Ok, I know there's been a dozen reviews of these but I thought I'd throw my own observations in too.
First off, I have read dozens of reviews that tell people how great something is straight out of the box. In my opinion that's great if you only care about how something works for a few days. What happens a month later or two months? I'm not meaning this to bad-mouth anyone else's review, but I figure if someone's wanting to dump 50-60-70 bucks or more on a piece of equipment, they would want to know how long it will last.
Well anyways, around the first week of July I ordered a Janty USB 650mah Black eGo battery from Janty. I also ordered three XL Cylinder type attys and a pack of empty carts from Cignot. Both companies shipped quickly and all items were well packaged and functioned upon arrival.
The USB battery has been used as my primary battery since it's arrival. I tested it for overall usage time without recharge and for recharge times from dead using both the USB onboard attachment point and the separate USB fast charger. The usage time I experienced (and I consider myself to be a relatively moderate user) has averaged out to 8 hours with the longest use lasting a little over 11 hours and the shortest was 6 hours. The recharge times were averaging just slightly over 1 hour with the separate USB charger and almost 2 hours with the built in charger. It took over 3 hours to charge on a 510 standard wall charger.
The passthrough function operated as expected. The red LED on the end would often remain on while in use but would shut off after a minute or so of sitting idle.
The XL attys function exceptionally well with a vapor output noticeably above my RN e-cigars or 801 based equipment. I tend to describe it as a 510 on steroids. The taste and throat hit were very 510ish, only much much more. I currently intend to keep using them as my primary device.
Now the downsides. Of the three original XL attys, only one remains. One died on August 8th (roughly one month even). The second died on September 11th (just over one month), and the third is still currently in use. The only use the attys had were a brief initial test to insure they weren't DOA. I used the first until it died and switched to the second and so on. Normally I would give some lattitude to atty life but having two die after similar use over a near identical amount of time makes me believe that the atty life at my level of usage would be around 30 days.
Another odd thing, when the attys died, they did so without any sort of warning signs. No decrease in performance or taste. They just died dead. One minute they worked, the next draw...nothing but dead air. On the first atty, I did dry burn it after rinsing out a different flavor. A few hours after cleaning, it died. I decided that dry-burning might have been responsible for shortening it's life, so on atty #2 I decided not to do any cleaning or dry burning. Didn't seem to matter as it died after a month.
As a side note, I also purchased some of the cone type attys and carts from Heavens Gifts just to see if there was anything better about them. They performed the same as the cylinder types. I haven't been using them much as I've been concentrating on the cylinder attys. Aside from the lower cart capacity (1.5 ml on average), and the appearance, there's nothing really all that different. When I get to using them more, I'll post back on atty life. For those that despise the white polyfill, the cone atty carts work exceptionally well with the blue foam cart mods. Something that can't be said for the cylinder types unfortunately.
Cartridges. Well, they hold around 2.5ml's and come filled with the standard white polyfill. I have experimented with a countless number of Blue foam fillers and a few other types of foam. I have abandoned this as I haven't found anything that substantially increases performance over the standard stuff. With my Dekang juices, cut with a little VG, I haven't had any problems with wicking.
It will leak if set in a standing up position. It will leak after being set flat on a table, connected, for anything longer than 5 or 10 mins. If set inverted slightly with the cart side angled down, no leaks. If left setting flat with the atty disconnected, no leaks, unless left for more than a day or so. In any case, there is a slight moisture line that occurs at the cart/atty juncture after the cart has been removed and refilled a few times. Overall, if you have used a 510 basic setup, transitioning to the eGo with XL carts won't give you any suprises.
So far the USB eGo battery is still chugging along without any hiccups. The USB cover that threads onto the end of the battery makes the battery look better asthetically, but it has come dangerously close to being lost under the car seats or sucked up by my wife while vacuuming. Having spares would be nice, but they aren't available as yet.
The passthrough function makes the unit worthwhile as you can use the battery while it's charging and pop it off and use it when you are away from your desk or other power source. It's nice not having to switch batteries. It is slightly shorter than the 900mah batteries. The chrome finish on my end cap is starting to show some minor wear but nothing excessive. The black finish is a rubberized texture and looks nice and matte. Overall it is a great device that I would highly recommend.
I would reccommend purchasing at least three attys so that you would have plenty of time to purchase and receive a replacement should one go out. Carts have lasted me roughly 3 weeks of use with the occasional wash and rinse before the filler becomes to worn or burnt to function well. I also recommend the Heavens Gifts eGo Lanyard for around the house use. It makes carrying the device much more convenient. I removed the leather neck strap and replaced it with a nice breakaway ID carrier strap. Made it much more comfortable.
The eGo zipper case is also a good accessory to pick up. I carry two spare batts, an extra atty and cart, a 10ml bottle of juice, and a USB fast charger in mine. Makes you pretty safe for all day away use. I have a second larger case which was made for a PSP that carries all of the previously mentioned supplies and a pack of filled 510 cartos, cone cover, wall USB plug, car charger, retractable USB cable, and a few extra attys, carts, and liquid. I use that for vacations and trips. It's a MadCatz PSP case if anyone's interested and is basically an upsized eGo zipper case.
This item isn't my first eGo unit. My originals (TW Tornado) have been used and abused for almost a year now. They are worth the bucks to avoid the hassles of switching and charging mutiple batteries, they make it possible to leave the house for several hours with nothing but the device and a bottle of juice instead of a bag full of supplies. With the XL attys and carts, you can go hours without refilling. Overall, even if the attys only last a month, I still believe it to be well worth it just for the performance.
Hope someone finds this helpful.
First off, I have read dozens of reviews that tell people how great something is straight out of the box. In my opinion that's great if you only care about how something works for a few days. What happens a month later or two months? I'm not meaning this to bad-mouth anyone else's review, but I figure if someone's wanting to dump 50-60-70 bucks or more on a piece of equipment, they would want to know how long it will last.
Well anyways, around the first week of July I ordered a Janty USB 650mah Black eGo battery from Janty. I also ordered three XL Cylinder type attys and a pack of empty carts from Cignot. Both companies shipped quickly and all items were well packaged and functioned upon arrival.
The USB battery has been used as my primary battery since it's arrival. I tested it for overall usage time without recharge and for recharge times from dead using both the USB onboard attachment point and the separate USB fast charger. The usage time I experienced (and I consider myself to be a relatively moderate user) has averaged out to 8 hours with the longest use lasting a little over 11 hours and the shortest was 6 hours. The recharge times were averaging just slightly over 1 hour with the separate USB charger and almost 2 hours with the built in charger. It took over 3 hours to charge on a 510 standard wall charger.
The passthrough function operated as expected. The red LED on the end would often remain on while in use but would shut off after a minute or so of sitting idle.
The XL attys function exceptionally well with a vapor output noticeably above my RN e-cigars or 801 based equipment. I tend to describe it as a 510 on steroids. The taste and throat hit were very 510ish, only much much more. I currently intend to keep using them as my primary device.
Now the downsides. Of the three original XL attys, only one remains. One died on August 8th (roughly one month even). The second died on September 11th (just over one month), and the third is still currently in use. The only use the attys had were a brief initial test to insure they weren't DOA. I used the first until it died and switched to the second and so on. Normally I would give some lattitude to atty life but having two die after similar use over a near identical amount of time makes me believe that the atty life at my level of usage would be around 30 days.
Another odd thing, when the attys died, they did so without any sort of warning signs. No decrease in performance or taste. They just died dead. One minute they worked, the next draw...nothing but dead air. On the first atty, I did dry burn it after rinsing out a different flavor. A few hours after cleaning, it died. I decided that dry-burning might have been responsible for shortening it's life, so on atty #2 I decided not to do any cleaning or dry burning. Didn't seem to matter as it died after a month.
As a side note, I also purchased some of the cone type attys and carts from Heavens Gifts just to see if there was anything better about them. They performed the same as the cylinder types. I haven't been using them much as I've been concentrating on the cylinder attys. Aside from the lower cart capacity (1.5 ml on average), and the appearance, there's nothing really all that different. When I get to using them more, I'll post back on atty life. For those that despise the white polyfill, the cone atty carts work exceptionally well with the blue foam cart mods. Something that can't be said for the cylinder types unfortunately.
Cartridges. Well, they hold around 2.5ml's and come filled with the standard white polyfill. I have experimented with a countless number of Blue foam fillers and a few other types of foam. I have abandoned this as I haven't found anything that substantially increases performance over the standard stuff. With my Dekang juices, cut with a little VG, I haven't had any problems with wicking.
It will leak if set in a standing up position. It will leak after being set flat on a table, connected, for anything longer than 5 or 10 mins. If set inverted slightly with the cart side angled down, no leaks. If left setting flat with the atty disconnected, no leaks, unless left for more than a day or so. In any case, there is a slight moisture line that occurs at the cart/atty juncture after the cart has been removed and refilled a few times. Overall, if you have used a 510 basic setup, transitioning to the eGo with XL carts won't give you any suprises.
So far the USB eGo battery is still chugging along without any hiccups. The USB cover that threads onto the end of the battery makes the battery look better asthetically, but it has come dangerously close to being lost under the car seats or sucked up by my wife while vacuuming. Having spares would be nice, but they aren't available as yet.
The passthrough function makes the unit worthwhile as you can use the battery while it's charging and pop it off and use it when you are away from your desk or other power source. It's nice not having to switch batteries. It is slightly shorter than the 900mah batteries. The chrome finish on my end cap is starting to show some minor wear but nothing excessive. The black finish is a rubberized texture and looks nice and matte. Overall it is a great device that I would highly recommend.
I would reccommend purchasing at least three attys so that you would have plenty of time to purchase and receive a replacement should one go out. Carts have lasted me roughly 3 weeks of use with the occasional wash and rinse before the filler becomes to worn or burnt to function well. I also recommend the Heavens Gifts eGo Lanyard for around the house use. It makes carrying the device much more convenient. I removed the leather neck strap and replaced it with a nice breakaway ID carrier strap. Made it much more comfortable.
The eGo zipper case is also a good accessory to pick up. I carry two spare batts, an extra atty and cart, a 10ml bottle of juice, and a USB fast charger in mine. Makes you pretty safe for all day away use. I have a second larger case which was made for a PSP that carries all of the previously mentioned supplies and a pack of filled 510 cartos, cone cover, wall USB plug, car charger, retractable USB cable, and a few extra attys, carts, and liquid. I use that for vacations and trips. It's a MadCatz PSP case if anyone's interested and is basically an upsized eGo zipper case.
This item isn't my first eGo unit. My originals (TW Tornado) have been used and abused for almost a year now. They are worth the bucks to avoid the hassles of switching and charging mutiple batteries, they make it possible to leave the house for several hours with nothing but the device and a bottle of juice instead of a bag full of supplies. With the XL attys and carts, you can go hours without refilling. Overall, even if the attys only last a month, I still believe it to be well worth it just for the performance.
Hope someone finds this helpful.
