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Merlin RDTA Review By DeucesJack

Deucesjack

VU Donator
Platinum Contributor
Member For 4 Years
ECF Refugee
Full Disclosure:

Let’s get all the disclosures out of the way. This RDTA was sent to me from Augvape specifically for the purposes of this review. This will not in any way, shape, or form cause me to give this RDTA a favorable review or change my opinion in any way.
c687e829877058d98d10fc13004d09b1.jpg

First Impression Out Of The Box:

Well I have to say that there are really no surprises here for the Merlin RDTA since I was involved with the development of this RDTA very early on. I have a beta version so I had a pretty good idea of what to expect with this one. They definitely improved the overall look and made a few tweaks here and there.

What’s In The box:

Along with your full version of the Merlin RDTA you will receive a spare glass section, spare orings, and a set of spare deck screws as well as a phillips head screwdriver.
f6bb7499a7739400391cd344b72e6c45.jpg


From Top To Bottom:

I’ll say it right from the get go. I am not a fan of this combination drip tip top cap. I hate not having the choice of using my own drip tip and I can't stand the fact that the top cap threading is plastic. Sooner or later those plastic threads are going to wear because they are being screwed into metal threads. Augvape at the very least should have put in some metal threading. All that being said the drip tip itself is quite comfortable. It also has some fine knurling on it that makes taking the top cap off very easy.

Inside of the top cap there is a spit back guard that forms three triangular shapes at the bottom of the drip tip. The guard has a protruding post with an oring on it that serves as the fill port plug. It does a good job as a plug and guard. Normally this style of guard actually encourages spit back because the juice condensation tends to linger on it. This was not the case with the Merlin RDTA. While spit back is not a problem I do believe this piece breaks up the smoothness of the airflow.

The barrel has two adjustable airflow slots and it's held in place by two o'rings at the base of the deck. There is also some branding present on the exterior. The barrel has some nice tolerance to it and the bottom airflow of the Merlin is easy to adjust. Threading on the barrel is smooth as well as the finish.

The glass section of the RDTA holds 3.5mls. The glass section fits around what almost looks like a metal, gold plated cage made out of Augvape emblems. It’s actually quite elegant. The base of the RDTA has a peek insulator and an o'ring for the glass section. When you pull out the deck it comes out with the 510 pin and all you have is a hole with threading on the outside of the 510 housing. The bottom of the base is 24mm and completely gold plated.
5a26470bc0fd5a06a03209ab3da8d3d8.jpg

The Deck:

This is what sets the Merlin apart from other RDTA’s. Not in a huge way but in some significantly minor ways. This is a two post deck with absolutely huge terminals that measure 4mm by 4mm. Your leads are held in place by top mounted phillips grub screws. The phillips head screws are kind of shallow and I would have preferred some hex screws instead or at the very least beefier and deeper phillips heads. The whole deck is 24k gold plated for superior conductivity. Between the two posts you have your the fill port. It’s not a valve system like the Bombertech Pindad. It's a gravity based system. Just insert the tip of your juice bottle and fill. The fill port will accommodate practically any type of juice bottle or dripper.

The deck of the Merlin has bottom airflow. On each side of the bottom airflow cut outs are you wicking channels. They are huge and they can take a lot of cotton so make sure you get to fluffing. This RDTA will take some big coils with a lot of cotton. There are two bars present to separate the wicking ports. This is one of the changes they made from the beta version and I am so glad that they did. The beta version wicking ports were just two wide and it really affected the vape quality of the tank. I complained vigorously and I am glad they heeded my advice.

On the underside of the deck there is a peek insulator around the 510. The 510 has has a hollowed out part that allows it to double as the filling tube of the RDTA. It then tapers down to the size of a traditional 510. Would have loved to have seen a squonking option here. The whole pin itself can be completely disassembled from the deck and the posts can be removed for cleaning. The bottom of the underside of the deck has smooth threading and screws into the cage part of the tank.
da2e00a4614a9d49807ed420047e8311.jpg
058630cee42e4eee253f1909e3683d24.jpg


Building And Wicking:

Building is pretty straight forward but since this deck only has two terminals I do recommend measuring and cutting your coils before you do the final installation. It builds and wicks just like any RDTA. Like I mentioned before though you really have to make sure you fluff up that cotton because the wick ports are huge.

Because of the size of the wicking holes I personally would not run anything smaller than a 3mm coil. Anything smaller and there is just not enough cotton to fill the wicking holes. Even with a 3mm coil you still have to really fluff up the cotton.


But Deuces, How Does She Vape:

The Merlin RDTA vapes well. It gives good flavor and massive clouds. I’ve run all kinds of builds in this thing and I can tell you it will provide you with a satisfying vape. The airflow is a little choppy but I think that has to do with the spit back guard. Like most RDTA’s it is a juice sucker. It plows through the juice like every other RDTA in its class.

Right now I am running dual SS Aliens in the Merlin ohming out at .2 at 85 watts in power mode. The vape has flavor and the clouds are great. I get pretty decent flavor at this wattage but if I really crank her up the the clouds are massive but the flavor definitely suffers. All in all a decent satisfying vape.



Conclusion:

Most of you that follow me here know that I am not a big RDTA guy. I like intense flavor and I am really not a clouds bro vapor. I like the way Merlin vapes. It’s got good flavor and great cloud production. Is it the best RDTA on the market? Probably not. Is it right in the thick of things with all the other RDTA’s? Yes, but there is nothing here that makes me go oh wow I love this thing. For me it's a very middle of the road type of RDTA. If you like the look and RDTA’s are your thing then the Merlin is definitely worth a gander.

For me both Merlin’s the original and mini were synonymous with flavor. This RDTA just does not live up to the Merlin name in the flavor department. I would have rather Augvape stick to the Merlin tradition and develop a single coil RDTA that concentrates on flavor. Better yet follow up the Merlin Mini in RDTA form by making one with a swappable deck like the Mini. Give the people a choice of single or dual coil decks just like the Mini. It just seems like Augvape is trying to cash in on the success of the Merlin tanks but to be honest this RDTA has nothing in common with those tanks. If you are a fan of Augvape and you like to play around with massive builds you will probably really enjoy this RDTA but in my opinion it's not a must have.



If you found this review helpful please feel free to leave a comment, give it a like, and give me a follow. If you are a Vendor and would like a DeucesJack Review please PM me on this forum.

Pros and Cons:

A note about Pros and Cons. These are my Pros and Cons. They are very subjective. What may be a pro to me could be a con to you and vice versa.

Pros:

* Great build deck
* Massive terminals
* Elegant look
* Big fill port
* Easy to wick
* Clouds
* Bottom airflow


Cons:

* Proprietary drip tip
* Flavor
* Plastic threading on top cap
* Can only be run in dual coil mode



Specs:

* 24mm Diameter
* Two Post Build Deck
* Extra Large Single Terminal Per Post
* 4mm by 4mm Terminal
* Top Mounted Phillips Grub Screws
* Dual Bottom Airflow Slots
8mm by 2.5mm Each
Throttled via Adjusting Top Cap
* Wide Area Wicking Slots
* Easy Chassis Disassembly
* Reinforced Internal Tank System
Allows for Steel to Steel Connections and Improves Durability
*24K Gold Plated Positive Post
* Solid Single Post
* Superior Conductivity
* PEEK Insulation
* Self Sealing Top Fill System
* 5mm Center Fill Hole
Positioned Centrally Between Posts
Flows Directly into Reservoir
Sealed when Assembled
Pressure Fit Sealing Rod
Doubles as Spitback Prevention System
* Threaded to Knurled Top Cap
Extremely Convenient and Intuitive
Proprietary Unit
9mm Bore
Connected to Sealing Rod and Spitback Prevention System
* 3.5ml Maximum Capacity
* 24K Gold Plated Solid 510 Contact
* 304 Stainless Steel and Borosilicate Glass Tank Section
* CNC Engraved



Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:

Deucesjack

VU Donator
Platinum Contributor
Member For 4 Years
ECF Refugee
Something New:

Since I also had the beta version I decided to show side by side pics of both. I thought some of you may find this interesting. The Beta version is on the right.

Packaging:
73063713791649eaf8a0279deb88f730.jpg


Fully Assembled:
17d3a5a22d8aff16e0227811b4e41856.jpg


Top Cap:
302f74aa37e0326e8da515871cf43934.jpg


Barrel:
440e0f7fe48531d22b70ab8ebdc5353d.jpg


Deck:
371ab3cb81d4f144589f980aeb1655e1.jpg


Base:
396b1ff75f52ac4738777d437ddd741f.jpg





The Tank On Different Mods:

On The Smoant Charon:
45d5ffe371b523453ed10148c6a98987.jpg


On The Smoant Battlestar:
01ce0175c3aff4be58ef2bebeb5556ba.jpg


On The Sx Mini G Class:
9b36347a56dd0ec643912a937990b0d2.jpg


On The IPV Vesta:
1cde51fc0237df393a70b8c982f5cb15.jpg


On The Craving Vapor Hexohm V3:
82fadaa6812907b803b51c3271d7044c.jpg


On The Smok GX350:
cd2d86920023f67480f26cff1f651aaf.jpg


On The Lost Vape Triade:
78b396e55db99902ada120dbcaa4ad0d.jpg


On The Vaporesso Nebula:
e133b27988d35ddac4e86bfda8e57f94.jpg


Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

[/IMG]
 

SirRichardRear

AKA Anthony Vapes on Youtube
VU Donator
Diamond Contributor
Member For 3 Years
Reviewer
Full Disclosure:

Let’s get all the disclosures out of the way. This RDTA was sent to me from Augvape specifically for the purposes of this review. This will not in any way, shape, or form cause me to give this RDTA a favorable review or change my opinion in any way.
c687e829877058d98d10fc13004d09b1.jpg

First Impression Out Of The Box:

Well I have to say that there are really no surprises here for the Merlin RDTA since I was involved with the development of this RDTA very early on. I have a beta version so I had a pretty good idea of what to expect with this one. They definitely improved the overall look and made a few tweaks here and there.

What’s In The box:

Along with your full version of the Merlin RDTA you will receive a spare glass section, spare orings, and a set of spare deck screws.
f6bb7499a7739400391cd344b72e6c45.jpg


From Top To Bottom:

I’ll say it right from the get go. I am not a fan of this combination drip tip top cap. I hate not having the choice of using my own drip tip and I can't stand the fact that the top cap threading is plastic. Sooner or later those plastic threads are going to wear because they are being screwed into metal threads. Augvape at the very least should have put in some metal threading. All that being said the drip tip itself is quite comfortable. It also has some fine knurling on it that makes taking the top cap off very easy.

Inside of the top cap there is a spit back guard that forms three triangular shapes at the bottom of the drip tip. The guard has a protruding post with an oring on it that serves as the fill port plug. It does a good job as a plug and guard. Normally this style of guard actually encourages spit back because the juice condensation tends to linger on it. This was not the case with the Merlin RDTA. While spit back is not a problem I do believe this piece breaks up the smoothness of the airflow.

The barrel has two adjustable airflow slots and it's held in place by two o'rings at the base of the deck. There is also some branding present on the exterior. The barrel has some nice tolerance to it and the bottom airflow of the Merlin is easy to adjust. Threading on the barrel is smooth as well as the finish.

The glass section of the RDTA holds 3.5mls. The glass section fits around what almost looks like a metal, gold plated cage made out of Augvape emblems. It’s actually quite elegant. The base of the RDTA has a peek insulator and an o'ring for the glass section. When you pull out the deck it comes out with the 510 pin and all you have is a hole with threading on the outside of the 510 housing. The bottom of the base is 24mm and completely gold plated.
5a26470bc0fd5a06a03209ab3da8d3d8.jpg

The Deck:

This is what sets the Merlin apart from other RDTA’s. Not in a huge way but in some significantly minor ways. This is a two post deck with absolutely huge terminals that measure 4mm by 4mm. Your leads are held in place by top mounted phillips grub screws. The phillips head screws are kind of shallow and I would have preferred some hex screws instead or at the very least beefier and deeper phillips heads. The whole deck is 24k gold plated for superior conductivity. Between the two posts you have your the fill port. It’s not a valve system like the Bombertech Pindad. It's a gravity based system. Just insert the tip of your juice bottle and fill. The fill port will accommodate practically any type of juice bottle or dripper.

The deck of the Merlin has bottom airflow. On each side of the bottom airflow cut outs are you wicking channels. They are huge and they can take a lot of cotton so make sure you get to fluffing. This RDTA will take some big coils with a lot of cotton. There are two bars present to separate the wicking ports. This is one of the changes they made from the beta version and I am so glad that they did. The beta version wicking ports were just two wide and it really affected the vape quality of the tank. I complained vigorously and I am glad they heeded my advice.

On the underside of the deck there is a peek insulator around the 510. The 510 has has a hollowed out part that allows it to double as the filling tube of the RDTA. It then tapers down to the size of a traditional 510. Would have loved to have seen a squonking option here. The whole pin itself can be completely disassembled from the deck and the posts can be removed for cleaning. The bottom of the underside of the deck has smooth threading and screws into the cage part of the tank.
da2e00a4614a9d49807ed420047e8311.jpg
058630cee42e4eee253f1909e3683d24.jpg


Building And Wicking:

Building is pretty straight forward but since this deck only has two terminals I do recommend measuring and cutting your coils before you do the final installation. It builds and wicks just like any RDTA. Like I mentioned before though you really have to make sure you fluff up that cotton because the wick ports are huge.

Because of the size of the wicking holes I personally would not run anything smaller than a 3mm coil. Anything smaller and there is just not enough cotton to fill the wicking holes. Even with a 3mm coil you still have to really fluff up the cotton.


But Deuces, How Does She Vape:

The Merlin RDTA vapes well. It gives good flavor and massive clouds. I’ve run all kinds of builds in this thing and I can tell you it will provide you with a satisfying vape. The airflow is a little choppy but I think that has to do with the spit back guard. Like most RDTA’s it is a juice sucker. It plows through the juice like every other RDTA in its class.

Right now I am running dual SS Aliens in the Merlin ohming out at .2 at 85 watts in power mode. The vape has flavor and the clouds are great. I get pretty decent flavor at this wattage but if I really crank her up the the clouds are massive but the flavor definitely suffers. All in all a decent satisfying vape.



Conclusion:

Most of you that follow me here know that I am not a big RDTA guy. I like intense flavor and I am really not a clouds bro vapor. I like the way Merlin vapes. It’s got good flavor and great cloud production. Is it the best RDTA on the market? Probably not. Is it right in the thick of things with all the other RDTA’s? Yes, but there is nothing here that makes me go oh wow I love this thing. For me it's a very middle of the road type of RDTA. If you like the look and RDTA’s are your thing then the Merlin is definitely worth a gander.

For me both Merlin’s the original and mini were synonymous with flavor. This RDTA just does not live up to the Merlin name in the flavor department. I would have rather Augvape stick to the Merlin tradition and develop a single coil RDTA that concentrates on flavor. Better yet follow up the Merlin Mini in RDTA form by making one with a swappable deck like the Mini. Give the people a choice of single or dual coil decks just like the Mini. It just seems like Augvape is trying to cash in on the success of the Merlin tanks but to be honest this RDTA has nothing in common with those tanks. If you are a fan of Augvape and you like to play around with massive builds you will probably really enjoy this RDTA but in my opinion it's not a must have.



If you found this review helpful please feel free to leave a comment, give it a like, and give me a follow. If you are a Vendor and would like a DeucesJack Review please PM me on this forum.

Pros and Cons:

A note about Pros and Cons. These are my Pros and Cons. They are very subjective. What may be a pro to me could be a con to you and vice versa.

Pros:

* Great build deck
* Massive terminals
* Elegant look
* Big fill port
* Easy to wick
* Clouds
* Bottom airflow


Cons:

* Proprietary drip tip
* Flavor
* Plastic threading on top cap
* Can only be run in dual coil mode



Specs:

* 24mm Diameter
* Two Post Build Deck
* Extra Large Single Terminal Per Post
* 4mm by 4mm Terminal
* Top Mounted Phillips Grub Screws
* Dual Bottom Airflow Slots
8mm by 2.5mm Each
Throttled via Adjusting Top Cap
* Wide Area Wicking Slots
* Easy Chassis Disassembly
* Reinforced Internal Tank System
Allows for Steel to Steel Connections and Improves Durability
*24K Gold Plated Positive Post
* Solid Single Post
* Superior Conductivity
* PEEK Insulation
* Self Sealing Top Fill System
* 5mm Center Fill Hole
Positioned Centrally Between Posts
Flows Directly into Reservoir
Sealed when Assembled
Pressure Fit Sealing Rod
Doubles as Spitback Prevention System
* Threaded to Knurled Top Cap
Extremely Convenient and Intuitive
Proprietary Unit
9mm Bore
Connected to Sealing Rod and Spitback Prevention System
* 3.5ml Maximum Capacity
* 24K Gold Plated Solid 510 Contact
* 304 Stainless Steel and Borosilicate Glass Tank Section
* CNC Engraved



Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
nice review jack!
 

Johnnytraveler

Gold Contributor
Member For 3 Years
Member For 2 Years
Great review. I still want this RDTA. Sexiest rdta imo. But I'm hesitant to pull the trigger if it doesn't vape well. Thanks for the honest review.
 

Deucesjack

VU Donator
Platinum Contributor
Member For 4 Years
ECF Refugee
Great review. I still want this RDTA. Sexiest rdta imo. But I'm hesitant to pull the trigger if it doesn't vape well. Thanks for the honest review.
Thank you, I appreciate that. I always keep it real. I'm not going to be pimped out for a $35 RDTA. At the end of the day though it's only my opinion and other vapers may have had a different experience. So don't just go by me. Read other opinions and watch other reviews. I always encourage everyone to do their research and take all kinds of different opinions into consideration. However, I can only comment on the experience I had. To put it in perspective it's not a bad RDTA. The Vitamin RDTA was a bad RDTA. It's not great either, the Bombertech Pindad is a great RDTA. Like I said it's very middle of the road. Right there with the LP'S and Azeroth's of the RDTA world. Of course IMHO.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:

XEVU

Equal Opportunity Offender
VU Donator
Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Thank you, I appreciate that. I always keep it real. I'm not going to be pimped out for a $35 RDTA. At the end of the day though it's only my opinion and other vapers may have had a different experience. So don't just go by me. Read other opinions and watch other reviews. I always encourage everyone to do their research and take all kinds of different opinions into consideration. However, I can only comment on the experience I had. To put it in perspective it's not a bad RDTA. The Vitamin RDTA was a bad RDTA. It's not great either, the Bombertech Pindad is a great RDTA. Like I said it's very middle of the road. Right there with the LP'S and Azeroth's of the RDTA world. Of course IMHO.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
I'm one of the ones having a spitback issue but it's possible I need to adjust the cotton. For $35 I would definitely buy it again. It looks great!
 

SkoldVape

Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Thank you for the review and I'm glad you compared it to the Merlin Mini cos I recently picked a mini up and I'm in love with it. It's definitely a flavour tank :)
 

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