Like many others I’m coming to Lemmy from Reddit, and I noticed there isn’t a well-established dry herb vape community present (yet). While I still enjoy sharing a joint when the opportunity arises, I prefer dry herb vapes for efficiency, taste, and reduced smell. For some of you that frequented/frequent the vaporents sub, you may have seen this when I posted it a couple of years ago, but I’d like to share some insight into the dry herb vapes that I own if that’s okay here. I’ve edited this from the original to be a little more up to date, but it’s mostly the same. Fair warning that it’s a bit long.

I first started vaping right after getting out of the military, but had been researching for quite a while prior to getting out. After getting the Lotus as my first, I pretty quickly started collecting vapes which turned into a cool hobby that I enjoyed far more than I thought I would. I vape daily, the vast majority of the time at night after I’m done with work and everything else that I need to do for the day. I first started with only hemp to try and alleviate back issues with the intent to only occasionally get high, then started mixing 1:1 hemp and regular flower, and now I just consume regular flower. On a scale of 1-10 I typically prefer to get to a 5 or 6 max, mostly due to the fact that I just don’t enjoy getting wrecked. And similar to beer I would just rather not get more than a good buzz, although I absolutely love the taste of both.

I gravitated toward vapes that required some sort of technique as I love to tinker, and I have an extreme interest in the artisan and smaller-company pieces (especially if they’re wood!). While in the research process for a new vape I would exhaust the search function and read every single post even loosely referencing what I was considering, so seeing a new post with potentially new information or perspective was almost kind of exciting. Maybe that sounds weird, but I’m sure I can’t be the only one so I decided that I’d leave my perspective on each of the vapes that I own if anyone was interested. These are in roughly the order that I bought them, but aren’t ranked any other way as I enjoy them all for different situations. Instead of super technical reviews these are more opinions of why they’re perfect for me, why I bought them, and also the situations that I choose to use them in, so it’s pretty heavily subjective.

** Lotus ** I actually had a lot of fun dialing this one in, and found it to be simple to learn but marginally challenging to master for quick, full extraction. The technique is obviously different than the DynaVap and there is no click, but I found the DynaVap to have roughly the same learning curve to get consistent hits for what it’s worth. I alternate between the default stem and the J-Hook depending on how careful I want to be, but regardless it provides super terpy hits and is very clean tasting.

This is my favorite for citrusy strains and my go-to when it’s a gorgeous spring day outside and I just want to sit for a while in the backyard after I’m done with the yardwork. Pretty specific but there’s just something about those days. I don’t usually push this one very hard, and prefer to take a lot of lighter hits over 20 or so minutes. I love the look and comfortable feel while holding it, really like the attached stir tool, and also can’t help but feel pretty damn classy while using it. This will probably remain as my most nostalgic vape for all time.

** DynaVap ** I wanted something small, quick to extract, and with little to no room for error to get full extraction without stirring. This seemed to fit the bill. The adjustable CCD in the titanium tip was also appealing as I was starting to dabble more with THC flower and was still kind of finding where my comfort zone was at the time. I had bought a Sneaky Pete mini-globe that I tried with my lotus, but preferred to vape with that dry. Not wanting to have to deal with a 14mm adapter (plus, you know, wood) I got a NonaVong-S in Maple.

While fun to use with water, I mostly use this dry as well. My wife doesn’t partake (although she has no issues with it), so out of courtesy I try not to leave a ton of stuff laying out. I used a Hula XL stem for quite a while which I liked, but lately have been alternating between the original maple body and a Shellshock that I got from Vgoodiez. I like the flavor from just about any of my other vapes more, but this gets a lot more use due to how quick it is to finish a cap. I’ll use this between the time that we finish dinner and the time that we sit down to watch something just so I’m not making my wife wait for me. I did build an induction heater which was not only fun to build but fun to use, however I reach for my single-flame Lotus torch way more often just to avoid the clutter of having the IH out. I almost exlusively use this for concentrate now using the Dynacoil since I don’t have any interest in getting a full rig.

** Solo II ** I bought this to have an easy session vape that I didn’t have to fuss with much. It was really down to this and the Mighty, but I believe I was also loosely considering a Tera at the time. What really sold me was the SUPER low maintenance cleaning and simplicity of it in general. While I didn’t distrust the plastic of the Mighty, the general build material was a factor for me, as was the perceived maintenance. I also got this to share with a buddy for occasional sessions since my other two vapes at the time were not very share-friendly. I was surprised at the restricted feel of the airflow (as others have mentioned it’s kind of like sucking on a milkshake), but very impressed at the taste of the vapor and battery life (seriously, goddamn).

This ultimately became my least reached-for vape however, only because of the length of time it takes to finish a stem. I also found that as my tolerance increased over time, it took multiple stems to get where I wanted to, especially more-so while sharing. It’s a very durable and quality vape, and I really didn’t have any complaints whatsoever except the length of time (which is 100% on me). I ended up gifting this to a friend that was interested in dry herb vapes which I was happy to do. I’d rather it get used and enjoyed than sit in a drawer.

** Sticky Brick Jr. ** At the time I was still trying to find my comfort zone with THC while getting the pain relief I was looking for, so I was searching for a heavy-hitter with a bigger bowl. I still had plenty of hemp flower and began experimenting with ratios, often grinding 3:1 or 2:1 CBD:THC and filling the chamber completely. I felt like I could take the edge off without getting blasted, and the taste was phenomenal. The Black Limba is absolutely gorgeous and introduced a woodiness that was actually very pleasant to me. As far as a learning curve, it can be trying, but not so much that it’s off-putting. I was overly cautious in the beginning and found myself getting little to no vapor as opposed to charring or hotspots. I also experimented with the restrictor disc but opted to not use it, and have only combusted once.

Now when I add it to my small rotation it replaces my DynaVap as my quick extractor. I’ll fill it about half-way and take two moderately large hits (depending on the kind of day it was), sometimes leaving what’s left (if any) for later. As a side-note, this is also the vape that I’ve greened out the most with, and is no joke if you want to get very high, very fast. I love everything about this vape, and even cleaning is not too involved. I also enjoy conditioning my wood vapes (although I should do it more often), so the time investment for doing so wasn’t a factor, even though the thought of cleaning the Mighty wasn’t appealing to me for some reason.

** Firewood 5 ** Oooohhhh man, I have nothing but good things to say about this vape. I wanted a discrete, on-demand device that I could take to family functions with the wife when she didn’t mind driving, although it was mostly for golfing with my buddy. It had to be something that I could share and the heat-up time had to be short. I found a post on EntExchange with a price I was comfortable with and decided to pull the trigger. I can load multiple bowls so my buddy and I can each have our own green hits, I can step outside for a quick draw at family gatherings, it has replaceable batteries, ceramic and glass vapor path, is VERY tasty, and it’s WOOD.

These days it’s mostly single use though as we’ve moved to another state, but it’s still perfect for showing up to the golf course early and taking a couple of long hits in my truck, as it’s still taboo in my industry (and not legal in this state…) and I also don’t feel comfortable with most people knowing. As others have stated I also keep a toothpick in the battery compartment for quick stirring which works very well, and if I lose it it’s not a big deal. This is my favorite vape that I own by far, even if it doesn’t get the most use.

** E-Nano ** This was on sale at the time and I had been considering a desktop vape to use while I was… well, at my desk. This has an ultra small footprint and is one the easiest to use vapes that I own. I can load a stem and just take draws as wanted without having to fuss too much. I use the tool as a stand for my stem (as well as a stir tool), and once the adjustable screen is set to where you like it there’s little else to do. The airflow definitely feels less restrictive than the Solo, and I feel comfortable leaving it on all day until I feel like a puff. It also looks great just sitting there, and cleaning is ridiculously simple. I would recommend the long stem if you’re interested in using it dry, however.

** Milaana 3 ** I had wanted a Milaana for a long time for no other reason than it was an artisan on-demand vape, required technique to learn, and was wood, but had trouble justifying the purchase even though spending the money wouldn’t put me out. This ended up being another purchase from EntExchange, but I’m very glad that I got it. One of the final deciding factors at the time was the potential for not being able to easily buy one in the future, and although a spalted maple piece with green stem was my dream Milaana, I decided to get a 3 that was at a reasonable price while I could.

I still have yet to combust, but found there was definitely a technique to get evenly vaped flower. I tried both packing between the basket screen and an internal screen as well as just in the basket screen, and prefer the latter. I also found that the biggest factor in getting consistent hits was inhalation speed, and once I started drawing like I do from my FW5 (very slowly), I was suddenly getting very consistent hits. I also rotate the stem 1/4 turn after each hit until it’s rotated 360°, stir, and take one monster hit to finish it off which leaves me with pretty even and mostly extracted AVB.

** Vapman ** This was 100% an impulse buy. I always enjoyed seeing them pop up every now and then but didn’t think I would be able to buy one as Remi had (at the time) ceased production. Someone mentioned on a post that VGoodiez was selling them and production had somewhat started again so I ordered a Yew model within minutes. I would definitely recommend buying from them. They’re quick, courteous, involved in the community, and have been very pleasant to do business with.

This is a very fun vape to use and truly micro-dose with, and is very rewarding when you get it just right for the first time. I’ll reach for this if I have the day off and want to vape in the morning without getting too toasty as the pan doesn’t hold much. I’ve also used it with hash a handful of times which is pretty awesome. For a conduction vape it’s also surprisingly tasty, and I enjoy it more than my DynaVap in that regard.

** Lamart Piro ** This was another impulse buy which I got because I liked the look of them, and it functions very similarly to the Sticky Brick except that the vapor path is all glass. I’ve only used this a handful of times but it’s enjoyable and tasty, although it’s nothing groundbreaking.

** Mighty ** I was on the fence about this one for a very long time, and wouldn’t have bought it if it wasn’t 20% off. At the time there were only talks of a possible new Mighty coming out at some point, but I was comfortable with the price and was wanting a different session vape than the Solo. More importantly I wanted a shorter session vape that I only had to load and puff with no technique, and that could be shared more reasonably with than the Solo. While the Solo was dead simple to use, I also found that I had to pack the stem just right to get my ideal hits (about halfway full, tamped just enough to not allow any to fall but still allow as much airflow as possible).

The Mighty seemed to hold more herb, was quicker to finish, provided cooler vapor, and obviously had a great reputation. While I wasn’t thrilled about the plastic components or the perceived maintenance, I decided to give it a try anyway over the Fury Edge that I was also considering. I’ve vaped many dozens of bowls through this. It’s exactly as simple as I want, I guess it’s accurate that the vapor is “fluffy” and pretty cool, and capsules are pretty damn convenient. The chamber still looks almost brand new, although I give it a quick brush after every session along with the default screen on the bottom of the cooling unit.

I pretty quickly replaced the default screen with the finer mesh screen included to try and reduce the amount of plant matter buildup, which works well, and pulling everything apart to clean really isn’t as bad as I thought it would be. One bowl gets me where I want to be, and it’s super easy to pass without having to explain technique.

This hobby has led me to purchase many different types of vapes (convection, conduction, on-demand, session, portable, desktop, artisan, big-name, WOOD) and I like them all for different reasons. Hopefully this has been informative and provides some discussion for this budding (heh) community.

  • Another Person @lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    This is for anyone thinking of trying one. I recently purchased my first dry herb vape. I don’t have an opinion on them yet but as for shopping for one you need to shop around and shop sales. The prices are all over the place. I got an Arizer Air Max for $135 shipped. I saw prices as high as $200 and on average $179. So make sure to look around.

    • Breadnbrew@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 year ago

      Great points. Big sales are 4/20, Christmas, and Black Friday, but you can find some good deals year-round if you’re patient. At one point there was a user on Vaporents that would share a spreadsheet with all of the known sales, MSRP, and sales price of a bunch of vapes. FuckCombustion might have similar discussions on sales.

  • hihusio@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    thanks for the reviews. it goes to show how one’s personal preference is important for selecting a vaporizer. I’ve used numerous dry herb vapes over the last decade, starting with the magic flight launch box. I used a pax, a firewood 3, underdog log, milaana, and a few others and never was fully satisfied. I’ve since settled on the arizer air max with 3d glass stems and haven’t really been interested in anything else since using it

    basically, I prefer low maintenance and long sessions. I just want to kick back and puff away for 10 minutes at a time, rather than blast off with an on-demand device. easy to load up and use. build quality is high and the battery lasts and is easily swappable or plugged in for pass through power. it’s portable enough for me and if I need something more discreet and smaller like for concerts, I’m fine with carts. I’m satisfied with the taste as well. and I definitely value the ability to replace the battery rather than create more unnecessary e-waste. cleaning is just a matter of dunking the stem into iso and salt.

  • Ghostface@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    This is a fantastic post, very greatful as I’ve only dealt with pax 2, firefly 2 and wulf.

    I will give the others a look

  • Wooly@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Holy fuck you’ve spent a lot on vapes, I’ve bought 2 and only because the 1st broke. I’ll probably just rock this Airvape X untill it breaks, pretty good all rounder but can only really do four 5 minute sessions which gets a bit annoying having to charge it every 2 bowls.

    • Breadnbrew@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 year ago

      Yeah, it certainly adds up. Before I got my first vape I had spent months researching since I was still in the military, and only intended on getting the one. I never expected to enjoy collecting multiple vapes, but like most hobbies the cost can get pretty high depending on preferences and wants (because I definitely don’t NEED more than one). As long as you get what you want out of your current device, that’s all that matters!

  • dmention7@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    Complete vaping noob here just replying to let you know that I’m saving this post for further reading and research. Appreciate the time you took to write all this out!

  • acedelgado@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    I’ve been using a DaVinci IQ2 for a while and really like it. I’m a pretty light user, I just vape one time a day an hour or two before going to bed, gives me some time to relax and helps me fall asleep. Anyways, the thing I like about the IQ2 the most is their stainless dosage pods. They only hold like 0.3g but that’s enough for a vape session. And they have an ingenious grinder that you easily pack a 6-pack of pods super easy, and a storage holder for them that’s pretty nice and helps with smell. It makes it so easy to prep for a few sessions and minimizes cleanup by quite a lot. And with their app you can set up your vape and even put in your strain info to track THC consumption, if that’s something you want to do. Downside is their ecosystem is pretty pricey, but they have been including their pods or a grinder lately.

    Overall if you’re not a heavy smoker DaVinci makes some really good stuff. It gets pretty hot so I’d recommend getting their silicone glove and giving it some time to cool off between sessions. Gotta look around for coupons, though. MSRP is like $299 for the IQ2, but I think I got mine around $230. IQC is a bit cheaper, I have one as a backup just in case, really just the mouthpiece and some app functionality are what you’re giving up. Plus the IQ2 has a 10 year warranty and thr IQC I think it’s like 3 or 5 years.

    • Breadnbrew@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 year ago

      That sounds pretty cool, and the warranty is crazy on those. They seem like they’re really high quality too. I also use the dosing pods on my Mighty 99% of the time for the exact same reasons.

  • LeanFemurs@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Thanks for the info, right on time. A friend gave me a little jar of sift hash and I vaped some today in my ancient APX, got me thinking hmm maybe time for a new vape.

  • Big_Boss_77@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    Any chance someone could direct me to a place to buy a Firewood 5? I was only able to see the 9 on their website.

    • HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I’m saving up for their new model (the 9 lets you load up multiple chambers in advance, like the 5, which I love, and it works like the 7, which I love), and if it’s as reliable as their others have been I’ll look you up. It might be six months to a year tho, because poverty.

  • d3c4f@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    My partner and I just got into the dry herb vape game with a Davinci Miqro (not C) and really like it. Our main complaints are the battery life and the .25g bowl being a bit small for sharing (that and I think we’d be interested in a session vape as well). We were looking at the IQC, Firefly, or Pax Plus but I’d love to hear your recommendations for a good “shareable” vape. I like the Miqro a lot — the replaceable battery, build quality, etc.

    • Breadnbrew@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 year ago

      Unfortunately I haven’t tried the three that you’re looking into, but if you can afford the Mighty I’d wholeheartedly recommend it. It’s highly regarded for good reason; the battery life is great (and has passthrough charging), the bowl is plenty big enough for sharing, and the build quality is solid. I didn’t think that I’d ever get one, but was very happy once I did. I’m not sure why I was so against the Mighty for so long, but I’m happy to have one.

      • d3c4f@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        Ok cool, thanks! She had originally ruled out the Mighty and Crafty because she thought they were too ugly but maybe I’ll have to get her to reconsider 😅

    • acedelgado@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      I have an IQ2 and IQC and I’d say they’re great vapes. The really nice thing with them is their dosage pods, the stainless steel ones are only 0.3g capacity (ceramics are 0.2g and don’t heat as nicely, in my experience) but you get 6 in a pack to load up. And the grinder they sell to load the pods is fantastic. You can easily do a sesh, let the unit cool down for like 10 minutes, pop in a fresh pod and maybe battery if needed, and go again. Great system, you just gotta look around for coupons to get the price down.

      • d3c4f@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        Yeah we really like the Miqro and it seems super well made. We were trying to decide if we should just get the next step up or try a different brand to see what’s out there!

  • InactiveBeef@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    I know it’s not the best out there, but I love my Magic Flight Launch Box. It has a steep learning curve but it’s extremely efficient, compact, and very lightweight. Also, with no moving parts or built-in electronics, it’s really durable. Once a battery kicks the bucket, I just strip and clean an Eneloop Pro and I’m back in business.

    I’m mostly commenting to save this list in case I get in the market for another vape. My MFLB isn’t great for sharing with people who don’t know how to use it and I’d love to get a more user-friendly vape for when I’m with others, keeping the MFLB for solo.

    • Breadnbrew@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 year ago

      Probably best to stay away from those. There are honestly more reputable vapes for roughly the same cost, and while they may have gotten better with time, I remember reading stories about the plastic melting, vapor being too hot, and having not so great battery life. Granted I haven’t paid much attention to the community or vape news over the last couple of years, so take that with a grain of salt. What about those interests you? Are you looking for a session vape or on-demand vape? And is being able to charge it a must?

      The Fury edge is not much more expensive than their cheapest model and has a good reputation if you’re looking for something that doesn’t need a butane torch. DaVinci also has some models around $100. I’m not so up to date on Dynavap and supposedly they’ve gone a bit downhill, but I still love mine and it gets used multiple times per week. It does use a butane torch (or induction heater), but the learning curve is really not that steep at all. I’m sure I’m forgetting a few around that price range, but there are better options with better build quality, taste, and battery life.