Another ZMax vs Provari thread...

[Rocketpunk]

Not so much as a "why is one better than the other?"

So far my logic has been, "Just save money for a Provari. That's where everyone ends up, anyway..."

But since the Zmax came out and everyone started talking about [hippy]"It's all about the wattage, maaan!"[/hippy], I've become, once again, confused and at the same time covetous. I tried a Zmax on a wattage setting, but I really wasn't impressed. If I was, I would've noticed.

But now my Provari-owning buddy (who also bought a Zmax from our b&m on Black Friday, he's a single, older fellow, so he saves a TON of money and can just throw down funds for vaping stuff willy-nilly), says, although he loves his Provari, that I should save up for a Zmax instead of a Provari because of the variable wattage factor. Is the machining and durability of a Provari worth it to save up, even though it doesn't do variable wattage, and just forget about a Zmax?

Good gad if only I could just stumble upon $250 dollars...

 

[dmc0105]

From the build quality it's sturdy enough to last you for sometime. Never knew about the chip though. But if u are comparing functionality, Zmax will win for sure. The wattage thinggy just adjust your volt automatically according to your resistence. You can still achieve the same thing on a provari manually. But hey if it cheap and works, why not?

 

[Thrasher]

I say it ultimately comes down to what you want to play with and the cool factor, i own a provari for the simple reason of durability, and long haul, meaning when it needs repairs or an upgrade i can just send it in anytime. no hassles.
I will say I do own other APV's that do a lot more then the provari, and I am having fun playing with them but will they be working 6 months from now? dont know.
The one thing that does bother me with other devices such as the vamo and zmax is the constant stream of new revisions making the one you just bought last week old news. i understand they are trying to improve the product but really how many versions am i supposed to keep buying before you get it right?
i dont mind spending money and trying things out, as its still cheaper then my cigs, but personally I dont like just throwing money down hand over fist because they decided to change the button layout again or add one menu function.

Once the "ohhh a new shiny" wears off, I know a lot of the excessive features will never get used anyways. and its more of a back up or toy.
and really they all need to do just one thing accept what I screw on the end and adjust the voltage to make a vapor......

 

[Rocketpunk]

I keep hearing about how APV's that are not Provari's have a use life of somewhere around 6 months to a year. Is this true? Are they that cheaply built? If so, I may still hold out for a Provari. I don't want to drop 90-135 for a Zmax just to see it die on me six months later. I'd rather wait and save 250 for a Provari if it's going to last me years.

 

[zapped]

Heres my two cents.Wattage is just a fad fueled by the popularity of RBA's.You only really need the VW feature if youre planning on getting into rebuildables or cant make up your mind on which atomizer/cartomizer ohm you prefer.

I use pre-punched cartos exclusively and Ive found my brand with Smoktek pre-punched 1.7ohm tank cartos. Some people swear by Ikenvape Platinums. If you fall into that category then VW is NOT needed at all. A Provari delivers variable wattage it just doesnt show it on a display or allow you to set it at say 8 watts. I could do the math and tell you my wattage but I hate math and its really not needed when you use the same carto every time. I set my Provari at 3.7 volts with the 1.7ohm cartos and its the perfect amount of flavor and vapor for me.

So basically it boils down to are you planning on changing resistances on your cartos a lot or getting into RBA's? If so the zmax might be a better fit.

If you know what you like and see no reason to change it then a Provari would be the better choice.

As for reliability, Id go with the Provari any day. Im in a co-op right now that is having SERIOUS issues with quality control on a z-max clone coming out of China. The United States might not have the cheapest factories or workers in the world but our quality control is leaps and bounds above China.

 

[Thrasher]

Yea what he said, i settled in on the devices I like to use and dont change much so I don't see it either, and even though Im into RBA's i pretty much try to get the same coil ohms when I rebuild, and a quick ohms check on the PV or vamo is all i need to do. some people want the set it and forget ability, I'm too aynal for that. I have to know exactly whats going on all the time lol

a good example of this is I got the vamo a week ago, I played with everything, a few days later I played with a couple things, last couple days I find I check the ohms real quick and just adjust the voltage a little, playing with none of the rest of the features.

 

[zapped]

I was going to mention that even with RBA's once you find your sweet spot...preferred ohms, settle into wrapping a coil the same way every time etc that wattage isnt needed any more.

For me, getting off analogs was about eliminating variables, finding out what I liked and what worked in terms of my APV, tank setup, cartos, juice, juice suppliers and vendors.

 

[Thrasher]

I keep hearing about how APV's that are not Provari's have a use life of somewhere around 6 months to a year. Is this true? Are they that cheaply built? If so, I may still hold out for a Provari. I don't want to drop 90-135 for a Zmax just to see it die on me six months later. I'd rather wait and save 250 for a Provari if it's going to last me years.

i cant speak from experience just the fact that something comes along thats supposedly newer or better every month, they may last forever who knows. but in the end if you want piece of mind only the prov is that well built.
don't expect 100's of bells and whistles on it. when you hold it it just feels solid, i cant describe it better then that even mods I have that are just as sturdy and even heavier, you can just feel the quality it's hard to describe.
I didnt believe it either till i got it, i went to provape and clicked add to cart for 2 months backing out at the last minute every time cause i said "man thats a lot of cash when other stuff does more" but now I do not regret it one bit. and then say i drop it in the sink full of dishes and it doesnt work anymore? I can send it in and they will fix it for a lot less then a new APV. will smok do that for my zmax?


and if ya really just want to play with all this cool stuff get that vamo everyones talkin bout lately for 30 bucks its pretty nice actually and I like it a lot,, but keep saving for the prov

 

[MikeA5]

Variable wattage is nice but not required IMHO. Even with the same atomizer and eliquid, I find myself changing the Wattage/Voltage from day to day or within the same day because sometimes I want a warmer or cooler vape during different parts of the day or from day to day. As far as build quality the Provari can't be beat. I own both the Provari and the Zmax V1 and V2. Hope this helps you decide.

 

[sdotsd]

Keep your eyes on the classifieds. I got a v2 satin silver provari for $140, shipped, and couldn't be any happier. That being said, the Zmax looks cool, but if I were you, I'd wait until the new ones come out with OLED screens. I'm in a co-op for one, and at the very least it looks like it will be a sweet backup device. They will also have the updated menu function, allowing you to get an accurate reading of the voltage/watts.

 

[xplumberx]

As a owner of 2 ProVari's and 2 Zmax V2s I can say this... performance wise they are pretty close.. I still think the ProVari hits smoother IMO... to be honest if you want to venture into the RBA world you are gonna be fighting Error codes unless you can always wrap a coil that has high enough OHM for the ProVari to fire it. Zmax's do not like the lower OHM's. I personally build my coils and do my dry burns on a ego twist and once I get them good with no hot spots and a little juice build up (which brings the OHM's up a bit) I then put my RBA on my ProVari! Now build quality it is ProVari hands down. If it does break it can be fixed. If your Zmax dies, good luck getting it fixed. If I had to option to buy either a ProVari or a Zmax I would go for the ProVari. Just my opinion!

 

[tearose50]

Pick up a Provari in the classies. If you don't like the color, buy a skin for it.

Then, in a couple months you can pick up a ZmaX II super cheap for fun when later versions of the Zmax or other new gems come out.

I do love VW -- and am very interested in this evolution of the Chinese made mods and I'm sure I'll be giving some a try.

But, I doubt I'll be selling my Provari even if or when my "perfect" APV is made. Yes, it has been that good.

 

[kiwivap]

Heres my two cents.Wattage is just a fad fueled by the popularity of RBA's.You only really need the VW feature if youre planning on getting into rebuildables or cant make up your mind on which atomizer/cartomizer ohm you prefer.

I own two Zmaxs and neither of those descriptions applies to me. I don't use RBAs, and I know what ohms range cartomizers I like. I also use other accessories. I prefer variable wattage because I can switch from one accessory to another and stay at the same watts. Or I can adjust watts and not worry about calculating whether the volts are ok with the ohms - it adjusts the volts automatically.
If I really wanted to do the math I'd switch to variable voltage on the Zmax since it has both.

I can also adjust watts with different juices, and again not worry about volts and ohms being mismatched since it adjusts automatically. Since I have a lot of different juices this works well for me.

Can't speak for the clones, but the test results on the genuine Zmaxs show they are accurate.
I'm not interested in arguing which pv is better. It's been done to death already. But I do keep seeing representations about why people like me prefer variable wattage from people who don't use it.
I know why I prefer it.

 

[Rocketpunk]

Awesome replies, you all said EXACTLY what I wanted/needed to hear. I've decided, then. VW is a buzzword and a fad, and I'm going to save up for a Provari Mini with an extension cap. Thanks, guys! Appreciate the information.

 

[kiwivap]

VW is a buzzword and a fad, and I'm going to save up for a Provari Mini with an extension cap.

It's a fad to you. Some people said variable voltage was a fad. http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/requests-opinions-reviews/121462-whats-best-mod-out.html

 

[junkman]

But since the Zmax came out and everyone started talking about [hippy]"It's all about the wattage, maaan!"[/hippy], I've become, once again, confused and at the same time covetous. I tried a Zmax on a wattage setting, but I really wasn't impressed. If I was, I would've noticed.

Not sure from reading this if you were just not clear in your wording of the post, or if you were not clear on the concept of variable watts?

A VW device is not going to vape any differently then a VV device, so not sure what you were thinking you would be impressed by or would have noticed.

I have seen many comments of people discounting the VW concept, using terms such as "fad" but really that misses the point as well.

VW allows direct control of the power output of your device. VV allows control of the power input. When you change your voltage, it is just an indirect method of changing the wattage. In the end it is "all about the wattage, maaan". When you use VV and change the voltage, you are in effect varying the wattage - but how much the wattage is changing will be dependent on the resistance of the coil, and therefore figuring out the amount of the change takes some memorization of ohms law and basic math.

Since VW controls the output, it is conceptually a better control system. Those that think it is a fad are kidding themselves because there is essentially no additional costs to using VW instead of VV. However, there are benefits and therefore it will continue to be adopted. Honestly, there is no reason for VV if you have VW, VV is a vestige of an earlier time.

Now, that doesn't mean that a VV device can't be a better device than one with VW, and it doesn't mean that all people will have much use for VW, particularly if they don't use RBAs or don't change resistances, then the benefit is less apparent.

 

[Thrasher]

while i don't discount the opinions of others - maybe i'm stupid but I just don't understand the total emphasis on "oh my god I have to have exactly 8 watts for everything i vape - 7.6 just will not do even though i didnt know for sure before this."
and driving everything to the point of sitting and doing math just to enjoy a vape seems a bit OCD and aynal to me and a little overboard for most people who just fill a tank and go.
Vw will have a place im sure, maybe not a fad, maybe not the next best thing, but definitely not required, its funny how everyone seemed to enjoy vaping without it all this time. for that matter not too many people were driven away from it (and still arent) before VV came along.
knowing your within range of what your device can deliver always worked before, got an error code or tripped the safety? well ok cant use that. - you have to have a degree in elec engineering now? sheeet better get my slide rule out before I wind another coil.

 

[Thompson]

Are people hating on math now?

 

[kiwivap]

while i don't discount the opinions of others - maybe i'm stupid but I just don't understand the total emphasis on "oh my god I have to have exactly 8 watts for everything i vape - 7.6 just will not do even though i didnt know for sure before this."
and driving everything to the point of sitting and doing math just to enjoy a vape seems a bit OCD and aynal to me and a little overboard for most people who just fill a tank and go.
Vw will have a place im sure, maybe not a fad, maybe not the next best thing, but definitely not required, its funny how everyone seemed to enjoy vaping without it all this time. for that matter not too many people were driven away from it (and still arent) before VV came along.
knowing your within range of what your device can deliver always worked before, got an error code or tripped the safety? well ok cant use that. - you have to have a degree in elec engineering now? sheeet better get my slide rule out before I wind another coil.

I think you lost me.
All it is for me is I can adjust vw and vape. If you're saying some-one has to have "exactly 8 watts for everything i vape - 7.6 just will not do" - that doesn't make sense to me or match my experience. Its just a lot easier for me to use.
I agree about not needing a degree in electrical engineering. I don't want to do math, I want to set it and vape it. Especially first thing in the morning.
I'm a bit confused as to what you were saying tho Thrasher.

 

[kiwivap]

Are people hating on math now?

Oh I've always hated on math.