For those still deciding on an istick purchase, I've included my initial review of my first iStick from Oct. 6, 2014. Three months later (12-28-14), my thoughts remain the same. The only things I would add is the apparent inconsistencies in eleaf's quality control and the soft metal alloy of the top cap, allowing the 510 threads to strip/wear easily. Would I still recommend the iStick? Absolutely, as long as you know what you're getting yourself into. With all its shortcomings, I purchased a second iStick (great Black Friday deal) after my first suffered an untimely death. I would also recommend that you consider the Cloupor Mini, which seems to address the shortcomings of the iStick (v1). Caveat: No reviews, tests, or user-feedback have been published on the Cloupor Mini at the time of this post.
aldenf;14321226 said:General iStick observations after 36 hours:
I knew it was small. But I wasn't prepared for how tiny it actually is. The iStick makes a great replacement for the short Egos as an awesome stealth vape. It is light but not overly so. I have largeish hands. I'm still experimenting and trying to get comfortable with it for longer use. Currently, I'm wishing it was 1/3 to 1/2" taller. If it were, all the buttons would be well located for me.
Fit and finish are above average. Buttons are tactile and somewhat clicky. Finish looks great, feels good in the hand and isn't slippery. The OLED screen is aligned in the window and gives all necessary information at a glance. It is easily washed out in bright sunlight, however. Why is a "stealth vaping" option not included? ...Not necessarily for stealth purposes but for battery conservation. I don't need the OLED lighting every time I push the fire button. And what's with the puff second counter? After the first 20 minutes of using the iStick, I stopped checking the display after each toot.
I have vaped everything from Kayfuns to Protank 2s to EVODs/EVOD Glass on this little gem. My devices range from 1.4-2Ω with twisted 30g/rayon on the Kayfuns to microcoil/rayon and vertical microcoil/rayon in the Kanger heads. It's been pretty brilliant with most everything but stock Kanger heads. The stock single-coil heads just get eaten alive. I usually rebuild stock Kanger heads when they're new. I simply don't like the vape from the factory. If you vape vertical coils, dual coils or RTAs, you will probably love this device. If you're vaping 1.5-2Ω single (horizontal) coils, you may not like the iStick. If you normally vape in the 6-8W range, you probably won't like the iStick. I can't seem to get below 10W on anything I currently have. If Eleaf gets the power issues under control, the iStick could be THE APV for everyone but most drippers or giants.
What can I say positive about the 510 connection? It's attractive? After the power issues, the 510 connection is the biggest flaw, IMHO. None of my attys sit flush on the device. All have a slight to noticeable wiggle/wobble. Not including an adjustable center pin (spring-loaded or otherwise) was a BIG mistake. I've not had any real contact issues yet. But we'll see.
Battery life, thus far, is exemplary. I have 15+ hours (about 6ml) on the current charge and am only down two bars. I have been unable to enjoy a nice, long chain vape thus far, however. This leads me to my third bigish gripe with the iStick: non-replaceable battery. Giving users the option of replacing the battery with ones of our choice would be a nice touch. We'll see how well the iStick batteries hold up.
My current wish list for the iStick v2 (subject to change):
First realize that I don't want to turn the iStick into an expensive Mini Vapor Shark. You won't find suggestions for 100W, rectified or "filtered" DC output, able to fire 0.2Ω coils nor anything that would add greatly to the end cost or greatly change the form-factor. I paid $31 for the iStick. I would certainly be willing to pay $40-50 for one with the additional improvements below. I'd also be all over a slightly larger, 50W/8Amp version with the additions below for <$75.
For iStick v2:
1) Increase height by 1/3", depth and width by 1/4" for improved ergonomics (especially for bigger hands) and to make room for:
2) Make this a 5Amp/6V/30W device (in the same vein as the VAMO electronics), firing Vrms @ 48Hz+ PWM.
3) Spring-loaded 510 center pin.
4) Replaceable 18650 battery.
Suggestions for a v1.5?
New firmware firing in Vrms & a sturdier 510 connection with adjustable center pin for $35. That's it. I could then recommend the iStick to practically anyone and probably purchase two for myself.
Just my, folks. I hope you guys are enjoying your iSticks. I know I am...
