To mod or not to mod?

[Renoyote]

I've been vaping for a few months. First, I used a VaporFi Express then went to the VaporFi Pro II. I liked both fairly well but, was disappointed with the fact that the clearomizers/coils/atomizers soon started giving me a burned flavor. So, I kept searching and found the Buck Naked H2 with the bottom fed atomizer. So far, it's alright but I think there is still better out there.

Soooo, I'm asking for recommendations. I like the small, discrete, form of the eGo. I'm not too concerned with decorative aspects but want to stay away from something that would be large.

I don't know much about mods. From what I've seen, getting a mod involves selecting a "box" that may or may not have circuitry to control temp, wattage, or volts. Then, selecting a battery? then selecting an atomizer/tank? Then selecting something else?

Is there something that comes complete as a kit that is worth looking at?

 

[OBDave]

Hi, and welcome to the Underground!

You've pretty much got the idea down, except most box mods these days contain a control chip that allows you to dial in your vape the way you like it - these are also much more reliable and much safer than "mechanical" mods without that circuitry, which leads me to recommend them to new vapers almost exclusively.

The form factor is going to be bigger than an eGo-type, for sure, but not much more cumbersome than a pack of smokes. Some come with built-in battery packs that charge through a micro-USB port, but for the most part ones with replaceable 18650 batteries with a 20 amp continuous discharge manufactured by LG, Samsung, or Sony are preferred.

Not sure what these devices are you're mentioning, perhaps you could post a link?

 

[SOC]

You can get a 150 watt box mod that does temperature control for around $50. Two batteries and a charger might be another $40 or so, and $20-40 for a tank. However. A 150 watt mod, with temperature control, gives you all the power and features you'll need for a good long time while you screw with different tanks, settings, and whatnot. Most tanks will come with different coil options as well, so you can figure out where you like to vape at. I stay around 80 watts with a 0.25 ohm coil. Some people don't go anywhere near that low. I guess the point is that if any mod is going to be $40-50 or so, you might as well get something with a crapload of headroom so you've got room to experiment. Maybe you end up only liking things around 20 watts. Great, your 2-battery 150 watt box mod is going to get ridiculous battery life! Screw around! Play with stuff! That's why this stuff is awesome!

 

[Renoyote]

The devices I mentioned are:

VaporFi Express, VaporFi Pro II, and the Buck Naked H2+. I sort of feel a bit dumb with the first two choices. I went by online "reviews" in starting off with VaporFi then found the H2+ which I like better and it was less expensive.

As for going on to something else, I was thinking of maybe the Atom Vapes Venom. I thing it sort of qualifies as a mechanical mod though. Not impressed with the price but I can probably find it, or one like it, cheaper than the manufacturer's retail.

HOWEVER, I'm open to suggestions!

 

[JERUS]

You kind of bump from the eGo style up to 22mm diameter tubes, not much in between. You can get shorter ones for smaller batteries, but I like the 18650 styles, I'm a big fan of my Aspire CF Mod http://www.aspirecig.com/products/MOD/mod184.html but maybe that's too big? There's this new Mini Volt mod that's nice and tiny but still packs the power (picture below). The size of that Aspire mod you can also get variable voltage (from aspire as well as other places) and variable wattage (not aspire, but a few other options).

Tank wise, the biggest thing is what style of vaping you enjoy. There's kind of a crazy amount of options out there, do you like MTL (suck into mouth then inhale) or DL (breath directly in) as that's the big difference, then other preferences kick in. There are options each way.

As far as full kit, I'd suggest looking into some of the Kangertech options they're not too large and still solid. I jumped from my old eGo to a couple Aspire kits and enjoyed them. Then there's the iJust2 which looks quite nice.

But with kits you get a nice easy package but it isn't always the best suited to you, they're generic. So if I were you I'd look for a mod and a tank that suits you best rather than grab a whole kit, it's just 2 purchases instead of 1 and a whole lot more fitting to your desires.

 

[OBDave]

The devices I mentioned are:

VaporFi Express, VaporFi Pro II, and the Buck Naked H2+. I sort of feel a bit dumb with the first two choices. I went by online "reviews" in starting off with VaporFi then found the H2+ which I like better and it was less expensive.

As for going on to something else, I was thinking of maybe the Atom Vapes Venom. I thing it sort of qualifies as a mechanical mod though. Not impressed with the price but I can probably find it, or one like it, cheaper than the manufacturer's retail.

HOWEVER, I'm open to suggestions!

Thanks for sharing, but yikes! Spend some time around here, you can get a good mid-level mod for the price of those cigalikes and basic eGos...

All of the suggestions from @JERUS have merit - I'd personally lean toward a Kanger kit like the Subox or something - it comes with a sub-ohm clearomizer that'll blow what you've been using out of the water, along with a replaceable-battery mod that should last you a good period of time. If properly cared for, the mod will outlast the battery, meaning that when your cells wear out you've got to spend another $15 or so for a couple new ones rather than $40+ for a whole new box. The Kanger tanks are also nice because they offer fairly tight "mouth-to-lung" (read: cigarette-style) draws, with an adjustment option to a moderately open airflow to let you experiment and decide whether or not you'd like to try deeper "direct lung" draws - many experienced vapers eventually pick up this style, but a handful never move on from MTL. Neither way is "right" or "wrong," they're just different - a setup like this gives you a taste of both to decide what's "right" for you.

There's also that Council of Vapor Mini-Volt in the pic above - that has me intrigued as a super-compact mid-level mod that I'm considering picking up for out-and-about when I want something super tiny, but once I experienced what's possible in my vape experience I very quickly learned to get over my insistence on keeping the eGo-sized mods that I carried for my first year or so vaping...

 

[JERUS]

Kangertech is pretty much the king of starter kits, solid solid option. One thing to note though is it's also famous for leaking, but not to worry, just take care with it. Make sure to close the airflow when you put it away. Tanks rely on an imperfect vacuum, just an equalization of pressure. Without that it'll seek through the coil and right out the airflow. You can aid in this by closing the airflow. So if you go that route do that, it's not something that should turn you off this very popular and great setup, just something to keep in mind if you get it, that a little extra attention and care will prevent issues. All tanks have their quirky little faults but most all of them have solutions, just gotta know about them. And leaking is a thing, I only have one tank that doesn't leak after days of non-use without the airflow closed and it's a Genesis style tank which is funky and not something I'd suggest to most people (don't get me wrong it's my favorite, but it doesn't travel well and you gotta build your own coils and... yeah it's a bit different).

@OBDave just saw your signature, reminds me of Godwin's Law in it's all it's beautiful, hilarious truth.

 

[OBDave]

If Hitler made e-cigs, he'd make 510 cigalikes and sell them in starter kits for $30. Now that we've got Godwin out of the way, let's carry on...

 

[Renoyote]

....
All of the suggestions from @JERUS have merit - I'd personally lean toward a Kanger kit like the Subox or something - it comes with a sub-ohm clearomizer that'll blow what you've been using out of the water, along with a replaceable-battery mod that should last you a good period of time. If properly cared for, the mod will outlast the battery, meaning that when your cells wear out you've got to spend another $15 or so for a couple new ones rather than $40+ for a whole new box. The Kanger tanks are also nice because they offer fairly tight "mouth-to-lung" (read: cigarette-style) draws, with an adjustment option to a moderately open airflow to let you experiment and decide whether or not you'd like to try deeper "direct lung" draws - many experienced vapers eventually pick up this style, but a handful never move on from MTL. Neither way is "right" or "wrong," they're just different - a setup like this gives you a taste of both to decide what's "right" for you.

Yeah, I'm MTL kinda vaper for sure. I looked up that Kanger Subox. Kinda spendy. Looks like getting 20A capable batteries will run about $10 each too. I'm fairly sure I can find the Kanger for much less than what is posted on the manufacturer's site but, I'm still looking at about $65 or more to get that all going...nice little unit though.

I also see they have eGo style units though...

There is soooo darned much to learn! this thing could turn into a hobby as money hungry as some of my other ones...

 

[OBDave]

Sent you a PM - you can certainly do cheaper, but considering what you've already spent on entry-level gear, going just a few bucks more on stuff that will last you considerably longer should be a no-brainer. If not a long-term solution (for many people it is), a mid-level Kanger setup should have you set for at least the next six months or a year. My wife and I both quit smoking after 15 years back in 2013, she's still happy with less than 30 watts and Kanger products like what I'm recommending.

 

[JERUS]

http://www.vapecrawler.com/results/kanger subox

Vapecrawler is wonderful for quickly searching for pricing. It's not always the best, but a solid website to find a decent deal.

Liionwholesale.com will get you Samsung 25r's for about $6 (rounded up). but with shipping you could get 2 (recommended) for $13, or one for $8 (again rounding up).

You can use the mod to charge though it's highly suggested to get a quality charger, in the long run it's the best and safest thing to do.

Add that in with 2 batteries and you're looking at ~$50 for the kit, $13 for the batteries and if you get the charger from Liionwholesale you're looking at $10 for the cheap option, though while Efest is questionable for batteries their chargers are nice (I have one it's treated me well) theirs is $20. Then $15 for a tank like the GS tank

So in total for what I'd suggest you're looking at ~$100, if you go with the cheaper charger which is good but I'd suggest keeping an eye on it and taking the batteries out once they're charged $90.

Yes it's a big initial cost.

As an alternative, you could do something like the Mini Volt ~$35, and maybe the GS Tank (smallest premade coil MTL I know of) $15, so $50 total, though like said before you'll need to replace the mod after about a year most likely, You'll need to recharge it once it's out.

Now there may be better fitting tanks out there for you. Maybe better mods. Anyways just an idea for ya. What OBDave said is right in that the kanger stuff has a great amount of variability to it, can suite your needs. Also comes with RBA decks which allow you to make your own coils and wick them, which will make them even cheaper over time (100ft of wire is under $10 and each coil is less than a foot, and cotton is cheap as well) but it takes some knowledge and tools help so again an initial cost.

You're right though vaping is a hobby to many of us. Shiny-itis is a disease, you get the new and best looking thing without thinking. Personally though I've spent about $30 a month over the last 3 months just on Juice and that's it. I found the tank I love, I have the mods that will power it. I'll replace the batteries when needed, but I spent probably close to $300 to get there, but I found my sweet spot and I'm happy. There's one tank out there that has my eye as it's the "upgrade" to what I have but at the same time it's kind of "well I love this, do I need something better" type thing. To that I'm currently saying no, but we'll see, maybe I give in.

 

[Superjeep]

You will learn really fast that the jump from a cigalike to a capable regulated mod just makes the vape experience so much better and more importantly satisfying. You quickly get over the form factor. I would much rather vape a thicker mod than one of those long cigalikes that makes ya look like your walking around playing a flute. The batteries also last so much longer and its a constant vape from full battery to empty.

If your willing to make the investment of a little more money You can find a evic VTC mini on sale from 32-35 bucks, pair of good batterys for $10-12(LG HG2;s are my prefrence these days)and a little 2 bay charger for under $20 bux. The VTC is really super small for a "box" mod and opens you up to a plethora or 22mm tanks in various sizes.

I mean money is always an issue but just sit down and add up what you would spend on cig's in a year and you find really, really fast how cheap vaping is. The only downside is its an upfront cost then you save later.

 

[Renoyote]

Would the Kanger Topbox Nano starter kit be good? I emailed my local store and they said that IF they get it in, they can offer it for about $49 with free shipping. They are not yet committed to ordering from Kanger though...

 

[Superjeep]

Ya I think that would be a pretty decent kit. The reviews seem pretty good as well. I will say though I have no personal experience with the mod itself. I do think though a VTC mini kit would serve you better which can be had for about the same price and would also give you extra features in the event you wanted to try new things like temp control(SS, Ti and ni200). I think the VTC mini is smaller also but I have no first hand info on it. It is really just a solid device all around.

Either way I think you will really enjoy your vape. I think you will find you taste the juice a lot more.

 

[pescadore]

If you need cheap then the Eleaf IJust2 is a complete kit for about $35 and it has an internal battery that you plug into a USB charger to charge it. It is a surprising package for the price and really does vape well. I have one that I keep as a spare in my backpack that I take to work in case I forget my box mod. It has been a very good $35 investment for me and I vape on it sometimes just because it is small and easy to carry around. The IJust2 has the battery protections that you need to prevent accidents that occur with mechanical mods in the hands of inexperienced operators. It is a complete kit and other than some extra coils, and juice you will be set to vape. One charge will last you pretty much all day unless you are a heavy vaper. It is easy to charge from any USB connection or charger.

 

[BoomStick]

When people jump from cigarettes or cigalikes to advanced gear it seems they rarely land on something they end up really liking. I suggest taking steps. The cigalikes prove the concept, then you get an inexpensive, quality, simple, good mouth to lung performing vape. Something like this for under $30 and enjoy the crap out of it while you hang around and try to sort out the advanced stuff if you want.

http://www.myvaporstore.com/Innokin-Endura-T18-Starter-Kit-p/ink-end10.htm

 

[mguertin24]

iv got a question about my batterys dont kno where to go

 

[Renoyote]

iv got a question about my batterys dont kno where to go

Best to start a new thread in this forum.

 

[Lambreau21]

I really like my Subox Mini. Came in a kit ready to rock from the package (other than battery) and small enough to throw in my pocket

 

[MrScaryZ]

To Mod!!