Augvape VX217 Kit with Intake Sub Ohm Tank
Introduction
The VX217 kit from Augvape pairs the VX217 mod with the Intake Sub Ohm tank. The VX217 is a dual 21700 mod which has a maximum power output of 217W or 12V. The Intake Sub Ohm tank was the first to feature the Clapton Mesh coils. I already know that the Intake is a great sub ohm tank, so let's hope the VX217 makes this a decent kit.
Box Contents
- 1 x VX217 Mod
- 1 x Intake Sub Ohm Tank
- 2 x Clapton Mesh Coil 0.2 Ohm
- 1 x 18650 battery adapter
- 1 x Replacement O-Rings
- 1 x USB Type-C Cable
- 1 x user manual
- 1 x warranty card
Specifications
VX217 Mod
- Height: 80mm
- Width: 49mm
- Depth: 42mm
- Weight: 192g
- Material: Zinc Alloy
- 1.3" Colour Display
- Modes: Variable Wattage / Variable Voltage / Bypass
- USB Type-C
- Power Output: 5-217W / 0.5-12V
Intake Sub Ohm Tank
- Height: 46mm
- Diameter: 25mm
- Top to Bottom Airflow
- Easy Top Refilling
- Leak Proof Design
- 5ml capacity with the bubble glass
Photo Album
Disclaimer: The Augvape VX217 kit was sent to me by Sourcemore for review.
Design & Build Quality
The VX217 is 80mm tall, which Augvape claims is the shortest dual 21700 mod available. It has a width of 49mm and a depth of 42mm. It is constructed from zinc alloy and has a nice weight to it.
It may well be the shortest dual 21700 mod, but it certainly has some girth to it too. That's not to say it's not comfortable to hold, though, as it fits in your hand very nicely. Looking at it top down it looks like a very rounded off triangle, similar to triple battery mods.
The 510 connection on the top sits within a slightly recessed section, where 25mm tanks will fit. However, you can use much larger tanks with no issues. I put the Aromamizer Plus V2 on top and it fits with no overhang, so 30mm is the max. The shame is if the 510 connection was centered you would be able to fit even bigger tanks, but I guess that would mean having to make the mod taller due to the position of the batteries.
The screen on the VX217 is really nice. At 1.3" it's large enough to display all the information you need without feeling cramped. It's in colour, is crisp and clear even in bright sunlight and you can adjust the colour theme using RGB sliders in the menu, so you can dial in your perfect colour.
The fire button is located above the screen and is a trigger style button. It's made of plastic, has grooves on it for grip and in my opinion looks quite dated and cheap. It has some movement to it also, but I'm not sure if this is actually intentional, as you are supposed to hold the mod and fire it with the side of your thumb. The button itself works fine, firing every time, it's just a shame that the looks of it kind of spoil the mod in a way.
Instead of adjustment buttons you have a wheel / dial that you spin, that is located beneath the screen. The wheel works great, but is again plastic and cheap looking. Another thing is that the wheel is not a button itself, so when using it to select menu items, you then have to adjust your grip to press the fire button to confirm, then back to the wheel. Then back to the fire button. I found it cumbersome and was constantly pressing the wheel out of habit, thinking it would act as a selection button.
There is a USB Type-C port beneath the adjustment wheel.
On the base of the VX217 is the battery door. The hinge feels strong enough, and the door doesn't rattle or wiggle when open or closed.
Overall, the VX217 feels solid, is comfortable to hold and can house atomisers up to 30mm with no overhang. The only let downs for me are the cheap looking and feeling fire button and the adjustment wheel not doubling as a selection button.
Features & Functions
The VX217 has Variable Wattage, Variable Voltage and Bypass modes.
VX217 Button Combinations
- Turn On / Off: Press fire button five times
- Enter Menu: Press fire button three times
- Scroll options / make adjustments: Rotate dial
- Select Options: Press fire button
- Exit Menu: Hold fire button or don't press anything for five seconds
Intake Sub Ohm Tank
The Intake is a 25mm diameter sub ohm tank and measures in at 46mm tall (excluding the drip tip and 510 pin). It is similar in looks to the Intake and Intake Dual RTA’s, having a nice chunky feel to it.
It has an 810 drip tip up top which is comfortable to use when vaping.
The top cap unscrews with a quarter turn which reveals the two large kidney shaped fill ports. There is a gasket seal around the whole top of the tank to help prevent leaking juice.
It has a nice design on the top cap, airflow control ring and base, which also doubles as knurling for grip when adjusting your airflow or unscrewing the tank. This design is the same as the one on the Intake and Intake Dual RTA’s, so it fits in nicely with the Intake family.
The airflow control ring is just below the top cap, with the tank having a top to bottom airflow system. The AFC has hard stops, so it doesn’t twist all the way around. It has a nice smooth and restrictive adjustment, so it won’t be accidentally adjusted in a pocket or similar. The airflow intake is angled down, so the air is directed straight down the airflow chambers on either side of the tank.
The straight glass has a 3.5ml capacity and gives the tank a really slick look to it. You also get a bubble glass with the tank, which raises the capacity to 5ml of liquid. I prefer the way the tank looks with the straight glass installed, but went with the bubble glass for the extra capacity. It still looks good with bubble glass, but just not as slick in my opinion. I suppose this is a trade off you have to make with every tank when deciding to install a bubble glass.
If you look through the glass of the tank you can see the two airflow chambers running down from the top of the tank to the bottom, on either side. I really like the look this gives the tank, instead of hiding them within an inner chamber.
On the base of the tank is a fixed gold plated 510 connector pin. If you unscrew the base you reveal the bottom of the coil. Coils are press fit, so you just pull out your old coil and press in the new one when changing them, then screw the base back on.
The build quality on the Intake Sub Ohm tank is very nice, as is the design of the tank. It looks sleek with just the right amount of design engraving that it finishes off the looks without going over the top. I like how the design engraving also doubles as knurling so everything that is present has a function and is not just there for the sake of it.
Coils
The included coils are both the same; Clapton Mesh 0.2ohm rated for use between 60-75W. The coils feature a mixture of wood pulp and cotton as the wicking material. This wood pulp and cotton wicking is meant to not only enhance the flavour production, but to also give the coils a longer lifespan.
Although not technically mesh, the coils feature a number of Clapton wires arranged in rows. They are not straight wires but in more of a wavy pattern, this is to cover more surface area. The Clapton wires are connected either end to a positive and negative wire.
The Clapton Mesh is a new concept for pre-built coils and in theory should provide better flavour than what we are used to with standard wrapped wire coils. The big question is whether it will provide more flavour than what we already get from pre-built mesh coils.
Performance
The VX217 is quite simple to use, it's just a case of selecting your wattage / voltage and away you go.
Performance wise, it does what it’s supposed to and does it well. I don't have the means to test the actual wattage or voltage output by the mod, but I have seen a video where it was tested at 12V and it did output 12V, so it is a powerful mod that hits the numbers it claims to.
The screen is a good size and has a nice crisp resolution, everything is clear and easy to read.
I've mentioned my thoughts on the look and feel of the fire button, but performance wise it functions fine. It's comfortable to use, firing with the side of your thumb and it means the display is always visible in the palm of your hand.
The design of the mod also means it functions exactly the same whether you are right or left handed.
With the Clapton Mesh coil in the Intake Sub Ohm tank, I started off at 60W which gives a cool to medium vape and very nice flavour. At 65W it gives a medium to warm vape and again the flavour is very nice. At 70W it gives a warm vape with excellent flavour. At the maximum recommended 75W it is a warm to hot vape and the flavour is again very nice.
The airflow on the Intake is really smooth and I don’t find it to be turbulent at all. Adjusting the airflow control ring really alters the amount of air coming in. I prefer a more restrictive vape and halfway closed provided me with a nice restriction of the airflow. If you prefer a more airy vape then wide open offers plenty of air coming through the coil.
I experienced no dry hits with the Clapton Mesh, coil so the wood pulp and cotton mixture does a fine job of wicking juice.
The Intake Sub Ohm tank, in my opinion, is one of the best sub ohm tanks around at the moment. It hasn't leaked a drop, the Clapton Mesh coils provide great flavour and I like the looks of the tank.
As a package it's a great pairing.
Verdict
I am very happy with the VX217 kit and I think Augvape made a good call pairing it with the Intake Sub Ohm tank.
I do think the fire button could have looked and felt better quality, but it functions as it should so it's an aesthetic thing for me.
Also if the adjustment dial doubled as a selection button, that would have made selecting and adjusting options so much more intuitive.
The only other thing I can think of is a lack of temperature control modes could be a deal breaker for those who vape TC. However, serious TC vapers will no doubt be using a DNA device anyway, so is it worth including TC that doesn't perform as well as a DNA chip just for the sake of it?
The Intake Sub Ohm tank is brilliant, no issues with the tank at all, and the Clapton Mesh coils perform fantastically.
If this kit was someone's first vaping purchase, what a purchase that would be. If I had this kit when first starting it would blow my socks off. The inclusion of a non stock tank in a kit is definitely a great idea.
The fact the mod can take atomisers up to 30mm in diameter without overhang and still be comfortable in the hand is impressive too.
Pros
- Build quality is great on both the VX217 mod and the Intake Sub Ohm tank
- Design is great on mod and tank, too. Except the fire button
- Display is good size, bright, clear and crisp
- Choice of using dual 21700, 20700 or 18650 batteries
- Intake Sub Ohm tank is one of my favourite sub ohm tanks at moment - great flavour and performance
- VX217 mod hits the claimed 12V output
- Very comfortable to hold
- Up to 30mm diameter tanks with no overhang
Cons
- Wish the fire button didn't look and feel like cheap plastic
- Wish the adjustment dial also doubled as a selection button
Thank you for reading and thank you to Sourcemore for sending this kit to me for review. They have kindly provided the promo code “VX217K” to pick up the kit for £30.21 ($38.99) here:
Augvape VX217 Kit 217W Box Mod with Intake Sub Ohm Tank
