yea, i had a buddy who was very familiar with the Volcano, who decided to go with the Herbalaire just based on price, and dual use ability. Another good point for the herbalaire is that it is built on this continent, so i'd be supporting a more local economy. I consider the external pump a disadvantage, because the pump used isnt one that was designed for humans ingesting the air stream, or for sending the right amount of air across the herb. Im sure it still works just fine.
What kind of bags do you use? are they easy to find? Is there a valve on the bag to hold the vapor in, or do you have to put your thumb over it? I love the ease of finding bags, and the spring loaded mouthpiece on the Volcano.
edit- About the Volcano price: If you look at the parts + manufacturing costs + distribution + taxes + retailer greediness the Volcano is not worth the price. But the other factor to consider, are the research and development costs, you can see why they charge so much. They put a lot of time and money into making the vape right. The Volcano is the standard to compare to, and thats because of the time/research/money they sunk into the project. They need to recoup that money by keeping the price high for years to come, or until they have to drop the price because of an increasingly competitive market. The price is steady, indicating that the Volcano is still selling. Selling... at the high price point. The Volcano has been on the market for many many years, over-priced as it is, outselling the competition.