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Pizza Dave Delivers - An RDTA Review - The Ragnar by Steam Crave

pizzadave80

Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
INTRODUCTION





Hello everyone and thanks for stopping by to read another one of my reviews. Today I will be going over the Ragnar RTA by Steam Crave. The Ragnar is an absolute beast of an RTA. Measuring in at 35mm wide, and 58mm tall, with a capacity of 18ml, it is not your run of the mill atomizer. It’s also not another run of the mill RTA from Steam Crave, as for years they have had side airflow only. The Ragnar also introduces bottom airflow with the standard deck. Just to add more value to the thing, they also include a chamber reducer/adapter so all Aromamizer Plus (V1/V2) decks can also be used with this tank. Let’s stop hyping and start review, so I will get right to it eh?



DISCLAIMER: This was sent to by Steam Crave for review.

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WHAT YOU GET



  • Ragnar RDTA

  • 18mL glass

  • Spare 18mL glass

  • Chamber reducer / deck adapter

  • Spare Parts

  • Tools

  • Paperwork




Available in black, gunmetal, and stainless steel.





STOCK SHOT
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PACKAGING
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OUT OF BOX
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FIRST IMPRESSIONS



Ragnar - Noun - Definition - Masculine Germanic name. Totally accurate Steam Crave. When you open this, you feel like you are handling an atomizer that isn’t messing around. It looks just beefy and gorgeous all at once. Steam Crave machining is on par as well, with nothing to complain about in that department. Measuring in at 35mm wide and 58mm tall, it has a solid width to height ratio that makes it look even heftier. However, beyond the looks comes a lot of function. For starters, Steam Crave has a modified version of the airflow they did on the Aromamizer Plus V2. Like that atomizer, the AFC has multiple settings which cover varying levels of airflow, but also added control of side or bottom airflow. I will get more into that down below. One other thing that is seen in the box is an adapter / chamber reducer. This can be used in conjunction with any of the Aromamizer Plus V1/V2 build decks, so anybody with these has even more options. With how much I have been enjoying the Aroma Plus V2 lately, I couldn’t wait to toss a build in this and start chucking.





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BUILD DECK



The standard building deck on the Ragnar is a postless style, kind of like what we see with the Aromamizer Plus V2. However, it also has 12 small airflow holes that sit right under the coils. Air travels through the sides of the deck and right up these holes for bottom airflow. Building on this isn’t really much different than the previous post less deck. However, one must keep in mind that this is a large atomizer, with a larger build deck, so the proper coils should be applied. The biggest factor here is wicking. If you go with 2.5 or 3mm coils, chances are you won’t have enough cotton to plug the massive wicking channels on the sides. I opted for 3.5mm fused claptons with 8 wraps. They fit like a glove and had adequate cotton without any thinning. Simply tuck that cotton on down in the sides so it is cut a hair above the bottom and you are done.





MESH DECK -



I received another Aromamizer Plus V2 Mesh deck for use with the Ragnar. One would build this the same as before, with cotton snipped so it is flat when it rests in the wicking channels. Then, when all is done, pop this into the adapter and place it in the RDTA. I opted for using the squonk pin on this, and placed the RDTA in dripper mode by removing the chimney section and threading the thing together. I did this because a future review is for the Steam Crave Hadron w/ squonk backpack. So story time out of the way, the mesh deck squonks perfectly. Liquid comes right into the cotton with the slightest of squonking pressure and wicks great every time. I found the flavor to be amazing with the setup like this and it may be one of the best mesh experiences I have ever had.



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AIR FLOW



Airflow is the game changer on this one. Not only does it have an excellent AFC with multiple settings for everyone’s desires, it also has the means to run as side airflow, bottom airflow, or multiple combinations of the two. They did well with the Aromamizer Plus V2, which added several more options over the previous, and this adds to that once again. I found that with my coils, at 85w, I enjoyed the combo of bottom airflow and just one line of airflow open. This was restricted, yet smooth, and the flavor was amazing. With the mesh deck, I ran it the same way, or with just side airflow of 2 lines. With the bottom airflow hole and the adapter, it redirects the air into the side, and it was a little whistley with the mesh deck. Not the case with the Ragnar deck, but I could hear it with that adapter and mesh deck. The airflow is a win on this, even with that little whistle in one instance.





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PHOTO GALLERY



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pizzadave80

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



I bet you know where this is going. I’ve sat here and gushed the entire time, so let’s gush some more. Basically telling you right now that if you like big tanks, just buy one. It is an amazing piece of vaping hardware through and through. Let’s just gush top to bottom. At the top there is a comfortable, yet large 810 drip tip that is a combination of metal and honeycomb resin. Looks almost custom and works great. Then, there is a massive top cap which has HUGE refill ports. Middle section has straight glass, holding a hefty 18mL of liquid. This section can also be removed and you can use the tank as a dripper or tank with a smaller reservoir. Next, there is the juice flow control ring. Per usual Steam Crave products, this opens up the liquid smoothly and can be closed off when refilling or not using which keeps the thing from leaking. Next stop on the way to the bottom is the AFC. As I said above, this one offers side and bottom airflow. The AFC allows one to adjust for either bottom, side, or both combined. It has a wide span of airflow settings and is very versatile. Speaking of the airflow, super smooth, with air going in at all the right places. Down at the bottom, like many Steam Crave devices is a removable base where the deck pops out through the bottom. It all fits together snugly and is sealed with perfect o-ring tolerances. The build deck is easy to build and wick, as long as you use a 3.5-4mm coil. Anything less and the chances of a leak goes up due to lack of cotton. From top to bottom, all I could find are pros. There are very few things to complain about when it comes to this device, but there are a couple. First off, with the mesh deck and bottom air inlet only, it’s a whistle. Secondly, if used in rda mode as a squonker, there isn’t really a juice well. One must be super careful or a mess WILL ensue. Another con for some is the size. 35mm is kind of odd and requires a big mod to look “normal.” I thought 30mm seemed big, but this is a beast. The last con comes with the coils, as the larger coils needed really plows through the juice. I found myself going through 30-60mls daily when set up with dual 3.5mm coils, and that is 30% more than my usual intake.



All in all, the pros outweigh the cons for what this is. It’s big, it has amazing flavor, tons of adjustment, easy to build, lots of deck options, and looks really great. If you are shopping for a big tank, just get this. I promise it won’t disappoint.



COMING SOON - Steam Crave Hadron mod w/ squonking attachment. Spoiler alert, but the Hadron and Ragnar are a match made in heaven.





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OVEN TEST – If this were to accidentally fall into the pizza oven, would I go out and get another? I definitely will. I love this atomizer.







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PROS



  • Really great flavor

  • Machining is top notch

  • Looks beautiful

  • Lots of airflow adjustment

  • Easy to build deck

  • Included adapter works with Aromamizer Plus V1/V2 decks

  • Large fill holes

  • 18ml capacity

  • Juice flow control

  • Nice looking included drip tip for a big one






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CONS



  • 35mm might be bigger than many want

  • Airflow is whistley with bottom airflow inlet and mesh

  • Can easily be oversquonked in rda mode

  • Wicking is easy with right coils….Smaller coils lead to leaks

  • She plows through juice


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Thank you everyone for reading and thank you Steam Crave for sending this my way for review. They have them listed on their site for $59.99 or £48.31 for those of you in the UK.





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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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