Cartomizer disdain

[rsdntbplr]

So I'm waiting for my IBTanked Cartotank to come (2 weeks and counting - USPS sucks at shipping to the UK) and, as I'm short on funds, I decided to just buy some cartomizers and use them until my eagerly-awaited tank arrives.

Is it normal to have to fill them upto 10 times a day? I've got to admit, I'm used to using tanks such as the Davide BDC, Aspire Nautilus and Kanger Aerotank and I vape a hell of a lot (the puff counter from yesterday read over 220 puffs and I take LOOONG drags). But having to almost constantly refill a cartomizer just doesn't sit right with me.

I'm not complaining and I'm not TOO bothered as it's just a temporary measure. But I'm interested to see if having to refill almost constantly is the norm with the smaller cartos. I've never really used them much, aside from my early vaping days using Skycig Cig-a-Likes (aah, I miss the naivety I had at that time - I didn't realize that my experience at the time was actually very inferior compared to mid-size batteries and APVs).

I'd even go as far as to say that the cartos I'm using produce reduced vapor after just five or so puffs following a refill. Normal? I'm not sold. Additionally, I've noticed that (despite being 3Ohms Cartomizers) any voltage over 4v instantly ends up in a burnt taste. Confusing, and this seems to happen with everything I've tried. Maybe the voltage display on my MVP 2 is faulty? Hmm.

 

[pmuniz10920]

That sucks about the ship time to the UK.

I think it may be improper priming to blame...

 

[serenity21899]

Ok, I am confused. You don't like cartos but you bought a carto tank? Anyways, once you get a carto tank you will only prine the carto when it's new. The juice in your tank will be sucked up into the carto as you vape.

I did use just a carto by itself recently when my tank tube broke in a fall onto concrete. It got me through some errands and home without having to refill.

What carto are you using?

 

[rsdntbplr]

Ok, I am confused. You don't like cartos but you bought a carto tank? Anyways, once you get a carto tank you will only prine the carto when it's new. The juice in your tank will be sucked up into the carto as you vape.

I did use just a carto by itself recently when my tank tube broke in a fall onto concrete. It got me through some errands and home without having to refill.

What carto are you using?

Nothing to be confused about - I don't mind cartos themselves at all, I just don't like having to refill so often. Good thing about the tank part is you can get more than 1ml of juice in, and even when it comes to tanks I go through about 8ml to 10ml a day. Plus, Carto Tanks can outperform standalone cheapo cartomizers.

These are the cartos I'm using: Login : Vape Escape

Cheap and basic. Obviously I refill after I've smoked the pre-filled tobacco juice with my own blend (which is 60PG, 40VG). I literally only got them because 1. I was back on the cigarettes while waiting for my new Cartotank to arrive, 2. They're just a temporary measure and 3. They're really cheap.

 

[sdennislee]

If your funds allow look into cartos from Boge or Ikenvape for your new carto tank.

Nothing more important than proper priming of the carto. I like the thermometer style priming that Grimm Green showed in a vid. Basically you drip 3 or 4 drops in the carto then shake like a thermometer. Keep this up until the carto is full. I buy pre-punched cartos. With the pre-punched I know the carto is full (primed) when I see juice coming out of the pre-punched holes. Once primed I slip it in my carto tank and fill the tank. I will take a few primer hits occasionally to make sure the carto stays primed.

I've found that placing a tooth pick in the center airway hole keeps the juice out of there while I am dripping to prime.

 

[Rickajho]

Yeah - those sure are cheap. lol - sorta

We really can't comment on the performance because we have no idea what factory those came out of. 3.0 ohms is pretty high resistance compared to what most of us use too. But as far as refilling goes? If you are normally using 8 - 10 ml a day in a tank, having to top off a carto at least 10 times a days wouldn't be unusual.

Also you are topping off - or at least you should be. It's not a complete refill after your initial fill and it needs to be done pretty often. If you let a carto go so dry that you can taste it - like from burning the filler - that's way too dry and killing the carto in the process. Once you burn the filler in a dry carto you can't get that taste out of it.

 

[r77r7r]

And... that's why carto-tanks were invented. Some of us used to just stuff a dozen cartos in their condoms to fill and then leave them in there and carry that bunch around all day.

I agree, I'd go crazy dripping to top off cartos all the day, lol.

4V is low volts for a 3ohm carto- you must have ran it dry some and partially burnt it and that taste mostly shows up when you try higher volts.

No more fear of dry hit or burning when you get the tank- plus it gives a premium hit All day because it's not overfilled or running low.

 

[rsdntbplr]

If your funds allow look into cartos from Boge or Ikenvape for your new carto tank.

Nothing more important than proper priming of the carto. I like the thermometer style priming that Grimm Green showed in a vid. Basically you drip 3 or 4 drops in the carto then shake like a thermometer. Keep this up until the carto is full. I buy pre-punched cartos. With the pre-punched I know the carto is full (primed) when I see juice coming out of the pre-punched holes. Once primed I slip it in my carto tank and fill the tank. I will take a few primer hits occasionally to make sure the carto stays primed.

I've found that placing a tooth pick in the center airway hole keeps the juice out of there while I am dripping to prime.

I got 8 Smok 2Ohm XL cartos with my IBTanked order - they should last me a month or two. After then, I'll be going for Boge as they're stocked locally (I don't see many places selling the Smok cartos where I live!). I'm getting really impatient waiting for my IBTanked to come and I'm not looking forward to the customs fees and added VAT I'm going to have to pay to get it delivered

I've been using a method similar to the thermometer method on the cheap cartos since they arrived, and of course I've tried the messy "condom fill" method. Once my tank arrives I'll be able to properly enjoy Vaping again - it's been a week since my Aerotank's recoiled atomizer needed recoiling for the last time and since then I've been switching from analongs to cartos. Yuck! Analogs taste disgusting but I can't get a really nice Vape from cartos so until my tank arrives I'll just stick with it, or order some slightly more expensive ones and use them until it arrives instead (a larger size will allow for more "drops" )

The toothpick idea? I'd heard of that before but completely forgot about it! Obviously it's redundant if I'm using the condom method, but I'll use it when doing refilling with drops.

Yeah - those sure are cheap. lol - sorta

We really can't comment on the performance because we have no idea what factory those came out of. 3.0 ohms is pretty high resistance compared to what most of us use too. But as far as refilling goes? If you are normally using 8 - 10 ml a day in a tank, having to top off a carto at least 10 times a days wouldn't be unusual.

Also you are topping off - or at least you should be. It's not a complete refill after your initial fill and it needs to be done pretty often. If you let a carto go so dry that you can taste it - like from burning the filler - that's way too dry and killing the carto in the process. Once you burn the filler in a dry carto you can't get that taste out of it.

They're very cheap compared to what I've been spending on tanks

Yeah I guess refilling that often isn't too much considering the amount I Vape in a day. I've noticed by juice is lasting a lot longer, though a few of the tanks I used to use leaked a large majority of the juice I put in them

From what you've said, I'm thinking they're pre-filled but not pre-filled enough, so as soon as I vape a higher voltage it burns the padding straight away. Next time I start on a new carto I'll have a look to see if the padding looks moist enough to stop it from burning. The Vapour from the pre-filled eLiquid is so poor, though - it's barely there. It might be they've been in storage for a while at the outlet (perhaps why they're on sale - they're not selling well) and some of the juice has dried up. Therefore when I Vape, it burns it, and I taste that for the entire duration of using the carto. It's a theory!

And... that's why carto-tanks were invented. Some of us used to just stuff a dozen cartos in their condoms to fill and then leave them in there and carry that bunch around all day.

I agree, I'd go crazy dripping to top off cartos all the day, lol.

4V is low volts for a 3ohm carto- you must have ran it dry some and partially burnt it and that taste mostly shows up when you try higher volts.

No more fear of dry hit or burning when you get the tank- plus it gives a premium hit All day because it's not overfilled or running low.

I know. I can't wait for it to arrive. Damn customs!

 

[rsdntbplr]

Opened the third of the cartomizers and it's a completely different experience - consistent vape, plenty of flavour and vapour. Looking at the first two I used, they both seem to have a lot less padding in certain places around the centre tube than the third. In fact, the second one had the tube at an angle and next to NO padding at the side it was nearly touching the carto casing!

Cheap and there's a reason for that, it seems.