Become a Patron!

Want to get into vaping but need help...

So I have a gazillion questions but I'll try to hold off from writting a short novel if I can help myself. LoL

So the amount of info and products is overwhelming and my head is literally spinning. I'm a 52 yr old male who's sick of having to go into my bathroom to smoke cigarettes so I'm not leaving that nasty smell all over my apartment... not to mention the buildup of tar and nicotine all over the walls and the fans of my computer!

I want to get into vaping to avoid the above, plus just the fact of how much safer it is in general with the lessor amount of chemicals with vape vs cigarettes. So here is basically what I have an interest in...

So I was looking at getting one of these (unless someone wants to chime in and suggest something better).

https://www.elementvape.com/vaporesso-luxe-s-220w-skrr-tank-starter-kit

Now I'm the type of person who likes to save money wherever I can, so I would like to know about building my own coils. Can you get premade wires and cotton and be able to just put it all together? Do you REALLY save money doing this versus buying premade coils? Because it seems expensive for the coils ($15 for 3) and having to replace them every 2 weeks roughly. Do coils you build last as long as premade coils?

So IF you can buy the cotton and coils premade and assemble them... suggestions for good setup? I was looking at this https://www.elementvape.com/geek-vape-zeus-x-25mm-rta but not sure if it will work with the mod I'm looking at or if it's a good product etc.

So I smoke roughly 1/2 to a full pack of smokes a day (roll my own) and it costs me about $30/month. I was wondering if making your own vape juice really saves money. I read up a little on it and it seems like you could save a lot by buying in bulk... at least with the PG, VG and Nicotine. Then just slowly build up a small collection of flavors and go from there.

Thought and or suggestions?
 

MrMeowgi

The Vapin' Drummer
VU Donator
Diamond Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Well you have the right idea. Buildnqg your own or pre-made spools is definitely the best way to go. The coils do last long because you can pull the cotton and dry burn all the crud which is usually sweeteners from the juice. Then reinstall cotton and juice it up. A lot cheaper. As far as making your own juice it cost pennies on the dollar compared to store bought premium juice. There are budget juice sites out there also that have juice for cheaper. But still not as cheap as diy. As far as devices it's hard to say. There are probably a 1000 out there. Some people want as close to a cigarette as possible. Some like it cloudy. I will say the more vapor it seems the more flavor I get. But I like both types Mtl which is like a cigarette. Mouth to lung inhale. Also there DL which is direct lung which is just huffing the vapor on in your lungs for the most part. But glad you found us here. There is tons of info and great people here. Welcome to the Vu.
 

MrMeowgi

The Vapin' Drummer
VU Donator
Diamond Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Also the choices you have up there are good. I haven't seen any vapresso mods fail but they may be out there. I had a Revenger kit that was great. Also I have the Zeus x and it's a good rta too. A little finicky on the wicking but it is pretty damn good other than that. But it's all subjective as hell. What I may like you may not.
 
Also the choices you have up there are good. I haven't seen any vapresso mods fail but they may be out there. I had a Revenger kit that was great. Also I have the Zeus x and it's a good rta too. A little finicky on the wicking but it is pretty damn good other than that. But it's all subjective as hell. What I may like you may not.

Appreciate the replies and glad I'm at least on the right track.

As for RTA and using the Zeus X as an example (unless you or someone else can recommend a better option), how does one go about fuguring out what coils and cotton to get? I want simplicity to start. Prebuilt coils and precut cotton (if there is such a thing. I'll figure out all the proper terms as time goes on) and be able to slap it all together and take all the guess work out of it. Noob style!
 

MrMeowgi

The Vapin' Drummer
VU Donator
Diamond Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Alot of us use cotton bacon. It's all different. You can get square pads of organic cotton really cheap in some places. The Cotn threads have shoelace tips for easier installation and are cut to enough for a coil or two. With coils usually once you find the vape you like. I usually stick with fused Claptons. You can buy those by the spool at different sites like lightning vapes, advanced vape supply, or a couple others. Then just need a precision screw driver set. Or some coiling tool. Really cheap. For the coils I make I use 2.4mm or 3mm inside diameter of the coil. Heres some of the cotton I use. You can use your regulated mod to check your coils and preheat them. But I recommend getting an ohm reader at some point if building your own coils. Coil master makes some good ones. Some also preheat so you can work out any hot spots in your coils. But usually with single wire coils there are few hot spots. A good coil calculator like steam-engine.org.. Also the Vapetool app for android or apple is great as well.
cd4d93a72853439e63226dac21d3e874.jpg
 

choderfett

VU Donator
Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
I’ve been through it from the start.. I started off with the vaporesso Revenger x kit..using coils. I invested in a used rta to get into building then slowing bought others that I felt was good.. the config of the deck, look, etc
Then I went into RDA squonk..

It’ll take time to move into each type to figure out what fits you and things may change.. now I own no squonk, and just one RTA tank.. mostly using pods although one is the Pasito.

Overall it’ll be cheaper than buying cigs tho..
 
Now see, we're getting into the technical side of things which I want to avoid at least from the start if possible. The Cotn Threads would be a good option for me, but what about coils that are already prebuilt?
 

choderfett

VU Donator
Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Now see, we're getting into the technical side of things which I want to avoid at least from the start if possible. The Cotn Threads would be a good option for me, but what about coils that are already prebuilt?
Ive been using the stock coils that come with a lot of tanks.. bought a few customs but wasn’t for all builds..
You’ll spend money in the front but over time once you get your setup the cost is low..
 
But again... I don't want to get in over my head with buying wire and having to make coils right now. I want to get prebuilt coils. Once I'm comfortable with the basics, then maybe I can graduate to making the coils. Maybe I should just call a vape store and mention the Zeus X and what prebuilt coils they would suggest.
 

choderfett

VU Donator
Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
When you buy a new rta or RDA tank, itll come with a couple standard coils.. maybe you can worry about it after?
 

MrMeowgi

The Vapin' Drummer
VU Donator
Diamond Contributor
Member For 4 Years
The coils will last longer than you'd think. You can pull the cotton and clean them unlike stock coils that go in sub ohm tanks. The coils included with the new rta or Rd will work just fine and last a while. Just have to change the cotton.
 

Vape Fan

_evil twin_
Staff member
Senior Moderator
VU Donator
Platinum Contributor
Press Corps
Member For 5 Years
Looks like you got your head on pretty straight for getting started.
A lot of great info already mentioned.

How much it will save depends on you. Think of it as healthier, and the savings is a bonus.

So you've decided to go from MTL cigarettes to full on dual coil DTL?
I'd suggest not starting with Zeus X. I haven't used it but I understand wicking it is trial error/not the easiest. Also, with a single coil is much easier to get your desired resistance (Ω), in the wire type your going to like(SS, kanthal, N80, etc). I have single coil RTA's that are just as good at flavor as some of my dual coilers.

These coils are really good. I often use 316L SS 28x3/36 / 3id / 6 wrap and they come out to .28Ω like the label says. 3id/6w is a good size for most any rebuildable. Being SS you can run wattage mode, temp control,,, or bypass if the mod has it but TC or Wattage is a good place to be.
https://www.advancedvapesupply.com/...-ss-alien-coils-28gx3-36g?variant=24182283905

Cotn Threads work well. Cotton Bacon Prime is great, costs a lot less in the long run and its easy.
Usually, when shopping for a setup, kits aren't great. Mostly the tank sucks compared to what's available.
Go custom. Buy a mod you really like. Some have a centered 510 connection and those mods are usually wide enough to take most any atomizer you want - without it hanging over the edge of the mod.

Asking a vape shop is the wrong direction. Usually lucky if they know their own products they sell, let alone the rest of the vaping world like you can find here.
 
Last edited:
Holy smokes my head just started spinning even faster. LoL!

So $13 for 4 coils? Add in the cost of cotton, along with the time it takes and what's the point of building if I can get 3 premade replacement coils for $9?

Feel like I need to go bang my head against the wall. LoL
 
And I meant to ask... (Putting aside an RTA) if I'm not interested in big clouds and more interested in taste, does that matter with the SKRR tank that comes with the mod I want to get? The tank says its sub ohm which from what I understand, is about clouds which yea clouds are cool, but not my priority.
 

MrMeowgi

The Vapin' Drummer
VU Donator
Diamond Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Holy smokes my head just started spinning even faster. LoL!

So $13 for 4 coils? Add in the cost of cotton, along with the time it takes and what's the point of building if I can get 3 premade replacement coils for $9?

Feel like I need to go bang my head against the wall. LoL
Those coils he posted will have an enormous amount of flavor. Alien coils are about the best flavor in my opinion. They'd be easy to mount in a single coil rta or dual if you preferred. Clean the coils once a week and change cotton. Those 4 coils would probably last 2 months or better. Considering some stock coils you buy will probably be duds. 1of 3. Those won't last nearly as long. And the higher the ohm coil the less power it takes to heat up. So higher ohm, less power, less airflow. But in the end you can probably get those same coils in a full spool of 25 ft. For the same price and but a small screwdriver and coil them. You're essentially paying someone to wrap them around a screwdriver for you.
 

Vape Fan

_evil twin_
Staff member
Senior Moderator
VU Donator
Platinum Contributor
Press Corps
Member For 5 Years
And I meant to ask... (Putting aside an RTA) if I'm not interested in big clouds and more interested in taste, does that matter with the SKRR tank that comes with the mod I want to get? The tank says its sub ohm which from what I understand, is about clouds which yea clouds are cool, but not my priority.
RTA is the way to go for flavor and all the other reasons. More importantly, I want to make sure if you know you want DTL, and not MTL.
https://www.mtbakervapor.com/vaping-information/mouth-to-lung-vs-direct-to-lung-vaping.html
 

Vape Fan

_evil twin_
Staff member
Senior Moderator
VU Donator
Platinum Contributor
Press Corps
Member For 5 Years
I think a good rta tank would be the serpent elevated. Pretty easy deck, large wholes for wicking, good flavor..
Read my mind, and because it's only $21.
Usually, when shopping for a setup, kits aren't great. Mostly the tank sucks compared to what's available.
Here’s an example.
(Vaporesso Revenger was top heavy but Luxe S may not be.)

$35 - Luxe S - only 3 colors – Iris looks good to me.
https://www.vaporl.com/vaporesso-lu....5ml-iris-red-yes-9-17-18-12-00-am-yes-1.html

Lemme show you this one. Nice mod. If you don’t want the expense of the longer lasting 21700 batteries, it will use 18650’s. I own one and would buy it again over Luxe. A lot of quality for the money.
$35 - https://www.vaporl.com/voopoo-x217-tc-box-mod-217w-amp-dual-battery-p-prussian.html

$21 - Serpent Elevate - Single coil RTA – top airflow so you don’t have to worry about leaking.
https://www.vaporl.com/wotofo-serpent-elevate-rta-tank-atomizer-4.5ml.html

$7 – Tool Kit
https://www.vaporl.com/vandy-vape-simple-tool-kit-pro-4.5ml-gradient-purple-red-yes-yes-0.html

Pick USA warehouse so you don’t have to wait 2 weeks from China or HK. There will be shipping fee.
Labor day code won’t work on clearance items, but 12% for new customer may since it says “site wide”.
From VaporL = about $73 shipped, or less if 12% code works
And this is why kits suck. Better mod, better tank, and a tool kit - for about the same or less $ once you factor in 12% code and/or shipping the kit.

$15 Coils shipped – [code; AVS]Elevate comes with 2 coils and can try included coils first, if the RTA you choose has them.
https://www.advancedvapesupply.com/...-ss-alien-coils-28gx3-36g?variant=24182283905

$4 Wick - free shipping – 1 bag lasts me about 8 months, so wicking is pennies.
https://www.eliquid.com/products/wick-n-vape-cotton-bacon-prime-single-pack

Keep in mind you’ll want 4 batteries so you don’t have to charge while sleeping [safety] and always have 2 ready to go. And an external charger.

Liion Wholesale
X4 - https://liionwholesale.com/products...iscount-genuine-and-tested?variant=2915614724
Get battery wraps and insulators while your there.
https://liionwholesale.com/collections/battery-wraps
https://liionwholesale.com/collections/battery-wraps/insulators
4 bay charger so you don’t outgrow a 2 bay and have to buy another soon.
https://liionwholesale.com/collecti...ar-vc4-battery-charger?variant=12202219864158
From Liion = about $45 shipped.

There’s some good juice here. Some sample packs. Try 6mg. Code = SuperDeal
https://thesaucela.com/

After some juice, your looking at about $140 without those SS Alien coils. Its an investment.
That kit + still need the Liion order, and juice, is still close to that 140, too close to consider it a factor imo.

Like Mr M said, if you decide to get spooled Clapton wire and wrap your own coils you can save some that way. And it’s easy to wrap. There’s some things you don’t know, like what Clapton, what size, how many wraps, but that’s what we’re here for.
 
Last edited:

Vape Fan

_evil twin_
Staff member
Senior Moderator
VU Donator
Platinum Contributor
Press Corps
Member For 5 Years

MrMeowgi

The Vapin' Drummer
VU Donator
Diamond Contributor
Member For 4 Years
I'm not sure about the peacemaker either. But I second the Elevate rta. I have 2 of them. Lol. Single coil. Easy to build. Great flavor
 

nadalama

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Senior Moderator
VU Donator
Diamond Contributor
Member For 4 Years
VU Patreon
Single coil RTAs are a zillion times easier.

Often coils that come with RTAs are pretty low resistance. Does OP realize that a vape like this is going to be a lot hotter than what he's used to with a cig?

Easier in my mind to find himself some premade Nichrome 80 or stainless steel coils at about 0.8 to 1 ohm, that he can vape at 20-30 watts. That's a much easier transition.

Also does OP know the difference in the technique of MTL and DL?

By the way, depending on the kind of juice you vape, a good sturdy hand-made coil can last for months and months. And DIY, even buying supplies in smaller quantities, would rarely cost more than about $1.25 for 30ml of juice.
 
Think I'm gonna go with the PeaceMaker only because I really like the looks. But I appreciate the help thus far.

Now if I want to opt for getting the spool of wire, how do you know what type of wire, the gauge and how many loops etc? And do you all use a ohm meter or? Is one of those tool kits worth the money or best to just by certain tools seperately?

Same with cotton, looking at the cotton bacon prime... how do you know your using enough or too much?
 

Wb80

-DIY-demon-
VU Donator
Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
VU Patreon
But again... I don't want to get in over my head with buying wire and having to make coils right now. I want to get prebuilt coils. Once I'm comfortable with the basics, then maybe I can graduate to making the coils. Maybe I should just call a vape store and mention the Zeus X and what prebuilt coils they would suggest.
I personally wouldnt recomend the zues x yo you if you want simplicity. Its a gr8 rta. But can be finicky to get rite. So not simple plug n play vaping. Dead rabbit rta is damn near impossible to fuk up and gives a good vape. Jmho
 
Single coil RTAs are a zillion times easier.

Often coils that come with RTAs are pretty low resistance. Does OP realize that a vape like this is going to be a lot hotter than what he's used to with a cig?

Easier in my mind to find himself some premade Nichrome 80 or stainless steel coils at about 0.8 to 1 ohm, that he can vape at 20-30 watts. That's a much easier transition.

Also does OP know the difference in the technique of MTL and DL?

By the way, depending on the kind of juice you vape, a good sturdy hand-made coil can last for months and months. And DIY, even buying supplies in smaller quantities, would rarely cost more than about $1.25 for 30ml of juice.

I'm not overly worried about how hot. Unless it's worse than breathing in the air from an 800 degree walk-in oven... it won't bother me one bit. HaHa. And yes about MTL etc... mouth to lung and direct to lung and I want the direct so it's more like a cig. Only thing I MTL is pot and I haven't touched that in close to 30 yrs lol.
 

nadalama

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Senior Moderator
VU Donator
Diamond Contributor
Member For 4 Years
VU Patreon
I'm not overly worried about how hot. Unless it's worse than breathing in the air from an 800 degree walk-in oven... it won't bother me one bit. HaHa. And yes about MTL etc... mouth to lung and direct to lung and I want the direct so it's more like a cig. Only thing I MTL is pot and I haven't touched that in close to 30 yrs lol.

MTL is more like a cig. DL is that technique where you draw in a lot of extra air as you inhale, like you'd smoke a j0int.
 

choderfett

VU Donator
Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Think I'm gonna go with the PeaceMaker only because I really like the looks. But I appreciate the help thus far.

Now if I want to opt for getting the spool of wire, how do you know what type of wire, the gauge and how many loops etc? And do you all use a ohm meter or? Is one of those tool kits worth the money or best to just by certain tools seperately?

Same with cotton, looking at the cotton bacon prime... how do you know your using enough or too much?
It should be snug but not tight in the coil. The cotton shouldn’t be stuffed in the wick ports either. Again watch the reviews of how they build whatever tank you get. Hopefully before you buy it.
FYI I wouldn’t get that peacemaker either..not a fan of the deck design (or tank design). doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of flavor but idk, never tried it
 

Vape Fan

_evil twin_
Staff member
Senior Moderator
VU Donator
Platinum Contributor
Press Corps
Member For 5 Years
If you want to puff it like a cig, you'll want Mouth to Lung - MTL
 

Vape Fan

_evil twin_
Staff member
Senior Moderator
VU Donator
Platinum Contributor
Press Corps
Member For 5 Years
Sorry no I want the direct... I just mixed up the inhale method with the pot vs cig. LoL
np, so you want to just put your lips on it and just start inhaling - DTL
While I think there are more flavorful single coil RTA's, you probably wouldn't be disappointed with Peacemaker 25mm.
Crius II comes to mind. Easy and leak free to build, great flavor.
youtube.com/watch?v=ewfRkG0IuH0

Kelpie RTA is supposed to be a flavor bomb.

Check out some YT reviews for coil/wicking tutorial your rta.
Vaping with Vic
Mike Vapes
SMM
Vaping Bogan
 

Vape Fan

_evil twin_
Staff member
Senior Moderator
VU Donator
Platinum Contributor
Press Corps
Member For 5 Years
Now if I want to opt for getting the spool of wire, how do you know what type of wire, the gauge and how many loops etc? And do you all use a ohm meter or? Is one of those tool kits worth the money or best to just by certain tools separately?
I would assume most experienced builders have a meter. But a mod that reads resistance accurately will work and get you going.
That tool kit has several tools that you'll need/use. You can't hardly get 2 of them for $7.
 

midknight420

VU Donator
Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
You have a good mod in mind. As for an easy tank. I have an OBS Engine Nano. It's a single coil rta. It's easy to build on and easy to wick. With the Cotn Threads you are considering that will make it easy as well. If you start a thread here in the rebuildable section, there are many great coil builders here in VU that would be more than happy to build coils for you cheaply and that should keep you good for a while. As MrMeowgi said, just dry burn the coil and rewick it. Just say in your thread what kind of vape you are looking for be it cloudy or not so cloudy, what tank you are using and they can hook you up. It will become easy over time. @Shredtravolta is a good man to talk to just off the top of my head. He's a good man and knowledgeable.

Welcometo VU, if you would like to talk more in depth please feel free to sendme a private message and I'd be happy to help answer any questions and congratulations for your decision to kick the stinkies.


I'm not crazy, my mother had me tested
 

jwill

The Great King of Nothing
VU Donator
Platinum Contributor
Member For 2 Years
VU Challenge Team
Reddit Exile
VU SWAT
A super noob friendly and easy to build tank is the Dead Rabbit. Great flavor, plenty of air and is about as leak-free as they come.

Also being new, if you get with some of our resident builders they can make you some different coils that you can try so you can find what works well for you and they will not gouge you either. Initially, you should be playing around with clapton variants, alien variants and steer clear of supermassive coils until you know what you like.

The Dead Rabbit, IMO is a perfect first RTA.

Welcome to the forum, and we look forward to getting you off those coffin nails.
 

Wb80

-DIY-demon-
VU Donator
Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
VU Patreon
A super noob friendly and easy to build tank is the Dead Rabbit. Great flavor, plenty of air and is about as leak-free as they come.

Also being new, if you get with some of our resident builders they can make you some different coils that you can try so you can find what works well for you and they will not gouge you either. Initially, you should be playing around with clapton variants, alien variants and steer clear of supermassive coils until you know what you like.

The Dead Rabbit, IMO is a perfect first RTA.

Welcome to the forum, and we look forward to getting you off those coffin nails.
Agreed on the dead rabbit. But i ssid th as t sbove too.
 

Synphul

Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Just my own .02 on stuff. Yes it can be overwhelming but it's much more varied than smoking. Not sure if you vape or not already or just getting into it. There's different style of vaping, mtl (mouth to lung) like smoking. Where you pull in the drag with your mouth then inhale the mouthful of vapor to the lungs. DL, dtl (direct lung, direct to lung) is a bit different from smoking. More like hitting a 'water pipe' in that you just inhale the vapor directly. I don't know about others, I experienced a bit of coughing until I got used to it switching from mouth to lung. Most subtanks (like the skrr) are direct lung designs and chances are if you try to mouth to lung them like a cig you'll choke. Just because it's a wide open hole for the vapor and no resistance really. Not like a cig with a filter. Some people like the throat hit, I'm one of those who has a sensitive throat after 20yrs of smoking and several years of chronic coughing. I'm not big on throat hit, I find the deeper lung hit/inhale of direct lung vaping with lower levels of nicotine to be more satisfying. Personal preference and you may not know what you prefer until you try it.

The luxe is a good mod and the nice part with external battery mods like that, they're versatile. You can put quality batteries in them, charge them externally so that means a device isn't down for hours recharging. So long as you have an external charger and a couple pair of batteries, let one set charge while vaping on the other set and swap back and forth. Having a 510 (nearly all regulated box mods do) means you can mix and match atomizers. You can throw a subohm tank on there and vape high wattage, warmer to hotter vape and big clouds, direct lung. You can pop a smaller tank on there and vape mouth to lung with lower wattage. Rta's (rebuildable tank), rda's (rebuildable dripper) will fit and connect/work. The zeus x would work with it just fine. Just keep in mind the zeus is a direct lung style atomizer, don't consider it if you're planning to mouth to lung vape like a cig. For mouth to lung, maybe something like the expromizer v3 or v4. The v3 is a bit larger, holds 2 or 4ml, the v4 is top airflow and holds 2ml of juice.

The expromizer v3 is on sale here for cheap, $8 + ship.
https://www.everzon.com/expromizer-v3-fire-mtl-rta-4ml.html?sscid=91k3_6s65b&

The zeus x you mentioned, $20 here at vapewild (reputable US vendor, fast shipping, free shipping orders $40+).
https://www.vapewild.com/geekvape-zeus-x-rta/

When it comes to rebuildables, either rta or rda, yes it's cheaper. Again lots of options. You can buy spools of plain wire of different metal types, kanthal a1 (wattage mode only), nichrome like ni80 or ni90 (wattage only), pure nickel ni200 (not to be confused with nichrome, temperature control only), titanium (temp control only) or stainless steel with 316L being one of the more common types of stainless (can be used in either wattage or temperature control). Using those plain spools you can unwind a few inches, wrap it around a jig either a dedicated vape coil jig, a smaller screwdriver, a nail or whatever to form it into a coil. Another option is a spool of more complex wire, clapton, fused clapton etc. Same deal, wind some off and wrap it around a jig to give it a coil shape. Spools of wire run around $4-7 and contain enough wire to make like 50+ basic roundwire coils.

You can buy packages of premade/preformed coils with fairly long legs/leads so you can install it and cut off the excess to fit whatever atomizer you use it with. Some companies like coilology have variety packs like their 7 in 1 kit. 7 different style of coils, 6 pieces of each so 6 coils or 3 pair for dual coil atomizers. 42 coils in all for like $12-15. You can buy premium handmade coils of fancier builds like fused claptons, aliens etc and price varies. Somewhere around $10-20 a pair usually which sounds expensive except good quality coils can be used for 3-4mo, maybe longer. Even cheaper mass produced premade coils you don't have to throw them out every time they get dirty. They can be cleaned, left in place and just new cotton put in place to replace the old. In that regard, coils used in rta's or rda's last a lot longer than those in subohm tanks like the prefab cartridge/coil head design. Main thing that goes on those, coils get dirty, cotton gets dirty and wore out but there's no easy way to replace the bad cotton and clean the metal coils.

When it comes to juice, really hard to say what you'd like. Flavor is very subjective even among retail ready made juice/flavors. Some people will love one company or flavor and hate another or vice versa. You really won't know until you try. DIY juice is much cheaper. The downside to that, it's like learning to cook all over again. Be prepared for some recipes to turn out better than others, not all are going to be winners. It's a little expensive to start but cheaper in the long run. When I started diy fairly recently, few months ago, I bought a starter kit from nicotine river, a dozen or so additional flavors, a couple extra bottles of vg (I generally vape 75vg/25pg or 80/20, thicker juice so I use vg at a higher rate). I also grabbed a digital scale for measuring by weight. Spent around $100-120 or so to start. The breakdown on juice costs, around $4/120ml of finished juice and I've made a good 1500ml of juice so far out of those supplies. I'm running a little low on vg (cheap), will need more nicotine sooner rather than later and have used some flavorings more than others. So while I've used up a couple flavoring bottles completely, out of 28-30 bottles of flavoring I bet I still have 70% of my total flavoring left. But it's like cooking, if you're making a cake you can have plenty of sugar and flour but if you're missing eggs you're sol for most cake recipes. Some things you use more than others and won't know until you get into mixing. Some things like flavorings you'll build up over time, things like scales once you purchase one you've got it so to keep making juice isn't as expensive as starting out.

Keep in mind the cost I gave was a worst case scenario. I bought small bottles of flavorings, smaller bottles of vg, pg, nicotine. Once you find a recipe you really like, maybe instead of buying 10-15ml of flavoring for $4-6 you get a 4oz bottle of it for xyz and cut your price per ml in half. Same with anything, buying in bulk is usually cheaper. You just don't want to start off that way, get a flavor you can't stand and realize you didn't save yourself anything. Not knocking diy juice, I do enjoy making my own as well as the cost savings. But it's not like a squirt of this and a squirt of that and in 5min I made an award winning flavor combo. Understanding the flavors and how they work with one another can be really involved if you're real picky. Not all juices have to have a ton of flavors, some are good with just 1 flavoring or 2-3 flavors mixed. Read/watch some at diyordie's Youtube channel (they have a website as well). Lots of good info here as well, there's a whole diy ejuice section where people share recipes or deals on supplies. I wouldn't discourage you from diy but if you're already new to vaping, maybe take it one step at a time so you don't overwhelm yourself is all. It can be a lot to absorb and get familiar with trying to start out making your own coils, making your own juice and rather than get frustrated and throw in the towel on it.

Some places to check out for more affordable juice, vapewild, omvapors, the sauce la, brokedick. Vaping is one of those fields or industries where there's tons of sales and discount codes online to various places. Major holidays like labor day, veterans day, thanksgiving, christmas, black friday etc as well as random sales so have a look around the web or check out vape groups on facebook or check the deals sections here under 'deals and steals'. There's a lot of sections here in the forums for just about anything you can think of. Folks selling off their used gear, discussing hardware, making diy ejuice, places discussing batteries and which ones to use. So if you have more specific questions, posting in those areas of the forums you'll likely get plenty of good advice. This forum's helped me a ton, like you I didn't know squat about vaping. Folks here have always steered me in the right direction and given me good options or a heads up on pitfalls to avoid.
 
So I figured it's gonna run me roughly $250 to get everything I want/need not including anything do with the DIY juice which would run me roughly another $150 so I'm gonna hold off a couple months with the juice making and just buy some premade juice.

Right now I would say my biggest fears/concerns are just the fact of how many options there are when it comes to vaping. Tens of thousands of options and just trying to sort through the overwhelming amount of info.

How do you know what type of tank is capable of MTL vs DTL and are some able to do both? As for MTL or DTL who was a previous smoker and what type do you prefer? Does MTL mimic smoking? I like a good throat hit when smoking and I've mentioned previously that vape clouds are the least of my concerns. And whats the deal with like sub ohm vs regular (or whatever the term may be) and how do you know which one is what you want?
 

nadalama

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Senior Moderator
VU Donator
Diamond Contributor
Member For 4 Years
VU Patreon
A lot of people who come to vaping from smoking have an easier time if they start with MTL. If you find that you like vaping then there are many directions you can go from there.

I do not know of any atomizers that do a really good job of both MTL and DL, basically because with airflow, you just can't have it both ways, and airflow (and heat) is what makes the difference. If you take a DL tank running at 50 watts or better and try to "smoke" it like you would a cigarette, you're gonna burn the bejeezus out of your lips, mouth, and throat. This is what I was talking about earlier when I asked about the awareness of heat.

I vaped MTL for six of the eight years I've been vaping. Wish I'd found VU earlier, but that's neither here nor there.

My advice to you would be to start off with a device like this and see how it goes with some pre-made juice. Of course you would buy something like this knowing that it won't be the be-all and end-all of devices for you if you really take to vaping and want to branch out.

https://www.elementvape.com/vandy-vape-bskr-berserker-mtl-starter-kit

and here are the coils to go with it:

https://www.elementvape.com/vandy-vape-berserker-mtl-replacement-coils

The device plus one pack of coils will be enough to get you started, plus of course, some juice. Buy either 12mg or 18mg e-liquid to go with a rig like this. That way, you get your nicotine fix like you'd get from smoking and it's easier to quit.

You get started for $40, see how you like vaping, hang out around here and do some reading, and take your time to decide what you think you'll like.

You will not get clouds. You will get approximately the amount of vapor as you'd get exhaling after a drag on a cigarette. You probably won't get the very best flavor, either. But you see if you can tolerate vaping, and step back from the cigarettes.

Spend a month with it, do some homework, and you'll be a lot better prepared to buy something that will really suit you.
With the knowledge that I have from the past eight years, if I were beginning today, this is what I'd do.
 
Well I need to get away from smoking so I think it would be best if I just went in head over heels. I'm so tired of the stink and having to keep going into my bathroom with the exhaust fan on and smoking half a cig every 1/2 to hour. Not to mention the constant ash and pieces of tobacco in the kitchen on the country where I make my ciggs and also on the bathroom floor... it's just all disgusting.


Why can't you use (for example) the PeaceMaker with the 510 drip tip, close off the airflow some and use a lower wattage?

EDIT: This is why I wish I had some friends or neighbors that vaped and were familiar with all this stuff to make getting info easier and feel less like a noob asking so many questions. LoL
 

nadalama

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Senior Moderator
VU Donator
Diamond Contributor
Member For 4 Years
VU Patreon
Well I need to get away from smoking so I think it would be best if I just went in head over heels. I'm so tired of the stink and having to keep going into my bathroom with the exhaust fan on and smoking half a cig every 1/2 to hour. Not to mention the constant ash and pieces of tobacco in the kitchen on the country where I make my ciggs and also on the bathroom floor... it's just all disgusting.


Why can't you use (for example) the PeaceMaker with the 510 drip tip, close off the airflow some and use a lower wattage?

EDIT: This is why I wish I had some friends or neighbors that vaped and were familiar with all this stuff to make getting info easier and feel less like a noob asking so many questions. LoL

It's ok to ask questions. There are a lot of threads here especially for this, so don't feel bad about asking.
 

nadalama

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Senior Moderator
VU Donator
Diamond Contributor
Member For 4 Years
VU Patreon
I don't know the Peacemaker; have wanted one ever since they came out and just never was willing to spend quite that much on an RTA. But yes, you could (and I do) close the airflow some and reduce watts some. Not all the way to MTL, probably, but to restricted DL, and that may be ok for you.

So for restricted DL, single coil with resistance somewhere between 0.45 and 0.7 ohms, better flavor with a fairly lightweight fused Clapton coil, yet not so much metal that it takes forever to heat up. Nichrome 80 or 90, or stainless steel.

myVpro has rolls of Geekvape, Wotofo, and Vandy Vape wire in various gauges, also some Clapton wire. My favorite for Clapton wire (and it's good for building mid-range coils) is called "Geekvape MTL Clapton Wire Spool." Personally I'd get the N80 28x2/38 wire. It's $5.82 plus shipping for a 10-foot spool of wire. Or you could go for the "Wotofo Wire 20 feet/spool," selection "Dual Core Fused Clapton Wire," which is 26x2/36 (a little heavier than the Geekvape wire but about half the price). I have some of the Wotofo wire but haven't started using it yet. I've used several spools of the Geekvape wire and know it's good.

Maybe pair the Peacemaker with an Aegis Legend? It's a fairly masculine-looking mod, but comes in designs that are varying degrees of colorful or not. Very durable, can take some drops, has a great reputation, dual 18650 batteries and has a good chipset in it. A device like this would last and you can put nearly any kind of 510-compatible atomizer on it. Voopoo also has a really nice-looking fairly new model called the X217 and a LOT of people enjoy the Voopoo Drag. The Drag may be too narrow for the 25mm Peacemaker, though. I know the Aegis Legend will handle up to at least a 26mm atty.

If you want to spend a little more money, that Peacemaker will look fabulous on a Squid Industries Detonator. Detonator is a damn nice mod. I have two of them. Much narrower profile than the Aegis Legend, though, so just depends what you like.

You'll want to watch some videos on how to wick the Peacemaker, and familiarize yourself with the coil-wrapping calculator at steam-engine.org. The tab "Wire Wizard" there will help you calculate how to wrap Clapton or other coils that are not just single-wire or parallel.

The GV wire I use gives approximately 0.1 ohm per wrap at 3mm, so if I want a 0.5 ohm coil, I want 5 or 6 wraps. The good thing about that wire is that you won't build a coil that has any size at all that has a resistance so low that it will cause you a problem. Coils are generally going to be at least four wraps, and with this wire, four wraps is perfectly safe, should read somewhere around 0.38 ohms.
 
Last edited:

SnapDragon NY

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Senior Moderator
VU Donator
Diamond Contributor
Press Corps
Member For 5 Years
VU SWAT
Over $45.00 for an RTA- yikes- that is a lot of money, there are some really nice RTAs out there without spending that kind of money- especially when there is so much to buy getting started.
Like Batteries and a good charger and a reliable mod as well- plus the juice.

Oh I know, but I'm OCD, have always been one that stresses "ya get what ya pay for" and I also like things that look nice and I just keep coming back to that RTA after looking at dozens upon dozens of RTA's.
 
Ok so that wire at 3mm, 6 wraps will give you a coil that is about 0.3 ohms. Is that what you want?

I have no clue what I want. It just looked like nice wire. But I'm still utterly in the dark on how ya know what wire you need and resistance etc etc. I tried doing some research on the topic but man it makes my head spin. And can never seem to figure out how you even know what you need to begin with.

Making coil seems like you need to be a rocket scientist to figure out. So you mention 0.3 ohms... now that is sub ohm right, because it's below 1.0 ohm? If so, I thought sub ohm was for cloud chasing? How do you even make the decision on what resistance you want to shoot for... like what are the mitigating factors? Is it all dependent on the gauge of wire along with loops and loop size? Like I thought you could only do sub ohm in a sub ohm tank. I need to find someone in PA that lives near me to come over and give me a lesson... that or see if my local community college offers coarses on the topic. HaHa.
 

VU Sponsors

Top