically to the hopper has a larger hole that is sort of cut on an angle. Anyone have any ideas what this is all about? It's not mentioned on their website that they have a new charging cable style as far as I can tell, so I'm just curious about what the difference is between the old charging cable and this new one, and why? I don't think the problem that I had with my unit being dead was related to the original cable, but again I don't know because they didn't explain what was repaired or why.
My unit was sent in for repair in January after it woke up dead one morning
, and the customer service team stopped responding to my messages in May. Finally late last month I sent a slew of messages all around the same time to every Grasshopper Labs email address I could find. Couple of days later I got a response indicating my unit was going to be returned soon and a few days after that, I got the shipping notification.I've been using it for the last few days, and I have to say, it's working better than new so far. The heat in the back end that was a problem (for me) from the very beginning seems to have been solved. When I turn the GH on, it seems to heat up to operating temperature faster than it did before, literally less than 5 seconds from 0 to hit-ready every time. So I'm happy again for now.
A couple of things I'm curious about though. I wish they'd tell you what's new about your unit when you get it back after a repair. There was literally no information at all with the unit when I received it - it literally was just a Grasshopper in a brown cardboard box. No paperwork, receipt, or anything else. I'd like to know exactly what was fixed or replaced, just like anything else you would send out for repair.
The other thing is that the charging cable is different now. The little ring that attaches magnetically to the hopper has a larger hole that is sort of cut on an angle. Anyone have any ideas what this is all about? It's not mentioned on their website that they have a new charging cable style as far as I can tell, so I'm just curious about what the difference is between the old charging cable and this new one, and why? I don't think the problem that I had with my unit being dead was related to the original cable, but again I don't know because they didn't explain what was repaired or why.
Cheesequake
Free Men Don't Ask
I'll believe it when I see it but supposedly my warranty hopper is shipping today. They said they couldn't guarantee my electric blue will ship by the end of the week. Still waiting on a part from a supplier......
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I can now confirm the findings of the poster fogbank that it takes about 25 seconds for the red LED to start blinking on these just-repaired Grasshoppers (indicating charging is occurring) as it has happened for the last 5 times i recharged my unit.
I was about ready to start yet another repair return process to Hopper Labs. and i am so/so relieved i don't need to do it again which would have meant the seventh time i had to return my unit for repairs in 1 1/2 years of ownership.
Thank you fogbank, you saved me a lot of disappointment and grief.
I just emailed the Grasshopper team to inquiry about their awareness of this new charging quirk and suggested that they should post this info on their website ASAP and do a mass-emailing to all owners of these recently repaired & improved Grasshoppers so as to avoid disgruntling owners any further as well as to improve their abysmal online reputation for product reliability.
I was about ready to start yet another repair return process to Hopper Labs. and i am so/so relieved i don't need to do it again which would have meant the seventh time i had to return my unit for repairs in 1 1/2 years of ownership.
Thank you fogbank, you saved me a lot of disappointment and grief.
I just emailed the Grasshopper team to inquiry about their awareness of this new charging quirk and suggested that they should post this info on their website ASAP and do a mass-emailing to all owners of these recently repaired & improved Grasshoppers so as to avoid disgruntling owners any further as well as to improve their abysmal online reputation for product reliability.
There's been two different charger designs. The old design featured a cable that "split" in two, and each end connected to a different side of the charger ring. On the new design the cable isn't split and it only connects to the ring in one spot.
Does that describe the difference you are referring two, or do you see a difference between two of the newer charger styles?
MonsterWithoutBorders
Philosophim
My baby came back.
It was lost (dec 4) and now is found.
So far it seems improved. Action better. Responds well and the temps seem fine.
Now the duel between the ghostly portly sherriff and the returned jazzy sleek problem child begins. Love them both.
It was lost (dec 4) and now is found.
So far it seems improved. Action better. Responds well and the temps seem fine.
Now the duel between the ghostly portly sherriff and the returned jazzy sleek problem child begins. Love them both.
Baron23
Well-Known Member
I received my repaired Bronze Ti yesterday and have run one VERY disappointing bowl through it.
The damn thing runs cold now.
I have to put it all the way up to 5 to get any vapor and my AVB is fully green when no more vapor is coming from the device. Before its failure I thought my GH temps were perfect. I would run at 4.2 on the dial and get thick hot vapor and still have up to level 5 to finish off a load if I wanted. AVB was nicely browned.
I, and I believe most other GH fans, love the device because its a hard hitting, can't over power it, vapor engine. I sure as fuck don't need a GH that's a light sipper with green AVB.
THIS ^^ is what took them 13 weeks? sigh
I plan to try again tonight, run through all batteries (yes, battery last night was fresh) and just get more confirmation.
Then its time to do a polite, professional, tap dance on Hopper Labs head!
I guess to sum it up, if this is how all GH's will work going forward, I will throw them in a draw to collect dust. This level of performance renders the device, to me, useless.
Aaaarrrgggghhhh!!
The damn thing runs cold now.
I have to put it all the way up to 5 to get any vapor and my AVB is fully green when no more vapor is coming from the device. Before its failure I thought my GH temps were perfect. I would run at 4.2 on the dial and get thick hot vapor and still have up to level 5 to finish off a load if I wanted. AVB was nicely browned.
I, and I believe most other GH fans, love the device because its a hard hitting, can't over power it, vapor engine. I sure as fuck don't need a GH that's a light sipper with green AVB.
THIS ^^ is what took them 13 weeks? sigh
I plan to try again tonight, run through all batteries (yes, battery last night was fresh) and just get more confirmation.
Then its time to do a polite, professional, tap dance on Hopper Labs head!
I guess to sum it up, if this is how all GH's will work going forward, I will throw them in a draw to collect dust. This level of performance renders the device, to me, useless.
Aaaarrrgggghhhh!!
Mr. Gweilo 420
Dude
That is fucking pisspoor.I received my repaired Bronze Ti yesterday and have run one VERY disappointing bowl through it.
The damn thing runs cold now.
I have to put it all the way up to 5 to get any vapor and my AVB is fully green when no more vapor is coming from the device. Before its failure I thought my GH temps were perfect. I would run at 4.2 on the dial and get thick hot vapor and still have up to level 5 to finish off a load if I wanted. AVB was nicely browned.
I, and I believe most other GH fans, love the device because its a hard hitting, can't over power it, vapor engine. I sure as fuck don't need a GH that's a light sipper with green AVB.
THIS ^^ is what took them 13 weeks? sigh
I plan to try again tonight, run through all batteries (yes, battery last night was fresh) and just get more confirmation.
Then its time to do a polite, professional, tap dance on Hopper Labs head!
I guess to sum it up, if this is how all GH's will work going forward, I will throw them in a draw to collect dust. This level of performance renders the device, to me, useless.
Aaaarrrgggghhhh!!
HerbieVonVapster
Well-Known Member
I received my repaired Bronze Ti yesterday and have run one VERY disappointing bowl through it.
The damn thing runs cold now.
I have to put it all the way up to 5 to get any vapor and my AVB is fully green when no more vapor is coming from the device. Before its failure I thought my GH temps were perfect. I would run at 4.2 on the dial and get thick hot vapor and still have up to level 5 to finish off a load if I wanted. AVB was nicely browned.
I, and I believe most other GH fans, love the device because its a hard hitting, can't over power it, vapor engine. I sure as fuck don't need a GH that's a light sipper with green AVB.
THIS ^^ is what took them 13 weeks? sigh
I plan to try again tonight, run through all batteries (yes, battery last night was fresh) and just get more confirmation.
Then its time to do a polite, professional, tap dance on Hopper Labs head!
I guess to sum it up, if this is how all GH's will work going forward, I will throw them in a draw to collect dust. This level of performance renders the device, to me, useless.
Aaaarrrgggghhhh!!
Sorry here that guess I'm not going be sending mine with the hot back end in for repairs any time soon.
Cannabiker
Well-Known Member
That's a "Hemper-Sherlock Bubble Rig" that I found on DankGeek.com. Well, not really found, I succumbed to an e-mail sale but what else is new. It's a nifty little fits in the palm of your hand, throw it in bag and take it with you glass piece.
It's a 14mm joint, takes the hopper with the PFE and I've used it with my vapcaps as well.
I'm very patiently waiting on an electric blue Ti that I purchased, thanks to one of those aforementioned email sales, back in January. I'm glad to read that people are receiving units. They told me mine would be ready soon. Not as soon as they told me, but we know how that goes.
Thanks for the recommendation, ArthurJ. I'm still waiting on my GH (ordered April 21, when the wait was three weeks), but I ordered one of these while I'm waiting. I'd never vaped through water. I always figured vaping was already the most effective delivery system; that it didn't need improving. I also wondered if cooling vape might cause too much vapor to condense before it got to me.
Now I know better. While I still don't have the GH, I replaced the mouthpiece for my Silver Surfer with Sherlock bubbler, and I love it. The hose fits right into the 14mm joint, and the bubbler is a perfect fit in my hand. I don't miss smoking, but I did miss bongs and bubblers. It's great to hear that sound again.