I've been using the herbalAire for 2 yrs and like it a lot. There's a plus to an external pump. If it dies you can easily buy a replacement and you're back in business. I'd have to give the herbalAire the edge in reliability. Quite a few Extremes have had one problem or another. But customer service is excellent on both models. My herbalAire quit on me last year but I'm pretty sure it was my fault due to sloppy cleaning of the heating chamber. They told me to return it and shipped me a brand new one before mine had even left my local UPS location. I got the whole kit too, bags and pump included.

As for the direct draw part, I don't enjoy the herbalAire that way. It's effective, but doesn't supply the high volume hits of a good whip vape. The Extreme, which I've used in whip mode, is more enjoyable via the whip, but not as nice as some of the better whip-only units.

Either one is fine for bag use-just as good as the Volcano. With constant airflow and consistent heat, pretty much any bag vape does a good job. If anything, the herbalAire is more efficient than the Volcano, and you don't have to grind your herb. The 18 tiny inlet holes for the heated air in the herbalAire do a great job on pieces of herb, making the process, including cleaning, a lot easier. It's also cheaper to have multiple bags on hand for the Extreme and herbalAire vs. the Volcano. They all use the same bags too.