Reos....
When I decided to finally try squonking I turned to a mod I had known about for well over a year but had had zero interest in. Having only been using mech tube mods from the start I had a "why would anyone want to vape a box?" mentality.I bought my first Reo in Aug 2014, a used one off the classifieds because I didn't expect it to go well for my uses. The same day I received it (and first vaped it) I ordered 2 more new ones. Within a month I had 9 of them and in less than a year had 30+. I stopped buying them when #35 was acquired. I acquired several very special/rare and collectible ones though that were more just to have than to use. The Reos retired all of my previous gear immediately (my early mech tube mods from several MFG's, a bunch of ProVari's, a bunch of VapourArt GP PAPS tube mods/toppers, other odd balls, etc)... the Reos became the only gear I vaped. When the P67's came out in very early 2016, they and 4 Reo 2015 Woodvil's did all of my vaping duty. Soon after when the Reomeister retired I dove into and bought a bunch of TC mods and endless toppers for them to support a new to me forum oversea's I joined when he closed the Reo forum here. I had stopped using the Woodvils but the five P67's remained my preferred gear. Then starting late last year I stopped using most of the TC mods and my Reo P67's completely (but I did bring one of the P67's out recently to test drive a new mesh rda on a mech). I've changed over to dual battery mech squonk and regulated squonk mods mostly for all my vaping now days.
The Reos and their endless toppers will probably never get used again (same as all the gear that came before them and most of the TC gear that came after). But in their day the Reos got it done very well for me... better than any gear before them had, and better than some of the gear that came after them did. Robert didn't come up with squonking (Carlos is credited for that), but his highly improved Reos and customer service did put them on the map as the first commercially successful squonk gear that set the standards and paved the way for all who have made them since. I am not a Reonaut anymore, but I will be a squonker as long as I vape.
Sounds similar my story too, well said! Hope Robert is enjoying retirement.
In addition though, I brought one of of my REO's to Asia with me on one of my frequent trips when it was fairly new. Many there thought the "box style" bottom fed mod was "Old school" and would not be successful. One of the countries was the Philippines where I showed my REO to a direct manufacturer and distributor of Vicious Ant mods who only during that time was making "tubular" style mechs (I actually owned a couple before I got rid of them since dripping was not for me). I did tell them to bore a hole in the 510 pin of their Cyclone RDA to so it can be used with REO's. They made 8 at that time, and I bought all of them to give to fellow REOnauts here in the US. Wow, if I had a buck for everyone who told me that "BF Box style mods" were old school. And yes, I was one of those who contacted companies in Hong Kong and suggested making a hole in some of their 510 pins for some RDA's to accommodate BF REO's. Though Robert did not invent the term "squonking" (I sure thought he did), he did introduce me to it and never looked back. He was a pleasure to speak to and his customer support was tops in my book. My REO collection is down to 8, I had as many as 21 but gifted and sold many. Regulated Squonkers is my preferred these days as the times change. Hope Robert is sitting on a chair on a beach somewhere or maybe somewhere in Maine where everything started with a smile from ear to ear. Damn, If I only had a buck for all those times folks back there frown on my BF box mod, I would probably be on the beach right now with a cold one in one hand and a squonker in the other.
