Zeus Arc GTS Hub vs Pax 3 Comparison Review

What portable dry herb vape kit to buy?

With the recent release of the Zeus Arc GTS Hub, we’ve seen a lot of people asking about how it compares to a staple of the portable dry herb vaporizer category, the PAX 3, With a lot included in their kits and app functionality, this review will compare their key features to help you decide on the right vape to buy.

What’s in the box? Zeus Arc GTS Hub vs Pax 3 Complete Kit

Function / Unique Specs

The main difference between the two dry herb vaporizers is hands down the 15 included dosing capsules in the GTS Hub. With the one-stop vape carrying case of the metal hub, you’ll be able to store everything in one convenient spot.

While the Pax 3 kit does come with a lot of extra accessories, much of it is based on maintenance and vaping preference styles such as a half-packed bowl or concentrate insert, which you either use 100% of the time or don’t use at all. You’d also need to pick up a good 420 storage case like a Silverton Stashlogix which will let you customize the storage compartments, as well as set a lock to help you keep everything secure.

Zeus Arc GTS vs PAX 3 Heating System

In terms of how to use each vape, they work quite similarly with a conduction oven, and the oven door to remove before loading in your dry herb. The PAX 3 oven will fit 0.4g of finely ground flower, and in either a Zeus ArcPod Dosing Capsule or the oven on any of the Arc vaporizers, you’ll be able to get about 0.3g of medium grind. Since the oven on the PAX 3 is on the bottom of the vape, the more pack of a fine grind you can get into the stainless steel oven, the better your vapor quality will be, as well as cloud production.

On the GTS Hub, the oven is just below the mouthpiece on the upper part of the vaporizer, which can be accessed by lifting it off with the included metal pick on the bottom of the vape. On the GTS, it’s recommended to use an included ArcPod for easier and cleaner chamber loading. While it’s best to use a fine grind on the PAX, a medium grind will do much better within the Zeus as we’ll get into more detail later in this review.

In terms of outright heating production, the PAX out of the box comes with a preset temperature range of 360F, 380F, 400F, or 420F – and the GTS similarly comes with 400F, 420F, and 437F. Both vapes can have their temperatures changed on a web application.

One of the things that does really separate the two vapes though is the heating times. With a heat-up time of 80 seconds on average, the GTS is slightly lacking behind the 30-40 seconds on the six-year-old PAX 3.

Which is more portable?

Both vapes are about the same size, with the PAX 3 being slightly taller, and the GTS vape being slightly wider. They’ll both easily fit into any pocket, and can be hit relatively discreetly in public.

Suitable Substances

While the PAX 3 has an included wax canister, the max temperature of 420F won’t be quite enough to get proper vaporization from very viscous concentrates. With the GTS, you can use the sandwich method by placing a rice-sized grain in between two small clumps of dry herb. As a rule of thumb, try to not use something runny like oil, as it can drip into the heating elements and cause damage.

Zeus Arc GTS vs PAX 3 Vapor Quality

In terms of vapor quality, the GTS is the clear winner based on cloud production. We found that the best results came while using its dosing capsules on the second preset temperature of 420F / 215C. Personally, the highest temperature was a bit too harsh for my liking, but connoisseurs will be able to appreciate its massive clouds while using a sold separately Zeus Waterpipe Adapter through a unique set up like a 14mm globe whip bubbler.

With the Pax 3, you’ll be able to get decent vapor production if you let it rest after big inhales, and if you’re using a tightly packed fine grind.

There are a few small changes to the GTS that make it slightly more optimal that make boost its performance over older models. the mouthpiece has been upgraded with a bigger overall heat sink which helps to transfer some of the heat away from the vapor, and then a hardened plastic on top instead of pure rubber on the top of the mouthpiece. In our experience, this allowed for the vape to not get as hot as the GT or original Arc.

Battery Life – Zeus ARC GTS vs PAX 3

Both vapes have the same 3500mAh battery capacity that will last about an hour and a half or eight to ten sessions on average. For charging the GTS uses a micro-USB that will charge to full in two hours, while the PAX 3 uses a stand that will charge in an hour and a half. One thing to note is that the Pax 3’s stand is super flimsy and is prone to being knocked over.

To be fair, both charging options lag behind modern competition like the Mighty Plus, which can fully charge your vape back to full in just over fifty minutes with the included USB-C and a sold-separately fast charger.

Ease of Use / How to Use Comparison

In terms of ease of use, each vaporizer is very comparable to the other, as they work by first removing a lid, loading the chamber, and then pressing the mouthpiece to swap between temperatures. While both apps are banned on the Apple store, the PAX does have a better web application that allows for more customization than the 10 Celsius increments on the Zeus web application.

One thing that should be pointed out though is that out of the box, the GTS is much easier to use. To use it once your chamber is loaded, just press and hold the cog markings for three seconds until the lights turn green on the side and it vibrates. The three lines on the side of the vape will tell you what pre-set you have set, which can be adjusted by pressing the power button down once. After the 80-second heating period, another vibration will let you know that it’s ready to be inhaled.

For the Pax 3, you can turn the vaporizer on by tapping the power button on the middle of the mouthpiece and then cycle through the five pre-set temperatures by pressing and holding the mouthpiece power button down. For the app, there are a variety of options to choose from including a boost, stealth, flavor, or efficiency mode.

Where the Zeus Arc GTS Hub does shine much above the Pax 3 is in the overall usefulness of everything included in the kit. With the included Zeus Xtruder Grinder and dosing capsules. If you choose to use the grinder, you can know in confidence that it will only eject loaded pods once they have reached a full capacity of 0.3g. There is a total of 45 paper lids, and 15 dosing capsules included in the kit, and these can quickly be filled for a total of 4.5g of 15 pre-loaded sessions to be had. When you’re done a session, it will be as easy as knocking out the old pod and placing the new one in. This is a much better overall system for heavy or medicinal users, as they won’t have to worry about the ridiculous stickiness that often occurs in the Pax 3’s oven chamber.

How to clean the GTS vs PAX 3 comparison

So, as just mentioned, the Pax 3 is very prone to resin buildups and overall quality loss with even moderate use. While the kit does try and accommodate this with included cotton and plunger tool, you’ll have to regularly swap out the PAX 3 Oven Screen as over time the resin buildup will render it almost useless.

For the GTS, the main thing to keep clean is the metal parts within the vape. These will include the flow sink (the filter below the oven), the mouthpiece filter, and then also the heat sink (the metal clip part in the mouthpiece). With vape cleaning sticks, you’ll be able to get rid of surface-level debris, but once a month you’ll want to give the metal parts a deep clean to keep it working its best. For this, you’ll want to remove the mouthpiece, and then pull out the heat sink, filter, and then also the flow sink out of the chamber of the vape. After that, you can soak all of these parts in isopropyl alcohol along with any of the aluminum dosing capsules you want for ten minutes before a hot water rinse. For the rubber mouthpiece, heating chamber, and body of the vape, you can use vape alcohol wipes to wipe any debris off. Before placing everything back together, make sure everything is fully dry before further operation. Over time, you’ll want to pick yourself up a Zeus ARC GTS Hub Care Package which will come with all of the parts you’ll need to replace with time.

Warranty

One of the good things the PAX 3 does have going for it in this comparison is the durability of the vape. For the most part, it’s a bulletproof design, and that’s why it comes with a ten-year warranty period. Having personally dropped the PAX numerous times, it still works like a charm and the exterior hardly shows any marks or scratches.

For the Zeus Arc GTS Hub, the warranty period will last three years in case of a faulty heater or battery.

Zeus Arc GTS Hub vs Pax 3 Review Conclusion

To wrap this conclusion up, while the two vaporizer kits are similar at face value, you do get a lot more value out of the GTS Hub. Its cloud production is a lot more and overall it’s easier to use out of the box. For the most part, the included Xtruder grinder won’t be needed, and you can load up the included ArcPods by just smooshing them into your ground flower. In other words, the metal carrying case Hub, the 15 dosing capsules, and the specific dosing grinder make it the winner in this comparison. While both kits are sure to satisfy in terms of vapor quality, discreetness, and ease of use, the GTS creeps ahead with its included extras.

• Also be sure to check out our new Pax Plus Review to see how it compares!