My Grasshopper is definitely dying. It will occasionally give a good hit but average performance is anemic.
Last night I did a side by side comparison with fresh batteries and the same exact amount at temp 4 in both my Ti and my SS last night and it was like night and day. The second hit on the Ti chamber was the only good one and it wasn't even that big. All the other hits were wispy and weak, barely any vapor. I took 6 hits total and I think there's still some left, I'll probably vape the rest with my log.
The first three hits on my SS were massive, with a final clean up hit that was wispy. It was very satisfying and extracted thoroughly. That's the performance I've been used to for the last three months.
My SS almost seems to be running just a tiny bit cooler than when I got it, but that could be all in my head. it just seems that the mouthpiece isn't getting as hot as when I first got it, maybe I've just developed a tolerance for the heat. It was never too bad, even when new, but it was much more noticeable when new if I'm not mistaken.
Subtle changes in performance can make you think you're going crazy. Or at least that's what happens to me. I must have went back and forth 100 times about whether I should file a warranty claim. And then immediately afterwards I thought I made a mistake. If I didn't have the second hopper to compare to I probably wouldn't even realize there was a problem, as the Ti is actually producing some vapor.
The fact that the hopper performs so well makes testing more difficult as it's easy to get too medicated. Several of my early tests I forgot exactly where I was in each chamber as far as number of hits taken. That's because I was spacing the hits out so I didn't get too spaced out, which turned out to be counter productive. I found I just had to go for it and finish the chambers as fast as possible, it was much easier to keep track this way.
It makes me wonder if there are people receiving units like mine who are underwhelmed with performance and think it doesn't live up to the hype. Because my broken Ti actually hits okay, and has similar performance to some lower tier vaporizers. My SS is on a whole other level and lived up to the hype in my opinion.
It's funny, this issue is almost making me like my Grasshopper more, because my broken Ti is showing me how well the SS really works if that makes sense. Perhaps I was taking it for granted a little bit. When I was doing the side by side testing the SS hits were so huge and satisfying. The Ti hits reminded me how weak other vaporizers can be.
Great post!
Of course, again, sorry for the performance issue you are having... Based on how well I assume you have covered all the bases with respect to cleaning and care, if I had another working hopper to use, I'd go ahead and file the warranty. It seems they wouldn't dismiss it as "working properly". If you've done all the Blu-Tac and backend stuff, well, it seems the heater element has degraded somehow.
But on the rest of your post here, I'm with you on the frustration and even second-guessing it makes you do trying to evaluate things. It IS the best, I think, to "evaluate" this thing by pushing it to its limits.
I've come to see it this way: If a single hopper out there works "unbelievably great", then they ALL should, given the same chamber contents, 'course. And that's what seems to forgive a host of sins on faulty units. If one works great, man, this product is just in the throes of getting perfected. Sadly at the expense of disappointment to many customers, but we
know what this thing can do.
And so I think it's fair to hold ALL hoppers to the same standard performance, say, going T5 and blasting away, as a means of judgement of hopper health. Point: Any other way of evaluating the hopper is too frustrating and subject to "memory". And well... Hahahaha
It's been four weeks since I got my Ti, here's a comparison of the inside battery contact:
Brand New:
After Four Weeks:
Sorry for the differences in lighting. I couldn't get them to match no matter how hard I tried.
Notice how the grid pattern is pretty much unchanged, despite the gold-colored finish wearing off in the center.
Also, I didn't notice when I first got it but there is a big silver gouge at the edge of the gold ring in the 8 o'clock position.
I don't know about the 8 o'clock gouge, but I can guess that the circular wear of the gold plate is from Temp Dial turnings. It may be unavoidable, but certainly can be minimized by not whipping that dial around whilst screwed on with a battery inside.
And what was the point of gold plate on a contact that will unavoidably wear from temp dial turn-age?
Maybe it's nothing more than a 5% reduction in performance when there is no gold left....
I think that was the problem so after shower I rubbed the thread of both hoppers with iso and boom red/blue lights gone! The ti went thru two batteries with no red blue lights yet so is the ss.
Some of my best thinking is in the shower
Just add a shower head to that GIF.
Quite a good idea, to dab a tip with ISO after Blu Tack (BT), I mean, why not? However, there is scant info out there about BT's solubility. Apparently ISO won't do anything to "remove" it. I found this quote from the link just below it (it's really unnecessary to hit the link but I'm just providing the citation);
I have dissolved some Blu-Tack in some petrol and it is quite soluble (about the same as PIB)
https://www.thevespiary.org/rhodium/Rhodium/www.roguesci.org/archive/index.php/t-851.html
That said, it's a good idea, I think, to "rub" the area anyway with what we know is good to use (ISO).
