Alternatives to tanks and cartos?

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RickMc

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I had no problems using tanks and cartos when I was using my Inferno from Volcano (as long as I used Vilcano liquid anyway)...

I've had my Provari 5 days now and have gone through more cartomizers for my tanks than days I've had it using multiple brands of liquid at various pg and vg ...

Nothing I've tried has worked and I'm done with attempting.. call me a quitter.. I am one and not ashamed of it, just beyond frustrated as I never had these problems before.

I absolutely detest regular cartomizers that I have to refill 4 times a day, so what are my other options? I've heard people mention things like the Vivi Nova, Stardust, and Kanger but want your opinions on them, particularly when used with a Provari.

But right now I'm so frustrated with myself I'll take any reviews or recommendations anyone has that doesn't involve your typical tank&carto combination or just regular standalone cartos that aren't punched but that I'd be refilling nonstop

I am very happy with the Vivi Novas on my Provari - this is what I vape pretty exclusively at home. Be sure you get genuine Vision Vivi Novas. I've heard the quality varies with imitations. I buy mine from either Madvapes or Surevapes and have had nothing but good luck with them.
 

MiamiMom63

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I have a bunch of dual coil carts and 3 tanks from way back but never quite enjoyed the flavor of my juices after going through all that filler. Then I went to dripping on an atomizer and loved it until they improved the clearos and I got a vivi nova. At first I did not like the Vision clearos or any clearo. Initially they really weren't that good at all. Now I like the newer ones.
 

all_in_ashes

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As another poster mentioned, I also use 50/50 liquids in my tanks with SR Boge XXLs that I punch myself. I typically get very good life out of them on my Lavatube. At least a week, after that I stop paying attention, but they usually go longer than that. I also use some 100% VG liquids from Virgin Vapor and I get similar life out of them, with the exception of one liquid that will kill a carto in 4-5 days.

The only time I killed a carto almost immediately in my tank, I overfilled the tank and burnt the carto as soon as the liquid I'd primed it with was vaped out. I think not leaving a little space for air in the tank caused it not to wick. I also have Vivi Novas that I use occasionally, and they work ok, but I vape a lot of cinnamon/citrus stuff and I don't want to melt the tubes.
 

dchest02

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I would suggest, if you don't already have one, getting yourself a carto punch, and punching them yourself. I have seen many people vaping 100% VG juices (i.e. Boba's Bounty) out of a carto tank. Two holes is never enough for high VG liquids, and I have yet to see any pre-punched cartos out there with more than two holes.

As for the Vivi Novas, I never liked them, but most people really do, and they can be had for around $12. Another option would be a rebuildable atomizer, that's what I'm saving my money for.
 

Squishy4ta

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Vivis are good. Be careful though there's different versions out there though. I got ripped off from a local vender saying it was a vivi nova. I didn't know much about them at the time and I went and got replaceable wicks for it from another local vendor and they didn't fit. Well it was because the guy that sold the vivi nova to me sold me a fake. When I went back to the other vendor he swore up and down it was real well. First he tube didn't say vivi and second the box didn't say vivi nova either. I researched online and it was definetly fake. I never go back there but I learned my leason to make sure I know what I'm getting cuz there are a lot of fakes.
 

myyrkezaan

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I have a knock off called the aClear Variable Clearomizer that I like better than the Vivis. It doesn't have the loose silicon gasket at the top that causes the leaking, it is like the redux coil heads but just a bit shorter.

I would suggest, if you don't already have one, getting yourself a carto punch, and punching them yourself. I have seen many people vaping 100% VG juices (i.e. Boba's Bounty) out of a carto tank. Two holes is never enough for high VG liquids, and I have yet to see any pre-punched cartos out there with more than two holes.

As for the Vivi Novas, I never liked them, but most people really do, and they can be had for around $12. Another option would be a rebuildable atomizer, that's what I'm saving my money for.

Tank Replacement Dual Coil Cartomizers, 3.0 Ohms, Triple Holes
Tank Replacement Dual Coil Cartomizers, 1.25 Ohms, Triple Hole
Tank Replacement Dual Coil Cartomizers, 1.5 ohms, Triple Hole

I'm looking into getting an AGA-T as my first entry into a true rebuildable, you can rebuild the wicks on replaceable clearomizers.
 

FinchX

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Now I'm extremely confused about what to do with my situation.. The link that MiamiMom sent me, the box looked very familiar.. well, Provape accidentally sent me a box of regular 3 ohm cartos (not for tanks) when I oiginally ordered the device. The box for the regular cartos they sent me is the exact same for the Boge that I'm seeing in that link. Another user and I were debating on what brand Provape was selling, and we were suspecting it was Smoktech, but I'm really thinking its Boge..

I never went above 5.2v on my Provari.. I didn't overfill the tanks themselves.. and I'm -almost- positive I didn't drip it into the center pieces.. I've been filling cartos for a while and its rare for me to do that.. so if this is the case when I try and use Boge, I must say they get two thumbs down from me.. I don't know what I could be doing wrong to cause this.. NOTHING explains why they're clogging up and going absolutely useless in ONE day... 5 of them.. one had an all PG liquid.. one had an all VG.. and the others were all 50/50 blends from ECBlend. Died in a day, each one of them... They would work amazingly the first several hours and then just kind of go to crap. I'm using the regular 3 ohm cartos on my Provari now they sent by mistake along with the leftover 1.5 ohm tanks I had for my Inferno.. no issues whatsoever.. So I have no idea what to make of all this...

I would REALLY want to avoid punching the holes myself. I was told it can cause damage to the carto if you aren't careful, along with unnecessary wear and damage to your O-rings on your tanks depending on just how bad you screw them up. I'll stick with the prepunched or laser cut.. if I even continue using them at all.

If in fact Provape is selling Boge and that's what I've gone through in the past 5 days, then I'll try Smoktech and Ikenvape (as soon as IKV has the 510 megas in stock again) ... but I'll be going Vivi Nova if neither of those work out. I honestly don't think I should have to punch the holes myself for this to work, especially with the different liquids I've tried.. I'm literally at a loss here because I don't know what to think. I don't see myself getting 5 bad cartos in one batch... I just don't. But if I'm priming the cartos wrong, or filling the tanks wrong... why didn't I run into this problem before while using the ones for my Inferno??
 
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MiamiMom63

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I personally prefer vivi nova's and rotate 5 of them regularly. The link I sent you, my friend ordered 20 of them a couple of weeks ago and loves them. I'm not sure what you used before but just sent you the link since you said you liked the carto/tanks. Try the vivi nova and kangers and other items to see what you prefer. I'm not sure why your juice clogged other than from my little bit of experience with the carto/tanks, and mind you I mean little, mine clogged alot also because I was using too thick of a juice.
 

zapped

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Whoever told you to use 70/30 in prepunched cartos with two holes doesnt know what theyre talking about. 2 holes with that setup will flood it every time unless youre vaping at very high voltages, for most people it only needs one hole.

Im using 10/90 pg vg in Smoktechs @ 2.0ohm with 2 holes from Smoktek.com and having zero issues with them.

since vg is the thicker juice, the higher the vg content the more holes you need. Different brands will also cause differences.Ive found Smokteks to be more absorbent than Boges. Perhaps you got a bad batch? These sound like Bogegate cartos. The ones from Provape seem to suck across the board from all accounts on the forums.

That being said if youre using a large variety of juices then carto tanks probably arent for you unless you feel like ordering them with different holes for different juices/juice blends.

Try some Smoketechs from here when they come back in stock http://www.smoktek.com/Single-Coil-XL-Tank-Cartomizer-for-the-SmokTank-XL_p_211.html

Or some Ikenvape Platinums from here https://www.ikenvape.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=MGAPlatP

If those dont fix the problem then Id give the Kanger t3s a try as well as the vivi novas ...just bear in mind that higher vg blends may seem muted in clearos
 
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Baditude

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Zapped makes some good points.

Ikenvape only offers their punched cartos with two holes, and so far these have been working for me and my juices. But when I was ordering from Smoktek (my backup cartos for when Ikenvape are out of stock) I ordered one hole for 50/50 pg/vg blends, and two holes for any juices that have more than 50% vg. It's sort of a hassle to keep organized this way, but vaping is that important to me to go out of my way to be this meticulous to get the best vaping experience that I can.

I've always been suspicious of vendors that sell cartos without specifically identifying what brand they are. It's generally been my experience that off brand items are of inferior quality, and most of the items that come from China are knockoffs of genuine original devices that are of a higher quality.

My guess is the only people that purchase cartos or tanks from Provape are newer vapors that don't have a regular supplier of those devices, so who knows how long that stuff has been sitting on their warehouse shelves or who the manufacturers really are?

In fact, I was rather surprised when Provape began selling the Zen Atty Pro, as the other accessories that they had previously offered was very generic stuff. Sort of out of their nature.

I'm not judging FinchX for buying cartos and a tank from Provape, but I've been vaping long enough to have found specific vendors for specific devices/supplies that I trust are quality products. I would never have purchased cartos or a tank from Provape.

I never buy "starter kits", as they always include things that I will never use. I would rather buy the specific items by piece that I know that I can use.


For example, I get the following supplies from different vendors:

Batteries, Chargers, and Drip Tips: RTD Vapor

Cartomizers: Ikenvape and Smoktek

Cartotanks: IBTanked - Get Tanked With Us! (vendor allows you to create a pyrex tank to your specific needs.)

E-Juice: Virgin Vapors and Vaperite (both vendors customize your order to your specifications, use all organic flavoring and allow you to choose your pg/vg ratio)
 
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FinchX

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If the image supplied by the link that Zapped sent is the correct image for the hole placement on Smoktech cartos, then I know for a fact that these from Provape are not smoktech and more than likely are the boge, as the packaging design suggests, and the two of you are the ones who warned me they weren't a very good carto.. LOL.

I'm planning to pick up a box of cartos, hopefully from Ikenvape if they're in stock this coming thursday, but if not then I'll more than likely grab some of the Smoktech's sold on IBTanked when I grab a couple of tanks. Hopefully it will be a completely different experience than what I've gone through the past 5 days.

Though I am planning to try a Vision Vivi Nova 2.5 just in the instance that it is a user error, meaning I'm too idiotic to vape with various manufacturers of cartos and liquids.. LOL. When payday comes around if I can't get either Smoktech or Ikenvape in an ohm I'd prefer, I would even spend the extra on a few more cartos (for trial and error purposes) and one of the punches to punch them personally.. Baditude explained the problems and complications with doing so, but I'd rather spend a few extra bucks and possibly get a working carto in my tanks than sit there trying to get these wretched ones (that I believe are the boge) from Provape to work.. There was a mixup with my order (TWICE NOW!) .. they forgot a set of my cartos I ordered with the rest of my provari.. and then sent me regular cartomizers, not ones designed for use with a tank to replace them, so after contacting customer service again to say "You got cartomizers out to me, but they're not for the tanks.." They're sending the correct ones, while I keep these to use with my Provari, and sending an additional pack of their tank cartos complimentary.. I'm thinking, if Ikenvape and Smoktech's that I'd want are still unavailable, then trial and error a few with the home-punch method while I probably go through these cartos coming in the mail once a day like I did these and have the Vivi Nova on hand in the instance that I can't get ANY of the self-punched to work..

At least trying this can at least keep me vaping until I can get some Smoktechs or Ikenvapes that are prepunched .. because right now, I have a couple of 1.5ohm cartos from my Inferno that I can technically use if I crank the voltage down, but other than that, thanks to this experience, I have 0, zip, nada, tank cartomizers in a higher ohm that would let me vape at 4.5-5v ... they forgot my others in the first order, and then sent the wrong ones, so I'm currently sitting here with a traditional stand-a-lone carto (not even an XL) sticking out of my Provari.. and hopefully those 5 won't screw up until I get paid and order new cartos (talk about being willing to pay for overnight delivery if its offered) LOL!
 

FinchX

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Xpertpeye, I really have no experience with atomizers much less the rebuildable ones if that's what you're referring to... I've used just the cartomizer style for everything since I began vaping, minus one time when I was still a V2 cig user, and they introduced their own version of a clearomizer (that failed on an epic level).. I've got no idea of the advantages, disadvantages, how they work, how to put them together, or anything else for that matter..

I'm not sure if the Vivi Nova falls into that category, but from looking at the images of it, it seems fairly straight forward when it comes to maintenance and piecing together. I mean I really have no knowledge at all of the whole atomizer thing, what all is offered in the sense of them, what all I would need for them, or anything else. I more or less want something that can hold a minimum of 2-3ml of liquid similar to the tanks and the vivi nova so that I'm not constantly refilling.. but if you've got some info and links you don't mind sharing I would be more than open to other suggestions. Roughly $350 is already coming out of my paycheck to go towards vaping supplies to test and basically go full on trial-and-error mode with to find my ideal vape, so a little more on another product I think has some promise is not a problem at all..

----edit-----

I'm reading over some brief descriptions of RBA's right now, and this is just way too much work for me.. I know that sounds beyond lazy, but ruining a dozen cartos trying to punch them myself, or just simply going with a Vivi Nova seems more more to my level than what I'm reading at the moment in another tab in regards to these things.. LOL
 
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FinchX

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Oh and Baditude... Provape stopped selling the Z Atty Pro... lots of complaints were on their site regarding their tank systems they offer now in regards to them not having the Z Atty Pro (even though I have no idea what the Z Atty Pro is... I do recognize the name from people saying the tanks offered by Provape were junk in comparison)
 

Ben K Vincent

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Thank you for asking this question FinchX (i'm about to run in to the same issues).

Would a "slotted" carto help?

I vape Bobas and GJ at 100% (thick) VG with a slotted carto and i hate how cartos go BAD so quick.
Punched cartos do NOTHING for me.

If I need a "clearo" i have a Kanger T3 that vapes a thick liquid with an eGo/510 adapter on my ProVari @4.5v that wicks the thick 100% stuff FINE
 
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