Cart vs Carto (Round Seventeen)

[myxomatosis]

This conversation has happened in the past - but with how quickly things are moving and different everyone's tastes and opinions are, I'd like some current feedback regarding this.

I might have been burned, scarred from the dual coiled clear cartos I ordered from LiteCig, that I used with my Riva 850 mAH... it tasted so gross to me compared to the 3 piece setup. The juice's flavor that was really strong and enjoyable using carts tasted dulled down and cotton-fillerish with the cartos I picked up. Not just one, the whole set I ordered.

510 CLEAR Dual Coil 1.5ohm MEGA SOFT CAP Blank Cartomizers

Having said that, I've read different reviews regarding cartomizers, and while cart/attys seem to be a little more of the hassle, it's one I wouldn't mind if it meant for more flavor with absolutely no cotton taste. The problem is, these are really the only carto's I've tried outside the disposable KR808 prefilled cartos that came with my starter kit some time ago.

Has anyone had this problem with cartomizers? How long does a typical carto's atty last compared to a standalone atty? Are there any pros to utilizing cartos outside of less refill/mess? Aren't they harder, if not impossible to clean with the filler? That would be a major factor in my decision as well. I know some atty's can last up to 5 months depending on maintenance and the juice you use.

Thoughts?

 

[Valsacar]

I'm with you, I don't really like carto's at all. For a while I used MAP tanks with CE2's in them, and they were pretty good (I'd switch it about every month).

New toy is the iAtty, tank (I like tanks, 5ml of liquid) with self made/replaceable coils and wicks. Works really well (so far, still not ready to really say it's perfect, but so far happy).

 

[Outre]

I've only tried some Royal Smoker cartomizers and didn't like them. Really for me the vapor comes in too "hot" and I really hate that tiny little rubber tip.

I've also tried Stormy's Tank Cartomizer and while I like the idea of cleanability, they "feel" flimsy to me (not that thay are in reality) and I have a fear of spilling loads of juice down my shirt. I keep trying them though and perhaps I'll come to like them in time.

However, I have been using Stormy's Tank Cartridges along with blue foam and I really like it. If I ever need to be away for several good hours I just pre-fill several, cap them with the extra condoms I have, and away I go! Being female I take a purse with me though, so the little blue plastic flip top box that came with some Q-Tips one time works great for storing the extra cartridges.

 

[hairball]

Has anyone had this problem with cartomizers?

No I haven't. I only use Ikenvape.com's, Boge in all resistances, and dual coils in a cartomizer tank.

How long does a typical carto's atty last compared to a standalone atty?

Cartomizers are a use and toss design. However, I've cleaned and recleaned many cartos without any problems. I've had one carto last me 6 weeks of heavy use before finally tossing it but was still working when tossed...the draw really tightened down on me and I didn't want to clean it anymore. Atomizers are designed to last a little longer as they weren't designed to use once and toss. I've had atomizers last up to 3 months but I don't use them anymore other than to test flavors and then they get cleaned and put away.

Are there any pros to utilizing cartos outside of less refill/mess?

I hope I'm answering this correctly but I'm not sure exactly what you're wanting to know but here it goes. I use cartos for one big reason, fill and go. I fill about 20 a week so that I have spares for everyday use if I'm not at home. I grab a few and put in my pocket with my PV. No need to carry juice bottles. Once one starts to deplete in flavor/vapor, I pop on a new one.

Aren't they harder, if not impossible to clean with the filler? That would be a major factor in my decision as well.

Not impossible. I boil mine for 15 minutes. Drain and boil for another 15 minutes. Rinse and sling out as much water as possible. Load them into my ultra sonic jewelry cleaner for 3 x 3 minute cycles with very hot water. Remove and sling when done. Then they go into my food dehydrator for 12 hours depending on the size of the carto. Really fat ones take longer. Set it on high and leave them. When completely dry, refill and enjoy. My dehydrator has a top circulating fan in it. I only use one tray so that the heat is blowing right down onto them.

 

[six]

I've had mixed results. I wasn't interested in cartomizers at all until about three months ago. I had a little spare cash and decided to buy a box of pretty much every 510 carto I could get my hands on. Most of them were junk. I gave away or threw away a bout 4 or 5 dozen boxes of cartos when it was all said and done.

That said: I came up with two keepers that I now use every day. One of them is the dual coils you said you didn't like. I seldom hear anyone say they don't like them, but I have heard a few people with similar experiences to yours talk about it. - My experience with the dual coils was that I bought ten boxes before I was finished with the first box. I love them.

The other carto I decided was a keeper was the 2.0 ohm boge. I run that on 3.7v devices and occasionally on a 4.8v ni-mh batt in my maxi rough stack. They are durable, predictable, and usually not very messy. They produce excellent flavor usually. And, they are consistent. I've had exactly one bad boge 2.0 ohm in the last dozen boxes. - I will say that a couple of my favorite juices don't keep their flavor very well in the boge. For instance, Applewood Tobacco from back woods brew is great in a dual coil but not so great in a boge for me.

It just so happens the two PVs I'm using right now can answer one of your questions. I have a boge 2.0 ohm with gorilla juice from AVE. That carto has been in use for about three weeks now. I blew out extra juice when I overfilled a couple of times and that's all the cleaning it has had. I just topped it off to be ready for morning. It has shown no signs of performance degredation nor flavor loss yet. I think it might go another week or two. --- I have a triple coil on my triple-v regulated 5.0v mod with BWB applewood. It has been in service and refilled at least twice a day for the last two weeks. It has shown no signs of flavor degradation nor any drop off in performance.

I don't make any mess when I fill these. I take my time and drip around the sides from the top, let it soak in, and repeat the dripping until they are full. I'm in no rush to get them full. So, I don't usually have any messes to worry about.

As to how long they last: Some people clean them and get weeks and even months of use out of their cartos. I have cleaned a few but I don't like to. I throw them away as soon as the performance drops. It's generally about a week.

I've had attys last months and I've had a couple pop the same day I started using them and everything in between. I think I probably average 3 weeks to a month with a low resistance atty and probably something around 6 weeks or so with standard resistance attys.

I do have a few juices that just can't be used in a filler carto. I have a caramel tobacco that will plug up any filler carto in about a day or two. I also have a few juices that just don't taste right in a carto.

I hope that helps.

 

[Diablo]

Question you may want to ask is which atty or carto to use.

Before I would use a cart I would just drip, not really any reason to use a cart with an atty. Maybe just try dripping its pure and nothing to alter the taste. On the other hand if you are like me and don't like to drip often then look at a carto. Tons of folks love the DC's but I am not one of them. To me they hit great but mute the flavor and don't last long. I found the Boge 2 ohms at $1.30 a piece the solution for me. They taste and hit great and last 4-7 days for me, some last a little longer but it just depends on the juice you use. I find they don't alter the flavor much for me to care about it. I don't bother to clean them as they are so cheap to buy. I don't mess with tanks because cartos are so easy to refill, I can do it in 10 secs sitting at a stop light.



You just have to find what works for you...

 

[myxomatosis]

Thanks for the responses.

I think SC cartos will be the next thing I'll try. I'm really partial to the 3 piece setup as it stands now, but I don't mind topping my cart off several times a day if I have to. I'm a lot quicker at it now than I used to be.

 

[Diablo]

If you want to try some good cartos at a great price look here:

15 Boge 510 Carto Deal

15 C.C.V. Mega LR 1.7 Carto Deal (The Resurrectors)

Use code ecf5off to save another 5%. Shipping is free also.

 

[Dicot]

Carts or cartos? Between those two, I have to go carto. I use standard resistance Boge 510 cartos on an eGo.

I never really liked carts from the beginning. I always found myself topping them off after less than 10 drags, and the flavor was never really good except for the first 3 drags. Not to mention I'd always be messing around trying to fluff up the filler to get more contact with the bridge. I probably only used carts for the first week before I just started using those empty carts that came with the kit as make shift drip tips.

For me the major drawback to cartos is the way they mute flavors. Other than that they're great for on the road, or in public places where dripping is bound to catch some odd stares. I rarely ever make a mess when I filled them or top them off on the go. They're also great for a reliable vape, and I don't feel bad throwing it away when one starts acting up since they only cost about a $1.50.

Cartos are better than carts imo, but they do have draw backs when compared to straight dripping. Dripping is my bread and butter in this hobby. Best flavor and vapor as long as your attys are behaving. I don't mind dripping every 4-5 drags because of how much better it preforms than either carts and cartos. The major problem with dripping comes from the behavior of your attys. I've been using my cartos more often for this reason.

Lately I've been getting annoyed with my atty constantly restricting airflow, inexplicably throwin out little vapor and just being an all around turd in the punch bowl. She's 3 months old and has been under heavy use for about 2 months, on her last legs for sure, but I can't bring myself to throw her away despite having 5 brand new back up attys.
Sometimes I just have to put her in time out to sit there and think about what she's done.

 

[myxomatosis]

Show that atty who's boss! haha

 

[M_FactorX19]

my vote has to go for cartos. specifically Boge LR (2.0 ohm) cartos. for the price they just cant be beat if you ask me. i dont normally clean them and it depends on wich juice you use as to how long they last. most juices last me 2-4 weeks though.

 

[M_FactorX19]

I do have a few juices that just can't be used in a filler carto. I have a caramel tobacco that will plug up any filler carto in about a day or two. I also have a few juices that just don't taste right in a carto.

ive been having the same problem with one of my favorite juices. in fact i made a thread asking how i could fix it "my new love hate relationship". it will clog a carto in one day of all day use!

if you dont mind me asking what did you find was the best way to use this juice?

sorry to hijack the thread.
other than this one juice i have had zero issues with cartos. i dont want anyone to think this is a normal problem with most juices.

 

[wdave]

This conversation has happened in the past - but with how quickly things are moving and different everyone's tastes and opinions are, I'd like some current feedback regarding this.

I might have been burned, scarred from the dual coiled clear cartos I ordered from LiteCig, that I used with my Riva 850 mAH... it tasted so gross to me compared to the 3 piece setup. The juice's flavor that was really strong and enjoyable using carts tasted dulled down and cotton-fillerish with the cartos I picked up. Not just one, the whole set I ordered.

510 CLEAR Dual Coil 1.5ohm MEGA SOFT CAP Blank Cartomizers

Having said that, I've read different reviews regarding cartomizers, and while cart/attys seem to be a little more of the hassle, it's one I wouldn't mind if it meant for more flavor with absolutely no cotton taste. The problem is, these are really the only carto's I've tried outside the disposable KR808 prefilled cartos that came with my starter kit some time ago.

Has anyone had this problem with cartomizers? How long does a typical carto's atty last compared to a standalone atty? Are there any pros to utilizing cartos outside of less refill/mess? Aren't they harder, if not impossible to clean with the filler? That would be a major factor in my decision as well. I know some atty's can last up to 5 months depending on maintenance and the juice you use.

Thoughts?

Base on my experience, my best guess is that you will go through at least twice as much juice per month using a carto than would have using a cart.

The only reason I use a carto is because I can prefill an avoid the inconvience of topping off. And I cut my own polyfill and eventually couldn't tolerate the inconvience of either of them.

HTH,
Dave

 

[emus]

1 vote for dual coil carto.

May change my mind once CE2 bugs are ironed out.

I didn't like RN4081, M401 or 510 carts.

I did like atty direct dripping but now only drip in cartos.

 

[exodus454]

I love cartos. Even though they can be a pain in the ... sometimes, the whole cart thing just seems flawed to me. I tried carts once and went back to my trusty Boge 2.0! Price vs performance you just can't get much better. Maybe I haven't found the right atty yet, but comparing the Boge 2.0 to direct dripping a Joye 510 1.5 atty, I'll take the Boge all day long. I also have a bunch of the dual coils in rotation too, and while they put out more vapor imo, flavor is still better on the Boge. I switch between the two all day long.