Alright, I've had a hopper for a while now.
I think I'm ready to give some thoughts on a working hopper now that I've shared many thoughts on the qc issues.
Frankly, I think the hopper when functioning as intended is quite possibly the best vaporizer I've ever used.
If you buy one, my advise is where possible to use it heavily and frequently for the first few days and hopefully any issues will rear their head by then. Getting a model with no issues in paramount, especially for those of us with medical needs who wanna use this as an on-the-go driver.
Cons are as follows for me:
* No tool provided to remove mouthpiece screen. If you use a difficult to remove screen or any other such component that will inevitably require thorough cleaning, then FFS include a tool to easily remove it!!!!
* Battery life is very low for concentrates, I tend to get one or two bowls of use with concentrates - these bowls however do give delicious whitewall rips for ages though
This issue is very much countered by the fact that batteries are removable/replaceable. I recommend at least 2-3 batteries for every hopper used regularly. One battery is going to leave you spending a lot of time waiting for charging if you are involving concentrates at all. YMMV if you are using only flowers/lower temps though. Multiple batteries will leave even the most ardent concentrate users happy with results
These batteries are tiny after all, you can easily carry a lot of them and still have more space free in your pocket than if you had a portable that delivered more battery life (Mighty for example).
* The unit is very hot at the mouthpiece to repeatedly draw through after a few hits. This one really seems to be designed for one or two big rips and then wait til later to reuse from the look of it. It does deliver hits big enough to be used in this way though. With the silicone mouthpiece, it isn't too hot to use except at temps past 4. What I have found is that if you stick a straight glass (like the traditional Ehle style dome design for old school nails) 14mm dome onto the silicone mouthpiece cover and put your lips on the outside on the top edge of the glass (not inside where hot air flows), you can hit at max temp direct from the pen without making it much longer/more unwieldy to hold/use.
* Threads are VERY prone to getting gunked up during filling of the device if you are using very resin coated nugs. It pays to be very careful to keep threads clean! I am sure that
@Ratchett products designed for filling the hopper will resolve this issue though! I do wish they made a fill tool that came with the hopper, like the Mighty/Crafty has.
* my inductive charger has not always functioned properly. I have only ever used UL certified power bricks. Not including a USB power brick was an obvious oversight IMO. This unit is really pushing the boundaries of how we store and use energy - shouldn't manufacturers provide this to rule out all possible user errors here?
Now to the positives:
1. The hopper gives bigger rips than any portable I've ever used. In some cases, I find myself swearing that it hits harder than the evo! The heater is a landmark feat and I think hopper labs really deserve kudos for this.
2. The hopper heats up lightning fast! ~5 seconds to heat up to max temp is a dream come true! If you are a medical user who needs big hits, fast on the go - this is indispensable (but until you luck into a fully-functioning model with no QC issues, have a backup vape on hand medical people!)
3. Stealth - it goes without saying but I'll say it. This thing is the stealthiest vape I've ever used, and even smell factor is minimal unless you have reclaim buildup on the silicone tip (CLEAN THESE REGULARLY! Especially if you use concentrates).
4. It doesn't combust! Not with the driest of flowers packed as full and tightly into the bowl as possible run at max temp for a long, big rip through a bubbler!
5. Flavor is outstanding, especially below temp 5. I find that temp 5 the vapor can be very hot and you don't notice the flavor over the heat until you exhale. The flavor is still outstanding but one can be distracted from the flavor by the heat if you are not using water at this temp. Setting 5 is best IMO for water paths or concentrates (which tend to hit smoother than flowers even at hight temps) only lol.
I must qualify my overall praise and view that the hopper is the best portable ever made by saying that this only applies to units that do not have the apparently too-common QC issues.
If they work out the kinks and get working models into every customer's hands in the end, this will be a game changing product! For those of us who have working models already, I think I can safely say that it already is!
).
