Welcome to Leafly’s Product Reviews, where we take a closer look at a cannabis gadget, accessory, or consumable, and give it a test spin. Today we’re trying out the SOURCE Nail Portable eNail & Vape Pen Temp Control eRig.
The SOURCE Nail at a Glance
Product type: Portable e-nail and vape pen
Manufacturer: SOURCEvapes
Price: $249.95 for the whole kit, $99.95 for just the e-nail attachment
Features:
- Split glass bubbler for better airflow
- Works with water pipes
- Works as both a portable e-nail and a vape pen
- Works with 4-Series and XL-Series atomizers
- 7-second heat up time
- 15-extended second auto-shutoff
- Lifetime no-hassle warranty
Includes:
- One Source Nail attachment with split-glass bubbler
- One Source Nail globe
- Three 4-Series atomizers
- One Source volt max temp control battery
- One carrying case
- Quartz cap and dab tool
- MicroUSB cable
Initial Impressions
As someone with limited experience with dabbing, I felt a bit daunted when I first popped open the sleek carrying case that held the SOURCEvapes Portable eNail Kit. The bundle includes the battery, the SOURCE Nail and water bubbler attachment, a separate globe dome for traditional vaping, a handy quartz carb cap and tool, and three different types of atomizers.
While I was glad I had so many options for customization, I also felt like I didn’t know where to begin, so after doing a quick rundown of the instructions, I felt comfortable enough to start assembling the unit. I chose to use a ceramic and coil-less atomizer for optimal flavor and lower burn temperatures, but I had an initial bit of trouble getting the little bit of water that’s necessary for the bubbler attachment. This is mainly due to the very small opening and shallow depth of the bubbler that can easily lead to overflowing, but once I was done fiddling with the water levels it was effortless to screw the bubbler/nail attachment on to the battery.
Once fully assembled, the SOURCE Nail stands at around 7” tall and is a bit top-heavy, so keep an eye out for any potential tip-overs and falls when this unit is standing upright. Despite its somewhat cumbersome size, the fully assembled unit’s slim profile makes it really easy and comfortable to hold in your hand.
I don’t recommend you carry the SOURCE Nail around with you if you intend to use it while on-the-go, walking around the city, etc. There’s just no simple way to carry it while assembled. It is ideal, however, for trips, camping, hiking, hanging out in the park, etc., if you bring it unassembled in its carrying case.
Loading and Operating the SOURCE Nail
Setting up the temp control battery took a few steps, but once you set your preferences it’s smooth sailing from there. Pressing the square power button five times on the battery will bring it to life as a “Hello” message scrolls across the display screen. From there, you are guided through multiple steps with the two small directional buttons on the battery that will allow the battery to calibrate itself.
This battery is a temperature control (TC) one, so three more additional presses of the power button will take you to a set of options that will allow you to switch to Variable Wattage mode instead of the Temperature mode with Fahrenheit and Celsius units. I stuck with the Variable Wattage mode as well as the recommended wattage range that SOURCEvapes advised, which was between 27-30 watts, but to me this seems to be more of a matter of preference instead of actual performance.
Once you set the battery for the first time you won’t find yourself adjusting it again too often, which I really appreciated after going through those occasionally time-consuming steps of initially setting up the device. After that, you’re free to take the included quartz tool and cap and load up the tip with your concentrate of choice (I myself was using a soft and crumbly Super Silver Haze BHO wax).
I liked that the cap is attached at the bottom of the tool, giving the tool a nice flat surface to stand upright. Despite the little bit of time it took to get the battery calibrated and set up, it was nice to know that I didn’t need to make any further adjustments during use, aside from if I wanted to switch between the temperature/wattage units.
Vaping with the SOURCE Nail
Successfully hitting and dabbing all of your concentrate was a little bit of a process, albeit fun and very effective when it was all said and done. Holding down the square power button on the battery starts the heat-up process, which you can measure by looking at the timer race on the battery’s display screen.
There’s a 15-second shutdown feature to the battery, so the best way to effectively dab with the SOURCE Nail is to hold the power button until the 7-10 second range, after which the chamber will be hot enough for you to slide your concentrate off the tool and into the chamber. Next, press on the power button again to restart the timer in order to take a full hit.
After a few seconds, flip the tool over to place the cap over the chamber, inhale, and watch your concentrate flow through the water bubbler attachment into your waiting lungs. Every time I used the SOURCE Nail I was able to rip a nice, huge, and powerful dab that was also full of flavor, which really surprised me the first few times I used it and made the previous setup and heat-up steps worth it.
I also liked that the nail’s water bubbler attachment was able to filter and cool down my dab before inhaling, making for a pretty authentic dabbing experience in a portable, handheld package despite the short process. Additionally, the battery life for the SOURCE Nail was great; I only had to fully recharge the battery once after almost 3-4 days of consistent use, which makes it even better if you take it out on long hikes or camping trips.
Our Verdict
Overall, the SOURCE Nail and Temp Control E-Rig provides an authentic dabbing experience in terms of strength and flavor with an easily transportable package. Thanks to its carrying case and ease of assembly, it would be a great option for anyone who enjoys being out camping or hanging out in a park or at a friend’s place.
Even though it took a little bit of time to set everything up due to the various battery options, tiny openings in the water bubbler, and the actual dabbing process itself, the effort was well worth it as I was consistently blowing large clouds of tasty concentrate with relative ease once I got the hang of everything.
The secondary globe attachment also allowed the unit to function as a regular vape pen, so I found myself taking advantage of the SOURCE Nail’s flexibility by using that version of the unit while I was on the go.
At a very fair $250 for the whole rig and temp control battery (or just $99 for only the e-nail attachment if you already have a temp control or regular SOURCE volt battery), I would definitely recommend the SOURCE Nail to any dabbing aficionado looking for more ways to dab, or to anyone else who doesn’t want to use torches or pay really high prices for dedicated e-nails.
