Overview
I saw the Yocan Vane in a glass shop the day after receiving a letter from my neighbours complaining about the smell of cannabis. I can't blame them for complaining. I was pretty stressed at that time and was firing up the bong 3 or 4 times a day. The vane was $50CAD, they guy said it isn't top of tine, but it does work. I handed over my money and thought 'what the hell'.
When I got the unit home, it took a bit more than an hour to fully charge.
Not knowing how to pack it, I ground some weed and packed as much into the heating chamber as possible. I am pretty sure that "MORE is always better" is a sound engineering principle. Maybe it is more than that? Is more always better???
In the case of the Vane, more isn't better. After packing as much weed as possible into the chamber, packing even more with the mouthpiece, I set the Vane to 420 and started.
I tried to inhale. I tried sucking harder, I sucked until my @hole quivered, but I couldn't draw shit.
Feeling utterly defeated and disappointed, I broke down, looked at the instructions, and did a Google search. Long store short, packing the Vane is like an art, and still an unknown art. The Vane needs to be loosely packed; I also took apart the mouthpiece and removed unnecessary screen. Once that was figured out, I can catch a buzz with the Vane.
Lots of hate for the Vane
While I was Googling my packing problem on the Vane, I saw post after post of people hating the Vane. However, this is a cheap, small device; it should not come with unrealistic expectations.
Most complaints are about not being able to draw, but that can be resolved by figuring out the best way to pack, making sure the device is clean, and removing any unneeded screens.
A second common complaint is that it gets hot to hold in the hand. Yes, it gets quite warm, but given the size, there isn't much to be done.
Mouthpieces break because they get hot and brittle. The good news is that the replacements are about $4. Not a huge cost.
Cleaning is a pain no matter what it is. To clean the Vane, disassemble the mouthpiece, soak in alcohol, replace plugged screens, and that is it. For the heating unit, just brush it out.
Points in favour of the VANE
The big one here is price. For someone skeptical about dry herb vaping, its price is an easy entry point. Size is certainly something; this is very tiny. The electronics control the heat, ranging from the low 180's to 448. After use the AVB is a nice even brown. There is nothing wrong with the way it cooks the food.
Battery on the Vane impressed me, in that given its size, it can get through 5-6 three-minute sessions at 360-370; lower temps might get you one more session, but don't bank on it.
If someone is into vaping at home, and is light user, the Vane makes for a stealthy carry. I cannot walk outside the house carrying a Solo II. With the glass tubes, it looks 'drug related'. With a Vane concealed in the palm of my hand, no one knows what I am carrying. It looks like an oversized cigarette lighter.
The Vane will not handle even moderate daily use
This is an ultraportable vape made with a cheap plastic mouthpiece, and that mouthpiece will break; the good news is that at $4, the mouthpieces are disposable. The mouthpiece/screen will get plugged with resin after 2-3 uses and will need to be cleaned. Even after mastering the art of packing and getting draws through the device, there will be times where everything will be plugged up and you will need to repack. Yes, the Vane works, but the stars need to be aligned to get it to work right.
Who should consider the Vane?
So the Vane has its flaws, but it might work for some.
If someone has never tried dry herb vaping, this is an OK start, but for an extra $50, a Starry v3 is about $100.
If someone has a Solo II or a Starry, or some other portable, but wants even more stealth and smaller size, the Vane is worth a look.
Who should NOT consider the Vane?
If budget is an issue, I suggest avoiding the Vane; it is cheap, but reliability is uncertain.
In terms of most efficient, the Solo II wins hands down. If budget is an issue, save up for a Solo or some other Arizer product. The Solo II sells for about $180 CAD at the time of this post. The $180 is a large up front cost, but pulls all the potential from weed, wasting nothing. With a Solo II 28 grams goes a long long way.
While it may be tempting to save a few dollars buying the Starry over the Solo II, it needs to be recognized that the Starry will use more weed than the Solo 11; the difference may not he huge, but it is noticeable. Where the Starry wins though, is size and stealth; it is smaller than the Arizer.
The Vane is fragile. It cannot handle abuse.
