Zeus Arc GTS vs. DaVinci IQC

Should you buy the Zeus Arc GTS or the DaVinci IQC?

As two of the most discussed and newly released conduction dry herb vaporizers on the market each with very similar prices, many people have been wondering about whether to choose the Zeus Arc GTS or the DaVinci IQC.

Each is a 3rd generation vaporizer from their manufacturers and have made a lot of quality-of-life improvements to their designs. In this review, we’ll be comparing and contrasting these changes, as well as their key features like the DaVinci technology vs. the all-in-one setup of the included Hub in the form of dosing capsules.

Key Features Comparison

As the 3rd generation DaVinci vaporizer in the IQ portable lineup, the DaVinci IQC has the same Bluetooth app technology that will let you monitor your dosages and use time, a swappable 18650 battery, and a fully isolated air path. It’s kept the same style of the ceramic chamber that is compressed by a pearl and operated with pure conduction heating.

As the 3rd generation Zeus vaporizer of the Arc portable lineup, Zeus has attempted to make a dosing capsule-focused kit that aims to compete with the Storz & Bickel Crafty and Mighty in terms of vapor quality and versatility. With the included GTS Hub, you’ll have access to 15 aluminum dosing capsules, 45 paper lids, a holding tray for all of your needs, and of course the GTS vaporizer.

GTS vs IQC – Conduction Ovens

With the two vaporizers being pure conduction, they rely on heating the oven to a high temperature to eventually vaporizer your ground dry herb in the chamber and then pass the vapor up through the mouthpiece.

Beginning with the DaVinci IQC, it uses a ceramic 0.5g oven on the bottom of the vaporizer and an adjustable zirconia pearl to compress your fine grind even more so that it can get an even roast through better heat distribution. You’ll have access to precision temperature control in the form of up and down arrows displayed by LED lights on the body of the vape which will help you set the temperature between the range of 121-221° C / 250-430° F.

On the Zeus Arc GTS, you’ll be able to fit about 0.3g of your loose flower into the gold-coated oven and into the aluminum dosing capsules. As aluminum conducts heat very well, you’re better off just using the dosing capsules to up the vapor quality and THC extraction, all while keeping your vape clean. We’ll go into more detail about their dosing capsule later in the review, though.

Which is more portable?

One of the similarities in this comparison is just how small each portable vaporizer is without having made any sacrifices to vapor quality and ease of use:

The Zeus Arc GTS is 3.75in x 0.75in x 1.75 in and weighs just 200g.

The DaVinci IQC is 3.61in tall x 1.75in x 1in and weighs roughly 160g.

They each sport a very similar form factor, and even a similar style mouthpiece with the only difference being the GTS having a rubber mouthpiece with a hard plastic cover, and the IQC having a polymer recessed mouthpiece. If your choose to use the raised 10mm mouthpiece in the IQC kit, this will also be made out of rubber just like the universal WPA adapter for the GTS.

Can you use concentrates in the GTS or IQC?

Neither vape is compatible to be used with concentrates, just loose flowers as they are badly designed for use with concentrates using the sandwich method. While you can pick up a sold separately DaVinci liquid kit, it won’t be as well as just picking up an affordable dab pen.

• If you’re looking for a side piece to use concentrates with, you may consider the Puffco Plus which you can use with oil cartridges or dabs with its ceramic bucket atomizer.

Zeus Arc GTS vs DaVinci IQC – Vapor Quality

Each vaporizer hits quite similarly due to their restricted air flow and extremely potent vapor. With the Zeus Arc GTS, it is not a huge cloud maker in my opinion, but it is a device made to get you quite high. Everything along the vapor path has some sort of gold to help with conductivity, even in the mouthpiece to absorb some of the heat before you inhale.

With the DaVinci IQC, the vapor quality is a very middle tier, but it seems to be able to get much hotter to produce much bigger clouds at higher temperatures. If you properly load the 0.5 oven with a fine grind and compress the chamber properly, you’re going to have phenomenal clouds running the temperature above 380F very easily, a feat that requires very long and slow draws on the GTS.

This category is quite similar as they both use isolated air paths. It really just comes down to whether you want a glass air path on the IQC or a mainly metallic airpath on the GTS.

Battery Life Comparison

Since each vaporizer uses a 3500mAh battery and very similar oven styles, they will each give you a battery life of about 90 minutes. The two main differences in the battery category is going to be the proprietary battery and micro-USB charging on the GTS versus the swappable battery on the IQC that comes equipped with USB-C charging. It doesn’t quite matter too much though, as they’ll both take about two hours to charge back to full.

With the versatility of USB-C charging, you’ll be able to bring along a battery bank in a Vape Case along with your vaporizer and a spare battery so that you can be sure that you’ll never run out of power while you’re out on the go. To swap out the battery on the IQC, all you’ll need to do is open the magnetic mouthpiece and then open the cylinder by pulling the notch to reveal the battery which will be positive side down. If you’re a heavy user, a spare 18650 battery will cost you only $20 for a lot of extra piece of mind in the long run.

Changes from previous models

The DaVinci IQC was made to bring the same great manufacturing quality to the next generation while making some cost-cutting efforts to cut the price to be more affordable. The mouthpiece was changed from metal to polymer that DaVinci has tried to market as more heat and bacteria resistant for better sharing with friends. Additionally, they cut out the adjustable airflow dial that was on the DaVinci IQ2 that made sessions a bit more customizable. Still though, the upgrade to USB-C charging was a huge plus especially since the port is powerful enough to be backward compatible enough for USB-C to USB-C to be able to charge from your phone.

Zeus Arc GTS Hub vs DaVinci IQC – Ease of Use

To start vaping with the DaVinci IQC, you’ll first start by opening the bottom lid to expose the 0.5g ceramic oven. Once you’ve loaded your fine grind in, you can then adjust the zirconia pearl on the lid so that it further compresses your dry herb when you close the lid. Once you’re ready to start your vaping experience, you can start by pressing the power button five times. From there, you can choose between four pre-set temperatures or precision mode by clicking the power button down once. Holding the power down will also just boost the temperature to the max of 430 Fahrenheit for as long as it’s held down. After thirty seconds, your vaporizer will vibrate to let you know that it’s reached temperature.

With the GTS, you’ll first start by opening the lid with the gold metal pick from the bottom of the vaporizer to lift the rubber mouthpiece from the notched end to have access to the chamber. If you’re using dosing capsules, you can get them out of the Hub and scoop up to 0.3g of medium ground flower and then place a paper lid to keep the cannabis inside. Once you place the mouthpiece back on, you can turn the vaporizer on by pressing the notched end for three seconds. As the vape turns on, you’ll notice that there are three green cogged lights that indicate which pre-set temperature you’re on. These correspond to 205C, 215C, and 225C. The only real downside is that the heat-up time on the device is a very slow 80 seconds whereas most modern devices clock in at under a minute these days.

Best Tips and Tricks

The recessed mouthpiece on the IQC won’t be ideal for most users, there’s no other way to put it. Unlike the PAX and GTS, you have to really smoosh your mouth into the polymer to make the seal airtight, and seeing as the polymer can still get quite hot, it’s simply just not an ideal setup. You’re much better off using the raised mouthpiece from the kit which will give you better airflow and is overall much better to use. As well on the IQC, you’re better off sticking to nowhere near the max temperature as the conduction oven is so well optimized for cranking up vapor through the all-glass air path. With the 10mm polymer mouthpiece, you can use any 10mm vape bubbler or use it with most traditional bongs for added cooling on the massive clouds that it produces.

One thing that kind of sucks about the changes to the IQC from the IQ2 is that DaVinci took out the two concentrate pads, as well as the ceramic dosing capsule from the IQC kit. While the dosing capsule can only hold 0.2g and costs 35 dollars for a set of six, they are high quality and can be perfect for people looking for smaller doses throughout the day. Since the chamber can also be a bit prone to residue buildups from the THC melting onto the ceramic, the dosing capsules help to keep the chamber clean and more easily refillable.

With the GTS, it’s important to know the importance of taking long and slow inhales to get the most out of the vaporizer. If you try to take short inhales, it simply won’t work. This is why some new buyers get worried about their devices not working. The tight airpath is designed with gold so that everything heats and cools evenly and with long and slow inhales you’ll be producing bigger clouds, getting better flavor, and will get much better results from your THC. Just like on the IQC, some people won’t like the mouthpiece style, but the Zeus Water Pipe Adapter allows for a raised style that allows for more airflow as the air path will be less restricted. With a 10, 14, and 18mm ridges, you can use any of your favorite vape bubblers and bongs with ease. Our personal favorite is the 14mm globe whip bubbler, placing the vaporizer on top and then inhaling from the glass-tipped silicone whip.

With the Zeus Dosing Capsules, you’ll get a maximum of three uses out of the paper lids which will then need to be disposed of. Since you get 45 lids out of the box, you’ll get a maximum of 135 uses before they’ll need to be discarded. A replacement set will cost you about $25. While you can choose to just use normal loose flower, it’s best to use a medium grind in either case as a fine grind runs the risk of clogging the mouthpiece filter.

Zeus Arc GTS vs DaVinci IQC Cleaning Review

As previously mentioned, by using dosing capsules in the GTS, you’ll be able to keep the chamber extremely clean. The only real things you’ll have to keep clean with the GTS are the mouthpiece filter and the heat sink which can get resin buildups that will affect the airflow. With a cotton cleaning wipe, you can take the metal parts out of the mouthpiece for a simple wipe down to clean it easily. If you choose to use just loose flowers in the chamber, you can just use the metal pick to knock out spent bowls before you reload. One common complaint is that the mouthpiece opening is very close to the power button, so if you’re worried about bacteria, just use some alcohol to wipe it down. On a side note, a 420 storage keychain will help you keep up to four dosing capsules in one convenient spot.

On the IQC, Davinci has made it so that there are no loose parts which makes it extremely easy to clean. There is an included pick tool just on the inside of the mouthpiece that you can slide out and knock out the ceramic chamber while holding the vape upside-down. After, just use a vape cleaning stick on any part that you think may need cleaning for a very simple cleaning altogether.

Warranty

With Zeus Vaporizers, you’ll have a three-year warranty covering against defects not related to normal wear and tear. With DaVinci Vaporizers, you’ll have a ten-year warranty.

Conclusion

These two vaporizers have a lot in comparison when examined under the microscope. While the IQC has had its kit slashed in an effort to save money, the GTS went the opposite route over its 2nd generation GT by including a dosing capsule kit and vape case where everything can be conveniently stored in one spot that has helped secure its spot as one of the best portable dry herb vaporizers. While the IQC offers bigger clouds, there is a bigger learning curve to understand the chamber loading and zirconia pearl. Once you get used to the draw restriction of the GTS, you can be sure that this is a vaporizer that’s going to give you an amazing high.

Also be sure to check out our individual reviews if you’re still on the fence:

• DaVinci IQC Review 
• Zeus Arc GTS Review