Introduction
Happy new year everyone, here is my personal review of my Ploom Pax which i have owned since August and had a love/hate relationship with since. I’m not going to talk about the basics of that Pax, there is much of that already out there. I will also discuss the chinese pax copies that have hit the market too.
Design
The thing that always catches my eye with the Pax is the stylish and stealth design. In my opinion in terms of performance and discreetness the Pax takes the crown of stealthiest vaporizer currently available on the market. Based on its size and when combined with the ability to pack a large amount of herb inside, this makes it as a winner for me when I’m looking to medicate heavily, discreetly. The Pax is the second vaporizer I purchased after the Magic Flight Launch Box. The looks of this unit fits in with the kind of vaporizing gadgetry that would be expected in such a modern age, not looking out of place when placed next to the latest smart phones.
The Pax gets a 10/10 for looks, its discreet, sleek and elegant design has to be taken into account when comparing to other vaporizers that do not achieve what the Pax does in such a small package.
Taste
Overall when compared to my solo the taste quality is quite poor from the Pax, yes the vapour is more intense than the Solo but the taste is quickly gone and it does have a very slight plastic taste i believe is from the mouthpiece. Most users do not notice this taste. For taste the Pax gets about a 6/10 from me, the taste is that poor really that I prefer to only toke fresh bowls on this device, from start to finish each time. Not often do i reheat a bowl on this device.
Half bowl methods
Over a period of time i came to realise (following fuckcombustion thread) that the key was to pack the Pax as tight as possible. This became a problem as you also needed to fill the bowl to get a great vapour from the unit, and to fill the bowl, it can take up to 1.5g depending on the density of the herbs your using. This may all be well and great in the states, but here in the UK times are a little more difficult and a new method was needed to combat this problem.
The first method i found was using glass jacks, in the UK currently you can buy them from everyonedoesit, but they don’t have a large selection and they are quite expensive at £1.50 each. I purchased 5 and was quite excited to try them out. Once in the bowl, you place some herb in, a few glass jacks over, more herb and the oven lid on. Happy days, quick and easy to fill, the jacks heat up, giving you a more even vape throughout your oven. Bit of a pain to clean out, but i find the Pax is in general when compared to other vapes. This method produces pretty average clouds really, especially in comparison to the second method.
For the second method what you do is pack as much herb as you want in to the bowl as tight as you can, place a screen over the herb, and then use a screen bent as a spring to hold the screen over your herb tight once the oven lid is in. You can use anything (not something going to break down under heat, like plastic) to basically finish packing your herb in there. I will get some pics up at some point, I’m lacking a camera at the moment. Like this the Pax operates as if you have a full bowl every time with the vapor it produces.
Titanium razor foil
This is a fantastic method i also discovered on Fuckcombustion.com, replace your bowl screen with titanium razor foil, you can pick these up from boots, or anywhere that sells mens grooming really. What your looking for is the changeable heads that go on electric razors. They cost about £10, but compared to getting official Pax screens, that’s not a bad price to pay. Once you get your razor foil, use a Pax by Ploom screen as a guide and cut a new screen out and then replace the one in your bowl with this one. The foil is so thin and conducts so much better, its also got tiny holes in so the draw is so much better, improved airflow is just what this device needed. I use now, in my bowl: Titanium razor foil screen, herb, titanium razor foil screen and a bent mesh filter approx 20mm in diameter as my bowl filler. The clouds this produces are awesome.
Heating methods & temperature control
Over the last few months there has been much talk of the preferred levels of heat settings on the Pax. Each individual has a method of which they prefer the most of course. There is a few different methods I have read about such as; Medium throughout, start low and work up and vaporize on different heat levels and save the vaped herb in separate containers. Out of the various methods my favourite is to start on low and work through the heat settings as each level stops producing vapour.
Please let me explain why this is my favourite method; I believe that if you start a bowl on the high or medium temperature settings (without a glass bubbler*) that the vapour is too rich and you won’t absorb as much on each inhalation. The vapour is really thick and intense rather than the usual density vapour produced by other vaporizers i have tried. Therefore i believe your lungs will absorb much more of the chemicals from the vapour if it is cooked and inhaled over a longer period. I tested this at the 2013 Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam.
During the Cannabis Cup I just used my Pax on high with full bowls. In each coffee shop I would buy a gram of their Cannabis Cup entry, load my Pax up and toke the entire bowl on high heat. This produced comically large clouds but I do feel that a large amount of herb wasn’t absorbed by the lungs, when compared to taking your time over a bowl; starting on low, then medium, then high. Another advantage with this is you can always stop after vaping on low, and turn the temperature up when you want to continue vaporizing. Doing so can maintain as much fresh flavour as possible!
I did read an interesting article that discussed the temperature of which THC and CBD broke down. Apparently THC turns to vapour at a lower temperature than CBD which suggests that when you vaporise at lower temperatures you will only get a high effect as opposed to feeling stoned. As the CBD is needed to be released for medicinal benefit also then I believe it is a good idea to achieve the full temperature range for those seeking pain relief.
When compared to other vaporizers the Pax is truly limited in terms of temperature control and I hope this is an issue that they will combat in their future vaporizers. For temperature control i would rate the Pax a low 3/10.
Medicinal
As a medical user, i like the fact I can get such a fine intense hit very quickly when compared to my Solo. This is what i believe the Pax is brilliant for, as it can take a large amount of herb to fill it completely it then delivers a very intense hit of vapour. This is very beneficial for those seeking pain relief, as a high concentration of herbs can be achieved very quickly. As the Pax can also be used with concentrates such as wax and oil, and is also good for hashish this makes it a serious contender in being one of the best medicinal vaporizers on the market. There is also options with slight modifications to add custom made waterpipes and micro showers to the Pax, these allow the Pax to deliver a really thick high concentrate hit in a very smooth manner! I honestly can’t describe how beneficial this is for those seeking pain relief.
Medicinal rating 10/10 for pain relief, but only if you have the supplies to keep this thing full.
Chinese Pax
The chinese copies generally are an average standard when compared to a Ploom pax, the differences vary from manufacturer but the main points to look for are; You do get warranty with them, in the UK you can’t get a warranty with Ploom and obviously the price you pay. You can buy them straight from manufacturer for 60-85 usd, but normally require a minimum of ten to be purchased. I have tried 3 or 4 variants trying to find an acceptable copy. The finish was different on all but one, but the one that was awesome, had used terrible glue that stunk when heating up all the time, obviously i never used this device. The cheaper looking ones perform very well, in fact a friend has one now and he loves it, it used to always flash and die, but over a long period we realized that this was due to dirt in the air path and all it needed was a harsh blow or a clean. For the money, you can’t complain.
On another note i also found out that some of the Chinese manufacturers are now using micro chips much more advanced than the Ploom, and also Samsung high capacity batteries. What is interesting is these batteries can be fitted to a Pax by Ploom i believe without much modification. We haven’t attempted to change a battery yet but when my battery gives up it will be time.
Touching on warranty issues for all those wanting an official Pax by Ploom in the UK you may not have to wait too long, as i believe that Ploom has sold the international distribution rights off to a massive company who already distributes worldwide. So it may not be too long until Ploom products reach us over here.
Problems
The only major issue I have had with my Ploom was that the vaporizer kept dying, I would remove it from my pocket ready to use and when i turned it on the display flashed red and died. This was really frustrating, it took such a long time for me to realise that the unit did this unless it was removed from the charger dock fully charged. This became a bit of a pain and my Pax found itself left at home on many occasions because it wasn’t fully charged and therefore would not work. This issue seems to have resolved itself, over constant care and cleaning, it now works and operates just like the day it arrived… Sometimes.
Another problem i have is i’m clumsy and i often drop my Pax. I wish they designed a sleeve for the unit or rubber stops to prevent me losing my oven lids and mouthpiece… Maybe i should be more careful, but it is difficult when suffering from chronic migraine.
Cleaning
Cleaning the Pax is essential to maintain its top performance. Keep the air path clean, its the best way. I use BigBen Pipe cleaners, they are thin at one end and are perfect for pushing a 420 wipe through and cleaning he air path up immaculately. If it gets stuck a small allen key is ideal for shoving the 420 wipe through no sweat. If using Hash or oil though, it pretty much needs a clean after each use. It’s also essential to clean inside the mouthpiece tube and inside where the mouth piece sits with an interdental brush. You can get these from tesco and boots also. I used to use lubricant on my Pax but i don’t anymore.
Overall
Long term this vaporizer has really come through for me, its excellent at everything; Hash, oil, wax, herb. For being such a small vaporizer it packs such a powerful punch. The discreetness is what makes it stand out. The flavour isn’t as great as the Solo for example, but it makes up for it in vapour density. A case is recommended because with good herb the smell can be quite potent after a few hits and placed back. Not a problem if you don’t mind the smell. I would honestly give the Pax a 9.2 out of 10. The only thing letting it down is the taste. Maybe in the future a ceramic bowl and glass air path could be an option, or just an all glass air path with a special mouthpiece (no plastic). It’s definitely a vaporizer worth considering, the high price/no warranty though points towards vaporizers more readily available in the UK, such as the Pax main rival, the Arizer Solo.
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