Got my Evolution LV just as I had to go do some running around, and just now getting to sit down to try it out. I am attempting to run it on 3.7v (aw 16340 550mah) lil'chuck battery mod with no cut off. I scooped up some ground herb (sorry, don't have a way to weigh it), loosely filled the chamber, put the cap on and gave it about 10-12 sec warm up. Then started to very gently take a slow steady pull. I got a good burst of flavor, but almost no visible vapor. I am also using a piece of clear tube topped with my pureflow filter connected to the mouth piece. Visually, no vapor so far, but I have taken several pulls and can taste it, starting to feel it.
My first observation is that this is a device for people with patience, and not looking for big fat, impressive, milky hits. I noticed too that the white sleeve gets really loose as it heats up.
Decided to take the pureflow/clear tube off and just hit it with the original mouth piece for the remainder of this first load. Getting much stronger flavor, and more of a sense of vapor on the inhale with out the pureflow in line. I am definitely feeling the medication, and it is a slow creeper. This seems to me the most stealthy portable vape so far, due to the lack of clouds, but still getting medicated. Getting much stronger vaped taste now. The Evo is starting to get pretty warmed up now too. Starting to get some visible vapor on the exhale. The taste is just amazing, and it is reminiscent of hitting the solo on setting 3, only less restriction on the airflow. I am very impressed with how conservative it is.
Not sure how long of a battery life I should expect from these little AW batteries, but I just drained the first one with a fresh charge after a dozen or so 8-10 second pulls, and waiting on another one that is still charging. These may not be the right capacity batteries for this purpose.
So onto my ego style pass through battery. I am pumping the button about every 5 seconds, it is quick to heat up, and the button is getting hard to hold down due to the heat, but I am starting to get more visible vapor, and after another 5-6 pulls on the ego battery, the first load is finally starting to taste like popcorn, but is still not as dark as the abv I usually dump out of my solo stem after 5-6 pulls.
So I can see now why you might want to have the battery that comes with the kit, if it does not get too hot to hold the button long enough to make it through a single load. Ego style works, pumping the button, but it gets really hot being so close to the heating core, and being such a small body.
I might just have to get the actual battery that goes with this unit after all, but wanted to see how well it works with what I already have on hand before spending more money. I can also see that the Evolution stays hot for a bit after use. The plastic sleeve does keep it safe to touch, and buffers the heat quite a bit, but on bare skin, it feels pretty hot.
Dumped out the first load and it pretty evenly toasted, but not as dark as what I am used to dumping out of other vapes, there may still be some life left in that first load, and I am plenty medicated.
So I agree with the other posts, it is very deceiving at first. You don't get the full hit sensation, but soon after a few tries, the medication sets in, and I am very medicated off of what I used to load in my tiny one hitter when I was smoking, or about 1/2 of what I would load into the solo stem. Out of curiosity, I took off the plastic sleeve and just put my pureflow directly into the heat chamber. It works, but gets hot very fast. I would not recommend that it is used in this way, but had to try it out anyway.
Now that I have a feel for it, I am going to load it up again, and start out on the ego battery, and see how the results differ. I think the AW batteries I started with just didn't have quite enough power to fully run the Evolution at it's peak performance.
WOW, ok, yeah, that mod I started with did not have the juice behind it like this ego does. My first hit on a cold, fresh load, ego passthrough/battery was much more impressive than the first try with the lil'chuck. Good to know. Much stronger flavor, and more visible vapor, but still no clouds. I am getting plenty medicated though. Interesting little vape indeed. I'm going to go enjoy the rest of the second load... be back later.