SMOK TFV16 SUB OHM
Hi to all. First up I would like to thank Simon from HealthCabin for kindly sending me this tank for review.
What follows are my own personal experiences using it and may differ from the experiences and thoughts which others have had using this device.
This is not a paid review as such although I can keep the product after it is completed.
The TFV16 Sub Ohm Tank.
To be honest this is the first Smok product I have used or owned. In the past I have heard various views on the quality of Smok devices with many being quite negative so I was keen to give this tank a try and see for myself what they were like.
The tank sent to me is of a metallic blue colour which is a real eye catcher and comes with the usual extras being spare seals, a standard spare glass, an extra coil (.12 dual mesh rated 80 to 160watt) as well as a not so usual full glass silicone protector sleeve.
Preinstalled with the tank is a .17 ohm single mesh coil (rated at 120 watt) and the larger bubble glass fitted.
Capacity using the bubble glass is stated to be an impressive, whopping 9 ml of ejuice. But, I'll say more about this further on.
The fill section, top, is held securely in place by a press button which when depressed see's the user push down a little on the top and swing it open as opposed to the now common slider type seen on many others. Closing is a simple reversal of the opening procedure which sees the button click firmly into place. It really is an effective system and should never see the top come open by accident.
I do however find the process may be an issue for some who suffer dexterity issues with their hands such as arthritis and the likes as it does take a little, not for the average person, pushing or down force opening and closing. My wife injured her hand a couple of years ago and she finds it hard to do so as she suffers chronic regional pain syndrome. This wont I am sure worry the majority of people at all but is worth a mention for those with similar issues.
Now before I go on I should suggest that when you get this tank you give it a good clean as oily residues of some description were present on this tank around the top fill seal and the top and bottom glass seal. Now I use the term oily due to the viscous feel of it when I rubbed it between my finger and thumb although there was no perceivable smell associated with it. Were they there on purpose to aid in the seals not perishing or sticking until put in use? I have had tanks from other manufacturers where the seals had adhered to the glass and metal fill section! The thought did cross my mind as it was only present on the seals, but either way whether it be purposeful or residue give it a clean or you will probably end up vaping it.
Filling is easy on this tank and I was able to squeeze my juice into it as fast as I could with zero issues of over spill.
The seal too seems to be very effective as each time I have opened the top there was no evidence that juice had ever got past it.
Now, this tank is big and chunky and also has a 28mm base and so being it can look a little out of place on some mods aesthetically speaking, meaning you are perhaps going to want something substantial to mount it on. And whilst on the subject of mods you are also going to want something with some decent high amp batteries in it so as to see you exercising battery safety. This thing, the TFV16, uses low ohm high wattage coils which will push some setups into the danger zone battery wise. Always use an ohms calculator to see whether your current device can accommodate low ohm high wattage coils safely.
Im using this tank with a 2 × 20700 30amp battery mod and another 2 × 18650 30amp set up.
The TFV16 below on some different mods.
Ok, back to the Tank. Assembly and disassembly I am happy to say is pretty easy without the need, in my experience, of having to use rubber gloves to aid in gripping nor any type of tool. No worries about using too much pressure to remove the glass either. I hate tanks that see you needing to grip the glass and apply force to remove them as I am always worried it will break and slice up my hand. No such issue with this Smok. I will say though I had read about some having issues with coil connection and upon assembly and filling they have seen no atomiser message on their mods. Could their initial setting up of the tank and having this problem be connected to the residue I noticed and cleaned? I am not saying it is but it could be possible.
Now this is what I always do to ensure a good connection. Clean the contacts in the tank base to ensure no juice residue nor manufacturing residue is on the surfaces and do so on the coil base as well. Personally I use some iso alcohol on a cotton tip, it removes what might be there and virtually dries in an instant. I also use a tissue to give a little bit better grip when doing up a coil into the base as well to ensure it's fully done up. No need to go all Hercules on it, just do it up firm to ensure it's done all the way.
Now about the coils.
They're big. Stating the obvious right! Check out the Dual Mesh .12 ohm next to a UForce Tank!
As said, the TFV16 comes with a .17 ohm coil preinstalled. This coil is rated to 120 watts and considered best used at that same wattage level. Now this does not mean you have to use it at that level and you may wish to use it lower. Personally I preferred it around 110 watts. Now, it is a very airy coil, in fact the TFV16 itself is an air beast!
So those who love a full on air flow, and I'll admit I'm a fan of a good air flow myself, should fall in love with this beast of a tank in that regard's. The flavour was and is great but if I personally had one negative with this coil it is this. It feels like to me that it oversaturate's a little. This showed up in residue at the tank base bottom and although I got no leak issues it was still visually evident and also transmitted through in the draw. You could just feel and hear that it was just a tad oversaturating. I used this for a number of days and it tasted great but due to this feeling and perception did not persist in using it and so swapped out for the .12 ohm dual mesh.
Wow, what a difference. This thing vaped as smooth as silk and without so much of a hint of the oversaturation issue I felt was present with the .17 ohm coil. The air flow was very smooth, and may have felt just a smidgen less open or unrestricted than the .17 with the air flow fully open, but flavour was fully saturated inhale and exhale and clouds aplenty. The TFV16 shines on this coil out of the two in my opinion. I tried it from 90 watt which was very underwhelming, 100 hmmm a bit better, 110 now this was nice, 120 and bang on flavour. I upped it bit by bit to 160 and to be honest all it did to me was increase the warmth of the vape. If anything at 160 it may have tapered off a little flavour wise but definitely wasn't muted or lost.
This Dual Mesh is really a great coil. It wicks no issue and I never had even the hint of a dry hit or flavour loss.
Hi to all. First up I would like to thank Simon from HealthCabin for kindly sending me this tank for review.
What follows are my own personal experiences using it and may differ from the experiences and thoughts which others have had using this device.
This is not a paid review as such although I can keep the product after it is completed.
The TFV16 Sub Ohm Tank.
To be honest this is the first Smok product I have used or owned. In the past I have heard various views on the quality of Smok devices with many being quite negative so I was keen to give this tank a try and see for myself what they were like.
The tank sent to me is of a metallic blue colour which is a real eye catcher and comes with the usual extras being spare seals, a standard spare glass, an extra coil (.12 dual mesh rated 80 to 160watt) as well as a not so usual full glass silicone protector sleeve.
Preinstalled with the tank is a .17 ohm single mesh coil (rated at 120 watt) and the larger bubble glass fitted.
Capacity using the bubble glass is stated to be an impressive, whopping 9 ml of ejuice. But, I'll say more about this further on.
The fill section, top, is held securely in place by a press button which when depressed see's the user push down a little on the top and swing it open as opposed to the now common slider type seen on many others. Closing is a simple reversal of the opening procedure which sees the button click firmly into place. It really is an effective system and should never see the top come open by accident.
I do however find the process may be an issue for some who suffer dexterity issues with their hands such as arthritis and the likes as it does take a little, not for the average person, pushing or down force opening and closing. My wife injured her hand a couple of years ago and she finds it hard to do so as she suffers chronic regional pain syndrome. This wont I am sure worry the majority of people at all but is worth a mention for those with similar issues.
Now before I go on I should suggest that when you get this tank you give it a good clean as oily residues of some description were present on this tank around the top fill seal and the top and bottom glass seal. Now I use the term oily due to the viscous feel of it when I rubbed it between my finger and thumb although there was no perceivable smell associated with it. Were they there on purpose to aid in the seals not perishing or sticking until put in use? I have had tanks from other manufacturers where the seals had adhered to the glass and metal fill section! The thought did cross my mind as it was only present on the seals, but either way whether it be purposeful or residue give it a clean or you will probably end up vaping it.
Filling is easy on this tank and I was able to squeeze my juice into it as fast as I could with zero issues of over spill.
The seal too seems to be very effective as each time I have opened the top there was no evidence that juice had ever got past it.
Now, this tank is big and chunky and also has a 28mm base and so being it can look a little out of place on some mods aesthetically speaking, meaning you are perhaps going to want something substantial to mount it on. And whilst on the subject of mods you are also going to want something with some decent high amp batteries in it so as to see you exercising battery safety. This thing, the TFV16, uses low ohm high wattage coils which will push some setups into the danger zone battery wise. Always use an ohms calculator to see whether your current device can accommodate low ohm high wattage coils safely.
Im using this tank with a 2 × 20700 30amp battery mod and another 2 × 18650 30amp set up.
The TFV16 below on some different mods.
Ok, back to the Tank. Assembly and disassembly I am happy to say is pretty easy without the need, in my experience, of having to use rubber gloves to aid in gripping nor any type of tool. No worries about using too much pressure to remove the glass either. I hate tanks that see you needing to grip the glass and apply force to remove them as I am always worried it will break and slice up my hand. No such issue with this Smok. I will say though I had read about some having issues with coil connection and upon assembly and filling they have seen no atomiser message on their mods. Could their initial setting up of the tank and having this problem be connected to the residue I noticed and cleaned? I am not saying it is but it could be possible.
Now this is what I always do to ensure a good connection. Clean the contacts in the tank base to ensure no juice residue nor manufacturing residue is on the surfaces and do so on the coil base as well. Personally I use some iso alcohol on a cotton tip, it removes what might be there and virtually dries in an instant. I also use a tissue to give a little bit better grip when doing up a coil into the base as well to ensure it's fully done up. No need to go all Hercules on it, just do it up firm to ensure it's done all the way.
Now about the coils.
They're big. Stating the obvious right! Check out the Dual Mesh .12 ohm next to a UForce Tank!
As said, the TFV16 comes with a .17 ohm coil preinstalled. This coil is rated to 120 watts and considered best used at that same wattage level. Now this does not mean you have to use it at that level and you may wish to use it lower. Personally I preferred it around 110 watts. Now, it is a very airy coil, in fact the TFV16 itself is an air beast!
So those who love a full on air flow, and I'll admit I'm a fan of a good air flow myself, should fall in love with this beast of a tank in that regard's. The flavour was and is great but if I personally had one negative with this coil it is this. It feels like to me that it oversaturate's a little. This showed up in residue at the tank base bottom and although I got no leak issues it was still visually evident and also transmitted through in the draw. You could just feel and hear that it was just a tad oversaturating. I used this for a number of days and it tasted great but due to this feeling and perception did not persist in using it and so swapped out for the .12 ohm dual mesh.
Wow, what a difference. This thing vaped as smooth as silk and without so much of a hint of the oversaturation issue I felt was present with the .17 ohm coil. The air flow was very smooth, and may have felt just a smidgen less open or unrestricted than the .17 with the air flow fully open, but flavour was fully saturated inhale and exhale and clouds aplenty. The TFV16 shines on this coil out of the two in my opinion. I tried it from 90 watt which was very underwhelming, 100 hmmm a bit better, 110 now this was nice, 120 and bang on flavour. I upped it bit by bit to 160 and to be honest all it did to me was increase the warmth of the vape. If anything at 160 it may have tapered off a little flavour wise but definitely wasn't muted or lost.
This Dual Mesh is really a great coil. It wicks no issue and I never had even the hint of a dry hit or flavour loss.
