I would also like to see what suggestions are best. I have a BLU starter kit, that i've been using for about 7 months, but not only does it seem expensive, it doesn't really satisfy my cravings. I seem to go back to real cigarettes every 2 weeks or so. My question however, is what is the best setup for the best price. From what i've been reading the most efficient and cost effective units are the EGO units. (The Ego VIVI looks neat.) But there seems to be a lot of technicalities. (the 510 batteries, the 310, Ego, and flashlight batteries, the different "MAHs", Clearomizers, atomizers, etc.) Quite simply, i would like a good unit that will last me a good portion of the day battery and liquid wise, that doesn't require me to buy replacement parts every week. And more importantly, will it cost me $150? I would like to keep my budget under $100 to start out. I'm also with WyldRaider here, is there anything out there that doesn't look like i'm vaping a police baton?
Well, I gotta "plus one" hvac's suggestion at:
Spinner/Twist Combo. Doesn't have to be that kit, doesn't have to be that vendor but I do like the way MVS (MyVaporStore) pulls it together. Very good starter kit.
Also, very easy to use. Myself, I have Twist batteries, 1000mAh and use the "Vision eGo 2.0" clearomizers. Honestly? I just happen to like the "taper" at the end. It's purely that arbitrary.
The Kanger EVOD is recommended
a lot around here. I'm going to have to get one myself, see what the shouting is about. And I'll probably move to Spinners myself over time. You know, when I have to replace a battery. I'm in no rush. They're both good batteries.
The "mAh" thing is simply battery capacity. Higher is longer lasting. That's why Blu will drive you bonkers (I started with them, I feel your pain
). They use, like, 90mAh batteries. That'd last me about three puffs. Oy. My Twists, I get around 4 to 6 hours out of a charge. Though, now, I'm a heavy vaper who's running at the higher end of the voltage scale so I'm sucking down the juice.
(Both Twists and Spinners allow you to adjust voltage by turning a knob and the end. Simple setting. And you'd do that just for personal taste. Some juices taste a bit different at different levels of "heat" so variable voltage devices let you adjust the temperature basically. It's literally just turning a little knob. No big deal.)
...is there anything out there that doesn't look like i'm vaping a police baton?
Twist/Spinner based kits are not that big actually. I wondered myself when I switched off Blu about the size. Just looking at pics, it's hard to tell. So I went to a vape shop in the city and asked to see one. They're roughly Sharpie sized. Ish. Had my PV in my top pocket once and my mom thought it was a pen. Asked, "Where's that vapor thing of yours?"
Yes, bigger that Blu but not police baton size. No.
And clearomizers (as they're called) do need some maintenance. Like cleaning. But it's not like every five minutes and it's not hard. Everything screws apart easily, no tools needed. You can get fancy about it but I literally rinse with warm water and let things air dry.
The little "coil heads" (aka "atomizer") do, eventually, go out since they do heat up repeatedly as you use them but they're pretty cheap. I get mine for $3 a pop. And I haven't replaced but, I think, two in the last three months maybe? I don't even keep track. It's not something that happens frequently. I bought a spare five pack and put it in the supply cabinet. Not sure how long back that was. Haven't ordered any new ones recently.
"Clearomizers", by the way, are called that because, heh, they're "clear" and they have the "atomizer" (the little heater) inside so "-mizer". So you get "clearomizer". Or "clearo" for short. Or you see some websites weirdly call them "cartomizers" which they are not. I don't know why this happens. MVS (MyVaporStore) says on their order page, "Cartomizer" but the menu is full of "clearomizers". If you find this confusing, it is only because it is confusing.
(Some confusion about terminology isn't you, it's the industry in general. Not all the terms are nailed down. This stuff is not just new, it's moving fast, and new stuff is arriving every day. And the terms are... slippery.)
I went through a Blu and one other kit before bumbling my way into a kit like the one MVS sells. I wish I had found their kit first and started with it. It's the kind of thing I now regard as a true "starter kit". You get your e-liquid, you squirt into the clearo, you screw the clearo on the battery, and away you go. Easy to use. Get extra clearos eventually, you can set up different flavors and then swap clearos much as you like. I have about seven different filled ones right now and switch flavors on a whim. Like now, it's banana time.
