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Pizza Dave Delivers - A Mech Mod Review - The Clutch by Dovpo and Mike Vapes

pizzadave80

Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
INTRODUCTION

Hello everyone and welcome to another review. Today I will be going over the Clutch mechanical box mod by Dovpo and Mike Vapes. Tape a highly successful mechanical squonker, remove the squonk bottle, make it hybrid and what do you get? The Clutch...the Clutch is what you get. This device is essentially like taking the Signature Tips SQ217 and turning it into a compact mechanical mod. I am a fan of the SQ series of devices, so I must say, this is something that excites me a bit. I'll take a look under the hood, see how it runs, and I will give pros, cons, and the good ole’ OVEN TEST down at the bottom. Let’s get right to it eh?




DISCLAIMER: This device was sent to me by Dovpo for review.


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WHAT YOU GET


  • Clutch mechanical mod

  • Paperwork

Available in black, green, blue, and red.

STOCK SHOT
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PACKAGING
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OUT OF BOX
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Dimensions: 79.5mm x 35mm x 27mm

Battery: Single 21700

Power Range: Mechanical

Other features: On/off disconnect switch, custom buttons from signature tips (Topside SQ style)


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FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Alright, so my first impression is going to be the same as about everyone who has had one, but damn… this thing is compact. Even the box it comes in is smaller than some pod systems I have received. Like I said in the intro, as you remove the squonking portion from an SQ and go to Hybrid, it shortens it up in height, and also the depth, making this one of, if not the only, 21700 mechanical mod out there. Beyond the size, I found that the quality of the overall construction is top notch as well. Solid body, strong magnetic doors, and doors that fit in place perfectly with no wiggle at all. As I popped the doors off I found that they added some great touches as well. A 3d printed battery sled, which houses the bus bar, battery, and switch neatly held in place. They also added a PEEK insulator at the top, so even if you remove your atomizer with a battery in place it would hard short to the body of the device. This is a key factor when I get into the use of this, and a well thought idea on their part. Another thing I noticed is the little on/off switch on the backside. This blocks the fire bar from making contact and allows the Clutch to be tossed in a pocket without worries of firing. Small details go a long way, making a simple device that much more convenient and safe. As a fan of the SQ217, I couldn’t be more impressed with what they did to keep this thing compact, but still have all of the great quality that we see in the SQ mods.



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BUTTON / MECHANICAL OPERATION



If you have used an SQ mod before, you know that they run a trigger finger style button tucked in the grooves of the device. Since the mod is so compact, I found that I didn’t fully grip the mod like I did before. I typically held mine with three fingers in the grooves and my thumb across the back, rather than my palm. It is a little awkward at first, but becomes second nature as I use it. The button still retains a very similar feel to the SQ mods, except it now has a flat bar on top rather than the squonking 510 assembly. This has a large, flat surface, giving this a solid bottom out feel as the button is pressed. The tension of the button is similar to the SQ as well, so if you have ever used one, this will be a very familiar button press.



One difference with how all of this is assembly is that it is a hybrid connection. To use this properly and not tear battery wraps, I recommend loosening up the atomizer on top, which then allows the battery to basically fall out, or you can assist it by pressing through the mod. Remember that PEEK insulator at the top? This is where it is key, as the battery can freely move up and down without worries about shorting through the mod. This design works well, however, it is also one of the downfalls. Depending on which atomizer you use and the length of the 510 pin, it modifies how much tension there is between the 510, battery, and the negative contact at the bottom. If you use longer 510 atomizers, this will put more pressure on the bottom part of the silver bar. This wears in with more and more use and eventually the battery can get sloppy. Mike Vapes himself even released a video showing users how to bend this bar upward to adjust for this over time. On the flip side to that, if you use an atomizer with a shorter 510 pin the battery can be loose out of the gate and rattle a bit inside. Adjusting that fire bar takes care of this and it does hold out for a long time. It works fine and everything, but seems like they could have done something different for adjustment. I can see that bar getting very frail over time if you use this device a lot. Eventually it will just break if you strain it as the metal can’t be bent back and forth forever.


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PHOTO GALLERY

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pizzadave80

Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
FINAL THOUGHTS / HOW IT VAPES

Ok, so let’s get into the most important aspect of any device, and talk about performance. In all honesty, you will be hard pressed to find a harder hitting mechanical device that fits a 21700 and is this compact. I used mechs all the time and it keeps up with devices that cost 3 times as much. It is efficient, compact, and has many more pros than cons. First pro, is the size. Super convenient to toss in a pocket, and the flat sides mean it stays put wherever you place it. Secondly, are the details involving safety. The PEEK insulator is a nice touch, but having that on/off switch is a huge win. I never carry mechs because I always felt there was a chance of firing in a pocket with 99% of them. Flip this to off, toss it in your pocket, and you are good to go. Another pro is the quality. I always felt the SQ mods had some of the best fit and finish for a machined aluminum device, but this is right up there with their quality all while being mass produced in China. Dovpo really stepped their game up with that department and it shows. The last pro is the overall vape experience. Like I said right away, it hits great. I don’t feel any major voltage drop and it flat out performs. However, even though this has some great pros, there’s a few things I must address. First, it’s the way they executed the hybrid connection. The atomizer should be loosened to remove batteries. Sure you can just push it on through, but you could get a tear doing so. Secondly, the snug-ness (is that word?) of the battery greatly depends on the atomizer’s 510 length and over time even if you use the same atomizer, it can start to wear on the bus bar assembly and get loose. Sure, some bending holds it over for now, but that seems like it is asking for trouble in the long run and could result in complete failure down the road. The last con I want to talk about is ergonomics. It isn’t nearly as comfortable to use as the SQ mods. With less depth to full grip the mod, I ended up holding it more dainty (PINKIES OUT!). It isn’t a deal breaker as it became second nature, but it definitely isn’t as comfortable to use.

Ok, so there are pros and there are cons, but do those cons, to me, act as deal breakers? Absolutely not. I really enjoy using this mod. It is one of the few mechanical mods that I leave the house with and feel safe doing so. The compact size is a curse and a gift, making it a bit odd to hold, but a major win when it comes to portability. However, the greatest thing this has going for it is performance. It hits amazingly well and as I use it, all of the cons seem to hit the back burner in my mind. To top it all off, the safety features they added make this one of the best mechanical mods for someone looking to get into them without spending a ton of money either. Well done Dovpo and Mike Vapes. This is a sweet little device.


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OVEN TEST – If this were to accidentally fall into the pizza oven, would I go out and get another? Definitely would get another. No question.





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PROS

  • Compact size

  • Lightweight design

  • 21700 battery

  • Fits 25/26mm without overhang

  • Solid feeling button press

  • ON/OFF safety switch

  • Easily serviceable for cleaning

  • Hits hard (cliche’ way of saying it)

  • Great fit and finish


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CONS



  • Hybrid connection busbar strain (more in detail above)

  • Ergonomics are a little funky


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Thank you everyone for reading and thank you to Dovpo for sending one my way for review. I am seeing these online for about $90.



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Pizza Dave – delivering real reviews with no extra toppings


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REVIEW CRITERIA: I use each item for about two weeks to ensure I have collected enough data to adequately write a review. I use the same e liquid in tanks or rdas throughout all my reviews to ensure that I am comparing apples to apples between all modern equipment. I do not post reviews until I feel confident that I have used it enough to give an educated review. The reason I started doing reviews was due to poor purchasing decisions in my vaping infancy about two years ago. Back then, I purchased several different pieces of hardware without really enjoying it and I hope my reviews can guide people into spending their hard-earned money more wisely than I did! ****Keep in mind that some items I receive may be pre-release and not in retail packaging. Quality may be less than the finished product and what is in the package may differ from the retail package as well.
 

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