I am a 1.5 pack a day smoker of Pall Mall Lights. What would be the best SS if it is appropriate for a smoker like me to use? I was liking the Premium but saw the stuff about the Pitbull that will be released soon.
Thanks in advance for any info you can provide. Would like to know how long the
batteries last, the carts etc.
First, a little personal history, to put things in the right perspective. You've already done a smart thing by coming to this forum to ask questions before you spent a small fortune on overpriced junk that's all over the internet. I started with GreenSmoke, returned the kit, found ECF, got kr808 from V4L, then moved on to SmokeStik and finally to Riva/eGo class batteries. Just like almost every beginner, I wanted an ecig that most closely resembled the real thing. GS was not all that bad, and I'm grateful that they let me use it for 30 days and then took it back, no questions asked. It got me started. But it wasn't enough to get me off cigs. Kr808 was an improvement, but I had to switch to manual batteries, because their autos were a pain. Then all kinds of problems with burning cartos started. Enter SmokeStik. What I got was the best auto battery money could buy, great switch, no primer puffs necessary; and burn resistant cartomizers. The Hendu is fabulous. Right now I use SS as my secondary device; when I'm out and about, driving, going out. It's so unobtrusive and pleasant to use. However, the battery life is a problem. I can drain a Hendu faster than it takes to recharge a spare. I have two chargers and 5 or 6 batteries in constant rotation. This is a problem with ALL minis and superminis. though, not just SS. If you want it to look like a cig, you'll have to deal with short battery life. There are only so many mAh you can cram into a small slender body of a mini battery. Period.
But in the newb forum, not a lot of love for them and I want to make sure I get the right device for me. I don't plan to make a 2nd purchase anytime soon. Also the idea of carts is very appealing, not looking for a hobby and the idea of mixing juices or filling up cartridges doesn't appeal to me.
There are several reasons the superminis are often maligned on ECF: one is the generally bad reputation of all the other overpriced and underperforming kits that are flooding the internet and the mall kiosks, and the other is the short battery life. A lot of folks complain about SS prices, but in comparison to GS $50 batteries, SS is almost a bargain (please note I said 'almost' a bargain
). Another reason for the general dislike of minis is the fact that they are not as powerful as their bigger, fatter cousins. There are plenty of people who love high voltage vaping, mods, variable voltage and so on. But I also know a lot of folks who are perfectly happy with the minis.
Cartos (I assume you meant cartos, not carts) are very nice and I use them almost exclusively with all my PVs. But don't even think about taking a few puffs and discarding a perfectly good, barely used carto, please. You have to have a couple of bottles of good eliquid and refill/top off your cartomizers to prevent burning and to prolong their life.
Brutus may be able to confirm this, but as a noob who's done a bunch of reading here, i've formed the opinion that i want:
a Cig-size PV to start (i anticipate larger capacity models as vape experience increases, but not right now)
uses cartos that don't burn (i've read cartos are easier for on the fly changes, and that new styles are easier to refill and won't burn)
has a PCC, preferably that holds an assembled PV
Well, you're 2 for 3 so far. SmokeStik doesn't offer a PCC (not sure why), but they can be bought elsewhere; any 4081 PCC will do. However, they may not fit the new Pitbull batteries. I don't really know.
If you have any other questions, do not hesitate to ask. But ultimately, you're the only ones who know what will make you happy. And no matter what you buy, you'll start having second thoughts and buy something else within a month or so. And then another toy, and another. Nature of the beast. Don't overthink it. It will not be your last PV, even if you love it to death. I don't know anybody who owns just one. Honest.
Good luck!
