We have been stocking the Volcano Vaporizer for a few weeks now but we hadn't gotten a chance to try it. I finally got my hands on one this past weekend and gave it my first try. My first impression with the unit was that it seemed like a whole lot of show compared to the simplicity of the Vapor Warez or Vapor Brothers. However it quickly won me over.
The first thing I noticed was that the temp dial allowed you to set a precise temperature for the blends you are vaporizing. Interestingly enough you have to refer to the manual to find the temp that corresponds with the 1-9 digit on the unit. I would have rather just seen the temp in F and C written on the unit, but I found my sweet spot at about 5 which is around 350 degrees F. The blend compartment is generally very easy to load and I was glad to see that the unit came with the balloon attachment fully assembled. The last thing I would want to do is have to put something together before I could use it. Ironically enough my Aluminum Grinder is the exact diameter of the chamber, allowing me to place the chamber in the grinder and then just flip it over to fill it. I attached the filling chamber to the balloon, set it on the volcano and flipped on the fan. The balloon filled in about 30 seconds and I could see the perfect amount of vapor inside. The design prevents vapor from escaping after you remove the balloon from the filling chamber to attach it to the mouthpiece which is nice.
The flavor was incredible. The volcano produces perfect vapor every time and the efficiency alone probably makes the unit worth the price. I was able to fill 3 balloons off of an amount of blends I was expecting to fill only a single balloon. The balloon also holds the vapor very well. I was curious so after filling my second balloon I let it sit for about an hour before inhaling it. I found the flavor to be a bit "stale" but the potency was more or less in tact. I even let the rest sit overnight and in the morning found it to still have some potency, but nothing like the night before. I don't recommend leaving vapor in the balloon, I just was curious to see how it would hold up. The mouthpiece design is very nice, holding the vapor inside until you press your lips against it activating the valve.
Overall I am very very happy with the Volcano. At first it seemed like it was over engineered, a bit much for the task at hand, but after using it a few times you just fall in love. I highly recommend this unit to anyone who can see past the hefty price tag.