Burnt taste out of my Mini Protanks, but not my EVODs. Help please!

[loomeye]

So I’ve been using nothing but EVOD tanks since I started vaping and I feel that they perform quite well and I doubt I’ll even try anything else any time soon (except for when I need a glass tank – more on than in a bit). I have found that removing the flavor wicks and replacing them with a single piece (all of the strands) of peaches and cream yarn improves performance considerably and prevents flooding. I do this even to new heads when I put them in.

So now I’ve added 2 new Mini Protank 2s to my collection, and I’m not pleased with the performance. After 3-4 hits on a brand new coil, I get a nasty burnt silica taste. These are the exact same heads I run on the EVODs, with the same cotton flavor wick, and run at the same wattage. I have run 1.8ohm and 2.2ohm coils with the same result. I'm using mostly thick, all VG juice from Johnson Creek right now, so I know this may be part of the problem, but it doesn't explain why the EVOD tanks work flawlessly with the same juice.

Any ideas as to why this is happening and what I can do to prevent it? The Protanks are really nice pieces and I love the metal drip tip so I want to use them, but as it stands they are sitting on my vape shelf in the kitchen until I can get this figured out. Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[440BB]

Since the same heads work fine in the Evod, it must be a difference in the Mini. Something may be limiting the wicking in it, such as the center tube in the cap being a hair longer. You might want to start by flipping the silicone cap on the top of the head upside down to increase wicking a bit, or reducing the flavor wick diameter. Good luck!

 

[Hypatia]

So weird, I find a similar difference between my EVOD/MT3 (love these) and my mini pt2 as well. EVOD/MT3 runs great for me just as they came. However, with the mini pt2, I tried removing the flavor wick (tasted great--but leaking issues with my thinner liquid). Tried the single strand of peaches n' cream and it's acceptable now, but not as good as the other clearos. Swapped out the coils between all three styles (not new ones, just switched, KWIM?), Evod and MT3 still performs better to my liking.

Sorry, I don't have much useful advice (other than my brother says learn to make your own coils, sigh--with time, dear bro). Just wanted to let ya know I'm in a similar boat. I just put the PT aside and rock on with what works best for now. Vape on, friend!

 

[Tinkiegrrl]

I noticed that on the Mini Protank II, that the coil is somewhat covered up more under an additional piece of metal that wouldn't be in Evod tanks. The metal piece that you screw the metal air pipe into. Perhaps that's why it isn't wicking as well? Is there a way to put less yarn in where the flavor wicks are supposed to be?

 

[loomeye]

These are great suggestions. Thanks you guys! I will try turning the rubber seal upside down and then removing strands of the yarn.

 

[ckquatt]

I noticed that on the Mini Protank II, that the coil is somewhat covered up more under an additional piece of metal that wouldn't be in Evod tanks. The metal piece that you screw the metal air pipe into. Perhaps that's why it isn't wicking as well? Is there a way to put less yarn in where the flavor wicks are supposed to be?

Right! The base that the head screws into on the mini is recessed where on the EVOD its not. Flipping the silicone cap may help get a little more juice down in there. I have not had that problem on any of my minis though.

 

[loomeye]

Right! The base that the head screws into on the mini is recessed where on the EVOD its not. Flipping the silicone cap may help get a little more juice down in there. I have not had that problem on any of my minis though.

This totally makes sense and is more than likely the cause now that I think about it. I even remember taking note that the atty sits down inside the base when I installed the first one into the PT and wondering if that would restrict the flow. I wish they would have used the same design on the PT as they did with the EVOD, but I suppose that would result in a longer tank.

 

[TFL!]

Please read and try what is in my blog.

 

[devauto]

This totally makes sense and is more than likely the cause now that I think about it. I even remember taking note that the atty sits down inside the base when I installed the first one into the PT and wondering if that would restrict the flow. I wish they would have used the same design on the PT as they did with the EVOD, but I suppose that would result in a longer tank.

Just make sure you inspect the coils before trying any of the suggestions here. Check the wick in the coil to make sure that it isn't already burnt, and replace your flavor wick too while you are at it. This will help ensure you get true results. Oh, also clean the tank and replace the juice. Once you have burnt a wick, it contaminates the juice and you will get the burnt flavor until you change the coil, change the juice, and clean the tank. As always ... YMMV!

HTH

 

[Soltan]

I use Evod's as well and recently purchased a Protank 2 Mini. I was getting burned hits with it with thick juices even after removing both flavor wicks. All I do it take a primer puff every other hit or so (look for a bubble) and it is fine. You can also cover one of the three air holes to tighten the draw and it wicks better and won't burn hits. I love the Mini since I figured out how to use it. Hope this helps.

-Sol

 

[loomeye]

I use Evod's as well and recently purchased a Protank 2 Mini. I was getting burned hits with it with thick juices even after removing both flavor wicks. All I do it take a primer puff every other hit or so (look for a bubble) and it is fine. You can also cover one of the three air holes to tighten the draw and it wicks better and won't burn hits. I love the Mini since I figured out how to use it. Hope this helps.

-Sol

...And you don't get flooding or gurgling with that big gap above the coil wick? I tried that once with an EVOD and I was getting juice in my mouth.

I think I will go with a progression:

1. Flip rubber cap over.
2. If that doesn't help, I'll remove one of the four strands of the yarn I'm using as a flavor wick.
3. If I'm sill getting burnt hits, I'll keep removing strands one by one until I'm down to none if that's what is takes.

That's what I'll do tonight unless someone comes along with a magic solution.
Thanks for all the help, everyone. What a great forum! The last time I became involved with a forum it was for gaming with Steam on the PC. There were a lot of knobs on there, so this is definitely refreshing.

 

[azsfcsh]

I too have a mini Protank v2 and Evod (clone) tank and notice that the draw on the mini is way tighter! Almost to the point of no airflow and I have to back it off on the threading, yet the Evod works fine screwed on all the way. Seems like the metal base on the mini is a bit longer and maybe blocking some of the needed airflow. BTW, using it on a Vamo V5.

 

[Soltan]

...And you don't get flooding or gurgling with that big gap above the coil wick? I tried that once with an EVOD and I was getting juice in my mouth.

No I don't. I only have the burning issue with thick juices which do not flood (for me) when I remove both wicks.

-Sol

 

[lee1024]

I've got both EVOD and Protank 2 Minis and notice that I need to take the odd primer puff with the Protank - and I don't have to do that with the EVOD. Weird though - I have three Protanks - ok - so I like lots of flavours on the go, and I only get the burnt taste with one of them

 

[loomeye]

OP here.
So I tried the upside-down silicone cap and had even worse flow. Maybe that's because that JC Vando is just soooo thick.
Removing all of the flavor wicks and flipping the cap back over did the trick though. The only issue is that with no FWs it feels like there is a small amount of juice getting into my mouth. I may go back to one FW to try to prevent this. It doesn't gurgle at all, but I don't like juice in my mouth. Maybe I'll try using a small piece of organic cotton ball and make a wide, flat FW to kind of act as a "coil cover".

Other than that though, the Protank Mini hits so smooth. Once I get the kinks worked out I think I'll prefer them to EVODs.

 

[Soltan]

Once I get the kinks worked out I think I'll prefer them to EVODs.

I know that I now prefer the looser draw of the PT2 Mini over the Evod. The only issue I ever had with juice getting into my mouth was with some thinner juice and it was about time to replace/clean the coil anyway, and that was with an Evod. I just stick to 50/50 VG or higher now, YMMV. Good luck!

-Sol

 

[loomeye]

Just to wrap this up, I ended up going with no flavor wicks AND the upside down silicone cap. I'm not getting juice in my mouth, but the coil seems to flood occasionally. That's probably user error though. Other than that, The Mini PTs are working great! Thanks everyone.

 

[loomeye]

Okay, these Mini PTs are driving me nuts.

Now that I'm running no flavor wicks and an upside-down cap, I'm getting flooding like crazy! It's to the point where one of them that I filled last night was completely empty this morning. They're also leaking onto my mods. Sometimes I forget to clean the liquid off of the mods when I switch tanks, and this results in the first draw pulling the previously leaked juice into the current tank, thus ruining the entire tankful of juice. I'm really not sure what I'm doing wrong here. The juice I'm using in them is 50/50 vg/pg from MBV.

I'm planning on rebuilding these Kanger coils with 32 ga Kanthal and Pn'C yarn. Maybe that will solve my dilemma. I'm at my wits end with these, and I have a third one coming in the mail this weekend! AARRRGGGHHH!

 

[notwithnsa]

I never found the Kanger heads to be reliable so I started building my own. Rip Tripper has a bunch of videos on YouTube. I never have trouble with them now plus I save money.

I have also found the cheap clones are so much better then the Protank. The Taifun GT is especially easy to wrap and has great flavor and vapor. Just my 2 cents.


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[loomeye]

I never found the Kanger heads to be reliable so I started building my own. Rip Tripper has a bunch of videos on YouTube. I never have trouble with them now plus I save money.

I have also found the cheap clones are so much better then the Protank. The Taifun GT is especially easy to wrap and has great flavor and vapor. Just my 2 cents.

I appreciate the input.
I'm pretty vested into Kanger stuff now, so I'm going to try just rebuilding the Kanger coils. I've got six EVODs and three Mini PTIIs, as well as almost 30 Kanger attys in total, so I might as well work with what I've got.
At some point I'm sure I'll get into RBAs, but I'm just over a month into vaping, so I'm not there YET.