A Little Guidance, Please?

[Leese]

I've been vaping on and off for a year or so now, but only really started to take it "seriously" at the beginning of the year when I decided that 2014 was the year I was going to become a non-smoker. I'm 26 and have been smoking since I was 14... For the last 8 years or so I've been on 20 a day. Before this year I'd been using ecigs now and again alongside my smokes. Now I want to step it up and become an ex-smoker, and a full-time vaper.

I'm currently using a JustFog Maxi. When I first got it, I thought it was great. It gave much more of a hit than the one I'd been using previously, which was a cheap Ego. Over time, however, and now that I've given up the analogs completely, it doesn't seem to be doing the job. I'm getting by, but I'm having to use it more often and for longer periods of time, refilling the clearomiser multiple times daily, and the battery life isn't great.

I've spent the past couple of weeks reading through threads on here and trying to decide what my next step should be. I was looking into mods and rebuildables, but it all seems very daunting! I don't want to spend so much money on something if I'm not going to be able to do it, if that makes sense. It seems very fiddly and like it requires much patience... Not my strongest point! The most advanced I've gone is changing the coil cylinder on my Maxi.

Money isn't a huge option for a good vape, but I'm also not made of money and can't afford the very high-end kits. I'm just looking for a little bit of advice on where I can go from here. I don't think I'm quite ready to jump head-on into mods as I don't quite understand it all (watts and volts and ohms...OH MY!) but I do need something that is going to give a good hit without compromising flavour.

 

[gandymarsh]

Hi, and Welcome.

I started with cig-alikes and went to an Ego style then an MVP 2. This thread may interest you http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...30-you-growns-up-your-vaping-progression.html

 

[gorillas]

I would say next step is a vv/vw device

 

[Ace90]

I cheated for a while, allowing myself to smoke a cig here and there while also vaping but it came to the point that I just did not want to smoke cigs anymore and threw myself into E-ciggs. Without a doubt your not going to get a better flavor then your going to get with rebuildables. I stayed away from it for a long time sticking to my ego twist vv bc I thought just like you that it was going to be a pain in the A**. I built my first coils last week and I wish I had done it sooner the taste is phenomenal and not as hard as I thought it would be. Mods dont have to be expensive I got my for about $50 and spent $21 on my dripper. I purchased my mod and dripper from Smoktek.com. This is all just my own personal opinion of course but I really think you should just go for it. Youtube really really helps ! P.S. when it comes to wicking your going to want to use Organic Cotton this add to the greatness of the flavor!

 

[Darthvong]

Vamo V5 VV/VW or MVP2 is you prefer box mods are the most common affordable reliable next step IMO.

 

[PolarGoat]

ive been vaping a lil over a month. started with an ego, a week later a vv/vw box mod, two weeks later a mech mod with some RDA's. I dont use my ego at all anymore and am selling all that stuff to co-workers cheap. I use my regulated box mod for normal resistance tanks like the kangertechs/aspires, and i use my mech for dripping and sub-ohming. I use them both regularly, but use the mech more because theres nothing like sub-ohming a drip tank. The cloud and flavor is amazing. The next tank I want to get is the 91% russian. Havent had a chance to play with this style atomizer yet.

 

[Crystal Freeze]

I have a vamo v2, paired with a kayfun lite. I have very little to no patience and I build coils on the kfl with ease. The vamo along with MOST mods, won't let you use a coil with too low of ohms. My whole setup cost under $100

 

[Baditude]

The above link to Your Vaping Progression is a good one to see the "journey" that many of us made to find a setup which works for us. We're all individuals with personal preferences. What works for one may not work for others.

My advice is to just spend time doing research reading threads on ECF, watching reviews of e-cig products on YouTube (PBusardo is a popular reviewer). I've written a dozen blog articles to help new vapers learn from my experience and knowledge from over two years vaping and being smoke-free.

Baditude's Blogs

Vapers Table website catering to new vapers

I'm not saying you have to spend $300 to find the ultimate vaping experience in gear, but myself and many others have found a Provari and a Kayfun-style rebuildable atomizer to be what works for us. There's a blog of the Provari in the above link. A Kayfun-style RBA is not that difficult to learn to use, and it provides a wonderful flavorful vaping experience.

Take your time, research, learn the terminology, and then choose what will be the best options for you within your budget. And remember, there's no question too simple to ask here on ECF. We all started out like you.

 

[Neunerball]

I agree with getting a VV/VW device with a 510 connection (most commonly used). However, out of my own experience, I'd look for a device where you can take out the battery to charge/replace it. Although, it might be more expensive to get started with, on the long run it's cheaper, 'cause you just by a new battery, instead of a hole new device.
I went with the expensive Provari and I know it'll last me for years. Meanwhile, I put a Kayfun Lite + clone on it and it's another improvement over my Protanks (2&3, all with air flow control). Of course, for the home use, I have some mechanical mods and RDAs.

 

[patkin]

I've got a Vamo, Slip, multiple mahs in Joye Egos (straight and USBs) and off brands of same, Erolls, straight USB VVs and multiple iTaste V3 VV/VWs and about 6 different toppers (clearos/tanks.) My preferred battery devices are the iTaste VVs if that helps. Much of it really depends on your preference in form factor, charge life and weight. The iTaste checks your topper and battery charge so you get what the Vamo does but in a smaller package. They're 800mah so two of them will get most people through the day (one if you can only vape on breaks or lunch and driving to and from) and 3 will get you through chain vaping.

 

[Neunerball]

I agree with getting a VV/VW device with a 510 connection (most commonly used). However, out of my own experience, I'd look for a device where you can take out the battery to charge/replace it. Although, it might be more expensive to get started with, on the long run it's cheaper, 'cause you just buy a new battery, instead of a hole new device.
I went with the expensive Provari and I know it'll last me for years. Meanwhile, I put a Kayfun Lite + clone on it and it's another improvement over my Protanks (2&3, all with air flow control). Of course, for the home use, I have some mechanical mods and RDAs.

 

[Leese]

Thanks so much for the help and advice. I'm going to take some time to look at the options that were mentioned here, and watch some YouTube vids to see if I think a mod would be the way to go. I've read a lot of good things about Vamo and Innokin products, along with Kanger, so with a little more research on this forum I'm sure I'll find something that will work for me.

 

[Crystal Freeze]

Grimmgreen and rip trippers do a lot of reviews. Pbusardo (sp?) does too. A lot of good stuff from those 3 on you tube

 

[PennyLynn]

From the little I've been able to understand about rebuilding and all, it looks as though it's not that different from basic jewelry-making; is that right? You use tools to make little coils in both. Only difference is that I've never read the current on a bracelet!

 

[Crystal Freeze]

I've never made a bracelet.... Lol but coil building is pretty simple
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HstiYiC_ZN8

 

[Baditude]

From the little I've been able to understand about rebuilding and all, it looks as though it's not that different from basic jewelry-making; is that right? You use tools to make little coils in both. Only difference is that I've never read the current on a bracelet!

Ohm's Law for Dummies - Ohms, Voltage, and Amps

 

[brickfollett]

If you can get rebuildables down, don't pass up on genesis atomizers too! One of the more challenging devices, but very rewarding when you get them right. Terrific, clean vape. That said, I use my bottom feeding dripper setup more often than my genesis attys though

 

[Trotsky]

I wouldnt worry to much about the whole volts and watts thing really. The simple fact is the one and only thing you can do nothing about is the resistance/impedance of the coil, therefore if you change voltage you also change wattage and vice versa,the slight difference is that using voltage changes is a finer adjustment than changing wattage ie wattage changes in bigger steps effectively
Oh and definately buy an innokin MVP theyre great