Well, I've been using my WW for about a week, and am starting to get the hang of it. So it's a good time to post my fist impressions on it.
First of all, I've only been vaporizing for five months and this is my first desktop vape. I first got Eagle Bill's Shake & Vape, and even though it's a bit of a pain to work, I managed to get quite a bit of vapor from very small amounts, using the MFLB "sipping" technique. Now that I think about it, it was great training for the LB. A month later I got a VaporGenie Coil for $20 shipped. With a bit of practice, I got huge clouds with it, better taste, and more even ABV (just what you'd expect from convection vs conduction). The only trouble with it was that I had to use way more herb (to cover the surface of the chamber). Also, since I never managed to use it with a torch lighter, the wind often prevented me from applying consistant heat. This, plus the necessity of using a flame led me to buy a Launch Box, a month ago. As a home unit, I had been won over by the log vapes, so when Cookie started making the Wychwood I started saving up
And boy, am I glad I did.
The WW is barely taller than the width of my hand and about as slim as two fingers together, which is a very confortable size. Though as a result, ii get pretty hot at the top, as Stu showed above.
@Stu: Did you make your measurements at 12V ?
Note that I live in France, so I don't have much access to quality herb. I usually get a cheap Thai strain (I think). I kind of like the taste though, and it gets me where I want to be. I've tried the WW with some of my friend's crop, and obviously it tasted better, and also lasted longer.
I have my WW on 12.8V 24/7 (2.05A -> 26.25W). Before a session, I kick it up to 13.5 (2.2A -> 29.7W) and take a hit. This first hit is very tasty, and I get a small cloud of vapor.
After the initial hit, I let it heat up for a couple of minutes and finish the session. The ABV is a light chocolate color. I usually stop at this point, and store it away
. Or I can push up the voltage to 14V and get a dark chocolate colored ABV.
In any case, the WW vapes the herbs very evenly. As I have said before, I can't compare this with another home vape, but I don't think it gets much better. Just grind to a med/fine consistency, no need to stir.
I have tried some black hash and it seemed to work well, but I only did one session. I tried some ABV oil and it vaped very well. I just put a ball in the stem and top it off with some herb. I tried vaping oil only using two screens, but it was a stupid idea... The oil just melted on the sides.
I have the All Glass Tube and a maple stem in addiction to the silicone stem. The maple stem is my favorite, it cools the vapor down and the taste is nice. The silicone stem allows for huge clouds, and you can pack a lot it in. The All Glass Tube provides the best taste, but it's barely bigger than the heat port, so it's hard to make a seal around it. Eagerly waiting JRR's vid on this front.
What I love so far about this vape:
- Natural look/finish; you can tell these are made with love
- Clean taste; again I'm not vaping G13 or something, but the taste is consistent throughout the session, which is something I wasn't used to with my LB. It changes a little when the herb is turning brown, but remains very pleasant.
- Short heat-up time; I sometimes need to unplug it, so this is a feature that I can appreciate
- Vapor production; you can get anything from real tasty, cooler puffs to huge clouds of dense vapor. I don't own any glass but I made a bong with a plastic milk bottle, and witnessed the smooth vapors that have been fogging the pages of this thread
- Variety of stems; in the end I like them all and use each of them differently
What I miss about it:
- I can't take it with me.... Obviously that's not a fair critic, bu with it's size you just want to put it in your pocket.
- It can get very hot
- If I am with some friends, or if I want to take back to back hits, I have to turn up my VVPS to 14V or more
- I can't vape oil only
It's funny how long it took me to write that second list compared to the first one... I tried hard to think of any drawbacks, but if you know what you are getting I think there are none.
I absolutely love this vape !
PS:
@JRR: Do you know the Dopecast from dopefiend.co.uk ? I listen to it occasionally, and the Dopefiend does a great job of reviewing vaporizers on his show. Perhaps you could contact him about the Wychwood ?