To Boardo's question regarding a new mechanical, you have so many options it would be easier to narrow down the list first. Do you want 21mm OD for your mechanical? Not much looks right on that, but if you intend to primarily use a IGo dripper (~20mm OD), it would be a tad better than a 22mm OD mech. For 21mm, most folks would recommend the Origin, although a few don't like the locking/battery adjustment bottom button. For a 23mm OD mech, atty's should also be considered. There's not many atty's in 23mm size either, although the Taifun (23mm OD) has trumped my other RTA's by a smidgen. The SQuape is 23mm, but a cease and desist from the inventor has essentially stooped the sale of those clones. A 23mm mech with a 22mm atty isn't as odd looking as a 21mm mech with 22mm atty, if you go that route I would suggest a Chi-you or King mod. The Sentinel/M16 is ~24mm, personally I'm not a fan of telescoping middle sections but that's JMO. Chances are you will want a more standard size 22mm mech, and there are many, many options there.
If you're looking for a 22mm OD mechanical and want to stay under $50, the mods in favor lately seem to be the Nemesis and Caravela. Plenty of those clones are available almost every maker from ~$20 to $50. You can even get a copper Nemesis for $45-$50 if that's your speed, and a copper Caravela is on it's way. The Nemesis has 4 tubes, all 4 are required to use an 18650 with a Kick. The Caravela has 3 tubes but only uses one at a time, one for each battery size/height, I'm not sure if it can fit an 18650 with a Kick but I doubt it since it only uses one battery tube at a time. I prefer the Nemesis, once the top pin is adjusted for the atty, the firing button is adjusted from the outside to allow for differences in battery height (button top/flat top or otherwise). Having used a JM mod for a while, I set it aside since the battery height adjustment top pin is a bit tricky to adjust. If you want something "interesting" that looks both right and wrong with any atty, take a look at the Hammer... just make sure you get one with the extra battery tubes. You don't want to get stuck with a mod that
only takes 18350 batteries, unless you are prepared to stay above one ohm, never use a Kick, and replace your battery frequently.
Replacement magnets for the switch are available for all the mods mentioned above. As to the manufacturers, it is surprising that not one consistently shines through as the best. Voltage drop is very similar between all these mods, of course the metal used for the body does make a minor difference (copper > brass > SS). Reading posts from owners of the same mod from 3-4 factories, every manufacturer has a few bad apples. I paid $23 for my brass Nemesis (Tobeco?) and it works perfectly, while I've read a few posts about HCigar SS version having irregularities in tube width and height. Buttons on all the mechs listed above can be crunchy at first, some made at the end of a batch may have a wobbly button, some may have threads that aren't up to par, all this is regardless of manufacturer/brand. It all depends on how dull the cutting die is when they make the mod, QC can be poor even on the original/authentic versions.
, YMMV, etc.
