Help Choosing a Box Mod

[VapesXO]

So, with the development of problems with the 510 Connector in my iStick 20W, I'm looking to upgrade.
There are a couple of things that I consider essential in a potential candidate though.

Currently I've got a Mini Nautilus by Aspire and a Kayfun V4 by Tobeco for atomizers.

1. A small form factor that makes it relatively easy to store in my pocket.
2. The ability to kick out a decent amount of power (preferably more than 30 watts).
3. A charging port that allows you to charge the battery (or batteries) with a USB charger.
   
   • I don't like the idea of having to buy 18650 batteries AND an expensive charger for them.​
4. A spring-loaded 510 Connector, to prevent issues like I'm now having with my iStick 20W.

I've been doing a little digging, and I've found a couple of potential candidates.

1. The iStick 50W
   
   • This is high on my list, seeing as it's an improved version of the iStick 20W, which I like.​
2. The IPV Mini 2 70W
   
   • 70 watts and USB charging?! Nice! The iStick 50W beats it in battery life though...​
3. The IPV 4 100W
   
   • I'm not too sure about this one, as information on it isn't complete yet.​

Now, I'm not a Cloud Chaser by any means; I'm actually a Flavor Chaser.
I use my Vape to curb my sweet tooth, so I need strong, potent flavors. Clouds are nice, but not a must.

A co-worker of mine who's a total Cloud Chaser told me that running a higher wattage will get me better flavor.
I don't know if he's telling me the truth, or just trying to get me to buy into these 100+ watt mods though...

Hopefully you guys can help me out! Which of those candidates sounds like the best fit for me?
Perhaps you even know of another one that might be a better fit. The more help, the better!

Thanks!

 

[Oggy]

Using a Nautilus or Kayfun you probly dont use more than 20 watts. I have drilled out my Kayfun V4 and can only push it to about 20 watts, much more and I start getting dry hits. Tank style atties do not need alot of power, because the wicking will not be able to keep up. If you are planning to move to sub-ohm style tanks or RDA then the extra power will help. I personally like to wait for a device to be out awhile and to get a few reviews before I make a purchase. Seems to help weed out the devices/toppers that are having issues.

 

[VapesXO]

Using a Nautilus or Kayfun you probly dont use more than 20 watts. I have drilled out my Kayfun V4 and can only push it to about 20 watts, much more and I start getting dry hits. Tank style atties do not need alot of power, because the wicking will not be able to keep up. If you are planning to move to sub-ohm style tanks or RDA then the extra power will help. I personally like to wait for a device to be out awhile and to get a few reviews before I make a purchase. Seems to help weed out the devices/toppers that are having issues.

See, now I'm totally confused.

The co-worker that I mentioned, Josh, said that I should start building sub-ohm coils in my Kayfun, at high watts.
He said that I would start getting a lot better flavor than I do now, running at no more than 20 watts.

I'm still new to Vaping, so he could be feeding me a bunch of crap for all I know.
What I DO know, is that I want to upgrade from my iStick 20W just to have a spring-loaded 510 Connection.
The 510 Connector in my iStick 20W actually failed on me and I'm now without a working mod.
I now have to play hell trying to get the distributor to replace it, or send it Eleaf to be fixed (which'll take forever).

Honestly, I've also been looking at some other rebuildable atomizers too...
The new Kanger Subtank Mini, the Lemo Drop, the Orchid line, etc. Vaping is kind of addicting.
Surely a device that hits 50+ watts would be a good choice for those?

I don't know. Maybe I should just get the new iStick 30W instead of the 50W for now?
Then again, getting the iStick 50W, IPV Mini 2, etc. would allow room for tank upgrades in the future.

 

[Tom950]

I personally think that anyone who directs a new vaper directly into sub ohming is an idiot

 

[rdsok]

Your co-worker wasn't thinking things through. With a Kayfun ( and most of the clones )... they aren't setup to deliver the amount of juice needed to help cool down a high wattage. It's still got some of the best flavor with the power levels it supports... but something about 1.2Ω seems to be where a lot of folks end up setting their Kayfun's at. Of course there are others that have modded their Kayfuns with bigger air and juice channels and pushing the wattages up because of it. In fact, tanks like the Lemo have some of these features incorporated in them but I'm uncertain where they are able to go to wattage wise.

Tanks like the Aspire Atlantis and Kanger Subtanks take into account having higher juice flow ( ie better wicking ) and air flow so can handle the higher power since the additional juice and air helps keep the coils cool enough that the juice doesn't burn. They also incorporate a vapor chamber that helps concentrate the flavor in a manor similar to the Kayfun in some ways...

One minor oversight in your own thinking on the iPV Mini 70w vs the iStick 50w... while the iStick does have a larger battery than you can get in a 18650... you can't replace it on the fly so when it's charging... you are down or tied to a USB charger while it's charging. The iPV's screen readings are also likely going to be more accurate... The iStick 20w and 30w are not, they display much lower than they really are putting out and I suspect that eLeaf won't fix that on the 50w since they ignored fixing it on the 30w when they had the chance. Many users don't mind that since they just adjust down to compensate... but it's still wrong none the less.

Whatever your choice ends up being... going with a mod with more power than you think you'll use... isn't a bad thing. If you are only vaping say in the 25w-35w range.... having 50w-70w will simply mean you aren't stressing your mod trying to run it at or near it's maximum output.

 

[Oggy]

Ok so a little back ground on "Sub-Ohm" vaping. On a mech mod you are getting a set voltage from a battery so the only way to change the "power" output is to change the resistance of the atomizer. The sub-ohm builds give a hotter vape that equates to more vapor. This does give more flavor but you have to know what your doing as far as battery safety.

I have tried doing sub-ohm builds on Kayfuns, and Yes it will give better flavor. But the Kayfun is not made for sub-ohm builds, without modification the wicking is not going to be able to keep up. If you are looking for these type builds I would suggest a Lemo, Orchid, or Billow.

LOL rdsok beat me to the punch while I am typing. As rdsok said having more power than you want isnt bad. The other bonus is if you are running dual batteries at lower watts the battery life will be really nice. Then if you decide to try RDA's or other devices that need more power you will already have it.

Hope this helps.

 

[rdsok]

I personally think that anyone who directs a new vaper directly into sub ohming is an idiot

Until recently I would have agreed with this completely... Now I'm not so certain with some of the new products that have come out just recently. The Atlantis, Subtanks, Delta II, Ego One ( last two by Joyetech ) as well as the newer PV's that support sub-ohms out of the box... we're moving into the next stage where the user isn't as required to know as much as long as they are using these types of products made from the ground up with sub-ohming in mind.

That doesn't mean I'd suggest a mech mod... a rebuildable tank or dripper etc to someone new... but I'd also probably not think twice about suggesting the Joyetech Ego One ( just one example that is available as an all inclusive kit ) or say a iPV 30w and a Subtank Mini with a good quality battery. The prebuilt heads that the new tanks have along with the regulated mods etc... have made a lot of new strides into this area that address the concerns I once had.

 

[VapesXO]

Thanks for the information, guys!

I think I do want to go with something that CAN put out more power than what I have now.
Whether or not I end up in the realm of being able to use that extra power is up to question.
It'd be nice to be able to though, if I wanted to.

Right now the flavor from my Kayfun isn't as strong and potent as I'd like it to be.
But, that can be remedied by simply having more flavor mixed into my juices.
Eventually I'll start making my own, and I can make them stronger then too.

I would only upgrade to a Lemo, Orchid, Subtank, etc. if I could get a MUCH better flavor.
If not, then I'd rather just have "shots" added into my juices to give better flavor.

My co-worker is all about "chucking clouds," and "plumes, bro." That's why he wants me to sub-ohm.
Personally, I think it's kinda cool, but not very practical. In many cases it makes you look like a tool.
I'd rather have a mild amount of vapor with GREAT flavor than a weak flavor while chucking clouds.

 

[Panther1911]

I don't have any experience with those mods you listed. But I can offer my 2 cents on tanks.

I am going to suggest a kanger subtank mini. It uses factory sub-ohm coils, I have been running it at 22-25W on the factory 0.5ohm coil. It runs amazing! Flavor is FANTASTIC. Big clouds are just a bonus.

I am vaping a juice right now that is supposed to be a red velvet cake with icing....vaping it literately tastes like it! (i also vape to curb my sweet tooth)

Another bonus the mini offers over the original subtank is that you can switch between the RDA deck and factory coil with ease, this way if the coil/wick build you put in doesn't work to your liking you can put a factory coil in until you get a chance to fix it. This is a great intro into Rebuildable tanks. The subtank nano and aspire atlantis dont offer rebuildable decks. I also found the flavor to be superior on the subtank.

 

[Bambua]

I am going to suggest a kanger subtank mini. It uses factory sub-ohm coils, I have been running it at 22-25W on the factory 0.5ohm coil. It runs amazing! Flavor is FANTASTIC. Big clouds are just a bonus.

I don't have the mini yet but I have the full sub ohm tank, and on my ipv mini at 22 watts with the 0.5ohm coil the flavor is AMAZING and the battery lasts me the better part of a day.

to the topic of the post, i've been VERY happy with my ipv mini, it puts out 30 watts down to 0.5 ohms so is very fleixble for tank usage. It feels nice in my hand and I have had no issues with it.

 

[Hermit]

...
What I DO know, is that I want to upgrade from my iStick 20W just to have a spring-loaded 510 Connection.
...
I don't know. Maybe I should just get the new iStick 30W instead of the 50W for now?

I'd say you've answered your own question right there! I'm probably going to get one or two more of the 30W, even though I've got a 50W on pre-order. Not only with a sprung connector, but can do sub-ohm as well (I'm using a Magma set up at 0.8ohm on about 24W setting). And anything else is going to be BIG compared to your 20W istick.

...
The iPV's screen readings are also likely going to be more accurate... The iStick 20w and 30w are not, they display much lower than they really are putting out and I suspect that eLeaf won't fix that on the 50w since they ignored fixing it on the 30w when they had the chance. Many users don't mind that since they just adjust down to compensate... but it's still wrong none the less.

They DID fix it on the 30W, at least for most of the range Outputting 4V and up, it's pretty accurate DC output, very nice. 3V to 4V has some ripple, and outputs about 12% over at 3V (nowhere near as bad as the 20W). Under 3V is the same non-RMS PWM as the 20W (but the 20W didn't go under 3V) - so, I think the lowest power output is the 3V setting! (Not that that matters much, since it's likely to be low enough for even a low wattage vaper).

 

[rdsok]

They DID fix it on the 30W, at least for most of the range Outputting 4V and up, it's pretty accurate DC output, very nice. 3V to 4V has some ripple, and outputs about 12% over at 3V (nowhere near as bad as the 20W). Under 3V is the same non-RMS PWM as the 20W (but the 20W didn't go under 3V) - so, I think the lowest power output is the 3V setting! (Not that that matters much, since it's likely to be low enough for even a low wattage vaper).

Actually... it's the low end that suffers on both because of them using AVG ( some call MEAN ) and is the main area of concern for me at least... If the screen shows 6w and is putting out 9w ( or more )... it's wrong.

AVG output reading have always been more accurate ( closer to the actual ) at higher settings than the lower ones...

 

[Hermit]

Actually... it's the low end that suffers on both because of them using AVG ( some call MEAN ) and is the main area of concern for me at least... If the screen shows 6w and is putting out 9w ( or more )... it's wrong.

AVG output reading have always been more accurate ( closer to the actual ) at higher settings than the lower ones...

No, not 'actually'

I've put both on the 'scope... what you're saying is only true of the 20W (and the 30W below 3V). The 30W, at 3V and above, is fine - 12% over at 3V is far better than the 20W's 90% over!!

I'm guessing that low-wattage vapers will be using 1.8 ohm coils or higher, so the range under 3V isn't even accessable to them due to the 5W lower limit. That the 30W is crap down there is pretty irrelevant.

 

[VapesXO]

I don't have any experience with those mods you listed. But I can offer my 2 cents on tanks.

I am going to suggest a kanger subtank mini. It uses factory sub-ohm coils, I have been running it at 22-25W on the factory 0.5ohm coil. It runs amazing! Flavor is FANTASTIC. Big clouds are just a bonus.

I am vaping a juice right now that is supposed to be a red velvet cake with icing....vaping it literately tastes like it! (i also vape to curb my sweet tooth)

Another bonus the mini offers over the original subtank is that you can switch between the RDA deck and factory coil with ease, this way if the coil/wick build you put in doesn't work to your liking you can put a factory coil in until you get a chance to fix it. This is a great intro into Rebuildable tanks. The subtank nano and aspire atlantis dont offer rebuildable decks. I also found the flavor to be superior on the subtank.

Yeah, I'd probably want to use the rebuildable section, as I don't fancy the notion of going back to paying for coils.

I don't have the mini yet but I have the full sub ohm tank, and on my ipv mini at 22 watts with the 0.5ohm coil the flavor is AMAZING and the battery lasts me the better part of a day.

to the topic of the post, i've been VERY happy with my ipv mini, it puts out 30 watts down to 0.5 ohms so is very fleixble for tank usage. It feels nice in my hand and I have had no issues with it.

Thanks for the input! More than likely a 30W device would suit me.
The extra power of the iStick 50W or the Mini 2 would be nice to have though.

Thanks for the information the rest of you have posted!

I shipped my broken iStick 20W back to the retailer I bought from earlier today to have it exchanged.