Need Help Choosing First E Cig

[jamesbeat]

Hi everyone,
New member here.
I'm hoping to get some advice about which e cig to buy, as there are so many options out there that it's difficult to filter out the noise.

I have been researching this for a few days now. All the jargon has made for quite a steep learning curve, but I think I understand the basics enough to at least know what questions I should be asking.

Here goes:

I want to vape as a substitute for smoking.
I'm not interested in the more niche hobbyist aspects such as making huge clouds etc.
Huge clouds would actually be a bad thing, as I may need to vape without drawing too much attention to myself in certain situations.
I do want a thick enough vapor that it is a satisfying smoking substitute though.

I currently smoke directly into my lungs, but I'm prepared to learn a different technique for vaping if it means using less expensive/more reliable/lower maintenance hardware.

I'd like to use coils that are widely available and inexpensive, not model specific.
I would also like the option of rebuildable coils in case I decide to do that in the future.

I would like standard 510 threads.

18650 batteries would be a huge plus.
I already have lots of these and a decent charger, and I like the idea of being able to carry a spare.
This is not a deal breaker though.

I would prefer a glass tank over a plastic one.

I would prefer a smaller device that is easy to carry, but not so small that it starts to compromise the quality of the vapor.

I would prefer not to sub ohm, by I'm not totally averse to the idea if it provides real benefits for my intended use.

My budget is roughly $50-$60 for the unit itself.
I know you can spend loads on these things, but I don't want to go crazy, and I have seen a lot of decent units in this price range.


One example is the kanger subox.
I actually thought that I had found what I needed (apart from it needing proprietary coils) but then a bizarre coincidence stopped me from pulling the trigger.

I was listening to YouTube reviews of e cigs at work, and zeroing in on the subox, because it was getting really good reviews and the price was right.
The last review that I listened to though was a follow up, and the reviewer had found two problems- the paint was chipping off and the unit leaked.

I can live with the paint chipping I guess, but I do not want a leaky unit. I thought that the reviewer could have just got a bad unit or had damaged it during use.

I then got up to go to the bathroom, walked past my co worker's office, and noticed that there was a subox sitting on his desk!

Turns out that he also had the paint chipping and leaking problem - he showed me a piece of paper on his desk with a huge e liquid stain on it.

I think the subox is out of the running, but hopefully it will give you an idea of the type of thing I'm looking for.

 

[gandymarsh]

Welcome to ECF!

You'll probably get quite a few suggestions. Your price range might be a little low but that will get you close.

A lot of people start out with Ego style batteries and either CE4 clearomizers or Protank 2 mini clearomizers.

I would suggest you skip those and go with an Eleaf iStick 30w + Aspire Nautilus or Nautilus mini.

If you want a mod with a replaceable 18650 battery, the Eleaf iStick Pico has just come on the market.

Check out this link Rocky Mountain Vapor, The Mountain top of Electronic Cigarettes

 

[MyMagicMist]

You will find that is difficult for anyone to offer suggestions for you. You have already narrowed the market that you desire to explore so tightly as to limit your options. All I might suggest would be look at another Kanger product called a Dripbox.

This uses an RDA, or dripping style atomizer. There should be very little room for leaking error with this specific kit though. The juice is retained in the plastic bottle under the atomizer and squeezed up into it as needed. The excess juice flows right back down into the bottle, leaving only what the wick material sops up in the atomizer.

The kit itself comes with two heads that are both rebuild-able decks. I am considering a buy of the kit and one three pack of heads extra. That would allow me having different decks for different flavors, perhaps, or simple extra priorly built decks to swap with use issues. It appears the kit uses stainless steel wire for the coils. I may choose building coils with Kanthal. Still have nearly a full 50 foot roll of 28 gauge handy.

Being a squonking kit I doubt I would face dry hits too often. Got accustomed to learning and knowing "the hit before the dry one's" taste. At which point, you squonk the juice bottle a few times to saturate the wick, again. That avoids dry hits the same as temperature control. Granted it may not be as perfected of a system but it can suit the user who may not be readily able to pay eight to ten bucks for a spool of stainless of wire right away, or the added cost of temperature control on a mod.

 

[MyMagicMist]

Welcome to ECF!

You'll probably get quite a few suggestions. Your price range might be a little low but that will get you close.

A lot of people start out with Ego style batteries and either CE4 clearomizers or Protank 2 mini clearomizers.

I would suggest you skip those and go with an Eleaf iStick 30w + Aspire Nautilus or Nautilus mini.

If you want a mod with a replaceable 18650 battery, the Eleaf iStick Pico has just come on the market.

Check out this link Rocky Mountain Vapor, The Mountain top of Electronic Cigarettes

That Pico kit looks like a good one as well. I don't window shop but only so much. *chuckles* That and the parameters given did not point me toward anything more. Yes, this kit looks like it would suit as well.

 

[djsvapour]

Welcome.
If I have this right you want a mod that takes an 18650(s) a tank with readily available atomizer heads (coils) and something not too cloudy or subohm.
isticks & coolfires are out. Kanger box mod or sigelei/joyetech/aspire are in.

As for tank, a good starter would be mini nautilus or eleaf GS tank.

Just note, please; some folk recommend 40,50 even 60 watt devices as "beginner" devices and personally I don't agree. Sure, get a mod that can do 50/75/100 watts but start with a gentle tank. If it doesn't work, then go subohm.

So, I do not recommend inflexible power devices (ijust2, kanger subvod, kanger Dripbox, joyetech AIO) but I do recommend an eVic mini or Kanger box on it's own. If you like the look of Kanger, sometimes the kits are better value even if you leave the tank for a few steps down the line

 

[djsvapour]

PS. There are no non-proprietary coils, they are all 'make' specific. So if there is an issue with this, you'll have to build your own. Ruling out Kanger or Eleaf tanks because you have to buy their coils is shooting yourself in the foot. It's not like some evil plan to tie you in - all makes offer rebuildable bases. If they were secretly trying to 'get' you, then the community would not support them.
I accept the smaller tanks do not offer this, but one coil a week is cheap enough (eleaf, aspire).

 

[Susan~S]

I'd like to use coils that are widely available and inexpensive, not model specific.

Most coils are model specific.

18650 batteries would be a huge plus.
I already have lots of these and a decent charger, and I like the idea of being able to carry a spare.
This is not a deal breaker though.

Unless your batteries are IMR or IMR/hybrid, they will not be appropriate for vaping.

I would prefer not to sub ohm, by I'm not totally averse to the idea if it provides real benefits for my intended use.

Many of the +1Ω coils (and tanks) are geared to mouth-2-lung inhalers. Some you may be able to do a very "restrictive" lung hit (like the Nautilus Mini). Though I consider the Nautilus as a mouth-2-lung tank due to its airflow.

@djsvapour, can you lung hit on a GS Air M tank?

 

[Talen]

Make it easy on yourself. Buy an istick 30 watt and an aspire nautilus...this set up is dead simple newbie friendly and will give you exactly the experience you are looking for ( a great satisfying vape experience ). From there you can check out other things once you learn more and get a feel for what does and doesn't work for you.

 

[OhTheAgony]

Pardon me if I'm mistaken, but I thought the Nautilus is a MTL tank? TS did say he prefers DL hits.

I think the previously mentioned Pico would be a nice one. It can go up to 75W but you don't need to turn it up that high perse. But I can't help but think that an Ego Aio would suit you very well, please check some videos before dismissing it.

Most affordable tanks use pyrex or some kind of polymer as far as I know by the way. One with actual glass would highly limit your options I'm afraid.

Good luck on your search!

 

[gandymarsh]

Pardon me if I'm mistaken, but I thought the Nautilus is a MTL tank? TS did say he prefers DL hits.

I think the previously mentioned Pico would be a nice one. It can go up to 75W but you don't need to turn it up that high perse. But I can't help but think that an Ego Aio would suit you very well, please check some videos before dismissing it.

Most affordable tanks use pyrex or some kind of polymer as far as I know by the way. One with actual glass would highly limit your options I'm afraid.

Good luck on your search!

I vape DTL. I used a Nautilus mini exclusively for quite a while. Still use them from time to time. It's not a 3 second drag but it is possible and not at all difficult.

Pyrex is a type of glass.

 

[OhTheAgony]

I vape DTL. I used a Nautilus mini exclusively for quite a while. Still use them from time to time. It's not a 3 second drag but it is possible and not at all difficult.

Pyrex is a type of glass.

Good info, thanks for correcting me.

Funny though, not that I doubt you, but pyrex has always felt more like a plastic then glass to me.

 

[gandymarsh]

Pyrex is a brand name for borosilicate glass. The stuff that is called pyrex is actually a different formula. It's like Kleenex the name just stuck.

There is an interesting Wikipedia article here Pyrex - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia if you want to read more.

 

[BrotherBob]

Welcome and glad you joined.
Might like to read:
Beginner | Guide To Vaping
What is Vaping? The Definitive Guide | Vaping Cheap
E Cigarette Academy: User Guides and Tutorials For Beginner and Intermediate Vapers
One Stop Reference Shop For New and Experienced Vapers
(4) Good Starter Setups for a Beginning Vapor | E-Cigarette Forum
(10) Advancing Up the Vaping Ladder with Egos and Mods | E-Cigarette Forum
What is Sub Ohm Vaping? Our Sub Ohm Vaping Guide & Tips
ECF Sub-Ohm Advisory

 

[jamesbeat]

Thanks for all the help guys.
I've decided on an Istick 30w and a Nautilus tank as suggested by a couple of people above.

This combination looks great, plenty of room for experimentation.

I've found several in my price range too, and I'd like to thank everyone for not trying to push my budget up and up.
I want to try plenty of juices, and the more I
spend on the e cig, the less I will have left over for juice.

One more question:
People often recommend buying two units when trying to quit smoking, which is very sensible advice in my opinion, as going back to analogs because of equipment failure would be a real waste.

I've seen some Aspire K3 kits that seem to be good quality and inexpensive, and also take Nautilus coils.
Would one of these be a decent backup unit?

 

[Netop]

Nautilus is a solid choice. I started out on a Naut mini and the aspire Atlantis. Found the nautilus mini was better fit for me for quitting. Based on your original post, I think you'll be happy with it.
Just keep in min it will not give a cigarette rush. So stay ahead of the cravings.
And yes, get two setups. Maybe a Kanger SubTank of some sort for your second? It gives you the option if rebuilding without being dependent on it. It really helped me make the transition for those times I needed a bigger hit.
Juice: be careful if high VG juice with the Naut. Some people don't have a problem with it, but it can be a bit too thick to wick quickly enough.
Finally, check out the specials page at ProVape. Provari 2.5s are going super cheap and they are super reliable and plenty powerful for the Naut.
Good luck.

 

[ddirtyvapes]

Because you said originally that you don't want to be relegated to a certain "make" for your coils, in the future there are a few tanks that can use a wide range of coil heads, including some from other companies. For example, the Melo 2/3 and Aspire 2, plus some Triton coil heads are all cross-compatible. This is as close to "not make specific" as you are likely to get without rebuilding.

I basically think the iStick 30W and nautilus mini is the right choice for a beginner. Had you not ordered already, I would have recommended the nautilus with the iStick Pico. You may very well decide the Nautilus is perfect for you and you don't need any more power than the 30W gives you. The Pico is even smaller, though, takes a removable battery, is about as inexpensive as any other iStick, and is as newbie friendly as any other if you start in wattage mode and don't push the power. Of course, it also affords you a lot more other options if you do happen to be bit by the vaping bug.

But you made a really solid choice. I still use my 30W iStick often and have many more devices besides. It is a good e-cig for beginners and oldtimers alike.

Other new vapers do read these threads to get ideas, so I'm really throwing it out there for them. I COMPLETELY agree with whoever said that a brand new vaper doesn't really need 100W capable tanks (or whatever). The Nautilus continues to be an excellent choice. But I got my Pico two weeks ago and I firmly believe that is going to end up being a pretty good update to other newbie-friendly devices that are becoming a little outdated.

 

[djsvapour]

@djsvapour, can you lung hit on a GS Air M tank?

You know, I love that tank but it's weird. On full (4) holes open & a bit of slipstream (not fully closing your lips) you can DtL.
Compared to the latest Kanger base (topfill tank) it's still not the airiest.

With regard to wanting to DtL on a basically MTL tank ( mini N') I would say it's possible with slipstream but the more experienced user will be spoiled by a genuine subohm tanks eventually.

As you may have guessed, I use basic tanks for work (GS, mini N') and MTL only. Out of the office always 'more' power/airflow. This week I'm totally loving the topfill (SSOCC 0.5)

 

[djsvapour]

I've seen some Aspire K3 kits that seem to be good quality and inexpensive, and also take Nautilus coils.
Would one of these be a decent backup unit?

I'm saying maybe not on that. Again, no flexibility on the power. If you feel you should have a spare (yes, you should) then get something that vapes at the power you like.
Off the top of my head, there are non variable kits at 9 / 14.5 / 22 / 50 watts and the new Joyetech AIO at about 20 (?)
Get the one closest to what you enjoy.

I went for the Subvod (basic version) which is a little high but I can live with that

 

[suprtrkr]

Hi and welcome. +1 on the iStick/Nauti combo. Not trying to push your budget up, but the iStick Pico is an 18650 machine that will do for either MTL or direct lung, and may save you from upgrading the mod if you decide you want a freer breathing tank later. Also, have a care with your batteries. If they're flashlight batteries, it's highly unlikely they will be suitable for vaping.

 

[Talen]

I would also go as fas as to say forego the nautilus mini and get the full sized nautilus...they both use the same exact coils and give the same vape but the full size allows for 5 mils of juice compared to the 2 mils the mini holds. Basically the same price. Mount Baker Vaper has the regular nautilus kit for $25...a bit more than you can get it other places but it comes with a spare glass tank just in case.