Discontinued The Grasshopper

[JeffD]

I keep hearing how the warranty times are lower, but, here I am at 5 months as of today, and have gotten nothing but run around. Every time I enquire, I just get responses like "checking on it". What gives? Warranty case 39099823.

I don't normally start bad mouthing companies online until service just becomes ridiculous, and it looks like I may have to start soon.

 

[muunch]

Will there be a Black Friday/Holiday sale?

I'm also curious if there's any more rolling changes being made to the actual design/parts of the device, or whether variation between devices performance is simply just battery+device variation?

I know this is likely only a "time will tell" type hypothetical question, but I am curious if there were estimates for how often/how large future battery shipments will be? Will this be a reliable thing, and will QC of these batteries be stringent before being shipped to consumers?

While I see that you have addressed that the HBC/SS Case could still possibly come out in 2019 still, do we have any sort of indicator how close these products actually are to release?

Is there any sort of hierarchy to the other, possible accessories that were mentioned (cooling mouthpiece,oils front end)?

 

[vapviking]

I keep hearing how the warranty times are lower, but, here I am at 5 months as of today

Can you tell me, in general terms, how soon my warranty request from Nov. '18 (for a replacement ss body) might be fulfilled?

Warranty Times:
They are dropping fast and almost entirely eliminated for most issues at this time. The exception is heating assemblies, which there is still a wait for.

I have to assume that @JeffD 's warranty and mine (replacement body) both involve heating assemblies. While you did say the replacement body would be ready shortly (thank you), can you tell us, how do these 2 wait-time illustrations represent 'almost all caught up'? Do you have an anticipated date that is hoped to be the, "all caught up with everything, and repair times down to a couple of weeks, tops?"
Hate to say it, but I do have yet another to send in, just not a priority atm, with others working well.
Unfortunately for you, we here at FC are perpetually curious...

 

[Vaporific]

Will this be a reliable thing, and will QC of these batteries be stringent before being shipped to consumers?

HL mentioned above about battery quality control, not the shipment frequency, however I’m not convinced all cells are (created) equal or close to it. I’ve had a few duds - small sample size for sure but it’s happened with a few different batches. The jury is still out with my latest 5 but I think one ain’t like the others - and I’m charging, storing and using them all the same, rotating them too. We’ll see...

On a greener note my Ti is friggin awesome and working like a champ. Using it between 2.5-2.8 and getting wonderful clouds with the standard mouthpiece, which I love, and no silicone (yet - I want to gradually reuse it natively and with a small glass pipe so I can bump the temp just a bit). But the effect has been great as is, and it’s truly great to have my Hopper working like new again. And a new batch of batteries a couple of weeks after getting it back to boot! Life is good as I watch a gorgeous fall sunset from my living room...

 

[muunch]

HL mentioned above about battery quality control, not the shipment frequency, however I’m not convinced all cells are (created) equal or close to it. I’ve had a few duds - small sample size for sure but it’s happened with a few different batches. The jury is still out with my latest 5 but I think one ain’t like the others - and I’m charging, storing and using them all the same, rotating them too. We’ll see...

Ah, you're completely right. They answered my exact question here.

It would take a prohibitively long time to cycle test each battery in-house without a lot of specialized equipment and would likely not yield a significant increase in "quality control" unless it was done to the point of degradation

I am still curious about supply/frequency though. I think that I'm ok with both the style, and current price point of the batteries if the device performance matches; so long as there will be no bottleneck (artificial/perceived, or actual) due to low availability of new, proper spec'd batteries.

 

[Mr Mellish]

I have an another question in my ongoing series of dumbass questions.

For anyone who has the "Glass Cleaning Vial," are you using it to clean the herb chamber or the mouthpiece? The description mentions front-end, NOT mouthpiece but, it then talks about the importance of a seal, which would seem to exclude the possibility of dunking the front end of the barrel into it (which was my hope, since I don't have a great way to clean that).

It's easy to throw a mouthpiece or HPE into a snack bag of ISO, so I really thought it would be nice to have a way to more effectively clean the herb chamber (but, I doubted the body could stand up in the vial very well).

Has anyone bought this accessory? If so, do you use it for the mouthpiece?

 

[Vaporific]

I have an another question in my ongoing series of dumbass questions.

For anyone who has the "Glass Cleaning Vial," are you using it to clean the herb chamber or the mouthpiece? The description mentions front-end, NOT mouthpiece but, it then talks about the importance of a seal, which would seem to exclude the possibility of dunking the front end of the barrel into it (which was my hope, since I don't have a great way to clean that).

It's easy to throw a mouthpiece or HPE into a snack bag of ISO, so I really thought it would be nice to have a way to more effectively clean the herb chamber (but, I doubted the body could stand up in the vial very well).

Has anyone bought this accessory? If so, do you use it for the mouthpiece?

No dumbass questions, just smartass answers (jk) I bought the cleaning vial a couple years and most glad I did. I just toss the frontend in with 91% ISO (see MY question below) cover it, shake every so often. Comes out great after drying it. For the body & chamber just some ISO on a qtip or two holding the Hopper upside down (chamber down) works for me.

Honestly, I once tried standing the body up in something before getting the vial and I just didn’t like dipping the thing in liquid at all for fear of knocking it over and soaking the internals. If you brush out the chamber and mouthpiece (or PFE) regularly you won’t need ISO too often unless you need to.

However, a baggie and ISO works well too with a mouthpiece.

And speaking of which, here’s my question: can PBW be used on a titanium (Ti) Hopper? Stainless steel is a listed & approved applicant but unsure about Ti...

 

[Mr. Me2]

I have an another question in my ongoing series of dumbass questions.

For anyone who has the "Glass Cleaning Vial," are you using it to clean the herb chamber or the mouthpiece? The description mentions front-end, NOT mouthpiece but, it then talks about the importance of a seal, which would seem to exclude the possibility of dunking the front end of the barrel into it (which was my hope, since I don't have a great way to clean that).

It's easy to throw a mouthpiece or HPE into a snack bag of ISO, so I really thought it would be nice to have a way to more effectively clean the herb chamber (but, I doubted the body could stand up in the vial very well).

Has anyone bought this accessory? If so, do you use it for the mouthpiece?

See, I don’t think that’s a dumbass question... to clean the mouthpiece, when scraping it clean isn’t enough, I always give it an iso soak in a baggie dropped in a cup of really hot water.

For inside the chamber, I wait until I think it needs it and use a precision Q-Tip (lightly dipped in iso) to wipe the insides and get into the corners. Don’t let the Q-Tip drip. The precision Q-Tips don’t have the loose fibers compared to the regular. I’ve never dipped the chamber in iso.

And I use a blue tac type on the threads occasionally. That’s about it. Hope this helps. And I haven’t bought that accessory.

 

[slozukimc]

No dumbass questions, just smartass answers (jk) I bought the cleaning vial a couple years and most glad I did. I just toss the frontend in with 91% ISO (see MY question below) cover it, shake every so often. Comes out great after drying it. For the body & chamber just some ISO on a qtip or two holding the Hopper upside down (chamber down) works for me.

Honestly, I once tried standing the body up in something before getting the vial and I just didn’t like dipping the thing in liquid at all for fear of knocking it over and soaking the internals. If you brush out the chamber and mouthpiece (or PFE) regularly you won’t need ISO too often unless you need to.

However, a baggie and ISO works well too with a mouthpiece.

And speaking of which, here’s my question: can PBW be used on a titanium (Ti) Hopper? Stainless steel is a listed & approved applicant but unsure about Ti...

I think PBW will dissolve Ti.

edit: I found it is super convenient to have a spare mouthpiece or two. If one gets dirty I pull one out of a small mason jar of ISO, rinse it off and throw the dirty one in to soak.

 

[Vaporific]

And I use a blue tac type on the threads occasionally.

I recently got and used Blu Tac, too, for the first time. It helps with the backend threads though I gotta do a better job under the clip - it’s tough to get the threads under there. The last turn is gritty and tight compared to my frontend which is silky smooth and free turning...

 

[MoltenTiger]

can PBW be used on a titanium (Ti) Hopper?

PBW can discolour the anodised Ti finish, but the plain Ti front ends clean up perfectly with PBW. I normally fill a shot glass with at most a 1/4 tsp PBW and boiling water then rinse the front ends under a hot tap and drop them in the glass for a few mins. They stay cleaner longer than just wiping with alcohol and a pipe cleaner, which is probably my main method

 

[Vaporific]

PBW can discolour the anodised Ti finish, but the plain Ti front ends clean up perfectly with PBW. I normally fill a shot glass with at most a 1/4 tsp PBW and boiling water then rinse the front ends under a hot tap and drop them in the glass for a few mins. They stay cleaner longer than just wiping with alcohol and a pipe cleaner, which is probably my main method

Fantastic! I have a plain Ti and a few glass stems for another vape and PBW will serve purpose for both. And better environmentally too. Thanks! I’m ordering it soon

 

[vapviking]

I happen to like the little bottle, it's pretty conservative with iso (I don't dump it with every use, as I would with a ziplock). I usually have the luxury of soaking one overnight or longer while using another, or pfe.
But @Mr Mellish , I think it is mainly for the mouthpiece (aka front end). Or some stash.

The mouthpiece cleaning discussion has reminded me, and I wonder if anyone has similar reservations or experience;

A couple of years back a SS front end got the 'loose screen' syndrome. The screen in mp can come unscrewed if resins 'glue' it to the body and you then try to spin it off . You can screw it back in with fine-point tweezers. While the screen was out, I managed to remove two inner linings to the cone-shaped end. One is metal the color of copper and the other is some type of 'plastic'. Around both of them was an appreciable amount of residue (resin). This was right after a 24 hour iso soak, with requisite occasional shake of the container.

At the time I was pretty bummed to find this resin trap right in the mouthpiece. I can believe that this can happen to all hopper standard front ends. We have no reason to think the design has evolved. I switched to pfe and didn't even use standard for a long time. Pfe has no internal parts, what you see is what you get, and it's easy to clean. Usually I hold it with tongs under very hot tap water for a minute, then swab out the inside with a paper towel to be sure threads are clear.

Time has gotten me past the hesitation and I'm finding std mp very pleasant to use these days, only use pfe for water tool. I have to use silicone for the heat 'cause I can't stop with one or two pulls so it do get hot. But I always have one in the soaker bottle and swap once a week or so.

 

[JCat]

I happen to like the little bottle, it's pretty conservative with iso (I don't dump it with every use, as I would with a ziplock). I usually have the luxury of soaking one overnight or longer while using another, or pfe.
But @Mr Mellish , I think it is mainly for the mouthpiece (aka front end). Or some stash.

The mouthpiece cleaning discussion has reminded me, and I wonder if anyone has similar reservations or experience;

A couple of years back a SS front end got the 'loose screen' syndrome. The screen in mp can come unscrewed if resins 'glue' it to the body and you then try to spin it off . You can screw it back in with fine-point tweezers. While the screen was out, I managed to remove two inner linings to the cone-shaped end. One is metal the color of copper and the other is some type of 'plastic'. Around both of them was an appreciable amount of residue (resin). This was right after a 24 hour iso soak, with requisite occasional shake of the container.

At the time I was pretty bummed to find this resin trap right in the mouthpiece. I can believe that this can happen to all hopper standard front ends. We have no reason to think the design has evolved. I switched to pfe and didn't even use standard for a long time. Pfe has no internal parts, what you see is what you get, and it's easy to clean. Usually I hold it with tongs under very hot tap water for a minute, then swab out the inside with a paper towel to be sure threads are clear.

Time has gotten me past the hesitation and I'm finding std mp very pleasant to use these days, only use pfe for water tool. I have to use silicone for the heat 'cause I can't stop with one or two pulls so it do get hot. But I always have one in the soaker bottle and swap once a week or so.

With the standard mouthpiece I use mini tweezers to remove the internals with each cleaning. Doesn’t take long once you’re good at it and practiced

 

[Vaporific]

With the standard mouthpiece I use mini tweezers to remove the internals with each cleaning. Doesn’t take long once you’re good at it and practiced

I’ve only used fine point tweezers to tighten the screen, never to remove it. When the screen is loose it can impede the frontend from tightening all the way onto the body. I just soak the whole (standard) frontend in ISO in the glass vial for an hour or so, shaking it occasionally, then rinsing and letting it air dry. Then it’s good as new. I want to try PBW instead soon though.

Damn Hopper still works well, too well!

 

[LesPlenty]

I find iso in a plastic test tube that has iso in it works great in my ultrasonic cleaner for small intricate parts especially as you do not need to dismantle things to get them clean,

Here is a concentrate pad in the iso, then just put it in the water to rinse, would be great for Hopper cleaning (the bits you can soak in iso, that is).

 

[Hopper Labs]

I don't normally start bad mouthing companies online until service just becomes ridiculous, and it looks like

I will look into this and see what we can do to get this back to you sooner.

Will there be a Black Friday/Holiday sale?

I'm also curious if there's any more rolling changes being made to the actual design/parts of the device, or whether variation between devices performance is simply just battery+device variation?

I know this is likely only a "time will tell" type hypothetical question, but I am curious if there were estimates for how often/how large future battery shipments will be? Will this be a reliable thing, and will QC of these batteries be stringent before being shipped to consumers?

While I see that you have addressed that the HBC/SS Case could still possibly come out in 2019 still, do we have any sort of indicator how close these products actually are to release?

Is there any sort of hierarchy to the other, possible accessories that were mentioned (cooling mouthpiece,oils front end)?

Some of your questions I cannot fully answer yet.

1. There will likely be a sale, history shows there normally is.

2. There are always new changes being rolled out, typically users never know about them but it is our design philosophy to always be improving the device. This is one of the major advantages of small batch in-house production. Those who had the very first Grasshoppers to ever ship can tell you how different the current device is.

3. We don't expect to ever have a battery shortage again but we obviously did not expect this last one. We will be producing batteries much earlier in the future to help avoid these problems.

4. The HBC is fully complete and is "waiting" only on production equipment and 3rd party interfacing to finish. There are still a number of steps before it goes to full-scale production, to ensure everything will go smoothly and the QC is in place to not create a huge headache. The SS case is being produced almost fully in-house which means once it starts production it will be coming out steadily. We are still aways out from this starting up though.

5. Well, I cannot disclose what is coming next at this time, but there are other exciting things happening soon.

I have to assume that @JeffD 's warranty and mine (replacement body) both involve heating assemblies. While you did say the replacement body would be ready shortly (thank you), can you tell us, how do these 2 wait-time illustrations represent 'almost all caught up'? Do you have an anticipated date that is hoped to be the, "all caught up with everything, and repair times down to a couple of weeks, tops?"
Hate to say it, but I do have yet another to send in, just not a priority atm, with others working well.
Unfortunately for you, we here at FC are perpetually curious...

Good questions with answers that might not be so clear. I know that @JeffD is waiting on a heater assembly and his unit is actually showing complete at this time but did not ship to him yet. Looking at his request it seems like there is some error on our part as it should have shipped to him a few weeks ago. I'll need the warranty number on your body to provide insight into what is happening there.

When we are all caught up is rapidly becoming a complicated question. Over the last year, we have seen a lot of devices not be claimed after they were fixed, even from people who were at one point actively asking for updates. We are working to address this problem. There are still people like you actively waiting and it seems almost cruel that many many others who have forgotten/moved-on have repaired devices sitting here.

 

[vapviking]

I just soak the whole (standard) frontend in ISO in the glass vial for an hour or so, shaking it occasionally, then rinsing and letting it air dry. Then it’s good as new.

Have you ever inspected the innards after the cleaning? (taking screen out and removing the pieces is the only way to see what's really going on in there)

 

[Hopper Labs]

There is a lot of talk about wanting the battery to be cheaper. We will work to do this especially for power users like you. Perhaps a pack of batteries that brings the per-unit cost down?

 

[Vaporific]

Have you ever inspected the innards after the cleaning? (taking screen out and removing the pieces is the only way to see what's really going on in there)

No, I don’t recall completely removing the screen. I don’t doubt there could be stuff in the screen tracks or whatever it’s called. My concern is if I do happen to remove the screen, with the fine tip tweezers, getting it back in may prove problematic. I may try it down the road but hoping a full ISO soak (now, PBW later) cleans it mostly out.

I’m actually on my second front end as the original one got so bad it wouldn’t stay screwed on so I was able to swap a replacement which I’ve had since. I bought the tweezers AND glass vial after the replacement for troubleshooting and piece of mind, however brushing and occasional ISO soaks of the frontend keep it very clean and eliminates my initial threading issue a few years ago.

 

[vapviking]

No, I don’t recall completely removing the screen. I don’t doubt there could be stuff in the screen tracks or whatever it’s called. My concern is if I do happen to remove the screen, with the fine tip tweezers, getting it back in may prove problematic. I may try it down the road but hoping a full ISO soak (now, PBW later) cleans it mostly out.

I’m actually on my second front end as the original one got so bad it wouldn’t stay screwed on so I was able to swap a replacement which I’ve had since. I bought the tweezers AND glass vial after the replacement for troubleshooting and piece of mind, however brushing and occasional ISO soaks of the frontend keep it very clean and eliminates my initial threading issue a few years ago.

tbh, I don't like having a mp who's screen loosens occasionally, it's pita until you get some tweezers on it. So, I've never intentionally loosened any on other mp's I have. But while one is loose is a great time to turn it all the way through it's threads' travel, with a little iso and this really cleans the threads, easier then to thread on to body.

The other parts inside are two funnels, if you will, that nest inside the funnel (cone) end if the mp. It's the old resin in there between all those that I've chosen to kinda look the other way on.

We could all take a tip from @JCat

remove the internals with each cleaning.

And he's correct, it's not really hard to re-assemble. I'm just lazy.

 

[Vaporific]

it's not really hard to re-assemble. I'm just lazy.

. Likely easy but likely to give me fits trying to put it back in. That’s my concern. I will try, one day. Perhaps a bit of laziness on my part but I’m not too concerned...

 

[vapviking]

. Likely easy but likely to give me fits trying to put it back in. That’s my concern. I will try, one day. Perhaps a bit of laziness on my part but I’m not too concerned...

When you do get around to it, think inverted. Use the tweezers to hold the screen then lower the front end down over it, turning the front end (not the tweezers).

 

[aero_0Ftime]

these comment sequence numbers like 24049, etc. -- add a "0" for padding (024049), then reverse (940420) -- the most recent comments ALL end in 420. limited time offer.

 

[MonkeyTime]

these comment sequence numbers like 24049, etc. -- add a "0" for padding (024049), then reverse (940420) -- the most recent comments ALL end in 420. limited time offer.

That's the kind of stuff I notice when my GH is working really well!