Will this carto tank ever not suck?

[LDS714]

Even though a lot of people like to put down B&Ms for being expensive, this is one area where I've been served well.

Got my first carto tanks at B&Ms. The guy at the shop primed and filled my first one, and it's been a piece of cake since.

Thanks to Nick at Vulcan Vape, I've had nothing but success and great flavor from the carto tanks. Not only that, but from reading here about wasted cartos, it seems like I've saved money.

 

[suspectK]

Sounds as if youre not priming it correctly or you dont have a tight seal. My carto tanks work perfectly but there was a learning curve to using them.

Learning curve+some research and development..lol I had a problem when I started using different vendors. I would just consider the ratio, but that really isn't the real factor. 100% VG flsvors can be about the same consistency as corn syrup or even thinner than artificially flavored 50/50 mixes. I still learn with cartomizers and certain flavors after about 10months of using them.

 

[Rocketpunk]

Ocelot, I've noticed your Halloween avatar. Did/do you watch Breaking Bad? I'm going to change my Avatar soon to my new costume.

And zing.

I am the one who knocks.

 

[crxess]

Personal note only:

3 F-16 Tanks and ZERO issues.
1 (included) carto that flooded uncontrollably from the minute the tank was filled. Replaced and no failures since.
Inspection revealed Filler only reached laser Holes leaving an open Base for liquid to puddle.

Contrary to opinions, any tank properly shaped and sealed should work correctly within its material restrictions.

Proper use of a quality Cartomizer is key.

 

[cdsaint66]

Personal note only:

3 F-16 Tanks and ZERO issues.
1 (included) carto that flooded uncontrollably from the minute the tank was filled. Replaced and no failures since.
Inspection revealed Filler only reached laser Holes leaving an open Base for liquid to puddle.

Contrary to opinions, any tank properly shaped and sealed should work correctly within its material restrictions.

Proper use of a quality Cartomizer is key.

Agree! I've used F16 tanks with success, but the cartos that come with them aren't very good IMO. The biggest advance in my carto tank using experience came when I switched from Volcano LR dual coil cartomizers to Boge LR single coil. Much better user experience!

 

[iowajosh]

I haven't been using many cartos fro the last few months but my experience with them is completely random. I would pass on the f16 tanks though. I had a few and they worked for a while but the chrome stuff came off and left sparkles in my juice.

 

[zapped]

It sounds like you have already flooded your cartomizers beyond repair. Start over with a new carto.

As my friend Zapped said, priming the carto correctly is the single most important step in a cartotank setup. How well you do this will determine how well that carto performs for its entire life.

Follow the method I use here word for word. Watch the video. Use the tooth pick. Get yourself a tank accessory tool. There is a slight learning curve with cartotanks, but you'll get it down soon.

Baditude's Cartotank Setup Guide

Cartotank Help for a Noob

Make certain your draw techique is correct for a cartotank. Slow gentle long draws of 4 - 6 seconds - imagine sucking on a straw in a thick milkshake. Short hard draw like you are smoking a cigarette will flood the carto. Not priming the carto adequately will cause dry burnt hits.

I'm not a fan of the low-end tanks like the F16, but it hopefully will give you a glimpse of what a quality cartotank can provide.

Everything Bad said is right on the money. I just wanted to add that Ive run into a couple of people lately who have either forgotten about the importance of using a long, slow draw or never knew about in the first place.

One was my wife, she was doing a really hard, short (about 3 second) draw on the tank and it was burning her juice.

A helpful analogy is to think back to when you were smoking. Ever had someone bum a drag and then completely disintegrate the filter with a puff or two while also turning the filter that nasty black/dark brown color?

Thats NOT how you want to draw on a carto or even a clearo tank as it causes the juice to caramelize on the coils. If your juice is visibly turning much darker in your tank over the course of a few days this is the likely culprit.

Think long, slow, easy drags that barely discolor the filter of a traditional cigarette. 5 to 6 seconds is ideal. You can see Phil Busardo counting to 5 by nodding his head when he does juice reviews.

Hope that helps.

 

[Sthur]

Third time is a charm plus baditudes blog helped me get setup. Now I swap back and forth to my pt2 now. Depends on juice and mood.

 

[baghandler]

Everything Bad said is right on the money. I just wanted to add that Ive run into a couple of people lately who have either forgotten about the importance of using a long, slow draw or never knew about in the first place.

One was my wife, she was doing a really hard, short (about 3 second) draw on the tank and it was burning her juice.

A helpful analogy is to think back to when you were smoking. Ever had someone bum a drag and then completely disintegrate the filter with a puff or two while also turning the filter that nasty black/dark brown color?

Thats NOT how you want to draw on a carto or even a clearo tank as it causes the juice to caramelize on the coils. If your juice is visibly turning much darker in your tank over the course of a few days this is the likely culprit.

Think long, slow, easy drags that barely discolor the filter of a traditional cigarette. 5 to 6 seconds is ideal. You can see Phil Busardo counting to 5 by nodding his head when he does juice reviews.

Hope that helps.

Hotboxing. That's what I used to call it (don't know why). I hated when that would happen. Great analogy, though.

 

[Recon Number 54]

I use XXL cartos sometimes, they hold 3.5 ml, so no need for a tank.

I'll use the XXLs when I travel simply because it's easy to toss a few into a baggie, bring along a couple of eGo batteries and maybe a small bottle of liquid. Much more easy to get through security, easier to pack, no worries of tank leaking due to pressure changes on the flight, etc..

As to the advice and observations in this thread? There's very little that I can add, especially since the information is so very spot-on.

One poster did mention that the tank is just a tank, and with that, I agree. It's just a reservoir for the liquid and saves having to frequently top/fill a carto and automatically keeps its polyfill at a proper level of saturation. I went with a cheap option when I got my first set of tanks, I wanted each of my favorite liquids tanked and went with the pyrex Smok DCTs since they had a low entry cost. Now that I've settled in and decided that carto-tanks are my preferred method? Well, the Smok DCTs are essentially "disposable" since the caps are fixed and the seals/o-rings can't be replaced. When they fail (not a matter of if, I do take care of them, use a carto-insertion tool, but they will fail sooner or later) I will replace them with a higher quality glass tank. But since they will fail at various times, the hit to my budget won't be all at once.

Great topic, great discussion, invaluable information. Especially for those who are lurking (we know that you're out there!)

 

[EvilZoe]

I'll use the XXLs when I travel simply because it's easy to toss a few into a baggie, bring along a couple of eGo batteries and maybe a small bottle of liquid. Much more easy to get through security, easier to pack, no worries of tank leaking due to pressure changes on the flight, etc..

As to the advice and observations in this thread? There's very little that I can add, especially since the information is so very spot-on.

One poster did mention that the tank is just a tank, and with that, I agree. It's just a reservoir for the liquid and saves having to frequently top/fill a carto and automatically keeps its polyfill at a proper level of saturation. I went with a cheap option when I got my first set of tanks, I wanted each of my favorite liquids tanked and went with the pyrex Smok DCTs since they had a low entry cost. Now that I've settled in and decided that carto-tanks are my preferred method? Well, the Smok DCTs are essentially "disposable" since the caps are fixed and the seals/o-rings can't be replaced. When they fail (not a matter of if, I do take care of them, use a carto-insertion tool, but they will fail sooner or later) I will replace them with a higher quality glass tank. But since they will fail at various times, the hit to my budget won't be all at once.

Great topic, great discussion, invaluable information. Especially for those who are lurking (we know that you're out there!)

No we're not!

 

[GoodNews!]

Hey guys, I just talked to a local vendor that swears by the shops own set up, a regular plastic carto tank and dual-holed, dual-coil 1.25ohm cartomizers. The guy at the shop specifically said that in his experience, that for some reason, the 1-hole or 1.5ohm cartomizers, in the same set-up, just don't work for him. He instructed me that if I buy the set up, that when priming the cartomizer, that I should pretty much just drop juice in it, not worrying about getting it in the center hole or not, and just laying it on a different side after every few drops, letting it sit for a bit, and keep doing that until I see juice starting to come out of the two holes. He said once that happens, pop it in the tank and vape. Does anyone know if this method makes any sense? To me, it seemed as though it'd be prone to flooding, but there may have been extra tips that he just forgot to explain (blowing a little excess juice out, letting it sit for awhile after when the holes start to show liquid before putting it in the tank).

I do want to try carto systems for the taste, as that's my big factor, but they do seem finicky.

 

[Baditude]

Does anyone know if this method makes any sense? To me, it seemed as though it'd be prone to flooding, but there may have been extra tips that he just forgot to explain (blowing a little excess juice out, letting it sit for awhile after when the holes start to show liquid before putting it in the tank).

I do want to try carto systems for the taste, as that's my big factor, but they do seem finicky.

They are not finicky once you learn the cartotank system and understand how it works. Once you "get it", it will be your most consistant and reliable delivery device. More consistant and reliable than anything from a clearomizer up to an RBA.

A cartotank works on the system of negative pressure within the tank. Each time you draw on the tank, the suction effect pulls the correct amount of juice from the tank to replace the same amount of juice that was vaporized in the carto. Knowledge and experience adds to the consistancy and dependability to overcome the slight learning curve.

With my setup method, it takes me 5 minutes to setup a new carto and tank, ready to vape immediately. One minute to do tank refills. No maintanance in between tank refills. I exchange cartos when the draw becomes too tight, usually after 50 - 60 ml of juice.

 

[P1NH3AD]

I use XL Smoktech cartos and a Smoktech Pyrex tank. I love it. But I won't say I never had any problems. Like anything in life there is a little bit of a learning curve. It took me about 7-10 cartos before I figured what priming method works for me. I punch 'em, slide it in the tank, fill it up then just take easy pulls until it looks like a slushy. Then I blow out the excess, refill the difference and then I'm set. Keep at it and you'll find the best way for you. I highly recommend Baditudes stuff, can't beat it. I love rebuildables and all that jazz but I love my cartos, theyre everyones dirty little secret. Easy, reliable, and consistent.

 

[DaMann]

I found the world of cartos, finally. I had been using a Protank, Unitank and Hypertank BCC's exclusively, until now... The protanks were fine but found they really only worked for me well when they had brand new coils, even at that I couldn't do a 3 puff draw ( one draw, inhale, second inhale, third...all in one go for a bigger lung full) by the third puff it was a dry hit. I always made a practice of a primer puff. Still too many dry hits and poor performance outside when cold. When they are working they are fine but I decided to try cartos...

What a bloody disaster at first. Bought an cheap X8 Odysseus with regular boge cartos, and a cheap Smok carto tank ( glass with aluminum case) with xxl smoke flanged cartos. First i punch an extra bigger hole on the smoke XXL carto thinking I needed it. Wrong, was flooding constantly. So i decided to try my X8, again punched a hole but too much, warped the carto and was tough to get in the tank. Burned taste, guess i didn't prime it enough. Put them away and said screw it, cartos are not for me, too much hassle. A few days later I went back to them, used the x8, didn't punch any extra holes, used the stock pre punched holes, primed it. Installed it, filled the tank and left it. Few primer puffs, left it, few primer puffs left it. Then I tried it and wow, so smooth, I can vape it constantly with no dry hits at all. I can do triple puff draws over and over again. Smooth, non dry hits every single time, over and over again. It also solved one of my biggest issues of vaping in the cold outside and getting dry hits. Performs great outside. Even the Smoke carto tank with a smoke carto is great. Still like my protanks and will keep them, they are far easier to use and change juices with, but for overall performance the cartos win hands down. Only disadvantage is the taste is a tad less than a protank, but the hit is heavier, vape is heavier and smooth smooth smooth. Loving the cartos. I really can't get over how smooth they are. Guess I was getting far more dry hits with my BCC's than I realized.