clone or no clone

[belecp]

Hi everyone. I have always bought original no matter what I bought. PC's laptops, software etc. I recently viewed a review on a kayfun v4. It looks great. About $200. Then I see clones for $35-$60. I have ordered a clone but I feel I am cheating the original manufacture. SvoёMesto. Any thoughts.

 

[EBates]

If you feel bad buying a clone then don't. I've owned/own several clones that I've dearly loved and work well for me. It would not surprise me at all that the manufacturers of some originals had not 'cloned' features in their 'original' from other manufacturers 'original'.
Some clones actually work as well or better than the original at less than half the cost of the original. So, your call.

 

[mastatom85]

Its your money; no one can tell you how to spend it; or how to feel when you buy it. Money talks, spend it on what you support. I have both clones and originals; it seems that i always love my originals more; but would that be the case if i didn't know it was an original; million dollar question right there.

 

[Withdrewandi]

Kind of answered this on another forum today.. My look on this has flipped and flopped lately, currently I think to myself that authentics/originals are becoming so expensive that clones really are the only option.... My latest purchase is a prime example I have just ordered a marquis (clone) from ft which is costing me £8 including free world wide shipping now if I bought the authentic it would cost roughly $100 then I would have to pay shipping and probably £20-£30 to get it through customs and so on and so forth..... Now for a device that can be bought for £8 total that is an astronomical saving and kind of brings the authentics cost into question why is the marquis so expensive ? Why is the difference between the one you are looking at so much more than the clone ??? If they made the authentics price point more affordable to begin with, maybe less people would buy clones they make more money and can make the next one even cheaper....

 

[vapero]

the clone/authentic thing is just a dilemma about principle and in most cases not about quality, you will mostly get the same quality and performance on both.
and the principle thing only you have the answer.

 

[RipTodd]

I have over 30 years of design and manufacturing experience, and have access to the type of CNC equipment needed to make these devices. I also have some innovative ideas. Will I spend 100s of hours developing and prototyping a product knowing that if the product catches on it will be cloned and sold for 15% of my price?

I think that for people like me to succeed, we need to forge alliances with Chinese manufacturers to bring costs down. Even still, the clones will flood the market.

If you really want innovation, support innovators or be satisfied with what you have.

 

[Withdrewandi]

If an authentic rda/rta was let's say £30 I would happily pay that I have in fact but come on $100-$200 for an rda/rta is daylight robbery

 

[Rsunderl]

I'm on somewhat of a budget (who isn't ). If the original is within my "normal spending" budget, I don't bother with clones and buy the original.

If, however, I'm going to spend outside of my "normal spending" budget for something that I'm not perfectly sure that I'll like or be using, I'll usually try out a clone first. If it turns out that I like the clone, then I'll save up and buy an original to support the developer.

 

[RipTodd]

I love all the peeps with the "I've saved $8 Million" signatures who all of a sudden have a budget.

 

[mastatom85]

I have over 30 years of design and manufacturing experience, and have access to the type of CNC equipment needed to make these devices. I also have some innovative ideas. Will I spend 100s of hours developing and prototyping a product knowing that if the product catches on it will be cloned and sold for 15% of my price?

I think that for people like me to succeed, we need to forge alliances with Chinese manufacturers to bring costs down. Even still, the clones will flood the market.

If you really want innovation, support innovators or be satisfied with what you have.

Look at the Erlkonigin; they made a wonderful device; if you want an original with all the pieces it will cost you around 220 bucks; But they also cloned their own product; enter the Erlprinz. There are models out there to defeat clones and still offer amazing products; the manufactures need to work together because i feel they are out numbered by the clones

 

[BlkWolfMidnight]

I have over 30 years of design and manufacturing experience, and have access to the type of CNC equipment needed to make these devices. I also have some innovative ideas. Will I spend 100s of hours developing and prototyping a product knowing that if the product catches on it will be cloned and sold for 15% of my price?

I think that for people like me to succeed, we need to forge alliances with Chinese manufacturers to bring costs down. Even still, the clones will flood the market.

If you really want innovation, support innovators or be satisfied with what you have.

I get the innovation part but how in the name of reality does one innovate a tube, I'm not trying to a this is better then that war but lets break it down to the basics.
Tube-Pretty straight forward, cut and threaded for the switch assembly and top plate, not really much work goes in to that.
Switch assembly- Its pretty well less advanced then a flashlight switch, you've a contact pin, button and insulator, your contact pin is the break point for the voltage so pretty simplistic system, magnetics and such add minor functionality over a spring system but not much.
Top plate/pin assembly- again, pretty straight forward on this one so not sure how much innovation can be made here.

I can see how the electronic mods are coming along but neither here nor there. From a standpoint of where I sit the production costs should not factor out to 200 or more dollars per mod. Its not that clones are killing the market its that the base price of these "Authentic" mods are insanely high. I'm most def. not in the market for any brand name anything now or ever because of the cost of it.

As for the OP's question of clone or not really depends on your price point, just as in the "Authentic" market some clones are better then others. Read the feedback carefully when choosing your selection. I've had clones and Authentic alike and in reality both perform well for what they are supposed to do, but that is my two cents worth of information on this matter.

Hope this helps

 

[vapero]

I have over 30 years of design and manufacturing experience, and have access to the type of CNC equipment needed to make these devices. I also have some innovative ideas. Will I spend 100s of hours developing and prototyping a product knowing that if the product catches on it will be cloned and sold for 15% of my price?

I think that for people like me to succeed, we need to forge alliances with Chinese manufacturers to bring costs down. Even still, the clones will flood the market.

If you really want innovation, support innovators or be satisfied with what you have.

let's take the SMPL mod for example, there are a lot of clones out there, but still the original manufacturers have a hard time keeping stock of the originals, they are almost sold out everywhere, so I don't think the clones are hurting in any way, I actually thing the clones make great publicity

 

[RipTodd]

I get the innovation part but how in the name of reality does one innovate a tube,

And still, you only have to look at the volume and types of questions being asked on this very forum to know that the barrier to entry is huge. In other words, many or most smokers are intimidated by our vaping obsession.

I think there's a ton of innovation waiting to happen. Guess who has the budget for this though? Big T. I don't want them to be the ones innovating and setting standards.

Hopefully, this is still relevant the the OP. If not, my apologies.

 

[itskohler]

I go with clones all the way.

 

[Asbestos4004]

Op, if its troubling you to the point that it keeps you up at night, by all means, buy the authentic. Sleep is important.

I bought the authentic Marquis. Why? Its innovative , well built, performs like no other atty I have and I've always liked Dino and Cisco. I own a wonderful mix of clones and authentic devices. If its in my signature, its authentic. Thats not to say they're much better than anything else I have.

 

[diablo2713]

so here is the deal, most good clones are a 1:1 clone witch means they are building from original specs so why is one selling for 20-30 bucks and one selling for 200 bucks when they cost the same to make them? because they want to ring you out for ever penny they can. and i don't feel bad for ppl who over charge that much for a product, just like the hdmi cable industry $40 bucks for a $3 cable.

 

[Wolfenstark]

I have authentics and clones.

Im the buyer and I buy what appeals to me.

They are the sellers and its their job to make me want to buy their product.

 

[Bunnykiller]

so here is the deal, most good clones are a 1:1 clone witch means they are building from original specs so why is one selling for 20-30 bucks and one selling for 200 bucks when they cost the same to make them? because they want to ring you out for ever penny they can. and i don't feel bad for ppl who over charge that much for a product, just like the hdmi cable industry $40 bucks for a $3 cable.

really!!... went to Best Buy for one and saw the 35+$ price tag for a 6' cable.... went to Gamestop and the same cable was 14$

 

[Bunnykiller]

gonna try this again... my post vaporized...

I have a HCigar KF 3.1 and its better than the original and at 1/4 the price...

 

[Quentin]

It's like putting a Bentley emblem on a Chrysler 300 and calling it the same thing, you be the judge.