In my opinion, the Volcano vaporizer is still one of the best vapes money can buy, seriously. There are plenty of imitators, and many that try to compete, but only a few are on the same level in terms of quality, performance, ease of use and cleanliness.
Check out my review of the NEW Volcano Hybrid!
Below is a continuation of my general Volcano review based on the Classic model I’ve owned since 2009!
Storz & Bickel makes this vape in Germany along with the Plenty, Crafty, and Mighty – the latter two being their portable models. This desktop unit came to market well over a decade ago and it’s still the boss!
This is one of those things that at first you don’t understand how they can be so expensive, but then once you own it you don’t know how you lived without it. Check out my extended Volcano review and Plenty comparison video at the bottom of this page for my rant on this (it’s long but there’s lots on info in it).
These photos are of my original unit that I bought in April 2009, and I still use it all the time to this day! It performs like new, literally the only thing that’s shown wear after ~8 years of regular use is the lettering on the front under the Air button, from filling so many balloons ;-)
I consider the vapor quality from this unit to be top-notch. It’s potent, tasty and comfortable. The density of the vapor it produces can easily be controlled by how finely you grind your material and how much you pack in the chamber. Generally, the finer the grind the thicker the vapor, and the more you pack the more balloons you can fill.
I have been using mine regularly since early-2009 and it still performs and looks like new. You rarely have to clean any parts of this vape, it’s the cleanest one I own, all you do is lightly brush out the herb chamber after each session. Most other vaporizers get residue buildup in various areas and need to be cleaned regularly to operate properly and to not look ugly.
The Volcano is available in two styles: Classic and Digit (digital). I have the Classic model, and I feel it is all you really need. There are two main differences between the two types: 1) The Digit has a digital temperature gauge on the front, while the Classic has a dial, and 2) the temperature fluctuation is slightly lower with the Digit, meaning the unit will stay slightly closer to the ideal vapor temp (we’re only talking a few degrees though).
You also have the choice of an Easy Valve or Solid Valve kit. I have the Easy Valve kit and that is what I recommend for most users – it’s the simpler, easier way to use this vape. With this kit the balloons come pre-assembled and the herb chamber is just two pieces. Each balloon should last you about 4 months, so the five that it first comes with should last you well over a year, after which replacement bags can then be purchased separately. The Solid Valve chamber is more parts and slightly more complicated, but the advantage of this kit is being able to make your balloons any size you want, and slightly lower costs in the future for more bag material. I think both kits work great but in my personal opinion the Easy Valve balloons are already the perfect size and are much more convenient to use.
Click here to buy the Volcano from the authorized Storz & Bickel dealer I recommend.
Learn more about the Volcano Classic Vaporizer in this in-depth review.
Stay up!
-Bud
Below is a transcription of my original Volcano Hybrid vaporizer review video from 2021:
Video transcription:
What’s up? This is the new Volcano Hybrid Vaporizer from Storz and Bickel.
First, we’ll go over all the essential things you need to know about this one, talk about how it works, we’ll talk about the performance, and then we will discuss how it compares to my trusty classic Model. This one I bought 10 years ago,10 years and 4 months ago, still works. So we’re going to see what’s up with this new hybrid, let me take a hit.
So I have it propped up right now because of the lighting so you can see it, don’t mind my fingerprints. So here it is, we’ll spin it around. Touch screen, again the lighting, can’t see. Oh, my heat turned off. So it’s got four buttons on the front: up, down, heat, and air. The plug is detachable on this one. On the bottom, you have an air filter access port and you can change the air filter if it gets dirty. It’s the intake air filter, and on top here is the herb chamber that screws on. The top of the Volcano, that’s what you’re looking at. Ope, 421 that’s no good, there we go.
Alright, before I even get into it, let me give you a high-level overview here, okay? These are all the areas that the volcano gets an A or an A+ from me. Vapor production, flavor or taste, strength or potency of the vapor, the smoothness of the vapor, draw resistance is negligible, efficiency, look and feel, build quality, ease-of-use, cleanliness, and maintenance. All excellent, in all of those categories, okay?
The Volcano has been the benchmark desktop vaporizer for a very long time. Since I started doing this 10 years ago, this has been the benchmark for performance and build quality. Now, for anybody who is familiar with or has the Volcano Classic or digital, one of the things that they changed with this one is the herb chamber and how it connects to the top of the heater.
So the word “hybrid” with vaporizers typically means it is convection and conduction heating. Hybrid refers to the type of heating, so convection heating is with hot air, conduction heating is with a hot surface that radiates the heat. So the original Volcano chamber, or, this is the original easy that I’ve had for a while, you’re going to get mostly convection with this one. A little tiny bit of conduction but really not much. It’s pretty negligible but it is there. The old one is still kind of a hybrid but mostly convection.
Now, this one, if any of you are also familiar with the Plenty Vaporizer, also made by Storz and Bickel, this herb chamber is similar to the Plenty herb chamber. More similar to that one than to the old Volcano chamber. So one of the things they did with this new chamber is they made the metal ring surrounding it a little more pronounced and also gave it like a ring, like a surface on the bottom to attach to a matching surface on the top of the heater.
So what that does is while it is sitting on top and you screw it on to keep it on there, while it’s sitting on there, the bowl is now heating up. So even if you were to turn on the air and just start filling balloons, it would work. You could use it, but as you let it sit here, the bowl keeps getting hotter. The herb chamber is going to keep warming up, more heat is going to radiate from the walls of the chamber of the metal walls.
So you’re going to get a more complete vaporization effect at the end. The bud, when you take it out, the AVB is going to be darker with the hybrid, versus the mostly convection older models. So that is one of the bigger differences here. I am noticing that the performance from this one, especially with the whip attachment, is fairly similar to how the Plenty performs. And I really like the Plenty. So that’s a good thing. You do get a stronger feeling of vapor, a little more vapor production with the increase in conduction heat.
The other way that I kind of use the word “hybrid”, in this case, is that now it is a combo balloon vape and whip vape. Whereas the prior models, like the Original Classic, were balloon only. That’s what this was known for, best balloon desktop vape there’s ever been. But now you have options, but you use the same top which is cool. So it’s very easy to switch between the two. You could fill a bag, take it off, slap on the whip, take a couple of rips, take off the whip, and put the bag back on. It’s pretty versatile, it’s pretty cool. This is what the balloons are like, okay?
This is an easy valve, very easy to use, you pull it out. Then this is what you would just push right onto the top and fill the bag. Then when it’s full, you just pull it off. The valve inside automatically closes so no vapor is going to come out. And you take your mouthpiece and you just push it in. See the vapor is still trapped inside until you push in the mouthpiece.
Let me demonstrate. The bag is on, the heats on, my herb chamber is full, and I turn on the air. So, as you can see, this is pretty thick. So 420 °F is a pretty high temperature. The max temperature is 446. When the bag is full, turn off the air, and remove the balloon before it explodes. Typically my recommendation is, and I’m sure this is Storz and Bickel’s recommendation also, don’t leave this on for too long.
It is plastic on the outside and if you leave this on for a long time, there is the possibility of it overheating. Even on the back it says “never leave the heating chamber on the Volcano ”. So even though you’re kind of supposed to leave it on for a few minutes, have it heat up, and after that take it off. And it’s very easy to get on and off.
So now we have the balloon full of vapor. Nice vapor. Thick vapor. It’s not coming out, closed valve. I take my mouthpiece, still no vapor coming out, until I push the mouthpiece in. Pretty cool, right? So this is what I consider having vapor on tap. This is like a keg of vapor. This is one of the easiest ways to vape for people who don’t have a high lung capacity and can’t take a big draw, all they could do is sip on it. That’s all you gotta do. This is a vapor-on tap that you sip on. You can rip it too, but you mainly sip, and that’s all you gotta do. Nice medium-sized draw, you blow out a nice cloud, that’s it.
Everybody, everybody can use the Volcano. This is not a vape with a learning curve, this is not a vape some people can use and some can’t. Everybody that I’ve ever known, whether or not they like it, was able to use it. If you don’t want to sip and if you want to rip, go ahead. So, as I mentioned before, A plus: flavor, density, potency, and smoothness. I’m going to give smoothness an A, but I think it could be bumped to an A-plus.
There is no need to stir this one, I don’t want to interrupt my session by opening it up midway. If you want to, like if you only put a little bit in, you do want to make sure that it stays flat against the bottom, so in that case, you might want to open it up. One little tip I have is if you’re only going to load a little bit or you’re only going to load it halfway, the way to make sure that everything’s cool inside, without having to open it up is to shake it and now everything should be nice and even across the bottom of the screen. So I don’t ever open this up during a session, which is a huge, huge bonus of this vape. Also, a bonus of the Plenty as well and all of their vapes is you do not open during your session.
One of the most common questions with the volcano has been how long does the vapor stay good in the bag after you fill it? My recommendation is after you filled it in, 5 minutes. If you wait longer than 5 minutes for the vapor, to put it bluntly, the vapor gets a little less smooth and a little less awesome tasting. So the longer you let it sit in there, the more that happens. So for the ideal experience, for the best vapor quality, I would empty the balloon within about 5 minutes. Which is pretty reasonable and maybe even 10 if you would need to stretch it if you’re vaping slow. 5 minutes is ideal.
So if you don’t think you can finish a whole balloon in 5 minutes, you don’t need to fill a whole balloon. You can stop when it’s halfway full and take it off. You don’t have to fill it to the end, so that would be my recommendation if you think that you’re going to be vaping longer than 5 minutes. Only fill an amount that you’ll vape in 5 minutes.
This will also help extend the life of your balloon because the number one balloon and valve killer is vapor sitting in there forever and just building up on the walls and building up on the valve. That’s how these things fail. So the quicker you get the vapor out of it, the longer the bags are going to last. This is all you have to do to maintain the vapor chamber after each session. If you can do it while this is still warm, that’s a plus. They give you this brush, over an ashtray or garbage, just brush it clean. On this side, you can see there’s a bunch of particles stuck to it. So I’m going to brush those off, the brush they give you is perfect for this. A really good brush. Good to go. Now, it’s ready to be loaded again next time, all clean.
Now, one of the other new things about it is that it has Bluetooth built-in. Storz and Bickel have an app. You can control the vape and you can see some info about your vape. The first time I ran the app it told me there was a firmware update available, so I ran it and everything went smoothly. It took a few minutes.
It was very easy to load, you don’t need to pack it tight, you don’t need to grind any certain way, you could use a fine grind, medium grind, or coarse grind. So just take your ground up, right now I’m using medium to coarse ground, Gorilla Glue. And you can load it anywhere from, I’m going to call it a third of the way up all the way up. The minimum amount you want to put in here is enough to completely cover the bottom of the screen. I’m going to call that .15 is the absolute minimum you should use here. The maximum, you’re looking at like .4 ish, so it holds a decent amount. And again you don’t pack it tight. You want the air to flow through your bud, so just place it in there, lightly even it out, that’s it! Take your top and screw it on.
So, as you can see the touch screen isn’t like a hundred percent always responsive. Sometimes I have to double-tap, but it’s been pretty good. I’m actually really digging the whip. I didn’t think I was going to because in my mind this was always a balloon vape, so they threw me for a loop with this one. But it’s growing on me, I kind of like it because it does perform a lot like the Plenty and I like the Plenty, and this is kind of like a little bit more of a convenient way to vape, like when you’re at a desk.
So, now as far as the build quality and the warranty stuff goes, Storz and Bickel is a German company. This vape is made in Germany. Normally that’s a very good thing. Storz and Bickel have had a few run-ins with product defects with some of their stuff. Not totally uncommon, but it has happened. However, their warranty service is good and their policy is good. This one has a 3-year warranty, so that is the summary. Those are the main bullet points that you need to know about this one, okay?
It is a $699 list price vaporizer, so you’re talking high-end, okay? I do have a coupon code to get you 15% off at my recommended dealer. It’s in the description if you’re interested, it brings it down to $600. That is still in the upper tier of vape prices, but some other ones are that expensive as well. And I would say overall, the value of the Volcano Hybrid is average. The average value, very good performing vape, cool features, but it’s expensive. Very expensive. There are some things about it that I didn’t see improve that I would have liked to, from the older one. But overall this is a good vaporizer, so if you’re looking into a Volcano, if your thinking about a Volcano and this one piques your interest, it’s a good buy.
I like the fact that this one has the whip. It makes it a lot more appealing to me. If this was balloon only I would be saying what I said in my original video, just go with the classic because there’s no point, but I kind of like this. I like it. I like the option. I like the way it works. How it spins around but still maintains a perfect connection. It’s cool stuff. All right, so now that we have a normal review out of the way, I think I covered everything I normally would, right? Pretty fair.
Now, it’s time to turn up the heat and start to talk about what’s wrong with this Volcano. Now, before I pop off let me just say that I mean no disrespect to anybody who has this vape and likes it. But I must express my true emotions because the Volcano is what got me started in this business. Ten years ago in April 2009, when I picked up this bad boy right here. That is what made up my mind that vaping was for me. This is the first Volcano I’ve gotten since this one. Now, when I think about this, if I had to be a dick about it, I would say that this is a fairly embarrassing progression, okay?
Let me familiarize you with the classic in case you don’t know about it, okay? Real quick, crash course. The first vape introduced by Storz & Bickel was in the year 2000. This one I bought in 2009. The same as the first one that was released. Now, this is an analog vaporizer with buttons and a dial. So you have the fan button, the mechanical switch and this is your temperature dial, okay? Just an analog rotary dial. The chamber is on the top. The easy valve you don’t screw it off. You just place it on top and pop it off. It’s held in by a couple of clips. The herb chamber is similar, a slightly different shape, and again the bottom part is different because the new one has a little more metal-on-metal contact for the conduction effect.
So mind you, this 10-year-old vape is extensively used and abused. Moved between about four different living quarters, and the only thing that’s wrong with it is some faded print underneath the green button, okay? This thing is a tank. This is when made in Germany meant what you bought was a tank, okay? 10 years old, boom! Turns on, boom! The dial has no problems. Easy valve with the balloon, okay? Like I showed you before, this is from this one okay? Balloon, boom! You fill it up, boom! Let’s compare and contrast, shall we?
I didn’t even want to mention it because it happens to everybody. It happens to every company, but this was such an emotional experience for me, so I have to tell you that the first Volcano Hybrid I got, I bought it, and when I opened it up on Livestream it didn’t turn on. So I sent it back and they sent me a new one, no problem. However, I must tell you that I was heartbroken.
So, my point of saying that is obviously with an increase in technology, with this screen, with the Bluetooth, all this digitalness going on, the touching, it just means more things can go wrong, okay? It must have just been a loose connection on my screen and it didn’t turn on. Now, with something like this, with a tank, it’s not an issue. Its reliability is okay, so far my reliability is a little medium right now because I’m sketched. Reliability with this one is through the roof. These switches will always work, okay? Unless you beat it with a hammer, it’s going to work.
Now, you may be wondering why am I even comparing these, this one’s so old and this new one, the vapor quality must be so much better. The performance must be so much better. Let me tell you something, most people, I would say, in a blind vapor taste test, with these two vapes, if two balloons were mixed up and given to them, it would be a coin toss. I believe most people would not consistently be able to tell the difference between the vapor from these two vapes.
That being said, they had two decades to do something about that. Two decades. Now, if you want to argue, “well this one is a little different. It’s got the conduction now, with the hybrid.” Well, in two decades all they did to create that hybrid production was to add a metal ring to the bottom, okay? They did nothing different in here. This little plastic piece, that little metal ring is what is making this hybrid!
Now, on that note, it’s said that there have been made improvements to the internals and the heating in the heating element. So, this is the way my 10-year-old vape sounds. My 10-year-old Volcano sounds, and this is how it sounded two decades ago when they released it, okay? Two decade-old design. That was a little bit of an annoyance and nuisance. It’s kind of loud, it might wake up somebody next to you if you’re trying to be discreet.
Alright, here’s the new and improved two decades of R & D fan, okay? If I blindfolded myself, I don’t know if I’d be able to hear the difference, and again, I’m very sorry to say it but I find that to be a slightly embarrassing progression. How is it that in 20 years they can’t figure out how to make it a little quieter than the sound of a vacuum next to you? It would have been a nice upgrade, that’s all I’m trying to say.
Sort of on that same topic, these balloons, the turkey bags have long been a point of contention for many people because of the crinkly loudness. Trying to be discreet, nope? So what has 20 years of R & D brought us? The turkey bag! Boom! Okay, but there wasn’t any progression there.
The next thing I need to mention briefly is cutting corners because it’s a little pet peeve of mine. I don’t like to see corners being cut after a standard has been established. So, more specifically, if any of you have the Plenty Vaporizer and are familiar with the herb chamber, which is pretty similar to this one, you know the feeling of the plastic and the sturdiness of it. And the general feel of materials being used by Storz and Bickel.
Now, with this new herb chamber, one of the first things I noticed is that it bent in my hand. To the plastic being used, plastic already being an inexpensive, not desirable component, it feels even cheaper than it used to, okay? This feels like cheaper plastic, I can’t believe I’m able to squeeze it and bend it. Not cool. Not cool. It needs to be rigid enough at least if it’s going to be plastic where I can’t squeeze it and bend it.
Alright, all bullshit aside though, it’s a great vape. I take it a little personal because this is what I have dedicated my life to for damn near a decade, but for most people who are not as quite as deeply embedded as I am, this is a fantastic vaporized.
If someone was to ask me, for raw performance alone, if they should get the hybrid or if the classic is good enough for over $200 less? I would say if you only want it for balloon purposes, the classic is good enough. If you want the latest and greatest, if you got a little cash to burn, and if you want the whip feature, which I like, the Hybrid is cool. So those are my feelings, good and bad. Storz and Bickel…please keep improving, coming out with cool stuff, keep us all motivated, thank you!
Thank you for watching and don’t forget that there is a little discount code in the description if you want to buy any Storz and Bickel stuff. It’s good on all their other stuff like the Mighty and the Crafty. Also, the Portables are good, okay? So, I appreciate your continued support and viewership very much. Stay up!
More pics:
New at this. Wanting a vaporizer due to not being able to use a regular vape pen.
Does the classic vaporizer also use different products like concentrate, drops, wax, shatter, bud etc.
Where is the least expensive one i can find. Thanks!
Really curious to see what you have to say about the new Volcano hybrid. Thanks!
Hey Bud, quick question i use the volcano easy valve everyday as my daily driver, i try and microdose by using about .15 and i use the liquid pad to take up space, as far as i can see that seems to be the most efficient way, ive tried the reducer valve with and without the dosing capsules and get terrible results, do you have any tips on that or is using the liquid pad pretty much it?
Hi there. Do you have any input on how good the available volcano filing chamber reducer works?
Just got one my self recently, bought a used digital from a friend and a new “starter set”, been experimenting with temps from 185 C to 230 C, smooth and potent af….THAT SAID, to be specific or scientific even, because i sort of wanna know to be accurate in my assessment when i debate this subject with like minded individuals *twirl mustache*; whats the “desired” temperature to get max extraction of THC and CBD without risking of “burning it”, which can happen at a “too high temp”.
If the ideal temperature might be 365 Fahrenheit, { one report said that the ideal temperature was between 350 F, and 380 F }, do the instructions tell you where specific temperatures are on the dial of the classic version? I imagine that the makers of the product would know where to find favorite temperatures.
Hey man, thanks for all the great work you do. I own a plenty and I love it. And I was thinking about getting either a volcano or a cloud Evo. Do you think that someone that is used to the plenty would be disappointed in the vapor density from the volcano? And I was also curious if you think the bag affects the flavor of the vapor… I have an ariser air that I think gives me the best flavor of any of my Vape‘s because of the glass so I was wondering if the bag from the volcano can still keep that flavor intact. Thx!
You’ve convinced me on this – but is the VAPENOW15 code at VapeWorld still active? It doesn’t seem to work for me now.
Sorry about that Jeff! It appears to have been a glitch and the code is working again!
Just ordered the Volcano through your link. Thanks for the reviews! Best reviews I found!
Bud is the man
i can use any wax or concentrate with this to right?
Hey, just bought the Volcano Digit through your link. It’s coming with a paired Carrying Bag and a Micro-G Pen, which is cool because I’m interested in wax/concentrates. But I wanted to thank you for all of your detailed videos over the years. In the next couple weeks I’m buying the E-nano, as my daily driver, and the Pax 3 ,as my portable, with the grinder and some of the accessories you recommended.
I’ve started vaping on 4/20 4 years ago. I’ve never smoked anything at all at that point, and I’ve still technically only vaped, so it was first experience. Long story short, you’ve been a huge help and I’m buying all my vapes through your links. Thanks Bud! Stay Up!
Hey man can u do an upadated Volcano and Plenty video with a vape session please
Absolutely thanks for asking!
Everything I wanted and more
Awesome!! ;)
I literally can’t wait to purchase this model first thing in the morning . Thanks for the review and code!
Very nice. Not as romantic as passing a joint but passing the bag will do. Excellent on taste and convenience.
The volcano is indeed a very good beast.
Hi so first things first, thank you very much for your in depth videos I knew next to nothing about vaporizers prior to viewing them. After watching I settled on the Firefly 2 for a portable vape and absolutely love it. I’m in the market for a desktop vaporizer and all signs seem to point towards the volcano I just had some questions. My favorite feature of the Firefly was the ability to take a couple drags and come back hours later and take a couple more. I was wondering are you able to do something similar with the volcano? For example could I put a .2 in the bowl chamber, fill a balloon, smoke the balloon and then come back hours later and shake up the bowl and be able to continue filling bags with quality vapor? The efficiency is what I love about the firefly and would look for the same features in a desktop vape.
Thanks
Yes, you can! The “return” for the amount of matrial in the basket is truly amazing. I can get at very least several (3+) 3-foot balloons from one chamber-full.
I have used your reviews to use as a guide to build my collection.
I have The Volcano and The Arizer extreme Q.
Its closer than you say. The Extreme Q, takes 1 minute at most to heat up. The Volcano 4-5 Minutes. The Volcano is more efficient. This is a close call. For a $300 difference, you cant go wrong with the Extreme. I also say that because after a balloon session, I just put in the Aroma Bowl, and enjoy the best Aromatizer on the market. The Extreme Q is also an excellent whip vape.
Potency, its about even.
The fan is adjustable and more powerful on the Arizer.
The Easy Valve and Solid Valve is more efficient than the Arizer, which the only way to hold the vape in the balloon is by pressing your thumb. I use rubber pencil erasers and it gets the job done.
The Arizer is digital, while the less expensive Volcano is analog and the Volcano digit has a digital display.
The Arizer works well with concentrates and wax. The Volcamo doesnt work with Concentrates or wax.
The Volcano is easiet to use, but the Arizer is easy.
Bottom Line, The Arizer Extreme Q is my choice. My routine is fill a couple of bags, clean and pop some potoluri aromatherapy in the Q, and enjoy my balloons. Arizer has excellent customer service. The othet way of looking at is, the $289 for the Q, Is the 3 in one all you need for an at home vape. The $300 savings can be used to getting a high level portable such as the Firefly 2, The Mighty, The Crafty, Arizer Solo, Arizer Air, The Magic Flight Launchbox (My favorite) and The Pax 2.
I just bought the Extreme Q for $201 Canadian, after medical discount, tax included. Great little unit. I wanted a Volcano though.. specifically for the valve system. The Volcano Classic goes for $610 plus tax.. before discounts, and the Digi goes for $770. The Easy Valve starter kit goes for $135+, and it seems the filling chamber of a DeluxeDaddy whip fits perfectly in the back of the Easy Valve filling chamber, then fits on the glass heater of the EQ. There’s a few ways of modding it, even using a 18mm female to 26mm female adapter.. the bottom side of the Easy Valve’s stainless steel sleeve insert is 26mm.. the inside of the plastic housing is 36mm. Enough room to sit the adapter, then use some Red RTV Silicone… good to 550F intermittently, or 500F constant, and is FDA approved when cured.
The filling chamber of the Easy Valve is huge, has a flat surface, and a reducer cone for a lid. This cooks the plant materials far more evenly than the tube bowl of the EQ or other type whips. You also don’t need to stir it.. ever. The tube type whip bowls always need stirring. The Easy Valve also has that 26mm intake, while the Cyclone bowl only has a 19mm intake, but squeezed at the middle down to only 10mm or 11mm because of the screen holder. You can easily fit 1/2 a gram in the Easy Valve filling chamber… you’re lucky if you can fit 1/4 gram in the Cyclone bowl.
Bottom line.. although the EQ is cheaper, goes to 500F which may be better for concentrates than the Volcano’s 446F, has 3 fan speeds.. and is quieter even at the highest speed, a variable shut-off timer, a remote, is cosmetically more appealing than the Volcano with the LED underside.. and all within a smaller package than the Volcano… the Volcano’s still more efficient at vaporizing itself. That comes from the filling chamber and valve system for the bags. So… for $150 – $200 more than what the EQ costs… you can have the best of both worlds. You can even attach a whip to the top of the Easy Valve’s stainless steel tube if you wanted to. That’s still only 1/2 of what the Volcano goes for.
just bought volano degit.you set the classic at six ahalf what temp is that on a digit
there’s a page in the manual that lists the temps for the levels.
.i believe 6 is roughly 374F
Bud! First and foremost, thanks for all your videos and indepth reviews. I use your site as my primary reference guide for vape info. As the Vape King, I was hoping you could help me stay up.
I’m excited to say that it’s finally time for me to upgrade my Da Bhudda tabletop to a Volcano! It’s been a long while saving for this inbetween necessities and good times, but I finally made it. That being said, the link provided on your website no longer has any Volcanos in stock. Do you know any other dealers who would be willing to do free overnight, and/or 10% off? Any help you could provide would be outstanding. Thanks for the consideration, and keep up the great work!
Hi Micheal – where do you see a 10% off offer on Volcano’s on Bud’s site?
The only link I know of from Bud for purchasing the Volcano is to Vapor Nation and you can get either shipping or a travel case with the order, and they are in stock, but I have never seen S&B products discounted anywhere.
I don’t recall seeing 10% off specifically (although I haven’t checked anything in a couple weeks). I’m sure I was just throwing out options bc I know some of the other products on here have a 10% off code. I’m in NY so it’s nice when I can have the state tax accounted for in a discount, or even free expedited shipping. Regardless, it looks like Bud’s link has restocked their supply. Stay up!
After recent posting endless (and most likely very boring except to the most pedantic among us) posts on Bud’s Vape Life Forum on my recent Volcano Digit purchase and initial experiences, I won’t do that again here.
If you are a complete glutton for punishment, you can read it here.
Short story, great purchase of a fantastic vaporizer. I couldn’t be happier with my decision. I’m completely pleased and satisfied. Also, Bud’s recommended source, VapeWorld, was also fantastic and will be my first choice when looking for vape stuff. They have great stuff, great website, and great customer service.
Thanks again, Bud. Your site is a REALLY, REALLY great resource (and I have perused pretty much all of the other so-called vape review sites). Keep going, mate, its well appreciated.
Ok, directions nor videos explain the trigger and it’s purpose on the Plenti. Thanks
Hey Bud–
Greetings from Cascadia, land of legal herb.
I’ve enjoyed my Volcano for 2 years now and my only regret is not getting one sooner. Just wondering if anyone has figured out a way to use a whip with it, without the fan of course. I’m looking for tubing that is wide enough to fit over the Easy Valve herb chamber.
Any thoughts?
1)Do you feel that the high is different with a whip vaporizer as compared to a balloon vaporizer? If so, why exactly?
2)Could the Volcano be used with a whip by turning off the fan after each hit – perhaps in a faster session?
Yoyo I have a volcano which I bought using advice from this site and love all aspects of the problem except for one thing that is killing me… The dryness of it. My throat and mouth get super dry after use and if I use it on consecutive days the problem just gets worse and worse. I have tried to combat the problem by simply upping my water intake, and that alone will not fix the solution. I’ve come to the conclusion that I need to make the vapor more moist somehow and I’m not sure how exactly to go about doing that. Please be my savior and tell me what I need to do to make my problem go away without sacrificing (hopefully at all) the quality of the volcano vaping experience. Thank you
I used to have the same issue. I have found that starting at around a 4.5 and then going up helps. I will also use my water pipe by just placing the bag mouth piece to the pipe and then push, inhale, enjoy!!!!
I normally get 2 nice bag fills from each of the following settings from one chamber filled with .3 grams (I have a scale to measure):
4.5
5
6
7.5
9
That is with the Solid Valve using Medium Reynolds cooking bags.
You can make the vapor more moist by adding (precisely) 1 or 2 drops of a 0 nic e liquid. Works amazingly well with the evo.
high vg obvs
What Up Bud,
You’re review on the Volcano Classic was the best. I already knew these Volcano’s we’re awesome, just couldn’t afford one. Well, those days are over! I saved a shit-load of change and dollars over the years and in a couple of weeks I’ll be ordering a Classic. Just nice to know before hand that I won’t be disappointed….Peace, Don Podlas
Hey man,
Watched a great deal of your videos covering desktop vaporizers and first I just wanted to thank you for putting the time and due diligence in your research and organization of the videos. You try to stay as objective as possible, and have logical reasons for your recommendations. Excellent job!
I’m looking to purchase a desktop vaporizer and my wife and I have concluded the Volcano is probably going to work best for us. With that said, the link on your page for the volcano site was not working for me. It would redirect but the page was not loading. I am using Chrome for my browser. The link is the “Click here” in text or the “Buy the Volcano” on the right hand side. I’d like to give you credit for your work, so if you could fix that link or send it to my email, I’d greatly appreciate it. Cheers and stay up!
hey I am looking for a vipe with great vapor quality and i am thinking between plenty and valcano classic ? i would like to know which one is better for rather lonely smoker and which one will conserve your herb better i mean which one will save me more pot
sorry for pour english :)
We don’t use “pot” here because that stuff is illegal. If you happen to try herb however you will find the Volcano is very efficient in its use of it.
Hey man it’s cool to see you still replying to comments three years later. I just decided I’m going to get myself a home vaporizer so that I can, among other things, stop smoking as much. Volcano was naturally the first I thought of but I had no idea there’s so many and I just binged a bunch of your videos. Good stuff!
I just bought the volcano, I bought a magic flight before but didnt take to it for full time smoking and so didnt take up on vaping, this volcano, has blown me away, after my first day, I took all my smoking stuff and put it away, I dont think I will ever use it again, my bud bill has in a single day dropped by two thirds, I wish I had bought one earlier, I could have saved so much, im a heavy smoker who has been very broke for a long time, its my main expense, I think by changing to vaping in a month ive paid for the volcano, I cant actually believe it, I mainly switched for health reasons which I can only hope will improve, so far im coughing less but its early days with my volcano!! couldnt be happier with my purchase, my room feels cleaner too
Hey Bob I doubt you’ll read this again but I went ahead and bought the volcano too after reading your comment and it just arrived today and all I can say is I wish I bought it sooner as well! I’m also a daily smoker and tried magic flight too which is alright but yeah the volcano is definitely a fantastic hit – cheers to your health
I can agree with what you said though I still like a smoke on occasion but like you it is too hard on the lungs and makes me cough too much (and tastes really bad for that last 1/3 of its length). I can cough with the Volcano too if the vapor is too strong or I’ve vaped a lot but the coughing is so much easier and lasts so little time that vaping is the way to go. I’m also a cigarette smoker which makes it worse.
hey whats up
been watching your videos for a long time now, over the years Ive had products like the pax, arizer solo, da buddha and extreme q. All are great vapes but its time for something new, my question to you is which desktop vaporizer has the densest vapor and or thickest vapor? I dont care about the price. Ive been looking into the volcano, herbalizer, and the vapexhale. I also have another question, can you fill the volcano bags with about .15-.2gs with the essential oil screen on top to cover more surface area ? or do you need at least .4 to .5 ? I plan on using the unit by my self most of the time but like I said, I just care about the thicker vapor that would feel like a stronger hit. I like the herbalizer, dont care about the fact that it looks kinda cheap, just wondering which seems to produce the most vapor out of them all.
thanks in advanced – your recommendation will have a big effect on what i plan on purchasing.
I have the Volcano (digital & solid valve) and love it. You have the option with a bag vaporizer to make the vapor as dense as you want. Firstly the bowl is huge. I usually, for myself, put 3 pinches in which equates to about 1/2 gram and this is more than enough for 3 to 4 bags (Renolds turkey bags which are 1 1/2 times larger than the S&B bags) and that is usually enough for a week night (I vape every day). However you can put about 4 or 5 times that amount of herb in it if you want to. You can also crank the heat up to about 400F to 410F and do the whole thing at once if you can stand to breath vapor that dense that is. I do mine at 350F, 365F, and 385F. The last one could easily be two, at 380F and 395F but conservation is not my strong point. I like to stretch it out because each bag is slightly different in taste and effect than the others (my favorite is bag #2).
So the quick answer is YES you will get vapor as dense as you want from the Volcano. As to the other desktops I don’t have any experience with them to comment on.
I nuglected to mention how these videos have really helped, I really appreicate them, reading comments and getting excited about trying the beast volcano when it arrives
Damn. Every time I see this thing in my local shop (s/o to Austin Vape and Smoke), I lust after it. This review makes me want to start saving.
;-)
Thanks for all your reviews/website Bud!
All this info has really helped to steer me in the right direction with purchases. I just bought the Volcano as my first desktop and I’m pretty stoked! I initially bought the Pax a few years back after checking out your reviews and was pretty happy. It has a little more maintenance then I’d like especially as my only vape since it tends to get a little gnarlier faster that way. I switched over completely to only vaping for the most part too when I bought it. With that said vape quality really comes into play for me and I must say the Volcano really delivers in that realm. I’d say it might be 2 steps up on the Pax in vape quality (big steps?). Sifting through your reviews it seems the Volcano is up there with the best in that department as most S & B products. Factor in low maintenance, some mobility with balloons, a solid company that has been at it for awhile, strong reviews by all that own one, and I found my winner! I even used your link to purchase man and that company is solid as well. You get what you pay for a lot of times but its important to have somebody checking that out for ya just for the fyi.
Thanks for everything that your doing for the cause man! I’ll direct anyone I know interested in buying a new vape to this site fo sho.
You’re the man Drew!! I really appreciate it, vape it up!
Only 2 steps? How about 10 in my book and that applies to all portables, not just the Pax (which I happen to think is the best of them). Sounds like you are enjoying yours as much as I am mine, happy vaping!
Thanks Bud, for your great review. and all this dialog from which I’m learning some interesting things! I’ve had my Volcano Classic for about 2 weeks now and still can’t believe how well it works.
I have a couple of questions I hope you don’t mind answering…first, do you know if the Volcano knock-off called the Phantom sells the exact same Easy Valve filling chamber as Storz/Bickel sells? I only ask because of the huge price difference…
Also, Storz and Bickel sells a ‘liquid’ filing chamber. Why? Can you tell me if that is in any way different from their dry herb filling chamber? Is the structure of the thing different in the liquid one? What I’m trying to get at is…why buy another (liquid) filling chamber when all you have to do to vape liquids/concentrates is to put a bit on top of that round steel pad they include? Can you enlighten me?
Thanks again!
Hi Jane
If you don’t mind I’ll address your first question as I also looked into the Phantom due to its price. What I read in the way of reviews wasn’t good on that unit. It did work well for some but they seemed to be in the minorinority. Most complain of either it not working or working very inconsistently, especially with the heat control.
The heating chamber and easy valve with the Phantom are virtually identical to B&S though they attach the bag from the outside making it much easier to change.
I would suggest that if you want to spend less either buy a used Volcano from 3bay or buy one of the other desktops that seem to please a lot of folks. I’d steer clear of the Chinese knockoffs. Also remember that you won’t find parts or get the Chinese ones repaired.
Hey Bud!
Great review! Unfortunately I came across your blog after already purchasing a Volcano Classic. I have to say after watching your review your resparked that excitement of YES I BOUGHT THE RIGHT PRODUCT! I usually vape between 6 & 7.5 I agree that with using the vape you can lose that couch lock feeling. I thought the reason was contributed to not vaping any deep [herbs], but its totally the vaporizor. Sometimes thoughts like “man i get [happier] when i smoke” but I think its low vape not getting all those [compounds]? Either way im still figuring it out being a relative new smoker myself. Volcano is a great way to experiment! Cheers
~Kloud~
Thanks for all the review’s i was really torn on what to get, but after watching a bunch of you’re videos. I ended up going with the crafty. Do you know if you could use the whip from a hot box and use it on the volcano?
Hi Bud
Like everyone else thanks for the good reviews you do, they help a lot.
Got my Volcano and used it for the first time last night. I ground up some otherwise poor vaping herb to a fine grind in my new Tobacco Shredder (great little machine!) and cooked up a bag on about 6.5. I appeared to get a good healthy bag of vapor from it. Sat down to enjoy and 3 draws later my lungs figured out what was up and I just about coughed them up and out. Then someone must of whacked me upside the head with a hammer since my brain chose that moment to go on holiday. No comparison to the many portable vapes I own. I couldn’t even finish the bag. I’ll experiment to tone down the strength of the vapor a bit so as to actually enjoy the vaping. Best vaporizer I’ve tried so far, bar none.
Update:
It is now almost a month later and I’m still loving it. With a bit less herb and lower temps it performs wonderfully. With the herb I’ve presently got I’m finding about 2 1/2 pinches (about the same amount as a medium sized roller) starting on 350 degrees, then to 365, finally 380 works for me. I rush the last bag a bit instead of doing a 375 and a 390 because the 4th one is a bit weak in vapor and I really don’t have to conserve herb as it’s cheap and plentiful here.
I find the Volcano hits a good deal harder than smoking even with the same amount of herb. I think it’s because you loose little vapor in the process. So it actually saves you herb and lots of it.
Where it really shines though is in the draw. With [rolling] and portable vapes you don’t to relax, sit back, and draw leisurely from the bag the way you do with the Volcano. After 45 years of being on the resinous end of a [doob] this is a real pleasure.
Thanks very much for sharing your thoughts Steve and coming back for an update!
I’m truly glad you’re thoroughly enjoying the vape :-)
E Nano !
Hi Bud,
I purchased the Volcano Classic (using your link) but find that the vapor is too harsh for me when I get to 5 on the dial. Can you recommend any water pipe adapters to help cool the vapor or other ways to cool down the vapor or make it smoother?
Try a little less herb in the chamber and heat at 4.5.
Hey Vape critic. I think your blog and video reviews are awesome! I am a big fan.
I have 2 questions to ask you and thank you in advance for your time….
1. I bought yesterday the volcano classic having watched your reviews and decided to get it over the digital. But having used the digital recently at my buddies place i found the classic to be a little primitive in terms of temp control. My friend goes on and on about buzz crafting, setting the digi to 374, then 385, then 389 etc etc. He claims THC gets released at 374 and then CDB,CBN at hotter temps, my question is: Does it make any difference? I set up the classic and set the not that accurate dial to 6 and i got great baloons, but i just dont have the level of control for the buzz crafting with the classic and i hate feeling that i regret not spending the extra 100 buck for the digital. Is it all BS? does it make a difference setting the digital at 385 and just leaving the classic on number 6? Please let me know your thoughts on this..
2. Now you convinced me hands down that the volcano is the best ever vaporizer, i need to get me a handheld so its between the crafty and the mighty for me, again having watched your reviews. I noticed you rate the crafty slightly higher than the mighty and was wondering why ? I know the mighty is bigger and has a temp control display while the crafty has to be controlled from a smartphone? Im not that concerned about battery life so much, more interested in portability and best quality vape possible. Is the crafy as good as the might? or vice versa?
Many thanks and stay up :)
Hey man. I just completed my sophomore year of college. A year ago, I had finally figured out what made me struggle in school while my friends seemed to have an easier time: I had ADHD. Medicine helped tremendously, but it made it difficult to get to sleep at night. I was averaging maybe 5 hours. I tried to find a solution, but nothing worked and I kept hearing the same thing: [the herb of the gods]. I was never against it, but had never tried it. Knowing little about it, I researched. I just couldn’t get down with combusting: I get weird thinking about any carcinogens in my lungs (however minute) and I need to be able to be discreet. Looking into alternatives, vaporizing seemed like the best way. But there is so much false information out there. I found your channel and then eventually your site where you offered a wealth of knowledge on all these vaporizers that I could consider. You made it obvious to me that what I needed was a volcano, so I made that purchase because of you. And I get to sleep at night and live a life more similar to a normal person. I really don’t think I’d be as well off if I’d have gotten with the Firefly like I was leaning toward before I stumbled on your youtube channel. You had a really positive impact, man. I apologize if this doesn’t make sense; I feel like it does, but let me just say that I can see my house from here. I just wanted you to know that you really helped me out.
Thank you for your great website. I just ordered my Volcano through the link on your site because I want you to make a commission in return for the informational video you have made. I’ve been wanting one of these for years but wanted a bit more information before I spent so much money. They sell these all over EBay but your site looks much safer.
Sorry to all I’m offending but bag vapes are incrediblely inefficient. The smaller your vapor path the more efficient your device generally is. So that being said using a gaint bag to collect your vapor is a terrible idea. The one saving grace bag vapes have is that any moron can use it. With bag vapes I’ll you need to suck in air from a bag (I find that many other vapes that only require you to breath in but don’t use a bag can still be difficult for new individuals) while many vapes out there have a much higher learning curve with heat based on draw rate. As for the valcono specifically it’s nice I guess. I have one sitting in the corner of my room where I never use it. Occasionally someone will be like “oh shit a volcano”. This is an easy way to tell the inexperienced for the experienced or at the very least the uninformed from informed. That’s when I take the time to show and explain why the valcono isn’t worth it’s price point. The valcano is a very well built vape and if purchased will likely last a very long time I’ve had mine for 8 years. Though that doesn’t mean it’s worth it. The volcano made a name for itself back when vapes were new and almost every other vape performed terribly so naturally it was the best choice but it’s not 2002 anymore and that is no longer the case. Get yourself a log vape you’ll save money and have a better performing vape.
Hey Bud,
Did you remove your listing of the herbalizer from your top picks ?
My Easy Valve bags seem to be springing leaks at about the two week mark. I suggest not letting the bag fill completely so there is no stress on the bag where it connects to the valve.
The miniVap is the only portable vaporizer to have been submitted to the same test lab at Leiden University in the Netherlands for performance analysis as the Volcano. It matched the Volcano for [active ingredient] levels and temperature reliability as well as lack of vapor impurities, off-gassing, etc.
Hey Bud,
I don’t know if this has been answered yet but i’m considering upgrading to a desktop vape after using my MFLB with the power adapter and Orbiter for a bit now. Mostly considering it because i’m tired of inconsistency with the ABV and constant risk of combustion with friends.
Looking at the Volcano I was wondering if you recommended the dial version or the digital? After watching and/ or reading your comments on the herbalizer, you mentioned that the display let you hit specific temperatures which helps control the effect due to how the [herbs] vaporize.
Is the Digital Volcano pretty much the same in terms of temperature control compared to the dial one? Does the herbalizer have more control because of the halogen bulb? I’m just wondering if the digital Volcano would really help me get more precise control over the dial version. I can’t really afford the Herbalizer and craigslist has a few used Volcanos of the dial and digital alike.
Thanks! Stay up!
-SomeRandomGuy
Hey man I personally feel that the cheaper Classic model is all you really need.
The digital model does have slightly more precise temperature control, but the Herbalizer would still be even more precise than that.
For most users having this level of temp control is not necessary but if you like to experiment and get different results you might want to consider the Herbie.
If you decide on the Volcano the Classic should do you great, and you’ll still get top-shelf vapor it just works best between ~350°F-380°F.
Bud, I’m new to vaping. But an old friend pulled out a Pax last week and I was very impressed with it. My question: which vape is best for a weekend user like me? Typically my wife and I take just one draw Friday, Saturday and maybe Sunday evenings– the herb is so strong these days, that’s all we want. I’ve read here the Pax works best with a full chamber, which maybe means we’d be using more than we need.
Hey Jonathan the best vapes right now for very small amounts of material are the Firefly, V2 Pro Series 3, and Magic-Flight Launch Box.
Those all work with as little as 0.1g of material and will produce just a handful of good draws from that at a time.
Hey Bud, I was wondering: How long does vapor last in a bag, and does it lose potency or leak out? And why do the bags need to be replaced? I’m concerned about inhaling plastic matter. Thanks!
Hey I personally try to use up all the vapor in a bag within about 10 minutes, any longer than that and it’ll start to taste/feel a little stale. Eventually after a long time it’ll condense on the walls of the balloon. These valves are good at not leaking though, they’re the highest quality I’ve tried.
After a few months of regular use your balloon might develop a few small holes just from normal wear and tear, or if you tend to leave the vapor sitting in the bag a lot it may build up residue a little faster. On average my easy valve bags have lasted me 3-4 months each of regular use.
I’ve had my volcano classic for three years and it still works perfect. I have noticed the logo is starting to fade on the shell of the volcano. Is it common for the logo to fade? Does volcano replace the outer shell of the volcano?
first of all thanks for doing what you do as I find your reviews really informative. I’ve actually never vaped but I’ve had an eye on the technology for a few years and decided to take the plunge and go for the VOLCANO CLASSIC with the easy valve system. It came down the other day and im impressed it excuse the pun but I love the classic look and feel and I am now only waiting on some product to use it with. It is very hard to get hold of where I am and costs [a lot] ! I would like your opinion as to [solid concentrate] use with the VOLCANO as that’s all we get here and it tends to be a low grade Moroccan type . How much do you think is needed to get just myself to where I want to be ? Anyway keep up the good work , I almost went with the crafty but I thought id get the undisputed champion being the VOLCANO.
Hey Tommy normally use can the Volcano with concentrates if you use the liquid pad they include inside the chamber, but it’s mainly designed for use with waxes and oils that completely melt when heated.
You can try putting a little bit of solid concentrate on the liquid pad to see if it works for you, I would spread a little out as much as you can across the top of the pad to increase surface area.
If it works you won’t need a lot at all. If it’s not working well what I would do is break it up into very small pieces and mix it in with a little ground up dry herbs, you may get better results this way.
You mainly want to be careful that nothing melts down into the main unit
Hello, This thread has being going on awhile! Well i saw your video and was impressed. I went and got the DIGital. Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge. You prolly helped sell a lot of Volcanos, they should throw you one!
Awesome hope you’re diggin it!
Hey Bud,
I use herbs for medical reasons. I’m wondering if the volcano will reduce the amount I use. As of now with a [water tool] I’m using [two onions] A month, and to make it worth the price I’d like to know if it can reduce the amount I use.
Yes Allie it will definitely reduce the amount of material you use, it’s not uncommon to cut down usage 50%
Good day Bud,
Thank you for your effort in maintaining such a useful and informative vape site! With your opinion and countless others in mind I bought a classic Volcano a week ago after using a generic ez-vape whip style vaporizer for over two years.
So this is what the big deal about vaping is actually all about! Night and day difference, I find myself glancing over at my Volcano and smiling throughout the day, worth every penny! I considered the Aromed, but my hand function is greatly dimensioned thanks to MS so the glass parts were a deal breaker for me, as was the plastic lid etc. of the Herbalizer.
During a multiple bag session is there any harm in having the Volcano cycling with idle stretches over a 45 minute to an hour before a long period of cool down, or should it be turned off after each bag fill? I also wondered, do people cover the top of their Volcanos while not it use?
Thanks again and take it easy,
Petard
Hey I’m really glad you’re enjoying the vape!
No harm at all to leave the vape on for a while, I regularly leave mine on for an or two and it still works like new after over 5 years, definitely don’t worry about turning it off between bag-fills.
I also have never covered the top of mine and had no problems but it can’t hurt!
Hi Bud,
I’ve been looking for a new vape for a while and decided to get the volcano for christmas after watching your reviews, but I got the solid valve set of bags instead of the easy valve set which it looks like you use. It’d be awesome if you could do a tutorial on using the solid valve set as it seems like a great option to save some money in the long term.
Happy Holidays
I’ll definitely consider doing that thanks for your request!
Just wanted to thank you for all the good advice over the years. I finally have an opportunity to give back something. I needed to buy some new O-rings for my Volcano and used your affiliate link where I purchased them using Paypal. Good luck and stay up.
Thank you sir!
Sorry, but in my opinion the Volcano only is expensive ( it´s good, but not for this price)
Everybody who gonna need an german highclass vaporizer should buy an Aromed, it´s without a shitty balloon-function, but you can easy combine it with a bowl and the air is much cleaner, because it´s only heaten by a halogen bulb, not like the most other vapors, with an ceramic heatplate.
In my opinion better than a Volcano, but it´s a matter how you want to inhale, i think (and how much you have to pose^^)
P.S.: I´m German so please don´t mind my spelling or grammar.
So let me just say I really appreciate your videos! I actually came to this site to decide what type of vape would be best for my dad as a gift. I love the volcano but I’m not a fan of bags. Is it possible to use a whip or tube with this vape?
Hey man, thanks for the reply. It was a few weeks between my post asking about a Sublimator review, and your response, and in the meantime i ended up buying a Sublimator!
I did lots of research first, and really found very little info on it, that wasnt from the inventor. Almost all reviews online were from people who hadnt used it, giving negative reviews based on the name, or the high price.
First, I owned the original Arizer Extreme as my first vape, and as mediocre as i now know it is, it was a solid every day vape for me for a long time. The glass breaks easily, and literally everything except the actual heating tower was replaced several times ( even the power supply once) but its all pretty cheap to replace, and i cant say many negative things about it, other than its just not that potent or great, but you get what you pay for i guess.
after that i went for the plenty. your reviews on it really sold me. like the sublimator, i found most of the negative comments about the plenty were from people who havent used it , or just criticisms that were not really fair to it. its not portable? well its not a portable vape. or it looks weird, or dont like the coil, or colour, etc. the shop in my town doesnt even carry it anymore because people werent into it. but i agree with your review completely. its super convenient, easy to use, and makes deadly vapor. i still use it daily, come home from work, sit on the couch and vape kind of thing. as much as i love the plenty, i can see how others might now. and after a bit of use, i knew i wanted another vape as well, since i was so used to the balloon system.so i started out looking at volcanos, and then the sublimator..
that being said, now having the Sublimator, it makes the plenty ( and all other vapes i’ve tried) feel like a cheap toy. thats not a shot at the volcano, its just how it feels. the sub is very much a MACHINE, not a device. i got the full stainless steel model, titanium apollo upgrade, 12″glass tube upgrade, basically anything i could do to make it the best unit. soon as you take it out of the box you notice how heavy and machine like it is. i bet the unit weighs 15pounds. it clangs together like steel, takes like 25mins to heat up completely, is dangerous and hot a bit tricky to use at first, but that is all as expected. i figured i had the plenty, what i see as the most convenient easy to use just sit back and vape vaporizer, i would get something very different, something intricate, that takes more time, to use when i had the time and wanted to get obliterated.
After about 10days with this thing, i can say this thing is amazing! would definately recommend you doing a review. [some text redacted]. it has to be the whole “atomizer” effect they claim, because something is just different with this thing, and different in an awesome way. the vapour is so dense, and just [pulls] in a way like nothing i have ever tried. i consider like a vapourizer [glass piece], but you get more than one rip out of it usually, unless you use a tiny bit of herb. and even a “big” [packing] is like .2g.
Just thought i’d give you my review, maybe others are curious. The unit cost me over $1000 all in all. is it worth it? well…i dont think i could justify spending that much money on a vape no matter what. but i CAN say it is by far the craziest thing i have ever used, and the power of it is just in another league than anything else.
and again, always love your reviews, keep up the good work!
one question: you list the might and crafty now as the top . I find this a bit confusing. I could see these being the top portable vapes for sure, but them being rated #1 and 2 , to me, suggests they are better than the herbalizer, volcano , etc. is this the case? or just considering the price, portability , vapor, etc. you think this makes them the best deal?
Hi Vapecritic,
Thanks for your awesome reviews they really helped me to pick the best vaporizer for me.
So Ive had the volcano classic for 3 months now and love it! But I have a question that I cant seem to find an answer to and I was hoping you might be able to help me out. When I switch off my volcano after use the the red light does not fully go out, but if i turn the nob up and it clicks (thermostat turning off noise) the faint light then goes out with the click. Does your volcano do this too? Is this normal or is there something more sinister at play with the electronics?
Thanks in advance
curious if you plan to review the sublimator? I own the Plenty, and have had the arizer extreme original for over 5 yrs, and am going to be upgrading soon. i’m torn between a volcano, and the sublimator. I always like your reviews, so i’d be curious to hear your opinion on it. thanks!
I do have it on my list of future possibilities, thanx for your request man! The way they work is pretty different though, so if you’re deciding between the two I would focus on what the experience will be like vaping from them. Do you wanna take a huge rip, or do you wanna fill a balloon and chill and sip vapor from it?
I think combos are at a disadvantage to bag or whip specific whips. The volcano is a better bag experience and the plenty is a better whip, its better to have both those two than a verbalizer, although maybe since it does both well the verbalizer is the best if you can only have one
Agreed.
Storz & Bickel just came out with two portable vaporizers, The Crafty Vaporizer for $399 and The Mighty for $469. I can’t wait to see your reviews for them.
Indeed they did! I actually just put up a blog post about this yesterday
Thanks Bro! I think what I’m about to say borders on blasphemy, but now that I have the Plenty, it had become my favorite! Oh, I’ll still go with the Volcano when I have company, and trust me – the Volcano is a fine tuned machine that “feels” like it can go forever…but so far the the same can be said of the Plenty. In my opinion, the Plenty is even easier to use so I find myself going to it as first choice…and knowing what I know now, I’d buy the Plenty BEFORE the Volcano because of the price (since I’m getting the same results and it’s easier (or lets just say “as easy”) to use.
Bud – you are definitely the MAN when it comes to in depth reviews…I’ll keep checking in to see if anything comes close to overtaking the Volcano and the Plenty, but it would probably have to be UFO technology to beat these two!
Hey man I totally feel you, I love the Plenty and it’s usually the first one I think of to grab also.
I find the vapor it produces to be super strong and smooth, and I think it provides the closest experience to combusting as far as the end results.
Thanks for posting and stay up!
Bud – very nice, well thought out reviews on your site. I’ve had my Volcano Classic for 4 years, and I concur with everything you said. It is by far my most useful purchase in terms of recouping your investment because of the Volcano’s efficiency. This is one of the few products that you spend big on at first, then it starts paying you back because your herb lasts much longer!
Anyway, because you share my exact sentiments about the Volcano, I decided to come to you to hear what you thought about the Plenty – and based in your review, I decided to purchase it. My wife doesn’t really like the bag part of the Volcano experience, so I’m getting the Plenty so that we can have a whip style vape around. Your review of the Plenty was exactly what I needed to hear…thank you for that!
Anyway, I do have one question for you – do you think it makes a difference if you fill up a “light” load (using the liquid pad) as opposed to packing it full and just setting it down after taking the amount you require? With the Volcano, you just take the filling chamber off and you’re good, but the Plenty looks like it’s going to keep the heat on until everything is used up…
Hey thanks, I’m really glad to hear how much you’re enjoying the Volcano, it still impresses me to this day.
The Plenty is really excellent too, it’s one of my all-time favorites. The best way I’ve found to use it for maximum efficiency is to only pack the amount you expect to vaporize in one session.
So unless you have a group of people vaping from it, this means you will almost always pack just a little (0.15g to 0.2g) and place the liquid pad on top to fill up the remaining space.
You can use it the other way you described also, but since this vape take a few minutes to heat up and cool down it might not be the most efficient method.
Hey man! I absolutely love the volcano and have been using it for about a year now. I was just wondering how much material you tend to use in a typical chamber? I read once that 0.15g is the minimum, but for a typical session how much material exactly do you put in the chamber? And how many balloons do you get from that chamber?
Hey very glad to hear you’re enjoying the vape.
I typically put about 0.2g in the chamber when I use it, and when I’m using small amounts I typically put the liquid pad on top of the material to keep it pressed down against the bottom screen.
How many balloons you get will vary a little bit depending on grind consistency and how much you pack, but for me when I pack 0.2g of finely ground herb I get 3-4 balloons of good vapor.
LOL the first 5 bags should last you a year.. wow congrats to those who manage to make them last a year.. i think for me it was 3-4 months
Yes if you’re gentle with them they will last quite a while. I’m not rough with mine and each bag lasts me 3-4 months before it starts leaking a little vapor and I need to use a new one. Every other balloon vape I’ve tried up until now uses bag material that is not as durable or long-lasting as the Volcano’s.
Is the Volcano suitable for one person or a couple? I keep reading about how great it is, I don’t mind spending extra for the best, but I am concerned that this might be wasteful of herb if just one person is using it.
Can you vape the herb for one or two balloons and then vape the same herb again the next day, instead of filling four balloons in one session?
Hi..I use the volcano ‘alone’ and am experimenting with ‘weights & measures’….. This week I have been using only 0.10gr and find this more than enough for 2 bags and more than enough to pin me to the sofa (but I am a lightweight).
I have also experimented using 0.25gr and doing 2 bags one evening and then another couple of bags the next evening…no problems working like this.
Crank up the heat a little and re-vap old used material…this works too! Add to this I found some material which I grew in Summer 2011 (bone dry and kept in a cupboard in the shed) and this also ‘works’ too.
The only thing I would add is get a Magic Flight Finishing grinder as the 2nd stage of your grinding process….makes the ‘product’ very fine and fluffy which I understand creates more surface area for the vaporizing to access.
Good luck
Cheers Dave (The Netherlands).
Thanks for your reply Dave. I ended up buying the Volcano (Classic). It’s perfectly fine for light use – one or two people. Very happy with my purchase. I nearly changed my order to the Vapexhale because I read a comment in another forum but I had read about people breaking the glass accidentally, and I can be a klutz. So not a safe choice for me.
I highly recommend the Volcano for its ease of use and build quality. The latter is very important in such an expensive device. If you are going to fork out hundreds of dollars for a high-end vaporizer you want it to last for years ideally. So thanks Dave for your reply and thanks to the Vape Critic for his reviews.
Hey Harry my apologies for the delayed response but I’m happy you got the info you needed and I’m really glad you’re diggin the vape!
Hi, after 3 years using the ‘flightbox’ which has served me well for ‘ad-hoc’ use I have been researching a at home vape. So biting the bullet I ordered a Volcano Classic this week and it has arrived….. Last night I tried it for the 1st time and all I can say it wow and that’s an understatement….
The flight box is great and I have no bad words about it but the difference between the two is worlds apart IMHO…. If you are in the market for a at home vape…wait, save, get the money together and get the Volcano!…have I tried other vapes…No I have not so in all truth these comments carry very little ‘fair’ judgement other than my brief experience… I have so happy to have made this decision. Thaks for all the reviews and advice…
Hey Dave thanks very much for posting, I’m very happy you like the vape and I agree that the experience it provides is excellent.
Enjoy it!
I had purchased the volcano classic about two months ago & it has been working great ( up until yesterday ) . I had accidentally dropped the herb chamber into my dogs water dish ( I know it sounds funny ) . I took the chamber apart & cleaned & dried it thoroughly with great care . The only problem I’m having is when I place the chamber on top of the volcano I’m getting some extra vapor coming out of the bottom of the chamber , even when I lift up the chamber from the volcano it’s still proceeds to come out the bottom ? My usual heat setting is between 6-6 1/2 & have not had any problem until now . Is this normal or should I send it for repairs ? I would greatly appreciate any advice you have to offer . Also , love your site , keep up the great work :-). Jeffmyster
Bummer man! The good news is that if anything is wrong with or missing from your chamber you can easily find replacement parts. If you go to VolcanoVape.info and then from the Parts menu select Volcano Parts you’ll find a product called the “Easy Valve Wear & Tear Set”, this basically has every part you would need to rebuild the chamber.
I’m thinking maybe the blue o-ring came off? That would cause some vapor to leak out when you’re filling a balloon. If it’s not that part it must just be the bottom screen placement, maybe it needs a slight adjustment.
Hope this helps and thanks for posting!
Thanks for the excellent reviews. They helped me steer towards the Volcano and away from the cheaper do-it-all models. The Volcano is an incredibly solid and professional device. Not a toy like many other vaporizers. This machine could stand in a laboratory between Eppendorf centrifuges etc and not look out of place at all. Top of the line engineering throughout. Using it is entirely hassle-free with perfect results every time and nothing to clean up afterwards (at least with Easy Valve).
I’ve read somewhere about the airpump being loud but it isn’t really. You can hear it but its not very loud. The sound is there because it is not a fan but a membrane pump, a vastly superior solution than a fan in this type of application, especially in the long run (fans perform increasingly worse over time. Also a pump can create much more pressure and the airflow can never be reversed.)
All in all I’m very happy with the Volcano. It’s no surprise that it’s the standard for professional and medical use as well as for discerning recreational users. Cheers!
Thanks for posting Alex,
Everything you’ve said describes this vape perfectly!
I’m really glad you’re enjoying it and like it as much as I do, vape it up!
Hey Bud , i recently looked into buying a vaporizer about 4 weeks ago after i noticed some pretty painful lung issues after about 10 years of only using glass water devices to get huge draws , maybe a little too huge.
I was very skeptical about vaporizers in general , but i had to give my body a break so i went ahead and bought the Volcano Classic after watching your reviews a couple of times. It really gave me assurance that this was something very well made and could be used extensively without too much worry. My lungs already feel better and the Volcano works fantastically.
I did have to experiment with the temperature setting a bit , at 6-6.5 i wasn’t really feeling much of anything to be honest , it probably also had to due with me not grinding my herbs enough at first. After testing it out some more iv found out for me personally the dial being set at 7.5-8 instead of 6.5 was a completely different experience , that in a combination of grinding the herbs into an almost powder substance. Really great.
Thanks again man.
Hey Jacob thanks for posting your experience,
I’m really glad you’re enjoying this vape, and the right temperature to set will definitely vary between users so I’m also happy you found your sweet spot. Grinding super fine is a big help with vapor production as I’m sure you’ve noticed.
Stay up!
Great review man. I came across your videos on YouTube and found your info in the volcano very helpful. I was going to get a digital one then realized(after your demo) that a classic one is just as good. I’m getting one asap. Thank bro
Sweet glad to hear it man!
I have had a volcano for at least 12 years I leave it on all day so it will be ready at any given moment…and it is still truckin!! I turn it off when I go out and to bed but if I am here it’s on…..amazing I keep waiting for it ti wear out but ..nope!
I have been through many vapes some I threw away others ebay….but recently I bought the Arizer Solo, thanks to your review, and it is the best the very best,next to the volcano. I have had a pax, magic flight, the other one by stortz& bickel. on and on..but this Arizer Solo I can truly vape, after a few draws I turn it down from 4 to 3 and vape till no more vaper with no burned taste at all till the very end which is always about 12 min anyway and it goes to auto off, which I find very handy!! I am 70 yrs old I vape all day( retired ) i cant stand to smoke now..but I had since about 23. So far this habit has not kept me from anything, I enjoy good health. You would never know I am 70 and I can’t believe I am.. [some text redacted]
Awesome Bill I’m really glad you’re diggin the vapes and I agree the Volcano is a total workhorse, it’s built extremely well.
Thanks for posting, be well and vape it up!
Also, forgot to ask. What do you do with your vaped remains? [combust] them, throw them away, or do you think they could be used to make edibles?
Some people keep it and do things with it afterwards and I tried that a few times in the past but was never satisfied with the outcome, so now I just toss spent herbs after they’re thoroughly vaped.
Hey Man,
Bought the Volcano Digit based on your review and a couple others last weekend and I have to say it is the best piece of kit I have ever purchased. I have been smoking for over 20 years and I will say that as long as I am at my house, I do not see myself using anything else ever again.
On a side note, I bought my wife a Puffit handheld vape (the one shaped like an albuterol inhaler) last year for Christmas and definitely DO NOT recommend it, it is a piece of junk.
Thanks for the review,
420PharmD
Very glad to hear you’re enjoying it, and I totally agree about the Puffit, thanks for posting!
Hello, i really like your reviews and i’m wondering if you are thinking about reviewing the Sublimator vaporizer ? I would really like to know your opinion about this vape.
Hey I have it on my list of future possibilities, thanks for your request!
I’d love a review on sublimator too. Your the vape oracle should I buy a sublimator for my UK shatter?
Hey bro thanks for the video, my brother never smoke I always have, he has since gotten into vaperisers and is loving them. I had my first vape a month or so ago… Loved it. Now on te search for the perfect vape!
Kudos for the blog!
Ps ur a babe
Hey thanks for posting! ;)
How often do you have to purchase replacement bags?
Each balloon has lasted me on average 3-4 months (I’ve owned this vape for 5 years now), and it comes with 5 bags when you first buy it which should last you 1 to 1.5 years.
Please understand I’m not trying to hate. I own a volcano digit and it’s nice but I almost never use it. It gets dusted off now and again when I have a large group of people over. I find that it works well in groups especially with people who are inexperienced with vaping because anyone can suck air out of a bag. My problem with the volcano is that it’s outdated. The design hasn’t changed in over a decade when so many new innovations. The volcano held it’s reputation as the best vape for so long because it simply had next to no competition. Up until about six years ago you could either get a volcano or vapor brothers or something of the like. My second problem with the volcano is that using a bag for vaping is about the worst idea ever conceived in the vape world. When dealing with vapor rather than smoke condensation is a huge factor when it comes to effecentcy. The longer the vapor has to sit and the larger the surface the more thc you will lose. My third problem with it is that it is way overpriced. It’s been the same
Price for years now for the same old volcano. That’s not to say its build quality and parts are not top notch but that they just nowhere near justify that pricetag. When It comes to my daily driver I use log vapes. I also notice there are no log vapes reviewed on here so I would recommend checking at least one of them out. I had previously used myrtlezaps and rockzaps but I now use one called the E-nano and I almost never use anything else. It’s increadbly effecent (because of how short the vapor path is) I save so much herb thanks to my E-nano. It’s also very small and discreet and the vapor tube it uses will fit any 14mm female joint allowing it to be used with a water pipe. The E-nano also uses a variable voltage box so you can vape at any temp you desire. I would really recommend checking one out for only $200 I can’t think of a reason I’ll need another home vape for a long while.
I understand your viewpoint, but I have some rebuttals…
Yes this vape came out over 10 years ago, yet it’s still one of the best performing and best built models I’ve ever used, so that actually says a lot about the company and how it was designed/manufactured… it was way ahead of its time. I’ve reviewed over 25 vapes now and still use this one regularly, it’s sitting on the shelf in my living room.
I recently reviewed two new vapes that actually gave the Volcano a run for its money, they are the first vapes to be rated as high or higher, but it doesn’t mean I like or recommend the Volcano any less. It took over ten years for another company to make a vape that could legitimately rival it, and I’m talking about when you consider every single aspect of ownership, not just picking out one or two things to compare.
Regarding balloon vaping, it’s actually a super smart idea, some people like yourself just don’t like it and I get that. Think about it like this, when you take a draw from a whip-style vape you need to draw for at least 5-10 seconds normally to get a satisfactory amount of vapor. When you fill a balloon with vapor you basically have it on tap, no more taking long draws to get a lot of vapor, no more pulling hard or dealing with draw resistance, just take a 2 second sip and you have all the vapor you need.
This is especially beneficial for people who can’t or don’t want to take long or hard pulls, balloon vaping is a completely different experience than whip vaping, and it doesn’t mean one is better than the other, everyone has their preference, I personally like both very much it just depends what mood I’m in.
Also as long as you draw all of the vapor from the bag within about 5 minutes there is very minimal vapor loss due to condensation, and there is very little flavor loss either. It’s only when you leave it sitting there for 10+ minutes that you run into those issues.
And I’m not sure if you have the Easy Valve kit or the Solid Valve but the Easy Valve is much easier and more enjoyable to use IMO.
I would also argue that it’s not really overpriced either, take a look at some of the prices of the new vapes coming out that rival it.
Thanks for your feedback, I’ll consider reviewing a log vape soon.
I wish I had found this site before investing in my DaVinci. It is so much better than smoking on several levels, but I see now that I could have done better for myself if I had found your videos first.
My question is about quantity of dry herb. Should I vape with just a pinch if that is all I want to use, or does it work fine to fill the chamber and reuse several times?
Grinding appears to be something that I am neglecting, and I will do a better job of that starting today. But do you also recommend a pollen press for creating hard little disks?
This is all so much more effective than what I grew up with. I quit for a bunch of years to raise my family, but now that the kids are gone, I’m enjoying my freedom. But there’s a learning curve to these new methods, for sure.
Again, thanks for your guidance.
Hey Tom thanks very much for posting.
Normally I recommend packing the amount of material you expect to use up in one session into the herb chamber, or if you want to re-vape once that is okay also but I wouldn’t go more than that for best quality.
Don’t worry about a pollen press but definitely use a good grinder, for best results with basically any vape your material should be ground to a fine consistency.
With practice and experimentation it will all become easy!
While filling up a bag on the easy valve does it smell inside.? Like if I take the bag outside to vape would i have to worry about odor in my house?
There is very little (if any) vapor that escapes during the bag filling process, so you shouldn’t have any odor issue at all if you do that.
Also one more thing abt magic flight ok do I take a draw for up to 2 seconds same as volcano? Also mix it with chamomile too?
Using the Magic-Flight Launch Box will be different. With that vape you want to take long, slow draws about 5-10 seconds each.
Hey bud,
If I’m ready to take a draw but first do I have to turn dial up to 6 setting then put [material] on chamber and wait for 2-3 mins for it to warm up? Or wait til it’s done warm up and put it on and press on and wait for a balloon to fill up?
Hey first turn the unit on and let it heat up for a few minutes with the dial on 6, but don’t put the herb chamber on top yet. Once it’s warmed up you can attach the chamber and turn the fan on to fill the balloon.
When you pack your material in the chamber make sure it’s finely ground up and try to completely cover the bottom screen evenly.
Hi Bud… nice video.
Can other bags be changed to mouth piece or must I
buy only bags with mouth piece per-installed?
How long can I wait before the vapor in the bag loses its
potentiality?
What kind of storage bag for the Volcano do you recommend?
Hey John if you go with the Easy Valve kit the balloons come pre-assembled, and if you choose the Solid Valve kit you can make your own balloons, any size you want and with whatever material you want.
I myself prefer the Easy Valve and find it to be the better option for most people, but it just depends how bad you want to make your own bags. The Solid Valve is also more parts and a little bulkier, so it changes the experience a tiny bit.
It’s recommended to empty the bag of vapor within 5 minutes of filling it for best quality, any longer than that and you may lose some flavor/potency.
I don’t have a recommendation for a good storage bag for the unit itself but any time I’ve had to travel with mine I’ve just packed it up in the original box, it has styrofoam supports in it and keeps it safe.
Brother. Your site has changed my life when it comes to vape vs. other methods. I have recently spent the money for the volcano and the pax based off your recommendations and never happier. That said, i have watched your video of tips for the pax and i have a question. You recommend fine grind and dry herbs for optimal performance on all vapes. That said, what is your opinion on putting herbs in the chamber and running the fan on the volcano without heat to dry out material for the volcano and pax both? Worth the effort/wear on my volcano? Any faster than air dry? Potential adverse outcomes? Thanks for all you do. Most informative, honest site.
Really glad to hear it!!
Very interesting question, I never actually thought of doing that but it could potentially work.
The only downside that comes to mind is that the fan is normally run for only 30 seconds at a time to fill up each balloon, so I don’t think I would recommend running your fan for much longer than that on a regular basis.
It probably wouldn’t do any harm but just to reduce any unnecessary wear I would limit how long the fan stays on for at a time.
So in other words doing it for a minute at a time should be totally fine, but I wouldn’t let it sit there running for 5 minutes.
Stay up!
hello bud
sorry for me english is italian boy…. good job
I am very disappointed by the volcano,
nobody says that this and all vaporizers make me a sore throat.
when I use it during the day, then at night I wake up with a burning throat
why so?
400euro thrown away
Hey man it shouldn’t be doing that, maybe you have the temperature set too high? You also may need to grind your material finer.
Temperature and grind consistency can affect how smooth and comfortable the vapor is, as well as how much visible vapor you get.
Try drying out your material and grinding it up very fine, then pack enough in the herb chamber to completely cover the bottom screen.
Set the unit to about 365°F (just about 6 on the dial for the Classic version) and once it warms up fill the balloon.
The vapor you get if you follow these steps should be smooth and comfortable, let me know how you make out!
So i bought a volcano vaporizer based mainly off your reviews of several vaporizers a well as word of mouth advertisement. That being said, i agree it does take 2-3 minutes to heat up (which happens to be about the same amount of time it takes to prepare herbs) but honestly my only complaint is i wish it cooled faster, and that’s just finding something to complain about. 3 minutes is worth the wait for a $669 dollar toy. All in all, it’s an incredible machine and i could tell that your review of the volcano was personally better for you than any other. Thanks for the info. I wouldn’t have bought one without your input. best investment.
I’m truly glad you’re enjoying the vape and happy with your purchase, thanks for posting!
Best machine ever made. period.
I have a Volcano Digit since 2009 and it runs perfectly like the first day, and it has been working almost daily since. This thing is durable and barely needs maintenance.
Go for the easy Valve, there´s a way to reuse the easy valves and put new balloons on them, quite easy. I´ve replaced a lot of balloons and my valves still work perfectly.
The Volcano it´s super expensive but if you´re a serious smoker, and you learn how to use this machine you´re going to save thousands of bucks on [material], believe me, anyone else who says the contrary doesn´t know how to use this vaporizer.
BRO, I have been looking for a decent vape review site and your whole site is on the money. Literally the best of the best of the best. Keep it up, you keep the world a decent place!!!
btw I’m saving up for and buying a volcano soon.
Thanks man really glad you dig it!
Hello Bud, cheers from Spain!
thanks for all your reviews, I’ve found out to be the best ones in the net. You really get into the point and explain very well the pros and cons of each device. You’re an authority in the subject ;-)
Plus you look like a really cool guy.
Following your advices I got myself a volcano classic, I’ve never vaped before nor I do smoke. I just tried it for the first time, and I load my chamber with my material (herbs), I inhaled 4 or 5 bags, and I couldn’t feel any effect, it was only later, about 20 minutes later I started feeling funny. But nothing extraordinary. Am I supposed to have any effects immediatelly after drawing, or the effect comes later? I think I might not be using properly.
I setup my volcano at level 6 as you advised. And tried to fill the surface of the screen in the load chamber. I read today, that I should leave the material for a few seconds before starting the fan, I didn’t do it, I put the bag and started the fan straight away when the light went off.
I’m gonna retry tonight waiting for a few seconds.
I wanted mainly congratulate you for your fine blog/vids and say thanks for all the good work. Keep the videos comming ;-)
-Derke
Hey thanks for posting!
You made a great choice so just give it some time and keep experimenting with different methods and you’ll find the best way to use it for you.
In general, setting the heat dial to 6 (~374°F), finely grinding your material, and packing at least 0.15g will get you good results. Sometimes when using very small amounts you’ll get better performance if you insert the included liquid pad on top of your material, it helps it heat more evenly and create more vapor.
Hi again Bud!
Thanks a lot for your answer. I’ve been experimenting with it and following what you’ve explained. I finally understood how it works, and it’s really powerful! Thanks for all the tips, I’m really happy with my purchase. And I don’t have the bad side effects of the smoke. Vaping gets me the effects, without what I didn’t like from smoking.
Keep it up, it’s always really nice seeing you, looking forward seeing new videos, I think I’ve watched them all, it feels like you’re one of my friends finally. Haha :-)
Bye!
Derek
I bought mine about 6 years ago! love everything about it! you really can use the “ashes ” three times! I do buy very high quality and find that I use less than 1/2 for the same effect. Hey hope this atracks viewers but will it also get back to the manufacture for a discount one my next purchase of bags or??? We are all sharing and give great info on the product.— But there are those that do say that it is not not great—- they are just too cheap to buy ! I know a few ! I also love my pen for travel keep it on me at all times and …. Yes it is legal for me– but still a better choice where it is not! No smell etc!
I just paid about $750 for I guess everything, the base stuff and the recommended auxs. I am a mechanical engineer so I should appreciate the quality and value put into a high end product. OK I put everything together and used some half way decent product but tired of smoke in the lungs and wanted to vaporize.
I can hung the bag and I guess I am not sure how long to wait for he smoke density to be appropriate. I tried 1 minute 4 minutes 6 minutes. No noticeable difference’s.
I opened the chamber to check to see if product was diminished, cooked, over heated, ??? not cooked at all, etc.
It just didn’t change colors or smell burnt , I am not sure why it isn’t vaporizing it or me not seeing any smoke or feeling any.
The heater digital quickly comes up to 365 set point.
Disappointed ….
Mike
Hey man I’m not sure what you’re doing wrong but just keep at it and maybe read through the manual to get the basics down.
If you’re grinding your material fine, packing at least 0.15g in the chamber, and setting the temp to 365°F you should be getting visible vapor when you fill the balloon.
Hi Bud,
Thank you for all the info. I agree that the company you linked is one of the best to buy from; they have been insanely helpful with a big issue I’m having (part of the reason I’m posting, just to share). I ordered a Volcano last Monday. It was supposed to come by Wednesday, but the storm held it off. I was about a half hour away when the package was delivered and found that odd considering the package requires a direct signature upon delivery.
It was signed by someone I don’t know, and who – I’m guessing – used a fake name. And stolen. HUGE bummer right now as it delayed me giving it as a gift, one that I also had been saving away for for quite a while. Luckily the company is confident that the issue will be resolved and are very accommodating and ready to send out another unit. They’re just waiting on FedEx who hopefully accept the at-fault claim.
Sigh. Word to the wise, everyone, try to be home when your Volcano is being delivered if you live in any kind of complex.
Sup
I heard the Aromed 4.0 is better than the volcano? It supposedly produces denser/cleaner hits. Volcano will defiantly be easier to clean based on your reviews but I just want to know if you will review this.
Thanks
Hey I’ve heard mixed things about the Aromed but I’ve been considering buying one lately, so I may review it soon.
Thanks very much for your request!
Sup bud after thinking about it ive got it down to 2 home vapes volcano and plenty. My ex got a volcano a little bit before we broke up so i know kinda got a little feel for it but she didnt like it so we really didnt use it and that was years ago. ive also had the easy vape once but didnt like it and sold it. Now with the 2 i know the plenty is still new do you see a lot of cleaning in the future or buying extra parts? You say you dont have to clean really anything on the volcano but you have to buy the bags like once a year. Meaning putting more money into the volcano, a lot more lol. Now what is the difference in the vape between the two? Is one cooler, more tasty, more dense or anything else that might be different? How are they to use when vaping? I know the volcano you just fill the bag sit back enjoy. The plenty you got triggers to pull and a cords swinging around lol. Do you also use your finishing grinder for your material you put in these? Just wondering because i do already own one. Also what are the min and max amount of material you can put in these? Im kinda leaning more to the plenty just for the money and the weird power drill/ray gun look kinda catches my eye as well. Ive been rolling cigars for 15 years now and would really like to stop. So with the amount of money i spend on those, buying bags once a year would really save a lot. Got the pax and mflb from your reviews and love em both, so gotta trust your judgment on this one too. Unless you know of something good coming soon whats your call bud?
Ok there’s very little cleaning with both of them and with the plenty you shouldn’t need any replacement parts for an extremely long time, the volcano just replacement balloons.
There’s really no difference in the vapor quality, just in how they work. Biggest difference is Plenty is a faster-paced session, you shouldnt wait more than a minute or so between draws, with the volcano you can slowly sip the vapor from the bag and then wait as long as u want before filling another one, so it’s more laid back.
The finishing grinder isnt necessary with these two, they work well with pretty much any grind consistency.
Both work best with a minimum of 0.15 and a max of about 0.5
Hope this helps!
Can you compare it to the da verdamper
I will consider it thanks very much for your request
Hey Bud,
wanna thank you again for the info. I watched your videos when i started and I finally got the money and bought one for my birthday!
For a heavy user like me, this is definitely saving me tons of money. The amount of herb I go through with other methods is ridiculous.. plus i dont cough like a maniac anymore (^big cougher)
just a few questions though:
1) how do you tell the herbs are done and
2) do you find the taste weird when you leave the vapor in bag for too long? (longer than 30 secs)
because I’m using it solo (not like i’ll waste more herb than I already was even if i just take one draw from each bag lol)
mainly just wanna thank you for the vids and blog and convince me to get one. hopefully mine will be in good condition 4, 5 years from now!
cheers!
Hey Edward I’m really glad you’re enjoying it, to answer your questions you can tell the herbs are spent when you stop getting vapor in the balloon, it won’t be an abrupt stop but more of a gradual thing, and I’ve only found the taste to change a little when I leave the vapor in the bag for about 5 minutes or more.
Stay up!
Still worth every penny!!! The volcano has blow my top again, after installing the liquid pad I have been vaping nothing but concentrates in it. The taste alone is worth doing it but I also have been able to get a better return rate in the volcano, meaning I am able to make [my material] last longer. Not to mention less harsh on the lungs.
Nice glad you’re enjoying it!
I would like a Volcano but it is expensive. What are your thoughts on purchasing a used Volcano?
As long as the previous owner didn’t abuse it I see nothing wrong with getting a used one, I’ve had mine for 4.5 years now and it still works & looks like new.
Try to make sure they didn’t leave it on for very long periods of time, like many hours in a row on a consistent basis, that might mean the heater’s a little more worn out than normal.
I bought volcano analog it was my third vapor model. Yes I know it is expensive, but I have to tell it: this was my the best spent money. It makes the best vapor . I’m glad that you making that blog becouse without your vidios I wont buy that expensive model.
Do you ever try to vape [concentrate] in that unit? I know that there is a liquid pad, but what about temprature? I think [concentrate] need higher temeprature to vape? bu I’m not sure.
Hey I’m really glad to hear you’re enjoying the vape.
I’ve tried vaping concentrates in it a few times and I think it’s easier when you just mix some in with your herbs but you could also just use the liquid pad.
I would start at the same temperature you like to vape your herbs at and then slowly increase the heat if you think you need to, but do it in small increments.
Stay up!
I’ve had da volcano digit for a year or more but wanted to know magibox vs pax by ploom which I’ve had for 6months but I guess its time to add to my collection of vapes
I retired a little over a year ago after 26 years of military service. After retiring I wanted to partake of the one thing that I was unable to for so long. I started to do some research and discovered vaporizing and of course, your site. I read through all of your material and didn’t do a thing you recommended! I went through 2 vapes just like the “Easy Vape”…..I burnt up both of them by forgetting to turn them off. I bought a couple of the VaporGenie vapes, which are ok but no way of really controlling the temperature…you really have to develop a “feel” of how to use these. About 6 months ago I decided that since my herb usage has become such an important part of my daily life that my gear needs to be top of the line! At that time, based on your reviews, I bought the PAX portable vape. After a little trial and error I really love that thing! (key is to pack the chamber fairly tight and clean the unit often!)… Well, after saving my pennies and studying your review I bought a Volcano Classic with the easy valve. It arrived last week and I must say I am completely blown away! I am astonished about how much performance I can get out of a miniscule amount of product! I can see that in time, it will pay for itself! Also the learning curve with the Volcano is really quick and easy. Honestly, I am glad I didn’t buy one right away, the amount of herb knowledge I gained by fooling around with the cheap vapes is really helpful.
Question:
unfortunately because of where I live, my age etc. getting herb is challenging so I really have to be a miser (which I hate) I only use a small pinch of product. Do you use the liquid pad when using such a small amount? If so, do you put it on the bottom section of the filling chamber, kinda trapping the herb between the bottom screen and the pad. Really I guess my question is, when using such a small amount do you think I should not let the herb be blown around in the chamber during the heating process by making up the empty space with the liquid pad (I do that in the PAX with a small piece of stainless steel wool) I know I will have to experiment and find out for myself but I am very interested in what you have to say about it.
BTW I also bought the Finishing Grinder you recommend and that really makes a world of difference!
Thank you for taking the time to read this and thank you for creating this site!
Nate
(I can’t wait until i can fill the chamber up! I know that will make a difference!!)
Hey Nate,
My sincere apologies for the delayed response.
I’m really glad to hear you’re diggin the Pax and the Volcano, these are definitely the two I use most in my collection.
What you described regarding the liquid pad is totally correct, when using very small amounts of material I usually put the pad in the chamber to keep the material pressed evenly against the bottom screen, helps to ensure even and thorough vaporization.
Stay up!
Hello! first of all sorry for my English because I’m Spanish :) I’ve been really fascinated to discover your videos and that is precisely what I was looking for … someone with proven experience in the use of vaporizers and so clear in explaining the advantages and disadvantages of each …
Only I have a question … Here in Spain (if not elsewhere too) there is a vaporizer really famous and which shops sell vaporizers to recommend much … it’s called “Verdamper” … It would be amazing to know your opinion about of it, if you’ve tried … also there are two other vaporizer I’ve read are very good and have not found anything in your videos … it is the “Herborizer” and “VRIP” … if you knew anything about them would be great to know your opinion …. Thank you and great job!
Hey Julio thanks for your requests! I haven’t personally tried any of those models but I will put them on my list and consider them for future reviews. Stay up!
Hey Bud, I’ve seen all of ur review videos, before I decided to get a volcano classic, for a price of 160€ (=214$). Couldn’t say no to that offer. After being very excited about my new Baby, I noticed, that there was no cap for the air filter on the bottom of the volcano. So I opened it up and saw, that there actually was no (visible) air filter built in my device. After googling and only one result helping me, i figured it must be an older model.
Blablabla, questions:
1. Do you know if this has a significant effect on the vaping experience?
Because I have the feeling, that it’s not very efficient and i don’t really feel the herb working :-/
2. Do you think trading it in for an Xtreme Q Vaporizer would be a smart deal, considering this fact?
Thanks so much in Advance already :)
Greetings from Germany
Hey Josh,
Hmm… it sounds like you may have been sold an imitation Volcano, is that possible?
Unless it was old and used I’ve never heard of a real one being sold at such a low price, and there are a few different knock-offs out there.
If this is the case I would definitely trade it in for something else, and the Extreme-Q wouldn’t be a bad choice for that price range.
I’m pretty sure it is an orginal, but yeah, old device, it has the serial no. on it and it’s really solid.
I’m just kinda worried that the missing air filter has such a big effect on the vapingexperience, that trading it in for a newer but cheaper non-volcano-device would be smart :/
Oh ok my bad, thanks for confirming.
My gut tells me something else may be going on because the air filter shouldn’t make a big difference in vapor strength…
Have you tried grinding your material very very fine? are you putting enough in the chamber to cover the bottom screen?
Also what temperature setting do you have it on?
Hey, again, thank you so much for replying on everyone’s comments, that is really awesome!
And, to my surprise, it was due to the fact (at least i think so), that my herb was very fresh and relatively humid, now, like two weeks later, there’s a remarkable increase in its effect :D
So I am happily vaping with my device now and only using dry herbs.
Maybe this helps somebody else with the same issue :)
Ah yes that’ll do it!
Glad to hear you’re enjoying it more now, vape it up!
I need help. My scout mini space case 4 piece grinder is HELLA squeaky and hard to turn. It’s new almost but could use a cleaning.
How do I clean this (and is it the same method for the Titanium (black) 4 piece as well? I have a large)
Do u think the squeaking will stop?
I wrote them twice and no response. But when I wrote them when I originally got my space case to praise them they answered right back. :/
Thanks so much
+Æ*—
Hey yea the squeaking just means you probably have a good amount of buildup somewhere, when it’s clean it should be butter smooth and silent.
To clean I usually grab a bottle of rubbing alcohol, some q-tips, and some paper towels, and with a little gentle scrubbing you should be able to get virtually all of the residue off. A paper clip might help also since it’s such a small grinder.
Usually it’s the small ones that have a bigger issue with buildup.
What’s up!
Speaking of the Volcano Digit (which I own), I just noticed something I don’t understand about it: I usually leave my unit unplugged. Just in case. I don’t know why. And so this time I went to plug it in to use it and I did not touch any buttons and I noticed it still lit up and displayed the temperature of the unit (or of the air coming out of the unit?).
Well is the unit supposed to ALWAYS display it’s temperature? Like for people who leave it plugged in does it always display it’s temperature, even when not in use? Or does it show for a brief time and fade away?
Thanks Bud
+Æ*—
Hey you know I’m actually not positive because I only own the Classic but I would imagine that the unit would need to be plugged in and actually turned on (the heater) for the temperature to display.
I could be wrong, maybe it always displays the temp, but possibly your unit was turned on already when you plugged it in?
Good site. Not sure if you’ve covered this, but how long can vapour sit in a bag? Does it go “stale”, either with bad taste or lose of quality? Or does the bag just sit around all day fresh and ready to go?
Hey thanks yes I would recommend not letting the vapor sit in the bag for more than about 10 minutes. After that long it will slowly start condensing on the inside of the balloon and it will lose some flavor.
‘Sup, man? Your reviews and assessments of all the vaporizers are much appreciated to those looking for insight. I had a question for you: have you tried the Aromed from Research and Experience? I have had multiple friends who are medicinal users who swear that the quality of the vapor exceeds that of the Digital Volcano.
Sup Jose,
I haven’t reviewed that one yet but I do have it on my list of future possibilities, I appreciate your request!
Your reviews really are excellent, totally well balanced and professional as well as being pretty humorous. I expect you’ll be reviewing more that Vapes soon!
Anyway I came across your site from YouTube after doing some research into Vapes. Initially I was looking to see what I could get cheap that would suffice but in the end, after checking the reviews, decided on a quality first approach and got myself a Volcano classic. Phew… only had the thing a short while but so far the thing totally rocks.
Keep up the good work fella.
Hey Mike thanks for posting, excellent choice getting the V, enjoy it!
Bud,
I just wanted to write and say thank you for the time and effort you put into these reviews. I spent a lot of time doing research and found your reviews the most detailed and informative. Great work.
After reading that you could use rubber bands to secure new bags on the Easy-Valve, I went with that option. Apparently turkey bags will work, too.
Alex
Hey Alex,
Thanks for posting, I appreciate the kind words and I’m really glad you found the reviews helpful!
So I just got one of these bad boys and its worth every penny. My question is can you sandwich [concentrates] in between the flower and still vape? It works great in my PAX, just crossed my mind while I finished this last session. Any chance it would just need cleaning more often than usual or run the risk of breaking the volcano? Thanks
Yes you should be able to do that in this vape also without problems, you just have to be very careful that nothing drips down through the chamber into the base unit, so I wouldn’t use a lot of concentrates and I wouldn’t use anything very runny.
Tried it a few times and I have to say I am sold!! Its so hard to go back to doing it any other way. Last question I have is what are you doing with your vapped product when done? I have been saving mine as I read that you can cook with it. Its golden brown in color and has a very light smell but tastes bad if you try and vape it much more. With the wax added I am getting about 6-7 bags on 6.5 heat setting. Thanks for thehelp.
Cool!
I tried saving my ABV material in the past and doing various things with it but nothing ended up coming out that great, so now I just toss it when it’s totally spent.
Out of all the vapes you have tried does this one produce the thickest vapor?
You can control how thick the vapor is from it by how finely you grind your material, and how much you fill up the chamber.
This vape can def produce a lot of vapor if you want it to, check out this post on my blog about the biggest vapor producers.
Very good post…
Hey Bud,
Thanks for your reviews. I’ve found them to be quite helpful.
I’ve had the Volcano Classic with the solid valve setup for about a year now. My only complaint being I wish I would of got one years ago. I see you favor the easy valve, but in reality, the solid valve could be called the “almost as easy valve”. I spend 10 minutes every other weekend cleaning the heating chamber & stem and maybe an additional 5 minutes every month changing the bag and cleaning the balloon clip/mouthpiece. I have an extra balloon clip & mouthpiece, so I keep a regular size balloon (5 draws) and a turkey bag (12 draws) setup.
Here’s a question. I was told to use the “lowest” temperature setting which still produces vapor. As a former smoker, I like to exhale something visible. So I’ve been using 4-4 1/2 or so, depending on how dry or dank the herb is. This has been working well for me. So, I’m wondering why you recommend a higher temperature setting??
I’ve also had a Puffit vape for a few months, but so far have only used it a few times while traveling. It’s advertised as being discreet & portable, and it sure is, however personal should be added to those descriptions as well due to it’s short battery life. I don’t need the discreet so much as something portable that would work at altitude, which is something I understand portable butane vapes will not do. The Puffit does the job, but as you’ve suggested, if it had been my first vape, I probably would still be smoking. I use the Mercedes analogy as well, with the Volcano being the Mercedes & the Puffit being a Kia. Both get you from A to B, but the Volcano is a much nicer ride by far.
Keep up the good work.
Hey Johnny,
Thanks for posting and sharing your thoughts, I’m glad to hear the Solid Valve is low maintenance.
I’ve found that the best temperature to vape at is mostly personal preference, so if vaping at 4 to 4.5 on the dial is working for you then roll with it brotha.
You might be leaving a small amount of the active ingredients un-vaped at that low of a temperature (~330-340°F), but if you prefer the experience of vaping at a lower temp that’s really what matters most. You could always save the leftovers and do something else with them afterwards to extract the remaining compounds.
For the Volcano I do recommend people start at around 6 on the dial, because I’ve just found through my testing that when it’s set around this temperature (~375°F) the vapor seems the strongest, yet still smooth with no harshness.
Some people prefer to vape at even higher temps sometimes, up into the low 400°’s, but I’ve personally found that at temps that high the quality of the vapor is greatly reduced, and it’s usually very hot feeling and harsh.
Grind consistency is also a great way to control the vapor density with this vape…
Even at low temps if you grind your material super fine, almost to a powder, you can get pretty dense vapor production.
Thanks for your thoughts about the Puffit also, I was pretty harsh in my review of it because I just personally don’t like it very much, but I understand that many people do like it and don’t agree with me so it’s a tough one.
Vape it up!
What would be the ideal temperature for the Digital Volcano Vaporizer I find myself screwing up half the time when using it.
I’ve found the ideal temp range with this vape to be about 375°F to 395°F, and I usually find myself staying near the lower end of that.
If you have any other usage questions just let me know
First off, I want to thank you for your blog and videos. They have been very helpful. I had left a comment: your video regarding the Pax vaporizer. I had burnt my hand. Because I have no sensation in my hand because of my spinal cord injury.
Anyway, the volcano looks like it could be ideal. If I could hold the balloon between thumb and fingers and drive out those that. Do I need to press any release button to allow the vapor to be sucked out of the bag? Secondly how much does the chamber hold compared to the Pax?
I was considering trying the volcano with a whip. But I’m concerned with knocking the base unit over. How much does a base unit way?
My main goal is to be able use of vaporizer on my own after my caregiver has prepared it for me. [edited]
I use of vaporizer at night so that I can get to sleep. I’ve been entered for 32 years and suffer from insomnia and chronic pain from arthritis. I questioned wheelchair for 15 years and just wore out my elbow and shoulder joints. And this gives me definite pain relief and really helps with sleeping.
Sorry for the long winded questions. I appreciate your help.
Hey Scott,
With the Volcano balloon you don’t need to press anything with your fingers. The way it works is the mouthpiece acts as the valve opener and closer, so normally the balloon is sealed up and no vapor escapes, and as soon as you gently push in the mouthpiece with your lips it opens the valve and vapor comes out.
So if you can hold the balloon in your hand or between your fingers, and lift it up to your lips, you should have no problem using it.
The chamber of the Volcano is larger than the Pax, but you don’t have to completely fill it to use it. Depending on how dense you want the vapor you can put in as little as a pinch, or as much as 0.5g.
This vape wasn’t designed to be used with a whip so I don’t think it’ll work very well like that. If you wanted to go the whip-style route the same company makes another vape called the Plenty, but this one might not be as easy to use for you.
Hope this helps, please let me know if you have any other questions.
Hello,
I am wondering how the larger volcano bag will work for a single, one-hit smoker…who goes back repeatedly for several one-hits during the duration of a couple of hours. The bag looks large, like a party bag. Is there a smaller bag? Or more importantly, if one does not finish a bag in one sitting (unlikely thats going to happen for me) is it fine to just leave the bag with the unused vapor out at room temp for several minutes, hours, days…before going back to take further pulls from the bag? Or does time destroy the vapor within the bag…or the bag slowly release the vapor over time? I want one, but being a single smoker of small quantity, though more or less daily, I want to know how the size of the bag is going to play into my enjoyment of the item as well as the efficiency of the item. In short, is this a sucky bad choice for a single hit smoker as I have described above?
thanks much,
chris
Bud, I am adding to my original question because I have contacted Bickell and Stors directly (I know, I mangled their names badly) but they were really nice in their reply, and answered some questions about which I have follow up questions. They told me I could modify the bag to be smaller (because I was concerned about wasting too much material I could not finish…as a single user of the vape, and one who is only good for a couple of pulls every couple hours or so I didnt want to waste a full bag that I could not finish. The suggested modifying the bag. They also suggested that I not let a bag sit for more than about 20 minutes due to a fear it would condensate…though I am not sure how that would affect the pull if one did so several hours (and several hours of condensation ) later. Hmm?
Ultimately I am getting one of their products and would prefer to pull from the balloon, but as a single pull guy I dont want to overlook the Plenty. Drawing off the whip is a drawback for me, pardon the pun, I believe that pulling from the bag at a few seconds per pull would be more natural than a prolonged 10 to 15 second pull necessary for good vape with the Plenty. thoughts on any of this would be appreciated.
Hey Chris,
I have a bunch to say about this so I’ll try and keep it concise and easy to follow.
For this type of vaping, when I want to take one or two draws every few hours, I personally use my Magic-Flight Launch Box. Completely different beast, but I’ve found it works well when I want to “nurse” my vape over the course of the day.
However, the MFLB is a much simpler device, it’s a little trickier to use, and it’s not a masterpiece of German engineering. I still use mine regularly though, so it has its place in the mix of things.
You can still do this style of vaping with the Volcano if you wanted to, it’s just not what I would consider to be its best use.
I use their ‘Easy Valve’ system for the balloons, not the ‘Solid Valve’ where you make your own bags, which is the one you would need to get to customize the size. That being said, I can’t really imagine using a balloon much smaller than the pre-made Easy Valve ones I use, but anything is possible.
If I was going to use my Volcano for only 1 or 2 draws I would just not completely fill the balloon. Instead of waiting the whole 30 seconds for it to fill I’d give it maybe just 10-15 seconds and then shut off the blower.
It’s pretty much the same thing as using a smaller bag, you’re just filling a normal size one less.
What you would do is pack the herb chamber once at the start of your day, and then pop it on top of the base unit each time you partially fill a balloon, removing the chamber from the heat between bag fillings.
For optimal flavor and effect I wouldn’t really recommend letting the vapor sit inside the balloon for more than 5 to 10 minutes.
You are correct that pulling for 2 seconds from a balloon feels more natural than a 10-15 second pull from a whip-style vape, that’s one of the reasons I really enjoy the experience the Volcano provides.
I wouldn’t really recommend the Plenty for this style of vaping, even though I think it’s an excellent vape, it works best when you pack a decent amount and vape it all in one session.
With the Launch Box the heating element engages very quickly, as soon as you push in the battery. This is advantageous when only taking a draw or two because you don’t have to wait the typical 2-5 minutes for the vape to warm up to operating temperature.
So I’ll stop here but if you need more info just let me know what areas you want me to expand on.
Thanks for posting!
-Bud
Thanks, Bud–for replying to my querry! I went ahead and bought the Volcano. The company noted I could modify the bag, but having it here now and using it I fully understand what you mean about simply filling less vapor into the pre existing bag size. Thats cool. I havent tried that yet…what I did is tied an overhand knot into the top 13 of the bag and thus reduced its overall volume. As far as the actual pulls off the bag, the quality of vapor, and the overall experience as it relates to quality of vapor and experience: this thing is awesome right out of the gate. I have been smoking for 35 years. Mostly daily. Always, okay not always, but mostly always top quality substance. Moved away from water pipes and rolling papers a decade ago, and have been using exclusively a bat-style one hitter. As you can imagine, if the quality of the substance is sky high, then thats all one needs. On the flipside, if its junk…well, a person is going to be sucking their brains out and lungs out in the process. Mine has been good enough that one pull is usually sufficient, two is strong and three can be too heavy…of course, an hour or so later the cycle can begin again. Here is my take on this product so far, a couple of bags later. It produces such strong vapor that it feels like smoking, and coming from a smoker that makes it feel natural. The taste of the product is outstanding…nuances are present which are masked by combustion and smoke. So thick rich vapor coupled with great flavor…so far so great. Ease of use, outstanding. Other than start up time, which we all know about going in, the only negative I find so far is that the device seems to eat a lot of material, or maybe I am removing it too soon but it def seems discolored compared to fresh material. Would placing the liquid pad over the material (like Plenty suggests) be a smart idea for smaller amounts?
Lastly this is not a positive or a negative, just an unknown for me. I seemed to get lesser effect from the pulls I took than I expected to get (say from a similar number of combustion pulls). Are combustion and vape pulls about equal in strength of material, all things being equal…or does one need to pull in more vapor than smoke to achieve equality with respect to combusted herbs?
Hey Bud thanks a lot, you have been helpful…I do look forward to your reply but I also know this now begins a period of experimentation for me…so while my thoughts may be premature now, I hope to get a better sense of exactly what this machine will and will not do for me.
I have been UP for 35 years, I am going to take your advice however and stay that way.
Take care bro,
Chris
Hey Chris,
Glad to hear you’re enjoying the vape, thanks for reporting back.
You’ve probably answered your own questions by now after having more time to use the vape, but I figured I’d respond anyway.
Spent material from the Volcano is generally a light brown, and you know it’s spent when you stop getting vapor from it.
What I’ve found with this vape, like many others, is that the finer you grind your material the thicker the vapor is, but the faster it’ll use up the herbs.
Vapor pulls can be held in longer to maximize effects, so if you feel like it’s too light just wait a few more seconds.
I’ve never really used the liquid pad inside the volcano chamber but it can’t hurt to experiment and see if it works better for you.
Vape it up!
The Volcano really hasn’t been relevant in 4 or 5 years. Its price, also puts it out of the market for most people. It is not and has not, been king of the hill, in a very long time.
For combustion folks, yes… Volcano is name recognition. They think of vape and Volcano is the first to mind. However, that does not make it “the best”.
You say, you don’t enjoy using your vapes through a water piece, because of supposed flavor loss… yet enjoy sucking stale vapor out of a plastic bag. Odd.
It’s not the best for everybody but I’ve reviewed 20 vapes at this point and it still gets the highest overall rating with every aspect of ownership considered.
There are plenty of good vapes for people to choose from if the V is too expensive.
I am a complete newbie to vaping, so I don’t have the necessary experience to weigh in on the merits of your argument, but I can say i don’t want whatever hostile stuff it is your vaping, Bigdaddyvapor. Thanks for handling with class, Bud.
Stale vapor…? Never stale in the Volcano! I bought several portables including the Pax and none of them work well. So I got smart and got a Volcano, which I should have gotten instead of all the others. Oh well…I’ll try to sell them.
The Volcano is all one could ever need or want for home use. It comes with a nice nylon case that stores the main unit plus all the parts, so of course you can also take it with you wherever you go. I just can’t get over the high quality and efficiency of the Volcano. Unbeatable!
Thanks for the tips you posted today re: using the V. I’ve had mine for a couple weeks now (bought it based on your reviews and answers to my questions) and I haven’t felt like I’m getting the amount of vapor I thought I would. I’ve been grinding in a coffee grinder (works ok, but I’m thinking about getting the space case you recommended), and I’ve only been putting in a pinch at a time. I guess I need to put in more. Can you put the herbs on the heating element more than once? How do you know when you need a new bag/valve? Any other tips would be greatly appreciated!
Also, based on the comments/questions I posted on Jan. 28 re: lungs, which portable vape would you recommend for me? The Pax looks awesome – discreet and seems easy to use, but it sounds like you have to put a decent amount of herbs in. I like also that it’s just one piece unlike the MFLB. I usually vape alone. Would it waste a lot?
Thanks so much!
Hey Shan!
Thanks for posting again because I definitely want to make sure you’re satisfied with your vapes.
There are two things I recommend first for getting the best performance from the Volcano, grinding finer and packing in more.
If you’re using a coffee grinder it sounds like the material is probably fine enough already, so I’m leaning towards packing more in the chamber. Ideally your material should almost be powder-fine.
You can definitely put the herbs on the heating element more than once, usually at least a few times before vapor production trails off.
So what I would recommend is packing the herb chamber 1/3 to 1/2 the way full, instead of putting in just a pinch. It may seem like a lot at first but you’ll be able to get 3-4 balloons full of dense vapor from that amount.
And you don’t need to vape all of the bags in one shot either, you could always fill one bag, remove the chamber from the heat, and fill your next bag hours later, or even the next day.
I’ve been using my Volcano regularly for just about 4 years now and on average each balloon has lasted me 3 to 4 months. You’ll know a bag has reached the end of its life when it starts leaking vapor or the valve doesn’t seem to close well anymore.
One extra tip I can give you that I recently learned is that Chamomile is an excellent additive to your current herbs because it has a very similar ideal temperature range that it vaporizes in (around 375°F, or 6 on the Volcano dial).
So lately I’ve experimented with mixing my herbs and Chamomile together to fill up more space inside the chamber, which helps most vaporizers perform better.
The Chamomile blends well and adds a nice mellow flavor, as well as all of its traditional benefits. So it’s just something to think about if you find that your Volcano is performing better with a fuller chamber, but you don’t want to be putting so much of your regular material in.
As for your question about the Pax I actually started doing the same thing with that one too.
That vape also works better with a full chamber so I experimented with mixing my normal herbs and Chamomile in the chamber, and the results were great.
As far as which vape performs best with the least amount of material, that would be the Launch Box.
It’s a little trickier to use and there are more parts but it actually will work well even with a tiny pinch of material in the chamber, so I think it’s still a good choice for solo vapers.
I hope this info helps and please let me know if you have any more questions!
Honestly man this past month I have been debating on what vape to buy. I have smoked cigarettes for 7 years plus other additional things. And I quit smoking cigarettes but I wanted to find another resource to use my herbs without combustion and I researched every vape. I even bought a shitty $30 one box vape off eBay which was a waste.
I just wanted to say tonight I grew the balls after 6 years to buy a volcano and it was purely because of your reviews on youtube and your personal website.
You made an excellent decision my friend, you went straight to the best.
Some tips for best performance:
– between 6 and 7 on the dial is generally the best temperature range to be in
– grind your material really fine if you want thicker, more intense vapor, and fill the chamber 1/3 to 1/2 full
Let me know how you like it man
Vape it up!
When you say thicker more intense vapor is this water vapor or smoke? I need the best utilization with the least amount of smoke.
The resins and oils in your material are vaporized into a visible mist at the proper temps, but it is not heated to the point of combustion so there is no smoke nor are there any of the contaminants that go along with it, and your material only turns a light brown after it’s completely vaped there is zero black ash.
Thanks for the insight. I agree, the Volcano is the best and most convenient Vaporizor I’ve tried. Not sure why people fuss about the cost. It’s the cheapest long-term health plan available.
Having said that, I’m constantly searching for new vape technology. I have many devices, including a Trippy Stick (iVape) that uses a [concentrate] cartridge. Good for vaping on the go. Do you have experience or knowledge of this pen style vape? The draw is kinda awkward and not free flowing. And healthwise, I’m not sure about the glycerin and cotton technology. Also, there’s no volume indicator. If you are familiar with the iVape, can you recommend a similar, better pen style vape in which I can use my MANY purchased cartridges?
Hey sup,
I actually just started getting into oil vapes and have been learning a lot about them.
I need a little more time to test out a few units and compare them all, but I found out some interesting stuff during my research.
It seems that most pen style vaporizers are just re-branded e-cigs and were not really designed to be used with these types of essential oils, so people report performance and reliability issues with them pretty often.
I have one of these pens as my first oil vape, only used it a few times so far, and after figuring out what the deal is I actually just ordered an Omicron to try next. Apparently Delta 9 Vapes is one of the few companies currently offering true oil vapes that aren’t just re-branded e-cig parts.
ThermoVape also supposedly produces high quality concentrate vapes, but they discontinued their old models and I don’t think their new models are fully available yet, so one of those will probably be on my list of next models to try.
It’s still too early for me to say for sure what’s good and what’s not when it comes to oil vapes, anything I just mentioned was based on the research I did, but I should be publishing more info about them in the coming weeks and months.
Hay man
thanks for Taking the time to make all these videos they helped a lot
I own a magic flight That had for like a year now loved it but I needed something stationary for home And I went ahead and ordered the volcano I know I’m thinking about the plenty :)
thanks
I’ve read a lot of your blog and watched many of your videos, and you’re awesome! Much better than so many other reviews on youtube! Thanks so much! I’ve never vaped before, only smoked, which I really dislike. After doing a lot of research, I’m considering the Volcano or the Plenty. I saw in your blog you mentioned in July 2012 you were thinking of doing a Plenty/Volcano comparison, but I wasn’t able to find one. I have chronic pain issues and some lung capacity/sensitivity issues. What I found intriguing about the Plenty is the cooling tube. Does the balloon on the V serve the same purpose? I’d really like an experience that minimizes the lung and throat irritation the most. Which one would you recommend for this?
Hey Shan,
Thanks for posting, I appreciate your kind words.
The Volcano and the Plenty both produce high quality vapor that is cool and comfortable, but they work in different ways.
I would say the main difference is in the draw durations, or how long you need to physically pull for to get a good amount of vapor.
One of the benefits of vaping with balloons is that you only need to take a light 2-second draw from the bag to get a sufficient volume of vapor.
With the Plenty, or any other whip-style vape, you’ll need to draw for about 10-15 seconds to get the same amount.
So considering what you mentioned about your current situation I’m leaning towards the Volcano being the better option for you, but even if you choose the Plenty I think you’ll like it because even though the required draw duration may be longer there is virtually zero resistance in the pull, so it’s very comfortable to use.
Hope this helps and if you have any other questions don’t hesitate to ask.
Stay up!
Love your site and reviews, very well done. I’m looking in investing in a volcano vape and was wondering what your thoughts were on the solid valve and easy valve options?
Thanks!
Keep up
Cool glad to hear it, thank you.
Here are the main differences between the two kits:
Easy Valve
– no cleaning or maintenance required
– once bags are used up you throw them away and use a new one
– bags last on average 4 months each
– new bags are $10 each (roughly $30/year)
– easiest way to use this vape
Solid Valve
– you keep reusing the valve piece
– you assemble your own balloons
– regular cleaning required
– new bag material sold in rolls
– slightly cheaper over the long run
– more involved way to use this vape
First I’d like to say thank you for taking the time to do a review on a product. Thanks. I’ve been researching for a while now and it looks like the classic with easy valve is going to be my purchase.
My question is about efficiency. I know you mentioned that it is very efficient, but i guess I’m looking for some slight expansion.
Since you said you have smoked a lot in the past, I’d like to know if it truly is more efficient on your product compared to vaping? As subjective as the question is, does it really seem like it takes less to achieve whatever desired results you are seeking?
Thanks for your time.
This is the final piece of information i think i need that will help me justify such a big spend.
Hey Tony,
The Volcano is definitely very efficient. I’m not sure how much material you normally go through, but for me I always use less inside the V than I would with other traditional methods.
This vape works best with between 0.2 and 0.5g of material in the chamber. 0.2 is generally more than enough for one person, and with 0.5 up to four people can vape and get the full experience.
If you only want to fill a balloon or two for a small session and you want to save the rest for later that is easily done with this vape.
Thank you very much sir. Keep up the gratuitous videos for all us Vape lovers :)
Please check the meaning of technical terms. You’re using term “ambient temperature” in a wrong way. The “ambient temperature”, refers to temperature which surrounds the object under discussion, or in case of indoor, simply the room temperature.
But also I must say that your reviews are great – others just need to see the vids and make their minds this is what they are looking for, and choose the right vaporizer for them. Many thanks for that!
Hey bud! I love your videos!!!! I had two questions first off, I bought a Vapor Buddy pipe and now I am reading that they may contain lead..Do you know if that is true?
Okay, now the real reason I wrote, I know that the Volcano is the BEST but what do you think about the Phantom? I have heard good things from friends and I have even tried it myself and it worked great! Thanks!
Hey Ryan,
Glad to hear it!
I’m not familiar with that specific vape or that issue so unfortunately I can’t comment on your first question, my apologies.
As far as the Phantom, it’s just a knock-off Volcano, made from cheaper parts, with less attention to detail, built somewhere other than Germany (where V is made).
I’m sure it works at producing vapor but they definitely cut corners when deciding which components to put inside, which could be scary.
It probably won’t last very long either. So I apologize, I’m not tryin to be a downer or anything but I always steer people away from the knock-off vapes, I don’t think the risk is worth the savings and I don’t think they provide as good of an experience.
Stay up!
Hi Ryan,
I have had my phantom for just over a month now. I have nothing but good feedback for you in regards to the actual vaporizer. However, the bags are poor quality, so when mine run out I am switching to the Volcano bags. The bowl on the top of the Phantom is THE EXACT SAME BOWL that’s on the Volcano. So you can easily swap parts (i confirmed this at my local smoke shop)… So for all those people out there that may need a new upper bowl for their Volcano, save yourself the dough and purchase the parts for the Phantom ;-)
On another note: the digital thermostat on the Phantom is not accurate until you let it heat for at least 10 minutes, it will beep after 2 minutes trying to tell you it’s ready – IT LIES, let it warm up for 8 more minutes. I set mine around 360 for dry ground, and I set it at 380 for a moister ground.
Hey Bud,
Thanks for the great reviews. They’re super helpful.
One question: can you use the vape for [concentrates]?
Hey sup,
Really glad to hear you found them helpful.
The Volcano is designed for use with dried botanicals, and I wouldn’t recommend using it with concentrates only.
What some people do, however, is they mix in a little concentrate with their flowers inside the chamber, just a little bit.
Hey Bud,
Had another question for you about using the Volcano. As I’m sure you know, the manual recommends that you turn the fan on without the bag to preheat the herbs for about 5 seconds, then attach the bag. Do you do this/find it necessary? If so, are you supposed to stop the air and then put on the bag or just stick it on while the air pump is running?
It seems like this is optional. Sure, maybe the first 5 seconds doesn’t vaporize much, but I’d rather have a little less potent bag than accidentally waste some, and it seems like it would be a bit of a hassle to do every time. What are your thoughts?
Thanks!
Hey yea the manual does say to do that but I don’t do it, sometimes what I’ll do is just the leave the herb chamber attached on top for an extra minute before I start the fan.
I agree that while it may help preheat the material you do risk wasting some.
Hey brother,
I really enjoy your videos, I think you’ve probably got the best, most descriptive vaporizer reviews I’ve ever seen. I also totally agree with your views on getting top notch quality (even if it costs a bunch). No question, the volcano is the cat’s pajamas among vapes, but I’m surprised you haven’t come across one particular vape in your experiences.
I love whip style vapes personally, and none even hold a candle to the original box style vape; the Vapor Brothers Vaporizer. It seriously is the original, things like the ez vape are knock offs made by chinese or other south asian companies. Vapor Brothers handcraft their product in California to medical grade, and a lot of the complaints found in your whip style vape reviews (i.e poor quality plastic tubing, poor design of hands free whips, loose herbs in the whip and around heating element) can all be remedied with the Vapor Brothers. It’s around $200 and like I said, all the parts are made to medical grade quality because like the Volcano the VB is a favorite among medical users.
I think you’ll dig it dude.
Stay lifted,
Casey
Sup Casey,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, and I appreciate the kind words.
Believe it or not I’m rarely asked about the VaporBrothers vape, but a few people have told me what you said, that it’s actually pretty good.
I’ll definitely consider grabbing one soon to review, thanks for the request!
Hi Bud!
Fantastic site…amazing reviews…and thankfully it looks like you’ve already been told that plenty of times! Had a couple of quick questions about the Volcano that I’d love to run by you. FYI, I only vape herb – no smoking of any kind – and no tobacco. No judgment whatsoever, I’m just lucky enough to enjoy vaping waaaay more than smoking.
Right now I have the Pax and am loving it. But, I tend to be a “go big or go home” kind of guy so I’m looking at getting a Volcano as well so that I can have the best of both worlds, desktop and portable.
I tend not to use a lot of herb when I vape with the Pax, just around .15 grams. So it’s not really filled to the brim (I know you much prefer a full oven). Anyhow, I’ll draw on medium for a while, then on high, for about a total of 15-20 mins, then empty the oven and start practicing guitar. ;)
My question would be, with the Volcano, if I put in .15 grams, how many balloons do you think I would need to fill to use all of the herb? I’m a bit anal about efficiency; I always like to try and use all my herb, even if that means vaping a little longer/using more balloons. To me, this is the one downside of vaping. With smoking, you can load just a little bit into a bowl, take a hit or two until it’s all used up, and then you’re done. But with vaping, I feel like it takes the same amount of time to go through a chamber/oven, regardless of how much is in there. In other words, I’d vape for 15-20 mins with the Pax (which I’m aware is quite a while) regardless of whether or not I put .1 grams or twice that. Do you think this is true, or am I getting off somewhere? Obviously, if you just can handle a lot of herb this isn’t an issue, but man…I just can’t hang!
I guess the one solution I can think of leads me to my next question: can you really fill up the chamber and use it for several days, without sacrificing a lot in terms of the high? I know you mentioned you can do this, but it seems like once the herb is heated, for it to cool down and then be reheated would not work too well. I’m not too concerned about the taste or texture (as long as it’s not unbearable), all I really care about is the high – getting to that headspace where I see everything from a whole new perspective. But I feel like if I put, say, .5 grams in the chamber and then used that over several sessions, it would be inevitable that the first high would be the best, and the subsequent sessions would be slightly lower quality. What would you say?
I’d be fine with just putting in my usual .15 grams and having 4 mild balloons, but I guess I just thought I’d ask if you had any tricks on using all the herb in one intense balloon.
Lots of love man, I always appreciate it when people are so willing to share their experiences and educate others. I’ve recommended you to a lot of my friends as a resource. Thanks!
Hey thanks!
If you were to pack the Volcano chamber with .15g I would recommend grinding it up super fine for the best results.
As long as the amount you put in fully covers the bottom screen of the herb chamber it’ll produce good, dense vapor.
I’ve found that grinding it up really fine increases the density of the vapor a little bit, but will decrease the number of balloons you can fill, which I think is what you’re going for.
So if you do this you should be able to get about 2 bags of thick vapor, then about 1 or 2 more of lighter vapor, with only .15g in there.
From my experience with the V I’ve found the ideal packing amount to be around .2-.3g, but it’ll still work good with smaller amounts.
You never want to fill the chamber completely with the V, about halfway is the recommended max, which is probably close to around .4g.
The way this vape works your material is only heated while actively filling the balloon, in between fillings you remove the herb chamber and set it to the side. So technically it doesn’t make too much of a difference if you fill your second bag a minute later or a day later, the material left in the chamber should still be in the same condition.
Obviously most of the flavor is released in the first couple of bags, but with a regular sized packing I’ve gotten up to 6 or 7 bags of decent vapor. After the first few balloons the density of the vapor also trails off a bit.
So in summary, the finer you grind the faster it’ll use up all the herbs, but the denser the vapor will be.
Hope this helps and let me know what you end up going with, stay up!
Awesome! Thanks so much for the advice, you’re the man.
Gonna snag a Volcano with the Easy Valve, 4 pc. Space Case, and a MF Finishing Grinder…I’ll be able to break it all in on Jan. 11th.
One final question: do you have any preference between the aluminum and titanium Space Case? From the research I’ve done, it sounds like both are amazing, but the titanium is slightly better in terms of toughness and sharpness. Though most people say the differences are pretty negligible. Thoughts?
Thanks again, keep up the great work!
No problem man, great choices.
I haven’t actually tried a titanium model yet so I can’t say for sure, but I’ve heard similar things that it might be a tiny bit better.
So excited my volcano arrives tomorrow morning, shame I have to work all day :( hmmmm may be a cheeky one ha ha
Hey Bud
I have been hearing a lot recently about the cloud by vapexhale. It is being called the new volcano and apparently is much better. Will you be reviewing it anytime soon. I was literally just about to get a volcano when I saw the cloud. The vapor looks unmatched by anything on the current market. What are your thoughts.
Cheers
James
Hey James,
I’m currently in the process of testing and reviewing the cloud and will be posting my review within a couple weeks.
It has its ups and downs like most vapes and so far I don’t think it’s better than the Volcano overall. More details will be provided in my full review.
Thanks for the request!
Hey Bud…..You are so right about the volcano. It’s really amazing. Having used it for a couple of weeks now, and having looked it over carefully and studied its construction and how all the parts fit together, I can only say that this is a work of art. Some people must have sat down and thought through every imaginable detail to come up with such beautiful design, and then more people must have put an incredible amount of care into building it with the finest materials and impeccable accuracy. So thanks, Bud, for turning me on to it, and let me assure anyone who might hesitate to spend $535, that this is an instance where an apparently expensive device is actually inexpensive when you consider it’s exquisite construction and functioning. Reiner.
Hey Reiner,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about the V, I completely agree.
Sometimes I wonder why no other company has taken the time to produce a truly remarkable vaporizer in terms of design, build quality and ease of use. Most others seem to be content with mediocrity.
I keep buying new models to try them all out, but as of now Storz & Bickel is still the king of vapes in my opinion.
I just dropped you some comments/questions on your youtube channel…. I used the link on your video to access your website… just wanted to take the time to thank you again for the great reviews. I know it’s important to receive feedback because it helps to keep you motivated to keep the channel going.. Great job! (fist bump)
I am very interested in a review of the Phantom vaporizer. I purchased it thinking I was getting a Volcano-Style vaporizer. I did not school myself well enough before making my purchase, so when I went to my local smoke shop – I purchased the Phantom thinking I was getting a Volcano style. It was later that I learned that Volcano was a brand/model, not a style of vaporizer. The phantom has been working well for me (i think).. I get high, very high!!! But after watching your reviews, I am kinda wondering if the Volcano will get me higher…???…. LOL What are your thoughts about the Phantom? Have you actually used one??? People seem to be very bias towards the Volcano, but most people haven’t tried both… It gets me real high, then I use the leftovers to mix in some joints with a bit of fresh… What do you do with the vaped stash???
Thanks again for all that you do… Your enthusiasm is greatly appreciated… (knuckle bump)
Hey Dennis,
Thanks for your comments and words of encouragement :P
Here’s the deal with vapes like the Phantom…
I haven’t actually used one myself, but that’s by choice, because it’s a blatant ripoff of the real Volcano, it’s a knock-off product, an imitation.
There are actually a bunch of popular vapes that other companies like to knock-off, the Launch Box is another big one.
Now the reason I say to avoid the imitations is because they’re not made to the same standards as the originals, the parts and materials are cheaper and not as safe for you to be vaping from at high temps, and they don’t perform as well as the real ones.
I’m sure that it’ll do something, as you said you are getting vapor from it, but it’s kind of a crap-shoot as to how long the vape will actually last, or what you’re actually breathing in.
The real Volcano is made in Germany, and it’s an engineering masterpiece.
So I don’t want to make you feel too bad since you already purchased it, but I generally would steer anyone away from the Phantom who was thinking about buying it.
If the V is too expensive there are other models out there that I think are very good that cost less.
As far as the spent herbs leftover after vaping, I generally just throw it away. Some people hang onto it and do various things like cooking with it and such, but I was never really satisfied with the end results of that. To me, all the good stuff in your material is vaporized out, but I see nothing wrong with trying to get more out of it if someone is so inclined.
Stay up man!
I can’t seem to keep it clean. What is the secret. My bags get gummy n sticky, and teeny particulates seem to cover the ez and even the mouthpiece. User error?
Overall I guess if there is a care and maintenance I would love to see it, I had mine for exactly 1 year mailed it got it replaced no worries. Just keep the original packaging
And I forgot to compliment, there’s a ton o crap out there and I have seen and learned a lot from you and your sources.
Hey Doug,
Do you have the Easy Valve or Solid Valve?
I have the EV and the only maintenance I do is I brush out the herb chamber after each session. I typically don’t get any build up in the bags or mouthpiece, and I replace my bag every 3-4 months.
If you have the SV it may be a different story, I do know that version requires more cleaning to stay in good shape.
The condition of the material you put in might also be a factor, if there’s too much moisture in it you might get excess build up.
Let me know more about your setup and the material and I might be able to come up with better ideas.
Stay up!
I also would like to thank you for the excellent beta on this site…it has been super helpful in getting started with my Volcano! I live in Washington state, and look forward to taking one of the first legal recreational vapes on Dec. 6! Yeah baby!
I had a question for the vape-master: Is it harder to get a heavy body stone with a vaporizer (since the temps we vape at really aim at THC, vs. CBD? Do you experience more of the CBD effects as you near your last few balloons (since you are increasing temps as you vape)?
Thanks!
Sup Dude,
Excellent choice of vape…
Some people report feeling differences in the effects but generally most find it very similar, myself included.
Technically most vapes don’t reach a temperature that fully vaporizes all compounds, but yes if you raise your temp at the end of your session you have a good chance of squeezing most of that last bit out.
Hey Bud…..Your reviews are amazingly informative. I was thinking of getting a vaporizer to save my lungs and was in a state of confusion. Then I found your site and everything became clear. I found out how a vaporizer works, and the differences between top models. Thanks a lot. The only other place I’ve found where products are reviewed in such an intelligent and informative way is Consumer Reports. Thanks again, and all the best.
Hey Reiner, thanks very much for the kind words, I’m really glad you found my content helpful!
Don’t suppose you’ve thought about doing a review on the VapeXhale Cloud?
Yes it is on my list of future possibilities, thanks for the request
The volcano vaporizer sounds like a really great product. Actually I am so pissed off with the regular cleaning and maintenance that my vaporizer requires that I would definitely like to try something new like this one! Thanks for the info!
Thx for doing all those reviews.
Have you reviewed any Pen Vaporizers?
As in the G Pen, Revolution Dart types?
Have you heard about the Terpens in mangos and lemongrass extract?
They open the blood to brain barrier receptors so you can absorb more
THC.
Eat a slightly over ripe Mango on an empty stomach 40 minutes before
you medicate and the Mangos open the receptors in the brain for all the goodness to flood in.
Try this out with your normal dosage and enjoy.
Do not operate with heavy machinery such as a PS3 remote.
Sup man I haven’t reviewed any concentrate pen vapes yet but maybe I will in the future, thank for the request
you could use any rechargeable AA battery or AA battery for the launch Box ?
you can use any AA NiMH rechargeable battery with 2000 mAh capacity or greater
Just googled vaporizer reviews and stumbled across ur site! Very informative! I was wondering, I just bought the Pax portable, in the video above u said that portable vap was ur fav. I almost bought that one today but ended up buying pax. Did I make a mistake???
Cool glad u found me! :P
Sorry if I confused you, the video shown on this page was done way before the Pax came out, so at the time the MFLB was my favorite portable overall.
I still like the MFLB and think it’s good but I do now rate the Pax higher and I use it more often.
So you didn’t make a mistake don’t worry – You should love the Pax, let me know how you like it!
Hey Bud,
great videos, thanks for sharing the knowledge. on your reviews and those of others I am now the proud owner of a Volcano Classic with Easy Valves..my only regret is that I never quit smoking sooner and moved over to vaping earlier, but hey, we live and learn. I could never have imagined how cool vaping was, ive smoked for 20 odd years (I’m 42 now), and have smoked herb in a myriad of ways to get the most out of it, until I decided to give up tobacco, I didnt even realise vaping existed, but am I glad I discovered it. Your vids helped a lot, the Volcano totally rocks..if anyone reads this and wonders if they are worth the money, don’t hesitate…its German engineered craftsmanship in this uber-cool 60s retro spaceship looking aasembly that delivers the most intoxicating vapour thats full of flavour and love….peace out, everyone and Peace to you, Bud..thanks for the knowledge.
Thanks Pad I’m really glad you’re enjoying the vape!
Be well!
I hate that this thing uses a bag, I would buy the Plenty with the cooling whip myself! I have a Pax coming this Friday! I can’t wait!!!
Both are awesome! :P
good review dude! i’ve owned a classic for years and i think it’s the best vape out there. the digital one is probably a little nicer, but, i’m more than happy with my old school volcano.
Thanx man, I love the overall experience with the V, it’s still the top dog as far as I’m concerned
Thanks for your video. It’s the best I’ve found by far. I couple questions abou the balloon…About how many times can you reuse a balloon? Once used, does it have a strong smell? Gracias!
Hey Claudia,
Glad you liked the vid!
The balloons can be reused many times and if taken care of can last up to about 4 months each. I typically replace mind every 3-4 months of regular use.
To extend the life of the balloon it is recommended to not leave vapor in there for more than 10 minutes at a time, so that not much condenses on the inside of the bag or around the valve. This is normally more than enough time to vape a single balloon, so all you really need to do is make sure you don’t fill a bag and then forget about it for a long time ;)
Other than that as long as the balloon is handled gently and doesn’t get any holes in it you should be able to continue using the same one for months.
You shouldn’t have any issues with smell either, once the vapor is completely expelled the balloons are virtually odorless.
Hope this helps!
Thanks for the great info on the volcano. One question: how long will the vapor stay fresh and potent in the bag? Can you fill up a bag in the morning and draw on it throught the day? Or fill a couple and take them on a weekend trip.
No prob!
My recommendation is to not leave vapor in the balloon for more than 10 minutes.
It’s possible that it may stay fresher for a longer period than that, but the longer vapor sits in there the more it could stick to the sides of the bag and the valve system, potentially shortening the life span of the balloons.
If you always clear your bags within this time frame and you’re gentle with them you can expect them to last at least a few months each (mine last 3-4 months).
does leaving the vape in the bag longer than 10 minutes affect the quality of the vapor? other than lessening the lifespan of the bag? i don’t care if i go though bags more quickly i just wanna be able to use it when i need it instead of having to use the entire contents of a bag or waiting for the machine to heat up and fill my bag (like in the middle of the night when i wake up).
thanks
Yes you really want to draw all the vapor out in less than 10 mins for best quality
Yeah this V definitely is awesome :) I figured out my problem with the lock box, you don’t push in the buttons to open it, you need to slide them horizontally to open it (DUH!). I still don’t feel like I get super full balloons because I’m nervous I’m going to pop it or something but still works the same nonetheless! Only other question I guess I would have for you is any tips on how to clean the unit? Specifically the outside of the unit, I hate how finger prints show up so easily over the stainless steel! Thanks :)
Haha glad you got that straightened out
To clean the outside I would try just water first (damp paper towel), but if that doesn’t work you should be able to use a small amount of any cleaner that’s safe for stainless steel, but I would use it sparingly and not often.
Once you find a nice place for it to sit you shouldn’t really ever have to touch the outside cover, you’ll mainly just be manhandling the balloons :P
Let me know what temperature setting you end up liking the most after using it for a bit… after all these years I find myself enjoying it most set around 6 to 6.5 on the dial.
Hey Bud,
To clean the unit I first tried damp paper towel which didn’t work, I ended up using a window cleaner (windex) and it worked great. After you just rewipe it again with a damp paper towel then dry so you aren’t leaving any chemical on the unit.
So far I have found that I get a good 4 balloons, I’ll usually fill 5 balloons in total but first 4 are the best for sure. I usually start around 6 and then which each bag after that I increased the dial by 0.5. So I stay between 6-8 like you suggested. However I find myself filling all balloons now at a 7. I find the vapor a lot denser which to me personally is more enjoyable. The small 2 piece grinder has been working great also, I previously had the small 4 piece before and I actually enjoy the 2 piece more. Allows me to grind a lot finer and less pieces for me to worry about.
Hope you’re still enjoying the V as much as I am :)
Awesome Steve, thanks for keeping in touch, enjoy it!
I’m certainly still enjoying mine :P
Hey Steve,
Glad you’re enjoying the V!
The pads that come with this one generally don’t need to be used, they are for vaping liquids and stuff which I don’t really do, I think the manual mentions it briefly.
I don’t have the lock box that you got so I’m not sure what could be wrong, sorry man!
Over time you’ll start to appreciate this vape more and more
@Steve:
Haha nice!
I looked into it for you and it looks like shipments to Canada are sent through the post office and may take a week or two to receive, but this method lowers any customs fees.
Depending on how big of a draw you take you can expect anywhere from about 5 to 10 pulls per balloon-full. I take big draws so I get about 5, but my gf takes tiny ones and gets many more. Either way, each and every draw will have vapor, even the last one.
I personally have been using Space Case grinders for about 10 years and absolutely love them. For vaping I’ve found that the small size is most practical, and I typically use the 4-piece model with the pollen catcher but the 2-piece models work just as good. The space cases I have are all aluminum (standard).
Definitely let me know how you like it!
-Bud
Thanks for all the info. Going to give them a call today before I place my order just to sort out the shipping details. Do you find it’s best to grind up the herbs each time you want to vape or is it alright to grind them up all at once (say a months worth) and just store them somewhere? Does it affect the quality at all?
Cool, it doesn’t matter too much how far in advance you grind up your herbs, I myself sometimes do a few days worth, but I don’t have first-hand experience saving grinds longer than that. I can’t imagine it affecting quality much, but maybe keep it to a weeks worth or so just to be safe.
Just ordered:
Storz & Bickel:Volcano Classic US 110V
Storz & Bickel:Easy Valve:Starter Set
Space Case Small 2 piece grinder
Storz & Bickel:Case (Black Premium)
Suppose to arrive by Friday since I talked with the shipping manager! Very excited I’ll keep ya posted :)
Awesome Steve you’re gonna love it!
Hey Bud,
just unboxed my Volcano and used it for the first time and all I can say is wow! It’s so simple to use and clean. Not to mention I tested your statement and put the smallest pinch you could imagine inside the herb chamber and it did the job of what I would usually use 3 times the amount of herbs. To me the flavour isn’t as strong compared to other vaporizers I’ve used but I find it a very clean taste which is actually really nice. The Easy Valve system really makes it a simple and “fun” experience! I notice there are all these pads included with the unit but not sure what they’re for. Also I can’t seem to open the premium lock box I purchased with it, No instructions on how to open it, no combination included or any directions on how to set it up so that’s the only thing causing me problems!
Hi Bud
Two comments, besides saying that the Volcano is the absolute best vaping unit I’ve tried so far and that I rarely touch any of my portables now that I’ve used the Volcano.
First comment is about the best grind for the Volcano. Again I’ve tried a few grinders and for manual ones the Space Case seems to top them but even with the SC I can’t get the herb as fine a grind as I want it, not to mention the amount of effort involved if you have a bit of herb needed done. I’d get blisters after 30 minutes of grinding. I’ve found the finer the grind the better the vape with the Volcano. I tried a Flight Box grinder but they are so small they are hard to hold and it takes a lot of effort to push herb through the screen with it. Best I’ve found so far is “The Tobacco Shredder” which by any other name is an electric coffee grinder. It takes but seconds, grinds as fine as you’d want and is about a 1/3 of the price of a SC.
Have you ever heard of decarbing your herb with a Volcano for cooking with it? I couldn’t find anyone writing about it so I decided to experiment. I put it on at 320F and ran two turkey bags with it, needless to say I fully enjoyed the terpenes from the bag as opposed to blowing them all around the kitchen. Then threw the poo into a cup with a couple of good scoops of Nutella plus a goodly sized dab of butter (just can’t get enough fat and oils) to be nuked for 5 x 20 second intervals on high stirring in between, then let cool and enjoy. It worked though I’m not sure how well in comparison to skipping that step which I haven’t compared it to.
Thanks for all of your videos, I have been following you and your site for just over a year now but this is the first time I’ve decided to post. I purchased the Arizer Extreme-Q just over a year ago through the site along with the small 4 piece space case. However I’ve just moved to a different country and couldn’t bring it along with me, so now it’s time to make a new purchase. I enjoyed the vaporizer but everything I’ve been hearing about the Volcano I just can’t stop thinking about it, going to bite the bullet and just order one next week along with a medium sized 4 piece space case since I usually grind up a significant amount of herbs all at once for myself. I guess the only question I have at the moment is do you reccommend buying any addition accesories when I make the initial purchase? How long do the bags and easy valves last? Thanks again for your in depth reviews, I wouldn’t even know where to start looking without this site, #1 on my bookmarked sites :)
Hey Steve,
Glad to hear you’ve been a long-time viewer, thanks for posting!
You’re definitely in for a treat upgrading from the Extreme-Q to the Volcano. Everything you need will be included in the main package, and the Easy Valve kit comes with 5 balloons to get you started.
As long as you’re fairly gentle with the balloons and they don’t get any holes in them each one should last you at least a few months. Over the years my bags have lasted me on average 3-4 months each with frequent use. To help extend the life of the bags just don’t be too rough with them and try to clear all the vapor inside within 10 minutes.
The 5 balloons that it first comes with should last you roughly a year and a half, and after that you can buy replacement sets of 6 bags for about $60 ($10 each).
Any other questions feel free to ask.
Thanx for being a loyal fan!
-Bud
Thanks a lot Bud! When I vape I’m usually always doing it by myself. It really only uses a “pinch”? How much are we really talking about here if you don’t mind me asking? With the extreme Q if I only used a pinch I would barely get anything. Also correct me if I’m wrong but when using a pinch its best to spread it out as much as possible right? The more surface area the better. Thanks again and keep up the great work! :)
No prob!
I know what you mean about not getting anything when using only a pinch in the EQ, especially if you pack in the main cyclone bowl like they tell you to. I would always end up packing inside the elbow screen when I used that vape a lot, it was the only way I found where it was actually somewhat efficient.
With the Volcano, you really can use just a pinch, which I never really weighed out but I literally mean an amount that you could pinch between two fingers. Obviously if you put in a little more than that you can produce stronger vapor, and get more balloons per session, but when vaping by yourself a little bit is all you really need, just enough to cover the bottom screen of the herb chamber. Also, you can always pack in a little extra, fill a couple of balloons and then stop, saving the rest for later. I’ve gone back many times and re-vaped herbs with the V that I started vaping the day before, with no real loss of quality, maybe just a little less taste.
You are correct about the surface area, and the cool thing about the V is that it pretty much takes care of that for you, because there’s really no way you can pack it wrong, the herbs will basically spread out on their own inside the chamber.
Stay up!
When using the EQ I always used the elbow whip, never even tried the cyclone bowl to be honest. I don’t even bother with the manuals including with the products, I usually just watch your videos and copy what you do lol.
I’m so excited to try out the Volcano now I can’t wait, going to place the order on Monday, I live in Toronto, Canada so I’m not sure if the same express shipping applies to me? I love how efficient the V seems to be and the fact that a pinch can fill 3-4 balloons is impressive. After the 3-4 pulls you get from a balloon should all of the air be completely gone from the balloon or is there some leftover air in there that doesn’t really do anything? I was also curious as to which grinder you use? Color and size? I’ll be sure to keep you posted once I try this beauty out. Thanks again and if you’re ever in Toronto let me know and we can have ourselves a Volcano party! haha
Bud,
this is really an interesting discussion which is going to completely change my mind about the Volcano. All of the details that you gave about the machines is something not available in no place. I also understood that many other details are also hard to explain, just like a Mercedes, you can only feel when driving.
The fact that you used the machine for more than three years and you had never needed any sort of maintenance (except the cleaning required when a session ends), it’s really something invaluable. It’s hard to believe that in all that time every single part still works perfectly without any kind of maintenance.
What I have heard comes from a vendor which, of course, has more interest in selling unneeded parts to its customers.
The duration of the bags it’s another thing that really impress me: one balloon that lasts 3-4 months with daily usage. I was expecting no more then a few weeks!
The fact that the extreme-q (and I suppose also all of the other machines) builds up residue in many areas after the first use, is something horrible. A tangible deterioration visible at each usage gives the feel that something will break soon.
No, no, no…this is not acceptable! I already had devices with similar behaviours and I’ve always ended up with bad experiences.
Stirring the herbs during a session (eq) is something really bad! I’ve also realized that the ability to become portable is not an exclusive of the eq. If I’m not wrong the Volcano requires 19V-20V of power and therefore the same rechargeable battery pack also works with the Volcano.
At this point I can say that Volcano is absolutely the way to go.
I have various questions about this machine and I would really appreciate if you could help me with your experience.
I don’t know the difference between the balloon or whip system (not available on volcano), I just want an easy, convenient and enjoyable method to inhale the vapor.
Luckily the ballon system seems to be the only method I would had really used even with the whip available.
From what I understand, once the ballon is filled with the vapor, I can power off the machine, bring the balloon with me and forget about all the rest.
I can inhale the vapor in every moment (as long as there’s still vapor, of course), in a vapor-on-demand style, is that right ? Or there’s some particular accessory needed to make this possible?
Do you recommend the classic volcano even in my case ? Unlike most people I don’t smoke cannabis, but only legal herbs. Every herb require a different temperature. Do you think that I can still set the required temp with precision without buying the digit version? I don’t know how the heating process works and how are the temperatures settings, but for sure I want to avoid to purchase the digit version If I can do the same with the classic.
I will look for an used version in an attempt to save money. There are units 5-6 years old. Is there a particular year that I should avoid or all the units are supposed to be the same?
I’m not sure if I should choose easy valve or solid valve. Is there any particular advantage that the solid valve offers (apart of being multiple parts) ?
Could you tell me a little more about the quality of the vapor of the volcano compared to the others machines ? It’s the same or (as I hope) more intense, better flavour, better feeling into the throat…is there something really noticeable in the vapor ?
I think you’re right, many people tend to give a negative feedback to volcano only because they can’t afford it. This was going to be also my direction, but only because I was not aware of such details you’ve explained very well in your latest reply.
I’m sure that most people will find this page much helpful in the hard decision of buying volcano or any other machine.
Hey Clark,
Glad to hear you’ve reconsidered! I’ll answer your questions in order…
The balloon system with the Volcano, in my opinion, is the easiest, most convenient, most mature, and most enjoyable method of vaporizing. It is vapor-on-demand exactly as you described, and the vapor stays viable inside the balloons for at least 10 minutes, which is more than enough time to comfortably vape at a leisurely pace.
In your case the digital model may seem more logical since you’ll need to set varying temperatures, but it’s not impossible to do that with the Classic, they just work differently. In the manual for the Classic model there is a temp chart to see what the different settings correlate to. This enables you to dial in to temperature ranges fairly accurately. The main difference between the two models, aside from one having a digital screen, is that the temperature fluctuation is slightly higher with the Classic. This means that if you set it to say 350F it will automatically hover between 341F and 359F (+/- 9F) as the heater cycles. The digital model only swings I believe about 3 degrees F in either direction. This isn’t as bad as it sounds, it’s actually not really an issue at all, because the Volcano isn’t the type of vaporizer that needs to be dialed in to a very specific temp to work right, the temp swing is barely noticeable. Keep in mind that this engineering is one of the reasons the Volcano lasts such a long time, because it minimizes the amount of time the heating element needs to be engaged without affecting performance, prolonging its life.
I would say you probably don’t need the Digit, the Classic model should serve you well, but it definitely can’t hurt.
I don’t know if buying a unit that is 5-6 years old is the best idea, but if it drastically reduces the price I would consider it. Only because you don’t know how the person who owned it treated it over all those years (leaving it on too long?). Otherwise I don’t believe there are any specific years you need to avoid, they should all be the same.
I never really got into the nitty gritty details of the Solid Valve kit, because I feel like it’s taking a very simple, easy to use vape and making it unnecessarily complicated. I believe with the solid valve you could potentially save a little money on the balloon material, since a roll of it might be more economical than buying the pre-made ones with the Easy Valve, but changing bags with the Solid is a little involved. I thoroughly enjoy the simplicity of the Easy Valve and highly recommend it for most users.
The vapor it produces is always tasty and potent. You can control the intensity with different herb amounts and various heat settings, and if you wanted to you can make it strong, stronger than most. If I could use one word to describe the vapor from the Volcano I would say it is the most “pleasant”, meaning tasty, potent and smooth.
Vape it up!
Thanks for your precious info, Bud!
I would ended up to buy the Digit version, but now I know that I can do the same with the classic version. A temperature fluctuation of 9 degrees doesn’t really make any difference.
Thanks also for your tip on the valve system!
This is exactly what I want to hear from you regarding the vapor quality:
the most “pleasant”, meaning tasty, potent and smooth!
Can’t wait to get the Volcano of my hands!
I have used the digital and the on-off switches tend to fail on these units. Also the digital is more susceptible to lightning so I would recommend the analog unit.
Many thanks for your precious suggestions. After my post I focused my researches in the stationary units and I’m happy to see that you also confirmed that they’re better in the matter of vapor quality, the main feature I’m interested.
My situation is a little complicated…
I will use the unit mainly at home and since I’m also a cigarettes smoker, I thought that smoking vaporized tobacco could be the right occasion to quit for always with this poison (I don’t feel any pleasure anymore from tobacco (from years, now!) and I’m continuing to smoke only because I have developed an addiction very hard to break. I feel stupid to assume a dangerous substance without even feeling any pleasure from it!). The portable vaporizer was just to inhale tobacco when I’m out from home and for a limited time (just the time required to gradually quit from tobacco). Once done (I hope!), the portable vaporizer will only be useful in pretty rare events (camping trips etc).
Considering the above, the better choice can only be the stationary unit. When I’m out of home and I need nicotine, the electronic cigarette it’s surely a better alternative.
After infinite researches I decided to buy the Arizer Extreme Q, and I was 100% sure of that, at least before reading your “pretty-decent” (which is pretty different from good quality).
I’ve not been able to find even one single bad review regarding the extreme, I only heard people confirming that volcano is better, but, at the same time, I’ve also heard of people owning both of the devices and prefer the xtreme.
Apart users impressions, what made me more convinced about the xtreme is the fact that appears to be the only machine that can be used with a bag or a whip attached and not only…
It can become portable with an additional battery pack ($50) with full support of all the features available in “desktop-mode”. This is a great advantage!
The remote control may look something useless and in 90% of the cases it is, but If you’re relaxed and lying in bed, it’s not bad at all to continue a session with a simple click and without interrupting relaxation.
The temperature can be controlled through the lcd and seems to be accurate as the Volcano Digit (the LCD is not available in the classic version and If I’m not wrong the user can only set a predefined set of temps). For people smoking only cannabis, the predefined temperatures offered from the classic Volcano may be enough, but in my case the situation is different: I don’t use cannabis, but a big range of natural and legal herbs and each herb requires its own temperature.
The Volcano may be faster, but personally, 60 seconds more does not change my life. It also has less parts and may be considered simpler to be used, but personaly I enjoy much more a device with an higher number of parts because I can attach my custom parts easily.
Some parts of the extreme are made of glass and they can get hot. Well, I just need to avoid to touch them and I’m done.
The volcano balloons with the vapor “only on demand” it’s something wonderful which it’s very hard to renounce. It’s also something very simple and with a little of creativity it should not be so hard to implement a custom valve-adaptor on the extreme.
On the review you say that on the volcano none of the pieces build up any residue while every few weeks, the extreme require a few minutes to clean the top piece with alcool (this is acceptable).
Unfortunately seems to be that the volcano needs much more…
I’ve read that once a year, it may be necessary to replace the filling chamber screens and air filters and, after every 100-150 balloon fillings is recommended disassemble and completely clean the valve set (5-10 minutes) and attach a new vapor balloon.
Unless what I’ve read is false, seems to be that both of the units need maintenance in similar ways.
Now the price difference is much bigger. While an extreme can be bought for 150$, the volcano (classic), still costs more then 500$ (more than 600$ for the digit version, an additional feature already available in the extreme).
You’ve compared the Extreme with the base model of the volcano, but the comparison with the Volcano Digit seems to be more appropriate.
At this point, unless there are other important features that Volcano offers (and for important I don’t mean useless luxury features), I was expecting a real difference at least in the vapor quality, but in the review I’ve read in your blog there’s no mention regarding this and therefore I suppose that it is the same for both of the units.
Unless this machine can do something magic like pushing out cannabis vapor from regular tobacco, I fail to see any real advantage that justifies such high price. There’s not only the big price difference, the Volcano lacks also several great features.
Sometimes I have the sensation that people says that volcano is much better just to auto-convince themselves that they didn’t lost more then 500$ because the Extreme was not yet released at the time of the purchase.
Your blog really helped me. You’ve showed every single aspect of the machines and this helped me in a more conscious evaluation.
I still want to know the hidden secrets that make the volcano so special, if there are.
Thanks
Sup man,
It sounds like you already convinced yourself that getting the Extreme-Q is the way to go, and I’m not really sure how else to explain the differences, but I will try…
The first thing I think of when comparing the EQ with the Volcano is that it is like comparing a Honda with a Mercedes. Because on paper the Honda may very well have benefits that the Mercedes doesn’t, and all of the Mercedes’ benefits can’t always justify the price tag for some people.
But, if you were given the chance to drive the Honda for a week, and then drive the Mercedes, you would have no doubt in your mind what the differences are. If someone asked you to explain why they’re so different in price, you’d say something like “well, it’s a Mercedes, need I say more?.”
This is the best metaphor I can think of for these two units, because even though the EQ is a good unit and gets the job done (just like a Honda gets you from point A to point B) it’s not the same as driving from A to B in a Mercedes (the Volcano).
The quality of the engineering in the Volcano is amazing (made in Germany), and you can tell when you use it that they did not cut corners. The quality of the Extreme-Q is not as amazing, and it kinda feels like a product that was cheaply mass-produced with little regard to the finer details (the price of it sorta confirms this).
However, by the way you described your thoughts, maybe the Extreme-Q is a better choice for you, just like a Honda is a better choice for some people than a Mercedes. It’s less expensive, maybe not as fast and luxurious but still gets you there, and it’s easier to make modifications to yourself.
There are a few things that you’ve heard about the Volcano that I’d have to say are untrue. Anybody who says they own both and they prefer the Extreme-Q has been hittin the herbs too hard, or they’re just lying, which is common. Who would own a Honda and a Mercedes and say they prefer the Honda? I’m calling BS on that one.
As far as maintenance, I’ve owned and used my Volcano for 3 years and 3 months now and haven’t cleaned it once. All I’ve done is brush out the chamber after each session, just like you do with every other vape. No taking the valve kit apart, no changing screens, no taking apart the unit, no cleaning with alcohol, nothing. And, it still looks and performs like I never used it.
I use the Easy Valve kit with mine and the only thing you ever need to do is replace the bags every few months. Using the Volcano daily a single balloon lasts me approx 3-4 months. If you figure that it’s ~$10 per replacement balloon (it does come with 5 to get you started), you’re looking at $30-$40 per year in “maintenance”… but hey, a Mercedes costs a little more to maintain than a Honda, it’s expected.
And to tell you the truth, I don’t think my Extreme-Q would still be functioning today if I used it for as long and as often as I use my Volano. I say this because it feels noticeably cheaper-made.
The Extreme-Q builds up residue in many areas: the chamber, the screens, the tubing, all of it. Also, all of these parts are transparent, so you notice build-up happening right away, pretty much after the first use, and it’s kinda ugly.
You also have to stop what you’re doing in the middle of your session and stir the herbs in the Extreme-Q to ensure they’re evenly vaped, if you use it the way they tell you to and pack inside the main cyclone bowl. Stirring the herbs during a session is not something you have to worry about with the V.
Yes, you can use either a whip or balloon with the EQ, and the V is balloon only. However, neither the whip nor the balloon system on the EQ would I consider impressive, they’re just decent.
There was a good stretch of time not too long ago that I was using my Extreme-Q on a regular basis, because I had left my Volcano at my girlfriend’s house for a while and only used it there. During this time I found the balloon system of the EQ too annoying to use a lot so I would use it only with the whip attachment, and I would pack inside the elbow for better draws, cus the way they tell you to use it wasn’t cuttin it.
Then when it became available I purchased the Plenty, another Storz & Bickel vape. Once I started using it my Extreme-Q went into storage. I now had the Mercedes of both worlds, the Volcano for the best balloon system, and the Plenty for an amazing whip vape. My Honda (EQ) has been in the garage ever since.
The Extreme-Q is a decent vape and I give it a pretty good overall rating, but if you’re looking for the best vaporizing experience out there it is not the vape I recommend. If you’re looking for a decent vaping experience for a good price, it works.
Most people are very happy with it because they’re able to use a nice, decent vape and not spend a lot of money. The fact that the Volcano is so expensive angers some people, which is where I think any negative remarks about it come from, just like some people hate on others who drive around in a Mercedes.
Listen you don’t have to take my word for it, and the Volcano is not for everybody. But after reviewing a dozen vapes and vaping daily for about 5 years, I still think the V is #1. Is the #1 vape right for everyone? No. Was it the first vape I ever purchased? Nope, I was just as skeptical as you are. My first vape was a Vapir One ($150) and I used it for about a year and a half before upgrading to the V, then I said buh-bye to it.
So all I’m trying to do is help people avoid buying a mediocre vape, using it for a year, realizing it’s not as great as they wanted it to be, and plunking down another nice chunk of change for a better one.
Whichever way you decide, stay up!
I prefer the Extreme Q over the Volcano because I prefer direct flow over bag. The Volcano was my 2nd vaporizer about 7 years ago and it was great. But in the end, I much prefer whip over bag so its not about Honda vs Mercedes. The Volcano does not offer the main feature I require, hence it being inferior. Volcano Bag vs Extreme Q bag, Volcano wins. Unit vs unit, for me as a direct flow person, Extreme Q wins. Very glad I sold my Volcano, as good as it was at bag filling.
Cool man everyone’s different, and I actually think my comparison still works but I’d go a step further and say that in this case you prefer a 5-speed manual Honda instead of an automatic Mercedes, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Yes the Volcano is balloon-only, which I personally feel is a very enjoyable method of vaping (vape does all the work for you), but it’s hard to argue that it’s truly inferior in any other way.
It also holds its value well which is great because like you said you could always sell it if you don’t want it and buyers are easy to find.
Hey man, I’ve been using the volcano for about a year now and I’m nothing short of satisfied with it. I was just wondering what is the minimum amount of material you use in on a typical chamber, or perhaps what is the normal amount of material you put in the chamber when you go for a session with V. Would greatly appreciate some feed back, thanks for your help in deciding on the purchase as well man, really made my life easier.
Hi Bud and many thanks for this great blog, it represent a good help in the hard road of choosing the right vaporizer device.
Personally I’m still stuck between portable or stationary. The portable version allows me to smoke everywhere, but after researches I still don’t know if the quality of the vapors can be considered the same for both the types. And the same apply for the cleaning process, something extremely tedious and very time consuming.
I would like to see for example a comparison between Volcano and Plenty to see how much they differs.
If stationary vaporizer is far better in terms of vapor quality and cleaning maintenance, I think that for me the stationary will be a better choice(but differences must be really noticeable).
Once I can solve this dilemma, things will be easier.
When I find products like ATMOSRAW (and every kind of device sold from this company) it’s easy to understand that these are just trash and nothing more then overpriced pipes which produces just cigarette smoke, but when I see products like volcano and extreme-q it’s very hard to decide which is the better choice.
Most of person would buy Volcano without even looking for alternatives if the device would not be so much expensive (and we are not talking about just 50-100$ more).
I think that most of researches should be focused on finding a device that works as the volcano, but at an affordable price like the extreme-q.
This would be absolutely the perfect product!
Hey Clark,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
What I’ve personally found through my testing of a dozen vapes so far is that the portable models can be cool but they are slightly lagging behind the at-home units in terms of vapor quality and strength.
So what I usually recommend is this… if you can’t afford two vapes (one for home, one portable) you’ll probably enjoy vaping a lot more if you get a home unit first. It’s a better transition from smoking to a home unit like the Volcano than it is going straight to a portable.
However, if portability is really what you’re looking for, there are definitely some good units. As of right now the three portables I like the most are the Pax, the Solo, and the MFLB. All 3 are good and have their own unique qualities.
As far as the best home vapes, the Volcano has always been my #1 recommendation, but I understand it’s out of the reach of some. Luckily, the manufacturer (Storz & Bickel) released the Plenty vape, which is less expensive than the V but produces excellent quality vapor.
I haven’t made a Volcano vs. Plenty comparison video yet, but thanks for the request as I have been considering it. To me, they both produce fantastic vapor and work great, with the main difference being the whole vaping experience. The Volcano is obviously balloon-only and the Plenty is whip-only, so it really just depends on which type you prefer.
The Extreme-Q is pretty decent is you’re on a right budget, but if you really want to make a good investment in a product you will use and be happy with for many years I do recommend you go with one of the Storz & Bickel models.
Stay up!
If you are willing to go used you can easily pick up a used Volcano off of Ebay for a lot less than a new name brand portable, and like you I find the Volcano far superior to portable. After I bought a digital Volcano with the solid valve used for $300 I haven’t really even touched any of my portables.
Yo another great review man. Have you heard of the MiniVap? Is there any chance you can review one?
Thanks dude. I never heard of that one, just searched it, maybe it’s not in the US?
Hey man,
First off I`d really like to thank for the videos and helpfull information, its all very dynamic, theres no messing around. I know this might seem like adumb question but I live in Brazil and I`m interested in buying the volcano classic but when I went to the website you mentioned I saw that they ask you what voltage I`d like for the volcano I`d purchase and since I have plans of leaving the country at a point and go to Euroupe perhaps, I`d like to know if I`d have to buy one of those heavy things that convert the voltage in order to use it in case Im in Euroupe and would there be a better vape option for me if i end up with this problem?
Thanks in advance
Hey Raf,
I’m really glad you find the videos helpful. Great choice deciding on the Volcano, but I understand your concerns with the voltage. Unfortunately I’m not an expert in this area but I’m pretty sure that yes, if you moved to Europe you would need some kind of converter to make it work.
I think that with any premium vaporizer like the Volcano you’ll run into the same issue, but some less sophisticated vapes might work with just a simple adapter instead of a converter, I’m not sure though which ones exactly… I don’t get out of the USA much! :P
I really don’t know for sure but this is what I would suspect. I’m sorry I can’t give you a more definitive answer!
Thanks for leaving a message and stay up!
Hey do you think its somehow possible to modify the bags used on the volcano to work with the Arizer Extreme Q?
Sup man, it might be possible but it’s not easy. I tried connecting a Volcano balloon to the tube from my Extreme-Q once and it fit inside the opening but it wasn’t an airtight seal, so the bag would never inflate past half full, and vapor was escaping out the sides the whole time.
Hey man,
Great videos, enjoyed the reviews. I’ve had a Deluxe Daddy vaporizer for about two years now. Its not bad at all for CAD $170 and I definitely got some good use out of it, but it is definitely not as efficient as the volcano (I’ve tried the volcano several times). I enjoy buying high quality herb and experimenting with different strains but this gets very expensive. Joints are my main means of smoking, which use up herb quite fast not to mention of health factor in comparison to vaporizers. Though they are very expensive, especially since I’m currently in school, I think your videos have been the last push in my volcano decision. Getting one tomorrow 100%, so stoked that I had to post it! Cheers man.
Awesome let me know how you like it!
Hello Bud,
First off, I love your blog – very informative. I just bought the Volcano, having thought about getting it for years. I have Da Budda as well as Vapor Genie; having tried the Volcano now I might as well throw the other two in the trash. I’m not actually going to do that, but wow, I wish I had bought the Volcano years ago. And your video explaining all the benefits was one of the reasons I decided to just go for it. So thank you for that!
I opted to get the extra filling chamber for liquids. I have a few cups of a nice green dragon tincture made with high proof rum. And I thought it might be interesting trying to vape it instead of ingesting.
I can’t seem to find anything information on doing this with the Volcano. The instruction manual does briefly explain how to vaporize liquid, but says to burn off the alcohol first. And it does not mention what temperature to use. Furthermore, alcohol evaporates at 147 degrees Fahrenheit, and the Volcano has a low temp of 266. So I’m somewhat worried of igniting the alcohol inside it.
I would really appreciate if you have any insight on this, or a suggestion for what to try.
Thanks in advance!
-Greg
So I reread the Volcano manual (before using the Volcano this time :p). The manual actually clearly describes how to use it with an alcohol based tincture. And oh boy does it work!
You put several drops into the liquid filling chamber and run the volcano fan without turning the heat on (room temperature). The manual says to put the chamber on without the bag. This makes the alcohol evaporate and leaves only the tincture.
This is how to use the Volcano to get drunk, and it would work with any booze. Simply lean over the top and breath in while the fan is blowing the alcohol. Be careful, though, 10 drops of 160 proof rum and I definitely felt a buzz.
After 10-15 seconds of the fan, the alcohol smell will be gone. At this point you can put the bag on and vape what is left. I set it to 7 on the dial (higher for a liquid than the 5.5 to 6 range when using a solid). One bag, and 10 minutes later, the effect was just like when the tincture is taken sublingually (absorbed under the tongue). Except there wasn’t any unpleasant alcohol burn, but it tasted just the same.
If you haven’t used a green dragon tincture before, it is closer to eating weak brownies than anything else. I find that it is more like a pain killer – almost entirely a body numbness and no headiness at all.
Anyway, just wanted to share my results.
As you say, Stay up! :)
-Greg
Really enjoyed reading this,I had no idea you could vape liquids ‼️
Hey man.
Just wanted to thank you for the help that your videos have been in helping me choose a vaporizer. I’ve really enjoyed your videos (watching them several times over) and you give a balanced, honest opinion. Your videos also appear very well thought out and they are interesting and intelligent unlike many of the other vaporizer review videos on the web!
Anyway, I have taken your advice seriously and have ordered a Volcano Classic Solid Valve and a small 4-piece Space Case grinder/catcher. I’m quite sure I won’t be disappointed. I also own a Launch Box but wanted to get a ‘home’ vaporizer since I go through so much grass and because I want to make (yet another) attempt to get tobacco out of my life having smoked pretty heavily for 20 or so of my 37 years. If I just smoked joints that might be fine, but 20 Marlboro red a day often isn’t a lot of fun anymore.
I briefly considered risking a viVape purchase, but so little is known about them to date. Still interested in the miVape and the WISPR as portables but I’ll wait for the reviews to appear first. I’d be keen to see you review all of these products and I’m sure others have told you similar.
Anyway, I’ll stop going on… You don’t need to hear my life story! Anyway man, thanks again. You’ve been a big help! Keep up the good work.
Take it easy.
Sup Gareth,
I really appreciate the kind words, and I’m really glad you found my videos helpful. Nice messages like yours keep me goin.
Excellent choices with the Volcano and the Space Case, I think you’re gonna love them. I understand what you mean about the cigarettes too, I was finally able to quit for good about a year and a half ago after a 10 year stretch and feel great about it.
Experiment with different temperatures with your Volcano until you find what you like best. Most times I keep it at 6 on the dial which gives a nice light vapor but sometimes I’ll vape bags at 7 or 8 on the dial if I want a nice heavy draw. See what works best for you.
I hear you about the viVape also, I’ve been hesitant but I think I’ll be buying one soon to check it out. The pictures deceived me at first cus I thought it was small like an iPhone, but when I found out how big it really is it caught me by surprise. Still looks like it could be cool but won’t know for sure until I try it.
Thanks for letting me know about the other vapes you’re interested in also, I keep a mental note about which ones get requested the most so I can stick to reviewing the ones people care about.
Keep in touch and let me know how you like your new stuff.
Stay up!
Hey Bud,
Hope you’re well.
Just wanted to get back in touch to give you an update on how I’ve been getting on with the Volcano and Space Case. I’ll TRY to be as concise as possible…!
On the Volcano: I decided to opt for the Solid Valve, but quickly decided to give the Easy Valve system a shot as well. I thought it was the only way to know for sure which I preferred, despite all the advice on-line. They both have their pros and cons and I’d rate them as pretty much equal. The Solid Valve chamber benefits from having a metal plunger on top which seems to help create vapour a little more easily. Maybe the heat is spread more evenly, more quickly? I prefer the way the Easy Valve chamber clicks into place on top of the Volcano though. The SV can tend to rock a bit if the bag tips over. The way that the bag clicks into position on the SV is nicer and the mouthpiece is nicer to fit, to hold on to and to use as the bag gets emptied, BUT the small slits in the sides of the valve can leak slightly if the vapour is thick. No such problems on the EV. The EV is also good in that you have the flexibility of several bags if needed. As things stand, I use both and I can’t have any REAL complaints about either. I’m also in the early stages too, so can’t comment on cleaning obviously. Aside from the valve types, the Volcano itself is a great piece of kit and so nice to use because of the excellent build quality. The Classic version is quite a good-looking thing too. 10/10.
On the Space Case: In short, I’ve never used such an efficient grinder. Excellent. Sometimes it would be nice to have a larger size, but the small one is very neat and I’d buy the same again. I’m also glad to have bought the 4-piece one, as you recommended. I reckon that being able to grind herbs more finely than a plastic grinder will is essential for using the Magic Flight when I get back round to using it.
Despite enjoying my new purchases, I’m still struggling a bit with smoking and wrestling with the difference in the way it feels to smoke and to vaporise. Lots of people on-line have praised the fact that using a vaporiser frees you from ‘couch lock’. My problem is that I quite enjoy that bit, though I can see the benefits of being able to avoid it. I’m also quite a heavy smoker, so I’m often tempted to fill bags at around 8 on the dial, but struggle to regulate how I empty the bag without coughing almost uncontrollably. The temptation (as a smoker) is to inhale too much at once. You may have found the same. Despite all this, it’s a transition so I’ll stick with it. I have seen videos of people emptying Volcano bags through a water pipe. That may smooth out heavier bags a bit. Most of the time though, I’ve been using the Volcano with the dial set between 6 and 7.5 and it works really well. I need a vaporiser this good if I’m going to knock the Marlboro reds on the head at all.