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What to buy for $100-200??

I want something of good quality that will last a long time and not cause me too many issues. I'm willing to spend up to $200 but if I don't need too then that is best. I know I'd prefer a tank to a dripper. I'm guessing a box mod is what I need? I am a complete noob to this. I definitely want something with a good amount of battery life.

All help and input is greatly appreciated. I figured it's smarter to start with questions on a forum before delving further into the topic. Hope to see some replies in the morning.
 

ej1024

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Member For 4 Years
Long dong have you ever VAPE anything before ??


VAPE ON
 
Long dong have you ever VAPE anything before ??


VAPE ON
Yes. I am vaping my mom's iStick 30w right now and it seems like a piece of shit. I've used people's vapes that'd blow some serious clouds and taste fantastic. I'm looking for something like that.

You have any ideas for what might fit my budget?
 

Superjeep

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Member For 4 Years
If it was me and I had $200 to spend right now to start out in this day and age of vaping I would buy 2 VTC mini's, 4 LG HG2's and a Efest LUC V4 charger. That should leave ya enough to buy a couple tanks of your choice. Tanks are so subjective and vary in style its hard to recommend with out knowing how you vape.

The VTC mini's are just so good for a small single battery mod. If your ok with a larger mod and want the ability to vape pretty high then the joytech cuboid which is essentially a VTC mini with dual batterys. They just work well. The Wismec RX200 is also a great choice and you can pick up all 3 for $40. The RX200 is a 3 battery mod though so its thicker than the other 2 and will cost ya more in batteries.

Just do yourself a favor and dont just buy 1 mod. It doesnt matter if the mod costs $200 it can break just like a $40 mod because your dealing with electronics. 99.9% of the time the $40 and the $200 dollar mod use the same switches and little bits and bobs anyways. Plus it lets ya run 2 flavors/tanks and if one does break you got a second in reserve.

If ya dont care about form factor that much then the Cuboid and the RX200 are the route to take. The RX200 will have better battery life but again is pretty big. I personally like the way the cuboid looks but others might prefer the RX200 so take a look at both. Just keep in mind more batteries means more money. You really want 2 sets of batteries per mod.

Man I would have killed for the noobie selection you all have today. My choices when I started were ego battery or 808 and clearomizer or carto. Lucky bastards...
 
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If it was me and I had $200 to spend right now to start out in this day and age of vaping I would buy 2 VTC mini's, 4 LG HG2's and a Efest LUC V4 charger. That should leave ya enough to buy a couple tanks of your choice. Tanks are so subjective and vary in style its hard to recommend with out knowing how you vape.

The VTC mini's are just so good for a small single battery mod. If your ok with a larger mod and want the ability to vape pretty high then the joytech cuboid which is essentially a VTC mini with dual batterys. They just work well. The Wismec RX200 is also a great choice and you can pick up all 3 for $40. The RX200 is a 3 battery mod though so its thicker than the other 2 and will cost ya more in batteries.

Just do yourself a favor and dont just buy 1 mod. It doesnt matter if the mod costs $200 it can break just like a $40 mod because your dealing with electronics. 99.9% of the time the $40 and the $200 dollar mod use the same switches and little bits and bobs anyways. Plus it lets ya run 2 flavors/tanks and if one does break you got a second in reserve.

If ya dont care about form factor that much then the Cuboid and the RX200 are the route to take. The RX200 will have better battery life but again is pretty big. I personally like the way the cuboid looks but others might prefer the RX200 so take a look at both. Just keep in mind more batteries means more money. You really want 2 sets of batteries per mod.

Man I would have killed for the noobie selection you all have today. My choices when I started were ego battery or 808 and clearomizer or carto. Lucky bastards...
It's funny, I do feel lucky. It feels like the perfect time to jump into the vaping world. I haven't had a cigarette in 10 days so I'm trying to get a nice vape setup before I cave. So far I've got a list put together after a bit of research and forum posts.

Nitecore D4 New 2014 Version Black Digi Charger - 4 Slot - LCD Display
Griffin RTA by Geek Vape
LG Brown HG2 INR18650 3000mah 18650 Battery (pair) *3x
Wismec Reuleaux Rx200 Tc Vw Box Mod Black Authentic

Look how sick this tank is:
GeekVape_Griffin_RTA_Tank_3.5ml_Black_6__26695.1451481614.500.480.jpg

On this mod:
211EwzakOaL.jpg


I'm pumped. Any tweaks to that list?
 

Superjeep

Bronze Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Should work fine but make sure your up to building coils. Watch vids and buy a little ohm meter, ceramic tweezers and a coiler. I would still consider buying a second setup. I am speaking from experience on that one. I would hate going back to just one setup. You seem to already know you like vaping from using others setups so it wouldnt be a waste of money.
 

Superjeep

Bronze Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Oh also know that tank is gonna rip through juice pretty fast as it only holds 3.4 ml and is made for using aggressive coils. I went with aromamizers just for the 6ml capacity an dstill feel like I rip through juice with claptons at 50 watts. Has a good looking build deck though.
 

dre

Platinum Contributor
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Member For 5 Years
I'd get a sx mini ML CLASS its a super quality mod and can be found for $149.99 with coupon code my vape guru at vape-guru.com

Sent from my Droid Turbo 2 using Tapatalk
 

ej1024

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Member For 4 Years
I'd get a sx mini ML CLASS its a super quality mod and can be found for $149.99 with coupon code my vape guru at vape-guru.com

Sent from my Droid Turbo 2 using Tapatalk
Too much for a newbie, OP JUST WANNA START FROM SOMEWHERE,40 watts is never enough for young bloods


VAPE ON
 

Angrygod50

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That's a good setup, better than what most start with. Welcome to the VU.
Looks like you did your homework.
 

Mattp169

Platinum Contributor
Vape Media
Member For 5 Years
well im going to be different
UNLESS you think you absolutely need temp control on stainless steel

id get the ipv 3li
its a double battery mod and it holds up like a tank. mine is at least 6 month sold and i bought it used and its been treated roughly by me. it works like new

so theres long lasting durable for ya.
youll need the charger and batteries everyone else says
2 pair of lg hg2s should do ya 3 pairs if ya want
f you want the clouds and dont want to build coils
get a crown tank or a tfv4

if you want to build coils well then do you want to drip or have a tank

dripping - there are tons of options
tanks or RTAs well theres fewer choices and depends on your preferences - I love my crius - but some have issues with theirs. the griffin is getting great reviews but is still fairly new . the billow v2 has been a solid performer
 

PuffPuffPass

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Man I would have killed for the noobie selection you all have today. My choices when I started were ego battery or 808 and clearomizer or carto. Lucky bastards...

Some, luckier than others.
I started with cartos, and only had a few choices of juice. There wasn't anyone to talk to about any of the choices. Not even a low key online presence.

Most videos were about how to clean/boil your cartos to cut cost, and little else. And batteries? None existent.
 
@Superjeep
I am up to building coils. My sister kind of knows how to do it. We should be able to figure it out. I don't know anything about how many wraps on the coils or how dense of wire, etc. I'm just going to stick with one setup for now since it's about to run me $140+.

@everyone
Thanks so much for all the help. I think I'm also going to add an OHM meter to my shopping list. I can probably figure out how to use that on my own. If anyone has anything else to add that would be great.
 

OneBadWolf

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If anyone has anything else to add that would be great.

Ceramic tip tweezers. they sound like a luxury, and to some degree are, but if you build, once you have them you will wonder how you ever got along without them.

Something to build on, other that your mod, as most mods are quite tippy. Decent wire clippers, and scissors.
I use a pair of surgical suture scissors, they were under $5 at a medical supply shop.

A decent ( you don't have to go nuts, but better than dollar store quality ) set of small screwdrivers. I should probably have put this at the top. Mr Blue (the tiny blue screw driver that comes with every piece of new vape gear you buy ) should be disposed of or put into a bag and sent to ISIS.

Any extra expense on the screwdrivers will be offset by not having to replace difficult to find screws, and the lack of gouge marks on your hands from one slipping off.

A non slip juice reststant surnace to build on. 1 yoga mat cut into sections will provide you and your sister a lifetime supply.

Aflexible work light is nice, and a hands free magnifier as well is quite handy.

Make sure to cross check your Ohm meter against a known good meter, some are out by a considerable amount.
 
Ok cool I'll pickup everything. The ceramic tip tweezers are cheap, thankfully. I didn't expect that.

How do I build the atomizer with the cotton and wire. And what do the different wire sizes do?
 

Angrygod50

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look at steam-engine.org for wire sizes, types, wraps and resistances . You tube for videos on how to build coils.
 

Superjeep

Bronze Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Your really gonna have to spend some quality time watching youtube vids on coil building. its hard to convey on a forum. That coil master full kit is pretty nice. Im sure if you look around you can find it cheaper or look at everything in the kit and piece it together.

Unfortunately the fact is your just gonna have to spend some extra money to get all the little bits and bobs. Dont just buy 1 size wire buy 3 common sizes which is usually 24, 26 and 28 ga for most wires. Try a couple different cottons like some muji and some cotton bacon. Every time I thought I was buying exactly what I needed and didnt get any other options I screwed myself.

The initial investment ramps up the price but you will find fairly quickly that it starts paying for itself and then you can spend your money on fun stuff like new atty's and different juice instead of having to buy replacement coils. I skimped on ceramic tweezers for the longest time until I finally bought a pair and then wanted to punch myself in the face for how nice and easy they made things.
 
look at steam-engine.org for wire sizes, types, wraps and resistances . You tube for videos on how to build coils.
Jesus, the tools on that website look intimidating. It seems I have very much to learn. This is gonna' be fun.
You can get everything you need for building right here...

http://www.coil-master.net/product/
What part of these kits are absolutely necessary? I only want the essentials for my intial investment, and then later on will see about picking up some extras. I'd hate to spend an extra $50 right now when I really only NEED 30 percent of that stuff.

Contents of kit:
1 x diagonal pliers, 1 x Needle-nose pliers, 1 x Stainless steel folding scissors, 1 x Pen styled cross Screwdriver, 1 x Pen styled straight Screwdriver, 1 x Ceramic Tweezer (T1) so you can fire your coils while squeezing to, 1 x Elbow Tweezer (T3) to make all your adjustments, 1 x Kanthel wire, 1 x Ohm Meter to measure the resistance of your atomizers, 1 x Coiling Kit V3, 1 x Silicon rubber case


Your really gonna have to spend some quality time watching youtube vids on coil building. its hard to convey on a forum. That coil master full kit is pretty nice. Im sure if you look around you can find it cheaper or look at everything in the kit and piece it together.

Unfortunately the fact is your just gonna have to spend some extra money to get all the little bits and bobs. Dont just buy 1 size wire buy 3 common sizes which is usually 24, 26 and 28 ga for most wires. Try a couple different cottons like some muji and some cotton bacon. Every time I thought I was buying exactly what I needed and didnt get any other options I screwed myself.

The initial investment ramps up the price but you will find fairly quickly that it starts paying for itself and then you can spend your money on fun stuff like new atty's and different juice instead of having to buy replacement coils. I skimped on ceramic tweezers for the longest time until I finally bought a pair and then wanted to punch myself in the face for how nice and easy they made things.
Yeah I'm aware of that and have no problem doing so. I like to embark on new hobbies and learn new things. I figured there might be more to it than just asking you guys. Y'all definitely got me on the right track though!

I'm not sure of the guage, maybe my mom does, but I have 3 separate coils of wire right next to me. We have some cotton. I know it's organic, but that's all I know. I'll probably take all of this to the vape shop with my new mod/tank and see what they have to say about it. From there I'll learn how to do everything on my own and really start tweaking my setup to perfection.

I know for a fact I'm ordering some ceramic tweezers, but other than that I don't know what tools are absolutely necessary. What tool can you not live without?
 

skt239

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Jesus, the tools on that website look intimidating. It seems I have very much to learn. This is gonna' be fun.
What part of these kits are absolutely necessary? I only want the essentials for my intial investment, and then later on will see about picking up some extras. I'd hate to spend an extra $50 right now when I really only NEED 30 percent of that stuff.

Contents of kit:




Yeah I'm aware of that and have no problem doing so. I like to embark on new hobbies and learn new things. I figured there might be more to it than just asking you guys. Y'all definitely got me on the right track though!

I'm not sure of the guage, maybe my mom does, but I have 3 separate coils of wire right next to me. We have some cotton. I know it's organic, but that's all I know. I'll probably take all of this to the vape shop with my new mod/tank and see what they have to say about it. From there I'll learn how to do everything on my own and really start tweaking my setup to perfection.

I know for a fact I'm ordering some ceramic tweezers, but other than that I don't know what tools are absolutely necessary. What tool can you not live without?

I guess it depends on which of those items you already have..
 

Mattp169

Platinum Contributor
Vape Media
Member For 5 Years
ok tomake coils
you need something to wrap the wire around
the normal diameters of these rods we use are 2,2.53 and 3.5mm
many use small screwdrivers and drill bits
but these coil jigs MAKE IT EASIER they have screws to hold the wire in place and make it easy to turn.

you need something to cut wire. like the pliers that are snips
or nail clippers work well

you need good scissors to cut the cotton

other then that and something to check your ohms

now ceramic tweezers are super handy becuase you should be able to dry fire the coil with it pinched together
which sine you cant fire it with something metal touching the coil, cuz it will short, ceramic tweezers are awesome.

Thats bare minimum stuff

make sure you either get a coil jig or have things like small screwdrivers or drill bits or something with the proper diameters to wrap on
 
This thing blows CLOUDS!!!! And tastes AMAZING! Thank you all so, so much for helping me!! I brought everything to our local vape shop and the guys there taught me as they built it. I picked up some Bird Brains juice. It tastes like cereal:cool: They also told me everything I have is 100% authentic. This thing has a very high quality feel to it. It is comfortable to hold. The black on black looks awesome. I couldn't be happier
 

JERUS

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This thing blows CLOUDS!!!! And tastes AMAZING! Thank you all so, so much for helping me!! I brought everything to our local vape shop and the guys there taught me as they built it. I picked up some Bird Brains juice. It tastes like cereal:cool: They also told me everything I have is 100% authentic. This thing has a very high quality feel to it. It is comfortable to hold. The black on black looks awesome. I couldn't be happier

If you're planning on making your own coils (plenty of options to order premade coils to pop in if you want), grab some ceramic tweezers, an ohmmeter, some needlenose pliers, wire snippers, and if you want to get fancy grab a drill and some coated pliers. Then something to wrap the coil around (Drill bits, precision screwdrivers or a specialized coil wrapping kit like the coilmaster).

The one thing you don't mention is your batteries. Make sure to stick to the actual brands, Samsung, Sony, and LG, anything else is simply one of those with a special wrapping. Marry your batteries (helps to just mark them with a sharpie) keep them always together, charge them together, use them together, and throw them away when they go bad together. Quality batteries are worth it, check out some online shops like liionwholesale or Illumn they'll probably be cheaper than you're buying at a store and of the same or better quality. In general Samsung 25r/LG HG2 for long life, Sony VTC4 for higher power output. Batteries are where your safety is at. With a regulated mod all you really have to do is make sure you're using the same batteries throughout and keep them in sets always together. Do that and you'll be fine, the more complicated ideas of battery safety are for mech mods, though still worth learning (no reason to set your mod to 200w when your setup can only handle 150w and you're making your chip do the work of saying 'no' and just cutting it off).

And one last tip, while I love the idea of supporting local shops (they're great to teach people things and help them with issues as well as supply things that you need right now), if you're vaping that you're probably going to go through some juice quite quickly. Might be worth looking into some more budget friendly juices. Lots of quality things around with much fairer price tags, though it is nice to treat yourself to something extra special once in a while.
 

Jackrouach

Member For 4 Years
Member For 3 Years
I have a xcube2 and looking to upgrade not happy with the trigger gets stuck then I fix it and it gets stuck again its a hassle looking at snow wolf or rx200 with dna200 or without not sure if I need a dna200 I don't temp I prefer watts. I use a tfv4 and a troll rda. Problem with the rx200 is I have 3 sets of 2 batteries which now I see I will need 3 idk ols help

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk
 

StanM

Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
I have a xcube2 and looking to upgrade not happy with the trigger gets stuck then I fix it and it gets stuck again its a hassle looking at snow wolf or rx200 with dna200 or without not sure if I need a dna200 I don't temp I prefer watts. I use a tfv4 and a troll rda. Problem with the rx200 is I have 3 sets of 2 batteries which now I see I will need 3 idk ols help

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk
You can always check out the Joyetech Cuboid. Same features and wattage as rx200, but 2 battery design.
 

Jackrouach

Member For 4 Years
Member For 3 Years
What would happen if I un paired and used my 3 sets of two into 2 sets of 3

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