Buying myself a ProVari for Xmas, looking for a first timer RBA

[xanderxman]

I plan to purchase myself a ProVari for Christmas and want to step into RBAs. I need something easy on a first timer. I plan to use SS mesh for the wick but I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on an rba after spending a couple hundred on the ProVari.

I am moving up from the eGo Twist into the ProVari, so I have zero experience rebuilding attys. I would love to grab some of the lovely attys I have seen here but I do not want to spend a ton of money in the classies or wait an inordinate amount of time for my first rba.

I am a newbie to RBAs so I need something easy enough to rebuild and I am looking for a tank system rather than a dripping setup. So basically, I am looking for a poor man's Zen.

 

[Rule62]

I plan to purchase myself a ProVari for Christmas and want to step into RBAs. I need something easy on a first timer. I plan to use SS mesh for the wick but I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on an RBA after spending a couple hundred on the ProVari.

I am moving up from the eGo Twist into the ProVari, so I have zero experience rebuilding attys. I would love to grab some of the lovely attys I have seen here but I do not want to spend a ton of money in the classies or wait an inordinate amount of time for my first RBA.

I am a newbie to RBAs so I need something easy enough to rebuild and I am looking for a tank system rather than a dripping setup. So basically, I am looking for a poor man's Zen.

I like the AGA and the AGA-T. Both look good on a Provari. But you'll need to get some mesh and wire. Neither come with the AGAs. The DuDs come with a small amount of wire, and a couple pieces of mesh, to get you started.

 

[PhreakySTS9]

I would suggest the standard DID clone personally or possibly the AGA with the clear window. Both can be had for cheap, but I strongly suggest a clear tank because it is uber annoying not being able to see how much juice you have left without using a frickin' syringe! You could also get something like a Phoenix clone to practice building a coil first. They can be had for less than $10 these days and being silica or cotton based wicks they are a lot easier to build than a genesis and can actually be built with SS mesh(one of mine has an SS mesh wick in it right now and it works great). They're not horrible as some can hold anywhere from 10-40 drops depending on which one. Honestly though, actually building a coil for a genesis is a very easy process. It's building it right and troubleshooting it that can take a long time to learn. If you decide to go the genesis route and find it hard, keep at it. It can be frustrating at first but a VERY rewarding experience once you get it down. I almost gave up on the whole genesis idea but now i'm so glad I didn't.

Edit: If you get an AGA, get the clear tank one like this:
AGA Hydra - Rebuildable Atomizer - Stainless
Trust me on this, metal tanked genesis' are a pain in the ....!

 

[CountSmackula]

The Chids & Chobras are a quick. easy & inexpensive way to get your feet wet with RBAs. The AGA-Ts are a step up, but like Rule62 said, you need to get wick & wire on your own.

 

[dsy5]

I am a newbie to RBAs so I need something easy enough to rebuild and I am looking for a tank system rather than a dripping setup. So basically, I am looking for a poor man's Zen.

I would recommend the Chinese DID clones or an AGA Hydra - the DID clones are kind of small and a little harder to wrap the coils for a beginner, but if you can wrap an ss wick on that, you can do it on anything. I have seen them as low as $18.99 on some vendor sites. They are not high in build quality as the more expensive Zen's or DIDs, but are on par for functionality.

An inexpensive way of trying before buying a more expensive one.

Edit: You two posters above me are quick typers - beat me to the punch!

 

[dsy5]

Edit: If you get an AGA, get the clear tank one like this:
AGA Hydra - Rebuildable Atomizer - Stainless
Trust me on this, metal tanked genesis' are a pain in the ....!

I've got the AGA-T and replaced the acrylic tank with a Pyrex one from IBTanked - it is sweet! And I can use my caustic cinnamon juice in it.

 

[mekks082]

I've got the AGA-T and replaced the acrylic tank with a Pyrex one from IBTanked - it is sweet! And I can use my caustic cinnamon juice in it.

Mind posting the specs? was looking into this but I did not want to guess and it not fit.

 

[PhreakySTS9]

If you're in no hurry, I would suggest waiting until DV is in stock. He's a great vendor and has excellent prices. Hard to beat, IMHO.

 

[j4mmin42]

I would suggest the standard DID clone personally or possibly the AGA with the clear window. Both can be had for cheap, but I strongly suggest a clear tank because it is uber annoying not being able to see how much juice you have left without using a frickin' syringe! You could also get something like a Phoenix clone to practice building a coil first. They can be had for less than $10 these days and being silica or cotton based wicks they are a lot easier to build than a genesis and can actually be built with SS mesh(one of mine has an SS mesh wick in it right now and it works great). They're not horrible as some can hold anywhere from 10-40 drops depending on which one. Honestly though, actually building a coil for a genesis is a very easy process. It's building it right and troubleshooting it that can take a long time to learn. If you decide to go the genesis route and find it hard, keep at it. It can be frustrating at first but a VERY rewarding experience once you get it down. I almost gave up on the whole genesis idea but now i'm so glad I didn't.

Edit: If you get an AGA, get the clear tank one like this:
AGA Hydra - Rebuildable Atomizer - Stainless
Trust me on this, metal tanked genesis' are a pain in the ....!

Couldn't have said it any better myself. The DUD and the AGA are the two current mainstays for a cheap genny. I started out exactly as STS9 was describing, by buying two phoenix clones and practicing my wrapping skills on them. They are extremely, almost-unbelievably forgiving compared to the full genesis systems, and I run all of mine as vertical-SS wick hybrid-genesis-dripping atty's. I really cant stress enough how great an idea it is to start with those little guys!

 

[dsy5]

Mind posting the specs? was looking into this but I did not want to guess and it not fit.

Yeah, I ordered their custom cut tube 20mm dia x 2.5 wall thickness and 23mm in length. OCD told me that he has an AGA-T coming and that once he specs it up, he will be offering it as a standard item, like his DID clone ones. So, you may want to hold off for a bit, But the one I ordered was a perfict fit, no leaking whatsoever. I basically used my calipers to measure up the original tank.

Link to the corrrect custom tube.

 

[PhreakySTS9]

This is also a good item to check out. It's a new rebuildable with a similar idea as the Smok Vivi Tank, where it's a large tank that has a silica wick up top, except it seems that it can actually WORK, unlike the piece of garbage Vivi Tank. You still get the tank you want, but it uses silica or cotton wicks so it will be a lot easier for you to learn to build.

BO-8 Triton - Rebuildable Atomizer

Seriously, check it out!

 

[PhreakySTS9]

I am NOT trying to push you away from a genesis either, I just think you will greatly benefit from a phoenix clone or something like I just posted to begin with. You could even get both at the same time and it wouldn't cost you a whole lot. Learning to build a coil in general takes some time, but with silica or cotton there's no risk of a short circuit due to the wick like there is with oxidized stainless steel mesh. You could order a cheap genesis and one of the phoenix clones at the same time and if you can't figure out the genesis right away you will have another to practice making good, evenly spaced coils. It all takes time.

Edit: I forgot to mention that I hope i'm not scaring you away. At first it was kind of a chore trying to get this stuff to work at it's full potential, but now I actually really, really enjoy wrapping coils. Sometimes I will make a new coil for a phoenix clone or something even if I don't have to because I enjoy doing it so much! So give it a shot!

 

[xanderxman]

I was looking at the AGA-T at DV a few days ago. I was hoping that would be mentioned as I really like the look of it but was curious about how easy it was to rebuild it.

 

[xanderxman]

You are not scaring me Phreaky. I was looking for honest opinions. I don't want to jump in and spend too much money just to find out the RBAs are not for me.

 

[dsy5]

This is also a good item to check out. It's a new rebuildable with a similar idea as the Smok Vivi Tank, where it's a large tank that has a silica wick up top, except it seems that it can actually WORK, unlike the piece of garbage Vivi Tank. You still get the tank you want, but it uses silica or cotton wicks so it will be a lot easier for you to learn to build.

BO-8 Triton - Rebuildable Atomizer

Seriously, check it out!

I have a couple Smok Vivi tanks and it was my first foray into a Genesis-style atomizer. I knew it was a piece of junk out of the box when I bought it, but did several tweaks to it and got it to work well with stainless wicks. Since then all the DID clones and AGA's came out and I don't use them much anymore.

The build on the triton looks a lot better, though. And it doesn't have that driptip-in-the-cap monstrosity.

 

[PhreakySTS9]

Although I greatly prefer my DID and my Cobra to my DID clone, I can't even begin to say what a great thing they are. I've been wanting to try a genesis since the original Genesis and the Scubagens were about the only ones that existed. Once all the high end ones came out I thought there was no way i'd ever try one because I was not willing to gamble $150 on something I may not like. Flash forward to the DID clone for $25 and I finally felt comfortable going for the high end stuff! As has been said, even though they aren't as high quality, they still work very well for the price and are a great starting point. I give props to anybody who's first genesis experience is a Z-atty or a Cobra, I would never roll those dice, haha.

 

[dsy5]

I was looking at the AGA-T at DV a few days ago. I was hoping that would be mentioned as I really like the look of it but was curious about how easy it was to rebuild it.

It is very easy; similar set up as the others, but somewhat (actually a lot) larger in size; heavy too. But works and looks great on a Provari.

Link to pictures:
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/discountvapers/343316-aga-hydra-atomizer-3.html#post7607461

These are old pictures; I have since replaced the CHID and AGA-T with Pyrex tanks

 

[j4mmin42]

I was looking at the AGA-T at DV a few days ago. I was hoping that would be mentioned as I really like the look of it but was curious about how easy it was to rebuild it.

Check out my review, gives a lot of info on it!

 

[MrKV]

Not trying to hijack this thread but can someone post a pic or direct me to one of an AGA-T on a Provari?

 

[VaporHead512]

Not trying to hijack this thread but can someone post a pic or direct me to one of an AGA-T on a Provari?