Choosing hardware for a newb

[jeffree]

Morandir, Snow, and anyone else with an experienced opinion...

What V4L hardware would you suggest for a first-time, keep-it-simple vaper of the new USA line?

You may recall that I'm setting up a holiday gift for a good friend who's been admiring my vape gear for the past year. He smokes 1-2 medium cigars per week--really enjoys them with a big smile and strong cup of joe. I've already got two juices set, thanks mainly to Morandir and Snow: Aces and Stogie. I know he'll enjoy the choice.

But when it comes to hardware, I'll feeling lost. I have a ton of V4L gear, but most of it's old and too familiar. And I've always been with manual batts. So anyone have an opinion? From my reading here, I'm wondering if the diamond autos would be a safe choice. And if so, the Cool or Wow cartos? Keep in mind that his juices will be the USA versions. Thanks in advance for any advice, dear readers.

 

[Russet002]

You can always get him _____ Kit with one auto and one manual battery? I am kinda new so other folks weigh in????? But when I started that is what I did, with a little extra spending on 7 XLs clearance.

 

[krazie_Kid]

Jeffree,

The real question is "Is he going to refill? And does he smoke a lot?" If both answer's are yes, I would say Manual (Which you already know) and XL's. XL's last me ALL day, just one of em does. And I vape ALL day, when I am off from work, it might as well be glued to my dang hand... I personally like Cool Cart's, due to WAY more vapor as well, but remember, everyopne has their favorites and their own choices cause we are all different.

 

[SnowDragon]

Hey Jeffree....sent you a PM.

Cool Cart's, due to WAY more vapor

Wow Cartos are lower resistance as such the atomizer heats up to a high temperature causing a warmer draw. The higher temperature also produces more vapor than a Cool Cart.

 

[Morandir835]

Jeffree sir would always suggest going with a king diamond or stealth series batt. As for the cartos, would get him a box of each. You never know which one he'll prefer until he tries them. Hope this helps.

 

[dink44]

I am a fan of the diamond xl and cool carts.

 

[plarkinjr]

I'm not a fan of bling, but I do like some visual feedback... so why the Diamond or Stealth series over the V4L single-logo?

 

[Morandir835]

Because of the better switch and cell technology Plarkinjr sir. They hold their voltage longer than any other kr808 batt on the market, and the draw is downright amazing. When I started would only use manuals, after the release of the king diamond series converted over. The original autos were good, but the manuals gave the added protection from overfill. Loved them until I started using the king diamonds more once a great friend sent me a few syringes for filling.

 

[plarkinjr]

(Oh Darn, I've hijacked this thread. This should go to Ask the Oldies.... taking it there)

 

[Kanza]

I agree with Morandir...one each of blank cartos and a stealth battery for sure I have the short stealths and absolutely love them Are you ordering a kit or just components? If a kit, order shorter batters to make use of the carrying case that comes with it

What is it he admires about your set-up? If you have bling...get him bling Might I also suggest a coffee sampler to go with the kit? Or a tobacco sampler? Something to show off the depth of the V4L line Also, a syringe would be nice because the USA line has some very thick juices

Good luck to you and your friend, Jeff...there's nothing better than helping a smoker rid themselves of all that nastiness

 

[KrisBKream]

Given that he smokes cigars, should I assume he doesn't inhale? If he does, as some crazy people do , you might want to check on the DIY e-liquid forum for a product that adds throat hit. I can't remember what it's called, dang it. I'd say plain PG too, but that would dull the flavor too much.

If he's NOT an inhaler, then forget everything I just said!

For hardware, I can't vouch for stealths as I've never tried one, but I agree that the diamonds are very good. I personally prefer manuals, but I'll break that rule for the diamonds. There's also something to be said for a white shorty single logo with red led for anyone who wants to draw as little attention to their vaping as possible.

Forgot about a passthrough!!! A passthrough is a MUST for high voltage vaping. He would also need an 2.0 amp wall to usb adapter if he wanted to just plug it into an outlet or didn't want to risk frying his computer/laptop. I found one for less than $20 on walmart.com

I'd say coolcarts with a PT, but wow carts also work. They just get really hot and can add a burned taste to some juices. Which leads to...

Drip tips! Everyone has preferences about drip tips, but almost everyone loves them. I personally don't like aluminum, no matter how pretty. Delrin is great. I also have a soft flexible drip tip from a competitor that is soft enough to bite down on until the hole pinches closed. I thought that might appeal to a cigar lover. If you're curious about those, shoot me a PM for the vendor's info.

 

[K9Luvr]

Definitely would recommend the XL King Diamond batteries. I only use autos, and these are the best that V4L has produced.. Generally don't want my vape to look like a cigarette, so I really like the extra bling the diamond provides ;-) For me, ease of use and a long lasting battery were the key to my successful venture into vaping ;-) V4L provides both!

 

[jeffree]

Excellent suggestions, everyone. My pal likes things simple, so after reviewing your thoughts, I'll likely go with a couple of xl diamonds and some coolcarts--and the two juices--to start. I'd like to give him a syringe as well, but I think he'd freak out. One step at time, eh?

Thanks a lot for taking the time to help me/him out. I'll let you know in 2012 how it goes for him. The worst-case scenario is that I'd eventually inherit his new gear. Ho ho ho indeed!

 

[Morandir835]

No problem at all Jeffree sir.

 

[krazie_Kid]

Hey Jeffree....sent you a PM.



Wow Cartos are lower resistance as such the atomizer heats up to a high temperature causing a warmer draw. The higher temperature also produces more vapor than a Cool Cart.

Huh, that is really odd, I had both wow and cool's and I see a slight higher vapor production in cool's, but it could just be my mind. Well it is everyones preferred choice as well, I like a cooler vapor, but I do thank you for that Snow.

Jeffree sir would always suggest going with a king diamond or stealth series batt. As for the cartos, would get him a box of each. You never know which one he'll prefer until he tries them. Hope this helps.

I did not think of those Morandir, but what if he goes to refilling? Those can fry from that, even if you are super careful...

 

[Morandir835]

All but 7 of my batts are kd/stealth Krazie sir, only killed one by a juice incident that wasn't on purpose. It was gunslinger in a cool cart and didn't do one last resuck with the syringe like I should have. Tighter polyfill and very thick juice requires more diligence.

As for cool vs wow cartos and vapor production, wow's have higher potential due to the lower ohms and looser polyfill. Lower ohms = more watts. Higher the watts, warmer the coil. Th potential is also increased with lower ohms, could be you're not taking as long of a hit on a wow as you are a cool carto because of this.

 

[EleanorR]

You know, I second Kevin's concern about the (auto) Diamonds for a complete noob, who will be no doubt dripping to fill his cartos.

Jeffree, perhaps you should get him at least one XL manual and give him a very solemn instruction to only practice refilling cartos on that batt until he really gets the hang of it?

 

[jeffree]

Yes, I catch your drift, guys. I can also toss in a couple of my older XL mans for him to try. If he prefers them, I'll shoot him some new diamond mans if/when they hit the shelf. And thanks to you all for your good wishes and tips. He'll appreciate that when I tell him.