Are clones THAT good?

[ChristopherCoy]

I bought this....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemVersion&item=261624651148&view=all&tid=1507804181016

Which arrived today, and looks pretty good.

But then I discovered the actual website, and the actual price.

At a $100 difference, I'm assuming that this is probably a well made clone. Since this seller had 100% positive feedback, I went ahead with the purchase.

Are people THIS good at producing clones, that its almost indistinguishable from the real thing? Or is this perhaps one that didn't meet QC standards?

 

[roxynoodle]

Sometimes.

I have a Taifun GT you would swear was the real thing.

I also have a Squape R that looks great and is a total piece of garbage.

 

[eyerhere]

Some are good and some are not. But for the price diff I love my clones.

 

[jayblizzo187bx]

I don't feel like it would be that hard if you were a large corporation with access to factories full of equipment. It's not like they're cloning anything super complex. I do feel like quality control is way less regulated on clones however.

 

[pauly walnuts]

I have never and will never buy an original mod or atty. Companies like hcigar and infinite have carved out a niche by manufacturing very close copies to originals, using acceptable materials, with acceptable attention to detail. Not all clones are perfect, some clones are garbage, but many many more are just fine for normal vapers with below average money.

The buyers of clones should always be prepared to modify their purchases. Some sandpaper, files, drill and drill bits are a must if you are expecting perfection from a twelve dollar rda (for example).

Also, not all materials are created equal for all applications. If you want your mod clone to last, make sure its threads are stainless. I have had two mods where the threads failed, an m16 sentinel (aluminum, lasted one week) and a vamo (brass, lasted 6 months).
I now have a twenty dollar nemesis clone with stainless threads, and they seem bulletproof. No deterioration after two month of use, and my three rda clones screwed on and off a few times a day.

Successful 'cloners' do their research and know which company's clone they are buying. If its the cheapest, and the manufacturer is not named, chances are its the worst one out there, which sometimes isnt terrible. It all depends.

The biggest redeeming factor for vape clones is they are cheap enough for a poor folk to own a few.

 

[MrPlink]

Ethics aside, we are talking about VERY simple devices here, and there is little to no secret sauce that goes into making them.

 

[pauly walnuts]

I get why some think its unethical to support companies who copy intellectual property, but I really could care less. If the original makers wanted to succeed in a free market they would make their product cheap enough to compete.

Like PLink said, these are not complicated machines. Given the quality and craftsmanship of the originals, they cost more. Why so much more? Mayibe scarcity, or research time or simply just charging the very top of what the rich will pay. I cant imagine the materials driving the prices so high, because the materiels are mostly pretty cheap.

But just like anything else, there are originals that cost hundreds of dollars that SUCK and dont function for crap. Think ORCHID.

 

[WattWick]

Clones are the disposables of the vaping world. I have yet to own a clone (mod) that don't suffer voltage drop and crappy threads over time. At first you don't notice these things and all is well. Then metal quality starts to play a part.