Discontinued VapeXhale Cloud

[Seek]

vapor 4 life: Connection of the Cloud to a stemless can have some stress in the joint, so using an adapter could give some protection. If the stress gets too high enough somehow to break some glass, the adapter will break, not a Cloud bamboo or a waterpiece joint. Adapter is cheap, Cloud replacement and waterpieces are not.

 

[ej2389]

ej2389, yes, they still haven't shipped my replacement unit. I am still waiting for my e-mail as well. They said that I will get a confirmation email when it is sent. You will probably get yours before mine. Hopefully today or tomorrow we should have the email. Last I heard, they were still in quality control cause they had a new batch in, so hopefully it should be passed QC and shipped out shortly.

That's just my speculation of course. I, like you, just can't wait to get my Vaporizer back. I think the huge amount of units they sold during that sale drained all of the inventory. (That's again just my guess).

Thank you for this post, exactly what I wanted to hear. Now I know to expect an email for tracking. I didn't understand why a normal order would warrant tracking but a replacement or repair wouldn't. I don't know why they responded to your email and not mine wondering about this, so that's why I posted here.
I suppose I should just accept the tradeoff because I did get that $100 discount.

 

[vtac]

Connection of the Cloud to a stemless can have some stress in the joint...

If used correctly I don't think there's a stress concern. If anything, the weight of the Cloud on a 45 degree adapter connected to a 90 degree joint will create far more leverage on the joints. Even then it doesn't appear to create that much stress IME, but I still tend to hold the cloud when using 45s.

An adapter does provide some inexpensive protection against the general GonG wear and tear that can occur with hundreds of insertions and removals. Good for use around glass newbies.

 

[Vapinghole]

As always, the real answer is to buy both and decide for yourself.

Right on!

Edit: I have many comments and some vids for the viVape in that thread for anyone curious.

 

[Cannabinaut]

I'm a little late to the party but here's my take on Cloud vs. Vivape 2.

The Vivape 2 is like a Lexus (or other non-performance luxury car). It's easy to drive, it has tons of convenience features, it would be a comfortable daily driver. It's the nicest box/whip style vape I've used. I really like the fan that pushes the vapor in to your lungs while you simply inhale softly. The vapor was cool and tasty. Not too light, and not very thick. The high crept up on me after a couple whips. If I were medicating several people the Vivape would be a nice choice.

The Cloud is like an Italian sports car. The first time I used it I thought, "this is the Ferrari of vapes." Only a true enthusiast will appreciate it to its fullest capabilities. You need to be an experienced driver to use it properly/safely. It's not weighed down by convenience features like AC/fans or navi/touch screens. It's built for one purpose only: to "smoke" the competition doing what a car/vape is really meant to do. It's got the biggest "engine" of any vape on the market. It's got full manual controls. You can push it as hard as you want and it will always keep up with you. It's a thrill to use. Not a comfort.

Another analogy using my favorite morning-drug would be a full-manual espresso machine versus a super-automatic. If you know how to use the manual machine and are prepared for its quirks, it will always make superior espresso due to its simpler mechanism unhindered by plastic tubes to pipe coffee grounds or water from point A to B to C. Considering the plastic tubing and fans in the air path of the vivape, that's a very sound analogy. I still like the Ferrari comparison better though.

 

[Slightly Medicated]

Just another point of view:

• awards - I don't think it's a big secret that these awards are typically bought, figuratively or literally. Not to take anything away from past winners, but there have been some head-scratchers.

I don't trust any awards unless they were voted on by the people attending the event. I never trusted awards that were given away by "judges" running the event. To much "influencing" (Buying the Award) can go on between the judges and the people competing. I prefer to let the crowd choose the winner. That being said Kush Expo decided the winners themselves. The High Times cups are voted on by the people attending.

The Cloud is like an Italian sports car... You need to be an experienced driver to use it properly/safely.

Actually from my experience at the two shows, I have come to the realization that the cloud is quite intuitive for people who have used a water pipe before. Many people expect it to be more complicated then it was.

People would say: "Do I need to press a button to make it work before I hit?" after they use it I would tend to hear "Whoa, is that all you have to do" people were kind of surprised when it was so simple. I think it looks daunting with all the glass and everything, but when you use it you realize how little experience you need to enjoy it. By the 2nd hit people were understanding the device enough that if I wanted to I could have handed it to them and let them use it.

I also got allot of people that would ask me what they had to keep buying. At first that question confused me. Then I realized they were referring to the whips, bags, screens, all the stuff you have to keep buying over and over again with most vaporizers. I had to explain that if you clean everything up and treat it with respect then the kit you buy is all you need. Just keep cleaning the ELBs and you are good to go. That seemed to strike a cord with people.

 

[max]

Actually from my experience at the two shows, I have come to the realization that the cloud is quite intuitive for people who have used a water pipe before. Many people expect it to be more complicated than it was.

In fact (other than drawing vapor from a bag) it's probably the easist vape for a smoker to transition to, ESPECIALLY big hitting water pipe fans. Whatever draw speed you want to use will work just fine. With glass and water involved, care is certainly needed to avoid accidents, but it's the perfect intro to vapor for the vape noob/bong lover. If the Cloud is a Ferrari, it's got an automatic instead of a stick.

 

[stonemonkey55]

Quick update - We have really poor internet access as we drive across the country. Sometimes our MiFi card works, most of the times, it is fairly spotty. We are communicating orders and returns to our fulfillment center but due to traveling and not having great internet access, we haven't been able to respond as quickly as we'd like. The dates being pushed back were due to us viewing inventory levels that were not updated and giving expected ship dates based on that. Next time we have a tradeshow, we will leave a team member back at headquarters to keep the support line humming along. Being that this tradeshow was 4X bigger than the Seattle Cannabis Cup, we thought having the full team out there was the right move. As always, we will learn from our mistakes.

I apologize to anyone that has been waiting for their unit, this was a bad two weeks for us as our small team has been spread thin. We will absolutely ensure that everyone is taken care of and apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

On a side note, I know there have been quite a few discussions about some Clouds running too hot/cold and I think it is beginning to spark a mild panic in this forum. In the last month, we've received no less than 15 Clouds where the owner thought that their unit was malfunctioning. So many that we hired another company to do the diagnosis for us and what we found was that the units were actually functioning perfectly. Upon calling these customers back, most replied, "Yeah, it was working fine but I thought it could get a little warmer/cooler so I sent it back."

Traditionally, we have been sending replacement units back as soon as we received the defective unit and had inventory to send out. From now on, we will be diagnosis each unit before a replacement is sent out. Opening and diagnosing units that are not faulty is a huge financial and time burden for our team but this will now be the standard process going forward. When we receive units, we will diagnos each one before sending out a replacement. Replacement will now be sent out in 1-4 weeks due to this extra step that we will be implementing. I apologize for the inconvenience that this may cause but it is something we need to implement to protect the company.

On a side note, It was great to see Cannahound, SliM, Progress, and Stu at the event. I apologize if I wasn't my normal self, I was stressed to gills. There were a few things that went down earlier that day that affected my ability to enjoy the experience. I won't go into details but now that I understand that politics is a big part of this industry, I won't ever be caught off-guard again.

 

[Cannabinaut]

On a side note, It was great to see Cannahound, SliM, Progress, and Stu at the event. I apologize if I wasn't my normal self, I was stressed to gills. There were a few things that went down earlier that day that affected my ability to enjoy the experience. I won't go into details but now that I understand that politics is a big part of this industry, I won't ever be caught off-guard again.

I came on Sunday and was disappointed not to meet you, Stonemonkey. I should have come Saturday. Can you tell us what happened politics-wise at the event? It might be priviliged information, but I'm very curious what was going on behind the scenes there, especially if it had anything to do with the ViVape 2 winning best vaporizer.

Also, bummer about the new returns-delay. It's been hell being without my Cloud for 7 days. I was told on the phone I would have it back in no more than 4, otherwise I probably would not have sent it in. It works perfectly, just the bamboo slides around. I can't imagine waiting a whole month to get a broken Cloud replaced! This is the first time it has started to make sense to me to buy a backup Cloud, if I had the money. That said, I fully understand that you guys have NO choice but to do things this way if you want to stay in business.

 

[ej2389]

I came on Sunday and was disappointed not to meet you, Stonemonkey. I should have come Saturday. Can you tell us what happened politics-wise at the event? It might be priviliged information, but I'm very curious what was going on behind the scenes there, especially if it had anything to do with the ViVape 2 winning best vaporizer.

Also, bummer about the new returns-delay. It's been hell being without my Cloud for 7 days. I was told on the phone I would have it back in no more than 4, otherwise I probably would not have sent it in. It works perfectly, just the bamboo slides around. I can't imagine waiting a whole month to get a broken Cloud replaced! This is the first time it has started to make sense to me to buy a backup Cloud, if I had the money. That said, I fully understand that you guys have NO choice but to do things this way if you want to stay in business.

Wait why did you send it in if the bamboo is supposed to move? Am I missing something?

 

[vaplexus]

I can't imagine waiting a whole month to get a broken Cloud replaced! This is the first time it has started to make sense to me to buy a backup Cloud, if I had the money. That said, I fully understand that you guys have NO choice but to do things this way if you want to stay in business.

I think because the cloud and associated glass are such a large investment, and there has been a little ambiguity about how things are supposed to be with the cloud (is the bamboo moving a bit ok? is it running hot ok? etc) people want to make sure its perfect before the warranty expires. i know as a prospective cloud purchaser, i also feel like i need to check it over once i get it and the first sign of any trouble, send it in. another part of the issue is that the only out of warranty repair solution so far seems to be to buy a new cloud, as the repair costs seem to point in this direction.

it would help vapexhale to have a little more granular repair policy such that the cost to repair the bamboo is not going to cost close to the same as buying a whole new cloud. then people would feel less inclined to send theirs in at the first sign of trouble. same with the other parts. really it makes no sense for a product to require the close to the same cost to repair it as to buy a new one. in effect vapexhale is basically saying the cloud is not repairable. that's a problem, houston.

so unless something changes, i know i will adopt the same process: at the first sign of trouble i am sending my cloud in for repair because when that warranty expires, i want it to be perfect. its perhaps a false sense of security but when a company basically says their product is not repairable at a reasonable cost, what else are you going to do?

 

[partially veiled]

OK...so I would like to support what sm55 is saying by sharing my own story. I recently contacted VXL because I have an older Cloud that runs hot. I talked to Phil and wanted an exchange for a unit that worked "properly." Phil talked to me about this and explained many things, but we danced around the obvious many times which is that a unit that's running a little hot is not at all broken...you just need to turn it down.

Anyway, I was in a bad spot for unrelated personal reasons and that fuelled, but does not excuse, my response. I unloaded on Phil and he still calmly tried to talk me down and we basically just went back and forth. Phil made me an offer and I walked away from the conversation, agreeing to contact him again at a later date.

Given some time to think about the situation, I realized how much of my frustration was coming from other sources and how the problems I was having with my vaporizer were seriously minimal, and could be entirely circumvented by me just being a little less lazy and using the Cloud at a temp other than 12. I've since talked to Phil and agreed to accept his offer, but I haven't followed through with it. I am waiting to make a final decision for several reasons, but most prominently among those reasons is that I still feel guilty. I feel like I'm going to put a burden on a start up company that is already flooded with burdens and I now agree that my Cloud is not dysfunctional. I would be upset if it didn't get hot enough but "too hot" really is a non-issue, IMO.

I had written earlier, in a private message to sm55, that I DO personally believe that their company is making the best vape for their specialized, targeted market, and that as a result of my honest belief in what they're doing, and my desire to see them succeed in their endeavours, I would be happy to do anything to help if there were ever any need. Well, the only need for my attention is to my own personal interactions with the company, I am ashamed to say.

This IS a small company, and it is run by some people that some of us know. That's what small businesses are all about...these are people taking risks because they believe it's worth it, so if you do too then you should probably stand behind that. VXL is seemingly doing everything it can to push to the top and it's doing it without the help of a "deep pocketed" private investor (as has been mentioned previously). That is hard enough, but they are doing this with a product that is very specialized and targeted at an extremely niche market. That market on a whole is not centralized or controlled either, as we know, since many of it's products are borderline illegal.

If you actually believe in this company and believe that their vaporizer is what we've been saying it is, they need true support on their way to the top. In a world that is more or less run by a shrinking class of wealthier and wealthier people, VXL is doing something that is driven by a dream and accomplished with hard work and perseverance. This isn't someone looking for easy street...not in my estimation, at least...this is a legitimate attempt to unleash something unique into the marketplace and what they are unleashing has the potential to revolutionize Cannabis usage, to a degree. I really do believe that and I feel horrible that I was willing to put another burden on a company that already has a lot to contend with. It is selfish, and it is not something I'm proud of, but I hope this story helps something think twice about what they say and do regarding VXL...just because their product is as legitimate as a big brand such as Volcano doesn't mean it's fair to look at the companies in the same light. VXL is basically Mom and Pop, jumping into a ring full of sharks in suits. It feels much "bigger" than it is but as far as I know VXL is small and trying to keep pace.

Anyway...this is all opinion and should not be cited as fact, so take it or leave it. Since I've taken so much space I also want to give props to Phil: that guy is the real deal. I unloaded on him, as I've said, and he never stopped treating me with respect and also was never condescending. I felt like he was trying to be as helpful as he could be.

Thanks for reading this if you did, and thanks again to VXL for everything: you guys rock and your vaporizer rocks me harder than anything else can. I enjoy it more and more every time I use it and feel completely blessed to have such a luxury in my life.


Edit: Also, regarding warranty replacement shipping, RMAs etc: not shipping the replacement until receiving the original "defective" unit and verifying the issues is completely standard and VXL should have been doing this all along. They tried to be nice, got burnt, and now understand the need to protect themselves. This is how it should be: it sucks to wait for a replacement but that's just the breaks--Sony or Samsung or whatever does the same thing for the same reason. So this is a good move on VXLs behalf IMO. It'd be nice if everyone were trustworthy and took personal responsibility but that's just not really the way stuff works...

 

[ej2389]

I understand wanting to get in on the warranty, but it lasts a year, and there isn't really any ambiguity there as its already been officially stated that the bamboo is supposed to move in newer units.

 

[Cannabinaut]

Wait why did you send it in if the bamboo is supposed to move? Am I missing something?

The first Clouds had rock-solid bamboos, from what I hear. Now they are letting it give a little when it is impacted, but it still shouldn't move in normal use. My bamboo slides EASILY. That's the issue. It is not fused at all. When a hydratube is put on it or it is placed on a bubbler/tube the bamboo is pushed all the way in to the Cloud and I must push it up again from the bottom. When I remove a fat ELB the friction pulls the bamboo almost out of the Cloud (at least 2 inches) and I must push the joint back in again. If I tried, I would have no problem fully removing the bamboo from the Cloud unit. Slides right out. Hitting it with a hydratube requires a finger on the rim of the bamboo's intake hole to keep an airtight seal with the male joint while inhaling. The position reminded me of sucking a dick while fingering someone's anus (something I as a gay man have experience with). This is why I sent my Cloud in.

 

[Your Highness]

^No comment!^

*edit* I guess this is a comment but....

 

[ej2389]

The first Clouds had rock-solid bamboos, from what I hear. Now they are letting it give a little when it is impacted, but it still shouldn't move in normal use. My bamboo slides EASILY. That's the issue. It is not fused at all. When a hydratube is put on it or it is placed on a bubbler/tube the bamboo is pushed all the way in to the Cloud and I must push it up again from the bottom. When I remove a fat ELB the friction pulls the bamboo almost out of the Cloud (at least 2 inches) and I must push the joint back in again. If I tried, I would have no problem fully removing the bamboo from the Cloud unit. Slides right out. Hitting it with a hydratube requires a finger on the rim of the bamboo's intake hole to keep an airtight seal with the male joint while inhaling. The position reminded me of sucking a dick while fingering someone's anus (something I as a gay man have experience with). This is why I sent my Cloud in.

Ok, mine was actually doing the same thing, and I found the feature annoying too when you are trying to pull off the tube to clear it sticks and pulls the bamboo up. Good to know it's not supposed to have that much play. I could have done without the graphic imagery though.

 

[stonemonkey55]

Ok, mine was actually doing the same thing, and I found the feature annoying too when you are trying to pull off the tube to clear it sticks and pulls the bamboo up. Good to know it's not supposed to have that much play. I could have done without the graphic imagery though.

If that is happening, please send it back. There should be a little wiggle but you shouldn't be able to pull it out. Something like that doesn't need to be diagnosed when the problem is so obvious.

 

[newVaper420]

So, keep this in mind, I absolutely love my Cloud. I love VapeXhale. SM55, Troi, Phil, and company, etc. they are all awesome. Very responsive to me when they get a chance, and they are literally the best. Even though I have issues and had to send my back, I still would tell all my friends to buy a Cloud. It's that worth it.

That being said, I do have some issues with a 5 week long turn around for a $500 dollar unit. I completely understand why, but I think there needs to be a better solution. People like warranties. Hell, the reason I use Apple is because I can walk into an Apple store and get service. Obviously, VXL can't accommodate that. But, with a year warranty, and then a 5 week long turn around time, that substantially hinders the warranty.

Now, I guess SM55 was just trying to be comfortable with his zone of 1 week - 4 weeks. If it's 1 week totally acceptable. But 4 weeks to ship + shipping time, thats quite a while. I'm not sure of any other product I own (even Japanese ones) that would take that long to RMA and get a replacement.

I'm hoving on 2 weeks now, and SM55 had a great reason for why the company was spread thin. I understand they are completely small and no "big" money, etc. I'm patiently waiting (with the occasional inquisition on the status of my warranty claim :-D ).

I mean, the real question is, would anyone like to be without their Cloud for over a month? It's hell with my Extreme Q and Pax (LOL I kid, I'm surviving), but I bet some people would not buy a unit if they knew that a warranty turn around time would take 4 - 5 weeks.

I'm an "early" adopter I guess, and I know this is a completely new unit, and I understand the growing pains. I just think that maybe there needs to be a better solution. Like some sort of standards before they can send it in for being too hot or too cold. I mean, my medicine combusted at 12 O'Clock. Something was definitely wrong with my heater. If there was some way the customer had to absorb some of the cost for sending back a perfectly good Cloud. See, I don't think thats a good solution either, cause that is against the customer. I'm really honestly not sure what to do. All I know is if I had to wait a month for a replacement when mine was a true problem because someone didn't "think" their's was working properly and it was working fine, I'd be real pissed. You probably would be too, right?

Anyhow, this is in no way against VXL, just some constructive criticism. I love VXL. Even knowing all this shit, I'd still buy a Cloud in a heartbeat. I have no problem supporting a new company. Supporting a company like this would make it so that in the future they will be able to do faster warranty returns. As of right now, they are extremely small. Normally I'd be going apeshit over this delay on any product return, but patience is key here. No reason to get bent out of shape. It will be here shortly, and the less I worry about it, the faster time goes.

I appreciate all the information that SM55 and VXL have been providing, they are truly awesome!

If that is happening, please send it back. There should be a little wiggle but you shouldn't be able to pull it out. Something like that doesn't need to be diagnosed when the problem is so obvious.

Wait, so are all units going threw this diagnosis, or it depends on the support ticket? That makes it way better if so.

 

[mephisto]

Hahaha, I am still laughing at Cannabinaut's insane description. I can't hardly type. If I recall,
both my "bamboos" were tight. Thanks for the imagery, I'm not gay, just impressed by your candor.....
I hope both my Clouds, ticking and clicking are treating their new owners well. Had to stop in and see
this thread.....Thanks, it was a hoot....

 

[bassplayer]

Both my clouds are the earlier ticking ones with non-movable bamboo (at least non-movable to the point which I was comfortable trying to move it, didn't want to use too much force.) I can totally understand why wanting some wiggle is good, may protect a bit against bamboo breaking...

No problems with either of my Clouds - love the Cloud!

 

[newVaper420]

Both my clouds are the earlier ticking ones with non-movable bamboo (at least non-movable to the point which I was comfortable trying to move it, didn't want to use too much force.) I can totally understand why wanting some wiggle is good, may protect a bit against bamboo breaking...

Yeah, my original Cloud had the flared bottom, ticking, and the bamboo didn't move at all. Oh my beloved Cloud. Number 522. He was a good unit. He loved his female HydraTree companion. He's in a better place :-).

 

[JazzHell]

For those with the horrible combination of a desire to never be without their could and a 'bamboo' that is prone to coming loose - it seems like a high-temp o-ring of suitable diameter for the bottom of non-flared bamboo's would create a nice little bit of snugness w/o losing the designed wiggleability.

Also - a small PC fan with grills on each side can be arranged to blow cool room temperature air on the cover (take ELB out between hits) - mine is always cool and nearly always on at about 11am.

 

[JazzHell]

Here's my pseudo devastator:

And my HT Holder:

 

[jambandphan03]

so I am having this experience: I load the ELB about 1/2 way, press it down a little, put the cap on, load it, start to hit, and sometimes it can take a full breath to get the vapor to start up, and become visible. Is this a result of me packing the ELB wrong? Should I not be tamping the load down? I am not using much force, just enough to get it all down in the bottom of the ELB. I am using the Cloud at 12. This seems to also be true between hits, it just seems like it's taking too long for it to go from air to thick vapor. Once the vapor starts, it's thick. ...or...Maybe I'm crazy .

**also like to mention this is a fresh, never used ELB, on a fully heated Cloud, been on for several hours.

 

[CentiZen]

Yeah, my original Cloud had the flared bottom, ticking, and the bamboo didn't move at all. Oh my beloved Cloud. Number 522. He was a good unit. He loved his female HydraTree companion. He's in a better place :-).

Are the numbers actual reflections of the amount of clouds produced? If so mine (256) is much older than I thought