Discontinued The Grasshopper

[Choices]

I used to use my grasshopper through glass/water pieces and it would get much hotter than when I would use it "natively." Using the fury mouthpiece nets the same thing: the hopper gets hotter this way than it ever did when I used it on its own.
Your results sound normal to me.

Thank you for the feedback. I have been fortunate so far to not have run into any issues with my SS unit and didn’t want to do something that could move it towards RMA purgatory. I still think I’ll do the temperature monitoring though. Maybe this will make up for that lousy 5th grade science project I never did?

 

[vapviking]

Wanted to give an update on using the Fury mouthpiece with the Grasshopper: It continues to pull in better than I ever experience with the stock mouthpiece. My concern is that I may somehow be overheating it. By the third hit, the body was hotter than I ever had it get alone regardless of the number of draws. I’m not sure but could the larger more powerful but still smoother draw make it run hot? I’m running more trials to confirm and will run a temperature probe attached to the side of it. I will sacrifice my next several evenings in the name of science...

I think the tendency is for a longer draw when it is cooler, like your method here. Longer time with power on, more heat to the body. Body heat is also one reason Hopper is not a particularly good session vape for, like, more than one person at a time.

 

[Vaporific]

I used to use my grasshopper through glass/water pieces and it would get much hotter than when I would use it "natively." Using the fury mouthpiece nets the same thing: the hopper gets hotter this way than it ever did when I used it on its own.
Your results sound normal to me.

Agreed - that’s been my experience too. Natively, the frontend gets hot with a fresh battery. When the battery runs low on charge, the backend gets hot. And this is recent after a year-long stint in RMAville. My Ti however is still running well after RMA.

There’s a lot I could say about HL’s recent posts herein of which I don’t recall them ever posting (or at least with the same name - I did a search within the thread to no avail). It’s short of a mea culpa and long overdue. More i could say and quote from them above as did Baron23 but I’ll leave it alone for now.

Where are those friggin batteries??

 

[Hopper Labs]

I think the tendency is for a longer draw when it is cooler, like your method here. Longer time with power on, more heat to the body. Body heat is also one reason Hopper is not a particularly good session vape for, like, more than one person at a time.

The main reason why you might see more heating through a larger mouthpiece or a bubbler is that you can likely pull more air through the device over the given time. The Grasshopper, the newer units especially, have very powerful convection heaters. The more air you pull through, the more heat load you are adding to the device. If we consider the time of a draw to be constant, say 10 seconds, but use two different airflow rates, the amount of heat added to our system can be drastically different. Because the Hopper measures the temp of air exiting the heater hundreds of times per second, it increases the duty cycle (% heater is on per unit time) if you are drawing more air though to keep the temperature constant and in turn increasing heat load.

Although increased airflow over a time constant will increase the peak temperature reached by the body, it will still be an overall more efficient use of battery life. This is due to a bunch of different factors, but generally, longer draws with a higher flow rate will yield the best extraction per unit of battery life. This is one reason why with this type of convection heaters, we can see such variability in the user's perception of battery life. Is it two chambers or five chambers?

Just as a note, the Hopper does also have an internal temperature sensor to measure body temperature and shut down if a safety limit is reached. That's not to say the body won't get hot, only that we are monitoring it internally, and there is a max threshold. Heat is lost the environment as a second power, as the body heats up it starts sheading exponentially more heat to the surroundings and in turn, it becomes harder and harder for the temperature to keep increasing.

Battery testing is going well. We have completed in-house verification and are awaiting the 3rd party lab results. Expected Monday. Then we will give the go-ahead to release the shipment from HK.

*edit for slightly more info

 

[Hammahead]

Battery testing is going well.

About that.... just recently bought a pair of new batteries which make me wonder if they're the right thing... they are more shiny than all previous 8 batts I have here, which all are more of a matte finish. Also, they nearly weigh a gram less (like all my previous batts are 20 - 20.1 gr, these new ones are like 19.2 and 19.3) and they act just like very old batteries. One let the bar graph in my XTAR VC2 be spinning up and down for a minute before it really started charging, both don't keep half the load all my other batts do. The hopper would start showing batt life lights after one bowl, when I put it in the charger it would show like 70% power while it doesn't heat up shit and the hoppers backend gets hot to touch, as I said, just like old, shitty batteries What gives, any idea?

 

[Vaporific]

About that.... just recently bought a pair of new batteries which make me wonder if they're the right thing... they are more shiny than all previous 8 batts I have here, which all are more of a matte finish. Also, they nearly weigh a gram less (like all my previous batts are 20 - 20.1 gr, these new ones are like 19.2 and 19.3) and they act just like very old batteries. One let the bar graph in my XTAR VC2 be spinning up and down for a minute before it really started charging, both don't keep half the load all my other batts do. The hopper would start showing batt life lights after one bowl, when I put it in the charger it would show like 70% power while it doesn't heat up shit and the hoppers backend gets hot to touch, as I said, just like old, shitty batteries What gives, any idea?

Where did you buy them from? I thought the new ones weren’t in yet. I have an order for them with HL...

 

[NOLOGO]

About that.... just recently bought a pair of new batteries which make me wonder if they're the right thing... they are more shiny than all previous 8 batts I have here, which all are more of a matte finish. Also, they nearly weigh a gram less (like all my previous batts are 20 - 20.1 gr, these new ones are like 19.2 and 19.3) and they act just like very old batteries. One let the bar graph in my XTAR VC2 be spinning up and down for a minute before it really started charging, both don't keep half the load all my other batts do. The hopper would start showing batt life lights after one bowl, when I put it in the charger it would show like 70% power while it doesn't heat up shit and the hoppers backend gets hot to touch, as I said, just like old, shitty batteries What gives, any idea?

Where did you get batteries from? If you make even a cursory glance at this forum you'll see that they've been out of stock at hopper labs for well over 37 years or so...

 

[Hammahead]

A german retailer who seemingly always had them in store for the last couple months. As I'm actually in doubt what the deal is here, I'm hesitant to announce the shop name, but there aren't that many in the market anyway. It's a pretty well-known shop so I don't actually think they're screwing customers, but could image they'd been screwed. Have there been problems with a certain batch of batteries? Have there been counterfeit batteries in the market?

Was hoping to get some input from @Hopper Labs ...

 

[Vaporific]

A german retailer who seemingly always had them in store for the last couple months. As I'm actually in doubt what the deal is here, I'm hesitant to announce the shop name, but there aren't that many in the market anyway. It's a pretty well-known shop so I don't actually think they're screwing customers, but could image they'd been screwed. Have there been problems with a certain batch of batteries? Have there been counterfeit batteries in the market?

Was hoping to get some input from @Hopper Labs ...

I would write HL directly and wouldn’t assume they’ll answer this herein. I suspect the ones you bought are either older versions (or simply old cells since HL hasn’t received the new ones yet from overseas) or they’re knockoffs which you’ve seemed to indicate with your description of them. Just speculating but I don’t think they’re brand new batteries from HL. TGIF.

 

[Hopper Labs]

A german retailer who seemingly always had them in store for the last couple months. As I'm actually in doubt what the deal is here, I'm hesitant to announce the shop name, but there aren't that many in the market anyway. It's a pretty well-known shop so I don't actually think they're screwing customers, but could image they'd been screwed. Have there been problems with a certain batch of batteries? Have there been counterfeit batteries in the market?

Was hoping to get some input from @Hopper Labs ...

The batteries are likely from an older batch that the retailer seems to have in stock. We have sold them all over the world, so it is not unlikely that someone has a few in a retail store. None of the new ones are available at this time, none have been shipped to any retailers.

 

[vapognak]

The batteries are likely from an older batch that the retailer seems to have in stock. We have sold them all over the world, so it is not unlikely that someone has a few in a retail store. None of the new ones are available at this time, none have been shipped to any retailers.

That was informative, thank you.

Please keep us updated when new battery will be available.

Thank you again for giving us information, that is really appreciated, please do not stop to keep us posted.

 

[Hammahead]

The batteries are likely from an older batch that the retailer seems to have in stock. We have sold them all over the world, so it is not unlikely that someone has a few in a retail store. None of the new ones are available at this time, none have been shipped to any retailers.

Thank you, I'd still like to know though whether you guess the batteries are legit, given the differing outer features. Did you sell batteries that looked different and had a different weight compared to the batteries I bought in March 18 directly from Hopper Labs? Cause these look and weigh exactly the same as those before.

 

[Hopper Labs]

Thank you, I'd still like to know though whether you guess the batteries are legit, given the differing outer features. Did you sell batteries that looked different and had a different weight compared to the batteries I bought in March 18 directly from Hopper Labs? Cause these look and weigh exactly the same as those before.

Do the batteries say GHB1 or GHB2?

All GHB1 had a glossy label and then there was a smaller batch of GHB2 that had a glossy label. The Current version is GHB2 with a Matte label. I am not sure about weights but I can look into that.

I would say they are legit cells although they might be a bit old. We have yet to actually see counterfeit ones. My guess is they are GHB2 glossy labels that have been in the store for a while.

 

[Hammahead]

Yup, it's GHB2 with a glossy label, thanks a lot!

 

[CABtheFISHKING]

Hello!

I've been eyeing the Grasshopper and would like to know has anything changed in the Grasshopper or is it still the same? I really want to get one but never pull the trigger because of all the bad stories.

 

[Vaporific]

My RMA’d pre-order Ti continues to work well running it between 2.5-3.0. The replacement heating assembly seems to run quite warm, much better than before RMA. What’s even better is the herbal effect and longevity - deeper and longer than with my Furies. Less flower being used too. The Hopper is still a tad hotter in the throat as I usually use it natively sans silicone tip which I did buy a new one but haven’t used it - yet.

@CABtheFISHKING - I do believe Hopper reliability has improved from a few years ago however it’s not for the faint of heart nor would I rely on it as your only vape. Just my two cents. When it works well and consistently, it’s a wonderful and niche vape like no other...

 

[vapviking]

Quick report on a Ti hopper that lived at HL for a year, finally came back to me and was still faulty. I returned the body only and they repaired it pretty quickly.
Heat-up time is now really fast, about 4 to 6 seconds.
Temp range sounds similar to the one @Vaporific recently got back; I'm using this at much lower power-dial positions than any previous hopper (like, 2 to 3 instead of 3 to 4.5).

It seems more sensitive to 'weak' (old) batteries than my other grasshoppers and will poop out sooner. I am really counting on the new battery shipment to improve this aspect!

I am ready to give big props to John at Hopper Labs for following through on my recent interaction, including one last small glitch he resolved in no time. In past month or two I see an improvement in response time and in the way customers are being handled or, I should say, this has been the case for me!

 

[Hopper Labs]

The heaters on new or (upgraded) units are a bit more powerful. This does make issues with older batteries more apparent, one of the trade-offs. New batteries should help with this a lot.

 

[Mr. Me2]

Quick report on a Ti hopper that lived at HL for a year, finally came back to me and was still faulty. I returned the body only and they repaired it pretty quickly.
Heat-up time is now really fast, about 4 to 6 seconds.
Temp range sounds similar to the one @Vaporific recently got back; I'm using this at much lower power-dial positions than any previous hopper (like, 2 to 3 instead of 3 to 4.5).

It seems more sensitive to 'weak' (old) batteries than my other grasshoppers and will poop out sooner. I am really counting on the new battery shipment to improve this aspect!

I am ready to give big props to John at Hopper Labs for following through on my recent interaction, including one last small glitch he resolved in no time. In past month or two I see an improvement in response time and in the way customers are being handled or, I should say, this has been the case for me!

I have to admit I remain a ghl fan. And I’m happy to hear that performing units are returning to good folks like you!

Now if ghl would have a great sale of new hoppers to get more winners in the wild!!

 

[Vaporific]

The heaters on new or (upgraded) units are a bit more powerful. This does make issues with older batteries more apparent, one of the trade-offs. New batteries should help with this a lot.

Hmmm. Maybe I’ll order a few additional ones and add them to my current battery order. The ones I have, GBH2’s, are over 2 years old and they’d been sitting dormant while my unit was in RMA - and HL had one of them with the RMA. I have noticed that they don’t last as long with the new heating assembly and they go flickering blue quickly but then again, they are a bit old.

I do hope the battery shipment arrives at HL soon!

It’s an interesting trade-off with my fixed Hopper - now with the temp between 2.5-3.0 in general I get ok vapor (better than pre RMA) but seems like it could be a bit more. Or it could be the batteries I have. Or the flower but I have various strains mostly the same courseness. We’ll see BUT things are looking up...

 

[Vapor Mainline]

The heaters on new or (upgraded) units are a bit more powerful. This does make issues with older batteries more apparent, one of the trade-offs. New batteries should help with this a lot.

I don’t know if this has been answered yet, but do the hoppers that are shipping within one day of order come with new batteries? Or old ones from your existing stock?

 

[Baron23]

so, I thought I would post something a bit different to my usual...I would like to look on the positive side of the GH and Hopper as I have spent most of my time in this thread giving them guff and criticism (well deserved???).

I think first of all, I need to again point out that my OG GH ran flawlessly for 18 months. Which brings up a good question of just how much usage should we legitimately expect out of a couple of hundred dollar vape device.

TBH, I really do kind of feel that I got my money's worth out of that unit.

After a few RMAs, this unit is back to working very well again and say I get another year out of it and then it fails. I'm not at all sure I would send it back in at that point under the lifetime warranty as 28 months worth of usage just seems fair to me. At that point, I may just buy a new one. Nothing lasts forever or even for a life time.

While we probably all like the life time warranty, I'm not sure it makes much sense to Hopper and I'm not sure that its really fair to them. I mean, are they supposed to fix my GH for the next 20 years? I personally think life time warranties are a practical impossibility and harmful to the company's finances. BUT, until Hopper can demonstrate real rock solid reliability, I think they need to keep this warranty in place to assuage potential owner's fear based on historical issues.

My other GH RMA still running cool after an RMA and then a body swap. Still too cool. I'm just parking that one for the time being.

The device itself, when working properly, has no parallels. Oh, yeah....my EVO, FP, and other heavy hitters certainly can drain .1 g as fast and completely, but not in a portable and small form factor.

I mostly use my GH for mid-night sessions when up with pain. Its quick and easy to load and use and gets me back to bed.

I'm not much of a traveler with vapes as I'm an older guy and that's just not my life style. But when my OG was working in its initial period, that is the vape I took on out of town weekends and such as its small, easy to use, and very effective.

I mostly use my GHs with a J-hook or an FC-188 Matrix knockoff. Works beautifully. But I will use it with the silicone MP prophylactic without problem. Bit hot...wll, yeah. But so what. I'm out of town or out fishing...well, I can live with the hot vapor as a trade off for portability and extreme extraction for a portable.

I am very, very, very glad that Hopper Labs has decided to have a presence here on FC. This is an improvement to one of my past criticisms which was the lack of direct dialog with the owner community (and please don't say IG or Reddit! haha). I, for one, very much welcome their now having a bit of an presence with us on FC.

So, ran my GH at 2 am last night and its perfect for that application for me. I'm hopeful that my properly working OG will continue doing so for a good while.

I would encourage Hopper to: 1) continue their direct communications with the community and; 2) continue to work to improve reliability, testability, and in particular parts interchangability. I would also love for them to clean up the flickering blue lights and other weirdness some units display when using. My OG now flickers on the first draw.....then pretty much stops on subsequent draws. It never did before and its kind of baffling to me. Also, sometimes I have to press the clicker twice to turn it off. And I hate idiosyncratic devices! hahahaha

Well, just my thoughts for the day.

Cheers

 

[Vaporific]

I don’t know if this has been answered yet, but do the hoppers that are shipping within one day of order come with new batteries? Or old ones from your existing stock?

My guess is older stock as the new shipment hasn’t arrived yet and preliminary testing of it is underway, according to HL.

 

[vapviking]

General queries;
Is there a simple process by which one can measure the integrity of their battery at home? I'm dependent on trial/error atm the moment. I have a Nitecore D2 charger that will run any of my batteries up to 4.2 volts, with a readout of that progress. I also have a small multi-tester that I've never used, not knowing how.
Secondary, is it the case that using an old battery can make for a really hot (Grasshopper) back end?

 

[elykpeace]

General queries;
Is there a simple process by which one can measure the integrity of their battery at home? I'm dependent on trial/error atm the moment. I have a Nitecore D2 charger that will run any of my batteries up to 4.2 volts, with a readout of that progress. I also have a small multi-tester that I've never used, not knowing how.
Secondary, is it the case that using an old battery can make for a really hot (Grasshopper) back end?

Beginning of the end. Never sensed my batteries were the problem but with the amount of people needing batteries and the longgggg wait I'm sure HL will say it's a battery issue and you need the newest battery yaddah yaddah but in reality grasshopper still just aren't up to par.