1st time with a carto-tank!

[Jay-dub]

Yep. Just got a carto-tank today. In a year (plus a few months) I've gone from Green Smoke, to cheap little egos with clearos, to an iTaste 134 with iClear30S clearo/carto hybrids to a 6ml Affinity Pyrex Tank $44.99 - VividSmoke.com. I cranked my 134 all the way down to the lowest wattage (6.5) but it's vapor production and taste is so good that I'm afraid to crank it up to 7 even. Plus, I generally use 100% VG so I don't want to apply too much heat and dry out the filler. I guess the XL cartos are all dual coil? Not sure because some sites promote the cartos I bought as dual-coil while others make no mention of it. Boge XL LR's to be specific. Anyway, I'm liking the fact that I'm getting more nuanced flavor out of my liquid. I've been hesitant to jump onto the carto bandwagon despite all the positives I've heard because I've also heard that everybody has a different notion of what works well for them. Sometimes, do believe the hype!

 

[serenity21899]

Actually most cartos that I know of, smok, Boge, and Ikenvape are single coil. In the description, it should say dual coil if they are. Assume single coil if it's not mentioned.

 

[Jay-dub]

Bummer. Maybe I won't need them then. If I do want to try them (dual-coil cartos), would they fit in my tank?

 

[wv2win]

Bummer. Maybe I won't need them then. If I do want to try them (dual-coil cartos), would they fit in my tank?

Many of us vets have been trying to educate new vapers to the advantages of carto-tanks over clearo's. Glad you jumped in. There are dual coil cartos that fit various size tanks. The most common are the 45 - 50mm size, which I use in my 5ml tank. I prefer the Smok dual coils or the Ikenvape single coils. With the dual coils, most find you need to pump up the wattage for them to really shine. I use my 1.5 ohm DCC's at between 11 - 12 watts. Single coils in the 8.5 - 10 watt range. But everyone is different. Sweet-Vapes has good prices on the Smok DCC's"

http://www.sweet-vapes.com/shop?pag..._color_plus.tpl&product_id=311&category_id=21

My least favorite carto would be Boge.

 

[r77r7r]

Very nice Tanks! Ty for the link. I really like how some of the tanks have air slots in the bottom caps.

Dual coils only come XL, I believe.

 

[Pocha]

Congrats on joining the carto fold. And that tank looks really nice on that 134!

 

[Muggs]

Very nice Tanks! Ty for the link. I really like how some of the tanks have air slots in the bottom caps.

Dual coils only come XL, I believe.

I never had good luck with dual coil cartos and all I use are cartos. They tend to not be able to keep up with the wicking with any juice over 30% VG although I have never used a 3 hole dual coil just 2 hole.

My favorites are 35mm single coil 2 hole 1.5 to 2ohm cartos on 4V. Those 35mm's hit harder than the XL 45's in my opinion.

 

[Jay-dub]

I've gone up to 8 watts but at that level I'm hesitant to take more than a toke or two every few minutes. I'm feeling it out anyway. I figure cartos are probably harder to flush out any burnt taste if I get too heavy handed on the watts or vape frequency. I'm sure I'll damage something along the way... I hate to think that I'm missing out on more of a "reward" if I'm too afraid to push it at all.

Thanks for all the expertise folks! I do like the fact that my tobacco blend liquid has more of a multidimensional flavor. Still, like most tobacco's I've tried, it has a prominent hay flavor. But the carto has brought out a maple syrup nuance that I never picked up on before. Oh, and the hay flavor in most of the tobaccos I've tried doesn't bother me. I grew up in rural northern Missouri and spent summers buckin' bales for extra cash so, it produces some nostalgia for me.

I've noted to try smok or ikenvape cartos after my current 5pack of Boges run out.

 

[Baditude]

Boge and Ikenvape only make single coil cartos. Smoktech makes both single and dual coil. (I find it interesting that Boge and Ikenvape have never bothered to sell dual coils...)

I personally prefer single coils. I started out with the dual coils and after a day or so I noticed a burnt taste. I was quite sure the cartos were wicking good due to no change in the vapor output, but to me something wasn't quite right. I researched online and found that most people were using single coils in their cartotanks. I thought that I'd give them a shot.

I found that with the single coils I very rarely got that burnt taste after a day of use. Same flavor and vapor production, and probably a little longer battery life. I haven't gone back, and now only use single coils.

My own theory is that even when you properly prime the carto, after a while the top filler will become dry as the liquid gets sucked down to the bottom of the cartomizer (see my diagram below). Since the punched holes are in the bottom of the carto, the filler around the bottom coil stays nice and wet but the mid/upper part of the filler might get dry and allow the upper coil to scorch/burn the filler around it. I've never disected a carto to see if that's the case, but it makes sense to me.



My preference are the SR Ikenvape Platinum (2.5 ohm/unflanged) and the SR 510-Fusion (3.0 ohm/flanged) on my Provari's/MVP. I use IBTanked pyrex cartotanks. I use Smoktech 3.0 ohm single coils as my backup carto. Never been a fan of Boges, but that's personal preference.

 

[wv2win]

I've never had a burnt problem with the dual coils but I always use 3-hole punched DCC's or use my Dremel and put a slot between the two holes if it only has two. I would stay clear of all single-hole cartos.

 

[Jay-dub]

Cool. The Boges have too much airflow for my preference but so far the performance is good. Next time I purchase cartos I'll get them individually and in different brands and styles to do a better comparison for myself. I should have done that in the first place instead of being overzealous and picking up a five pack when I ordered the tank. I've got the watts up to nine without any problems. I get a little flooding when I refill but I figure that's from breaking the seal and losing vacuum. I blow it out from the bottom a few times and once the vacuum is reestablished it stops flooding. Once it works without any flooding for a while, I can look into the top of the carto and see the dry filler that Baditude mentioned. It hasn't cased any flavor or vapor production issues so I'll try not to let it bother me. Now that I'm talking about it though, my tendency to be obsessive is urging me to put a few drops in...

 

[beckdg]

Once it works without any flooding for a while, I can look into the top of the carto and see the dry filler that Baditude mentioned. It hasn't cased any flavor or vapor production issues so I'll try not to let it bother me. Now that I'm talking about it though, my tendency to be obsessive is urging me to put a few drops in...

might not want to. i find with the boge cartos, once your top end is slushy you're teetering on flooding or already there. as always, YMMV, so experiment if you want. i'm far from an expert on the subject.

i have to say... it is very nice having a trouble free, consistent vape. mmm... yummy...

 

[Jay-dub]

I don't think I can refill it without some flooding. I've tried taking the drip tip off and sliding the tank up the carto a little, which works fine but then pushing it back down captures enough air in it to pump fluid up and over the filler when I slide it on past the o-ring. Same with simply removing the entire top cap. Should have got a top cap or glass tank with a fill hole. Next time.

 

[HumbleTex]

It's quite possible I was doing it wrong but the way I primed my cartos was just put a few drops into the carto, fill the tank with juice, put the drip tip back on, cover the battery connector with my finger and give the drip tip a pretty heavy pull for 2-3 seconds. That was enough to get the polyfill nice and saturated and the carto was ready to go. At that point I just topped the tank off and vaped away.

Since I just picked up an IBTanked and saw this thread it made me wonder if I was doing it wrong and causing problems for myself.

 

[beckdg]

jay-dub; i dunno. i do pretty well with my ibtanked(s) and a slap yo momma. never results in a flooded carto. though, obviously, it's not the same tank.

hunbletex; if it works and it's your preferred way, so be it. you can also try fiddling with your thingy (explained on the ibtanked site and on the back of the trifold brochure you get with your ibtanked purchase), the thermometer method, the drip and roll and filling your rubber tips then insert and re-insert.

 

[Jay-dub]

I've developed a better methodology to refilling. Still get a little pumping action when sliding the tank back down but it's not flooding as bad. It's fixed in a couple of draws.

 

[beckdg]

nice!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Jay-dub]

I also got brave and cranked the 134 up to 10 watts. Still no problems. I think I'm going to prefer simply swapping out cartos to keeping track of heads, coils, wicks, cleaning cycles etc...

 

[zapped]

I also got brave and cranked the 134 up to 10 watts. Still no problems. I think I'm going to prefer simply swapping out cartos to keeping track of heads, coils, wicks, cleaning cycles etc...

Make sure to get yourself a tank refilling tool or a drip tip that is the same diameter as the carto. Using either of those will GREATLY extend the life of your cartos o-rings.

Sliding the carto without the tool or a tip into the tank will cause the sharp edges on the carto to slice off a tiny bit of the o-ring each time you use it and will eventually cause a leak or catastrophic failure of the tank.

Tips like this work well Metal Drip Tip - Gunmetal - Vapers Junction

or you can use the tank filling tool, or one like it, from here Tank Tool/Filler Tip - Phiniac Rugged Pyrex Glass Tanks

 

[WillyZee]

Make sure to get yourself a tank refilling tool or a drip tip that is the same diameter as the carto. Using either of those will GREATLY extend the life of your cartos o-rings.

Sliding the carto without the tool or a tip into the tank will cause the sharp edges on the carto to slice off a tiny bit of the o-ring each time you use it and will eventually cause a leak or catastrophic failure of the tank.

Tips like this work well Metal Drip Tip - Gunmetal - Vapers Junction

or you can use the tank filling tool, or one like it, from here Tank Tool/Filler Tip - Phiniac Rugged Pyrex Glass Tanks

IBTanked drip tip tool ... only $2.50 a must have item.