Linx Apollo Convertible eRig & eNail | a Hit Kit

We’ve reviewed Linx products here many a time before, but this time we’re going to review a mouthful, so bear with me. This is the Linx Apollo, an electronic dabbing kit which functions as an eRig or a conversion into an eNail. In both modes, you get the well-thought design standards and solid-quality build, typical of the Linx line of hardware. Also typical of Linx hardware, it’s at the higher end of the eRig price curve at $189.99 according to their site. But let’s see how much bang you get for your buck!

Pros:

• Adaptable design
• Looks boss on a tabletop
• Easy clean!
• Great airflow + toxin-free airpath
• Cool kit for rig-building

Cons:

• Bit more complicated than the average eRig
• eNail mode is top-heavy on many glass rigs (a common problem to all eNails)

Recommendations: Linx has done just fine these several years without my advice, and I honestly don’t see how I’d improve an eRig/eNail convertible. I merely question how big the market is for convertible electronic dab rigs.

Linx hardware always looks good

It’s like hearing from an old friend in the mail – here was a sturdy carrying case with the familiar Linx cat-face logo in traced line art, which always makes me think of Tron characters…

Inside this tidy zippered case is a lot going on. The manual – another Linx trademark touch – is tucked into its own envelope inside the case’s pouch. I just know somebody wearing white gloves placed it there. The rest of the case is full of solid, quality hardware pieces that feel like they’re built to last. But the contents themselves are a bit perplexing at first. Unpacking…

That’s a dab tool, cleaning brush, and USB charger in the case, plus it carries a small black plug for use in the base in eRig mode. The black square-like base is the battery proper, 2600mAH large capacity battery that serves those golden dabs up hot and fresh. The glass teapot on top is actually a carb cap to use in eNail mode – we’ll build these out here for you and we also demonstrate in that YouTube video we mentioned. The big glass lamp is a water bubbler that fits on top of the black base once the carb cap is removed. We have two airflow extensions – one came in the kit and the elbow one for 45-degree-angle stems came in a separate box so it might be sold separately. Finally, we have the atomizer cup.

Whew! So this goes a bit beyond the average eRig. Some of you who lack confidence in your rig engineering skills may opt for simple one-hander rigs like the mini-rigs and waxpens out there. Let’s see how our build-your-own-rig set comes out…

Use in eRig or eNail mode

So, if you start with the rig out of the case, remove the glass pop-off carb cap, thread the atomizer onto the base, insert the rubber airflow regulator in the bottom of the base, pop on the bubbler, and add the requisite water – you’ve got yourself a portable dab rig. Most of us will be happy right there.

The controls are standard – 5x-clicks lock on/off, 1x-click to heat, 3x-click change to four preset temps. And just holding down the button boosts the heat. The atomizer glows red when it heats. You will notice, the vapor airflow path at this point comes up through the battery channel, around the atomizer cup, and up to the water bubbler. Say this about the design, the concentrate reclaim is never going to clog the airflow with this setup. Have we finally found an eRig where the only maintenance step will truly be to clean the cup? Over time residue would still collect on the bubbler glass, of course, but this still looks like a very low-maintenance rig.

Bu! What happens when you take your Linx Apollo over to a friends house and they have one of those showy giant glass rigs that fill half the room and connect 17 different chambers with their own glow-in-the-dark terp pearls. Well, they offer you a dab, but off this rig. You would like to, but you’re the world’s most inept person with a propane torch. What to do?

– Autobots, roll out! – our rig transforms before our eyes into an eNail seated on the stem of the showy giant glass rig, and your dignity is spared. Provided you removed the rubber airflow regulator, popped off the water bubbler, replaced the carb cap, and attached one of the stem adapters as appropriate to your chosen glass. Note that the eNail mode still needs that solid base battery, which can be a weight challenge for small glass like what I’m using (I swear I got it to stand up in the video though). also note that now our airflow runs through the base carrying vapor, so there can be clogging issues from build-up in the long run. But again, the base’s airflow is easily accessible from the bottom, so a simple swab out might be all you need.

I’ve dabbed some diamonds and some wax in both modes on the Linx Apollo, and it hits just about as hard as any other rig. However the airflow for eNail mode seemed a bit more distant, given the extra plumbing involved.

How Hard is it to Use a Torch?

I have to ask this. *I* myself am cautiously respectful of open flames, admit it takes getting used to, but find torch handling to come second nature with enough practice. When you’re putting an eNail on the stem of a big glass rig, that feels like going to really far lengths to avoid the simple torch and quartz banger method. Meanwhile you’re added a large, expensive unit which you have to balance and a button to fumble with. I dunno, if it works for you, more power and all that.

The Linx Apollo is a Nifty Kit

There is a certain species of cannabis enthusiast out there brimming on the rim of its own sub-sub-culture. I call them the “pipeheads,” the ones with, well, showy giant glass rigs, the ones with sets of different-color terp pearls, the ones connecting a terp slurper to a reclaim catcher to a percolator. The vape modifier kit community. That’s who would like the build-your-own-eRig kit. As eRigs go, the Linx Apollo is still a sturdy dab rig for under $200. Having it adapt to connect with the rest of your hardware is just a bonus.

Again, find the Linx Apollo here. Readers, do you use eNails? Is it that important to have both an eNail and a stand-alone eRig? Explain your world to us in the comments below or in our not-so-customized forum.

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