Cool thanks, although it sucks to hear that. This would be awesome for my father who I feel just wouldn't be up to the maintenance required with other PVs.
Maybe I'll grab one and try it out myself before I start handing these out to relatives as a first-time PV. I don't have any problems vaping PG or VG but didn't want to turn anyone away from vaping with a bad experience.
I've seen the very few reviews I could find on this PV and am still on the wall. You started with a 901? How does the VK hold up? I doubt I'd ever use it as my main but I could think of several instances where this could come in handy for me.
Any flavors that stand out I should look into with these cartomizers?
As far as how the VK holds up. I've only had one problem. I had a malfunctioning battery. Steve replaced it, and that was my last problem. I'm still on those batteries, and it's been at least a month, they show no signs of flagging yet. Battery life expectancy is around 3-4 months on a VK, depending on usage. A passthrough greatly extends that life of course as you can use it in place of a battery at the computer...or...if you buy an appropriately powered USB converter, you can use a passthrough anywhere you can plug in. I'm using a 4 port kensington 2amp USB charger and can run two passthroughs at a time on it. SO i can use a passthrough at my recliner while watching tv..very handy. Cartomizers are designed to be disposable. after allegedly 3-4 refills theyre supposed to be toast. I'm using one thats new today. My other one is a menthol and ive refilled it more than 10 times....I generally toss them when they get strange...or if i vape one dead and burn it (you'll know when that happens). Theyre cheap, and after 3 refills or so, you've beaten the odds...anything beyond that is gravy. I'm tight tho, so i squeeze a nickel till a dime pops out..i really should throw them away sooner, but i dont.
I wont say everyone started out on a 901..but almost everyone did. it's more work than its worth unfortunately.
The VK is crazy simple to use, and instead of constant cartridge filling, I can get all of my maintenance done in one sitting in a few minutes once a day. This involves refilling a few cartomizers. As cartomizers last for literally hours (using PG) and as it takes only a few minutes to fill a days worth, you have time to vape and less time screwing with the equipment.
As far as cartomizer flavors..it kinda depends on your goals for the device, and what you like.
I always tell people; if youre tryin to dump analogs in one day and never look back..then i hope you smoked menthols at some point. i say that because menthol is the most true and accurate attempt @ an analog available currently.
The "marlboro" and other attempts at an analog, while good, are not close enough for your brain to accept.
if you or your family are people who utterly hated menthols and didnt even smoke them when sick or just occasionally to be different...then youre stuck with either tobacco flavors, or one of the mountains of other flavors available. That's not necessarily a bad thing..but the first little bit will be tougher on you than most.
If you get your family a 901 as their first time PV, the following will happen:
They'll try the prefilled carts that came with it, and while they work, they'll run out of flavor almost immediately and need to be changed. that "carts last as long as a pack of cigs" song and dance the 901 sites give you is complete garbage
They'll then, having used up the carts, have an issue unless they got fluid (matching the carts of course) with it.
They'll then be dissatisfied with the performance of refilled carts, because the batting material and cart design is not what it could be, and begin modding carts with straws, pyramid tea bags, and sometimes both.
after numerous attempts at getting the little cart to perform properly, they'll finally try "dripping" which is putting a gutted empty cart in an atomizer upon which you've dripped a drop or two of juice.
This will work for a while but eventually one too many drops will sneak through the hole and kill one or both of their batteries.
Throughout this time, beginning to end, they'll be getting intermittant mouthfulls of nic juice cause again, the design could be a little better.
Or!
you can get them the VK, and a couple packs of carts, and a bottle of matching juice. One video and perhaps even two videos...available for viewing on youtube, will outline the "take out the little white cap and rubber thing, drip juice in slowly till you see it's gettin the batting wet..stop, re-assemble, done" proceedure and that's it..thats the learning curve.
I strongly recommend the menthol juice for people trying to dump analogs in one round. If you intend to use it as a cig suppliment, to cut down smoking..any flavor that sounds good will work..
Im being absolutely serious about this one thing however: More people throw down the e-cig in disgust and give it up entirely due to the malfunctions and learning curve involved with most other models. Included in that list of popular models are the 901, the 801, and the 510...which many start with..but are far more appropriate for seasoned Vapers who enjoy tinkering with their equipment endlessly. As a first PV, the Vapor King is by far the simplest and least likely to disappoint.
I hope I've helped. I don't get paid for this, nor do i work for Steve. I am a proud owner, and having owned several others, it is now my only device. I just got totally tired of tinkering with the other junk in the hopes of gettin that perfect vape between the mouthfulls of juice and murdered batteries. I believe in the product, and I'll tell anyone who stands still long enough to listen.