Little itty bitty mods under $100.

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Kent C

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Kent!! I vaped on a KBox mini Wednesday nite! Oh yeah, honey, oh yeah. I liked it! It's heavier than I'd imagined, but not so much so that it was off-putting.

My sentiments exactly - so used to the Defender and at the time - isticks, but at first 'noticeable but not off-putting' (where the MVP was off-putting at the time - when I was vaping eGos :- ) - and not a factor at this point at all. I really like it.
 

DavidOck

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Clouper did address the problem early on.

I've had mine for about 3 months now, really like it. No problems with it at all.

The adjustable 510 IS phillips head, btw. Of course, that can change on any production run...

And the USB port is for charging ONLY, not for pass thru. That's a problem that many devices seem to have. If it doesn't specifically say it can be used as a pass thru, DON'T!! (I don't even use it for charging, though, easier to pop a fresh battery in than be tethered and waiting.... so I guess I'm in the "pretend it isn't there" camp.)

Weight... don't find it heavy at all. I have tube mods that scale higher. And a nice feel in my hand might offset any weight issues as well.
 

gerrymi

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Like the Kbox mini a lot as well. For flavor chasing/Mouth2Lung/lower wattage vaping, rather than cloud chasing - go with the GS Air M tank

Kent!! I vaped on a KBox mini Wednesday nite! Oh yeah, honey, oh yeah. I liked it! It's heavier than I'd imagined, but not so much so that it was off-putting.

Totally agree with Kent and Kat on the KBox Mini + Eleaf "GS Air M" :thumbs:

Kanger Kbox Mini 50W Variable Wattage Box Mod VV VW Mod-42.9 and Free Shipping| GearBest.com

Electronic Cigarette - Best Electronic Cigarette - Vapor Cigarette Eleaf GS AIR M at www.evape.us
 

gerrymi

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Katdarling

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gerrymi

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Hi gerry!

That sounds like a winning combo to me as well.

Also, FT has the Kbox Mini for $32 and change. Do you see any prob with this one?

$32.38 Authentic KangerTech KBOX Mini 50W VW Variable Wattage APV Box Mod - 1*18650 / 7-50W / zinc alloy / black at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping

Hi Kat...that's certainly a pretty good price on the KBOX Mini. However...I'm kinda' waiting for the "V2" with the spring-loaded 510 (as rumored on the SUBOX thread).

And actually...I'm on the verge of scoring an iStick TC40W ($28) and a 5pack of of TC Heads ($9) for my GS-Air M...to at least try this TC "craze". (And...37 guacamole's wouldn't even get me a ½ carton of analogs in my "old smoking days".)
 

zoiDman

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The eLeaf GS Air M is cool. But for a Tank on a Small APV, I prefer the GS Air MS.

Eleaf GS Air MS

BTW - The New eLeaf GS-Tank is just starting to become Available.

$11.93 Authentic Eleaf GS-Tank Bottom Coil Clearomizer - 3ml / 0.15ohm / stainless steel + glass at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping

It is supposed to be about the Same Height as the GS Air MS. Only in 22mm diameter. And can use the Same Heads as the M/MS.
 

Oregon Linda

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I was very excited to get my 50W Heatvape Defender in the mail today. Kudos to 3AVapes for the fast delivery time. They're in China, so I expected up to a month, but it has only been 11 days.

I've been vaping on it for most of the day and like it a lot. It's just a little bit bigger than an iStick 30W and fits well in my hand. It has rounded edges, so is very comfortable to hold. The electronics are similar to other mods, so I didn't even need to refer to the manual to get it up and vaping. The fit and finish is very nice and it feels real solid. With the battery in it, it's noticeably heavier than the iStick 30w, but not sure how it compares to the 50w, as I don't have one (thankfully!).

One thing that I noticed right away and really love is that the screen is big and bright. The numbers are very easy to read. Most of my other mods require me to squint to read the numbers. The ohms read in hundredths rather than tenths, like most mods I've seen.

But there are also a couple of little things I'm not so fond of. Nothing big, but I thought I'd mention them in case they are a big deal to someone else thinking of buying one. First, my GS Air tanks don't quite fit flush. There's a gap about a fingernails width. I bought the blue one, and it's really a lovely shade. But it's a bit slippery compared to my other mods. I'll need to really pay attention to that, as I can be a bit clumsy with mods at times. I've also had a few phantom fires. But that could be user error, as the fire button needs a firm press. I'm used to phantom fires from my iStick and it's not really a big deal, just something to be aware of. The plus and minus buttons rattle, but not the fire button. As I said, these are little things and really not a big concern to me.

However one thing that is concerning is the battery access. It's a round flush mounted panel at the bottom that requires a coin (or large screwdriver) to open. Which means I'll need to get used to carrying some change in my pocket when I use it. What concerns me about it, though, is the safety aspect. Just a few months ago, a longtime member of this forum reported a malfunctioning mod and she had to quickly get the battery out of a super hot mod before disaster happened. She managed to do that, but her mod was pretty toasted. Which is why I'm concerned about any mod that makes it difficult to get to the battery.

That's pretty much true of any mod with an internal battery, such as the iStick 50W with all the problems it has had. How much safer that mod might be with removable batteries people could take out if it started autofiring. That's one reason I'm lately more attracted to mods with external batteries. But having access that requires a tool to get to the battery defeats that. I much prefer the magnetic panel my Sigelei mini has.

But all in all, I'm pretty happy with my purchase. This seems to be a nice, high quality mod at a pretty decent price (I paid $49 for mine).
 

Kent C

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I was very excited to get my 50W Heatvape Defender in the mail today.

Thanks for the mini review, Linda. I don't see anything that is a deal breaker with me - although I'll be looking for any follow ups on the phantom firing/user error part :- ) Do you have a Defender 25W (or 36W)? I'm wondering on the finish. I haven't had any problems but finishes like the joyetech VT - as demonstrated by Phil in the video can be slick for some - I've never 'lost' my VT via a slide though :- ) And the size and shape of the Defenders I have get more surface contact/wrap around than the VT which is a bit wider.

Glad you mentioned the battery compartment thing - it's a headslap - but I was thinking of getting 2 50's and another subox (Kbox mini) and I may go 1 and 2, as the Kanger Subox batt has a great magnetic door on the end - real easy to pop but stays in place. The VS 40W had one as well but 'under' the skin I was using - so not so accessible. Still - those 'incidents' are also rare - hence not a deal breaker for me. I'm still getting one when HG gets the black one. :- ) Haven't checked today.... will now :)
 

Katdarling

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Hi all!


Welp, I did it. I got myself a CoolFire4.


But not just ANY CF4. What took me over the edge was when I discovered that Phiniac is now doing etched and powdered coated mods. They are, simply put, amazing. I’ve held and used a stock CF4, and the difference is both significant and magnificent.


They offer three different options (for the coating):

Basic: 40% shine.
Sparkle: A sparkly powder coating (see my pic for reference).
Mirror: 100% shine.


Any of the three options greatly reduces the scratchability & chipability factors.


Interestingly enough, the premium we pay for it is nominal. Still under $50, yet an absolutely gorgeous mod by pretty much any definition.


If anyone is considering a CF4, this is a no-brainer.



20150725_151535.jpg
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Oregon Linda

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Thanks for the mini review, Linda. I don't see anything that is a deal breaker with me - although I'll be looking for any follow ups on the phantom firing/user error part :- ) Do you have a Defender 25W (or 36W)? I'm wondering on the finish. I haven't had any problems but finishes like the joyetech VT - as demonstrated by Phil in the video can be slick for some - I've never 'lost' my VT via a slide though :- ) And the size and shape of the Defenders I have get more surface contact/wrap around than the VT which is a bit wider.

Glad you mentioned the battery compartment thing - it's a headslap - but I was thinking of getting 2 50's and another subox (Kbox mini) and I may go 1 and 2, as the Kanger Subox batt has a great magnetic door on the end - real easy to pop but stays in place. The VS 40W had one as well but 'under' the skin I was using - so not so accessible. Still - those 'incidents' are also rare - hence not a deal breaker for me. I'm still getting one when HG gets the black one. :- ) Haven't checked today.... will now :)

Kent, none of those items would be a deal breaker for me either if I'd known in advance. But I wanted to give people an accurate picture - at least as accurate as is possible the first day of using it. I don't have the 25 or 36W, so I can't compare it to those. One difference, though, is that there isn't that nifty 510/ego connector at the top. I loved that when I saw it on the 25W.

I'll definitely be watching for the phantom fires. I had most of them the first hour or two, which makes me suspect I just wasn't pressing firmly enough. It's a little more of a press than my iStick, which I was using right before I got it. I also had it change from watts back to volts a couple of times, but again, that could have been user error. I'm going to watch for that as well.

Really, the battery cover is the only thing that really irritates me. For people that use usb charging and a dedicated battery, they might not care. But I think it could be a safety issue, even if rare. I guess it would be like an iStick - if push came to shove, get it out of the house ASAP!!! :D
 
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