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Newbie looking to upgrade

RobbieR

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I am new to Vaping (2 weeks) I have not had a cigarette since I bough my Kanger Emow starter kit. I really enjoy vaping and want to purchasing something better than my Emow. I am struggling with the battery life, inconsistent vapes, and I am burning up a coil every 2-3 days (I don't know if that coil usage is normal) It seems like every few hours my Emow needs some sort of attention. I would like to purchase something reliable that will get me through the day without any hassles and has better coil life (if possible).

The options seem endless & confusing but I "think" I want to buy an Eleaf istick 30w or 50w ( I like the 30w because its more compact) and an Aspire tank that uses the BVC coil.

My question is would this setup be a worthwhile upgrade? Will I get better coil life with the Aspire BVC Coils, or am I completely off the mark and should I buy something completely different.

I appreciate any comments and suggestions,

Thanks

RobbieR
 

UncleRJ

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Welcome to the Underground!

Getting to the point, what is your total budget for a great setup?
 

RobbieR

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$100.00 to $150.00

Can that buy me something good, or do I have to spend more?
 

pdxjlb

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iStick 50w $47.99
Subtank Mini $31.99
Both from VapeNW, if you spend over $75, free shipping, or if you buy a bottle of juice, free shipping. They are located in Washington.
Both quality products, and compact.
I personally like the Kanger coils better, and if you learn how to build, you have the option of the re-buildable head that comes with the Subtanks. I just buy the 1.2ohm coils, saves batteries, last longer, adequate vapor production. Anyway, hope this helps.
:) Vape SAFE.
 

RobbieR

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Thanks for the suggestion, I just checked out the Subtank Mini and it looks like a great option. The idea of having re-buildable coils is appealing.

Do you know if the 30w istick can handle the 0.5ohm coil or do I have to use the 50w? I just don't like the idea of carrying around the 50w battery all day.
 

pdxjlb

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It's not really that much bigger, and you *might* change your mind if think that two batteries inside will last longer, which will allow you to not plug the damn thing in for a few days rather than every night. But the choice is obviously all up to you :D just find what you want and go for it!

Oh Eleaf's website the specifications for the iStick 30w are:
Rated output voltage: 2.0V-8.0V
Rated output wattage: 5W-30W
Rated resistance range: 0.4Ω-5Ω

So yes, it will fire a .5 ohm.
BTW their website is eleafworld dot com :)
 

RobbieR

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Thanks for the link, that would have been a good place for me to look for the info:D

I know the 50w is the better option, but it's just so big!!
 

UncleRJ

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I would get one of the Sigeli Mini's.

30 or 50 watt.

Starting to see folks talking about the Istick dying on them.

But I admit I am predigest about any "Rent A Mod" where you have to trash the mod when the battery dies.

I vastly prefer mods where the owner can replace the batteries.

Just saying.
 

madmonkey

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Thanks for the link, that would have been a good place for me to look for the info:D

I know the 50w is the better option, but it's just so big!!

It's not that much bigger...The Istick is a fairly small guy for the amount of power it puts out :)
 

RobbieR

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Update,

So I ended up buying the 30w istick and the Kanger Subtank Mini. I know the 50w Istick would have been a smarter choice, but I like the the way the 30w feels in my hand and pocket better. So far I am very pleased with set up. The difference between this setup and the Emow is night and day. I put the 0.5 Coil in and its actually too much vapor for me. I left the 1.2 coil at home and am struggling to get through the day with the amount of vapor this thing is making with the 0.5 coil. A two second vape at 20w is more than enough for me. I am using 18mg nicotine juice & I was told (by the guy at my local vape shop) that it might be too strong for me with this tank. I was happy with 18mg juice with my Emow but now its too strong. I am going to try the same juice with the 1.2 ohm coil when I get home. Hopefully it will reduce the amount of vapor I am getting. I can't believe I went from not enough vapor to, way too much vapor!!
 

martinelias

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I vaped 18 mg for a really long time when i was using v2 cartos. When i went ego had to turn it down to 12mg. Then on rda i had to tune it down to 6 mg. Now if i got a vapor heavy build i use between 3 and 6mg. The more vapor production the less nic ya need. Turn it down a level youll be surprised that you dont even miss it.
 

RobbieR

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So I left the .05 ohm coil in and switched to 6mg juice. It's still too much vapor for my liking, but its more enjoyable with the lower nicotine juice. I guess it will take a bit of trial and error to find the right combination. The next thing I am going to try is 12 mg juice with the 1.2 ohm coil. I am still very happy with my Subtank Mini and my 30w Istick. I am not getting any leaks from my tank, and I have been using my Istick for 2 full days and I have not had to charge it yet.
 

DevAuto

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So I left the .05 ohm coil in and switched to 6mg juice. It's still too much vapor for my liking, but its more enjoyable with the lower nicotine juice. I guess it will take a bit of trial and error to find the right combination. The next thing I am going to try is 12 mg juice with the 1.2 ohm coil. I am still very happy with my Subtank Mini and my 30w Istick. I am not getting any leaks from my tank, and I have been using my Istick for 2 full days and I have not had to charge it yet.
That's awesome news. Vaping is a very personal experience, everyone is different, there is no "typical vaper". Once you find what works for you, stick with it and enjoy it. Experiment a little bit every now and then, you might surprise yourself with the results. Someday you may even decide that 30w isn't enough, but then again, you might not.

Don't throw away your old coils either, rinse them and toss them in a plastic ziplock bag or something. If you decide you want to try rebuilding them, then you will have them ready. I know the subtank mini has a rebuild deck as well, but there is nothing like the convenience of just switching a coil.

Enjoy!
 

RobbieR

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I have been experimenting with different strength juices in my Subtank mini, so far the best combination seems to be 12mg juice with the 1.2 ohm coil. I turned down my Istick to 14watts and I am getting a comfortable amount of vapor and a satisfying amount of nicotine. Today I discovered my local vape shop has unflavoured juice so I bought a bottle of it with 6mg of nicotine. I am using it to cut my 18mg juice. I actually like all of my juices more when they are cut with the unflavoured juice.:) I can't say I am completely in love with my Subtank mini at this point but I am still experimenting. I haven't had a "real" cigarette in 3 weeks, so vaping is definitely working for me. :D
 

DevAuto

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Congrats on 3 weeks without a smoke! I have never cut any of my juices, mostly because cutting them would impact the flavor and I do prefer bolder flavors. I've been vaping for over 2 years now, and I have discovered that my personal sweet spot is about a 1 ohm coil around the 14 watt setting. I do use a dripper at around 24 watts, but mostly for tasting new flavors when I am at the local shops. I started at 18-24mg nic juices, but have worked my way down to 9mg (sometimes I can get away with 6, but that's rare). I have to usually buy a 12 and a 6 of the same flavor and mix them to get 9 since most juice lines don't come in 9mg strength. My next step is probably going to be DIY juices, but not for a while, too much work and time necessary for the moment. Maybe next winter when I spend more time indoors. :D
 

RobbieR

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Thanks, i just can't find a juice that I can vape for a few hours and not get sick of it. Cutting them is diluting the flavour and making them more tolerable lol. I just bought a bottle of pomegranate flavoured juice that I am about to try. At the vape shop it tasted great, but who knows how much I will like it after a few hours.
 

VapinChevy

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Thanks, i just can't find a juice that I can vape for a few hours and not get sick of it. Cutting them is diluting the flavour and making them more tolerable lol. I just bought a bottle of pomegranate flavoured juice that I am about to try. At the vape shop it tasted great, but who knows how much I will like it after a few hours.
Robbie, how many packs per day did you smoke & what kind? NOT many people know, but even the kind a person smoked makes a difference!
 

RobbieR

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I smoked less than a pack a day,15 to 20 on a normal day of DuMaurier light. That's is a Canadian brand. Yes I am a Canuck:) Vaping is starting to become more popular here. Just today a great vape shop (am I allowed to name the shop in the forums?) opened close to my house! One problem I have is Canadians can't order juice from the USA so I can't try most of the juices recommended here.
 
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VapinChevy

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I smoked less than a pack a day,15 to 20 on a normal day of DuMaurier light. That's is a Canadian brand. Yes I am a Canuck:) Vaping is starting to become more popular here. Just today a great vape shop (am I allowed to name the shop in the forums?) opened close to my house! One problem I have is Canadians can't order juice from the USA so I can't try most of the juices recommended here.
15-20 hmm... I'd say at least 10mg nic ... & https://vapejoose.com/ *they ship to canada* :cool:
 

DevAuto

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I think @VapinChevy hit it square on the head. The problem is that most juice comes in 0, 3 6,12, 18, 24, and even 36. Unless you are going to cut your juice with unflavored, or find someone that will custom blend it, I would recommend starting at 12mg, and have a bottle of 18 on hand. The 18 should either be the same flavor as the 12, or unflavored. This bottle is for the event that 12 is just not quite enough, you can mix it with the 18 at 50/50 and it will give you 15mg. If that is too much you can play with the ratios until you find a level that works. If you find that 12 is enough, then you can buy a bottle of 6 to mix with the 18 and turn it into a 12 so that you don't have to vape a juice that is way to strong or have it go to waste.
 

RobbieR

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I think @VapinChevy hit it square on the head. The problem is that most juice comes in 0, 3 6,12, 18, 24, and even 36. Unless you are going to cut your juice with unflavored, or find someone that will custom blend it, I would recommend starting at 12mg, and have a bottle of 18 on hand. The 18 should either be the same flavor as the 12, or unflavored. This bottle is for the event that 12 is just not quite enough, you can mix it with the 18 at 50/50 and it will give you 15mg. If that is too much you can play with the ratios until you find a level that works. If you find that 12 is enough, then you can buy a bottle of 6 to mix with the 18 and turn it into a 12 so that you don't have to vape a juice that is way to strong or have it go to waste.


12 mg juice seems to be working out great for me. I turned my Istick up to 19 watts (1.2 ohm coil) and I am getting a good amount of throat hit. Now I just have to find a flavour of juice that I like for more than 2 hours :confused: The pomegranate juice I bought yesterday is not working for me.
 

DevAuto

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12 mg juice seems to be working out great for me. I turned my Istick up to 19 watts (1.2 ohm coil) and I am getting a good amount of throat hit. Now I just have to find a flavour of juice that I like for more than 2 hours :confused: The pomegranate juice I bought yesterday is not working for me.
Yeah, the flavor hunt is the hardest part ... LOL ... When I started out I bought a bunch of flavors from a lot of different places on line. Ended up with a shelf full of awful juices ... over 2 years later, and they are still sitting there ... I should probably just throw them away at this point, now that I've found juices I actually like ... :D
 

RobbieR

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15-20 hmm... I'd say at least 10mg nic ... & https://vapejoose.com/ *they ship to canada* :cool:


Many American online sellers will take your order and ship juice to Canada, but customs will confiscate any juice with nicotine at the border. You can import juice without nicotine. Some shipments of juice with nicotine do make it through the border, but it's a roll of the dice every time.
Selling juice with nicotine in Canada is technically illegal but new vape shops are popping up all over. There is an argument that it's not illegal because the dose of nicotine per inhale is so low. Proponents are arguing that it should be treated like nicotine gum or nicotine patches. As far as I know nothing about vaping with nicotine has been challenged in our court system. I think the Canadian government is just mad because they have not found a way to tax the crap out of it yet;) They would prefer we smoke cigarettes and pay the tax. A large pack of cigarettes (25 cigarettes in a large pack up here) is $12.00, most of that is tax.
 

RobbieR

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Yeah, the flavor hunt is the hardest part ... LOL ... When I started out I bought a bunch of flavors from a lot of different places on line. Ended up with a shelf full of awful juices ... over 2 years later, and they are still sitting there ... I should probably just throw them away at this point, now that I've found juices I actually like ... :D


I have only been vaping for 3 weeks, and I already have a good collection of juice that I HATE:D I guess this is a part of the vaping journey everyone goes through.
 

martinelias

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image.jpg
If you like high vg sweet custardy juice this is the shit.
 

RobbieR

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Thanks for the suggestion. So far my favourite juice is a custard called "Oh My Custard" from "The Toronto Juice Co." I don't know if I can buy juice from Beard Vape Co in Canada.
 

VapinChevy

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Then US Juice Makers, need to send Juice as "Soap Making Material" or Anal Lube ;) THEN There will be NO Issues :D
 

RobbieR

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Update:

I have been using my Subtank Mini and 30 watt Istick for a week and now I am loving it!! After a few frustrating days of trial and error I have found the 1.2ohm coil and 12mg juice is the perfect combo for me.

I have had a couple small leaks through the air holes with my Subtank Mini, but I think they were caused by over filling or not having the coil screwed in tight enough. I seem to have fixed the leaking problem for now.

The 30 watt Istick has been great, I can get 2 full days out of it on a full charge, but I usually charge it every night. Its very comfortable in my hand & small enough to throw in my pocket. I am glad I bough the 30 watt and not the 50 watt. It has plenty of power and battery life for my needs.

I finally found a Juice that I really like. Its Maven Liquids "Canadian Tobacco" from vapemeet.ca I think its one of their house blends. It has a very subtle tobacco flavor with a hint of maple syrup. It is NOT overly sweet and I am happy vaping it all day.

Tomorrow will be ONE MONTH without a cigarette for me!!! I cant say I have saved much money yet because of all the gear and Juice I have bought, but I am loving vaping and have NO DESIRE to smoke a cigarette ever again.

Edit: "Maven Liquids" is not a house blend from vapemeet.ca. They are completely separate company. My mistake.
 
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DevAuto

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Update:

I have been using my Subtank Mini and 30 watt Istick for a week and now I am loving it!! After a few frustrating days of trial and error I have found the 1.2ohm coil and 12mg juice is the perfect combo for me.

I have had a couple small leaks through the air holes with my Subtank Mini, but I think they were caused by over filling or not having the coil screwed in tight enough. I seem to have fixed the leaking problem for now.

The 30 watt Istick has been great, I can get 2 full days out of it on a full charge, but I usually charge it every night. Its very comfortable in my hand & small enough to throw in my pocket. I am glad I bough the 30 watt and not the 50 watt. It has plenty of power and battery life for my needs.

I finally found a Juice that I really like. Its called Maven "Canadian Tobacco" from vapemeet.ca I think its one of their house blends. It has a very subtle tobacco flavor with a hint of maple syrup. It is NOT overly sweet and I am happy vaping it all day.

Tomorrow will be ONE MONTH without a cigarette for me!!! I cant say I have saved much money yet because of all the gear and Juice I have bought, but I am loving vaping and have NO DESIRE to smoke a cigarette ever again.
Congratulations!

Very glad to hear you found something you like and it's working for you! Lots of folks LOVE the 30 watt iStick for it's size and power. I looked at them and almost bought one, but really didn't like the rattling buttons. other than that, I haven't heard many complaints at all with it.

Hopefully your leaking problem is gone. I don't have a subtank yet (I do want one to try though), so I can't give you any insight at all with it and leaking. In general, however, I can say to make sure that you only tighten things finger tight. Over or under tightening parts on any tank can cause it to leak. HTH!

Enjoy!
 

RobbieR

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I actually forgot about the rattling button!! Yes it is a annoying but after a couple days you forget about it.

I try not to over tighten my tank (crushing the seal) but there seems to be a fine line between too tight, and not tight enough!
 

DevAuto

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I actually forgot about the rattling button!! Yes it is a annoying but after a couple days you forget about it.

I try not to over tighten my tank (crushing the seal) but there seems to be a fine line between too tight, and not tight enough!
Yeah, there is a fine line with most vaping gear, although some are worse than others...
 

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