need advice on first purchase, please x

[acha]

hey yo.

i'm a pretty heavy smoker, around 50-60 roll ups a day. i do enjoy other tobacco products such as snuff but feel that they don't cure my craving as a cigarette does. there's something about inhaling the heavy smoke. i can see the guy on the site's banner breathing out like he's smoking a cigar, is that really the case?

i am currently looking to purchase one on ebay, though i'm not rushing into things, im gunna give it a few days and see what my options are, but this seems to offer the best value, extra cartridges etc.

i've read a few reviews and personal accounts of e-cigs (which is what brought me to this forum), and i'm just looking for someone who is experienced in the feild of e-smokin to pass on some nuggets of wisdom to help me though my e-cig infancy.

i have looked around on ebay and these are the offers that took my fancy:

the mini dse103 with 25 cartridges of mixed strength, 2 batteries etc. i think itd be nice as a starter cig, but can i fill my lungs with it? £40

the kr808 with 30 cartridges, now this looks a chunky one, any happy users? £40

theres a set offering the same as the others, just with 5 cartridges, its called a "smart smoker" it doesn't look as legit as the previous two though that was at £20

are there any other cigs reccomended? is there anything i should know before buying one? are there differences in quality of the cartridges - or is it only the strength that varies? know of any good starter kits? how long would a pack of 10 cartridges last a heavy smoker?

im looking to spend between £30 and £50, hopefully get one with a few cartridges to keep me going for a while.

any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance and thanks for reading.

colin x

[PeteMcArthur]

Hi,
You've got a pretty heavy habit there!! I would not consider the ones you are looking at, they all fall into the "super mini" category, they look like a real cig, but I think you will be dissapointed. Some of the sellers on eBay claim that one cart = 30 cigs which is total b*ll*cks. With the supermini 1 cart = 3 cigs.

Most people recommend the DSE901 or Penstyle as a starter. eBay may not be the cheapest or the best. There are two well respected sellers here
Electronic Cigarette | Free Yourself... | e-cigs Welcome

and

The Electronic Cigarette Company (UK) Ltd.

There are others as well, the forum has a suppliers list

Have a look at these shops but more importantly have a very good look around this forum. It will save you money in the end!!

[Mommyshann]

With that extensive of a habit I'd have to say you're most likely better off going with Trog's Screwdriver, Acha. I don't think you're gonna be impressed with anything less.

[TropicalBob]

You will not like, or use, any of the tiny things you listed. Look at the preferences in a poll of users here and you'll find the 901 and Janty Kissbox are your best choices. Go cheap and you'll waste your money and fail to exit your heavy habit. Invest some money and you'll not want to abandon your device during the adjustment period. And there is an adjustment period for many. E-smoking is not like cigarette smoking. It only looks that way.

Also look for warranty and easy return. These things fail. Will the maker quickly make good on replacement parts? As another poster suggested, really read around the forum. I hope you don't follow your first inclination.

[Lurker]

Haven't tried the screwdriver yet cuz it's in the mail still. You should at least get 4-6 working dse901 types and work from there. welcome to your better addiction! And get the juice. Lots of juice.

[Kate]

Here are some links you might find helpful -

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/for...eferences.html

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/for...html#post49585

Helpful links and videos for a new user.

It's cheaper to buy eliquid and refill cartridges than to replace them. Most people use about 2ml of eliquid per day.

The advice given about smaller devices is correct, they aren't really suitable for a heavy habit, batteries and cartridges don't last long.

[eyespy]

Hi acha and welcome to the forum - wow - 50 to 60 per day - you're going to need something with a bit of kick to get off those.

I can't speak for the super mini but I can vouch for the 901. Mine arrived last Saturday and I've had 10 roll-ups since - thats down from at least 30 per day.

I can recommend an ebay seller named "e-cig-world" - he is currently the cheapest for 901's - for £22.98 shipped you'll get a 901 and 10 mixed carts - or if you don't want to use ebay Smokester does an 901 ECO kit for a little more.

I find with the normal high strength juice 16-18mg I can't put the eCig down - I just don't get the hit required to replace my smoking habit so I'm sucking on it all day therfore I also recommend (for heavy smokers) a bottle of 38mg juice from someone like pillbox38 Totally Wicked E-Liquid or Smokester 36 MG - XX HIGH : E-Cigs.co.uk, Online Store .

You'll also need a spare atomizer - there's an ebay seller doing them for £5.99 delivered - I can't remember her ebay name and I can't get onto ebay while in work to check but her real name is Donna - I have bought 2 spare atomizers off her and couldn't be more pleased with the service.

So for an initial out lay of less than £45 you'll have everything you need to get you started and keep you going for a little while if one of the links in the chain (battery/atomizer) dies.
If you find you like it then is the time to decide whether to spend some serious money on something like trog's screwdriver.

[firewire]

I'll agree about the 901, had mine for a week now and no problems with it. Eyespy is right about the e-liquid, if you're on that many rollies a day you'll need the 36mg. Don't buy the carts though 'cos you'll spend a freakin fortune that way.