Thinking about getting my hands on a nice set of balls for my enjoyment. I have some questions though.

[Happy Fish]

If this is tl;dr for you, you can just skip to my questions which are numbered at the end. Thanks!

Hi guys, long time lurker, first time poster here. My current SC2 underdog that I've had for many years is showing signs of core death. This is my fourth log vape so I know the signs of core death. I'm having to turn the voltage up higher and higher to maintain temp. I'm at 13 right now and it's still not hitting hard enough. My typical vape purchase pattern goes like this:
Buy log vape.
Log vape fails (in my youth this was mostly because I put a piece of clothing or blanket over it)
Buy hype vape of the day
Realize hype vape of the day sucks
Buy another log vape.
Cycle repeats itself

I told myself this time I was just gonna buy another log vape but IDK man, the hype has gotten me again, I feel like it could be real this time (like I, stupid me, always do). So I've been eyeing ball vapes. I'm pretty sure I want a wireless one, mostly because I have shit on my desk. Not all the time, but you know, sometimes. I bought an enail and I found the thick braided cord to be pretty unwieldy. I pretty much never use it. It was a shitty enail with a shitty coil and used a micro XLR plug which apparently no one uses or makes coils for so it's basically useless to me. Anyway, I've narrowed it down to 4 potential candidates. Cloud connoisseur Omega, or Epitome, Tiodw pro (18mm injector or 23mm diffuser), or cannabis hardware Mercury. I think I'd prefer a diffusion style.

First a little about my use: I use cannabis medicinally. I am a very heavy user, I use between 1 and 1.75 grams per day spread out over the day. I prefer to toke through glass exclusively and I use an 18mm piece currently. Although the underdog gets me where I want to go, it takes a while and this is annoying for when I don't have the time. Sometimes I wish I could get more of a "rush".

Budget: as cheap as possible, but up to 2-300 bucks I think maybe for everything I need. It's not like I can't spend $600 on a vape, but I can't spend $600 on a vape right now.

Now my questions, if you know any one of them, please jump in:
1. Is bigger always better for wireless ball vapes? More balls = better heat consistency from beginning of the bowl to the end?
2. How annoying is the 23mm diffuser on the tiodw pro? I was eyeing those wood diffuser bowls from dfreez because they look really nice. Seems like a lot of nice stuff wouldn't be compatible and apparently even their own diffusers that they sell don't fit tightly from what I've heard. Should I go for the injector even though I think I'd rather have the infuser? The Tiodw seems the cheapest and I probably would have already bought it by now if it had a 22 mm diffuser or the option to switch between injector and diffuser with one head, but it doesn't, it's one or the other.
3. Does anyone know what diameter and length coil the mercury takes? I would want to just buy the head and buy the coil and PID from somewhere cheaper I think but I can't find that info on their site.
4. Of these vapes (omega, epitome, tiodw pro, mercury), which would you recommend? Are there any others you think would be better?
5. Should I just buy an underdog alpha and skip the hype vape this time? All these years I've been using my underdog in an 18mm piece with an adaptor so when I heard they made an 18mm version, I thought it was fated. But then I saw they're out of stock and the customs start at $275. I also heard the alpha core has problems keeping up with succesive large hits. Same problem as always then. Then I got to reading about ball vapes and here I am now.
6. Do wireless ball vapes really lose their heat too quickly? Should I buy corded instead?
7. What ball material/shape/size is best? I looked at the thermal properties and I'm thinking either ruby or ZrO2

Right now of all the vapes I'm leaning towards the omega, but I'm not sure if my underdog will hold out long enough for it to come back in stock, so tiodw pro is a close second. Many thanks for anyone who takes the time to offer some guidance!

 

[Cheebsy]

1. No, in fact I prefer my smaller heads to my larger ones

2. I don't have that head so I can't comment. I value light weight that's similar to bringing a lighter to your bong bowl.

3. I'm not familiar with that head either. I avoid metal in favour of glass or ceramic for the body material.

4. A phase3 head would be my first choice. The zx is delightful plus you get an awful lot out of a small quantity. It's allowed me to reduce my usage from similar amounts to you, to much less.

5. I've always admired the alphas. One day I'll pick one up I expect.

6. I only use desktop vapes in the same place so wireless have never interested me, although I am curious

7. I like corundum (ruby or sapphire). It has a good capacity and releases the energy smoothly. The size depends on the head you put them in, smaller balls means more draw restriction, more turbulence, more surface area.

 

[cannasoor]

Hey @Happy Fish , welcome!

Re logs, have you tried other makers? I have always been interested in Underdogs, but have been filling out my collection with other types of vapes so far; I have an E-Nano for seven-plus years with absolutely no issues, and haven’t been able to justify another log (yet !). I guess I’d advise you to consider one of EpicVape’s models, perhaps an XL if you want more capacity. [I am not affiliated with them in any way than being a customer.]

Re balls/ballers (I prefer “coil an ball vape” when that’s appropriate), my experience is again limited to just one maker/model, but I am very happy with my Phase3 ZX/ZB, so I would echo @Cheebsy in recommending you look at those (not sure if that model is still available, but @invertedisdead is very active here, and not just in “his own” thread(s), and I believe he has larger capacity models available and/or in the works). [Ditto re no affiliation, btw.]

OK, my ability to type on an iPad is waning—I have been on an extended trip out of town, so not monitoring the board as closely as usual—but I could not resist logging in and chiming in. I wish you the best of luck in your quest!

 

[Happy Fish]

1. No, in fact I prefer my smaller heads to my larger ones

2. I don't have that head so I can't comment. I value light weight that's similar to bringing a lighter to your bong bowl.

3. I'm not familiar with that head either. I avoid metal in favour of glass or ceramic for the body material.

4. A phase3 head would be my first choice. The zx is delightful plus you get an awful lot out of a small quantity. It's allowed me to reduce my usage from similar amounts to you, to much less.

5. I've always admired the alphas. One day I'll pick one up I expect.

6. I only use desktop vapes in the same place so wireless have never interested me, although I am curious

7. I like corundum (ruby or sapphire). It has a good capacity and releases the energy smoothly. The size depends on the head you put them in, smaller balls means more draw restriction, more turbulence, more surface area.

Thanks for the reply! I always use my vape at my desk so maybe I don't really need the wireless either but as long as it doesn't negatively affect the extraction you can get it seems like it would be just a little more convenient and safer so I think I'm probably going to go wireless. Do you have a reason you like the smaller heads? Is it less restrictive airflow or something or just more convenient?

Hey @Happy Fish , welcome!

Re logs, have you tried other makers? I have always been interested in Underdogs, but have been filling out my collection with other types of vapes so far; I have an E-Nano for seven-plus years with absolutely no issues, and haven’t been able to justify another log (yet !). I guess I’d advise you to consider one of EpicVape’s models, perhaps an XL if you want more capacity. [I am not affiliated with them in any way than being a customer.]

Re balls/ballers (I prefer “coil an ball vape” when that’s appropriate), my experience is again limited to just one maker/model, but I am very happy with my Phase3 ZX/ZB, so I would echo @Cheebsy in recommending you look at those (not sure if that model is still available, but @invertedisdead is very active here, and not just in “his own” thread(s), and I believe he has larger capacity models available and/or in the works). [Ditto re no affiliation, btw.]

OK, my ability to type on an iPad is waning—I have been on an extended trip out of town, so not monitoring the board as closely as usual—but I could not resist logging in and chiming in. I wish you the best of luck in your quest!

Hey man, thanks for the welcome! The only other log vape besides underdog I've had was the purple days. I've always seen the e nano and have thought about getting one, but I'm a one-vape-at-a-time kind of guy and I just went with the underdog instead. Currently the e nano xl is $280 and it doesn't come with a glass on glass adapter, you have to pay $12 for it. The underdog alpha on the other hand would be $180 with 2 glass on glass stems (and without the power supply which I already have), so it's over $100 more expensive than the alpha. If I do buy another log vape instead of a ball vape I would probably just stick with the underdog again because of this, even if I have to wait for it to come back in stock.

 

[Grass Yes]

1. Is bigger always better for wireless ball vapes? More balls = better heat consistency from beginning of the bowl to the end?

No. It does make an impact but size and material also matter. Just like everything, focusing on one stat over all others will lead to disappointment.

2. How annoying is the 23mm diffuser on the tiodw pro?

I haven't used one because I have a strict rule to only buy vapes from people who actually use cannabis themselves. I would find it annoying but I suspect the size matters vvery little in practice.

3. Does anyone know what diameter and length coil the mercury takes?

The CH mercury is made for 25mm (diameter) coils. I assume you mean the height when you say length? I suspect more coverage is better but not fatal if it is a bit short.

4. Of these vapes (omega, epitome, tiodw pro, mercury), which would you recommend? Are there any others you think would be better?

I haven't tried the last two. I have heard the Mercury is a big improvement over the Mary. I like both the Epitome and the Omega, but I like the flexibility of the Omega a bit more. I suspect they are all great with minor differences.

5. Should I just buy an underdog alpha and skip the hype vape this time?

Probably impossible to answer.
To me the worst thing about ball vapes is the stupid middle school jokes. You should do what you want

6. Do wireless ball vapes really lose their heat too quickly? Should I buy corded instead?

No, they retain heat very nicely due to most having an efficient housing design and a big thermal battery. So back to back hits are fine. Although all 5 of my ball vapes go back in the coil while I load the next bowl.
For me, all of my wired vapes are collecting dust. I originally thought wireless was going to be a novelty, but now I can't be bothered to manage the cord. YMMV

7. What ball material/shape/size is best? I looked at the thermal properties and I'm thinking either ruby or ZrO2

I agree with the above that ruby/corundum is the best material for even heating and efficiency. The size depends on the vape, but I find gem cuts to add too much restriction. Typically I use 3mm ruby spheres.

 

[Cheebsy]

Do you have a reason you like the smaller heads?

It's mostly due to ergonomics for me. I had a ceroma early on in my ball vape journey. The extra torque on the handle I found annoying and felt like it was easier to drop, and harder to manipulate because of it. You may not have those issues, especially if you start with a heavy one! I started with a very light glass head on a 16mm coil, that taught me you don't need the extra weight, so why put up with it if it's not desired.

 

[Grass Yes]

The only other log vape besides underdog I've had was the purple days.

I'd take a closer look to the current generation of log vapes. They have much more powerful heaters but still allow you to use most like a traditional log. Have a look at the GTR, for example. One of my absolute favorite vapes is the CouchLog, which is a log vape with ceramic balls in the heater.

 

[Happy Fish]

No. It does make an impact but size and material also matter. Just like everything, focusing on one stat over all others will lead to disappointment.

I haven't used one because I have a strict rule to only buy vapes from people who actually use cannabis themselves. I would find it annoying but I suspect the size matters vvery little in practice.

The CH mercury is made for 25mm (diameter) coils. I assume you mean the height when you say length? I suspect more coverage is better but not fatal if it is a bit short.

I haven't tried the last two. I have heard the Mercury is a big improvement over the Mary. I like both the Epitome and the Omega, but I like the flexibility of the Omega a bit more. I suspect they are all great with minor differences.

Probably impossible to answer.
To me the worst thing about ball vapes is the stupid middle school jokes. You should do what you want


No, they retain heat very nicely due to most having an efficient housing design and a big thermal battery. So back to back hits are fine. Although all 5 of my ball vapes go back in the coil while I load the next bowl.
For me, all of my wired vapes are collecting dust. I originally thought wireless was a novelty, but now I can't be bothered to manage the cord. YMMV

I agree with the above that ruby/corundum is the best material for even heating and efficiency. The size depends on the vape, but I find gem cuts to add too much restriction. Typically I use 3mm ruby spheres.

No. It does make an impact but size and material also matter. Just like everything, focusing on one stat over all others will lead to disappointment.

I haven't used one because I have a strict rule to only buy vapes from people who actually use cannabis themselves. I would find it annoying but I suspect the size matters vvery little in practice.

The CH mercury is made for 25mm (diameter) coils. I assume you mean the height when you say length? I suspect more coverage is better but not fatal if it is a bit short.

I haven't tried the last two. I have heard the Mercury is a big improvement over the Mary. I like both the Epitome and the Omega, but I like the flexibility of the Omega a bit more. I suspect they are all great with minor differences.

Probably impossible to answer.
To me the worst thing about ball vapes is the stupid middle school jokes. You should do what you want


No, they retain heat very nicely due to most having an efficient housing design and a big thermal battery. So back to back hits are fine. Although all 5 of my ball vapes go back in the coil while I load the next bowl.
For me, all of my wired vapes are collecting dust. I originally thought wireless was a novelty, but now I can't be bothered to manage the cord. YMMV

I agree with the above that ruby/corundum is the best material for even heating and efficiency. The size depends on the vape, but I find gem cuts to add too much restriction. Typically I use 3mm ruby spheres.

Hi there! Good to know we have some wireless ball vape fans. Also good to know that bigger is not always better and you don't favor the epitome over the omega. I also like the versatility of the omega.

I'd take a closer look to the current generation of log vapes. They have much more powerful heaters but still allow you to use most like a traditional log. Have a look at the GTR, for example. One of my absolute favorite vapes is the CouchLog, which is a log vape with ceramic balls in the heater.

Can't say this will make my decision any easier but I'll take a look. Never even heard of the GTR before. The couchlog seems pretty close to ideal but is a bit expensive. I imagine shipping to the US would be too. Decisions, decisions.

 

[Cheebsy]

You should probably read the last 5 or 10 pages in the ball vape thread, there is a lot of info in there.

**Ball vape comparison megathread** Compare your balls.

The internet seems to be lacking a really good comparison on ball vapes. Please start with which ball vapes you have and your thoughts comparing between them. I seem to be limited on the choices for the poll, so this is just a bit of fun. Your comparisons are most important. Please stick to...

fuckcombustion.com

 

[Grass Yes]

The couchlog seems pretty close to ideal but is a bit expensive. I imagine shipping to the US would be too.

It is expensive, totally agree. The shipping was not terrible and it was fast. I would say that I've had it for years so it's down to pennies per session now.

 

[cannasoor]

It is expensive, totally agree. The shipping was not terrible and it was fast. I would say that I've had it for years so it's down to pennies per session now.

Y’know, this is a truly excellent point that I don’t see made often enough here (and even less so among all the plebs over at r/vaporents ), with the costs of both equipment and “product”, especially when people dither over their first DHV device (and that’s not @Happy Fish here, of course).

Namely, that spread out over time, this stuff can all be pretty cheap. A $100 difference in vape prices over 5 or 10 years (and a better device ought to last that long) is really not such a big premium, especially if you think about it in terms of per session costs, as @Grass Yes does here. I got flack from at least a few people on reddit when I posted pics of my collection there a year or two back, but while it looks pricey, it’s really not that much in the long run. Certainly not when compared to lots of other hobbies (a good bike, a kayak, or climbing equipment, not to mention a bigger boat, a fancy car, or a closet full of designer shoes). But I get sooooo much enjoyment out of it, for multiple hours in a late-night session almost every night, and often another one earlier in the day.

With regard to product, I realize I’m very blessed to live in Oregon, but when I’m home (rare exception right now, dry and away) I spend something like $300-400 a year, and sit down to my choice of something like 90 different strains every day, stuff that almost always brings me to ecstatic heights in both flavor and effects (typically 3-5 different strains a day, so I don’t even have to repeat a strain for several weeks).

Vapes, accessories, tools, supplies, and including product, I think I spend less per week than a lot of people in my area spend when they buy 2-3 nice lattes during that same week.

Maybe I’m just some rich out-of-touch jerk, and my apologies if I offend those on tighter budgets, but it seems like a bit of extra expense on the front end for better equipment is really quite worthwhile in the long run.

[OK, sorry for the long rant ; being dry for a whole week has apparently gotten to me … missin’ those ecstatic heights, I guess . We now return you to your regularly-scheduled FC content. Take a hit in my stead if you can … .]

 

[Happy Fish]

Y’know, this is a truly excellent point that I don’t see made often enough here (and even less so among all the plebs over at r/vaporents ), with the costs of both equipment and “product”, especially when people dither over their first DHV device (and that’s not @Happy Fish here, of course).

Namely, that spread out over time, this stuff can all be pretty cheap. A $100 difference in vape prices over 5 or 10 years (and a better device ought to last that long) is really not such a big premium, especially if you think about it in terms of per session costs, as @Grass Yes does here. I got flack from at least a few people on reddit when I posted pics of my collection there a year or two back, but while it looks pricey, it’s really not that much in the long run. Certainly not when compared to lots of other hobbies (a good bike, a kayak, or climbing equipment, not to mention a bigger boat, a fancy car, or a closet full of designer shoes). But I get sooooo much enjoyment out of it, for multiple hours in a late-night session almost every night, and often another one earlier in the day.

With regard to product, I realize I’m very blessed to live in Oregon, but when I’m home (rare exception right now, dry and away) I spend something like $300-400 a year, and sit down to my choice of something like 90 different strains every day, stuff that almost always brings me to ecstatic heights in both flavor and effects (typically 3-5 different strains a day, so I don’t even have to repeat a strain for several weeks).

Vapes, accessories, tools, supplies, and including product, I think I spend less per week than a lot of people in my area spend when they buy 2-3 nice lattes during that same week.

Maybe I’m just some rich out-of-touch jerk, and my apologies if I offend those on tighter budgets, but it seems like a bit of extra expense on the front end for better equipment is really quite worthwhile in the long run.

[OK, sorry for the long rant ; being dry for a whole week has apparently gotten to me … missin’ those ecstatic heights, I guess . We now return you to your regularly-scheduled FC content. Take a hit in my stead if you can … .]

It is a fair point. I mean I spend $400 a month on weed. In my mind that's why I didn't want to spend a lot on a vape because I already spend a lot, but taken a different way you can make the case that you would be better off paying a premium for the best device available. However, that only applies if the more expensive vapes really are better than the less expensive ones. A couchlog is basically just another log. Maybe it has a better heating element, IDK, I've never tried it and if I do want to, I've got to spend $400. I've also never tried the sc3 or alpha or alpha plus underdogs or the e-nano XL, or any ball vapes so it's hard to know. All of y'all telling me I should expand my budget to consider even more vapes is really not helping with the decision lol.

In the end, I think, who am I to buck tradition. Gotta buy the hype vape of the day next to complete the cycle. Currently that's a ball vape. Then I will probably just buy an underdog alpha. Maybe the alpha isn't as good as the couchlog, but what I don't know won't hurt me and I can have both the alpha and the omega for the price of one couchlog. I kind of think the universe is telling me something with those names. Maybe it's the beginning and the end of the vape game for me. I hope so because thus far my VAS is mild compared to most of the people on here and I'd like to keep it that way if I can.

BUT that said if any of you think one log or wireless ball vape is head and shoulders above the rest and it's not the alpha or the omega, I'm all ears. Please be a shill for your favorite vape. Is the couchlog significantly better than other log vapes out there so much to make it worth the price of 2 vapes?

You should probably read the last 5 or 10 pages in the ball vape thread, there is a lot of info in there.

**Ball vape comparison megathread** Compare your balls.

The internet seems to be lacking a really good comparison on ball vapes. Please start with which ball vapes you have and your thoughts comparing between them. I seem to be limited on the choices for the poll, so this is just a bit of fun. Your comparisons are most important. Please stick to...

fuckcombustion.com

I've read a fair amount of that thread. Even though some of my questions were answered I thought I'd ask anyway because there is conflicting info everywhere. Not all of it here. I've been browsing reddit too.

 

[cannasoor]

I kind of think the universe is telling me something with those names. Maybe it's the beginning and the end of the vape game for me.

I have to say, despite a reputation in my public life for objective rationality blah blah blah, that strikes me as a deep insight. Listening to the universe when it gets right out there and pulls something like that is rarely a bad move. I didn’t even notice that, but now it seems like it’s grabbing you by the scruff of the neck and saying: “Look—see HERE?” Maybe that alone should be enough, especially as it’s YOUR insight.

Well spotted, @Happy Fish !