Best Way to Prefill a Cartomizer and Fill a Cartotank
Using the following methods, I am able to set up a new cartotank in 5 minutes, ready to use immediately, and refill a tank in one minute.
A tip that I use when pre-filling the carto is to plug the center air hole with a wooden tooth pick. This blocks any unwanted e-juice from getting into the tube that can cause flooding.
I hold the carto at a slight angle, and rotate it around as I drip liquid onto the polyfill. When the fibers look like a slushy drink, I shake the carto down like a thermometer. This gives the same effect as a centrifuge, forcing the juice down into the carto. I return to adding more drops, and shake it down again. It is then ready to be put into the tank.
I replace the tooth pick now with a tank tool as shown at the bottom of this blog article. I lubricate the tool and carto with a little bit of e-juice and insert the carto about half way into the tank. I then fill the tank about 80% full of juice, then twist the carto up through the top cap, securing the top cap with my other hand to be sure not to allow it to be pushed off the tube. Remove the tank tool and replace it with a drip tip. Ready to vape.
To refill a set up tank with more juice, I remove the drip tip, insert the tank tool, and while securing the tank's end caps, I push the the tank tool so that the cartomizer slides halfway through the tank. This allows enough space to add more liquid. Once refilled, again still securing the end caps with my other hand, I twist the carto back into position. Remove the tank tool and replace the drip tip.
The following YouTube Video is the best demonstration I have found that shows how to fill a cartomizer and cartotank that uses most of the methods I practice.
Electronic Cigarettes 101: Tank Basics - YouTube
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Why Pre-Punched Cartos for Noobies?
Since many newer vapors are just getting their first tanks or thinking about it, I provided a limited list of vendors above that sell pre-punched cartomizers that are ready to be pre-filled and put into a tank. This listing is in no way meant to be a complete one, but merely provided by me to assist new and old users alike with options to choose a vendor of their liking.
The vendors are listed in no particular order, and some details of interest of each vendor's offerings may be included. I am currently using the punched! Ikenvape Platinum and 510 Fusion brand, and used Smoktek single coil carts prior to that (still my backup carto when the IKE are unavailable).
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I personally recommend that beginners buy pre-punched cartos because they can provide a beginner a level of consistancy in the size and placement of holes without needing to learn a new skill of punching their own, and using these removes at least one of the potential human error factors in using a carto tank for a beginner.
Once one has some experience with cartotanks, they can then decide to obtain a punch tool and learn to punch their own. Alternatively, they could learn to slot cartos with a powered dremmel tool.
I've been using cartotanks pretty much exclusively for several months. I have both punched and slotted my own cartos. I've personally found making my own holes or slots to be unsatisfactory for me for a couple of reasons, and have returned to buying them with laser-drilled holes made by the manufacturer.
Tool punched cartos can physically deform the cartomizer's shape from round to oval (see first image below, notice the deformity of the carto's shape). This deformity could possibly make them difficult to fit through the tight round hole in the tank's endcap. The extra effort required to twist them through the endcap could put unneccesary wear and tear on the endcap's rubber o-rings, which prevent a tank from leaking it's liquid contents. Laser-drilled cartos do not have this issue, and they wick the juice just as well as the larger tool-punched cartos in my experience.
If given the choice in the number of holes, I choose a single hole for juices with a Vg ratio of 50% or less. Higher than 60%, I choose two holes. This has worked great for me.
________
Dual vs Single Coil Cartos: My Experience
After having used dual coil cartomizers exclusively in my tanks, I had become somewhat dissatisfied with them with an occassional burnt taste with my e-liquids. I was quite certain that the juice delivery to the heating coils was adequate, so I ruled that out as the reason. I wondered if single coil cartos would be better, and decided it was a good time to try some in my tanks. I did some research into dual coil vs single coil cartomizers on ECF.
What I found were mostly opinions. Many people had switched from duals to singles, arguing that the dual coils didn't produce enough benefits to warrant the additional drain on battery life. There were others that preferred dual coils, of course.
There were statements made that dual coils were developed to be able to provide more vapor production for fixed voltage PVs, via twice the number of coils within the cartomizer. However, there were skeptics to that statement who claimed that for a dual coil to really shine, voltages of 4.5v and higher were required. Contradictory theories? I thought so, too. I was not able to find any scientific evidence to any of the above.
Long story made short, I decided to give single coils a trial. I switched out all of my dozen or so tanks to single coils...same brand, same ohm resistance, same number of holes. The verdict: I was and am impressed with the single coils. Same vapor production and flavor, no more burnt taste, and the expected increase in battery life. Your results may vary from mine.
__________________
Slap Yo Momma - Best Tank Tool Ever !!
I highly recommend all cartotankers to obtain a tank accessory tool. I find having one of these tools to be indispensable if you use cartotanks. It simplifies and speeds the assembly and filling of your tanks, and best of all using one will protect your tank's o-rings and keep it from leaking from torn or worn out o-rings.
IMHO, the Slap-Yo-Momma tank tool from Big Daddy Vapor is the best designed one. Watch the following PBusardo video review to learn how this tool can protect your tank's o-rings and makes filling your tank with juice easier than pie.
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Using the following methods, I am able to set up a new cartotank in 5 minutes, ready to use immediately, and refill a tank in one minute.
A tip that I use when pre-filling the carto is to plug the center air hole with a wooden tooth pick. This blocks any unwanted e-juice from getting into the tube that can cause flooding.
I hold the carto at a slight angle, and rotate it around as I drip liquid onto the polyfill. When the fibers look like a slushy drink, I shake the carto down like a thermometer. This gives the same effect as a centrifuge, forcing the juice down into the carto. I return to adding more drops, and shake it down again. It is then ready to be put into the tank.
I replace the tooth pick now with a tank tool as shown at the bottom of this blog article. I lubricate the tool and carto with a little bit of e-juice and insert the carto about half way into the tank. I then fill the tank about 80% full of juice, then twist the carto up through the top cap, securing the top cap with my other hand to be sure not to allow it to be pushed off the tube. Remove the tank tool and replace it with a drip tip. Ready to vape.
To refill a set up tank with more juice, I remove the drip tip, insert the tank tool, and while securing the tank's end caps, I push the the tank tool so that the cartomizer slides halfway through the tank. This allows enough space to add more liquid. Once refilled, again still securing the end caps with my other hand, I twist the carto back into position. Remove the tank tool and replace the drip tip.
The following YouTube Video is the best demonstration I have found that shows how to fill a cartomizer and cartotank that uses most of the methods I practice.
Electronic Cigarettes 101: Tank Basics - YouTube
________
Why Pre-Punched Cartos for Noobies?
Since many newer vapors are just getting their first tanks or thinking about it, I provided a limited list of vendors above that sell pre-punched cartomizers that are ready to be pre-filled and put into a tank. This listing is in no way meant to be a complete one, but merely provided by me to assist new and old users alike with options to choose a vendor of their liking.
The vendors are listed in no particular order, and some details of interest of each vendor's offerings may be included. I am currently using the punched! Ikenvape Platinum and 510 Fusion brand, and used Smoktek single coil carts prior to that (still my backup carto when the IKE are unavailable).
________
I personally recommend that beginners buy pre-punched cartos because they can provide a beginner a level of consistancy in the size and placement of holes without needing to learn a new skill of punching their own, and using these removes at least one of the potential human error factors in using a carto tank for a beginner.
Once one has some experience with cartotanks, they can then decide to obtain a punch tool and learn to punch their own. Alternatively, they could learn to slot cartos with a powered dremmel tool.
I've been using cartotanks pretty much exclusively for several months. I have both punched and slotted my own cartos. I've personally found making my own holes or slots to be unsatisfactory for me for a couple of reasons, and have returned to buying them with laser-drilled holes made by the manufacturer.
Tool punched cartos can physically deform the cartomizer's shape from round to oval (see first image below, notice the deformity of the carto's shape). This deformity could possibly make them difficult to fit through the tight round hole in the tank's endcap. The extra effort required to twist them through the endcap could put unneccesary wear and tear on the endcap's rubber o-rings, which prevent a tank from leaking it's liquid contents. Laser-drilled cartos do not have this issue, and they wick the juice just as well as the larger tool-punched cartos in my experience.
If given the choice in the number of holes, I choose a single hole for juices with a Vg ratio of 50% or less. Higher than 60%, I choose two holes. This has worked great for me.
________
Dual vs Single Coil Cartos: My Experience
After having used dual coil cartomizers exclusively in my tanks, I had become somewhat dissatisfied with them with an occassional burnt taste with my e-liquids. I was quite certain that the juice delivery to the heating coils was adequate, so I ruled that out as the reason. I wondered if single coil cartos would be better, and decided it was a good time to try some in my tanks. I did some research into dual coil vs single coil cartomizers on ECF.
What I found were mostly opinions. Many people had switched from duals to singles, arguing that the dual coils didn't produce enough benefits to warrant the additional drain on battery life. There were others that preferred dual coils, of course.
There were statements made that dual coils were developed to be able to provide more vapor production for fixed voltage PVs, via twice the number of coils within the cartomizer. However, there were skeptics to that statement who claimed that for a dual coil to really shine, voltages of 4.5v and higher were required. Contradictory theories? I thought so, too. I was not able to find any scientific evidence to any of the above.
Long story made short, I decided to give single coils a trial. I switched out all of my dozen or so tanks to single coils...same brand, same ohm resistance, same number of holes. The verdict: I was and am impressed with the single coils. Same vapor production and flavor, no more burnt taste, and the expected increase in battery life. Your results may vary from mine.
__________________
Slap Yo Momma - Best Tank Tool Ever !!
I highly recommend all cartotankers to obtain a tank accessory tool. I find having one of these tools to be indispensable if you use cartotanks. It simplifies and speeds the assembly and filling of your tanks, and best of all using one will protect your tank's o-rings and keep it from leaking from torn or worn out o-rings.
IMHO, the Slap-Yo-Momma tank tool from Big Daddy Vapor is the best designed one. Watch the following PBusardo video review to learn how this tool can protect your tank's o-rings and makes filling your tank with juice easier than pie.
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