Introduction
After reviewing and enjoying the original Gear RTA what seems like a million years ago, I didn’t have to be asked twice if I wanted to try the V2, the original Gear RTA was near the start of my single-coil love affair, however there have been a lot of really good single-coil RTAs since the release of the Gear RTA, so let’s see how this one compares.
More Images are here
What do you get?
First impressions
My first impression is that this is very different from the original Gear RTA for three reasons:
The actual RTA is very compact – it’s a fraction taller than the original Gear RTA – but it managed to have 3.5ml juice capacity without using bubble glass.
The PCTG tank has a textured rippled effect which (at least on my clear version) looks nice, overall the RTA is quite attractive and despite the comparative lack of metal, it avoids the cheap and nasty look/feel that the all plastic Wasp RTA suffered from.
Build
The deck is a very similar design to the original Gear RTA with one major difference – the original had four deck screws, while the V2 only has two – this will make the direction that you wrap your coil a factor.
The actual build is very easy, the flathead screws are large and there is a small lip, so capturing your coils is a simple process.
Wicking is just as easy as putting the coil in, trim them aligned to edge of the base, fluff them and place them in the wicking ports, and it works a treat. With my initial build, I had a tiny dribble of liquid when filling it for the first time, but since then there hasn’t been a single leak, and the underneath of the RTA has remained bone dry.
Airflow
It’s fixed, if that’s an issue for you, then this isn’t the RTA for you. For me, I tend to leave most of my compact single-coil coil RTAs fully open – so this didn’t bother me. The actual airflow lacks the smoothness of something like the Eclipse RTA with its honeycomb airflow, it’s not that it’s super noisy, it’s more of a feeling than a noise.
On the subject of the airflow being fixed, Wotofo stated that this design was chosen to stop condensation from the gap between the base and airflow ring – I have no idea if this is effective or not, but there is zero moisture on my mod, so maybe it does work.
Drip-tip
The drip-tip is part of the top-cap – I assume this is to make the distance the vapor has to travel a little shorter and increase flavor – you can get just as short travel with a regular 510 drip-tip, but only if you use a very low-profile drip-tip, which I think are generally horrible.
The built in drip-tip does seem to be well judged in its dimensions, it’s tall enough to get a decent grip and the inner bore suits the airflow and general performance of the RTA.
There’s no way to judge if it is worth the shorter vapor path to increase flavor, if it means not having a removable drip-tip, however this drip-tip setup hasn’t caused me any issues, so it might be.
I still miss not having the drip-tips from the original Gear RTA though – in my opinion these are the best non-MTL 510 drip-tips ever.
How does it perform?
With both builds, the wicking had no issues keeping up, even when chain vaping.
Comparing this to every compact single-coil RTA is hard, obviously I haven’t tried them all – but when compared to the Eclipse, Druga RTA, Mad Hatter RTA, Gear V1 and Kelpie RTA, the Gear V2 is at least as good as the best of them on flavor. I won’t compare it to RTAs like the Kylin Mini V2 and the Blotto Single, because they require a little more power to perform at their best and cater for a slightly different type of vaping.
Good flavor shouldn’t really be a surprise from this RTA – the airflow is hitting the underneath of the coil, the chamber is compact and the distance from coil to drip-tip is short.
What could be improved?
This is hard – I imagine the two biggest complaints about the Gear RTA V2 are going to be the proprietary drip-tip and the fixed airflow – however, both of these limitations also bring possible benefits – so, it’s hard to say if changing them would have been a good choice or not.
The only thing that I am sure would have brought improvements without losing any performance, is having four post screws instead of two.
Conclusion
It’s a simple trade-off, you’re losing flexibility and you’re gaining flavor plus simplicity.
To really enjoy the Gear V2, you do need to have quite specific tastes – very slightly restricted direct lung airflow, 45-55w vape, a good balance of flavor and vapor production – you might be able to tweak it a little with a round wire build, or cut down the airflow with a larger coil and/or play with coil height, but that’s not really the point – either it suits you or it doesn’t.
But is it my favorite single-coil flavor banger? For me, it’s between this and the Eclipse – the Eclipse has better airflow – it’s adjustable and smoother, the Gear V2 slightly edges out the Eclipse when it comes to flavor, the Gear V2 has better vapor production, the Eclipse lets you use your own drip-tips, and the Gear V2 is an easier build. I’ll choose performance over flexibility, so the Gear V2 would be my choice.
Disclaimer
The Wotofo Gear V2 RTA was provided for the purposes of this review by Wotofo.
After reviewing and enjoying the original Gear RTA what seems like a million years ago, I didn’t have to be asked twice if I wanted to try the V2, the original Gear RTA was near the start of my single-coil love affair, however there have been a lot of really good single-coil RTAs since the release of the Gear RTA, so let’s see how this one compares.
More Images are here
What do you get?
- Gear RTA V2
- 2×3.0mm Framed Staple Clapton 0.33ohm
- 2×3.0mm ageleted cotton
- Screwdriver/spare O-rings/spare screws
First impressions
My first impression is that this is very different from the original Gear RTA for three reasons:
- The airflow is fixed
- Apart from the deck/base there isn’t much metal
- The drip-tip is built into the top-cap
The actual RTA is very compact – it’s a fraction taller than the original Gear RTA – but it managed to have 3.5ml juice capacity without using bubble glass.
The PCTG tank has a textured rippled effect which (at least on my clear version) looks nice, overall the RTA is quite attractive and despite the comparative lack of metal, it avoids the cheap and nasty look/feel that the all plastic Wasp RTA suffered from.
Build
The deck is a very similar design to the original Gear RTA with one major difference – the original had four deck screws, while the V2 only has two – this will make the direction that you wrap your coil a factor.
The actual build is very easy, the flathead screws are large and there is a small lip, so capturing your coils is a simple process.
Wicking is just as easy as putting the coil in, trim them aligned to edge of the base, fluff them and place them in the wicking ports, and it works a treat. With my initial build, I had a tiny dribble of liquid when filling it for the first time, but since then there hasn’t been a single leak, and the underneath of the RTA has remained bone dry.
Airflow
It’s fixed, if that’s an issue for you, then this isn’t the RTA for you. For me, I tend to leave most of my compact single-coil coil RTAs fully open – so this didn’t bother me. The actual airflow lacks the smoothness of something like the Eclipse RTA with its honeycomb airflow, it’s not that it’s super noisy, it’s more of a feeling than a noise.
On the subject of the airflow being fixed, Wotofo stated that this design was chosen to stop condensation from the gap between the base and airflow ring – I have no idea if this is effective or not, but there is zero moisture on my mod, so maybe it does work.
Drip-tip
The drip-tip is part of the top-cap – I assume this is to make the distance the vapor has to travel a little shorter and increase flavor – you can get just as short travel with a regular 510 drip-tip, but only if you use a very low-profile drip-tip, which I think are generally horrible.
The built in drip-tip does seem to be well judged in its dimensions, it’s tall enough to get a decent grip and the inner bore suits the airflow and general performance of the RTA.
There’s no way to judge if it is worth the shorter vapor path to increase flavor, if it means not having a removable drip-tip, however this drip-tip setup hasn’t caused me any issues, so it might be.
I still miss not having the drip-tips from the original Gear RTA though – in my opinion these are the best non-MTL 510 drip-tips ever.
How does it perform?
- Build one – 3.0mm Framed Staple Clapton 0.33ohm this coil came supplied with the RTA. From 35w, I’m getting good flavor which is a little surprising considering the low wattage, this coil should require more power, so I put it up to 45w and the flavor was strong and accurate – a very nice vape, but let’s try a little more – 55w and the flavor is even better, but a little too toasty for my liking, 45-50w was the sweet spot for this coil.
- Build two – 3.0mm 28g Fused Clapton 0.37ohm As with the previous coil, from 35w I’m getting flavor, not the best flavor in the world, but still quite good. As with the previous coil, 45-50w was excellent, very good flavor, decent vapor production.
With both builds, the wicking had no issues keeping up, even when chain vaping.
Comparing this to every compact single-coil RTA is hard, obviously I haven’t tried them all – but when compared to the Eclipse, Druga RTA, Mad Hatter RTA, Gear V1 and Kelpie RTA, the Gear V2 is at least as good as the best of them on flavor. I won’t compare it to RTAs like the Kylin Mini V2 and the Blotto Single, because they require a little more power to perform at their best and cater for a slightly different type of vaping.
Good flavor shouldn’t really be a surprise from this RTA – the airflow is hitting the underneath of the coil, the chamber is compact and the distance from coil to drip-tip is short.
What could be improved?
This is hard – I imagine the two biggest complaints about the Gear RTA V2 are going to be the proprietary drip-tip and the fixed airflow – however, both of these limitations also bring possible benefits – so, it’s hard to say if changing them would have been a good choice or not.
The only thing that I am sure would have brought improvements without losing any performance, is having four post screws instead of two.
Conclusion
It’s a simple trade-off, you’re losing flexibility and you’re gaining flavor plus simplicity.
To really enjoy the Gear V2, you do need to have quite specific tastes – very slightly restricted direct lung airflow, 45-55w vape, a good balance of flavor and vapor production – you might be able to tweak it a little with a round wire build, or cut down the airflow with a larger coil and/or play with coil height, but that’s not really the point – either it suits you or it doesn’t.
But is it my favorite single-coil flavor banger? For me, it’s between this and the Eclipse – the Eclipse has better airflow – it’s adjustable and smoother, the Gear V2 slightly edges out the Eclipse when it comes to flavor, the Gear V2 has better vapor production, the Eclipse lets you use your own drip-tips, and the Gear V2 is an easier build. I’ll choose performance over flexibility, so the Gear V2 would be my choice.
Disclaimer
The Wotofo Gear V2 RTA was provided for the purposes of this review by Wotofo.