E-Power 14650
by Smoketechfrom Crystal Clear Vaping
by Smoketechfrom Crystal Clear Vaping
So, I've always been a cig lookalike vaper, using M401s and 510s, and then moving on up to an eGo/Tornado. I recently had heard some goods things regarding Smoktech's e-power unit. After the death of yet another eGo battery, I decided it was time to dive into the world of replaceable batteries, and ordered up CCV's E-Power kit.
I chose CCV as they include a ton of extras with the kit, and I wanted to try some Ressurectors anyway.
Ordered my kit on a Friday evening, recieved it in Wednesday's mail - great service and shipping from CCV yet again.
The Kit
The kit as CCV puts it together includes the standard E-Power kit, a 5-pack of Ressurectors, and a 30ml bottle of juice. The E-power kit ships with the battery tube, switch, and cone components of the PV itself, two 14650 batteries, charger, a button guard, two 510 attys, and a 5-pack of tobacco flavored carts.
The presentation box is nice, with foam cutouts for all the parts to ensure they arrive in one piece. The batteries shipped with a charge on them (not sure how much as I havent drained the first one yet). Unboxing was pretty straightforward.
Assembly/Hardware
The unit assembles easily for a replaceable battery 'mod' and I can't imagine anyone that can get a 510 or eGo together having any issues with this one. I did have an issue with the cone, but I will go into that later.
The kit as CCV puts it together includes the standard E-Power kit, a 5-pack of Ressurectors, and a 30ml bottle of juice. The E-power kit ships with the battery tube, switch, and cone components of the PV itself, two 14650 batteries, charger, a button guard, two 510 attys, and a 5-pack of tobacco flavored carts.
The presentation box is nice, with foam cutouts for all the parts to ensure they arrive in one piece. The batteries shipped with a charge on them (not sure how much as I havent drained the first one yet). Unboxing was pretty straightforward.
Assembly/Hardware
The unit assembles easily for a replaceable battery 'mod' and I can't imagine anyone that can get a 510 or eGo together having any issues with this one. I did have an issue with the cone, but I will go into that later.
Battery goes in the tube, cone goes on the switch, and switch screws to the tube, compressing thebattery against it's spring. That's it!
The assembled unit looks like this (pictured next to a Ressurector/drip tip for reference):
The assembled unit looks like this (pictured next to a Ressurector/drip tip for reference):
The Experience
Ok, so that's how it goes together. But Steve, how does it work?
In a single word, excellent! I think that for the cost involved (the kit with juice and Ressurectors is less than $60 shipped, I've seen some eGo kits go for this) this thing gives better run-time and better power than anything I've ever vaped on.
The 1050mah batteries that come with it have lasted as long now as my 1000mah eGo batts do, however I can definitely feel the difference between the 3.2v eGo batt and the 3.7v e-power. The hits are more consistent, and don't taper off as the battery discharges. This keeps the flavor truer as you go through the cycle of the battery rather than a solid flavor up front and weaker as the day goes on.
I am also in love with the idea of picking up a six-pack of 14650's for the price of one mega eGo/Tornado battery. I've always been frustrated with the concept of one piece not functioning and just chucking a $25 unit. I've also found a local hobby shop that stocks these for emergencies as well, and at a reasonable $7.50 a piece.
The Gripes
Now, all that being said, I did have a few issues with this unit.
The first issue concerns the cone - I could not, and still cannot, get the cone on or off with a carto attached. I have tried this with a 510 atomizer and cart as well, and have the same issue. It's as if the threads just stop working when something is in the atty threads on this thing. It's not a huge deal, I just never take the cone off and shove the carto down the hole and screw it in. However, I spent probably fifteen minutes messing with it to figure this out. If this is a feature, I think it should be documented somewhere; if it's an issue, it should be fixed. Not a deal-breaker in any way, shape, or form, but definately notable.
The second issue concerns the included 510 atomizers. On the E-Power, anytime I attach these atomizers, I have to get a forceps and pull the center button back out. The screw connector on this atomizer is longer than anything else I have with a 510 connection. I could see someone, doing as I did before I played with it a bit, trying the unit out with the included atomizer, and then having nothing else work with it. To eliminate any other possibilities, I also tried this atomizer on an eGo PT and it would not screw all the way into the connection. To make matters more frustrating, there isn't a little 'poke hole' (my term, not the manufacturer's
) on the bottom of the switch to press that center connector back up.Conclusion
All-in-all, I am very pleased with my new PV, both in terms of quality, value, and (so far) reliability. I think for anyone wanting to venture just a little deeper into the higher end ecigs without breaking the bank and without carrying around a science project, this is a great little unit. I also would not hesitate to recommend this to a new vaper that is comfortable with his/her PV not looking like an analog, as it's fairly easy to use, and the cost of ownership over the long term has the potential to be a whole lot less.
Thanks for taking the time to read my review, and if you have any questions, comments, concerns, or complaints, feel free to post here or PM me anytime!
Vape on!
-Steve (stevejo)
