Hi, folks. I'm in the market for my first dry herb vape. In the past, my consumption preference has always been combusted flower in a glass bowl, but I'm a heavy enough user that the regular smoking is starting to get to me. I find edibles too unpredictable and I worry that concentrates will just shoot my tolerance to the moon (based on experience with cartridges.) This led me to consider dry herb vaping.
My wife bought an XMAX V3 (POTV edition) a while back, but hasn't been using it regularly, so I borrowed it this week to see how I liked the experience. With some practice, I've been able to really enjoy using it and I'm now I'm sold on vaping and ready to make the switch away from combustion.
After a few days of research, I'm really leaning towards the Tinymight 2 for myself, but with its price, I'm hesitating. So I'm here in the hopes that someone will either push me off the cliff into vaping bliss or pull me back and push me towards a more reasonably priced alternative.
My requirements and things I like about the TM2:
Must be portable, but not necessarily in a pocketable or stealthy way. I don't plan to just carry it around when I'm out and about, but I'd like to be able to quickly grab it to use around the house or take it to a friend's place.
Removable batteries. I want the ability to just swap batteries and use an external charger instead of needing to plug the device in.
Power. While I am able to get good hits from the V3, it involves a long draw, steadily increasing in strength, while covering one set of air holes entirely and feathering a finger over the other set. Even then, it takes several hits to get me where I want to be. I love the idea of just taking a big rip or two and being good. I'm not really after a "session" experience most of the time.
Flexibility in use. This might just go hand-in-hand with being a portable device, but I like how easy it is to change your experience just by changing stems, adding a bong, etc. I'd like to completely switch to vaping and I think having those options will help.
Reliability/repairability. While I'm new to dry herb vaping, I have been vaping nicotine for over a decade, so I'm broadly familiar with similar devices. I really like what I've read about Tinymight 2 in this regard. I even saw the guy say that if the threads on the battery compartment strip (very common in my experience with nicotine vapes,) he'll just send out a new top piece with instructions on how to replace it yourself if you don't want to ship your device in for repair. That is very attractive to me, especially considering the price of the device.
Ease of use. I don't mind an initial learning curve at all, but once I've figured the device out, I don't want to continue fiddling with it. I'm not interested in anything requiring an external heat source for this reason. I appreciate that this is a fun hobby for some, but I just want to dial in the settings I like, push a button, and get high, not build a mad science lab on my desk.
So with all those considerations, is the TM2 the device for me?
Thanks for the reply. Sounds like we're on similar wavelengths. What dosing capsules do you use? I saw that there are a couple of official styles available, with v1 being more like a mesh basket and v2 being more solid sided. Any issues with using them with 3rd party stems or anything?
Your other 3 bullet points are all things I've already thought about. If I had purchased the XMAX myself instead of borrowing it, I think I would have been disappointed. It has shown me what vaping can be, but I just don't really enjoy using it.
I also think that I will likely be a "set it and forget it" type of person with the temperature control. I've experimented with temp stepping on the XMAX and it's interesting, for sure, but I definitely prefer the effects of getting everything at once. I might dial it down occasionally to medicate without getting stoned on particularly bad mental health days, but that wouldn't be a regular thing (hopefully.) Outside of that, I'd probably just leave it at 7 or 8 all the time.
And finally, regarding session vs. on-demand, I will likely be in on-demand most of the time. I like to get high and then put everything down and go enjoy my high. Then when I'm not as high as I want to be anymore, I can use more and repeat the process. I do see the value in something like the Mighty for passing around with friends, but I'm mainly looking for a daily driver personal device right now and long "sessions" have never been my preferred method of consumption.
2 more questions:
Is the bubbler stem you mentioned the official Tinymight one? I haven't fully researched it, but from what I've seen, it looks like it would be fairly awkward to load without spilling water. EDIT: Maybe this is where the dosing capsules come in handy?
Have you experienced any of the common issues with the button, uneven extraction (although from what I've read, this seems like part of the learning curve, rather than a flaw in the device,) excessive heat, etc.? Any other issues?
The bubbler stem and dosage capsules came from vgoodiez. You can load the bubbler with your mouth if you're worried about spilling.
Capsules make maintenance minimal, I just blow out the chamber, and swab it once In a while, and throw the hot ass capsule In a paper towel, rub it around to clean off outside resin, and let it cool before collecting the ABV.
I would agree that uneven extraction is part of the learning curve. I've noticed rings when I've packed it too tight for too low of a temperature, and try making up for it by ripping it more frequently and aggressively than I know I should be doing.
I've only had it a fews month, I still use the Mighty+ as well, because it's smooth and fun in its own way, but currently favoring the TM2 for its speed, size, and accessories. I can connect the TM2 to the same water pipe without a whip. I don't feel comfortable inverting the Mighty+, some people do.
TM2 obviously has less battery life. Using it primarily at home, I typically just plug it back in after every session or two. The Mighty+ I wait until it's pretty low to recharge.
The Mighty+, I'm considering making "stem milk", because dismantling the cooling unit and scrapping out the reclaim, and swabbing is extremely tedious. You'll end up acquiring more cooling units to procrastinate.
The TM2 has been easier for me to clean, but I have not tried the stock stem and cooling unit.
The Mighty+ feels okay in hand, like I am holding a gameboy. The TM2 feels great, it's natural wood and metal.
The only issue I had with the TM2 was a light blinking issue when I first received it, I was able to google for a solution. I had to turn the power all the way down,, then all the way up, then down to where I wanted it. Haven't had a problem since.