Discontinued Zion vaporizer

[cybrguy]

I have been noticing, now that I am using Venus more than Bam Bam again, that with the Zion the glass gets less hot because it is going to a set power output point, and not swinging higher and lower based on the feathering. I tend to stir the stem by holding it in the crook of my finger like this pic from @pakalolo (damn, all the way back to page 176 for that) and with the Milaana, if I do a full bowl it can get uncomfortably warm. That doesn't happen with the Zion, even going for complete extraction.

Actually I hold it in the crook of my thumb and complete the circle...

 

[DocGonzo]

I hope we see an update on the Zion soon. The site still says they'll start going out this month, but, given that it's the 22nd already and we haven't heard anything, I don't think we're going to see any go out anytime soon.

 

[TeeJay1952]

zion,ZION,ZION,ZION! (GEEZ I WISH I HAD SOMETHING BETTER TO ADD.)

 

[virtualpurple]

After having my milaana since May, I am more convinced all the time that I need The Zion. The idea of this taste and effect with voltage control and longer battery life just makes me drool. As posted previously, I was so close to holding my Zion that I had even recieved a pre-shipping notice from RBT in January prior to shipping getting held, so I'm hanging on for the remainder of the ride and I wish everyone well in their choices.

 

[hweezi]

I hope we see an update on the Zion soon. The site still says they'll start going out this month, but, given that it's the 22nd already and we haven't heard anything, I don't think we're going to see any go out anytime soon.

Well they were supposed to be shipping in may, I'd say theres a +2 month or so delay now compared to what we were told back then.

I really hope we SEE something positive soon.

 

[IAmKrazy2]

I was a paying customer too, one of the few lucky enough to receive a Zion. I can imagine some, or most of you are very frustrated. I would be too. Only experience i can compare it to would be my GH, but with zero progress in shipping Zions recently there is more of a unknown factor. I am sure it isn't easy.

That said, this vaporizer rules. My home portable. The Zion sees more use then all my other vapes combined. The Mi is a good vape, but the Zion is in a different league IMO. Instant convection, great flavor, tons of power and battery life, and the consistency is devine.

For those who were lucky enough to preorder i know this wait has been rough and unexpected but at least the price was right. I would personally pay more for the Zion then the Herbalizer. It certainly is a lot more rough around the edges then the Herbie but the more useful tool IMO. I believe most would be willing to shell out over $300 for the Zion once they tried it.

 

[SSVUN~YAH]

If the Zion is priced around the Herbalizer or even the Evo, you can count me out. I'll gladly wait a bit for it to come back to Earth, before succumbing to the great vape inflation. When a hot air mechanism cost more than my ps4, I'm out!

 

[DocGonzo]

Given that it's priced at about $300 USD on Planetvape, it's not too far off the starter Evo kit as it is.

 

[cybrguy]

When I was first introduced to vaping I thought the vape prices were crazy. That was around $500 for a Volcano. Made no sense to me, let alone the price for the Herbalzer, which was just nuts at around $700.

When I finally decided to join y'all I started with the HA at about $200 all in. I thought that was a lot, but I also found it quite worth it. And then I started to understand some of the other pricing.

I still would probably bawk at anything much over $300, but I am very happy with the vapes I have and I can live with the prices I paid. If I lost my Zion somehow, I would most certainly replace it. The only one I never use is the FM, and that is mostly because I can't find the fucking charger...

In terms of my affection, it goes Zion, Milaana, Lotus and HA.

(That is affection, not affliction in case someone wondered of I had mistyped.)

 

[hweezi]

Just because something performs better than the rest doesn't mean it has to cost more money, especially if it's much cheaper to produce. That's nothing but greed. You can still offer a bargain and be competitive at the same time, probably make even more money. I wouldn't buy a crafty at the price it is, and the only reason I jumped at the sight of the Zion was because of the low price tag that wasn't going to stay.

Portables in my mind need to stay within the 200 dollar price range, unless they offer a very good warranty with fuckin' grade A customer service. Y'know something like the launch box and the folks at magic flight.

They also are portables and I personally wouldn't want to carry a 500 dollar investment around with me.

 

[Andreaerdna]

Just because something performs better than the rest doesn't mean it has to cost more money, especially if it's much cheaper to produce. That's nothing but greed. You can still offer a bargain and be competitive at the same time, probably make even more money. I wouldn't buy a crafty at the price it is, and the only reason I jumped at the sight of the Zion was because of the low price tag that wasn't going to stay.

Portables in my mind need to stay within the 200 dollar price range, unless they offer a very good warranty with fuckin' grade A customer service. Y'know something like the launch box and the folks at magic flight.

They also are portables and I personally wouldn't want to carry a 500 dollar investment around with me.

Well written!

With all due respect, this vape screams cheap all over (poorly finished, glue to assemble/a steel web as heater and a voltage knob?) yet it is priced in high range / same price of the Apollo for instance and looks at the differences in complexity/safety/quality of the built and relative much higher cost to produce it (there is not a drop of glue ), I have none of theese but the difference is so huge (without even considering CS)

When I saw price rising and rising from last year (if I recall it was less than 100 discounted, full price 140 (without battery)/ than 140 discounted for 189 full price and we are at 280 entry level now?) it makes me think to a habit in wine commerce (or commerce of emotional stuff in general / art - food..) that consists in having low demand for an item and doubling the price in the hope it will look more valuable. Sometimes it works, more often it doesn't

 

[IAmKrazy2]

Apollo looks awesome. I want one. But don't many users go crazy modifying it for better performance? The Zion is ready to go out the box. Instant thick vapor. No need to modify.

 

[mephisto]

I have briefly owned a Zion, and it is worth the price to me. In comparison, I had ordered an Apollo and then cancelled once I saw that a high priced convection vape had to be modified right away for proper function. To Apollo's credit, his refund was issued overnight, still waiting to find out about Irene #18.....

 

[GTAVaper]

A modified Apollo is almost an electronic Supreme v3......and nothing beats the Supreme V3. Also, the nice thing about the Apollo is that there is no "technique", breath control or feathering required to master it. Just a little time is needed to learn the heat-up characteristics and power levels.

The mods are VERY easy......anyone with a long UD 14mm GonG stem or Milaana long stem and some o-rings or silicone tubing of the right size is all the is needed to achieve max performance.

When I finally receive my Milaana, I will at least be able to compare the performance and vapour quality of the two vapes. I am very happy with my Apollo .......but the Supreme v3 also has me enthralled right now since I am primarily a water tool vaporist and it doesn't get better than the Supreme v3 with water.

I am also hoping to use my Milaana as an instant-on portable log ......and if I like it enough and find myself drawn to direct draw or water use with the Milaana, then I might one day pick up a used Zion from the classifieds ......but I will have to really, really love the Milaana before that happens.

Otherwise......vape tech is maturing, and it might be better just to enjoy the vapes that I have and wait for the next greatest thing to arrive on the scene.......because there is always something new around the corner to look forward to.

 

[hippogriff]

A modified Apollo is almost an electronic Supreme v3......and nothing beats the Supreme V3. Also, the nice thing about the Apollo is that there is no "technique", breath control or feathering required to master it. Just a little time is needed to learn the heat-up characteristics and power levels.

The mods are VERY easy......anyone with a long UD 14mm GonG stem or Milaana long stem and some o-rings or silicone tubing of the right size is all the is needed to achieve max performance.

When I finally receive my Milaana, I will at least be able to compare the performance and vapour quality of the two vapes. I am very happy with my Apollo .......but the Supreme v3 also has me enthralled right now since I am primarily a water tool vaporist and it doesn't get better than the Supreme v3 with water.

I am also hoping to use my Milaana as an instant-on portable log ......and if I like it enough and find myself drawn to direct draw or water use with the Milaana, then I might one day pick up a used Zion from the classifieds ......but I will have to really, really love the Milaana before that happens.

Otherwise......vape tech is maturing, and it might be better just to enjoy the vapes that I have and wait for the next greatest thing to arrive on the scene.......because there is always something new around the corner to look forward to.

Well now I really want your Milaana to get to you, instant-on portable log vape (+ instant, manual temp surfing) bout sums it up.

 

[IAmKrazy2]

A modified Apollo is almost an electronic Supreme v3......and nothing beats the Supreme V3. Also, the nice thing about the Apollo is that there is no "technique", breath control or feathering required to master it. Just a little time is needed to learn the heat-up characteristics and power levels.

The mods are VERY easy......anyone with a long UD 14mm GonG stem or Milaana long stem and some o-rings or silicone tubing of the right size is all the is needed to achieve max performance.

When I finally receive my Milaana, I will at least be able to compare the performance and vapour quality of the two vapes. I am very happy with my Apollo .......but the Supreme v3 also has me enthralled right now since I am primarily a water tool vaporist and it doesn't get better than the Supreme v3 with water.

I am also hoping to use my Milaana as an instant-on portable log ......and if I like it enough and find myself drawn to direct draw or water use with the Milaana, then I might one day pick up a used Zion from the classifieds ......but I will have to really, really love the Milaana before that happens.

Otherwise......vape tech is maturing, and it might be better just to enjoy the vapes that I have and wait for the next greatest thing to arrive on the scene.......because there is always something new around the corner to look forward to.

Well said. But one thing, i imagine those people who waited around a year for the Zion won't be selling it, but we shall see. It is just too good a vape and too rare to sell IMO.

 

[GTAVaper]

Well now I really want your Milaana to get to you, instant-on portable log vape (+ instant, manual temp surfing) bout sums it up.

@hippogriff

I am really, really looking forward to it!....... especially after all the hype buildup and having to wait by the sidelines for so long

I am also looking at my stock of plastic cutting boards and thinking that they are all just a little to colourful for my liking for the mod that I had suggested
(Post 1049, Pg 42 Milaana thread)

So I will probably go in the direction of the guitar pick mod that you were the first to suggest
(Post 1053, Pg 43 Milaana thread)

......and that @Vape Dr. was first to implement and share photos of with the FC community
(Post 2663, Pg 95 Milaana thread)

Hey? Where'd the "pics" go? (Broken picture links)

(Pun Intended)

 

[killick]

So I'm still very happy with Millie, but need to do a few things in the shop so decide it's time for No13 Baby to get some surgery and reattach her glass bit. Now the glass wasn't *really* loose, just wiggling a bit, and coming out maybe 1/8th" or so. So I take the plunge and pull straight up, directly out of the hole.

What comes out is the female glass attached to the glass tube that holds the heater in place. Coming from the battery compartment are two wires. You can clearly see where they were red and black, but the color is stripped away from most of both strands. They are each a few inches long, and bare between the battery and the heater, and only separated by 1/4" or so.

Both wires are in the air path, so with the coating stripped away there is mostly no plastic in the airway, just copper wire. One of the pair is quite frayed, and I can't see just stuffing this back inside and hoping they don't touch and short out. My first thought was to shrinkwrap at least one wire, but then I'll have shrinkwrap in the airpath.

So my quandary - stuff the wires back inside and hope they don't touch? Try keep them separated during reassembly using more bits of wire through the air intake? Or just say flock it and heatshrink one wire so we don't need to worry about shorts? I already have enough toxins in me that a few more won't make much of a difference, but if there is a more elegant solution I'm all ears...

No pix cause I vaguely recall someone being spanked for that awhile back? I do have a few if they are OK to post...

@DocGonzo - here's my tale of wiring woe

 

[KeroZen]

No heatshrink! Not only will it melt and create nasty fumes, but you might still get the short you wanted to avoid once it's gone. You'll fry the chip and hurt your health in one go... clearly not a good bet!

I think that the two wires are somewhat pinched into place when the female GonG is inserted but I might be wrong. I like your idea of using tools through the bottom air intake during reassembly, especially if you can see what you are doing from above. Maybe a pair of long needles with their tips slightly bent to create hooks?

Why don't you just ask Ryan or Sheila for directions? The only thing I'm sure of is that if you try to power with a short, the chip will go pop and you'll enjoy the magic smoke...

 

[Shit Snacks]

Yeah I mean I sold my Evo when I had Zion back, again I believe the price to be wholly justified given the current market (and worth waiting for too). To presume you know the underlying cost of parts and labor is just a bit ignorarrogant imo. However I do agree all upper level vapes are way over priced in general and I have tried quite a few of them myself

 

[hippogriff]

Well now I really want your Milaana to get to you, instant-on portable log vape (+ instant, manual temp surfing) bout sums it up.

@hippogriff

I am really, really looking forward to it!....... especially after all the hype buildup and having to wait by the sidelines for so long

I am also looking at my stock of plastic cutting boards and thinking that they are all just a little to colourful for my liking for the mod that I had suggested
(Post 1049, Pg 42 Milaana thread)

So I will probably go in the direction of the guitar pick mod that you were the first to suggest
(Post 1053, Pg 43 Milaana thread)

......and that @Vape Dr. was first to implement and share photos of with the FC community
(Post 2663, Pg 95 Milaana thread)

Hey? Where'd the "pics" go? (Broken picture links)

(Pun Intended)

A stock pick works great for me, useful in 3 positions: break circuit, secure stem, or do both for some officially discouraged moving around w/ stem in place. And when it comes to getting everything to fit - eg the pick to clear the glass, the battery cover to connect tight - remember the battery spring is, uh, adjustable.

 

[GTAVaper]

Yeah I mean I sold my Evo when I had Zion back, again I believe the price to be wholly justified given the current market (and worth waiting for too). To presume you know the underlying cost of parts and labor is just a bit ignorarrogant imo. However I do agree all upper level vapes are way over priced in general and I have tried quite a few of them myself

@Shit Snacks

Are you a lawyer by any chance?
.....because you do Devil's Advocate incredibly well!



P.S. I think you misspelled a word....... "ignorarrogant"
Sounds like something "Sterling" would say..... "Don't Cha" think?
Also just a little bit tough to pronounce too......at least when you're a little bit vaped

Sorry.....I can be a bit anal when it comes to spelling
......and irony too,

....especially after re-reading the last two sentences of your posts;
and examining the dichotomy of those statements

Sometimes, I think that you have way too much fun in your posts......
.....but then again, that thought would just be far too hypocritical



(Yes, I like my emoticons)

 

[Shit Snacks]

@Shit Snacks

Are you a lawyer by any chance?
.....because you do Devil's Advocate incredibly well!



P.S. I think you misspelled a word....... "ignorarrogant"
Sounds like something "Sterling" would say..... "Don't Cha" think?
Also just a little bit tough to pronounce too......at least when you're a little bit vaped

Sorry.....I can be a bit anal when it comes to spelling
......and irony too,

....especially after re-reading the last two sentences of your posts;
and examining the dichotomy of those statements

Sometimes, I think that you have way too much fun in your posts......
.....but then again, that thought would just be far too hypocritical



(Yes, I like my emoticons)

yes that was an intentional word play when I realized the two words were so close together and both described how I feel about people saying this is really a cheap product. And my dichotomy comes from the state of market demanding the price (and this product's rough journey to launch), but yeah I find many vapes prohibitively expensive for the average consumer bc this is still a very niche market unfortunately... And I can definitely lawyer someone to death, be it angel or devil

 

[DocGonzo]

Considering the fact that we were told low demand for the Zion, at a lower price I would add, is one of the reasons it went on the back burner in favor of the Mi, I'm not so sure we can say the market demands this price point.

 

[Andreaerdna]

yes that was an intentional word play when I realized the two words were so close together and both described how I feel about people saying this is really a cheap product. And my dichotomy comes from the state of market demanding the price (and this product's rough journey to launch), but yeah I find many vapes prohibitively expensive for the average consumer bc this is still a very niche market unfortunately... And I can definitely lawyer someone to death, be it angel or devil

@Shit Snacks you reveal yourself as a very nice person, i didn't want to reply but you reiterate your insults.

so you feel I am arrogant and ignorant finding this item cheap and in dichotomy with its high range price?

Would you mind arguing for once your insults rather than going away as you did last time?

How do you justify its final price in comparison with another 300usd vape in market ? (I choose Apollo but if you have another example feel free)