Edric al-Fali
Well-Known Member
I got mine on Friday. Number 91. Emerald. It has a nice retro feel to it. Overall, I am happy with it and have been using it all day. So far, I've swapped the batteries twice.
Unfortunately, those new batteries were all I had as far as Zion intended batteries. I had to charge it all evening and didn't get to try it until this morning. I also didn't ask to return the other charger, so now I have two chargers. I guess that's nice. It sure helped when charging four batteries.
So my initial impressions are that it is well constructed. People complaining about the cosmetics has only made me aware that this is even a problem. I also paid 199 as I got mine at the end of the early crowd.
For the price, I have a different complaint that might clear up with practice. I'm satisfied with the covers and magnet strength. I am most happy with the fact that it's not horrendously top heavy like the Milaana. I feel I would like the Milaana better if it were a better shape. Mine is already broken from a nasty tumble. but i digress
It hits nicely. It does get hot, however, and the batch can get that harsh taste even on a fresh batch. As far as I can tell, it cooks evenly. Stirring it, I don't notice any hot spots. I'm still testing it out to find the right draw speed and heat. I haven't combusted yet, but I am trying to avoid it, so I haven't actually pushed the heater in terms of heating time.
So far I've been using it around "80 percent" power with average 5 second preheats and mild soaking. As it stands: I am fairly underwhelmed with the power of the heater.
Let me get into more detail about what I think of the heater as it's not so clear cut. It is super efficient and I am very pleased with the open air path; draw restriction is annoying. Keeping this in mind, I understand that I have to make my draws slower.
I had some errands to do and this thing gave me strong hits the whole morning on the same batch. I keep the screen pushed up as close as it can go, so my batches are small and close to the heater. Lets say, 30ish or so minutes of cloudy hits every few to 10 minutes.
Next batch was with someone else who never uses vaporizers. He was happy with how well it worked.
I'm having a hard time getting everything out of it extraction wise. For comparison, another cheaper wooden vape with a little 20 watt heater can blacken a load. There are a host of reasons why this is so, but at the moment, I can't get the Zion up to par.
I am pleased with battery life. I don't have much for comparison other then the FW3. The Zion takes longer to charge, but you can swap the batteries and it does last longer.
Everything else is trivial. I wish the poker was steel so I could stick it on the cover while I'm using the Zion. I put a second washer on the cork cover so the thumb screw doesn't destroy it. I also would have liked a manual of some kind. There are preferences to how the batteries should be treated, but I only know that it's best to keep pairs together.
Unfortunately, those new batteries were all I had as far as Zion intended batteries. I had to charge it all evening and didn't get to try it until this morning. I also didn't ask to return the other charger, so now I have two chargers. I guess that's nice. It sure helped when charging four batteries.
So my initial impressions are that it is well constructed. People complaining about the cosmetics has only made me aware that this is even a problem. I also paid 199 as I got mine at the end of the early crowd.
For the price, I have a different complaint that might clear up with practice. I'm satisfied with the covers and magnet strength. I am most happy with the fact that it's not horrendously top heavy like the Milaana. I feel I would like the Milaana better if it were a better shape. Mine is already broken from a nasty tumble. but i digress
It hits nicely. It does get hot, however, and the batch can get that harsh taste even on a fresh batch. As far as I can tell, it cooks evenly. Stirring it, I don't notice any hot spots. I'm still testing it out to find the right draw speed and heat. I haven't combusted yet, but I am trying to avoid it, so I haven't actually pushed the heater in terms of heating time.
So far I've been using it around "80 percent" power with average 5 second preheats and mild soaking. As it stands: I am fairly underwhelmed with the power of the heater.
Let me get into more detail about what I think of the heater as it's not so clear cut. It is super efficient and I am very pleased with the open air path; draw restriction is annoying. Keeping this in mind, I understand that I have to make my draws slower.
I had some errands to do and this thing gave me strong hits the whole morning on the same batch. I keep the screen pushed up as close as it can go, so my batches are small and close to the heater. Lets say, 30ish or so minutes of cloudy hits every few to 10 minutes.
Next batch was with someone else who never uses vaporizers. He was happy with how well it worked.
I'm having a hard time getting everything out of it extraction wise. For comparison, another cheaper wooden vape with a little 20 watt heater can blacken a load. There are a host of reasons why this is so, but at the moment, I can't get the Zion up to par.
I am pleased with battery life. I don't have much for comparison other then the FW3. The Zion takes longer to charge, but you can swap the batteries and it does last longer.
Everything else is trivial. I wish the poker was steel so I could stick it on the cover while I'm using the Zion. I put a second washer on the cork cover so the thumb screw doesn't destroy it. I also would have liked a manual of some kind. There are preferences to how the batteries should be treated, but I only know that it's best to keep pairs together.