**advice on the right e-cig please*

[Finallyfree]

I've been reading through the forum threads and they've been extremely helpful. I'm a heavy smoker, the health scares have never bothered me - what has always bothered me is giving money with each pack or carton I buy to Big Tobacco.

They make the NRA look liberal. I'm surprised not a single e-cig MFG has brought that up and used it as a selling point.

Well I digress, which isn't unusual.

Here's the thing, I know what I don't want. I don't want to be bothered with juice or changing atomizers. I've looked at blu and even have them as an affiliate account on my blog. What bothers be about blu is you can't pick the flavors you want - you're stuck with the assortment.

I'm sure there are plenty of consumers, who want the taste of cherry or apple pie. But for me it's menthol...Kools or Nat Sherman's Mint.

In speaking with blu they claim it's a "quality control safe guard" and that's fine.

My best guess after 20 years in marketing is that they realize consumers will stick with the flavors they're comfy with. That said, I understand their position to unload inventory of flavors that aren't exactly flying off the shelves.

ecigarette101​

under the products/vendors sticky of companies to avoid I see there's an e-cig.com listed but it may not be this one - I have no idea. Unless I'm missing something I don't see a review of the ecigarette101 but their adsense banners are all over the site.​

I've been tempted to try them - but their check out looked so shaky, add to that no SSL encryption or any safety encryption whatsoever - so I took a pass.​

If anyone is still reading this long winded post - and you've ordered from them I would be very grateful in hearing your impressions of both the business and product.​

Thanks!​

 

[Michelle M]

Spend some time in the model-specific discussions, here: Model Specific Discussion - e-cigarette-forum.com • The place for electronic cigarette reviews, news and chat

The majority here prefer a manual switch PV like the 510. Loads of vapor. The 901 is good too - perhaps a bit better flavor.

If you decide on a model, in that model's forum will be a sticky with suppliers listed. Check out the suppliers in the suppliers' column and only use one that's well liked and reviewed. Cost-wise it's hard to beat Ruyandirect in China for a kit - though you do have a wait for a week -- ish.

Good luck making the switch!

 

[Finallyfree]

aww thank you Michelle, as you can see I'm at IDIOT LEVEL when it comes to these things. I'll try and track down those two models, especially the 901, thanks again!

 

[Jim Davis]

Here's the thing, I know what I don't want. I don't want to be bothered with juice or changing atomizers. I've looked at blu and even have them as an affiliate account on my blog. What bothers be about blu is you can't pick the flavors you want - you're stuck with the assortment.

I'm sure there are plenty of consumers, who want the taste of cherry or apple pie. But for me it's menthol...Kools or Nat Sherman's Mint.

In speaking with blu they claim it's a "quality control safe guard" and that's fine.

Howdy;

Honestly, the e-cig is dependent on atomizers. If you don't what to change them out, you simply can't use it. They're tiny heating coils, and they get gummed up, and eventually burn out.

Juice is a major issue. Using only prefilled cartridges will cost you as much as regular stinkie sticks. Also by using juice, you can adjust the flavor & nic level.

Menthol is not a serious problem. They sell menthol crystals, and there are a variety of mint flavors. I use the mint mainly for the throat hit.

Most will point you toward the 510. I'll admit, it's a great little e-cig. Battery life leaves a lot to be desired, but longer life batteries are being sold now.

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised if you try some of the flavors available. I usually stick with the mint, but occasionally, I'll vape another flavor for a change in pace.

Good luck, and ask if you need something.
jd

 

[Finallyfree]

Howdy;

Honestly, the e-cig is dependent on atomizers. If you don't what to change them out, you simply can't use it. They're tiny heating coils, and they get gummed up, and eventually burn out.

Juice is a major issue. Using only prefilled cartridges will cost you as much as regular stinkie sticks. Also by using juice, you can adjust the flavor & nic level.

Menthol is not a serious problem. They sell menthol crystals, and there are a variety of mint flavors. I use the mint mainly for the throat hit.

Most will point you toward the 510. I'll admit, it's a great little e-cig. Battery life leaves a lot to be desired, but longer life batteries are being sold now.

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised if you try some of the flavors available. I usually stick with the mint, but occasionally, I'll vape another flavor for a change in pace.

Good luck, and ask if you need something.
jd

Excellent points , thanks for taking the time to reply. You're right about the juice in the sense I shouldnt knock it if I haven't tried it. Just had images of myself with liquid Nicotine spilling over everything, myself included.

I get how the process works (I think) and know the atomizer is essential. I see some companies claim their atomizers are built in to the cartridge. I have no idea if this makes for a better smoking experiance or not. Thanks again for the insight, it's appreciated.

 

[beckah54]

I have nothing to add except welcome to the forum. It's a great place to be!

 

[Moonflame]

Excellent points , thanks for taking the time to reply. You're right about the juice in the sense I shouldnt knock it if I haven't tried it. Just had images of myself with liquid Nicotine spilling over everything, myself included.

I get how the process works (I think) and know the atomizer is essential. I see some companies claim their atomizers are built in to the cartridge. I have no idea if this makes for a better smoking experiance or not. Thanks again for the insight, it's appreciated.

The juice usually comes in dropper bottles and really only comes out when you squeeze so even someone as clumsy as me can manage without spilling for the most part. Although I have managed to miss dripping on the cart when the cat jumped on me while I was refilling.

 

[JenJen]

You will probably find that your tastes will change once you taste some of these yummy liquids! I never thought I would be smoking something like blackberries and cream, or banana cream pie, but man! And my absolute favorite is the High Voltage Vanilla Coffee from nhaler! Drew's High Voltage juice is just killer! They all rock! So don't be afraid to experiment with different flavors - you may just surprise yourself!

As to Blu, aside from there being a 3 week wait to get them, I have heard they aren't the greatest... There are a lot of good e-cigs out there and one will be right for you.

 

[Gemini_Lightning]

Here's the thing, I know what I don't want. I don't want to be bothered with juice or changing atomizers. I've looked at blu and even have them as an affiliate account on my blog. What bothers be about blu is you can't pick the flavors you want - you're stuck with the assortment.

I know exactly how you feel: the ecig for you is the Vapor King from Vapor4Life: Can't post URL because I don't have enough posts yet.

Visit the site and click on Vapor King Cartomizers. A cartomizer is a disposable cart (or you can refill manually if you desire) with a built in atomizer. Simply screw the cart onto the battery, and you will be in vapor heaven.

These carts have the STRONGEST flavors on the market. Hands down. Also, they last an exceptionally long time. At $12.50 for a pack of five, you might get by @ $2.50 per day or $5.00 if you use two, which is still less than cigarettes. Also, any orders @ $100 or more will get you 20% off the price.

To find out what other people think about the Vapor King, and the owner Steve, you can visit the Vapor4Life thread on this forum. I tried Blu, Smoke51, Greencig, and even Totally Wicked liquid before I found the Vapor King. I've never gone back, and all my other models have been given away.

Happy Vaping.

 

[kristin]

Don't belive the claims from some distributors that 1 cart = 1 pack. Especially for a heavy smoker. I'm a medium/light smoker and I'd say typical carts are 6-8 analogs.

On top of that, with a combo atty/cart you waste money when one goes before another. What if your atty blows and there is plenty of juice left in the cart or the cart runs dry and there is plenty of life in the atty? With separate carts and attys, you get the most out of each. Plus, refillable carts are less wasteful, can be topped off during use and can have customized filler that can produce vapor you want. Also, you spend less in shipping, because you're not constantly ordering more carts. So, if you're trying to save money, separate carts/attys are the way to go.

Think of this as a new adventure. Don't limit yourself like you were in the analog world. With a PV, you can build your perfect experience. The further you get from trying to clone an analog, the better your experience will be! Have fun and welcome to the world of the smoke free!

 

[Finallyfree]

You will probably find that your tastes will change once you taste some of these yummy liquids! I never thought I would be smoking something like blackberries and cream, or banana cream pie, but man! And my absolute favorite is the High Voltage Vanilla Coffee from nhaler! Drew's High Voltage juice is just killer! They all rock! So don't be afraid to experiment with different flavors - you may just surprise yourself!

As to Blu, aside from there being a 3 week wait to get them, I have heard they aren't the greatest... There are a lot of good e-cigs out there and one will be right for you.

Jen - thanks a bunch, I guess it's kind of like coffee I used to despise falvoured java until a friend of mine opened a micro roasting company, now I'm hooked on caramel nut and Vanilla...go figure?

 

[Finallyfree]

I know exactly how you feel: the ecig for you is the Vapor King from Vapor4Life: Can't post URL because I don't have enough posts yet.

Visit the site and click on Vapor King Cartomizers. A cartomizer is a disposable cart (or you can refill manually if you desire) with a built in atomizer. Simply screw the cart onto the battery, and you will be in vapor heaven.

These carts have the STRONGEST flavors on the market. Hands down. Also, they last an exceptionally long time. At $12.50 for a pack of five, you might get by @ $2.50 per day or $5.00 if you use two, which is still less than cigarettes. Also, any orders @ $100 or more will get you 20% off the price.

To find out what other people think about the Vapor King, and the owner Steve, you can visit the Vapor4Life thread on this forum. I tried Blu, Smoke51, Greencig, and even Totally Wicked liquid before I found the Vapor King. I've never gone back, and all my other models have been given away.

Happy Vaping.

Thanks for the info! I'll check them out today - cigs here (CT) $7 pack and change I smoke 2 packs a day..I know, yeowch. In Manhattan they're getting $12 a pack in lot's of places ~ it's insanity.

I remember $1.25 a pack and when you could smoke on airplanes...woah did I get old. Ha!

Considering the expense - and my fierce disdain of Big Tobbaco I had made my mind up to quit. That is until a friend from the UK told me about e-cigs. She just started vaping and adores it.

My guess is the best thing to do is pick one already and see how I like it, with a little luck coffee and a smoke will never be the same again.

 

[scott58]

You sound like me when I first started. I ended up getting the PR 110 from PremiumECigarettes (KR808D-1). I didn't want to mess with all the stuff either and the KR 808 certainly fits the bill. I have since gotten juice and started refilling my carts and frankly am happier for it. Cheaper and a ton more variety. With all the rave reviews however I think i'm gonna get a 501 for myself as an xmas present. I also agree that the carts are barely equal to 1/2 pack of cigs, but carrying several with me and topping off at night isn't a big deal. I was at almost 3 packs a day when I started this and haven't touched an analog. No mater what you get or how you start out, this is the greatest thing since sliced bread!

 

[Jim Davis]

Speaking of juice, my 500ml was delivered yesterday. Woo-Hoo!! That's about FORTY 30ml bottles after cutting & mixing.

 

[Gemini_Lightning]

Don't belive the claims from some distributors that 1 cart = 1 pack. Especially for a heavy smoker. I'm a medium/light smoker and I'd say typical carts are 6-8 analogs.

While I agree that the "claims" of one cart=one pack are often inaccurate, I am speaking from personal experience. The carts on the Vapor King last much much longer than a typical two piece. Real close to a pack of cigarettes. The flavors are EXCEPTIONAL. If you've tried the Vapor King and disagree, I can respect that, but to disagree before trying/owning one would be short sighted at best.

Sometimes the atomizers do fail right from the start, but thus far I have had 1 cart fail with the VK. Very reliable. Plus, you can drip into it as well, so it serves a dual purpose if need be. If you are against a two piece, with no mess, I can respect that. If you want the best e-cig flavors on the market, the VK is for you.

 

[kristin]

While I agree that the "claims" of one cart=one pack are often inaccurate, I am speaking from personal experience. The carts on the Vapor King last much much longer than a typical two piece. Real close to a pack of cigarettes. The flavors are EXCEPTIONAL. If you've tried the Vapor King and disagree, I can respect that, but to disagree before trying/owning one would be short sighted at best.

I actually wasn't directing that at your post, but at all of the crap PVs out there that claim 1 cart = 1 pack. There are waaay too many that claim that and 99% of the time, it just isn't true. I was just warning him in case that was what he expected from ALL carts in general. If the VK carts do = 1 pack, then that's great!

 

[Gemini_Lightning]

I actually wasn't directing that at your post, but at all of the crap PVs out there that claim 1 cart = 1 pack. There are waaay too many that claim that and 99% of the time, it just isn't true. I was just warning him in case that was what he expected from ALL carts in general. If the VK carts do = 1 pack, then that's great!

No problem: it's good dialogue either way. I agree the claims made by most manufacturers are way off base. Most carts were dead in 1/2 hour. Only smoking half a pack per day, this to me was shocking. When I found the VK, I was so pleased with the quality and longevity of the carts: it was too good not to mention.

In no way is a two piece cheaper than dripping, but the flavors are just as good, if not better. Even compared with Totally Wicked liquid, which is said to be one of the best on the market, VK flavors are better. I apologize if I sounded harsh.

 

[scott58]

No problem: it's good dialogue either way. I agree the claims made by most manufacturers are way off base. Most carts were dead in 1/2 hour. Only smoking half a pack per day, this to me was shocking. When I found the VK, I was so pleased with the quality and longevity of the carts: it was too good not to mention.

In no way is a two piece cheaper than dripping, but the flavors are just as good, if not better. Even compared with Totally Wicked liquid, which is said to be one of the best on the market, VK flavors are better. I apologize if I sounded harsh.

I agree. I think i'll try one of these others they always talk about, but I have a hard time believing they can taste as good as a fresh battery fresh cartridge VK. The flavor these cartridges deliver is really nice.

 

[GMeador]

I reread your original post:
"I don't want to be bothered with juice or changing atomizers."
"(I don't) want the taste of cherry or apple pie."

I'm a newbie too (quit menthol analogs altogether 070109 after 43 years). Here's my story.

I "heard" about e-cigs from another person on a unrelated forum. Did some googling and found Green Smoke. Sounded like a good deal, ordered a kit and some extra cartomizers. Worked great! Simple, easy. A cart really did last at least a day for me (pack a day smoker), so I cut my smoking bill in half, but would've been happy to pay the same just to get off analogs. The savings was a "bonus". One problem- to me they tasted "bad"- like real cigarettes (I smoked ultra-light menthols).

More research. Found Smoke Stik. It's a 3-piece, and it was much cheaper. Carts in bulk were a buck less than what I was paying. Much smoother, nicer menthol taste. I really liked them- till two problems cropped up: 1) *#^%# attys. They clog, they quit, they're a pain in the ..... Having to constantly buy attys sure cuts into the cost savings, but more than that they're so inconsistant that you need to carry a spare with you. (NO, as I found out later that's not just a Smoke Stik problem, it's a atty in general problem). 2) Their batteries have two safety cutoffs. One is for the puff length, the other is for the number of puffs per minute. It would always seem to cut me off after just a few puffs and I'd have to wait a minute or so. That sucked.

Then I found this place. Spent hours reading, researching, reading reviews and decided on a M401, another 3 piece. Their carts were half what Smoke Stik was (now I'm really saving!), but again the atty problem reared it's ugly head and though the carts were only $.70 each in bulk they only lasted a half-day at best. Nice menthol taste though, kinda sweet. At this point I'm thinking I got to get a manual 901, blank carts, jucies, etc, etc, etc, to get what I want, but keep reading the war stories here and watching the filling/refilling videos and I'm thinking, maybe some people can enjoy that kinda stuff, but to me that's way too much trouble.

So more research and thinking. For me, the cartomizer is the way to go. Usually, no problems at all. Do you get a bad cart once in a while? Sure, but not as often as I was getting a bad atty and I'll toss a $2.26 cartomizer away anyday compared to a $15 (or more) atty. So at this point I got 3 different starter kits, some with spare parts, and enough carts between them to last a couple of months if there's a ban (I just think they'll "regulate", not "ban", but that's another thread).

But I want something long term. After thinking (and pricing), I settled on a 2 piece that's nice, easy, simple, quite consistant, and (to me) tastes great. The cartomizers and batteries are a good price compared to others like it. And hey, if leaford likes 'em they can't be all bad, right? So I got Bloog. I'm liking 'em. And I'm stocking up on them "just in case".

You're mileage may vary. There's VaporKings, Smoke 51, Bloog, GreenSmoke, and a few others that do 2 piece e-cigs. The bottom line is this: pretty much every cart of a 3-piece unit only lasts for about 1/2 pack. Period. Doesn't matter if you get carts pre-filled, fill 'em yourself, whatever. They last 1/2 pack. Deal with it. The 2-piece units really do last longer (about a pack).
Yes, I throw them away when they're used up.
Yes, I'm still saving about half over analog pack price.
No, I don't think saving money is the main point of e-cigs- getting off analogs is... at any price.

 

[Jim Davis]

Gmeador;
When you have time, update your profile, and add your location. You may find other vapors right in your own neighborhood.

Cheers;
jd