Vaporizer Showdown: The Homebrew GrouchyOne versus the Mighty S&B Volcano

The fact is heat guns were never intended for inhalation. Nobody is testing the air path for toxic elements, because it wasn’t designed for that. Metal, plastic, and glue all can off gas.

You have a lot more faith in that $20 Harbor Freight heat gun than I do. My advice was simply to be cautious. It’s your body, do what you like with it.

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Whether you have faith in them or not is not really relevant. I used to test heat guns before allowing them out onto the shop floor of the manufacturing facility that I worked in. I have taken apart a number of different versions of heat guns, they are different and yet have the same general design. You have a little fan blowing air across a coil of heating wire suspended on a ceramic form. The barrel of the heat gun around the element has always been a chrome plated steel. The connection of the wires have always been crimped. They are crimped for electrical safety reasons as are all heating elements I have come across. I have been in the industry for about 20 years. I had been in manufacturing, worked in a metals test lab, had two electrical licenses. I am reasonably cautious with my body. But shit happens. In this case I do not see much risk.

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I’ve had my analog vulcano for 7yrs. my mighty for 2. love them both. It is a little goofy to suck on a balloon but I like knowing there’s solid, german engineering behind it. smoked a few joints last week and my lungs felt it. get wrecked from the mighty, throat is fine. Vulcano, even smoother.

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Hey @bunny, do you happen to know what type of heating element is used in Makita brand heat guns? I’ve been using mine for awhile (forever!) now without any detectable problems.

On the other hand, I’ll never forget our sketchy lawyer at a home purchase closing explaining to us that we needn’t worry about Lead Paint because he grew up in a house with lead paint and ate the chips when he was liddle… We just looked at each other and said a silent prayer to The Man Upstairs to protect us!

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LOL @SaintAliasKnife, truth be disclosed, my Volcano buddy stopped using his because he got tired of buying supplies and accessories. He had pretty much everything they offered and rarely used most of the stuff.

I actually admire the Volcano but I’d be curious as to the details of how you use it?

I’ve read over and over that it’s awesome for a party but awkward for a solo session. True?

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No idea on the Makita,



This is about standard for the ones I have seen. I would assume they are using element wire.

Just did a search. heat gun element image - Hledat Googlem

mine came with the standard valve. used it for 2 years then I have purchase exactly 2 sets of accessories, the EZ valve bag bundled with make yourself bag roll and one chamber reducer that allows me to use the mighty’s 0.3gr caps in it. that is it. the ez-valve and chamber was ~$100, the chamber reducer ~15 if i recall correctly. to date I think I’ve made ~ 5 bags. if you don’t do stupid things to them, they last a long time.

I’ve only used in solo, i’m no longer the party animal of my youth…I do not think it is awkward, mine lives in my library/tv room. I turn it on, turn the receiver on, 5 min later it’s ready to jam. turn the tunes on, chamber on top, run for 5 seconds, plug the bag, let it fill up.

very cool, very smooth. the mighty gets close to it but the vulcano will rock my world.

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If we’re talking about the history of modern dry herb convection vapes this guy must be credited - I believe he invented something called the Flash-e-vape starting in the 1970’s. He brought the Eterra convection vape to market in the 90’s, I bought one around 2000 and used it until the Volcano came out:

Also just FYI if anyone’s considering the Volcano be sure to shell out the extra money for the “solid valve” set as it performs way better than the cheap disposable EZvalve set that comes with it.

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The solid valve is more money? Lol. I didn’t know. I bought the EZ later because it was lighter… :joy:

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no worries, I still have both - the EZ valve is easy to use and good for filling multiple balloons (in the covid era) so everybody gets their own balloon

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Different Strokes… but I can stipulate that a modern vaporizer can deliver the full measure of CannaChem to satisfy. I reckon I get more levels of taste/sensation when I have hold of the Temp dial. Those early Terps: Priceless.

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Overgrow 1.0 had a DIY with a lightbulb, a bottle cap and straw!! I must say you’re set up is much cooler! Hats off pal!

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What exactly is the “other option” ?
In other words, what causes that scary list of chemicals to enter the lungs?

  • Hydrogen cyanide
  • Formaldehyde
  • Lead
  • Arsenic
  • Ammonia
  • Radioactive elements, such as polonium-210
  • Benzene
  • Carbon monoxide
  • Tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs)
  • Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)

I think @Syn meant smoking as “The Other Option” rather than vaping. Full combustion releases a whole bunch of chems that the lower temp vapes don’t.

That said, I believe the nasties on Syn’s list applies to cigarettes, NOT cannabis.

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unfortunately I think all those chems are released by the burning of any carbon-based plant material, so they are released w/ cannabis smoking as well as tobacco cigs.

But heavy cannabis smoking over 30 years does not increase your odds of cancer while heavy tobacco smoking over 30 years increased it by 20 times.

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Just did a little research while thinking about this vaporizer from 1.0. Grow Marijuana FAQ, Cannabis cultivation - marijuana growing tips & photos

Oh how far we have come. :green_heart:

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I traded an OZ. for 2 volcano knock offs…the guy said they fell off a truck…works just as well as the S&B volcanoes…

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This is a vaporizer pipe…Matanuska O’wreck bud…

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Looks clean, how does it operate?

My biggest ask in a flower vape is fine-grained continuously variable temp control. Does this one, or the Volcano knock off have that?

Cheers,
-Grouchy

The Fuji has a variable temperature control

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