Can Anyone Help a Confused Newbie?

[Evirgin]

Hi Everyone,

As the name suggests, I'm an e-cig virgin/newbie - only found out about his stuff in the last 24 hours. I've been studying the forum and enjoying everyone's posts - in an effort to understand the whole "e-cig" thing and make an informed choice over whether to buy an ecig, and if so, which one.

I originally found out about this because I saw a google ad for http://www.ecignonline.co.uk and wanted to find out more. I don't know if they're one of the cheap copies, but they do seem to be selling their ecigs for less than other makers - about £40.

The range of ecigarettes and number of brands is quite bewildering. I'm also somewhat dismayed to observe that technical faults and/or failed ecigs seem to be the norm rather than the exception.

I'm a woman of very limited means at the moment, so can't afford the experimentation that a lot of you have obviously enjoyed. In other words, I can't afford to buy any more than one unit - so I need to be pretty confident that it'll work!

There seems to be a number of different types of unit - pen style, mini cig style, cigarillo, cigar, pipe ...

Then, there are all the different manufacturers/dealers - ecig.com, super smoker, Gamucci, Janty, Njoy, Sedansa...

Then, there are all the different cartridges and nicotine types - strong, medium, light, none, 24 mg, 16 mg etc. And different costs for those consumables, and different lifespans of cartridges.

And then, of course, I get totally confused with all the "dropping" and nicotine liquid stuff ...

How's a girl to choose? Which style, and which brand is right for me?

Perhaps if I say a little about my situation, it will help anyone who would like to point me in the right direction ...

I'm in the UK, so would prefer to buy from a supplier in the UK or Europe - especially as far as consumables are concerned.

For now, my purpose is to find a product that will help me cope with airports, flights and other situations where you can't smoke. It would have been nice to think that I could use an ecig in the pub, but according to Dr Chris Steele on This Morning, the pub trade body (can't remember the exact name) won't allow it. Quite likely because too many ecigs look like actual cigs - this was obviously a mistake in the marketing of the product. If it looks completely unlike a cigarette, then presumably the users of it will get less hassle.

I need to be able to order something that will arrive in my home (nr. London) before 19th June.

Longer term - I'd like to be able to reduce the amount I smoke, and smoke in the pub and go back to clubs - yee hah!

It would be really cool to give up fags altogether, and even better to quit the whole nictotine thing. I don't hold out much hope of that though, so cutting down and being more comfortable in the pub would do for now.

From the initial calculations I've done, I don't see me saving any money using an ecig. I smoke roll ups (GV) which I buy in Belgium for one third the price of UK tobacco, and baccie is already considerably cheaper than ready-made fags. Put it this way - I'm a very heavy smoker, and it still only costs me about £70 per month on rollies. So saving money isn't the primary motivation for me, although I would prefer it if "vaping" doesn't cost me MORE than my rollies, as I simply don't have the money to play with at the moment.

I'm sorry if all of these issues have been raised before, but I would be very grateful if any of you could help me make an informed purchase, rather than blindly believing what companies say on their websites.

EVirgin

 

[NerdyCinderella]

I've gotten the sense that measuring price and quality so far the ecig sold by Meltrex and demo'd by RatInTheHat is one of the best. Someone else here can tell you where in the UK or EU Meltrex's ecigs are sold.

Here's the demo I referred to http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=33921088
Ask RatInTheHat if his ecigs are still holding up first though. He returned his NJoy.

I bought a NJoy (reatively satisfied but fear it will break down) and have a Kissbox on order.

Hope that helps but be aware I'm only at this now for 3 weeks.

 

[sanneke]

Hi there,

I would order the Janty kiss box from Ruyan, they really are the best.
They ship from The Netherlands, convenient for you.
Customers service is excellent.

You can not smoke them in the airplane.
I read somewhere that it's not allowed because other passengers might think you're smoking the real thing, and get upset that they don't get their smoking fix.
I understand that.
I have sneaked mine in the toilet, and took some puffs.

The dropping of liquid is great, because you drip a liquid nicotine on the cartridge, get more smoke and the cartridge lasts longer.

I have e-smoked for about 6 weeks now, I'm down from 20 cigarettes to 4 a day, now with my kiss some days none at all.

And yes I am saving money.
Cigarettes are expensive and bad for you.
I did invest money, but within a couple of months I'll be even, and then really save money.

But my heath is more important than money.

Hope this helps.

 

[trog100]

these are the ones you want..

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MINI-ELECTRON...ryZ75047QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

the ones in the link and from the guy in the link.. dont think just buying one will do cos it wont.. buy at least one spare atomizer dont expect the atomizer to last long.. i recon an atomizer per two weeks and batteries six weeks..

buy the liquid from e-cig china and top up the carts dont throw them away.. change the wool every couple of days..

you wont do it cheaper than "smuggled" roll-ups but u will come close.. you can almost get off the real tobacco.. or at least get it down to below problem levels..

but u need a device that works.. and u need to replace bits as they cease to work.. the cigs i linked to seem better than most.. just dont expect the atomizer to produce oodles of smoke for very long.. they wear out quick when used all day and very day..

trog

ps.. the basic kit without the twenty carts comes cheaper.. so does the liquid from china.. to be cheap u 100% need the liquid..

 

[Mr.Darcy]

ok,here i go again...pillbox38 on ebay sells good quality ecigs at a competitive price.if you want a cheap but decent quality ecig,then thats where id go.i have bought several from him,and he has good customer service and is in the uk,so you would have it within a day or two,and he is a good guy-you can trust him.they are the same models as meltrex sells in the usa.you can get a pen style and 100 cartridges for £62 approx,including shipping,or for less with less cartridges.if you dont know if you will like e-smoking,perhaps start with one of the cheaper kits,see what you think,then order more cartridges if you want them.his middle sized mini is good too,but the pen style battery and cartridge last longer.you might also want to buy an extra atomiser and battery for spares if you think youd like to continue e-smoking after trying it,cos performance can dip eventually with any e-smoking device.the advantage of buying local is that if you need spares or cartridges you can have them in a day or two,rather than the week or two if you buy from abroad.if you want the bees knees,then it seems that the kissbox classic would be the favourite at present(from reviews so far anyway).i havnt got mine yet,so i cant comment on that myself.it all depends on what you want to spend initially i guess.i recommend pillbox38 because i have personal experience of dealing with him,and have been satisfied with the product and service for the price.remember tho,as trog100 says,these things dont last forever,and you are gonna need spares.and its not like real smoking,its a different animal(i smoked rollies for years,so i know where u r coming from).and as a rollie smoker,id advise you to get his high cartridges to begin with(maybe a few medium,depends how you smoke really)-and remember,the cartridges DO NOT last as long as a pack of fags,so you might find yourself using maybe 2-3 a day if you smoke heavily,and charging batteries constantly.thats the nature of the beast with this generation of devices.its up to you to decide how much to spend on your first cig,and weigh up the pros and cons.

 

[Mr.Darcy]

oh,i see trog has beaten me to it!thats the problem with writing an essay..

 

[trog100]

oh,i see trog has beaten me to it!thats the problem with writing an essay..

u nearly beat me.. he he he

trog

 

[NerdyCinderella]

these are the ones you want..
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MINI-ELECTRON...ryZ75047QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem......

Trog,
I'm curious why you recommend the mini ecig. I've gotten the impression that the mini size in general stinks, especially for a heavy smoker.
I value your opinion because of your obvious experience with these ecigs.

 

[Mr.Darcy]

if id known it was a contest id have typed faster..still..great minds think alike,eh?

 

[Mr.Darcy]

nerdy,that dse901 mini is a good e-cig,in my experience.i like it.very robust and reliable,cheap to buy and cheap for parts.good smoke too.you do need to use liquid with it tho,cos cartridge life sucks.i just recommend the pen style to a beginner cos of the better cartridge and battery life,bit more user friendly when starting out,and more economical if you have no liquid.plus that penstyle is a very good cig,i like mine a lot,and she didnt want something which resembled a cigarette.

 

[NerdyCinderella]

if id known it was a contest id have typed faster..still..great minds think alike,eh?

Not a contest - lol. We are just a bunch of addicts but a really nice group who enjoys helping each other! But this might be stating the obvious.
[right:2l28a7ge]

[/right:2l28a7ge]

 

[Mr.Darcy]

yeah,ive never seen a forum with such a nice bunch of people on it.everyones very decent and helpful.its almost enough to dent my diamond-hard cynicism a little...

 

[trog100]

i would only go for dse901 if the carts are topped up with liquid.. i just know in the UK that the linked supplier supplies and those particular minis work well and have cheap parts..

just using carts no.. they only hold half what the classic type cig does and cost about the same.. topping up.. the cart cost dosnt matter.. plus all the liquid gets used as opposed to fifty percent wasted..

i am thinking super cheap for a super cheap UK roll-up user.. also a heavy smoker..

a couple of drops onto the top of the cart every 3/4 hour and a battery change every two hours or less has them producing oodles of smoke reliably.. bin the atomizer when the smoke starts to drop off noticeably.. a new one is about a fiver..

trog

 

[NerdyCinderella]

Thanks trog
[right:28jitk66]

.......... and thanks Mr. Darcy[/right:28jitk66]

 

[trigger]

a couple of drops onto the top of the cart every 3/4 hour and a battery change every two hours or less has them producing oodles of smoke reliably.. bin the atomizer when the smoke starts to drop off noticeably.. a new one is about a fiver..

trog

No need to bin the atomizer! I have a RN4081 super cigarette, been goin strong for over a month now! When the vapour gets considerably less, I run some warm water through the atomizer, completely dry it with a hair dryer, prime it with some liquid and have a few puffs on it and before you know it, its working better than before!

Phil.

 

[TheEmperorOfIceCream]

Hi everyone

Just like to add my endorsement of the ebay guy pillbox38. I'm new at this too and I ordered his pen-style at half seven on Monday evening. I was puffing away by noon on Wednesday.

@ evirgin (cos the rest of you guys know already!) This is truly a great thing. I've only had one tobacco cigarette since Wednesday, and that was just to work out how many puffs there were in it so I don't end up cross-eyed on the floor.

The Emp

 

[trog100]

yes a wash out under the tap can get em going again (some times) the longest i have had one last including the odd wash plus everything else that could be thought of is a month.. i was amazed the difference a new one made.. i was kinda happy with it till my son said its useless try a new one.. he was correct.. he he he

i now recon they need binning after xxx usage but its up to the user.. some just die altogether the heater coil burns out or the end comes lose and the wires snap..

one thing i have learned is.. what i was happy with at first i no longer am.. i am now trying to get something resembling a decent smoke out of them..

at first the mere fact they lessened my craving for real cigs was enough.. now it isnt.. for whatever reason i aint happy without "SMOKE".. i think my nicotine addiction has gone up..

it seems the more u get out of these things the more u want.. something worth noting.. and oddly enough i can now appreciate a real cig more.. i can now take a big deep heavy drag without coughing.. he he he

trog

ps.. dont let it scare u off but three of us over two months have bought 16 atomizers.. thats on top of the ones that came with the kit.. 12 or so could be considered binnable or have been binned.. .. we still have a couple of good ones each..

 

[Evirgin]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks very much for your replies and great advice. I've contacted Pillbox38 and he has also recommended the "mini" - because it produces more vapour. I'm guessing this is DSE901 from Blue Lite Industrial?

He also sells the DSE101 - the Super E-cig. Apparently this is the same as the branded "Super smoker" - any comments on that model?

Ultimately, having the best smoking experience is probably more important than cost or battery life etc. As the cost makes no difference if the product doesn't give satisfaction.

For the record, Trog, my baccie is not "smuggled" - it's completely legal and the amount I buy is within HMRC guidelines (even though it's technically illegal for them to issue or enforce guidelines - not that it stops them - apparently). I'm not that cheap either. I don't want the cheapest product, I want a product that works.

I think the point I was trying to make is that at E99 (£75/$150) per e-cig for the branded models, and given that all of them seem to break down after not very long, it could get very expensive, very quickly. Although, I'm not sure I understand yet how the entire thing can break down if all of the parts/components are replaceable - battery, atomiser, cartridge. Perhaps I've missed something - no doubt it will all become clear after I actually get one.

However, I do very much appreciate everyone's advice and recommendation for getting a cheaper, non-branded model from Pillbox, because then at least I can try out the experience without investing too much. I will make sure I get another atomiser at the same time.

Now to decide - mini, pen type or super. Any further thoughts on that from anyone?

Jane

 

[Mr.Darcy]

i have the mini and pen style from pillbox as ive said.they both perform very well.i get satisfactory smoke from either.the pen style has a lighter draw than the mini which takes a bit more of a drag.i like using them both at different times.trog likes the middle sized mini,so do i.i also like the pen-they both have their merits.depends how you are gonna smoke it really.do you want to just use cartridges initially,or do you intend to get liquid,or squeeze cartridges for dry smoking?

 

[Evirgin]

Hi Mr D'Arcy,

Are you just back from the pub or a nightowl like me?

I'm not sure what "dry smoking" is, so I can't answer that!

Which one is the "middle sized mini"? Sorry - I'm finding all of these different models and makes very confusing.

Initially, I just want something to use in non-smoking areas. Unfortunately, the sellers of e-cigarettes are claiming that you can "beat the smoking ban" with them, but it would appear that isn't really the case. Someone has already said that you can't use them on planes, and someone else has said that you can't use them in pubs. Not because it's illegal (cos it aint, obviously), but because people will get upset. Anyway, when I flew to Canada last year, my nightmare of all nightmares happened - I went through security and the plane had "gone technical" - so I had to sit in Terminal 4 for nearly 4 hours before taking off on a 7 hour flight. Then, I got hauled into Canadian immigration because I was a bit tiddly and my trolley went wonky and I crashed into something. So, I guess it was about 12 hours without a ... - not funny, especially when you consider that I'm a nervous flyer and could use a cig to distract me and calm me down.

If that goes well, then I'd like to start substituting e-smoking for regular smoking, because this is obviously preferably on so many levels.

Jane