Brand name versus Knock Off. Which do you prefer and why?

[Atari]

Lets say you can get a official joyetech eGo Twist for 18$ or a comparable knock off for 13$ Or Vision clearomizers for 5$ or knock offs again of comparable performance for 4$. I have bought many of both products and had mixed results from both. I guess Im just trying to see what everyone else thinks.

 

[UncleChimney]

I buy a decent amount from fasttech, so I guess I don't mind knock-offs at all. Everything I have gotten from them has worked great, but other stuff that I've gotten that is name brand seems to work really good as well.

 

[JAY73]

I tried buying cheap gear and spent more $$$ than getting what i was drooling over, so long story short i am really big on smok tech mods, but still looking for the right juice gear and will try namebrand or knock-offs as long as i get what i want out of them!!!

 

[Caridwen]

I've bought both and have better luck with brand names. They also usually have a much better warranty.

 

[chellemmm]

Knockoffs. They are cheaper and seem to last just as long. YMMV.

 

[klynnn]

I have both and am not a big fan of brand names. The only product so far that I will only buy brand name is vision.

 

[SilentScreams]

It's different for everyone. I have used both yet seem to get better performance and life from name branded. Others get better from off branded.

Either way it's going to be hit or miss.

If the price difference is a couple dollars I'll go with the name brand. If the price difference is significant then I may try the cheaper one and see how things work out.

 

[hvac999]

The only place I have had any luck with knock offs was egos. Granted they did not last as long as a JoyeTech or Vision, they did work good while they lasted. Every other item I have gotten that was a knock off did not work out. The exceptions to this are if you get a Boge for example that copies a SmokTech. That type of thing.

 

[LucentShadow]

I've had a bit better luck with the 'brand-name' products, so I usually stick with those for the more durable products, such as battery units.

I don't mind the no-names for the more consumable products, such as replacement atomizer heads. I can generally make those work, even if they weren't produced well.

 

[Proetus]

All I can go by is my own experience. The few knockoffs I have purchased have been utter failures. Since the I have been purchasing name brand instead of knockoff. Have really had no issues since then. My coworker is cheap! He bs only knockoffs as they are cheaper, we'll he pays for it. Hs knock off nova's are dead, his ego style knockoff batteries are dead as well. I stick with what I know.

 

[tnt56]

I vote for the name brand everytime. I've not had a lot of good luck with the knockoffs.

 

[EddardinWinter]

I like brand names. In my experience, they work better and last longer. I am happy to pay a small premium for it.

 

[r77r7r]

I've done both with ego's- Joye is better 4 me.

 

[ScottP]

I try to buy official brands for the most part. My primary reason is to support innovation. The people that are coming up with the new ideas to make this "hobby" better will stop doing so if they go out of business and the copycats won't have them to copy anymore. That said I will buy a "clone" IF said clone make some advancement or improvement of it's own. I will also buy a clone if, it is a clone of something that already did not have any enhancements or improvements.

For instance I have bought the SmokTech cig-a-like automatic clone batteries for times I don't want to, or can't, carry a larger device. In this area I have no idea what the "original" is and if I did I don't see any real "technology" in these designs. On the other hand I would NEVER buy a SmokTech version of the Vivi Nova. Not only is this a knockoff, it is also inferior in quality (see posts about connector issues, and leaking). Also by stealing the name as well as the design it has caused a lot of confusion in replacement parts as well as causing people to choose not to buy a Vivi Nova based on seeing what they think are bad reviews of the original but are actually bad reviews of the knockoffs.

 

[Iffy]

My batting average with both would be in da runnin' fer RBI all-star status.

What I have noticed is that some of da orig devices are very acceptable at their introduction. But then da QC drops off to knock-off (KO) status. I contribute this to da intense innovation race, with ol' products losing manufacturing interest/investments.

'Member when da knock-offs had sloppy/rough threads and finish? Recently (past six months or so) I've noticed definite improvements in da KO manufacturing.

So, I must admit that I do tend to go with le$$ expen$ive device$ (aka KOs). Plus, a couple of overseas sites have recently really stepped up to da plate with awesome shipping and notifications!!!

Just my .02 FRNs.

 

[SissySpike]

I dont really use carts anymore I never liked clearos but I would rather buy a string atty, geny, hybrid from the person or company that made it or at least by the real deal used when a good deal presents its self.

 

[Atari]

Five bucks more for a Joyetech or Vision Spinner is a no brainer.
When the knockoff dies or explodes, will it be worth it?
I have 2 mini eGo knockoffs. They were a giveaway for buying a juice sampler from Velvet Cloud. They vape just fine. I'm passing them along to my favorite bartender.

Always take care of a bartender that takes care of you!!! I miss bartending

 

[Baditude]

Definitely a fan of brand name batteries: genuine AW batteries only for me.

Not a fan of no-name juice delivery devices: I only buy Vision products. Ikenvape or Smoktech cartomizers.

I don't own any eGo batteries, but if I were to purchase one, I'd get either Vision or Joytech; not a no-name or e-cig vendor copy.

 

[hmlessalky]

Only had one of the many knock-off devices fail. And for the price I paid for it it was replaced and was still under name-brand cost.

I have had just as many Joye batteries fail, in what I consider an early amount of time, as no-namers, have had roughly the same experience with knock-off clearo's and such. Some body stated they would buy the name-brand to support innovation, but Joye hasn't really been lighting up the world with anything new and exciting. Smok has put out some good devices, but if you look at Kamry, Siegeli and others, they have really been pushing new (even if they are clones) devices out the door.

Cartos, when I use them, are almost always a brand-name buy, unless the deal is way too good to pass up (I buy lots of stuff to give away or re-sell at cost). I preferred ST and Boge to any of the others due to durability and the fact that they weren't too pricey to begin with.

I bought a ton of "stardusts" from Vapage a while back for a buck a piece, and they were perfect for starter kits I would put together for people wanting to try out. And iVape had some starter kits that were so cheap that I could afford to give them away.

So does name brand really matter too much to me? No, I would have to say not, at least most of the time. Even though I can't say so, I think a lot of the products out there are probably like car batteries; there are only a few plants that make them, yet the are re-branded depending on the place selling them.

Just my input!

Salky

 

[peraspera]

I shop customer service rather than brands. Vendors who provide excellent customer service when things go awry are motivated to keep the worst of the Chinese QC disasters out of their inventory. I buy from several different vendors but Vapor Beast is the one that gives me the most peace of mind as far as weeding out the worst of the Chinese dreck.