cartos?? carts??? what's the diff??

[damselle]

So, I read lots of threads that distinguish cartos and carts (cartomizers and cartridges). but for the life of me, I can't figure out the difference. it doesn't help that when I google 510 cartomizers and cartridges, I get websites that seem to use the terms interchangeably:

510 Cartomizers | 510 Cartridge Pack | Cartomizer 510 - Electronic Cigarette Refill Cartridges


what the heck??

 

[ctourtelot]

Carts or cartridges are a separate piece from the atomizer. The are a small cap with filler material in it that you fill with liquid. They sit on top of the atomizer. (this is what people are referring to when they say a unit is a 3 piece. battery+atomizer+cartridge.)

Cartomizers or cartos are a 1 piece unit that combines both an atomizer and a cartridge into 1 unit which is screwed directly onto a battery. (This is what people refer to when they say a 2pc unit. Battery+cartomizer)

Cartridges pretty much last forever although the filler might need to be cleaned and/or replaced periodically. Atomizers are supposed to last awhile although how long is a crap shoot.

Cartomizers are designed to be disposable. Use and toss. But most people will refill them numerous times and often will clean them to get more use out of them.

Hope that helps.

 

[Vego]

For a very broad discription, A cart is an older technology whereby a tube (mouthpiece?) stuffed with polyfill is saturated with liquid, then fitted onto an atomizer where the bridge of the atty nests itself into the soaked polyfill and feeds the coil. Hence, including the battery, a 3 piece unit. A cartomizer has the polyfill AND the atty coil in one piece, where there is a much better efficiency at wetting the coil, and generally, as I understand it, much less fiddling and a far better vape. With the battery, a 2 piece set up.

 

[damselle]

Carts or cartridges are a separate piece from the atomizer. The are a small cap with filler material in it that you fill with liquid. They sit on top of the atomizer. (this is what people are referring to when they say a unit is a 3 piece. battery+atomizer+cartridge.)

Cartomizers or cartos are a 1 piece unit that combines both an atomizer and a cartridge into 1 unit which is screwed directly onto a battery. (This is what people refer to when they say a 2pc unit. Battery+cartomizer)

Cartridges pretty much last forever although the filler might need to be cleaned and/or replaced periodically. Atomizers are supposed to last awhile although how long is a crap shoot.

Cartomizers are designed to be disposable. Use and toss. But most people will refill them numerous times and often will clean them to get more use out of them.

Hope that helps.

ok/ but cartomizers also have filling in them...so how is that different??

and I can't picture anything sitting on top??? every two peice i've seen sits within.

so, is the only difference between a carto and cart is that one is one peice and the other is two peice respectively?? I recently went to a meet and it looked to me as though other vapers were putting holes in cartos and puttling them in a chamber (atomizers?) then filling said chamber with liquid to vape. so a carto doesn't need a chamber?? then what does a cartridge look like on the inside?? is it filled with fluff like th cartos???

God I'm confused!

 

[ctourtelot]

Maybe this will help.

This is a 3pc (cartridge+atomizer+battery)

This is a 2pc (cartomizer+battery)

 

[D. Waterhouse]

A cartridge is just a plastic cup, no heating coil, for use with an atomiser.

A cartomiser has a heating coil in the filler.

 

[Fringeoflunacy]

ok/ but cartomizers also have filling in them...so how is that different??

and I can't picture anything sitting on top??? every two peice i've seen sits within.

so, is the only difference between a carto and cart is that one is one peice and the other is two peice respectively?? I recently went to a meet and it looked to me as though other vapers were putting holes in cartos and puttling them in a chamber (atomizers?) then filling said chamber with liquid to vape. so a carto doesn't need a chamber?? then what does a cartridge look like on the inside?? is it filled with fluff like th cartos???

God I'm confused!

I believe the 'chamber' you're referring to is a tank system, which is a little more advanced, and I'll let someone more familiar with tanks explain them.

In the simplest, shortest terms, a cartomizer contains an atomizer, a cartridge doesn't.

 

[damselle]

ok, yes, all of these things make sense, and this is what i thought. it seems i'm not the only one confused on this issue, as my link above....and this evening le cig referred to my carto as a cart! this kind of thing really muddies the issue for me. next time though, i'll realize it's not me who's confused!

Thank you!

 

[damselle]

ok, so now lecig is telling me that carts and cartos are the same thing! Whoat?