REVIEW OVERVIEW | |
Design 8 | |
Build Quality 9 | |
Ease of Use 8 | |
Efficiency 10 | |
Strength 8 | |
Taste 8 | |
Value 7 | |
SUMMARY | 8.3 OVERALL SCORE |
When we talk about the cannabis market, we have to remember sometimes that there are all kinds of users. Along with us old-school stoners who just smoked weed to get a kick out of it, there are medical users who have turned to cannabis as the only source of relief. Then there are also people who may not be all that coordinated using analog equipment when dabbing. So if you can follow where I’m heading, we’re reviewing the G Pen Hyer today, a precision dabbing device.
The G Pen Hyer retails for $249.95, and is basically an eRig extension for your glass bubbler unit.
Pros:
- Solid unit
- Builds easily
- Precise pre-set dabs every time
- Dry herb adapter available
- The carrying case is nifty
- Audible tone feedback
- Auto-shutoff
Cons:
- A lot of parts to keep track of
- Needs a sturdy glass rig; topples small rigs
- Why not use an eRig?
Recommendations: Not even sure what to say here. You’re doing what you need to do about perfect, but this device does have a niche use.
Ease Up On Me; I Grew Up With Atari!
I’m gonna say this out loud: There are two categories of cannabis users here.
Analog – Comfortable with fire, torches, manual rigs
Digital – Requires a digital solution with lots of buttons and features
We reviewers at DabConnection – a shout-out to the whole crew! – we try to keep up. This is an exciting time in the cannabis industry, and we love to have a front-row seat watching this pioneer industry develop. With that said, we end up seeing a parade of devices, from the basic glass rigs to the state-of-the-art digital gizmos. I assume AI robot dabbing assistants are right around the corner. But in the meantime, reviewing means that we often have to devour a whole manual and learn to drive some rig that tries to reinvent how we consume cannabis.
But just to put your mind at ease on the matter, I’m an analog caveman when it comes to weed. Not that I’m a technophobe (Sonny, I was at Y2K at bank headquarters keeping the Big Mainframes functional!), but just that I only deploy digital technology where I feel it really helps the situation. When civilization collapses to Mad Max standards, I’ll still be able to carve a pipe out of a carrot and make fire, you know?
So if you’re happy torching your dab and chazzing your nail because it’s so easy a caveman can do it, you’re like me. If you’re a “hot knives and aluminum cans” user, you’ll have little patience for fiddly digital stuff. BUT: If you cannot bear the thought of a sloppy dab and demand space-age control of your temperature and timing, you have the G Pen Hyer.
Actually, G Pen has even done something like this before. The G Pen Connect is a stand-alone unit that replaces the nail of your dab rig with its electronic heating element. I’ve seen these referred to as “eNails.” If you can follow that the G Pen Hyer is a Connect with a separate battery and more features, you’re getting the right idea.
G Pen Hyer Assembly
First, the hemp case is awesome. It looks good. It’s rugged and sturdy.
First, the big block is the battery. You’ll want to charge this with the USB cable. Next you attach it using the magnetic connector cord. This snaps in very securely to the battery unit.
The other end connects to the eNail, again with the same connector. Big, chunky magnets snap right in, so far so easy.
So now the 14MM glass male connector you see there fits into the bowl/nail socket of whatever glass bubbler you’re using. This is one strike against eNails for many; you still need to supply a glass rig to use it. We like one-stop shopping, albeit we’re not against justified add-ons and mods.
Anyway, you put your concentrate into the top quartz tank of the eNail, right here, using the dab tool. The cap also attaches magnetically, and the little holes in the cap can be used to stick the dab tool if you like to just stash it there.
Are we there yet? We’re ready to mount the eNail on our bubbler and dab away.
Sadly, the flimsy little bubbler I’m using for illustration is not nearly sturdy enough to use with this set-up. You’d need a big rig with a solid base, because the eNail makes the unit very top-heavy. I *have* big rigs, but I use them with, you know, torches. I’m just using this cute Candy Monster glass from the Hemper box because it’s a spare clean rig.
There’s also a separate attachment for the G Pen Hyer to use with dry herb. So you can convert your bong into a vape, which is also nice.
Here is a great tutorial on set-up and use of the G Pen Hyer.
The G Pen Hyer is Great at What It Does
Far be it from me to say that you all should learn to scorch your concentrate with fire like a crude savage who uses the salad fork to eat dessert. The G Pen Hyer offers controls, starting with 3 buttons and some LEDs. Two of those buttons are arrows for (1) higher and lower temperature settings, which is a point in its favor because that’s easier to figure out. Temp settings:
- blue – 482°F/250°C
- turquoise – 572°F/300°C
- green – 662°F/350°C
- yellow – 752°F/400°C
- red – 842°F/450°C
Right away here, I’m thinking this temperature range goes higher than most people dab at. Honestly, I think some of you are scorching your concentrates.
The (2) job for the arrow buttons is setting the timer. You enter this mode by pressing both arrows at once. Once in timer-set mode (the LEDs turn white), you then use left-right to increase or decrease the time by 15-second increments, from 15 seconds to 75.
Finally, pressing the power button twice will activate the session. Once you have the temps and time locked in, presumably you would just go on hitting the button for a duplicate session.
Worth It Over An eRig?
As you might have figured out by now, this seems like a half step between using analog glass and fire, and using an eRig. Yes, you knew “eRig” was going to come up in this review here! For example, the DabLamp, which does everything the G Pen Hyer does but includes its own glass, at the same price point. Or the AUXO Cira, which does most of this in one unit for $179. Or The Core at $199.
You see where this is going, of course. The G Pen Hyer does have that handy carrying case, but by the time you bring that PLUS a big glass rig (it’s a table-topper all the way; smaller glass will tip over), plus your concentrate… You know you can just walk around with an XMax Qomo in one hand, don’t you?
Nevertheless! Regardless! Be that as it may! If you’re looking for an eNail and nothing else will do, doggone it, the G Pen Hyer is a great choice. Maybe you have a dozen glass rigs and you like to switch around. Maybe you have mobility/coordination problems and are safer with digital heating. Maybe you are a high-maintenance dabber that needs exactly 651 degrees of heat for exactly 30 seconds, or you might as well not dab at all. No really, I’m stretching here. This product seems aimed at not just digital users, but digital users who can’t give up glass.
Eh whatever, get it here. Readers, is there a bigger market for a separate-battery eNail than I first imagined? Tell us in the comments or in our forum.