Mechanical Mod Clones

Did a quick search, and didn't see anything that really pertained to this. I'm wondering what all the mechanical junkies have to say about clones. I want to know what everyone thinks, from authentic junkies to clone junkies.

From my experience, clones are very finicky. Some clones, like ones by A-Mod, are typically built really well. My A-Mod SMPL clone is a tank (countless drops, and always amazing performance); whereas my A-Mod Rig clone is also a tank... but the voltage drop kills vapour production like no other. I own a few other clones, and the quality really ranges from poor to amazing.

I've also compared my SMPL clone to a few various authentic SS mods, and the performance (visually) seems to be minimal. For example, I used the AVP Lifestyle mod in a local shop as a potential replacement, and the vapour production was almost identical from my POV. As far as performance is concerned, that was a tie. Now, I've seen some authentic mods that perform in ways that are completely untouchable by clones, but I also know that some of the clones out there perform better than the authentic originals.

How many of you prefer to buy clones, or authentic? How many of you own both? One of the reasons I like clones is that the clone producers have the ability to improve upon the ones they are copying, and can ultimately make better mods when they decide to go the route of making an original mod (assuming they learn from everyone's mistakes). R&D costs for clone producers is also significantly less, which makes them prime companies for top quality mechs... in theory, of course. It's kind of like the Japanese electronics market; just to make an example. I would also go as far as saying the clones give people a nice little "trail period" before spending big bucks. If someone is worried about size/portability, or they don't know if they will like the look with a particular mod after a while, it's kind of a cheap way to see if the person will enjoy it. I know it sounds superficial, but some people are like that.

Personally, I'll likely end up owning a decent amount of each, in the long run. I think they both have their place in the market, just like mechanical v. box/regulated mods.

I own both. I have a copper Fuhatten that is one of my two favorite mechs, the other is a Atimazoo Naval Brass Lab 65.

I have both too, but the pretty and expensive ones didn't get used much. I'm hard on things, drop them, they rolled off the table...so I pretty much have no authenitic tube mechs left, sold them. They were super nice though, compared to the clone of the same 'name'. Center pins and switches were much better.
Now I have mostly box mods of both kinds, bottom feeders and inset atty types.

There can be small differences between clone and authentic mods, but most of the time, I think it can be pretty insignificant if you are just looking at performance or cosmetic features.

I do believe there is more of a significant difference when it comes to atomizers though, lesser grade metals and insulators may be hard to notice upon side by side comparison, but after some use, you might notice rusting, strange tastes, flaking, etc... which I think should be more of a concern since this is a direct point of contact when you inhale vapor.

I have both stingray x authentic and clone. Hits pretty much same switch and font on the ss# was bit deferent other than that I couldn't tell apart. Personally I don't care too much if someone buys authentic or clone. There's always a people buy clones due to the fact it's cheaper. 1 authentic = 4 clones or more. Anyhow I wish people sells authentic treat there customer better because after all if you pay $200-300 for a pipe they should appreciate that. ( just had a bad experience with JD tech) China is doing better and better job as time goes by on copying and if cloning was such an issue I'm sure other authentic makers will sue them but they don't and I don't think they will.

Well, the only thing that will kill the clone market in the US is by passing legislation that bans the sale of clones. If that ever gets put into law, that's about the only way it will kill the clone market here.

China basically has no comprehension of the term 'copyright infringement', so suing them doesn't work. In fact, many companies have tried suing Chinese companies over copyright/trademark/etc. issues, and they always lose. From 100% fake Apple stores, to knock off Rolls Royce cars, and even counterfeit cigarettes with counterfeit tax stamps... I don't think China will stop producing these products. It's just the way of the Chinese.

The thing that pisses me off most, though, is the inconsistent quality. Some Tobecco clones are awesome, and others aren't even worth touching. The Tobecco SMPL clones? They're only useful as makeshift fist loads in a fist fight. Those mods have awful reliability. The brass contact on the button wears out fast, and you end up having to back it out to relatively dangerous levels in order to keep them firing consistently (and then you risk arcing). I wish my boss took that as a sign of them being shit quality, but I digress. People seem to like them, and my boss thinks they're worth selling. I never recommend them, though. If someone is interested in a SMPL clone, I tell them they are best off looking for an A-Mod clone. Then again, my coworker has a Tobecco clone of another mod that he swears has outlasted a friend's authentic of the same mod. It's a mess.

I should add this into the mix... China also produces an insane amount of counterfeit SD cards, which are commonly sold as genuine in the states. It's so bad, there are guys from the hacking world that have found counterfeits being sold, unknowingly, by big name, highly reputable companies in the US.

Basically, China will never stop making clones, of anything. lol

I have both an authentic smpl and a clone. The only reason i bought the clone was to see if i liked the design well enough to buy the authentic. China is not designing these things-so if we don't support the brains behind the mods then people will stop designing them and we'll be screwed. I have no problem shelling out $100 if it keeps mod makers making mods. You're not just paying for the mod, you're paying someone to take the time to design and produce it, and to me thats well worth the money

One more thing I wanted to add, I've heard from friends that the KF4 is overpriced, over complicated junk, but they are basing that off a clone with really shitty tolerances, and something like that I think does a big disservice to the OEM that doesn't exhibit any of the aforementioned problems common with some of the clones.


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There are plenty of clones that are good quality and there are plenty that are trash. It depends on your wallet really

I own both- I have authentic that are junk, and I have clones that are junk- I also have good of both... but I agree with the other guy, imo authentic attys are far superior to the clone versions, 99% off the time- low quality insulators, loose tolerances, low grade materials, terrible finishing process, etc... are much greater factors in the reliability of an atty than a mech/tube mod.

I started this thread in the mod section because there seems to be a bit less attention to clone mods, when compared to atomisers. There's a reason I wanted to hear about the mods

I might be buying a Lifestyle mod here within the next couple days, but I'm not entirely sure about the reliability. I've heard the reliability isn't the Lifestyle mod's strong point. But, for the price I can get it for... it might be worth it. That's the thing I've really noticed about clones v. authentic mods. Not all authentics are really the calibre of quality you might expect from them.

I rock a Fuhatten in copper with a Wotofo Troll RDA. Does the trick for me.

I've used plenty of authentic. I've never owned them, but I've used plenty. I've put my own atomizers on them to make sure. None of them out perform my copper FUhattan except for one of my friend's copper SMPL, and that's honestly only because it's a hybrid.

Long live the FUhattan!!!

Number3124 said:

I've used plenty of authentic. I've never owned them, but I've used plenty. I've put my own atomizers on them to make sure. None of them out perform my copper FUhattan except for one of my friend's copper SMPL, and that's honestly only because it's a hybrid.

Long live the FUhattan!!!

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The other half that makes a mechanical mod appealing is the machining, design, ergonomics and feel. I've had clones and authentics that hit incredibly hard, but IMO, completely uninspired, clumsy designs; usually what you could call being literally "rough around the edges."

i have both. i have an authentic brass monkee and som ehpro originals like the dynast and rout 66. but ive also got several clones, some better made than others.all of my clones however are naked. no artwork or logos. which to my mind makes them less counterfeit than clone. honestly,what you pay for a mod has very little to do with how well it performs. my route 66 cost me less than 50$ and i like it better than the brass monkee at 200$+. so if i can get something that performs as well if not better than the original for less by that wide of a margin..... why not.

clones all the way. there is no replacement for clones.

All 3 of my mechs are not authentic. The sole reason for that is because I cannot afford to pay authentic prices.

The only peeve I have with clone & authentic users is more or less the same; on one hand, you have a percentage of the authentic crowd that is very vocal and display an unnecessary level of snobbery toward clone users, and on the other hand, you have a percentage of very vocal clone users that like to constantly make a point how brilliant they are that they chose to only vape knock-offs, and how authentic users are stupid for paying full price.

I think both sides of that coin exhibit an equal amount of douchebaggery IMO.

I have some of everything, it seems.

To me, it comes down to price. Were I pulling in 500K a year, I wouldn't give a shit about the price of a mod. Drop in the bucket then.

But I like to own a lot of stuff, vape related. I like variety. Though I have stopped buying tube Mechs. I will still buy boxes at this point.

For me, biggest issue with buying a clone is the "hit or miss" aspect. When I first got into mech mods, Nemesis was the king and clones were everywhere. I ended up buying 3 different clones before I finally landed (real) HCigar version. First two were really crappy and didn't get used at all. But HCigar became my daily beater and I still love it. I ended up buying an authentic version but hard to differentiate in performance. Both with mag switch and hits hard. So, for the first timers, it is sort of "gamble" buying a clone and it can ruin the whole experience if they got some junk. But if you get lucky, they are as good as the authentic ones.

I don't like to buy clones for the simple reason of supporting the original designer. I'll buy foreign made- but authentic (like the Dimitri). I'll buy American when I can - like the Mile High Mod. I work hard and earn a decent living so I don't mind paying a premium.

If clones are what you prefer, that's fine with me. As long as you enjoy it- to each his own.

For RDAs .... I will only buy authentic. Who knows what materials and process they used to make them as stated above.

KKen said:

There can be small differences between clone and authentic mods, but most of the time, I think it can be pretty insignificant if you are just looking at performance or cosmetic features.

I do believe there is more of a significant difference when it comes to atomizers though, lesser grade metals and insulators may be hard to notice upon side by side comparison, but after some use, you might notice rusting, strange tastes, flaking, etc... which I think should be more of a concern since this is a direct point of contact when you inhale vapor.

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I have been thinking about this particular question a lot lately myself .. As of a few months ago I have decided to go authentic for all my personal use stuff, but I also had a staggering collection of clones prior to that, and most of them were very good.

Like KKen said the most of the differences between authentics and clones comes down to aesthetic values .. Authentics tend to be more refined and finessed in their overall finishing. Better engravings, surface finish, etc .. however, performance is often identical.

Sometimes the clone is better in terms of overall finishing .. sometimes. I have a clone Turtle Ship V2 and an authentic Turtle Ship V3, I love them both. While the authentic has slightly thicker tubes, and darker engravings, the clone has perfectly seamless joints between tubes .. they literally disappear. The same cannot be said about the authentic, which has very visible seams/joint .. very. The clone and authentic perform identical though, so I would only get the authentic if you are a true fan of the design and just want the original .. otherwise there is no reason to buy the authentic.

I have an authentic Poldiac and recently a shop owner sent me the clone so I could compare ... the authentic is way way way better than the clone on all points .. In terms of fit and finish the clone doesn't hold a candle to the authentic, even as the clone looks like a Poldiac the level of craftmanship is very much inferior to the real deal.

Then I have the 4nine .. I recently picked up the authentic off a member here, and I already had the clone. Aside from a difference in placement of the milled rings at the bottom of the350 tube, and the thickness of the hybrid adapting top cap, the authentic is in no way superior to the clone IMO. The clone has thicker tubes, and weighs about 20 grams more than the authentic, even as its size dimensions are identical .. in this comparison the clone is absolutely as good as the real deal.

For shits and giggles, if I ever have the time it would be fun to put together an extended pictorial comparing clones and authentic. No one can say in absolute terms that authentics are always superior, or that clones are always inferior .. Some clones really are that good, and some are not even close. I still say that clones are a good, inexpensive way to figure out what you like before you start dumping a lot of money into a piece of gear.

All of the authentics that I have now have a lot to do with the clones and that I had and tried before them. Testing, trying and experimenting with clones is smart consumer shopping IMO.

KKen said:

The only peeve I have with clone & authentic users is more or less the same; on one hand, you have a percentage of the authentic crowd that is very vocal and display an unnecessary level of snobbery toward clone users, and on the other hand, you have a percentage of very vocal clone users that like to constantly make a point how brilliant they are that they chose to only vape knock-offs, and how authentic users are stupid for paying full price.

I think both sides of that coin exhibit an equal amount of douchebaggery IMO.

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AGREED! 1000%

I think every person has the right to determine what is of value to them, and what they are willing to pay for it. I will only pay more if I really feel like the item is worth it .. To Me.

I think its ignorant to say that clone buyers don't like spending money, when the reality is that clone buyers tend to spend as much, if not more than authentic users do. The biggest difference is that clone buyers want a greater variety of gear for the same money spent. The clone buyers I know drop serious coin every month on their toys .. religiously.

Authentic buyer spends $200 and gets a mech and a drip tip, sometimes not even that .. the Clone buyer spends the same $200 and gets 4 mechs, 3 RDA's, and 2 RBA's, and 3 drip tips from China, lol .. That is the difference.

getclouds said:

I own both- I have authentic that are junk, and I have clones that are junk- I also have good of both... but I agree with the other guy, imo authentic attys are far superior to the clone versions, 99% off the time- low quality insulators, loose tolerances, low grade materials, terrible finishing process, etc... are much greater factors in the reliability of an atty than a mech/tube mod.

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I agree with this with regards to RDA's .. my authentic RDA's are very much superior to my clone RDA's, specifically overall build quality. My authentic top caps fit properly, the o rings are better, the posts are milled better, better screws ..

But with RBA's I don't agree at all .. I have an Infinite KFL V2, and I have an authentic Five Pawns KFL, the clone is in no way inferior to the authentic .. in no way at all. I have a clone Aqua V2, and I have the authentic Aqua V2, and the clone is a little better than the authentic on all points, threads, finishing, extras .. Hell, I finally went to use the hybrid nut on my authentic Aqua V2, and the fekkin nut had no threads I had to use my clone hybrid nut

I would say the same about my clone Kraken and my authentic .. Its not to say that there aren't crap clone RBA's as I have read the stories and posts too, but I don't think its that hard to weed through the liter as you would have to do with mechanical clones too.

I think a good thing to note here, that most of us know.....

Clones are not just all the same. It's too bad EVERY clone didn't have some type of manufacture identifier so you can tell who made it. Some clone makers are just better than others. Price alone is NOT really a good way to tell either.

If these makers would do a little branding it would likely cut a lot of the competition over there.

You have a valid set of points. I have a Steamboat V2 and an authentic Tugboat v2. They are identical down to the o-rings and posts. Some clones are fantastic and some are garbage, money does not make it better.

Zamazam said:

You have a valid set of points. I have a Steamboat V2 and an authentic Tugboat v2. They are identical down to the o-rings and posts. Some clones are fantastic and some are garbage, money does not make it better.

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Seconding this. The Steamboat V2 is a perfect 1:1 of the Tugboat V2 as nearly as I can tell. It's one of the best atties I've ever used.

For $15 bucks, it's a freaking winner!

Nikkita6 said:

I have been thinking about this particular question a lot lately myself .. As of a few months ago I have decided to go authentic for all my personal use stuff, but I also had a staggering collection of clones prior to that, and most of them were very good.

Like KKen said the most of the differences between authentics and clones comes down to aesthetic values .. Authentics tend to be more refined and finessed in their overall finishing. Better engravings, surface finish, etc .. however, performance is often identical.

Sometimes the clone is better in terms of overall finishing .. sometimes. I have a clone Turtle Ship V2 and an authentic Turtle Ship V3, I love them both. While the authentic has slightly thicker tubes, and darker engravings, the clone has perfectly seamless joints between tubes .. they literally disappear. The same cannot be said about the authentic, which has very visible seams/joint .. very. The clone and authentic perform identical though, so I would only get the authentic if you are a true fan of the design and just want the original .. otherwise there is no reason to buy the authentic.

I have an authentic Poldiac and recently a shop owner sent me the clone so I could compare ... the authentic is way way way better than the clone on all points .. In terms of fit and finish the clone doesn't hold a candle to the authentic, even as the clone looks like a Poldiac the level of craftmanship is very much inferior to the real deal.

Then I have the 4nine .. I recently picked up the authentic off a member here, and I already had the clone. Aside from a difference in placement of the milled rings at the bottom of the350 tube, and the thickness of the hybrid adapting top cap, the authentic is in no way superior to the clone IMO. The clone has thicker tubes, and weighs about 20 grams more than the authentic, even as its size dimensions are identical .. in this comparison the clone is absolutely as good as the real deal.

For shits and giggles, if I ever have the time it would be fun to put together an extended pictorial comparing clones and authentic. No one can say in absolute terms that authentics are always superior, or that clones are always inferior .. Some clones really are that good, and some are not even close. I still say that clones are a good, inexpensive way to figure out what you like before you start dumping a lot of money into a piece of gear.

All of the authentics that I have now have a lot to do with the clones and that I had and tried before them. Testing, trying and experimenting with clones is smart consumer shopping IMO.

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I busted out laughing when I read that line. I went through the exact same thing. Firing button hole on the upper jacket was little off on my Poldiac clone and was blocking the button. I was like wtf?!? They can't even get this right? And the lower jacket and rest of machining was just not that good. A few months later, I got the authentic one directly from the designer and it was night/day difference. Lesson learned was, if you are going to get a clone, don't pick a model that has tightly interconnecting parts. And as several posts already pointed out, I don't buy clone atties either. Not so much of material issue, but the authentic atty seem to hold up better against daily wear/tear from coil builds. This is where even a slightly better machining quality goes a long way, IMHO.

fiveOclock said:

I busted out laughing when I read that line. I went through the exact same thing. Firing button hole on the upper jacket was little off on my Poldiac clone and was blocking the button. I was like wtf?!? They can't even get this right? And the lower jacket and rest of machining was just not that good. A few months later, I got the authentic one directly from the designer and it was night/day difference. Lesson learned was, if you are going to get a clone, don't pick a model that has tightly interconnecting parts. And as several posts already pointed out, I don't buy clone atties either. Not so much of material issue, but the authentic atty seem to hold up better against daily wear/tear from coil builds. This is where even a slightly better machining quality goes a long way, IMHO.

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Yeah the Poldiac has too many parts and components to its design for China to be able to reproduce it at the same level in large numbers ... The clone I received to compare actually works decently, but ugh, its just not on the level of MMVapors, not at all.