A few thoughts...

[alvitae]

Pardon if I ramble, This post is mainly a vent for my boredom till something comes on t.v.

Looking back I for one started vaping totally wrong and I think many others do as well from some of the posts I have read on the board.

We start with a kit of some sort, See the potential of vaping and then proceed to dumping a small fortune into chinese crap that just frustrates us because of poor quality and I would imagine has turned more than a few from the benefits of vaping.

My wife wants me to inroduce vaping to a freind and is telling me to take "one of those small ones" i have laying around over to show him. Well I'm not going to. I think we owe it to the new vapors to start them off right.

That mind set of get a "cheap" starter kit to see if you like it is hogwash. Start them off with a good product like the Chuck. And ave them some money.

I also hear the argument of "Oh it's a mod. I dont want any hassles." putting a few drops in my lipton tea bag cart a few times a day is less of a hassle than looking for a lighter then lighting up 20-30 times a day. Dumping the ashtray and all that. Or worried about your battery lasting all the way to the grocery store and back, then chain vaping and not realizing it is because of your cheap equipment that is not letting you get any vapor.

I see new people post asking what they should get, 901-510-98mm kit etc. I think I am just going to be blunt from now on even though others on the board will throw a hissy and say skip getting all that cheap chinese crap and get the Chuck, You will be doing yourself a huge favor.

 

[highping]

I see a couple issues with this approach...
First, most smokers are looking for a 'cig like' experience. Most even want the 'cig look' (white batt, brown cart, orange light) in their first PV. For the same reasons they usually want tobacco flavors and such, to make the transition easier.

Second, the Chuck as a first purchase will require more effort than most 'beginner' options. They will need help and advice on getting batteries, chargers, attys, juice etc.

What I usually do when introducing someone is show them one of my 510s, let them hit it. Use it to show them what the components are, how they work together, etc. Then I will break out my Chuck and say, "now if you want the real deal, you're gonna want to get one of these."
But, I will still recommend they buy a 510 kit first. This way they have something in a couple days to get started with. Then if (when) they realize that the biggest hassle of the whole thing is juggling batteries, they can order a Chuck and they will already have the attys/carts and some experience with stock equipment.

I would say let them hit a stock 510, then let them hit your chuck. Then they can probably decide if they want to jump right in with a big purchase, or start out with something that is going to cost the same as a carton of smokes. To make sure it's gong to work for them.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[BanjoMan]

I, too, started out with a few different kits early on. The Chuck is a wonderful mod for anyone wanting longer battery life, but a lot of us are ex-smokers who also need something smaller that we can hold in our teeth and fiddle with. I still use my 901 and 401 quiet often during the day, and I think they serve the purpose well. I wouldn't push anyone into a Chuck right off the bat if all they're looking for is a cigarette replacement. Just my 2 cents...

There.. now you have 4 cents worth!

 

[alvitae]

You both make valid points. When PV's become more mainstream and FDA (boo) approved I'm sure the quality will step up a lot on the kits. As well as the price...

 

[BanjoMan]

As far as price goes I started ordering direct from China (Heaven-Gifts) not long after I joined the ECF. If anybody I talk to is leary of going that route I just offer to add their "wants" to my next order. After they see how easy (and cheap!) it is they start ordering for themselves...

bonus: All that ordering from HG has put me in the 10% off club!

 

[alvitae]

Since I got my chuck the only thing I need now is attys, I've been getting them stateside for less than $7, so it is hard to justify the shipping.

But I did order 5 Dse-901 kits from China and only paid $26.50 each for them for gifts. Had them in a week.

 

[highping]

Yeah, I bought 12 510 kits from Central Trade for ~$21 each. They are the 2-batt, 2-atty, 5cart, and charger kits. Pretty much the same 'whitebox' kit that many US suppliers are selling for 45-50 dollars. Also bought 12 attys for about 4 bucks a piece on the same order.
The whole order was $300 for 12 kits and 12 attys. Not even HG can beat the prices of CT, but I think they are more aimed at bulk purchases.

 

[arkangel]

Before I started, I stumbled on this site and spent probably 3 weeks constant reading here before making a purchase. Even being a gadget freak/tech fiddler, I shied away from any of the 3-piecers, even though by all accounts they were good performers. Most of the people I know would not stick with it that long if they had to do any kind of atomizer and/or cart maintenance to prop up (or eliminate) a smoking habit--it's just easier to smoke. I went with a KR808D-1 starter with auto batts and was happy I did.

And like you mentioned, I initially wanted to replicate smoking--white battery, orange LED, tan "filter" end. It didn't take long to go away from tobacco flavors and then to different colored batts/LED's--why did I want people to think I was smoking??!!

So I've been pushing the KR808D-1/two-piecers on people who ask or are interested--cartomizers practically eliminate any maintenance, so there's just the learning curve of how often to charge, how hard/soft to drag, how long carto's last and what flavors/strength to use. Screw it on, vape on it--can't get any simpler. You can certainly get 510 kits cheaper than some vendors' KR808D offerings, but I got my starter kit for $40-$45 so it was a pretty easy entry point.

For the technically-minded or astute, they can then migrate to refilling and mods (as I did); I even got a 510 Little Chuck (using Altsmoke's carto adapter) because I'm considering going down the atty route, just to try direct dripping and to experience what seems like a majority of people use.

 

[Sharky]

I think the best way you can start a new vaper is to get them to buy a 510, 901, or 801 kit and let them get used to the idea of changing batts and topping off carts and the usual crap we went through. That is the learning curve everybody needs to go through to get to the point where they "want" a battery mod. Face it, vaping is a royal pain in the ... and you have to "want" to vape to make it successful venture. A big battery mod is great for those who want it but I never wanted one until 4 months into my vaping journey. I still keep 5 510 manual batts around although I dont use them just in case I want to go lightweight for any reason. I take my Big Chuck everywhere I go and I am finding I have gotten over having to have something hanging from my mouth all the time now. It is great owning the Chuck and it is my main vape. I recently purchased a black finish Silver Bullet because I love the way it looks and the switch on the unit. It will be my home evening vaper. The Big Chuck will always be my day long go to vaping unit. Just my .02 cents...

 

[Sar]

The best item I bought together with my first kit was a USB passthrough. If I didn't have that, there is no way I would have switched to vaping. If you are a serious smoker and run out of cigs, you go out to buy a pack through snow or rain. With ecig that is not an option, so the USB cable saved me many times.

But I also went through several different kits until I found atty type I liked enough to quit cigs completely. That factor is very subjective. If you steer a new user to your favority atty, it may not be the right one for him. If I was starting today, my first purchase would be a mod that can be used as standard and hi-voltage device (to avoid short-life battery problem) and that can be used with two or three different attomizer types.

 

[alvitae]

I've yet to get a passthrough to work longer than a few days, I've tried three. 1 never worked. Another worked a minute or two and the third lasted a few days so I gave up on them.

$50.00 down the tubes not counting shipping and the wall plugs and car converters etc. That amount alone would have bought my Chuck.

That is just one of the examples of wasted money and lots of frustration I've gone through in my vaping experience. Why would I tell a friend to buy a bunch of Chinese junk and experience a bunch of frustration?

So it is better for a beginner to buy stuff that may or may not work, May or may not last the only certain thing is that you will be buying more? Not to mention the poor performance compared to a good mod.

 

[Sharky]

We all have different opinions based on our own experiences. That is why it is a journey that each person makes on their own regardless of any help or advice they may recieve. More importantly the success depends on the person and their determination to vape instead of smoking...

 

[Sar]

I've yet to get a passthrough to work longer than a few days, I've tried three. 1 never worked. Another worked a minute or two and the third lasted a few days so I gave up on them.

$50.00 down the tubes not counting shipping and the wall plugs and car converters etc. That amount alone would have bought my Chuck.

That is just one of the examples of wasted money and lots of frustration I've gone through in my vaping experience. Why would I tell a friend to buy a bunch of Chinese junk and experience a bunch of frustration?

So it is better for a beginner to buy stuff that may or may not work, May or may not last the only certain thing is that you will be buying more? Not to mention the poor performance compared to a good mod.

Generally I had good luck with passthroughs. The only one that was really bad was 510 version -- and I bought two of those thinking that the first one was a lemon.

But now you don't need to get Chinese-made. There are several US manufacturers that have much better quality products, even with attachments that allow onr passthrough to work several atty types.

The benefit of a passthrough is its power consistency. While the battery power in mods depletes with use and your vaping experience changes, the passthrough provides consistent power.

When I started vaping, one of my biggest problems was trying to figure out why things stopped working or why is the vape suddenly different. Is it bad attomizer? Is it depleted battery? Did the battery die? Is it the liquid? Using the passthrough I didn't need to consider battery problems. (Of course, that is only if you have passthrough that works well.)

 

[alvitae]

It is entirely possible that a lot of equipment malfuntions were user error on my part, Flooding attys, Not enough power to the PT's etc.

But I still don't understand why for the price of a kit and a passthrough a Chuck is not better for a beginner. You are taking batterys out of the equation. As well as poor performance. I thought I was a chain vaper till I got my chuck. Now I realise it it was inadequate vapor production.

Yes the dse-901 was smaller and I could just leave it hang in my mouth while I was working but with the Chuck I don't feel the need to chain vape as I did then so I don't need to puff constantly now. Which was a problem with the kits, I never felt satisfied.

 

[Sar]

It is entirely possible that a lot of equipment malfuntions were user error on my part, Flooding attys, Not enough power to the PT's etc.

But I still don't understand why for the price of a kit and a passthrough a Chuck is not better for a beginner. You are taking batterys out of the equation. As well as poor performance. I thought I was a chain vaper till I got my chuck. Now I realise it it was inadequate vapor production.

Yes the dse-901 was smaller and I could just leave it hang in my mouth while I was working but with the Chuck I don't feel the need to chain vape as I did then so I don't need to puff constantly now. Which was a problem with the kits, I never felt satisfied.

Money-wise, the Chuck may be better than ecig kits, if you already know what atomizer type you like.

But remember that you are not taking batteries out of the equation. The Chuck still uses batteries -- they are just much better batteries. But those batteries still lose power so you normally get the optimal power that gives you the best vape just part of the time between recharges. And you still have to do recharging, swapping batteries, learning about what is the difference between, lets say, 900 mAh and 3000 mAh battery and what difference it makes, what does "protected" battery mean and why should you care, etc. This all may be common knowledge for many, but I was completely ignorant -- I didn't even know there were that many battery types to begin with. For ignorants like myself, the passthrough is basically just plug-and-play.

But the Chuck could very well be the better option for beginners that are not completely clueless.

 

[bonniegirl]

my 2 cents worth
I have a consulting service to my area physicians to introduce patients to vaping. My experience in addiction and my experience as a cigarette addict (notice I didn't say the AMA approved diagnosis of nicotine addiction?) The cigarette addiction is a multi-faceted one. Tactile, oral, throat hit, lung expansion, exhalation, brand preference and trigger mechanisms (ien the phone, driving, after a good meal) all play huge parts in the ability to switch to the vapor alternative. A careful assessment of what the smoker considers important would lead me to making the decision. For most, a cigarette like PV (for the tactile sensation) with a tobacco like or menthol/tobacco mix has been most successful for patients. I have found many patients are satisfied with a mini cig and pre-filled carts and stay there...others "feel the need" for more and I offer a 510 or HV hardware. This subject is very personalized and not black and white.

 

[alvitae]

You have a point Bonniegirl, I know that right now if I was taking nicotine pills or whatever I would still get nervous from not lighting up or vaping.

I do not think the learning curve is any different for the Chuck as anything else though as has been posted earlier. As a matter of fact I think it is easier than the kits. I know if some one had started me on a chuck right off the bat my vaping experience would have been a lot less rocky. One thing to worry about is attys and that's it. As I have had no problem charging a battery every three days. There is none of the you have to puff slow or long for me with the Chuck. You just take a puff and get a good hit.

Sticking a battery in every 3 days is easier than rotating batteries on a charger every couple of hours. If you are not getting good vapor you either need to add juice or your atty is bad. Just as simple if not simpler than kits where you have a certain battery works with a certain atty but not as good with others etc.

 

[Giz's Mom]

I think a mod is a hard sell in the beginning. Most people start with wanting it to feel just like a cig. That was most important for me when I started. I would have been hard pressed to believe I would end up with a mod. I have been using my Blu to start people because they love the way it looks and feels. One person is completely happy with her Blu. Another I started on the 510 and have a Chuck ordered for Christmas. Yet another is perfectly happy with her 510 and I doubt would have any interest in a Chuck. I think it is better to go with what they think they want to start. Mods scare people. Even one as beautiful as a Chuck.

 

[bustherh]

I really want a USB passthrough, I work in front of my computer a lot it seems like this would be ther perfect solution for me.

 

[bustherh]

I just watched a video review of the chuck and it really looks awesome, I will probably buy one as soon as I can!