The cheap vaporizers are really shitty. I first bought one of the $50 BC Vaps and ended up throwing it away. I figured I'd try again so I spent $100 on a Aromazap. That worked pretty well but was kinda harsh by it's design. I sold that one and bought a Vapor Brothers for $150 which works great.

The key is to get a convection type of vaporizer. With this type, hot air is pulled through the bud for really efficient vaporizing. The other type, the cheap conduction vaps, uses some kind of hot plate or bowl that holds the bud. Problem is, only the bud in contact with the heating element gets vaped. These just don't work well for obvious reasons.

The volcano is supposed to be the best around but it costs about $500. There are a bunch in the $150 range, such as Vapor Brothers, Vapor Warez, and others that work really well too.

The high from a vap is noticabley different from smoking. Some people just don't like it that much. It is a much clearer, mental high than what you get from smoking. You tend not to get that heavy, body stoned feeling and a lot less of the "duh" factor. This is great if you want to get high but have something to do and don't want to end up on the couch. I often use consume to relieve back pain from muscle spasms, however, and must admit that I find smoking much more beneficial than vaping. For regular use I do find the vap much easier on the lungs.

Hope this helps.