irradiated
Member For 4 Years
Hello VU, my name is Dakota, and I'm here with an honest review of my own gear - the Kennedy 24 2-post dripper. This is my first time reviewing, so be gentle. :~)
About me: I’m a hobbyist who quit cigarettes and started vaping around 3 years ago. These days, I’m into single battery, series, and parallel mech mods mainly. My absolute favourite way to vape is series at 8.4v, or good old fashioned tube mods.
Introduction:
You’ve probably all heard about this atty, Kennedy has been making them for a long time now in various versions, with the previous versions being 3-post. The newest designs are 2-post decks, with a single large hole in each post, and feature bottom airflow. The Kennedy is available in 24mm and 25mm base diameters, with a few different options, including the ‘Trickster’, which is an adjustable bottom airflow version, and the ‘Screaming Demon’ cap, which introduces adjustable top airflow in addition to non-adjustable bottom airflow. Additionally, the design allows for replaceable optional post designs. As of this review, the only one I’m aware of are posts with square holes for even larger wires. Squonking pins are available as an extra, or with the atty as a replacement for the standard 510 pin. The airflow is perhaps one of the most distinct features of the Kennedy, with the signature ‘stove pipes’ sticking up out of the bottom of the deck. This is NOT a cheap atomizer, it will run you around $100usd.. is it worth it? Let’s find out!
Overview:
The one I own is a standard K24 with the standard top cap and drip tip, machined out of copper with the standard round posts. Like a lot of higher-end vape gear, the packaging is simple. I was sent a small cardboard box filled with packing peanuts or something, in which Kennedy included a small felt pouch, which contained:
* 2 spare O-rings for where the top cap meets the deck
* 2 spare grub screws for securing your leads
* A larger allan key for screwing in the positive and negative posts
* A smaller allan key for tightening the post screws
* The atomizer itself, consisting of deck, top cap, and 810 drip tip
I think that for the price, perhaps there should have been a few more spare o-rings and screws, and I would personally prefer flathead post screws over allan key grub screws.
Design, build quality, appearance:
Starting from the outside, it’s a very plain but pleasing design. The only decorations are the Kennedy logo on the side of the top cap, and the model name and serial number on the bottom of the deck. Both are beautifully and deeply engraved, with the top cap logo featuring extremely fine details in the font. Hard to make out with my crappy photos, but you can kind of see the tiny dots and other details. When the copper patinas, the engraving becomes darker than the rest of the cap and really pops out.
The bottom of the deck features a ledge, which has the airflow holes machined out of it and also serves to prevent juice from leaking when you put your top cap back on. The top cap does not cover the airflow, which means it’s non-adjustable, but I consider that a positive - you never need to look to make sure your airflow is lined up with your coils, perfect for vaping in the dark! If that's not your thing, they make the Trickster version that has adjustable airflow. The inside of the top cap is nicely domed (and shiny when you first get it, mine has seen a lot of action =]), and the drip tip hole has a fat o-ring that’s pretty standard for an 810 sized tip. The tolerance on the top cap is amazing, it’s pretty satisfying to hear that nice loud CLICK as it locks in. No issues picking a solid copper tube mod up by the top cap, it’s always stayed firmly in place.
The deck itself is all copper, and has a copper 510 pin (extremely hybrid safe!), but the posts on mine are stainless steel (seems to vary based on deck material or what Kennedy feels like that day, I’ve seen some with copper posts). Total diameter of the deck from wall to wall, not counting the space for the top cap, is about 21mm. The distance from post-to-post is about 15mm, and the post holes are about 3mm. The airflow holes in the side of the deck are about 7mm wide and 3mm tall. The stovepipes are about 3.5mm in diameter. They seem to possess some type of black magic, because I’ve watched juice drip from the bottom of my coil onto the pipes and the pipes kind of repel it and it doesn’t leak out of the atty. Maybe because of the diameter and air pressure? Or witchcraft? I don’t know, but it only leaks on me if I severely over drip to the point that the deck is completely filled with juice and overflowing. Juice build up on the very bottom of the deck, between the atty and mod, is very minimal. Haven't had issues with juice getting on my batteries with my hybrid mods.
Overall, the machining is top notch, I can’t find a single burr, scratch, rough thread, or any tiny nitpicks in craftsmanship or material. Seems like they really know what they’re doing.
Building it:
Building is super easy on this deck, although trimming your leads after the coils are in the posts can be a little tricky, but not that hard either. You can fit some monster coils in here guys, this thing handles fat series builds without breaking a sweat! 3.5mm ID flat wire builds are no problem, 4mm can take a bit of finesse but is still easy. Smaller coils don’t always work as well, I find 5 wraps to be the minimum with most of my builds. Much smaller width-wise and you have to bend the legs a bit weird to get them to reach the width of the posts and the wraps can get a bit funky. I’ve never had a problem with wicking, there’s always plenty of room for wick, even on big 10 wrap fused clapton series builds. I find it easiest to push the wick up towards the space between the wall of the deck and the post (see the big gap there?), and then pull it in and next to the coil, if that makes sense when I describe it.
Vaping it:
The airflow is ever so slightly restricted but it still chucks clouds like a cloud chasing atty, it’s a really nice balance of flavour and dense clouds. Flavour is top notch, it beats every side airflow atty I’ve tried. Vaping it is generally nice and warm but never hot enough to burn your lips/mouth. No spitback, but the copper drip tip can get hot, especially in the summer. I actually prefer to use an ultem 810 drip tip mostly because it never heats up, but I do enjoy the shape and look of the copper one they provided. Suited to really any build you throw at it, but there’s a limit to how small you can make your coils before they start getting awkward to put into the posts and getting a bit misshapen when tightening it down.
Final Thoughts:
Pros:
* 2-post design
* Bottom airflow
* Great flavour, but still generates big clouds
* Excellent machining, tolerance, and materials
* Very hard to make it leak
* Removable and swappable post options
* Squonk pins are available
* 510 is hybrid safe
* Great choice for series vapers
* Non-adjustable airflow (subjective)
Cons:
* Price, it’s steep ($100usd)
* Could have included more spares, and maybe should even include the squonk pin for free since it’s such a pricey atty.
* Allan key grub screws only, no flathead or phillips head (subjective)
* Non-adjustable airflow (subjective)
* Not the best choice for small builds, smaller round wire still works fine but too few wraps on your coil and it can get warped and funky looking.
I’ve used this atty for about a year, more or less as a daily driver on my tube mod, sometimes for series builds on my series boxes. It’s worth the price tag in my opinion, the machining and design is top notch - and so is the performance. If bottom non-adjustable airflow isn’t your thing, then this won’t be your thing. They should have included more spares for the price, and options for different screws would be greatly appreciated by myself. Would I buy it again? Yes, I actually like it so much I want to pick up a second one in black or brass when budgetary constraints allow.
Link to Kennedy Vapor: www.kennedyvapor.com
If you’ve made it this far, CHEERS! Thanks for reading my long-winded review, I hope it was helpful. Vape safe and stay off those cigs!
-Dakota/irradiated/winter_azure
About me: I’m a hobbyist who quit cigarettes and started vaping around 3 years ago. These days, I’m into single battery, series, and parallel mech mods mainly. My absolute favourite way to vape is series at 8.4v, or good old fashioned tube mods.
Introduction:
You’ve probably all heard about this atty, Kennedy has been making them for a long time now in various versions, with the previous versions being 3-post. The newest designs are 2-post decks, with a single large hole in each post, and feature bottom airflow. The Kennedy is available in 24mm and 25mm base diameters, with a few different options, including the ‘Trickster’, which is an adjustable bottom airflow version, and the ‘Screaming Demon’ cap, which introduces adjustable top airflow in addition to non-adjustable bottom airflow. Additionally, the design allows for replaceable optional post designs. As of this review, the only one I’m aware of are posts with square holes for even larger wires. Squonking pins are available as an extra, or with the atty as a replacement for the standard 510 pin. The airflow is perhaps one of the most distinct features of the Kennedy, with the signature ‘stove pipes’ sticking up out of the bottom of the deck. This is NOT a cheap atomizer, it will run you around $100usd.. is it worth it? Let’s find out!
Overview:
The one I own is a standard K24 with the standard top cap and drip tip, machined out of copper with the standard round posts. Like a lot of higher-end vape gear, the packaging is simple. I was sent a small cardboard box filled with packing peanuts or something, in which Kennedy included a small felt pouch, which contained:
* 2 spare O-rings for where the top cap meets the deck
* 2 spare grub screws for securing your leads
* A larger allan key for screwing in the positive and negative posts
* A smaller allan key for tightening the post screws
* The atomizer itself, consisting of deck, top cap, and 810 drip tip
I think that for the price, perhaps there should have been a few more spare o-rings and screws, and I would personally prefer flathead post screws over allan key grub screws.
Design, build quality, appearance:
Starting from the outside, it’s a very plain but pleasing design. The only decorations are the Kennedy logo on the side of the top cap, and the model name and serial number on the bottom of the deck. Both are beautifully and deeply engraved, with the top cap logo featuring extremely fine details in the font. Hard to make out with my crappy photos, but you can kind of see the tiny dots and other details. When the copper patinas, the engraving becomes darker than the rest of the cap and really pops out.
The bottom of the deck features a ledge, which has the airflow holes machined out of it and also serves to prevent juice from leaking when you put your top cap back on. The top cap does not cover the airflow, which means it’s non-adjustable, but I consider that a positive - you never need to look to make sure your airflow is lined up with your coils, perfect for vaping in the dark! If that's not your thing, they make the Trickster version that has adjustable airflow. The inside of the top cap is nicely domed (and shiny when you first get it, mine has seen a lot of action =]), and the drip tip hole has a fat o-ring that’s pretty standard for an 810 sized tip. The tolerance on the top cap is amazing, it’s pretty satisfying to hear that nice loud CLICK as it locks in. No issues picking a solid copper tube mod up by the top cap, it’s always stayed firmly in place.
The deck itself is all copper, and has a copper 510 pin (extremely hybrid safe!), but the posts on mine are stainless steel (seems to vary based on deck material or what Kennedy feels like that day, I’ve seen some with copper posts). Total diameter of the deck from wall to wall, not counting the space for the top cap, is about 21mm. The distance from post-to-post is about 15mm, and the post holes are about 3mm. The airflow holes in the side of the deck are about 7mm wide and 3mm tall. The stovepipes are about 3.5mm in diameter. They seem to possess some type of black magic, because I’ve watched juice drip from the bottom of my coil onto the pipes and the pipes kind of repel it and it doesn’t leak out of the atty. Maybe because of the diameter and air pressure? Or witchcraft? I don’t know, but it only leaks on me if I severely over drip to the point that the deck is completely filled with juice and overflowing. Juice build up on the very bottom of the deck, between the atty and mod, is very minimal. Haven't had issues with juice getting on my batteries with my hybrid mods.
Overall, the machining is top notch, I can’t find a single burr, scratch, rough thread, or any tiny nitpicks in craftsmanship or material. Seems like they really know what they’re doing.
Building it:
Building is super easy on this deck, although trimming your leads after the coils are in the posts can be a little tricky, but not that hard either. You can fit some monster coils in here guys, this thing handles fat series builds without breaking a sweat! 3.5mm ID flat wire builds are no problem, 4mm can take a bit of finesse but is still easy. Smaller coils don’t always work as well, I find 5 wraps to be the minimum with most of my builds. Much smaller width-wise and you have to bend the legs a bit weird to get them to reach the width of the posts and the wraps can get a bit funky. I’ve never had a problem with wicking, there’s always plenty of room for wick, even on big 10 wrap fused clapton series builds. I find it easiest to push the wick up towards the space between the wall of the deck and the post (see the big gap there?), and then pull it in and next to the coil, if that makes sense when I describe it.
Vaping it:
The airflow is ever so slightly restricted but it still chucks clouds like a cloud chasing atty, it’s a really nice balance of flavour and dense clouds. Flavour is top notch, it beats every side airflow atty I’ve tried. Vaping it is generally nice and warm but never hot enough to burn your lips/mouth. No spitback, but the copper drip tip can get hot, especially in the summer. I actually prefer to use an ultem 810 drip tip mostly because it never heats up, but I do enjoy the shape and look of the copper one they provided. Suited to really any build you throw at it, but there’s a limit to how small you can make your coils before they start getting awkward to put into the posts and getting a bit misshapen when tightening it down.
Final Thoughts:
Pros:
* 2-post design
* Bottom airflow
* Great flavour, but still generates big clouds
* Excellent machining, tolerance, and materials
* Very hard to make it leak
* Removable and swappable post options
* Squonk pins are available
* 510 is hybrid safe
* Great choice for series vapers
* Non-adjustable airflow (subjective)
Cons:
* Price, it’s steep ($100usd)
* Could have included more spares, and maybe should even include the squonk pin for free since it’s such a pricey atty.
* Allan key grub screws only, no flathead or phillips head (subjective)
* Non-adjustable airflow (subjective)
* Not the best choice for small builds, smaller round wire still works fine but too few wraps on your coil and it can get warped and funky looking.
I’ve used this atty for about a year, more or less as a daily driver on my tube mod, sometimes for series builds on my series boxes. It’s worth the price tag in my opinion, the machining and design is top notch - and so is the performance. If bottom non-adjustable airflow isn’t your thing, then this won’t be your thing. They should have included more spares for the price, and options for different screws would be greatly appreciated by myself. Would I buy it again? Yes, I actually like it so much I want to pick up a second one in black or brass when budgetary constraints allow.
Link to Kennedy Vapor: www.kennedyvapor.com
If you’ve made it this far, CHEERS! Thanks for reading my long-winded review, I hope it was helpful. Vape safe and stay off those cigs!
-Dakota/irradiated/winter_azure