Do I really need a ball vape?

Buying Advice
1

Ball vape popularity is booming, but the hype often causes community advice to skew towards whatever is most popular instead of focusing on the users’ specific needs.

I get asked, “What’s the best ball vape? I need something portable!” on a regular basis - so let this thread be the linkable answer.

Do I need a ball vape?"

Ball vapes are remarkable enough to make most ball vape users say YES to this question. Ball vapes are the ultimate extraction tool for dry herb and it’s hard to imagine any further improvements. Ball vapes are the pinnacle of power and performance, but they’re also destroyers of tolerance and weed stashes.

Ask yourself these questions, instead.

Do I want to vape at home, using a bong? If yes - ball vapes are the way.

Do I want to carry my vape in my pocket? If yes, ball vapes are probably not the way. There are torch and induction powered portable ball vapes, but they’re not push-button easy. Explore stick vapes if you’re cool with torches and need portable ball vape power.

Is my tolerance low? If you don’t smoke a lot, or vape frequently, any other vape on the market will likely be great. Ball vapes are for power users, dedicated stoners, serious connoisseurs, etc. Casual vaporists don’t need these big ball vapes.

How do you want to vape? Slow smokers and sippers struggle to make ball vapes work their magic. Ball vapes work best with a faster draw. Think bong rips, not blunts. If you like the blunt/joint style of smoking, look into portable conduction vapes or stick vapes.

Don’t get me wrong - ball vapes can absolutely serve the casual user.
If you’re anything more than a casual smoker, most portable vaporizers will likely be underwhelming.

My favorite portable vapes that can serve “ball vape style vapor”:

  • Limelight Frolic
  • Joystik
  • Tempest 2
  • Tinymight 2

Community request: What advice do you have for potential new ball vape users?

2

I have the Tempest 2 and the TM2 and they’re both great. (though I don’t enjoy the tm2 as much as I had hoped) That said I just got the Ruby Twist and boy howdy now I understand the hype behind the ball vapes. Got a lil whip setup and it’s really a ton of fun to see the vapor filling up the chambers. As a long time smoker that converted to vape I feel like I’ve finally scratched the itch.

3

I have had the joystik for a few days and have had a problem combusting. So far I’m disappointed

5

Aim higher, or don’t heat the lower part as intensely.

Heating too high will cause premature clicking, heating too low will yield combustion.

For the RTL (ride the line) experience, I usually heat the lower part for 15-20 seconds before moving the flame to the middle area, and sometimes i’ll bounce the flame back to the lower part if i’m feeling spicy

6

I picked up a UB for 420, and I have it tuned in for nice long sessions. It was fun doing huge hits, but I have abused 71 year old lungs, and they needed a break.

7

By a lot of people’s standards, I’d say I am currently more of a micro-doser. I really like the wireless one hit wonder ball vape for the open draw, and the fact that the hot air doesn’t spend as much time in contact with my throat as with portable vapes I’ve used over the years. Most portable would take me 3-6 hits per bowl, and had tighter draws than with this ball vape. I’m usually good for at least an hour or 2 off of one hit with the WOHW using only about 0.1g-0.15g. I find I need larger amounts to get the same level of effects when using the portables I have. I still enjoy the Roffu and the Lobo from time to time, but mostly am vaping at home anyway, so usually only use one of those when I just don’t want to wait at least 15 min to heat up the ball vape.

8

I quit weed for 25 years when it went all THC over everything in the late 90’s and early 2000’s.

but back on medical now and being more selective with my strains

i still picked a ball vape with my low tolerance and THC sensitivity because I hated the ritual of the Aerizer Air SE

I was doing 0.05g bowls and actually wanted to build up my tolerance

Now I can rip big flavourful lungfuls in the UB providing I use sativas with added CBD hash

So it was a great tool for mindfully building tolerance

9

Yup.

That’s the one thing where I disagree with Troy’s OP.

Ball vapes are the best one hit extraction devices AND the best session vapes.

Say you have a 22mm diffuser with an 18mm diameter connection. Perfect for a robust, one hit extraction.

Well, drop those temps to the vapor point. On my UB it is around 360f. The vapor point of THC is 340f so the UB is a surprisingly accurate temp reading for a ball vape.

On my UB, the temps between 390 and 450f is the sweet zone for sessions. Like, in that S&B temp range. You can nurse a bowl for 15-30 minutes.

And you still get that heavy ruby hammer, a 22mm diffuser bowl, and an open, 18mm draw. these sessions are distinctly ball vape sessions. S&B just can’t compete.

And with the UB, it is all glass. Something S&B also can’t do. Medical certification means glass is bad because it can shatter.

Ball vapes are the best session vapes. Just… since they can also deliver the BIG hits, many overlook the less exciting sessions a baller can deliver.

Really though, attach a whip, lower the temps to the vapor point and go ham from there. Use the baller as a session device too. It will conserve some weed by taking longer to vape it and let you really taste those terps, all while letting you mindlessly hit it while watching TV or a movie or something. Always ready to hit on demand, and only wasteful if you forget to hit it.

I save the higher temp sessions for times when I can give the vape my fullest attention.

10

Phase 3 ZX & ZXL are the best ball vapes I used. Phenomenal taste.

11

I like this style! I started to lean into this lane several months ago, and ended up going back to my Herborizer because I found myself just trying to dial in that experience with ball vapes. I found that if I went down to the 300’s on my PID I could get what seemed like endless vapor from one bowl. But I had to remove the heater between hits or it would cook while it sat. How large are your payloads, and what style of hit do you use?

12

Usually a scoop in a full UB bowl or just a half scoop in the microdose bowl. Then like, 390-420. Usually 390 for the half scoop, and 420 for the full.

Yeah, it cooks between hits with the UB and hybrid bowl, but I imagine, like me, you would be fine with 20 minute microdose bowls even if you let the ball vape sit on the bowl the full time, and if you forgot to hit within that timeframe, you wouldn’t feel too bad for wasting a little weed. That’s on you.

But if you don’t hit it within the first ten minutes, you will lose some real magic.

I mean, it isn’t like forgetting to hit the wireless before it cools. You know?

390f seems like that magic temp to preserve but I tend to bump it to 420 for better pulls, even though I lose some between hits if I get forgetful.

You have the Herborizer and I don’t. I have heard you sing its praises time and again.

I cannot guarantee this tastes better, all I can promise is it is the smoothest flavor I have found. And it’s a UB, so… I don’t have an Herborizer, but I can guarantee this hits a 22mm diffuser with an 18mm connection through a chamber full of hot rubies. So, unlike an Herborizer, the UB remains a ball vape, even at low, LOW temps. For better and for worse.

13

nice. how long are your hits? I started to shorten my hits down to around 6 seconds to extend flavor deeper into a ball vape session, and avoid the final roast.

14

Similar, usually around that 5-6 second mark.

Maybe even less. I toot the whip. Like two or three seconds when it is running just enough to get fresh vape into my lungs, or 3-10 seconds to get it back when it is late in the bowl and not giving as freely.

I’ll pull for 10-20 on occasion to see if I still can… and then cough like a champion.

But usually I will just taste then breathe more to fill my lungs.

A 5-6 second toot and then filling my lungs with fresh air as I transition from mouthpiece to fresh air. That’s a good hit. Often enough through my awesome Studenglass whip, which reduces everything back down to 14mm for a tighter draw. Otherwise, through my myriad 18mm glass mouthpieces for a more open, and tasty draw.

15

Start at 390f. Full heat soak. I dare you.

16

I think my sessions are mainly using wired mode at 525º but just taking small gentle hits. That said, I have serious doubts about the accuracy or the temp display on these. A few weeks T&J were doing them and Troy was combusting at a lower temp than Jerry was using fine.

Meh, works for me anyway, and that’s what’s important to me.

17

Exactly!

My temps are for my vape on my PID. They are for reference. You can go lower than where you are. Like, drop the temp by 30f. See if you don’t like it more.

18

that’s a PID temp != vape temp thing. I use a disorderly conduction PID, which are known to run hotter than other PIDS

19

Did you see the YouTube video that Beedles from Vices posted last week where they were using the new Coma as a session vape with the big bowl filled with 1.6g?! They used it like a hookah, and it looks like an amazing session vape at low temps.

20

I wonder if it can also extract it all in one hit. I hope so!

Mine should be here later this week

21

Unfortunately, he said in the video that the fully packed bowl is not good for one hit extraction. It will combust the top layer just due to the sheer power and high heat. He suggested loading the bowl less than half full if you’re going for one hit extraction, but I say it’s worth further testing lol… you know, for science!!