Shishavac...?

[TopHatAce]

Ok, so this is my first post, so bear with me here...

So I broke down and bought the Shishavac. Mostly because I needed to clean my hoses, my stove HATES lighting anything but quicklights (ugh), and I usually set up 2 or more hookahs and needed a practical way to light the charcoal, clean the hoses, dry the hookah parts, etc. I believe it was a good investment, but there's only one problem. I use Coco Naras almost exclusively, and I have to take the basket off the burner and flip the coals over every time. Admittedly, I'm using old-school cube-shaped Cocos, so if I switch to the flatter ones I might get better results, but I still have 120-someodd coals left to burn through until I run out.

Is anyone else running into this problem? If so, (or if not,) does anyone have any ideas? I'm a little worried about leaving the coals in the burner for too long without flipping them, as the bottom tends to taper and decrease the surface area.

[vendetta_revived]

I think Stuie (you're gonna hear that name a lot on this forum) mentioned in his review that the coal burner on the shishavac is of low wattage, hence you need to flip the coals (most people do this anyway), but it still takes a lot of time to light the coals.

I know you have already bought it so not to rain on your parade, but I wouldn't personally recommend to buy the thing. You can just buy an electric coil burner of 1000 watts or more easily in walgreens for about $10-$15, and it does an excellent job.

[Kathrynx]

Sorry that we didn't answer this question in Tiny Chat last night, but glad to see that you are posting!

I agree with what vendetta said, and I use the coil burners from Walgreens, and they now carry a double burner in case you needed more space for coals.

[Pavo21]

well the vac should work but the cocos just take a super long time

[Coyote]

How does it work with all its other functions?

[littlec]

Want clean hoses? Air compressor cheap - $80, want to start a hookah on its own? Air matress pump + some hot glue, grommets, ingenuity - $20, 1000W coal burner - $15.

Not trying to rag on anyone but that thing is completely overpriced for what you get IMHO.

[TopHatAce]

I got the shishavac for christmas... kinda. I got a gift card from a friend for SouthSmoke. so I bought the Shishavac because I have so many hookahs that I'd feel bad for getting another one, because I'd probably only smoke it once and then put it on a shelf.

Its other functions are quite useful, and I personally would never spend 300 on such a silly machine. But to get it as a gift... I quite enjoy it. Edited January 3, 2012 by TopHatAce

[Stuie]

I hate the coal burner. I haven't had a chance lately to really test it. What to post a thorough review.

Cubes are almost impossible, Flats aren't that great either in the shishavac.

That and the thing is so freaking loud... indicator noises, vac. Can't use it when the kiddos are sleeping.

[joytron]

For $300 I will light your coals, start your hookah, and give you a handjob.


Eye contact is extra.

[MichaelLCP]

[quote name='joytron' timestamp='1325577756' post='534436']
For $300 I will light your coals, start your hookah, and give you a handjob.


Eye contact is extra.
[/quote]

I'll do it for $250.

[mustang67n]

[quote name='MichaelLCP' timestamp='1325578141' post='534437']
[quote name='joytron' timestamp='1325577756' post='534436']
For $300 I will light your coals, start your hookah, and give you a handjob.


Eye contact is extra.
[/quote]

I'll do it for $250.
[/quote]

you guys are steep.. I'll do it for free smoke and for you kicking me some tobacco every week or so..

again though.. eye contact will cost money.

[squidget]

I have one as well (gift) and I use it exclusively. I need to get around to doing a review. Anywho, yes you will need to flip the nats after the first cycle. (flats or cubes doesn't matter.) Alternatively, if you don't flip them and let them sit for about 5 minutes they will light themselves.
How I do it:
put two - three cubes in the basket, start timer at full (this is a 9 minute cycle)
During said 9 minutes, put together my pipe (usually in pieces drying out) pick my flavor, pack my bowl/foil it/poke it.
beeper goes off, flip said coals turn timer to just left of the middle (about 11 oclock) this about 3-4 minutes
During said 3-4 minutes fill my base with water/ice put pipe and bowl on it, place in my hookah cube (ottoman) and pick a hose
Enjoy

Other notables:
The blower function is cool - I use it for my hoses as well as all my hookah parts. Saves me on drying time. I also started using the blower for my nammor washable hoses as well instead of water (since water keeps killing the glue for some reason)
I never use the "starter" (suck air in) function. I don't want to carry a 28" hookah with lit coals on top through my house with all my cramped furniture.
It is loud and it can have a smell - but I have a sun room (and no kids) so that's where it sits with all my other hookah stuff.

With that said, I cannot recommend anyone buying it, because of this limitations and incredibly high price point. It needs to come down by at least half before it contend against a burner from wallgreens and my wet/dry vac with funnel. Edited January 5, 2012 by squidget

[â€On]

The issue I have with the shishavac is that it attempts to solve problems that don't exist.

[Epoch]

[quote name='aeon' timestamp='1325787014' post='534678']
The issue I have with the shishavac is that it attempts to solve problems that don't exist.
[/quote]

I second this.

[Chreees]

[quote name='aeon' timestamp='1325787014' post='534678']
The issue I have with the shishavac is that it attempts to solve problems that don't exist.
[/quote]

That is a VERY good way to put it, Tyler. Quite eloquent. +1 rep.

[littlec]

[quote name='aeon' timestamp='1325787014' post='534678']
The issue I have with the shishavac is that it attempts to solve problems that don't exist.
[/quote]

This is what i've been saying about a lot of new/"innovative" products, well actually I normally say "X is looking to answer a question that hasn't been asked", but same concept. Another thing to take into account is this was designed in Germany and probably with the German hookah lounge market in mind, so idk maybe there is a demand for something like that over there. Edited January 8, 2012 by littlec

[antouwan]

[quote name='aeon' timestamp='1325787014' post='534678']
The issue I have with the shishavac is that it attempts to solve problems that don't exist.
[/quote]

yes and no. not to get all philosophical, but i think it's just an extension of things that exist in "Technopoly" (a word invented by Neil Postman in his book of the same name). It's an actualization of the "I can so I will" as well as the convenience-whorism of this century and its contemporaries. It solves as much as a keyfob does for getting into your car at a distance - oh wait you can't get into your car from a distance. see my point?

Call me a Luddite, but I'm noticing a rapid extinction of rituals in this day and age (mainly being killed off by 'modern convenience') and amongst other things, the arghileh is a ritual i would like to hold onto for a little while longer, before technology rips it from my death-grip.

/rant.

[TopHatAce]

After owning it for a while, I feel that the Shishavac is less designed for household use, and more designed for lounge use. Lounges clean every hookah they have after every smoke, and the 'vac cuts down the drying time, increasing the turnover time and effectively giving them more smokable hookahs at any one given time. The 'vac also clears the hoses out in seconds, a feature that we at home take for granted since we buy expensive Razan/Nammoor/KhalilMamoon hoses, but the hoses at a lounge see alot more abuse, and I feel that the Shishavac helps keep their hoses lasting longer. Lounges also have to start large amounts of charcoal at one time to accommodate all their customers, which the 'vac covers nicely, if not a bit awkwardly. (although I feel that the 'vac would have an easier time starting charcoal if the basket was a bit more full) It also pulls on the hookah for you, starting it without you having to fish out a mouth tip and suck it yourself. This lets one person quickly get multiple hookahs smoking for customers by themselves. And that's the reason we go to hookah lounges- So we don't have to set the thing up ourselves. If you're a traditionalist, and love the ritual process of setting up a shisha, then awesome. But alot of people don't want to go through the 'hassle' (which is in quotes because we all know it's no hassle) of setting it up just to have a smoke. The Shishavac is a tool for hookah lounges to, at least partially, add a mechanical advantage to setting up the shisha to allow the workers at a lounge to keep up with the demands of the customers.
Wow, that got wordy. tl;dr Shishavac is great. Don't buy one. It's not for you, it's for lounges.

[squidget]

[quote name='TopHatAce' timestamp='1326868190' post='535922']
After owning it for a while, I feel that the Shishavac is less designed for household use, and more designed for lounge use. Lounges clean every hookah they have after every smoke, and the 'vac cuts down the drying time, increasing the turnover time and effectively giving them more smokable hookahs at any one given time. The 'vac also clears the hoses out in seconds, a feature that we at home take for granted since we buy expensive Razan/Nammoor/KhalilMamoon hoses, but the hoses at a lounge see alot more abuse, and I feel that the Shishavac helps keep their hoses lasting longer. Lounges also have to start large amounts of charcoal at one time to accommodate all their customers, which the 'vac covers nicely, if not a bit awkwardly. (although I feel that the 'vac would have an easier time starting charcoal if the basket was a bit more full) It also pulls on the hookah for you, starting it without you having to fish out a mouth tip and suck it yourself. This lets one person quickly get multiple hookahs smoking for customers by themselves. And that's the reason we go to hookah lounges- So we don't have to set the thing up ourselves. If you're a traditionalist, and love the ritual process of setting up a shisha, then awesome. But alot of people don't want to go through the 'hassle' (which is in quotes because we all know it's no hassle) of setting it up just to have a smoke. The Shishavac is a tool for hookah lounges to, at least partially, add a mechanical advantage to setting up the shisha to allow the workers at a lounge to keep up with the demands of the customers.
Wow, that got wordy. tl;dr Shishavac is great. Don't buy one. It's not for you, it's for lounges.
[/quote]

So what you're saying is I need to open a lounge in my house? Hrrmmm, I do have a rather large backyard...

In all seriousness good post however I feel the lounge would need to be small or they have multiple units. I talked to some lounge guys about and they said it doesn't hold enough coals nor is it fast enough (lighting said coals and blower function needs more power). Also margins are tight in the lounge biz and it 's just not worth the investment when you can get more powerful stuff for less (even if its not as pretty)