Confused .. Why buy a mechanical mod instead of a VV mod / battery?

[Flt Simulation]

Maybe someone can enlighten this new guy to vaping ... I now use a simple but very effective Kanger T2 (version 2) Clearomizer on top of a Vision Spinner VV Battery (900 mAh).

This little unit really works well for me, and has been keeping me off cigarettes as long as I vap some strong 24mg nic. juice.

However, I really am thinking of upgrading to a so-called "Mod" style battery. I have found that the nicest and the biggest selection in Mods is the non-adjustable "Mechanical" Mods. I really like some of those fancy Mechanical clones from China with there fancy etched logs on them ... really sharp looking.

But, I would really like a VW/VV type of mod (they usually come with a little display screen), however, there certainly isn't the selection of these like the Mechanical ones.
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Here is my question ... Is there any advantage in buying a Mechanical Mod? ... These type of mods have a fixed output voltage, so the problem as I see it is; if your Clearomizer coil is rated at lets say 2.8ohms, your fixed voltage Mod may not output enough volts to get a good amount of vapor ... On the other hand, if your coil is rated at lets say only 1.4ohms, your fixed volt Mod may get the coil too hot and cause a burnt taste or prematurely burn out the coil.

At least a variable voltage Mod/Battery can be adjusted to the particular coil your using.

Am I making sense here?

Ron,

 

[Flt Simulation]

I was just thinking ... Maybe I could buy a Mechanical Mod and install one of those "Kick" electronic modules in it?

Then I could at least adjust the output voltage to match the ohms of the coil I am using.

The deal is ... Do these Kick modules really work well? Do they last a long time? Any negatives?

 

[CreepyLady]

You are right on both ^^

I will let someone who uses a kick chime in on that aspect, my only mechanical is a Reo Mini so I dont, I just need a 1.5 Ohm atomizer, so its a bit different than the mechs you are looking at.

Happy vaping and I see you caught the upgrade "bug" pretty quickly I did too!!!

 

[SupplyDaddy]

Sometimes, you just have to try something to see if you like it.
I've made sub-ohm and micro coils that could only be used on a mech. I've vaped 1.8 to 2.4 ohm coils and loved the different taste that the mech could bring out.
No setting to set, hard to damage, no wires or electronics to die just when you need them.

 

[Hypatia]

Well, I'm relatively new to mechanicals. My switch was solely based on illogical "shiny-itis" syndrome, or GAS (gear acquisition syndrome), lol. Prior to buying my Reo Grand and shiny "Chinese clone mech" setup, I was exclusively running VV/VW devices (Spinner, Twist, and MVP2). I really do like the variability of those batteries. Like you say, having different ohm coils are easily handled by a simple twist or button push. No more trying to find the right ohm coil in stock.

That said, I do love my mech mods, simply because they're different, and difficult, and require tinkering. It fulfills my hobby need. But I rock the Spinner or MVP2 w/ a Kanger clearo on a daily basis for effective and effortless nicotine delivery.

Mech or VV? Kinda like the Provari/Reo debate. None is "better" per se. Just diff'rent strokes, ya know? And some of us have a problem with "shut up and take my money"

 

[440BB]

I'm sure you'll get plenty of opinions, but here's my take. With VV/VW mods, you can adjust the power to suit your atomizer. With mechanical mods, you adjust your atomizer's resistance to suit the 3.7 - 4.1 voltage output of the battery.

Mechanical mods were enjoyed originally for their simplicity and durability. That's why I like them, having found that a 2.2 ohm Kanger T2 coil works well with my menthols, and a 2.5 ohm coil works with sweeter flavors that want a little less heat. VV/VW mods allow you to adjust to each delivery device and liquid, so for the unusual ones, and they come in handy for me. VV/VW mods also offer protection circuitry to minimize shorting and over/under battery discharge risks.

As building your own coils and generating bigger vapor clouds became a popular hobby in the last year or so, many people required mechanicals (hopefully with adequate high drain batteries) to handle the low resistance coils they build without the VV/VW mods built in protection circuits tripping.

Both have their place, but mechanical mods require more caution in using safety measures, as they provide none. If you enjoy the T2, you'll either need a head that is Ego threaded on the mod, or a 510-Ego adapter. Some Ego threaded mod top caps don't have enough clearance for the T2's girth.

Good luck in your hunt for the next mod!

 

[Hypatia]

I was just thinking ... Maybe I could buy a Mechanical Mod and install one of those "Kick" electronic modules in it?

Then I could at least adjust the output voltage to match the ohms of the coil I am using.

The deal is ... Do these Kick modules really work well? Do they last a long time? Any negatives?

That's how my brother runs his mechs. I don't know how they work (if I'm going mech, I'm going mech, ya know). However, lots of us like them. My two cents--Spend the $$$ on the name brand kick (like pictured). Pretty, shiny of a mech tube--with variability you like. And someone will chime in soon with the link to "So you want a Mech" blog, covering safety and FAQ's.

 

[CreepyLady]

And some of us have a problem with "shut up and take my money"

I have this problem

 

[TigerLadyTX]

I cannot respond to your Kick question because I know little about them. However, with regard to your mechanical mod question: The advantage that they have over adjustable power mods is that very little can go wrong with them. The only things you have to be concerned with on them is that occasionally the connection to the power button may break. There are no other electronic bits in them, (like circuit boards), that may go kaput.

~Tiger

 

[Papa_Lazarou]

The chief advantages of a mech mod are that it's nigh indestructible (no circuitry to go bad) and it lets you run very low ohm coils (called "subohm'ing"). Some people love the intense vaper produced by coils of less than 1 ohm resistance, but it can be a bit of an elitist thing since it's regarded as an extreme form of vaping (like tuning a rat rod car). There is also the aesthetic factor, which you've alluded to - mechs are some of the most refined/sophisticated/expensive devices out there.

Kicks work well in most mech mods and do, indeed, give you power control in the form of variable wattage. You can't subohm with a kick due to its power control restrictions, but it gets you essentially what the pcb in a regulated device (evic, provari, SVD, MVP, etc.) provides, both in terms of control and safety features (short protection, battery overdrain shutoff, etc.).

There are two versions of the "real" kick by Evolv (which I would recommend over clones by other manufacturers) - V1 is capped at 10 W, V2 at 15 W. I have a few which I've been using for about 5 months with no issues. If you do want to go that route, be sure to search the mech model here and elsewhere online to make sure it fits a kick - most do, some do not (easily).

 

[MorpheusPA]

As mentioned above, mech mods will tend to be more durable. The button might break, wiring might come loose, but both are fixable by the home user if you're the handy sort. The down side is that, without a Kick or something similar, the voltage follows battery voltage.

The most basic mech mods don't have a "hard off" switch, either. Hit the button, it fires. Hold the button down, it keeps firing. Potentially, that can lead to a nasty case of hot pocket. Removing the battery if there's any risk of that is a must.

At heart, they're so simple that I could whip one up in nothing flat (I'd need a horn switch, appropriate tube or box, some wire, and some lead free solder, that's it, but I'd probably add a master switch).

I do have a basic mech mod, but don't have a Kick--I'm content with voltage following on the occasions that I use it. Which is mostly when I'm someplace I know will be dirty, or where I'm very active and likely to whack the objects in my pocket. Mechs just don't have much on them that can go wrong.

For most users, the VV/VW mod is going to provide a lot more consistency and functionality and is probably the better place to start unless you have a specific reason to need a mech. If you do get a mech, I'd definitely get the Kick.

 

[CShaver]

I personally don't like the idea of Mechs. Just my opinion, but I'm not really a hobbiest when it comes to vaping. It's a smoking cessation device for me. As long as I'm not smoking cigarettes, it's a win for me.

That being said, I love my VV/VW devices. I have a Vamo V5 and a MVP 2. I rebuild my coils with microcoils. It only takes about 2-3 minutes, and they last for weeks. I built a 1.6ohm microcoil and threw it in one of my Protank Mini 2's. I'm using it at 15 watts on the Vamo. It's performing flawlessly. 15w ona 1.6ohm coil is pushing roughly 4.8-4.9v. I wouldn't be able to get that on a standard mech. To be honest, a Kick doesn't entice me. If i'm going to use VW, I want a safe, regulated, and protected device. 15w has been working well, but if I want something more, I'll get a DNA 20 or DNA 30 mod for the extra power.

That being said, some mechs are gorgeous, and if they're something you think you would enjoy, then get one. I know several people who use them, and they swear by them. I just couldn't get into them. I like running lots of power through my coils. Produces better flavor and vapor for me. YMMV.

 

[Foodacris]

I prefer my mechs because there's a noticeable rattle snakiness when I use my rebuildables on VV mods. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the power that comes from a regulated device fluctuates very rapidly. I don't have any high end VV mods (just a VAMO and MVP1), so all of mine tend to have this effect. My mechs give me a much much smoother hit that I've become accustomed to.

 

[Ryedan]

I bought my first mechanical mod as an inexpensive way to try high power vaping. I found I liked that vape experience and now have several mechs. They have turned out to be very durable and as long as I clean them monthly or so I have no problems with them. I did a lot of research on the safety aspects of using them and I'm quite comfortable with them now.

If I did not want to vape over 14 watts, I would probably be using a couple of Provaris. The ability to have a constant vape is IMO more important at lower power levels and the Provari is as tough as most mech mods. The big advantage is I would not have to worry about any of the safety issues that mechanical mods have.

There are a new crop of high power regulated mods that can handle low resistance coils coming out now that will IMO change the vaping landscape. Things are moving fast in this industry.

 

[Sucker_dad]

Reason's I like mech mods:
1. they are almost indestructible
2. they are inexpensive
3. no circuit boards to give you problems
4. can be washed in a sink and dried then put batteries in it and vape away
5. If I decide I want to run a .6 ohm coil I can. not very many vv mods can do that.
6. Nothing is more reliable. Don't misread that. there are some very good regulated mods that are close but a good mech is THE MOST reliable available product.

Having said those things I must include the cons as well:
1. no protection
2. cannot adjust voltage with the touch of a button
3. easily fires in your pocket
4. no digital readout/ohm meter
5. some of the better ones are extremely expensive.
6. makes everyone who is not familiar with mechs look at you strange.

 

[yzer]

Kicks are fine but I like to vary the vapor wattage occasionally during the day. Having a nice VV/VW mod makes this a lot easier than pulling a Kick out of the tube for every adjustment. Rock-solid voltage regulation of a good VV/VW while the battery falls from 4.2V to 3.3V is another big plus.

 

[Shadav]

while i'm no expert I do have a mech that was piffed to me when I was down on my luck, broke and my ego vv died....after being stuck with cig-a-likes for a while that mech was awesome lmfao
however going from a vv back to the mech...i'm spoiled and liked my vv ego better than the mec...

now I own a vv/vw Tecs (similar to a vamo) and I love it...as it's a regulated mod there is no power drop when vaping whereas with a mech once the battery starts dying so does your vape....
so for me the two main points
mech vs regulated
no power drain when battery starts getting low (just vaping away until the device says ooppps low power and kicks off)
no vv to change when vaping different oHms or juices to suit my taste as needed (I'm a woman lmfao my taste changes often )

now talking regulated mod vs vv ego....sometimes I do wonder what the difference is aside from as I said my biggest love of it is that there isn't an drain on vaping taste as the battery gets lower until the thing is dead simply pop in a fresh battery and continue to vape away, no waiting on the ego to recharge

 

[klynnn]

I tend to prefer my vw mods because you don't have to worry so much about the resistance of your topper. I have mech mods that I keep on hand along with kicks for them just for the purpose of being prepared for anything. With all the antz trying to ban everything, no telling what will happen. If you are serious about vaping -mods are the best way to go using rechargeable batteries, they are cheaper and last longer plus who is ever going to ban batteries besides tesla and flashlight haters..

 

[Filthy-Beast]

I used VV/VW for two years switched to mechanical and will be staying there. note if it has a switch and wires it's not a mechanical it's just not regulated. A lot of the protection in those devices are to protect the electronics, that is why they cut off, the components cannot handle higher amp loads.

Many people run the wrong battery and have not done any research. In a regulated device you would pick a high mah battery because you can use voltages down to typically 3.2 volts and they will last longer but they also drop voltage faster which is noticed in the mechanical. AW IMR 2000mah vs. the AW IMR 1600mah. The 1600 is better in a mechanical for two reason. 1. it has a higher maximum amp load. 2. it holds above 3.7 volts for a longer time than 2000mah battery does.

Many of the good mechanical will have a mechanical lock to prevent pocket firing. They will also have a fuse or hot spring that will break the circuit if a short occurs.

The real safety issue is not to push a battery past or even close to its maximum amp load and always use safe chemistry batteries. So know the max amp load the battery can run, know how many amps the coil you build or use will draw. I like to stay at or under a 70% load giving me a safety margin of 30%.
The AW IMR 2000mah has a Max. continuous amp rating of 10 amps, 70% = 7 amps = no lower than .6 ohm coil = 29 watts.
The AW IMR 1600mah has a Max. continuous amp rating of 24 amps, 70% = 16.8 amps = no lower than .25 ohm coil = 70 watts.

I typically vape a .8 ohm coil with 1600 mah AW IMR batteries that gives me an 79% safety margin

 

[CShaver]

I prefer my mechs because there's a noticeable rattle snakiness when I use my rebuildables on VV mods. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the power that comes from a regulated device fluctuates very rapidly. I don't have any high end VV mods (just a VAMO and MVP1), so all of mine tend to have this effect. My mechs give me a much much smoother hit that I've become accustomed to.

The reason for the rattlesnake is because the Vamo uses PWM (pulse with modulation) to fire. That means 33 times a second (It's using the 33.33 chip) it will fire with the voltage and then cut off. It's not a steady fire you would get from other mods. I can't comment on the MVP 1 because I don't know how different it is from the MVP 2. The MVP 2 doesn't use PWM so it's a steady, smooth vape.

Stick with your mechs, especially since you like the way they vape, but if you have the chance, I would at least try the MVP 2 to see if it's different from the v1. I get no rattlesnake on my MVP 2 but I do get it on my Vamo because of the PWM.