Stingray X clone owners, need some help please

[TheHebs]

Does anyone recommend a good Mephisto clone for the SXK stingray X?

As if my luck wasnt already bad, with the shitty stingray x from ebay, I ordered a mephisto clone that killed 3 vtc5's before I realized what the problem was...

I first tried using the floating pin top cap from the stingray X but the 510 connection on this mephisto clone is too short to make contact with the floating pin. I cant use the hybrid adapter because it dead shorts because the atty's contact screw is recessed, so it doesnt make contact with the battery, the threaded part does...

Does anyone have a mephisto clone that currently works well with their SXK?

 

[TheHebs]

I actually just found a little o-ring in my fogger 4.1 kit and put it on the mephisto's contact screw and it pushed it out a little. That was a $30 mistake I will try not to make again

 

[skenzer]

I actually just found a little o-ring in my fogger 4.1 kit and put it on the mephisto's contact screw and it pushed it out a little. That was a $30 mistake I will try not to make again

Yep, been there....done that. :-( It will scare the bejesus out of you if you have that happen on a 4Nine mod. Or did you have the hybrid adapter on your Stingray X when this happened?
Good idea for a fix though. Looks like it might get you by. Stinking eBay is hit or miss. Honestly, I'm finding more and more that I can get the same, or better prices from reputable online sellers so screw eBay. There are good sellers on there...but how do you really know?
Also, if you want a good Mephisto clone try 101Vapes or again I would recommend Focalecig.
I bought mine at 101Vapes and it's a very good clone. It was my second one as my first Mephisto Crap Clone leaked from the negative posts out the deck seams. That was a real joy.
Sucks to destroy good batteries doesn't it? Are you sure they're really shot? You should look into ways to jump start them again. I've heard of other's revitalizing batteries that appear dead.

 

[TheHebs]

Sucks to destroy good batteries doesn't it? Are you sure they're really shot? You should look into ways to jump start them again. I've heard of other's revitalizing batteries that appear dead.

Well they get really hot when it happens, and they read 0.0 on the charger. Any links/videos on how to revitalizing them?

I killed yet another one (fml...) with my 510 volt meter... Apparently it has a spring loaded contact... Be careful with the hybrid adapter guys

 

[skenzer]

There's this thread but I believe it may only work for Protected cells?

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...dilast-18650&p=4053717&viewfull=1#post4053717

I also did a Youtube search for "repair 18650" and quite a few videos popped up dealing specifically with dead 18650 batteries.

 

[bsoplinger]

I recently purchased an Efest brand charger. One thing that it claims to do is bring back batteries that have been over discharged. But truthfully, for the $10 that a replacement would cost, doesn't seem worth the risk to me.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Xparent Purple Tapatalk 2

 

[skenzer]

I recently purchased an Efest brand charger. One thing that it claims to do is bring back batteries that have been over discharged. But truthfully, for the $10 that a replacement would cost, doesn't seem worth the risk to me.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Xparent Purple Tapatalk 2

Which charger did you get and where did you pick it up from? I've been considering picking up either the LUC S2 or the LUC V4. 101vapes has them both for a pretty good price.

 

[bsoplinger]

LUC 2 bay, $25. Word of caution if you buy from 101... That's where I purchased mine. Its a clone. Performs similar to the real one, which is what their write up describes and pictures, except for one thing. The amount of changing current isn't determined by the charger but from a manual switch. So you can't charge a 14500 at 1/2 amp and 18650 at a full amp at the same time. Worse, if you forget to reduce the rate from 1 amp down to a half amp, you'll end up charging that 14500 or 18350 at the full amp rate. I decided I could live with the limitations because the hassle of returning it wasn't worth it. So far in the 6 months I've had it I only charged a small battery at the wrong rate once. After that first mistake I made sure to check the switch whenever I put in a small battery.

The newer model LUC S2 seems to be a much better buy for the extra $3 it costs. The USB port on it gets powered by the power supply for the charger instead of by the battery in the left bay like my older one. Still supports charging from the cigarette lighter socket along with the wall plug. I've only charged in my car twice while on a trip but it was handy that I could. Fancier display. Specs mentioned a 2 amp charging current, perhaps for 26650 batteries?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Xparent Purple Tapatalk 2

 

[Nikkita6]

So I was looking through your review again, and started comparing the engravings 1:1, like a signature or fingerprint, and I can definitely tell a difference. Here is a side by side comparison:

Notice the loop on the bottom right is much different, and the little "ear-like" section in the top middle is much different.

Of course you can .. even before I seen this photo comparison that you did, I can look at any Stingray X and immediately identify whether it is SXK or not. Like you said, like a fingerprint.

There was also someone else on ECF who posted in my Focalecig thread who claimed to have bought the same fake SXK Stingray on Ebay, and I told him the same. As I said before, it is possible that the vendor was also mislead by his supplier, and he may not really know. But this is also why consumers need to remember that very often these "vendors" are no more knowledgeable about ecig products and their manufacturers than you are.

There is a reason that I sent FC directly to SXK, no middle men involved, to get this SXK Stingray X because I knew it was the ONLY 1:1 version being made, and that no supplier could be trusted to get it .. go directly to the source.

 

[Nikkita6]

Does anyone recommend a good Mephisto clone for the SXK stingray X?

As if my luck wasnt already bad, with the shitty stingray x from ebay, I ordered a mephisto clone that killed 3 vtc5's before I realized what the problem was...

I first tried using the floating pin top cap from the stingray X but the 510 connection on this mephisto clone is too short to make contact with the floating pin. I cant use the hybrid adapter because it dead shorts because the atty's contact screw is recessed, so it doesnt make contact with the battery, the threaded part does...

Does anyone have a mephisto clone that currently works well with their SXK?

Here .. check out my review for the iVOGO Mephisto 1:1 clone that I received from @Angelcigs.com http://vapingcheap.com/mephisto-rda-review-ivogo-clone/. The 510 pin is adjustable and I am using it right at this moment on my SXK Stingray X in hybrid mode.

 

[Nikkita6]

Message from the vendor:
Hi. I would have always let you return it. I didn't know that's what you wanted. -I had a conversation with the factory about the engraving of the word "Stingray." They told me that, because at the time, I ordered half in black, they had to use the engraving that went straight down (so they could put color in the word). Nevertheless, I'm pissed at them. I hadn't noticed until you pointed it out. China is different than over here. When buying from China, you pay for the merchandise before they even make it. So, it seems they produced all of ours with the same engraving but then only PVD plated half black. I would have preferred they used a different method for each color. -We ordered these right before the black was even released by JD Tech. These are from the same factory, just not the same mold/production line. They also update their processes as they produce different batches for different companies. That is now one more thing we need to prepare/watch out for in the future. -Oh, if you go to Alibaba and look up Infinite and Shenxingkang, you can read about their company descriptions.
About your purchase, you have always been welcome to return it. If you send me an email when you send it, I'll take it from there. We want all our customers to be happy. I thank you for the info. I never would have noticed the other engraving. If you buy from us in the future, send me an email first and I'll hook you up with a discount.

Thanks,
Dan "

I went ahead and messaged him back telling him about the broken bottom magnet, to see if I can still return it.

This guy is majorly full of epic shit! Tell him to come here have a conversation with me about Shenxingkang Technologies, and Alibaba so I can school him about ordering from China. Everything in his response is either a lie, and a severely distorted version of facts.

Now I don't believe that he was mislead by a supplier, he is simply a lying dip shit and thinks that he can double talk you to death. This asshole should not be in business .. period.

 

[skenzer]

ooooohhhhhh, don't make Nikkita6 mad! At least I wouldn't want too.

 

[skenzer]

LUC 2 bay, $25. Word of caution if you buy from 101... That's where I purchased mine. Its a clone. Performs similar to the real one, which is what their write up describes and pictures, except for one thing. The amount of changing current isn't determined by the charger but from a manual switch. So you can't charge a 14500 at 1/2 amp and 18650 at a full amp at the same time. Worse, if you forget to reduce the rate from 1 amp down to a half amp, you'll end up charging that 14500 or 18350 at the full amp rate. I decided I could live with the limitations because the hassle of returning it wasn't worth it. So far in the 6 months I've had it I only charged a small battery at the wrong rate once. After that first mistake I made sure to check the switch whenever I put in a small battery.

The newer model LUC S2 seems to be a much better buy for the extra $3 it costs. The USB port on it gets powered by the power supply for the charger instead of by the battery in the left bay like my older one. Still supports charging from the cigarette lighter socket along with the wall plug. I've only charged in my car twice while on a trip but it was handy that I could. Fancier display. Specs mentioned a 2 amp charging current, perhaps for 26650 batteries?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Xparent Purple Tapatalk 2

That's kind of surprising to hear. I always thought very highly of 101Vapes and can't believe they would sell a clone under the Efest name. I wonder if they know what the deal is on it? Did you contact them?

 

[bsoplinger]

That's kind of surprising to hear. I always thought very highly of 101Vapes and can't believe they would sell a clone under the Efest name. I wonder if they know what the deal is on it? Did you contact them?

Yeah, emailed to them the day it arrived and I saw the switch in the back marked 0.5 and 1.0 and realized that it wasn't going to be automatic as described. I spent awhile on Alibaba to find the matching product since the 101 pictures were for the real thing and I needed to describe to them the clone display. I even took the trouble to write a review explaining that it wasn't too bad of a charger but wasn't what was described. The next day instead of my review showing up it went out of stock for a few months.

My prior purchases with them were pretty much as everyone else had, good service, good price. But I've not ordered since and haven't suggested them when somebody asks for where to get a particular item and I knew 101 had it.

I guess the thing that made me angry was the reply to my email. After I'd shown them what I received wasn't like what they described they replied they had a 7 day return policy to get a full refund so I had to have it in their hands in 3 days. As opposed to owning up to it not being the real thing and dealing more reasonably.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Xparent Purple Tapatalk 2

 

[TheHebs]

This guy is majorly full of epic shit! Tell him to come here have a conversation with me about Shenxingkang Technologies, and Alibaba so I can school him about ordering from China. Everything in his response is either a lie, and a severely distorted version of facts.

Now I don't believe that he was mislead by a supplier, he is simply a lying dip shit and thinks that he can double talk you to death. This asshole should not be in business .. period.

I totally agree. I can tell he is full of shit and knows what he is selling is not SXK. I am returning it back to him, and once he refunds my money, I will be leaving bad feedback.

I was going to wait on focalecig to get more stingray X's in, but I am impatient. There was a guy on the juice junkies facebook group that enabled a temporary coupon on his site ( http://ripcityvapors.com ) to get the SXK for $35 shipped . I bought 2 and a buddy bought 1. I received my 2 today and wow, it is a night and day difference...

The engravings are nicely beveled. It almost seems like SXK beveled the stainless and the copper at the same time which makes it flow nicely. The shitty fake from ebay was just a standard flat piece of copper and the engravings in the stainless were just straight with no beveling. The stainless outer part actually ended up coming loose from the copper, so i could spin it! wtf...

The seams in the SXK are hardly existent... It truly is excellent machining. The rear button assembly threads were a little rough, but I put some mineral oil on all of the threads and threaded each piece in and out of its mate several times, pushing into the threads, and pulling out from the threads, and then wiped them off with a paper towel and now they all are soooo buttery...

The button is 200% better... It was a little "notchy" at first, but its already smoothed out in about 6 hours of use. The magnets are way stronger... With the mod "unlocked", it can stand on the button, with a battery and atty attached. The fakes wouldnt even come near to doing that, and I feel like that is the reason the button would depress crookedly, forcing you to push the very center to get it to fire.

The drip tip on the fake had a much narrower bore. The new one flows so much more air. The o-rings on the fake were also really small and the drip tip would fall out in my pocket, whereas the real SXK drip tip fits snugly.

When I received the fake from ebay, I remember thinking, "man, is this really what people are raving about?" . With the real SXK, I was like "holy shit, this is what people are raving about...". I am more than impressed with the quality of this thing. I have a panzer, and a copper vanilla, and this thing is smaller, lighter, way sexier, hits hard, and cost me less. I honestly cant think of another mod that can even compare...

 

[TheHebs]

Here .. check out my review for the iVOGO Mephisto 1:1 clone that I received from @Angelcigs.com http://vapingcheap.com/mephisto-rda-review-ivogo-clone/. The 510 pin is adjustable and I am using it right at this moment on my SXK Stingray X in hybrid mode.

I have the ivogo. I could unscrew the pin, but it was really lose. The o-ring made it work nicely.

There are 2 issues that do bug me about this ivogo mephisto clone though...
1) I seem to be leaking juice through the negative post holes. Every time I take the RDA off, I have juice between the hybrid adapter and the under-side of the deck. I dont think it could be the positive post hole since I put the o-ring in it.
2) The deck is actually slightly warped where they pressed one of the negative posts in. It is pushing the o-ring out more in that spot which is causes more friction there. Sometimes it actually pulls the o ring out of the track when I , and has pinched off little slivers of the o ring.

 

[skenzer]

I have the ivogo. I could unscrew the pin, but it was really lose. The o-ring made it work nicely.

There are 2 issues that do bug me about this ivogo mephisto clone though...
1) I seem to be leaking juice through the negative post holes. Every time I take the RDA off, I have juice between the hybrid adapter and the under-side of the deck. I dont think it could be the positive post hole since I put the o-ring in it.
2) The deck is actually slightly warped where they pressed one of the negative posts in. It is pushing the o-ring out more in that spot which is causes more friction there. Sometimes it actually pulls the o ring out of the track when I , and has pinched off little slivers of the o ring.

Yep, mine leaked from the same place. I ended up taking some Krazy Glue and put a dab on the negative post welds on the bottom of the deck. Worked perfectly. No leaks since. The seller sent me a replacement and it was much better.
Clones are that way though. Some good, some bad.

 

[skenzer]

TheHebs > glad to hear you like your new X. - It's a sweet mod for sure. I have always liked my 4nine's but this SXK X is hitting just as hard and, IMO, looks a lot nicer.
Enjoy your new vape toy!

 

[bsoplinger]

I wasn't particularly impressed by the looks of the Stingray X although I did prefer it over the devilfish design, I preferred the original design. Time passes, I see a comment that the USA warehouse of focalecig had them for under $40 including shipping. Decided to get one figuring if I didn't like it I could easily get rid of it. Then it arrived. Its a great mod, smooth threads, nice brushed finish, you've already seen comments about the engraving an how good it looks. Then add in that it comes with a drip tip and semi-hybrid adapter and it just gets better. Its the same size as my 4nine when I use the adapter, hits just as hard.

So if you're thinking about getting a Stingray X, do yourself a favor and get the SXK version. It really is a great mod.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Xparent Purple Tapatalk 2

 

[Nikkita6]

I totally agree. I can tell he is full of shit and knows what he is selling is not SXK. I am returning it back to him, and once he refunds my money, I will be leaving bad feedback.

I was going to wait on focalecig to get more stingray X's in, but I am impatient. There was a guy on the juice junkies facebook group that enabled a temporary coupon on his site ( http://ripcityvapors.com ) to get the SXK for $35 shipped . I bought 2 and a buddy bought 1. I received my 2 today and wow, it is a night and day difference...

The engravings are nicely beveled. It almost seems like SXK beveled the stainless and the copper at the same time which makes it flow nicely. The shitty fake from ebay was just a standard flat piece of copper and the engravings in the stainless were just straight with no beveling. The stainless outer part actually ended up coming loose from the copper, so i could spin it! wtf...

The seams in the SXK are hardly existent... It truly is excellent machining. The rear button assembly threads were a little rough, but I put some mineral oil on all of the threads and threaded each piece in and out of its mate several times, pushing into the threads, and pulling out from the threads, and then wiped them off with a paper towel and now they all are soooo buttery...

The button is 200% better... It was a little "notchy" at first, but its already smoothed out in about 6 hours of use. The magnets are way stronger... With the mod "unlocked", it can stand on the button, with a battery and atty attached. The fakes wouldnt even come near to doing that, and I feel like that is the reason the button would depress crookedly, forcing you to push the very center to get it to fire.

The drip tip on the fake had a much narrower bore. The new one flows so much more air. The o-rings on the fake were also really small and the drip tip would fall out in my pocket, whereas the real SXK drip tip fits snugly.

When I received the fake from ebay, I remember thinking, "man, is this really what people are raving about?" . With the real SXK, I was like "holy shit, this is what people are raving about...". I am more than impressed with the quality of this thing. I have a panzer, and a copper vanilla, and this thing is smaller, lighter, way sexier, hits hard, and cost me less. I honestly cant think of another mod that can even compare...

Awesome! That is without question a true SXK, it is apparent immediately, you don't even have to study it. Looks gorgeous, and yeah, you are rocking my favorite set up too. Its like the Mephisto and SXK were made for each other.

When my switch gets a little sticky, it just needs to be cleaned, so I take it apart and do just that, and its right back to butter. Copper requires maintenance, so the switch will still need to be cleaned periodically.

So happy for you man! And I totally understand not wanting to wait for FC, and you got a slightly better deal too at $35 flat shipped, so good for you! All of your aesthetic observations about the the differences are dead on as well. Some of these vendors are really stupid to think that this kind of bullshit will not be uncovered.

Did they forget that this is a community of vapers who constantly share, and compare information?

 

[Nikkita6]

I have the ivogo. I could unscrew the pin, but it was really lose. The o-ring made it work nicely.

There are 2 issues that do bug me about this ivogo mephisto clone though...
1) I seem to be leaking juice through the negative post holes. Every time I take the RDA off, I have juice between the hybrid adapter and the under-side of the deck. I dont think it could be the positive post hole since I put the o-ring in it.
2) The deck is actually slightly warped where they pressed one of the negative posts in. It is pushing the o-ring out more in that spot which is causes more friction there. Sometimes it actually pulls the o ring out of the track when I , and has pinched off little slivers of the o ring.

Sounds like you got a slightly defective one. I am vaping mine right now, and I don't have a single issue with it. All of my posts are solid, my adjustable pin works just fine .. sorry to hear that yours is a little off, and surprised too being that the negative posts are spot welded. But that is just the nature of mass produced products, there are going to be some lemons in every batch.

 

[MtnDrew]

I totally agree. I can tell he is full of shit and knows what he is selling is not SXK. I am returning it back to him, and once he refunds my money, I will be leaving bad feedback.

I was going to wait on focalecig to get more stingray X's in, but I am impatient. There was a guy on the juice junkies facebook group that enabled a temporary coupon on his site ( http://ripcityvapors.com ) to get the SXK for $35 shipped . I bought 2 and a buddy bought 1. I received my 2 today and wow, it is a night and day difference...

The engravings are nicely beveled. It almost seems like SXK beveled the stainless and the copper at the same time which makes it flow nicely. The shitty fake from ebay was just a standard flat piece of copper and the engravings in the stainless were just straight with no beveling. The stainless outer part actually ended up coming loose from the copper, so i could spin it! wtf...

The seams in the SXK are hardly existent... It truly is excellent machining. The rear button assembly threads were a little rough, but I put some mineral oil on all of the threads and threaded each piece in and out of its mate several times, pushing into the threads, and pulling out from the threads, and then wiped them off with a paper towel and now they all are soooo buttery...

The button is 200% better... It was a little "notchy" at first, but its already smoothed out in about 6 hours of use. The magnets are way stronger... With the mod "unlocked", it can stand on the button, with a battery and atty attached. The fakes wouldnt even come near to doing that, and I feel like that is the reason the button would depress crookedly, forcing you to push the very center to get it to fire.

The drip tip on the fake had a much narrower bore. The new one flows so much more air. The o-rings on the fake were also really small and the drip tip would fall out in my pocket, whereas the real SXK drip tip fits snugly.

When I received the fake from ebay, I remember thinking, "man, is this really what people are raving about?" . With the real SXK, I was like "holy shit, this is what people are raving about...". I am more than impressed with the quality of this thing. I have a panzer, and a copper vanilla, and this thing is smaller, lighter, way sexier, hits hard, and cost me less. I honestly cant think of another mod that can even compare...

Thank you so much for posting this! I accidentally bought the exact same stingray x as you did from the same ebayer. I was wondering how I got lucky enough to get serial #001. Thanks to your post I'm also sending mine back and just ordered the one from ripcityvapor as well.

 

[skenzer]

I've been living with my SXK stingray X mod for a while now and quite frankly it's only gotten better and better over time, much like a fine wine. How can a mechanical mod do this I wonder? Not sure but it has.
I've been using it with both the standard top cap and hybrid cap and both configurations have performed wonderfully. The switch has smoothed out a little more, didn't think that was possible as it was already very nice. To use a grossly overused cliché, it really does hit hard.

The size of this thing is also sweet. Comparing it, in hybrid mode, to my 49nine mods it's basically the same. But the stingray X has a much better switch, IMO.

I've been trying to come up with a negative point for this clone. There is always something right? But I haven't come up with one yet.

If you come across this thread looking to purchase an X I wouldn't hesitate picking one up. I can only speak for the SXK version so that is the one I would look for. Focalecig is where I purchased mine and I can definitely vouch for the quality of their products and they're fantastic customer service. I just purchased a Manhattan mod from them. Now I wait for it to see if it can even come close to my beloved X

 

[Alan Woltemath]

I have 15 SXK Black Stingray X Clones on the way and can't wait to get my hands on them. Should have them in 2 weeks. If they are even close to the quality of the stingray x sold on focal then they will be amazing. I am going to sell a few of them. Let me know if you are interested

 

[bsoplinger]

The only drawback I've found is that when my fibromyalgia is very bad, meaning everything hurts a lot, the way the etching is done is uncomfortable to my fingers. But I'd say that's a special case and shouldn't apply for the average person. Otherwise I agree with you, its just as small as the 4nine but has a nicer switch, has a top cap so you can use practically any atomizer and not just those suitable for the semi-hybrid connector. Hits nice and hard with the inner copper core but no stinky penny fingers because of the stainless steel outside. It really is a nice design improvement over the single material tubes that are used in most mechanical mods.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Xparent Purple Tapatalk 2

 

[ambitionzvaperreviews]

Hey there,
I'm looking to buy a Stingray X brass clone. I would prefer buying form 101Vapes but the one they have has an odd looking button setup. That is, compared to the 1:1 clones I've seen. I've looked at Focalecig, Fasttech, etc but am wondering what the deal is on that 101Vapes version button? There is one review on 101vapes but the reviewer doesn't get into the button setup much.

I contacted them and asked who the manufacturer was of their Stingray X mod and they said it was "undisclosed". Whatever that means?

Anybody buy their Stingray X clone from 101Vapes? Or from someplace else and have had a really good experience with it? FT has the best price but as usual it will "ship in 7 business days".

Hey there,
I'm looking to buy a Stingray X brass clone. I would prefer buying form 101Vapes but the one they have has an odd looking button setup. That is, compared to the 1:1 clones I've seen. I've looked at Focalecig, Fasttech, etc but am wondering what the deal is on that 101Vapes version button? There is one review on 101vapes but the reviewer doesn't get into the button setup much.

I contacted them and asked who the manufacturer was of their Stingray X mod and they said it was "undisclosed". Whatever that means?

Anybody buy their Stingray X clone from 101Vapes? Or from someplace else and have had a really good experience with it? FT has the best price but as usual it will "ship in 7 business days".

I bought the SXK stingray x from eBay and I have been waiting a long time for it! I want to know is there another place to buy the SXK white stingray x clone somewhere???