The above advice is wise. When I began using cartotanks, I often experienced harsh vapor and occassional burnt taste. I simply assumed I should replace the older cartos with the same that came with the tanks. Those were dual coil 1.5 ohm Smoktechs.
Then I started doing some research here on the forums. Many people were lauding the single coil cartos. And some people were talking about getting a
cooler vape from standard resistance cartos. So with my next order of cartos, I got
2.0 ohm single coils. SO GLAD that I did. These were perfect and exactly what I was looking for.
Since moving on to using
variable voltage devices, I now use
2.5 ohm - 3.0 ohm single coils, which provide the same cool vapor I like and allowing me to explore the entire voltage range for my different flavors, from 3.4v up to 6 volts.
So my advice would be to get a couple of single AND dual coil cartos in low, standard, and high resistance, and see which that you prefer. Once you find your favorite, you'll know from then on what to order in the future.
The following
Vaping Power Chart is a useful guideline to help find the right ohm and voltage. Try to stay in the green blocks.
Vaping Power Chart 2.0 - Imgur
I personally prefer to use cartomizers that are pre-punched with one or two laser-drilled holes. Getting these eliminates the human error factor of punching your own, and provide me with some consistancy carto to carto. The smaller laser holes are perfectly adequate in my experience. Tool-punched cartos invariably result in some distortion of the carto to be oval and not circular, possibly making it difficult to pass the carto through the round endcaps of a tank, and possibly leading to damage of the tank's inner 0-rings.
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A laser-drilled carto and a tool-punched carto, both considered pre-punched cartos.
Best method to fill a cartomizer is included in the below video. As an additional tip, I use a wooden tooth pick to plug the center air hole of the carto to prevent juice from entering it. One "primes" or pre-fills a cartomizer to go into a tank the same as if you were going to vape it alone. The rest of the video shows the proper methodology of inserting the carto into an assembled tank and how to fill and refill the tank.
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A cheap way to begin cartotanking is with a Smoktech polypropylene DCT tank. The kit offered by My Vapor Store
510 Pro DCTank Combo includes a tube in your choice of color, metal endcaps, a drip tip mouthpiece, and 5 laser-drilled cartos in your choice of ohm resistance, number of holes, and either single or dual coils for under $22. Available in 3.5ml and 6ml liquid capacity.
If you want just the tank shell and not the kit, you can purchase that for $8.50 and purchase your cartos and drip tip elsewhere.
Pro DCTank Tube
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If you decide to go ahead and get an inexpensive yet high quality pyrex tank, the
IBTanked - Get Tanked With Us! is a great choice. Pick a glass tank tube diameter (19mm or 25mm), then the tube length (standard or XL). Then there is a choice of stainless steel endcaps (and in the case of the 19mm tanks, an acrylic end cap option in numerous colors). Prices begin @ under $20. Be sure to order the same tank length as the length of cartos that you will use.
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