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Choosing my next RTA

CJ-3

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Member For 5 Years
Hi All

I'm looking to get an RTA for a tube mech mod. Dripping just isn't convenient for me. ( I know, first world problems)

Think I've narrowed it down to 2.
Zeus X
Wasp Nano RTA.

I'm more about flavor and really don't care about vapor production. Typically I'm a single coil guy but I won't shy away from a dual setup.

Any insights or other suggestions is appreciated.

Should have mentioned my mech is a single 18650 and 25mm but primarily I use it at home only.
 
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MrMeowgi

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Zeus x is a bit tricky to wick sometimes. Just gotta stuff more cotton than you think. Haven't used the wasp rta so no help there. Stagevape Armor holds 4ml with the bubble glass and has really good flavor for a single coil. Also I'll always recommend the profile unity. Both of those are 24mm. I think the Zeus may be a 25mm
 

nadalama

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The Wasp Nano RTA is a cinch to build and wick and a surprisingly good vape. I like the WN RTA a lot better than the RDA. I have 26 ga parallel SS round coils in both of mine, iirc, one on an Aspire Puxos and the other on a Drag 2. So I just moved the one from the Drag to a Timekeeper with a Samsung 20S in it, it vapes great. Nice fluffy vapor and great flavor. Ohms at 0.26.

If you're ok with single coil, I can't see any reason you wouldn't be happy with it.

Also, I like the Zeus X, but you'd have to have a mighty large tube to hold it - more of a 21700 size tube, really. It's quite a big tank. (I run my Zeus X as single coil, staged 4mm with lots of cotton, if you can get it wicked right, it's a beast even with a single coil.)
 
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vuJim

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I've a Zeus Dual on the way. I went with the Dual over the X because the Dual is allegedly easy to build on, easy to wick, and can be run single-coil.

N.B.: The Zeus X and Zeus Dual are top airflow RTAs. The Wasp Nano is not. From my past experiences with RTAs, I won't have another bottom airflow RTA.
 

Wb80

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I've a Zeus Dual on the way. I went with the Dual over the X because the Dual is allegedly easy to build on, easy to wick, and can be run single-coil.

N.B.: The Zeus X and Zeus Dual are top airflow RTAs. The Wasp Nano is not. From my past experiences with RTAs, I won't have another bottom airflow RTA.
I have had way more issues with the zues x(top air flw) in comparison to the kylin 2(bottom air flw). Js
 

gsmit1

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I have had way more issues with the zues x(top air flw) in comparison to the kylin 2(bottom air flw). Js
I agree. The Zeus X vapes good, but it is very counter intuitive to wick. You need to practically use a punch and hammer to stuff cotton into the wells to keep it from flooding, but a hair beyond enough and you get dry hits. The Kylin V2 is a breeze.

EDIT: However the KV2 also thrives on large high power builds (opposite of the Wasp Nano) that drink juice like there's no tomorrow. Fantastic flavor though.
 
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Wb80

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Wish theyd redo the the zues x and make the juice ports just a hair smaller
 

Grandpa

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I bought a couple of Zeus X's and so far I have only fired 1 of them up. I set it aside almost immediately after fiddling to get the cotton right and not being very successful. I'll get back to it sometime but so far I'm not all that impressed. The old Zeus Dual works great though. I also have a Zeus single coil and that rocks.
 

DirtySouthVaper

Member For 2 Years
If you want the best flavor, I suggest staying away from top airflow RTAs like the Zeus line. The original Intake RTA is the only top airflow I would recommend for flavor, and that's because it functions like bottom airflow. Bottom airflow RTAs might be a little more difficult to build if you're new to RTAs, but I still suggest them because the improvement in flavor is worth learning how to wick them correctly.
I haven't tried the Kelpie, but I've heard good things about it.
I would recommend the Peace Maker 25 (Peace Maker 28 is dual coil), plus it will look great on a 25mm tube!


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Bigrick

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I must just have good luck with the Zeus X, never had wicking issues for my taste. I enjoy a slightly juicy vape. And I also agree that it makes a fine single coil rta. A big 4mm clapton right off a spool does well. I think it is ss 26-34ish. Can not remember but a spool from Temco anyways. I also love the Wasp rda. I have not used the rta. Ss 316l 26 agw parallel at 9ish wraps. Both in my rotation.
 

nadalama

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I must just have good luck with the Zeus X, never had wicking issues for my taste. I enjoy a slightly juicy vape. And I also agree that it makes a fine single coil rta. A big 4mm clapton right off a spool does well. I think it is ss 26-34ish. Can not remember but a spool from Temco anyways. I also love the Wasp rda. I have not used the rta. Ss 316l 26 agw parallel at 9ish wraps. Both in my rotation.

I only had trouble with my Zeus X the first time I wicked and filled it. Once cotton was saturated and had a chance to expand a little, no more problem, which of course tells me that next time I replace the wick, I need to just use a tad more cotton.

Have had not one drop of leaking from either of two Wasp Nano RTAs, even though they are bottom air. Not finicky in the slightest for me. Just close the airflow when you refill, simple.
 

vuJim

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If you want the best flavor, I suggest staying away from top airflow RTAs like the Zeus line. The original Intake RTA is the only top airflow I would recommend for flavor, and that's because it functions like bottom airflow.
I can't speak to the original, single-coil Intake as I don't own one, but the Intake Dual is definitely a flavour monster. I prefer more airflow than that RTA provides, and the single-coil has even less. I'm just learning to build and wick my Zeus Dual (see: Building On The GeekVape Zeus Dual RTA? for details), but I'm liking the airflow. So far: Yes, I'm getting less flavour from my Zeus Dual than I do from my Intake Dual.

Then again: It's a bit hard to say, right now, because I'm a bit fried from experimenting with the Zeus Dual.
 

88ArDeN88

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Member For 4 Years
In my experience, a good bottom flow RTA is better than a top flow any day. While I do not like the Kylin 2, my reload RTA is unmatched. I also haven't used my Kylin 2 in quite a while since it was the first RTA I got and I had no idea what I was doing with it. The reload is easy to wick, easy to build, and gives an amazing vape. It is a bit pricey, but worth the spend. The build quality is great. I don't love the profile unity either. I have one, and I much prefer the Profile RDA to it. I do like my dead rabbit rta for a cheap quick and easy build. I have a kind of love/hate relationship with rta. A great RTA is great, finding the one that does it for me is much more difficult. Squonking is a way of life for me. Lol.
 

nadalama

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In my experience, a good bottom flow RTA is better than a top flow any day. While I do not like the Kylin 2, my reload RTA is unmatched. I also haven't used my Kylin 2 in quite a while since it was the first RTA I got and I had no idea what I was doing with it. The reload is easy to wick, easy to build, and gives an amazing vape. It is a bit pricey, but worth the spend. The build quality is great. I don't love the profile unity either. I have one, and I much prefer the Profile RDA to it. I do like my dead rabbit rta for a cheap quick and easy build. I have a kind of love/hate relationship with rta. A great RTA is great, finding the one that does it for me is much more difficult. Squonking is a way of life for me. Lol.

If it's possible to lay hands on one, you should try an OG Zeus. I'd love to try a Reload myself, now that I'm a little more used to dual-coil RTAs. Have thought many times about ordering a clone, because me spending $70 on an untried dual-coil RTA just isn't going to happen! Goes against my Cromwell nature! :D
 

88ArDeN88

Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
If it's possible to lay hands on one, you should try an OG Zeus. I'd love to try a Reload myself, now that I'm a little more used to dual-coil RTAs. Have thought many times about ordering a clone, because me spending $70 on an untried dual-coil RTA just isn't going to happen! Goes against my Cromwell nature! :D
I got one from @Puneet Sharma for less than that and it was worth every penny. I don't see them come up often on the hardware forum here, but if you do, I would get one. I haven't been using it lately because I mostly take my recurve squonk with the profile rda as a daily. only have to carry a couple 21700's and that mod and I can go more than all day. I have far too many rda/rta that are sitting unused. Need to build some coils and get them back up and running tonight. My Kali V2 has just been sitting as well and that is not acceptable.
 

CJ-3

Silver Contributor
Member For 5 Years
Well finally made my choice.

With Christmas right around the corner I didn't buy anything and saved that money to be used for the kids presents.

What I did do though was go through some that haven't seen use in a while and I came across the Dead Rabbit SQ I got in a trade. Have to admit I played with it a bit as a squonker but I find the C4 gives better flavor in my opinion so on the shelf it went.

Put the standard 510 pin in it and went with a different drip tip I had in my spares box. It's filling the bill nicely. The chamber is very deep so I can sort of fill it up and not have to drip every 3 pulls.

So far so good. Will I keep it this way? I don't know, but for now I feel like I don't need to buy anything else. 20191208_101239.jpg
 

DirtySouthVaper

Member For 2 Years
Yea, the Dead Rabbit holds a ton of e-liquid. I always thought it was almost like an RDTA. I thought the original DR had better flavor than the DR SQ though. I barely used the SQ because the flavor was so poor

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