I have been lurking for quite some time, but thought I would add my voice to some of the things discussed in here of late.
First is the ELB durability. I have had my EVO since November of 2013. I ordered a 4 pack of ELB's just after it arrived because I read how consumable they are. I have not ordered another since. I have 6 perfect, full functional, not damaged ELBs in constant rotation. The soak at times for days, other times for hours in 99% ISO and/or PBW. No ill effects. No signs of wear or tear. I too use a brush after most bowls are cashed - but not always. I intend to soak them after a day or two of use, but often times it is 2 weeks of using the SAME ELB and just brushing it out. The brush I use is fantastic:
Shaver Aid B20 Small Cleaning Wire Brush [$1.49/ea on Amazon]
The mascara applicator looking side is perfect for brushing the sides of the ELB clean, dropping all that to the bottom, then another dump, then, while upside down, the brush end gently cleans the bottom of the ELB. I intend to do this after each load. Sometime I realize it has been days since I even brushed one out... I get no problems, regardless. I have reached the point where I can feel a bit of added restriction and after a look, sure enough the ELB is filthy.
Second is the auto-shutoff/overheating concerns. I run my EVO on a WeMo switch with a 7 day program. I do this to DEFEAT the auto-shutoff. My unit, for nearly a year, every day, has been on from noon to 2AM. It turns off for 1 minute every 30 minutes. This is done so I can have a vape whenever I want with no prep whatsoever. I use my flower (non legal state for the moment) from dube tubes - pre-ground, so the amount of time needed to have a vape is anywhere from 30 seconds to a nice relaxed session. The point of all this is occasionally I will turn the unit off and I too can see an orange glow where the heater sits. I think it is established that this is normal behavior, just adding to the evidence that perfectly functioning, never repaired EVO's see this too. I tend to run the EVO at 2PM, but I do move around the dial during a session whenever the mood strikes. If I am relaxing into it, I might drop to 11-12 and work my way to 2-3.
Next is the durability of the unit. Plenty of newcomers checking out the thread have expressed their concern for how many failures they see. It bears repeating the fact that happy customers rarely say so. We only see the issues - and there really are not that many. Add into that how many of the issues are actual production problems vs accidents, and the numbers get better. It is a solid unit IMO and well worth the price of admission. Again, mine has been running nearly 14 hours a day every day for nearly a year with not even a hiccup...
I saw some mention of the loos bamboo affecting performance and the fact that that person felt if he tightened it (I think he said 'righty tighty'...) it got better. I wanted to note that the bamboo can get loose due to the fact that it is held in place tightly via compression foam. That compression foam does not rebound. Once it compresses, it is compressed. So, when it ships, everything is tight. As we use the unit, there are a lot of factors that can cause the bamboo to move a little - pushing down on the HT a little too hard while hitting is a very common method. That little bit of pressure can cause the bamboo to push down a millimeter or so into the foam. Once it does, there is a little play moving forward. Another way that people unintentionally introduce this play is twisting a slightly joint-locked HT off the bamboo - if the bamboo turns with the HT a little, you have a little play. I noticed a VERY minor amount of play in mine, spoke to Siebo about it and am 100% comfortable that this is a complete non-issue. It also bear mention that the bamboo is not threaded at all, so if you feel like you are tightening it, perhaps you are simply a)finding a spot that it is balanced, pressing on the compression foam and b)probably adding more play by turning it at all.
And finally, how many hits, how thick are the clouds, vapor production. It has been mentioned - strain and pack play a huge role here, as does draw speed. I can take some Alien Dawg with a nice fine grind, nice and dry, load .1g in an ELB and cash it out completely in 2, maybe 3 draws. I can do one big draw and cash it out, but it feels more wasteful as I know I am exhaling so much that my body didn't get to yet. I can then load .1g of Girl Scout Cookies and I get 6, 7, 8 hits off that bowl. Both strains end up looking like coffee grounds (really dark ABV) and when cashed are not discernable from each other.
I used to be after those huge hits, then I tried better pacing, smaller hits and I got a lot more effect from the product. It has become my go to method.
Last bit (sorry for the wall-o-text), I am in the camp of convinced that thicker/cloudier vapor =/= better vapor and that darker ABV =/= better extraction. I too think the darkness is coming from conduction vs convection. And I too think that strain will be a major factor in dictating how thick that vapor is.
It sure is a fun learning curve to round....
