Become a Patron!

Low budget mech mod

coolname123

Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
I am thinking of buying a low budget mech mod at ~20$, it would probably have to be a clone, any ideas?
P.s. i would prefer 1x18650 style mech that would have the safety pin
P.p.s what are your opinions on clone mech mods?
 

SkoldVape

Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
There's a Wismec mech mod kit. Comes with an RDA an tube.

It's single 18650.

I'll look it up then message you the price.

Looked alright. It's a complete kit!!
 

ScReWbALL

Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
If you don’t mind waiting for the shipping from China (roughly 2 weeks to the USA), I’ve had really good experiences with inexpensive clones bought through Fasttech.com.
I’ve currently got a Black Copper Broadside Clone that I picked up from them for $15.37 and more recently a Brass Admiral Clone with Rainbow Finish (listed as Broadside Long Styled 18650/20700 Mechanical Mod) for $17.58. If you’re a fan of RDTA setups there is also a killer mech/RDTA combo called the Revolver Reloaded 2 that I picked up and love for $14.92.


You're not drinking water are you?! You realize that stuff is found in antifreeze!?!
 

SkoldVape

Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
If you don’t mind waiting for the shipping from China (roughly 2 weeks to the USA), I’ve had really good experiences with inexpensive clones bought through Fasttech.com.
I’ve currently got a Black Copper Broadside Clone that I picked up from them for $15.37 and more recently a Brass Admiral Clone with Rainbow Finish (listed as Broadside Long Styled 18650/20700 Mechanical Mod) for $17.58. If you’re a fan of RDTA setups there is also a killer mech/RDTA combo called the Revolver Reloaded 2 that I picked up and love for $14.92.


You're not drinking water are you?! You realize that stuff is found in antifreeze!?!
FT have some great stuff. I would say that's his best bet! I get alot of stuff on there cos I don't have alot of money but some of their clones have suprised me!!
 

ScReWbALL

Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Clones have come a long way from the really crappy stuff that they used to pump out en mass, but safety is still in the hands of the person building on and using it. I could be wrong, but it sounds like it’s possibly your first Mech and it’s good to see you’re looking for something safe...that’s why I recommended the Broadside and Admiral Clones. They still have the same safety measures as the authentic versions (Delrin-Lined tubes keeping any tears in battery wraps for shorting in the tube, positive end of the battery facing down towards the vent holes down and away from your face, the 3-points of contact clutch firing button, and non-Hybrid tube designs).
Just be sure to use RDA’s with a good protruding 510 pin and keep up with regular maintenance and inspection of all your equipment and read up on ohms law and keep battery safety in mind at all times...making sure you know the amp limits and purchasing from reputable sources to keep from getting shoddy rewraps and stick with brands that you never hear anything negative about such as Sony VTC5a and Samsung 25R and such. Read up on Mooch reports for accurate battery tests and recommendations and you should be golden.


You're not drinking water are you?! You realize that stuff is found in antifreeze!?!
 

coolname123

Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
Clones have come a long way from the really crappy stuff that they used to pump out en mass, but safety is still in the hands of the person building on and using it. I could be wrong, but it sounds like it’s possibly your first Mech and it’s good to see you’re looking for something safe...that’s why I recommended the Broadside and Admiral Clones. They still have the same safety measures as the authentic versions (Delrin-Lined tubes keeping any tears in battery wraps for shorting in the tube, positive end of the battery facing down towards the vent holes down and away from your face, the 3-points of contact clutch firing button, and non-Hybrid tube designs).
Just be sure to use RDA’s with a good protruding 510 pin and keep up with regular maintenance and inspection of all your equipment and read up on ohms law and keep battery safety in mind at all times...making sure you know the amp limits and purchasing from reputable sources to keep from getting shoddy rewraps and stick with brands that you never hear anything negative about such as Sony VTC5a and Samsung 25R and such. Read up on Mooch reports for accurate battery tests and recommendations and you should be golden.


You're not drinking water are you?! You realize that stuff is found in antifreeze!?!
Yeah, thanks for all that information, ive been recently researching alot about mech mods and safety
 

SkoldVape

Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Oh yes please do research first. When I got my first mech back in the other town I lived the shop didn't even tell me it was a unregulated device an I nearly blew my face off. I'd no clue of what I was using!!
 

coolname123

Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
If you don’t mind waiting for the shipping from China (roughly 2 weeks to the USA), I’ve had really good experiences with inexpensive clones bought through Fasttech.com.
I’ve currently got a Black Copper Broadside Clone that I picked up from them for $15.37 and more recently a Brass Admiral Clone with Rainbow Finish (listed as Broadside Long Styled 18650/20700 Mechanical Mod) for $17.58. If you’re a fan of RDTA setups there is also a killer mech/RDTA combo called the Revolver Reloaded 2 that I picked up and love for $14.92.


You're not drinking water are you?! You realize that stuff is found in antifreeze!?!
Thanks for the reply :)
How have the broadsides been so far? And in your opinion, does it have enough power?
 

coolname123

Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
I was also thinking of getting limitless styled mech mod because, since i already have a limitless rdta. Does anyone have anu experience with that clone?
 

coolname123

Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
What are you meaning by does it have enough power??
Well i mean there is difference in power depending on what the tube is made from for example stainless steel tubes require less cleaning but dont transfer the power as well as other materials. It also depends on the quality of the metal ive heard
 

SkoldVape

Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Well i mean there is difference in power depending on what the tube is made from for example stainless steel tubes require less cleaning but dont transfer the power as well as other materials. It also depends on the quality of the metal ive heard
I see what you mean now! Hoping he will chime in cos I don't know anything about the mechs he's using! I get my mechs from my local cos the manager is my friend so I get discount. Can get a $180.00 mech for like $40.00 :)
 

ScReWbALL

Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Thanks for the reply :)
How have the broadsides been so far? And in your opinion, does it have enough power?

Both my Broadside and Admiral Mod have worked out great. They aren’t anything flashy...just straight unassuming plain tubes. It takes a bit of getting used to with working with the battery rattle adjustment pin, but once you find a good sweet spot you’re good to go.
4064c50ff7073a9f06d95e5f754248c8.jpg

As for power, it’s above average..more than enough for anything your typical vaper will need, but it depends on the batteries and atty you use as well. You’re aren’t going to get the extremely low voltage drop that you see in hybrid competition mods, but when you’re just getting your feet wet with this stuff it’s better to start out as safe as possible because the research you’ve done so far is just the tip of the iceberg. I’m constantly still learning and reading up on info from multiple sources as it’s a neverending process and there is a ton of different Mechs and tons of info about them. Don’t take one resources word as law...make informed decisions based on reports from multiple sources verifying the same info. Once your more comfortable with Mechs and have some experience with them under your belt, then you can swing for the fences...with as cheap as you can get decent clones now, there’s tons of opportunities to experiment with different kinds and different setups along the way...just start small and safe would be my advice.


You're not drinking water are you?! You realize that stuff is found in antifreeze!?!
 

ScReWbALL

Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
As for the material the mod is made of...I stick with copper and brass for the most part. They have the best conductivity, in my experience. I had a Clone Stainless Steel Edition Able Mod that is crappy and I have an aluminum body Limitless that I had to gut and replace the spring with silver plated magnets and the button with an all-copper upgrade before it started hitting hard. But my copper and brass mods have always been excellent right out of the box.

Edit: I was mistaken on the magnet upgrade...they were gold plated, not the silver plated. But with the gold magnet upgrade and copper button upgrade it hits like a champ. The SS Edition Able Clone you see is a complete POS that doesn’t even make a good paperweight, lol.
8c83eb18239c9d16a3af0fdf6d7ee869.jpg


You're not drinking water are you?! You realize that stuff is found in antifreeze!?!
 
Last edited:

coolname123

Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
Both my Broadside and Admiral Mod have worked out great. They aren’t anything flashy...just straight unassuming plain tubes. It takes a bit of getting used to with working with the battery rattle adjustment pin, but once you find a good sweet spot you’re good to go.
4064c50ff7073a9f06d95e5f754248c8.jpg

As for power, it’s above average..more than enough for anything your typical vaper will need, but it depends on the batteries and atty you use as well. You’re aren’t going to get the extremely low voltage drop that you see in hybrid competition mods, but when you’re just getting your feet wet with this stuff it’s better to start out as safe as possible because the research you’ve done so far is just the tip of the iceberg. I’m constantly still learning and reading up on info from multiple sources as it’s a neverending process and there is a ton of different Mechs and tons of info about them. Don’t take one resources word as law...make informed decisions based on reports from multiple sources verifying the same info. Once your more comfortable with Mechs and have some experience with them under your belt, then you can swing for the fences...with as cheap as you can get decent clones now, there’s tons of opportunities to experiment with different kinds and different setups along the way...just start small and safe would be my advice.


You're not drinking water are you?! You realize that stuff is found in antifreeze!?!
By the way, what are the lowest possible resistance to use on the broadside?
 

ScReWbALL

Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
By the way, what are the lowest possible resistance to use on the broadside?

Well...it’s a Mech Mod, so there is no lowest possible resistance you can build down to. It’s purely a mechanical switch, there is no safety limit that you can’t build under...you press the button and the battery makes contact and the power is going to go through the atty to the coils. That’s why you have to be smart about what you build and know the batteries you’re working with very well. Calculators like Steam Engine are an awesome resource to use to help you out with building safe:
http://www.steam-engine.org/coil.html
And you can check out Mooch Reports from his Facebook page:
https://m.facebook.com/batterymooch/
And also check out the links to his forum posts on battery safety and results of his battery tests.


You're not drinking water are you?! You realize that stuff is found in antifreeze!?!
 

coolname123

Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
Well...it’s a Mech Mod, so there is no lowest possible resistance you can build down to. It’s purely a mechanical switch, there is no safety limit that you can’t build under...you press the button and the battery makes contact and the power is going to go through the atty to the coils. That’s why you have to be smart about what you build and know the batteries you’re working with very well. Calculators like Steam Engine are an awesome resource to use to help you out with building safe:
http://www.steam-engine.org/coil.html
And you can check out Mooch Reports from his Facebook page:
https://m.facebook.com/batterymooch/
And also check out the links to his forum posts on battery safety and results of his battery tests.


You're not drinking water are you?! You realize that stuff is found in antifreeze!?!
Ah altight, got it, yeah ive been using steamengine for a while
 

SkoldVape

Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Thanks for the offer, the mod seems great, its just that its made from stainless steel, which ive heard not the greatest things bout for tube making :/
I actually love mine but you seem to have done more research than me ;)
I just keep things simple.
 

SkoldVape

Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
My research was wrong i reresearched it :D its actually a great mech mod it seems, is it compatible with the limitless rdta though?
I don't know much about materials of mech mods! I just have a mate that's very knowledgeable an we both dig it.

I should imagine that it should be. It takes common attys :)
 

ScReWbALL

Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Just be safe and if you have any questions at all, there’s a bunch of us here that will try our best to answer...don’t be a stranger.


You're not drinking water are you?! You realize that stuff is found in antifreeze!?!
 

JuicyLucy

My name is Lucy and I am a squonkaholic
VU Donator
Diamond Contributor
ECF Refugee
VU Challenge Team
Member For 5 Years
i mean there is difference in power depending on what the tube is made from for example stainless steel tubes require less cleaning but dont transfer the power as well as other materials

As per Mooch - the materials of the tube have no effect whatsoever on how powerful the mod is

It is all in the contacts, battery and coil - the science is there to prove it, though it makes a lot of people upset to have this belief shattered

https://www.reddit.com/r/electronic...chanical_mod_tube_metal_choice_doesnt_matter/
 

Carambrda

Platinum Contributor
ECF Refugee
Member For 5 Years
Clones have come a long way from the really crappy stuff that they used to pump out en mass, but safety is still in the hands of the person building on and using it. I could be wrong, but it sounds like it’s possibly your first Mech and it’s good to see you’re looking for something safe...that’s why I recommended the Broadside and Admiral Clones. They still have the same safety measures as the authentic versions (Delrin-Lined tubes keeping any tears in battery wraps for shorting in the tube, positive end of the battery facing down towards the vent holes down and away from your face, the 3-points of contact clutch firing button, and non-Hybrid tube designs).
Just be sure to use RDA’s with a good protruding 510 pin and keep up with regular maintenance and inspection of all your equipment and read up on ohms law and keep battery safety in mind at all times...making sure you know the amp limits and purchasing from reputable sources to keep from getting shoddy rewraps and stick with brands that you never hear anything negative about such as Sony VTC5a and Samsung 25R and such. Read up on Mooch reports for accurate battery tests and recommendations and you should be golden.


You're not drinking water are you?! You realize that stuff is found in antifreeze!?!
Delrin-lined tubes are not necessarily always safer because you can't feel through the layer of delrin that the battery is getting close to overheating, whereas non-lined copper/brass/aluminum tubes tend to pick up the heat much faster so you stand a better chance of still being able to react on time. For a lot of people the fact the shrink wrap and insulator ring around the top (positive) contact of the battery have to be kept in pristine condition might actually even be easier to remember without the delrin. That being said, neither my authentic Mathew Hagermann hand-engraved BJ Box Mods Admiral 2 of 5 nor my authentic Vapergate / BJ Box Mods The 99 have a delrin-lined tube. That's one of several many reasons why I don't recommend clones.

As for the Samsung 25R, it has a shorter runtime so you need to recharge it more frequently than the Sony VTC5A, and, in addition, the 25R is only a 20 amp battery whereas the VTC5A is 25 amps, and, in addition, the 25R hits less hard than the VTC5A so if choosing the 25R you should most definitely NOT be golden because I am under the impression that a lot of the aforementioned negative stuff I heard from Mooch about the 25R has been falling on your own deaf ears.
 

coolname123

Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
Delrin-lined tubes are not necessarily always safer because you can't feel through the layer of delrin that the battery is getting close to overheating, whereas non-lined copper/brass/aluminum tubes tend to pick up the heat much faster so you stand a better chance of still being able to react on time. For a lot of people the fact the shrink wrap and insulator ring around the top (positive) contact of the battery have to be kept in pristine condition might actually even be easier to remember without the delrin. That being said, neither my authentic Mathew Hagermann hand-engraved BJ Box Mods Admiral 2 of 5 nor my authentic Vapergate / BJ Box Mods The 99 have a delrin-lined tube. That's one of several many reasons why I don't recommend clones.

As for the Samsung 25R, it has a shorter runtime so you need to recharge it more frequently than the Sony VTC5A, and, in addition, the 25R is only a 20 amp battery whereas the VTC5A is 25 amps, and, in addition, the 25R hits less hard than the VTC5A so if choosing the 25R you should most definitely NOT be golden because I am under the impression that a lot of the aforementioned negative stuff I heard from Mooch about the 25R has been falling on your own deaf ears.
Yeah id prefer higher amperage, so guess il go with the vtc, thanks for the info :)
 

coolname123

Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year

ScReWbALL

Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Samsung 25R’s are not unsafe batteries:
https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/t...ch-retest-results-a-great-20a-battery.706485/
I don’t understand why someone would consider it unsafe, which is what I was saying about being golden. Some batteries last longer than others, but one that needs to be swapped out before another doesn’t make it unsafe by any means.
A damaged battery wrap will not short inside a Delrin lined tube, so, I would still consider that a safety feature.
Some of us don’t have the $2,000+ dollar budget that other folks have talked about spending on a list of authentic hand engraved mods as long as their arm and love pointing out and listing them. People on limited budgets have to sacrifice being able to say that they have a drawer full of authentic mods by buying clones...that is why there’s a market for them. If I don’t have the money to drop on an authentic Broadside and Sony VTC5a batteries, then I can purchase a broadside clone and drop a Samsung 25R in it and vape it just the same, and safely. OP was asking for a mod on a budget of $20, not $2,000. I have a broadside Clone that I have used Samsung 25R batteries to vape with and it works extremely well...are there better and more expensive options...yes...but not for a $20 budget which I totally understand being stuck at when money is tight.


You're not drinking water are you?! You realize that stuff is found in antifreeze!?!
 

Mykreign

Platinum Contributor
Member For 5 Years
I have a broadside clone and run .12 ohm coils on samsung 25R's. Yes the VTC5 would be better but the samsungs work just fine.

Who cares if there's a delrin tube? you know what's safer than having or not having a tube? Checking your battery wraps.
 

coolname123

Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
I have a broadside clone and run .12 ohm coils on samsung 25R's. Yes the VTC5 would be better but the samsungs work just fine.

Who cares if there's a delrin tube? you know what's safer than having or not having a tube? Checking your battery wraps.
Thats true, and it isnt that hard to check your batteries once in a while
 

r055co

VU Donator
Platinum Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Thats true, and it isnt that hard to check your batteries once in a while
Check them EVERYTIME you handle them especially if you're using them in a Mech.

Also with you being new to Mech's here's my lecture for first time Mech users to start out with

1. Ohm's law, http://www.steam-engine.org/ makes it easy and there's even an app on it for Android
2. Batteries, fucking batteries, take good care of your batteries and know them!!!!!!!!
a. Avoid shit batteries like eFest who rewrap rejects with grossly inflated amp ratings. Stick with authentic LG, Sony or Samsung from reputable (not ebay or amazon) sources, great places to get authentic are from
http://liionwholesale.com/
https://www.imrbatteries.com/
https://www.illumn.com/batteries-chargers-and-powerpax-carriers/batteries.html
b. Stick well within Continuous Discharge Rate (CDR) Not the "pulse"
c. Keep up to date with what Mooch tests and battery ratings, follow his posts on Facebook and his Blog
d. In Mod's with multipule batteries, marry them.
e. Get some battery wraps, they're cheap and easy to re-wrap batteries. Any nicks,tears or what ever don't be stupid and just re-wrap.
3. Don't build stupid low a good builder can chuck and get awesome dense vape from a good build. It's simple, with 20 CDR Amp batteries -
a. Single battery mod's you're fine with .2 ohms on up
b. Dual Parallel you're fine with .15 on up. Parallel you take the full CDR of one battery and you can add 1/2 the amp rating of the next battery
c. Series you double the voltage but you share the amp. So a series you build high with a lot of wire, no lower that .4 ohms.
4. Make sure you don't have any shorts. For an extra caution any new build I vape on a regulated mod for a few drips or with a tank about a 1/4 tank. This is to insure nothing wonky with my build or any shorts.
5. Careful if it's not in your hand, if it doesn't have a lock on the button and you pit it in your pocket (which I really don't recommend) insure nothing else is in your pocket and it's loose. Don't want to put it in your front jeans pocket and blow your dick off ya know ;)
6. Last but certainly NOT the least, keep it clean! Clean it when you first get it "before" you even use it and clean it on a regular basis.
a. Ultrasonics are a very good investment, you can get one off Amazon for around $25.
 

Carambrda

Platinum Contributor
ECF Refugee
Member For 5 Years
I have a broadside clone and run .12 ohm coils on samsung 25R's. Yes the VTC5 would be better but the samsungs work just fine.

Who cares if there's a delrin tube? you know what's safer than having or not having a tube? Checking your battery wraps.
Of course it works just fine. But this changes nothing of the fact the VTC5A works one heck of a lot better, and does so for only a few dollars more, AND, last time I listened to Mooch, I remember him telling me a 25 amp battery is still safer than a 20 amp battery.

As for your question of who cares if there's a delrin tube, it's the people who want to able to feel the heat coming off of the battery long before the risk of the battery venting can get sky high. Anyone who has carefully watched all video interviews with Mooch on YouTube is perfectly aware of this.
 

Mykreign

Platinum Contributor
Member For 5 Years
Good luck @coolname123 I hope you find a set up that pleases your wallet and your lungs. I personally would go with a Broadside clone and a couple VTC5s if you plan on building low. The broadside is one of the hardest hitting clones i've tried.
 

coolname123

Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
Good luck @coolname123 I hope you find a set up that pleases your wallet and your lungs. I personally would go with a Broadside clone and a couple VTC5s if you plan on building low. The broadside is one of the hardest hitting clones i've tried.

Cheers, im considering of either the broadside or rx machina
 

coolname123

Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
Check them EVERYTIME you handle them especially if you're using them in a Mech.

Also with you being new to Mech's here's my lecture for first time Mech users to start out with

1. Ohm's law, http://www.steam-engine.org/ makes it easy and there's even an app on it for Android
2. Batteries, fucking batteries, take good care of your batteries and know them!!!!!!!!
a. Avoid shit batteries like eFest who rewrap rejects with grossly inflated amp ratings. Stick with authentic LG, Sony or Samsung from reputable (not ebay or amazon) sources, great places to get authentic are from
http://liionwholesale.com/
https://www.imrbatteries.com/
https://www.illumn.com/batteries-chargers-and-powerpax-carriers/batteries.html
b. Stick well within Continuous Discharge Rate (CDR) Not the "pulse"
c. Keep up to date with what Mooch tests and battery ratings, follow his posts on Facebook and his Blog
d. In Mod's with multipule batteries, marry them.
e. Get some battery wraps, they're cheap and easy to re-wrap batteries. Any nicks,tears or what ever don't be stupid and just re-wrap.
3. Don't build stupid low a good builder can chuck and get awesome dense vape from a good build. It's simple, with 20 CDR Amp batteries -
a. Single battery mod's you're fine with .2 ohms on up
b. Dual Parallel you're fine with .15 on up. Parallel you take the full CDR of one battery and you can add 1/2 the amp rating of the next battery
c. Series you double the voltage but you share the amp. So a series you build high with a lot of wire, no lower that .4 ohms.
4. Make sure you don't have any shorts. For an extra caution any new build I vape on a regulated mod for a few drips or with a tank about a 1/4 tank. This is to insure nothing wonky with my build or any shorts.
5. Careful if it's not in your hand, if it doesn't have a lock on the button and you pit it in your pocket (which I really don't recommend) insure nothing else is in your pocket and it's loose. Don't want to put it in your front jeans pocket and blow your dick off ya know ;)
6. Last but certainly NOT the least, keep it clean! Clean it when you first get it "before" you even use it and clean it on a regular basis.
a. Ultrasonics are a very good investment, you can get one off Amazon for around $25.
Damn thats some long article, I will definitely be taking all the safety precautions i can. I understand the ohms law and coil build resistances and all of that so i should be fine, thanks :))
 

VU Sponsors

Top