REVIEW OVERVIEW | |
Design & Quality 8 | |
Ease of Use 8 | |
Efficiency 8 | |
Versatility / Atomizer Options 6 | |
Portability 5 | |
Discretion 5 | |
Taste 8 | |
Value 7 | |
Replacements 7 | |
SUMMARY The Dr Dabber Boost 510 mod is a better and much more useful version of the Boost. Pair it with a good 40w battery, and you’re in for a good time! Having the freedom to control your temperature is great. However, results will vary with each battery. | 6.9 OVERALL SCORE |
Dr Dabber Boost 510 Review
– Better, Cheaper & More Control
The Dr Dabber Boost 510 mod takes the popular eRig and allows you use it with your own battery. Is this an upgrade on the Boost? Lets see..
[NOTE: Standalone attachments meant to be paired with a personal battery do not have a Strength category. Results may vary, depending on battery used.]
Design & Quality of the Boost 510
The Dr Dabber Boost 510 is a 510 threaded attachment of their Boost portable eNail. Instead of being a single unit with a power source built-in, you connect this to a 510 threaded box mod capable of 30w or more. Preferably, you’ll want to pick a box mod that is wider than 22mm, which is the width of the base of the Boost 510.
The Dr Dabber Boost 510 is the same G9/H-eNail based model as their regular Dr Dabber Boost. The big difference here is that you lose out on the carrying case, but the glass bubbler is much better. It is comparable to the Dabado Bolt, which is based on the same eNail.
The bubbler is 2 parts that are easy to clean and fill, compared to the single part in the regular Dr Dabber Boost or the Boost Black Edition. It also connects to bongs and dab rigs with an 18mm female connection. The 510 edition we received also had the original quartz nail instead of the new larger nail included in the recent Boost we reviewed. The titanium and ceramic ones were the same.
Boost 510 Heat Source
The Dr Dabber Boost 510 heats up just like the normal Dr Dabber Boost. A large built in ceramic rod with coils embedded inside the rod sticks up, which heats up the nail. The nails have an empty pillar in the center, and you install the nails with the ceramic rod inserted into the empty pillar.
Here is where they differ: instead of using the battery of the boost, you power it with your own box mod. This means you have more freedom to pick your perfect temperature and the heating time you want.
The big problem with the Boost 510 is the same as the regular Boost; which is the way it heats up. Because all of the power comes from the center ceramic rod, the inside pillar is always hotter than the outside edge. This means that the inside will be hotter for longer (while the heat travels to the outside) and the taste ends up burnt.
It still has the ceramic rod built into the attachment and you can’t replace it, like on the Dr Dabber Boost Black Edition. As for accessories, it includes the same as the normal Boost: magnetic carb cap and dab tool, a key-chain, and 2 silicone containers.
Ease of Use: Pair With Care
Even though you lose the easy 3 clicks / 5 clicks set up of the normal Dr Dabber Boost – using your own battery frees you to use it however you like. Obviously, results will depend on what type of battery you have.
From our other review of the Dr Dabber Boost you know that the preset clicks trap you into using it under perfect conditions. If you try to use a dab that’s too big, it won’t heat up enough or it will shut off early. Then, if you do another round because you have some wax left, it burns it. Well, not with the Boost 510.
Recommendations
Using the Dr Dabber Boost 510 with a box mod lets you control heat much better, especially for lower temp dabs. Is it easier? No, but it’s better.
If you want a fast warm up, set it to 50w-60w and it’ll be ready in half the time compared to the Boost. The best option for good flavor is to wait longer for your heat up and use it at 30w. Let is warm up for 20-30 seconds, then dab. Depending on the size of your dab, press the power button in 5 second increments – then let it go for a couple of seconds. This will keep the temperature steady and not let it over-heat or burn.
It’s also hard to keep a desired temperature because Temp Control (which is ubiquitous on most box mods in 2017) is not compatible with the ceramic rod! This means that there will be a learning curve to figure out your favorite temperature: how long to heat up until, when to let go, when to repeat, etc.
Efficiency: Dependent on Battery
The Dr Dabber Boost 510 efficiently vapes your wax. It all just depends on how you use it, which battery you pair it with, and what temperature you pick.
If you don’t let it heat up enough, it will start to puddle and spill over when you inhale. If you add too much wax at a time, the same thing happens and the wax closest to the heating element will burn.
For larger dabs, you need to have only a small area touching the nail (think snake dabs!). Aim so the dab touches the inside pillar only, so it vaporizes faster and hopefully won’t puddle or burn.
Versatility / Atomizer Options
The Dr Dabber Boost 510 uses the same nail style as the regular Boost and the other models based on the H-enail design. It doesn’t work with the large XL nails of the Dr Dabber Boost Black Edition, because the new large nails have bigger connections.
We have to give an extra versatility point to the Boost 510 because you can use their glass bubbler with other dab rig connections!
Portability: Changeable
Portability really just depends on the battery you choose to use this with – but on average it’s about as portable as any small rig.
Discretion: Indiscreet – As Expected From An eRig
It’s hard to be discreet with eRigs like the Dr Dabber Boost 510 in public. It’s big, it’s see through, the glass can be seen from far away. Something like this also usually requires a solid surface and two hands to use.
Just like taking a dab, this is not discreet.
Taste: Better Thanks To Battery Control
Taste is much better on the Boost 510 because you can control the power, unlike the regular Boost. If you want really low temp dabs, you can power it at a low 25w for a longer time. This way you can really dial in and control how little or much you heat it up.
It’s easier to keep your desired temperature by repeatedly holding and letting go of the power button. Do this on and off to keep a steady temp without burning your product.
Value of the Boost 510
At $69.95, the Dr Dabber Boost 510 is cheap – much cheaper than the Dr Dabber Boost. Is it a better value than getting the same unbranded product on Ebay or DHGate straight from China? Yes. And the main reason is the warranty.
At most, you’ll save yourself $30 if you purchase elsewhere. And don’t forget, you’ll have to wait a few weeks to get it from China. The problem is, like the normal Dr Dabber Boost, the Boost 510 mod doesn’t have a removable ceramic rod. This means that when it fails, the whole thing is dead. Dr Dabber’s 1-year warranty sets them apart from everyone else.
That extra $20 cover the security of your products with American service.
Boost 510 Replacements
Replacement costs for the Boost is still a weird category, because you don’t really need to purchase replacements. The nails don’t need to be replaced – the white ceramic rod does.
If you do want new nails or other glass attachments, they are on the expensive side. The titanium starts at $14.95 and the quartz comes up at $24.95 each.
Conclusion
The Dr Dabber Boost 510 mod is a much better, cheaper, and more useful version of the Boost. Get yourself a good 40w battery, strap on, and you’re in for a wild ride!