Cartomizer or Atomizer more cost efficient?

[llmercll]

Hello!

I've been using cartos for a few months now and, after reusing the same ones, am starting to notice a decline in flavor. I'm guessing it's because residue is building up in the polyfill and/or coil, which adds an unpleasant light smokey taste. I won't be reusing them much longer because of this.

I'm going to purchase some new supplies soon and was wondering if going the atomizer + cartridge route would save me money + last longer. I was thinking I could just clean out the cartridges and refill them with pyramid bags or blue foam, and possibly dry burn the atty? That way everything would be super clean after even a month or two of vaping. I wouldn't be able to do this with a carto, since everything is in one piece.

Please let me know what you think!

thanks!

 

[Nomoreash]

Attys on average do last longer and carts are easy to clean, just wash out the filler and replace but they don't hold as much and are a pain imo. Cartos cost less and can be refilled x number of times before they start performing as your describing so cost wise it's hard to tell, It's probably a toss up in the end. Cartos can be cleaned and used again. I've never had any success cleaning a filler carto but have great success cleaning CE2s. I use an atomizer and a drip tip and just drip when I'm able to, at the computer etc then use cartos on the go or when I don't feel like dripping.

The cheapest thing I've found so far are CE2s, they have a robust coil and are easy to clean. The thing with them is getting them to perform correctly. They need modding out of the box and some never get them to work but if they do these things last and last. I've had 3 in rotation for over 3 months and they are still performing like new. I do have to spend about 5 minutes with each out of the box cutting the seal and replacing the clearos tube but after that I've had great success with them. If you aren't the type that likes to fiddle though stay away from em.

 

[haft2doit]

nomoreash has it pegged. I can get a box of xl clearomizers and after a little prep (removing plug and replacing upside down so juice can flow) They work the best and last the longest out of any atty or carto I've tried (lots) I currently just cleaned one for the third time (takes 1-5 minutes) and it works like new and will continue to do so as long as I feel like cleaning it, or after I break it cleaning or there is a tube failure. I do get replacement tubes because they can crack at the base. for $2-3 I get a 5 pack of tubes and can fix em up good as new. I generally buy a pack of 5 every 2-3 months. I could squeeze more out of them but at $9 for reg size and $12 for xl, They aren't expensive enough to really scrimp. I've used one for more than 2 months but a pack of 5 is the same as one atty which lasts a few weeks at best and doesn't perform near as well or hold anywhere near as much juice (xl ce2 1.8ml) There is a learning curve involved to get them vaping at their potential but as of yet nothing else can compete in my mind. Other cartos still beat out atty's as far as cost effectiveness for me, but still don't give me the perfect flavor and vapor the ce2 does even with it's flaws which are there for sure. my favorite setup is a 2.6-2.8 xl clearomizer on an ego. The cone of the ego helps protect the carto and help keep cracking to a minimum. Good luck. (don't use atty's IMO expensive sub par performance with too many hassles) before you try a clearomizer you should watch some videos on cleaning and tricks to get the most out of them. I may make a video and post it here for you. I've been meaning to do that because I think they are still the best vaping solution around. Hopefully the ce3 or vortex 2 will be better but I've been disappointed by so many new products. I seem to have gone off on a rant so I'll just stop haha.

 

[hairball]

Me, I'll stick with cartomizers. I clean mine and use them for upwards of 2 months before tossing them. Most of the time, I can get at least 4 weeks out of one without cleaning it but I use clearer liquids in them.

CE2's are okay. I got tired of fiddling with them to achieve a great vape. It can be done but you have to like to take stuff apart. Plus, getting the right ohm to go with your hardware can be a challenge. If you go this route, get a box of all ohms available so you can test each one to find the one you like. Since the clear tubes crack easily from rough handling or juice that can eat them up, get some BD 3ml syringes to mod them with. Only BD brand works.

 

[washvap]

Honestly, the most cost efficient piece that I've found are ego-t type B atomizer/tanks. I've had all of mine from my original purchase 3 months ago since I bought it. Clean it out every few days to a week and it will perform like new. I don't think that mine are going to go anytime soon and haven't considered buying another type b atty for a while. Maybe when I get down to two.

Cartos are indeed cheap and can last pretty long but 4 cartos have already died on me due to the coil burning the filler. Doesn't matter since I bought into the hype and bought a crap load of them. They do consume almost as much juice as my tanks from my experience. I still use them though since they perform pretty well.

Atomizers could last for a while but I haven't had much luck with that. Killed about 5 in a month which proved to be pretty darn expensive. Hopefully, since I have learned how to use them correctly. I can get some more life out of them.

All in all, every single one of those that I have mentioned has faults to them. It's going to be up to you on which one you find most comfortable.

 

[Bdbodger]

My favourites are

ego XL type B ( cartridge not tank ) with 100% pg so it flows smooth and no wicking problems
Boge carto's , 2ohm for my ego and 3ohm for my provari ( 70/30 pg/vg)
some of the time a ce2 ( stainless not clear I hate the clear ones ) ( pg/vg optional )

Lately I have been trying the echo-e bottom coil carto's and they seem pretty good . I got an adaptor for my drip tip so it will fit it .

 

[ShannonA]

My favourites are

ego XL type B ( cartridge not tank ) with 100% pg so it flows smooth and no wicking problems
Boge carto's , 2ohm for my ego and 3ohm for my provari ( 70/30 pg/vg)
some of the time a ce2 ( stainless not clear I hate the clear ones ) ( pg/vg optional )

Lately I have been trying the echo-e bottom coil carto's and they seem pretty good . I got an adaptor for my drip tip so it will fit it .

Do you know if you can clean the stainless CE2s?

 

[unloaded]

I've been having the best luck with clear Dual Coil cartos. WHen it's time to clean them they can be taken completely apart and while I have them apart I replace the tube with a BD 3cc syringe. The filler is a sheet wrapped around the coils, each coil has a piece of material around it, I assume its close to teabag material. I clean them all with hot water and then 90%+ alcohol. They look, taste and perform like new. First fill I do from the bottom condom style then keep them topped off with a drip tip.

 

[440BB]

Me, I'll stick with cartomizers. I clean mine and use them for upwards of 2 months before tossing them. Most of the time, I can get at least 4 weeks out of one without cleaning it but I use clearer liquids in them.

CE2's are okay. I got tired of fiddling with them to achieve a great vape. It can be done but you have to like to take stuff apart. Plus, getting the right ohm to go with your hardware can be a challenge. If you go this route, get a box of all ohms available so you can test each one to find the one you like. Since the clear tubes crack easily from rough handling or juice that can eat them up, get some BD 3ml syringes to mod them with. Only BD brand works.

+1 for basic cartos

They cost less than 2 bucks and mine last for many weeks with periodic cleaning. They taste best between cleanings if you keep them topped off before they get dried out. Attys are great for dripping at home when switching flavors.

 

[Crankyfuzz]

I just switched to the tanks system an ego-t tank b and I have to say I like it better I was getting tired of dealing with carts and even if I have to buy a new atty every month or even 2 new attys a month its way less then I was spending smoking.

 

[Grammie]

Cartos and a tank, Liquinator. I'm going on 9 days 11 3ml tankfuls with the same original carto. Carto is still going strong!

 

[Stosh]

Do you know if you can clean the stainless CE2s?

Yes you can, just a little more involved since the tube can't be removed. Just remove the
seals rinse with hot water, pull the wicks up with a small hook, dry 'em with a paper towel and
stuff them back in with a plastic straw slit in half length-ways, and dry burn a little.

I use mostly DIY juice and are clear as water, I've found I don't even need the cleanings as
I will burn out the coils before they get gunked enough to clean. (OK so it's at 4.5-4.8v )
But a few weeks of good vaping on one carto is worth the price.

 

[AttyPops]

Carto fans are sooooo funny. Since you specifically asked about cost....Atomizers by far... you don't waste juice either.

No way cartos or even tanks are cheaper. And that's even with my DIY juice costs. lol.

I go through an atty per month (It's usually working at end-of-month, I just swap it out) and that's because of 5 volt vaping. Waste zero juice with dripping.

Dripping takes a bit more labor, but is the least error prone, least problems, least waste, least cost and best taste.

I get the authentic Joye atties... a bit more $$ but I only use one per month anyway, so meh.

So if you know how to use and clean an atty, it can last for months. Zero juice waste with dripping. You can't get any more cost efficient than that. It's more hardware efficient too. lol.

2 cents.

 

[MagnusEunson]

There is another aspect to cost effectiveness between the two.... usage of nicquid and flavor quality. I find that trouble flavors in my Boge cartos sometimes shine in an atty. Saving losses, trades, etc. And even though my attys use more nicquid at first glance I find they're more satisfying over the course of a day so I eventually end up using less.

Don't forget that in your equation. -Magnus

 

[JustaGuy]

My little experience with cartos was not good, leaked, burnt, residual flavors, could be me or cheap cartos. Lots of people swear by them as you can see. I saw cartos could only be refilled so many times (much longer now?), so I went with attys. The original 4 Joye 2.5 attys I started with 2 months ago are ALL still working, just hot water soak, and dry burning every 2-3 days, heavy vaping. It depends on the juice. Using blue foam lets me put 10 big drops into a cart, like a mini tank, and lasts a couple hours. Did I mention heavy ?

This reminds me of component stereo system purists once upon a time, or PCs. Do you like an all in one or separate components? I looked at tanks, but backed off when I heard you got to "pull that thing out with a toothpick". I like it simple. I've heard attys can last up to a year, hoping to match that. It is more work filling carts and cleaning attys, but cartos folks seem to clean theirs too. I think a lot of attys get burned out due to overheating. So far, attys are cheaper for me.

 

[haft2doit]

Carto fans are sooooo funny. Since you specifically asked about cost....Atomizers by far... you don't waste juice either.

No way cartos or even tanks are cheaper. And that's even with my DIY juice costs. lol.

I go through an atty per month (It's usually working at end-of-month, I just swap it out) and that's because of 5 volt vaping. Waste zero juice with dripping.

Dripping takes a bit more labor, but is the least error prone, least problems, least waste, least cost and best taste.

I get the authentic Joye atties... a bit more $$ but I only use one per month anyway, so meh.

So if you know how to use and clean an atty, it can last for months. Zero juice waste with dripping. You can't get any more cost efficient than that. It's more hardware efficient too. lol.

2 cents.

I am a carto fan, well clearo fan I don't like most other cartos because of poor taste, burning, constant top off ect.. but as for wasting juice, I wasted much more juice dripping than I do with ce2's. filler cartos waste a little that will stay in filler but after first fill none is wasted. Dripping always had drops here and there that needed wiped off from leakage. and always would need to wipe down the device. Ce2's waste less juice IMO. A months use out of one $2.50 ce2 is the norm so more cost effective for me. And the added bonus of filling once and having half a day of vaping without dripping or topping off, makes the ce2 my fav. I have never had an atty work well for more than a month. Gets tight draw, burning, cleaning can help but always results in a loss of performance. Then again some like attys I haven't been one of them for years.

 

[llmercll]

Thanks for all the replies!

I may just get an atty + cart + drip tip and a few different cartos and experiment. I'm really not liking the taste of my couple month old boges, and taste is important to me =p

I'm considering the joye xl atty and xl carto, and maybe picking up some ce2's and even possibly some G4's.

what do you guys think?

thanks!

 

[haft2doit]

Sound good. You really won't know what works best for you until you try. Just get a little of everything. The g4's/vortex have potential but haven't really hit the mark yet. vortex v2 will be out soon as well as the ce3 those are what I'm looking forward to. I can't even stand the taste of a week old boge let alone month old lol. Good luck keep us posted.

 

[haft2doit]

Cartos and a tank, Liquinator. I'm going on 9 days 11 3ml tankfuls with the same original carto. Carto is still going strong!

May try a liquinator soon. I've heard such good things about it.

 

[melloyello]

im sorry, there is a liquid waste by using cartos? i dont know how you do it but i use every drop of it. if you do the condom fill method, then you will have some waste.....i always drip into my carto, no waste whatsoever. i get more waste by dripping since i have to wipe off the threaded end of the atty every so often.

$9.00 for 5 cartos will last me 3 weeks...thats $3/week.

if you get the 15 carto deal from crystal clear vapig, you get 15 cartos for $20 and will last 2 months with my vaping. (4 mil/day).