Type of Smoker: Daily
Tolerance: High
Type of Bud: generally high grade (my guy gets shipped from Cali)
Please keep in mind that these are only my observations and results will obviously vary from person to person.
I tried a volcano at a friends house and I just had to add a vaporizer to my collection. Wanted portability so I narrowed it down to the magic flight launch box (mflb) or the arizer solo. Even though the reviews said the solo is better in every aspect except portability, I bought into the hype and got a mflb. The idea that there was a learning curve and how I used the mflb predicated the effectiveness of the device was fun...for a while. Later on I found the solo for an unbeatable price and had to order it. Not about to beat a dead horse but, as expected the reviews were spot on, almost. The taste, vape clouds, and efficiency are in fact better just as the reviews stated. The other thing about the solo is I can have friends over and they can vape with me. Inexperienced friends have a hard time getting a decent vape with the mflb and you end up wasting a lot of herb. Lastly, portability. Yes the mflb is very small and very stealth/portable, except it has one major con in the portability category. I wanted a portable vaporizer for weekends so I could take it out and use all day, smoke in the car, stop and smoke with friends, smoke before eating, etc. Basically vaping all day out of the house. To do this with an mflb, lol you have to have a special bag to carry all the ridiculous double A batteries. You only get a few decent pulls from one battery before the quality starts to go down quickly. Smoke 5-8 times throughout the day, sometimes with a friend and your looking at 8-16 batteries you're carrying around, worrying about keeping and charged and used batteries seperated. If you call that portable then so be it but I love charging my solo at night and being able to vape all day without worrying about a battery. If you are on the fence about a solo vs mflb, do yourself a favor and get a solo.
Moving on: I have done a significant amount of R&D with the solo and I'd like to share some of my observations/preferences. I have tried it all, and what works the best for me is...I put the loaded stem/bowl in the solo before I turn it on. I start at level 3, the sweet spot for optimum flavor and vapor (keep in mind different models run cooler than others). After every 2-3 pulls I raise the temperature one level until I reach the max, level 7. With this method you can consistently get to where the bowl is kicked right around the time the solo shuts off (12 minute auto-off).
I know this is kind of obvious, but grind your bud! I put my bud in the grinder and grind upside down so the shake doesn't fall through the holes right away giving your bud as much time as it needs in between the teeth. Grind grind grind your weed!!
The draw on the solo can be a bit restrictive (which is the only negative thing I've ever heard). Because of this I found myself drawing the vape too fast/hard. The bowl was ending up kicked after only a few minutes. I found that a nice slow and consistent pull created much better vapor and the bowl lasted a LOT longer. When I say slow I mean slow! Like the mflb there is a bit of skill involved in getting the most out of the solo. You will find that if the stem is centered/flush its very hard to pull any air through the stem. If you tilt the stem only the slightest amount it allows for plenty of air flow but be very careful, if you draw too quickly the solo can/will start to cool down. With this I found that if you draw when the stem is fully sealed it kind of primes it creating a nice vapor, then you tilt the stem the tiniest amount and you can pull all that wonderful vapor. During one big pull I might go from each position 2-3 times. You'll figure it out. Just make sure that even when the airflow is less restricted, you have to still pull VERY slowly. Slow definitely wins the race with the solo, I can't say that enough.
Screens: if you bought a solo then you most likely were thinking about buying a screen after the first use. Yes a screen is a must to keep scoobs out of your mouth, but my screen saves me money and gets me higher for less. Like I said before I have a moderately high tolerance and I get completely zonked with 0.15g Yeah yeah I know, no way anyone gets ripped from such a small amount, I wouldn't believe it either. All I'm saying is, try everything I say and tell me how it works out.
Anyway, the screen I use is dome shaped. I bought garden hose screens, which happen to be stainless steel. Cut the screen to fit into the solos stem. The dome points upward which reduces the usable volume in the stem/bowl by about 2/3. So you're using 1/3 the amount of herb that you would normally put in the solo (with the dome screen in, about 0.05-0.07g fills it. One stem gets me feeling amazing, two stems and I'm sailing. I don't know if it's a greater air to surface area or what, but this mod REALLY works. Pics coming soon but if you want to pic these up they're at lowes, can be found in the plumbing section, come in a pack of 3 for like $2.79 and they are garden hose filters.
Vaping through a bong!!!!! When I read about this I thought it was the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. Wow was I wrong! This method tends to wreck you so don't try it before work or something important. Since the first time I tried it I haven't used the solo at home without some type of glassware. Why does this work so well? First and foremost, if you've ever vaped before you will know that when you take a big pull you can get a very uncomfortable scratchy feeling in your throat,enough to make you cough pretty hard. The water eliminates that almost entirely. The other thing, its easier to do LOONG pulls through a bong vs the tiny stem of a solo. Lastly, seeing a 2 foot bong and ash catcher filling up with glorious vapor is simply amazing! You can take monster long vape hits getting those big clouds that the solo is known for without the scratchy throat and cough. As much as this idea sounds ridiculous, do yourself a favor and try it. I still use the adjusting the stem to control airflow trick when pulling through glass. REMEMBER, even through a bong, slow pulls win the race!
I got these gray rubber/silicone caps from lowes. They're in the loose bolts/nuts drawers they have. I initially bought them to act as protective caps when transporting. I found that if you cut the tip off they work as a rubber sleeve/seal in my 18mm ash catcher. Eventually I'll get the adapter but until then this works perfectly!
Tolerance: High
Type of Bud: generally high grade (my guy gets shipped from Cali)
Please keep in mind that these are only my observations and results will obviously vary from person to person.
I tried a volcano at a friends house and I just had to add a vaporizer to my collection. Wanted portability so I narrowed it down to the magic flight launch box (mflb) or the arizer solo. Even though the reviews said the solo is better in every aspect except portability, I bought into the hype and got a mflb. The idea that there was a learning curve and how I used the mflb predicated the effectiveness of the device was fun...for a while. Later on I found the solo for an unbeatable price and had to order it. Not about to beat a dead horse but, as expected the reviews were spot on, almost. The taste, vape clouds, and efficiency are in fact better just as the reviews stated. The other thing about the solo is I can have friends over and they can vape with me. Inexperienced friends have a hard time getting a decent vape with the mflb and you end up wasting a lot of herb. Lastly, portability. Yes the mflb is very small and very stealth/portable, except it has one major con in the portability category. I wanted a portable vaporizer for weekends so I could take it out and use all day, smoke in the car, stop and smoke with friends, smoke before eating, etc. Basically vaping all day out of the house. To do this with an mflb, lol you have to have a special bag to carry all the ridiculous double A batteries. You only get a few decent pulls from one battery before the quality starts to go down quickly. Smoke 5-8 times throughout the day, sometimes with a friend and your looking at 8-16 batteries you're carrying around, worrying about keeping and charged and used batteries seperated. If you call that portable then so be it but I love charging my solo at night and being able to vape all day without worrying about a battery. If you are on the fence about a solo vs mflb, do yourself a favor and get a solo.
Moving on: I have done a significant amount of R&D with the solo and I'd like to share some of my observations/preferences. I have tried it all, and what works the best for me is...I put the loaded stem/bowl in the solo before I turn it on. I start at level 3, the sweet spot for optimum flavor and vapor (keep in mind different models run cooler than others). After every 2-3 pulls I raise the temperature one level until I reach the max, level 7. With this method you can consistently get to where the bowl is kicked right around the time the solo shuts off (12 minute auto-off).
I know this is kind of obvious, but grind your bud! I put my bud in the grinder and grind upside down so the shake doesn't fall through the holes right away giving your bud as much time as it needs in between the teeth. Grind grind grind your weed!!
The draw on the solo can be a bit restrictive (which is the only negative thing I've ever heard). Because of this I found myself drawing the vape too fast/hard. The bowl was ending up kicked after only a few minutes. I found that a nice slow and consistent pull created much better vapor and the bowl lasted a LOT longer. When I say slow I mean slow! Like the mflb there is a bit of skill involved in getting the most out of the solo. You will find that if the stem is centered/flush its very hard to pull any air through the stem. If you tilt the stem only the slightest amount it allows for plenty of air flow but be very careful, if you draw too quickly the solo can/will start to cool down. With this I found that if you draw when the stem is fully sealed it kind of primes it creating a nice vapor, then you tilt the stem the tiniest amount and you can pull all that wonderful vapor. During one big pull I might go from each position 2-3 times. You'll figure it out. Just make sure that even when the airflow is less restricted, you have to still pull VERY slowly. Slow definitely wins the race with the solo, I can't say that enough.
Screens: if you bought a solo then you most likely were thinking about buying a screen after the first use. Yes a screen is a must to keep scoobs out of your mouth, but my screen saves me money and gets me higher for less. Like I said before I have a moderately high tolerance and I get completely zonked with 0.15g Yeah yeah I know, no way anyone gets ripped from such a small amount, I wouldn't believe it either. All I'm saying is, try everything I say and tell me how it works out.
Anyway, the screen I use is dome shaped. I bought garden hose screens, which happen to be stainless steel. Cut the screen to fit into the solos stem. The dome points upward which reduces the usable volume in the stem/bowl by about 2/3. So you're using 1/3 the amount of herb that you would normally put in the solo (with the dome screen in, about 0.05-0.07g fills it. One stem gets me feeling amazing, two stems and I'm sailing. I don't know if it's a greater air to surface area or what, but this mod REALLY works. Pics coming soon but if you want to pic these up they're at lowes, can be found in the plumbing section, come in a pack of 3 for like $2.79 and they are garden hose filters.
Vaping through a bong!!!!! When I read about this I thought it was the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. Wow was I wrong! This method tends to wreck you so don't try it before work or something important. Since the first time I tried it I haven't used the solo at home without some type of glassware. Why does this work so well? First and foremost, if you've ever vaped before you will know that when you take a big pull you can get a very uncomfortable scratchy feeling in your throat,enough to make you cough pretty hard. The water eliminates that almost entirely. The other thing, its easier to do LOONG pulls through a bong vs the tiny stem of a solo. Lastly, seeing a 2 foot bong and ash catcher filling up with glorious vapor is simply amazing! You can take monster long vape hits getting those big clouds that the solo is known for without the scratchy throat and cough. As much as this idea sounds ridiculous, do yourself a favor and try it. I still use the adjusting the stem to control airflow trick when pulling through glass. REMEMBER, even through a bong, slow pulls win the race!
I got these gray rubber/silicone caps from lowes. They're in the loose bolts/nuts drawers they have. I initially bought them to act as protective caps when transporting. I found that if you cut the tip off they work as a rubber sleeve/seal in my 18mm ash catcher. Eventually I'll get the adapter but until then this works perfectly!
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