I'm doing my research for my next step up from the Ego systems and looking at all sorts of devices. Please correct me if i'm wrong. It appears that there are very few, if any mech mods that are VV/VW. I take it that the way to vary your performance is to build rba's to your liking? Are there any VV/VW mech mods out there? At this point I'm not ready to start into rba's and prefer to use clearomizers like the Kangers and Protanks. If that is my preference, does it make sense to get a mechanical mod, or am I way off on my idea of what a mech mod is and why I would want one? TIA.
Does a mech mod make sense if you don't want to get into RBA's?
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A mechanical mod has no electronics so, by definition, it can't be variable voltage or wattage. It's just a metal tube that you stick a battery in. It is literally just like a flashlight . .except instead of a button with wires, like most flashlights have, it just has a metal rod (or something) that touches the battery and makes the connection. .ie . .mechanical.
There are plenty of people who use mech mods but don't use RBA's. Personally, I don't see the point. With a mechanical mod you have just the voltage off the battery . .which starts out at 4.2 and steadily drops as the battery dies. This means your vape gets weaker and weaker all the time. To me, that's unnacceptable.
The ONLY reason I use a mechanical is because I rebuild coils. Mechanicals have 2 advantages over electronic pv's here. 1. They don't shut off and refuse to fire a coil with a short . . this is very helpfull when you're building and trouble-shooting your coils. 2. They don't limit the amps drawn from the battery . .so you can put massive power into a low resistance coil and get a very intense vape.
In my opinion, if you're not rebuilding coils . .particularly at low resistance .. it's definitely pointless to get a mechanical. And by low resistance, I mean lower than 1.5ohms . .I'm not necessarily talking about super low ohm quad coils here.
I know there are those who say they use 2.0ohm cartos on mech mods because they love the simplicity and the fact that the mech mod might last forever and yada yada . . but in my opinion a vv/vw pv is an infinitely better choice for almost any store-bought, commercially-made topper.
Pretty soon I imagine we'll see the ready availability of electronic pv's that can deliver 20-30 watts . .and at that time, mechanicals will be totally obsolete (again - in my opinion).
There are plenty of people who use mech mods but don't use RBA's. Personally, I don't see the point. With a mechanical mod you have just the voltage off the battery . .which starts out at 4.2 and steadily drops as the battery dies. This means your vape gets weaker and weaker all the time. To me, that's unnacceptable.
The ONLY reason I use a mechanical is because I rebuild coils. Mechanicals have 2 advantages over electronic pv's here. 1. They don't shut off and refuse to fire a coil with a short . . this is very helpfull when you're building and trouble-shooting your coils. 2. They don't limit the amps drawn from the battery . .so you can put massive power into a low resistance coil and get a very intense vape.
In my opinion, if you're not rebuilding coils . .particularly at low resistance .. it's definitely pointless to get a mechanical. And by low resistance, I mean lower than 1.5ohms . .I'm not necessarily talking about super low ohm quad coils here.
I know there are those who say they use 2.0ohm cartos on mech mods because they love the simplicity and the fact that the mech mod might last forever and yada yada . . but in my opinion a vv/vw pv is an infinitely better choice for almost any store-bought, commercially-made topper.
Pretty soon I imagine we'll see the ready availability of electronic pv's that can deliver 20-30 watts . .and at that time, mechanicals will be totally obsolete (again - in my opinion).
A mech has no wiring or circuitry in it. It's just a tube with a battery in it.
You can turn a mech into a VW device with the kick though. The kick is a drop in module allowing you to change the wattage from 5-10 watts. They just came out with the kick 2 a couple of weeks ago with several improvement most notably the ability to go up to 15 watts.
Our Products « Evolv
The Kick 2
You can turn a mech into a VW device with the kick though. The kick is a drop in module allowing you to change the wattage from 5-10 watts. They just came out with the kick 2 a couple of weeks ago with several improvement most notably the ability to go up to 15 watts.
Our Products « Evolv
The Kick 2
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I use a mech with the kick almost daily. Though not technically a mech (there is a wire in the button assembly) I use it with the Bam and the Bombshell stinger the most. Sometimes I'll pull out the Curve or one of my many other mechanicals and use it with my Kicks.
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Two things to note about using a kick:
1: Not all mech mods will work with the kick, You need to see if someone has tried it already before buying.
2: Your mech will need to accommodate the kick, IE an 18350 size only tube will not house a kick. You will need either extension tubes or a telescoping tube, or it must be 18500 in size or greater.
-CF
1: Not all mech mods will work with the kick, You need to see if someone has tried it already before buying.
2: Your mech will need to accommodate the kick, IE an 18350 size only tube will not house a kick. You will need either extension tubes or a telescoping tube, or it must be 18500 in size or greater.
-CF
Yeah, make sure you get a 18650 or 18500 mod. There are a couple of mods out there that use the huge 26650 that are designed to be used with the kick as well.
For the most part any 18650 or 18500 mod will do. Some might be a little too big to fit the kick (Sigelie #8), but if you fold over a business card and wedge in on the side of the kick it will work. I haven't seen or herd of any that are too small for the kick. It's Possible, so correct me if I'm wrong. In any case, check the forums and youtube for reviews to see if your mechanical of choice will work with the kick.
Three other things to note when choosing a mod and the kick.
1) The Kick has a little spring on the side of it that must make contact with the inside of the mod you put it in (the kick2 has two little pins). This is it's ground or negative connection. If the mod is too big it won't make the connection (this is where the business card comes in). Also, some mods have an anodizing or some other kind of coating on them that can be in the inner tube as well. The kick need direct contact with bare or naked metal to work. If you get a mod like this you will need to sand off the coating inside the mod for the kick to make a connection and work.
2) There is a clone of the Kick out as well, but the outer diameter just a tiny bit bigger. I have one and it will not fit in some of my mods. If you're gonna get a kick I say get the real one. It works with more mods.
3) Make sure you put the batteries in correctly. If you put them in upside down you will fry your kick. I've done this to two of mine. It sucks to loose $45 in a split second just because you weren't paying attention.
I don't vape much anymore, but the absolute best, most consistent vape I had was a K100 with sanded contacts, a Sigelei kick set to 10 watts and an IGO-W dripper built to 1.5 ohms using 30g Kanthal and 3mm silica. Not counting the wire, silica and batteries, the setup cost me $50. I never invested in high-end equipment because I knew I'd eventually be smoke-free but I miss that vape. I never tasted flavor like that. I also never went sub ohm because of the risks but I didn't need to, especially after using that setup. VV/VW devices are a great choice if you don't want to rebuild, but once you use a dripper and 'taste your juice' it's hard to vape anything else.
Just my $.02
*sent from a Galaxy not so far away*
Just my $.02
*sent from a Galaxy not so far away*
Mechs are simpler and within the reach of most to repair themselves, often with hardware store components. To do that with a regulated mod you'd need SMD soldering experience and equipment, possibly PCB making capability (if one burns up), and a stash of the required chips and components. Mech's are EMP and static immune. If you shuffle across the carpet in the low humidity of winter, and zap your mech mod while grabbing it, it'll never be the worse for that. Mechs are shorter. Most mech users only use the battery in the top half of the charge, where it's the strongest. Regulated mods work the batteries hardest when they're the weakest in order to maintain coil voltage. And on and on...
Many newbies start out with 1.5Ω disposable cartos or drip attys on a mechanical REO bottom-feeding box mod. Dripping is the best of vaping and you can do that one handed, even when driving, all day long, with the 6 ml bottle and 18650 in a REO Grand. It's business card sized, smaller than a pack of regular length, filter cigarettes. It's milled from a single block of aluminum and is about as rugged as you can get. There are many current and former Provari owners among the REOnauts. REOs have a "hot spring" that instantly collapses in the event of a short, disconnecting the battery like a fuse. 1.5Ω starts out at about 15 watts, easing down to 9 watts at half charge on the mech models (a 12-16 hour period on a Grand). Just draw a bit longer as the voltage drops. When you're ready for an RBA, you can add a safe, easy to build Reomizer 2 RDA and even do sub-ohms. The drilled and widely spaced coil posts (not one in the center and one close to it) and short-proof ceramic base may change your mind about RDAs. REO makes a VV version of the Grand, as well. For more info, visit us in the Reos Mods forum.
Many newbies start out with 1.5Ω disposable cartos or drip attys on a mechanical REO bottom-feeding box mod. Dripping is the best of vaping and you can do that one handed, even when driving, all day long, with the 6 ml bottle and 18650 in a REO Grand. It's business card sized, smaller than a pack of regular length, filter cigarettes. It's milled from a single block of aluminum and is about as rugged as you can get. There are many current and former Provari owners among the REOnauts. REOs have a "hot spring" that instantly collapses in the event of a short, disconnecting the battery like a fuse. 1.5Ω starts out at about 15 watts, easing down to 9 watts at half charge on the mech models (a 12-16 hour period on a Grand). Just draw a bit longer as the voltage drops. When you're ready for an RBA, you can add a safe, easy to build Reomizer 2 RDA and even do sub-ohms. The drilled and widely spaced coil posts (not one in the center and one close to it) and short-proof ceramic base may change your mind about RDAs. REO makes a VV version of the Grand, as well. For more info, visit us in the Reos Mods forum.
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You got clear answers as to what a mech mod is - and isn't. The question is: Where do you want to or need to go with your vaping experience? If you are using "plain" non variable eGos a next logical step would be to move up to an eGo Twist or Vision Spinner to get a taste of what VV brings to the table. It's also your least expensive option since a Twist or Spinner will use the same eGo charger you already have.
I have a Provari, but I also regularly use, a Legacy, a BB and a tin mod, with no electronics in them! I use carto tanks and anything from a 1.5-2ohm gives me a great vape! So no, you don't have to have VV/VW to get a good vape, you just have to pay attention to what you want when you buy atties to fit on them!
Remember, it wasn't all that long ago we didn't have VW/VV to work with, and we managed!
Remember, it wasn't all that long ago we didn't have VW/VV to work with, and we managed!
I'd say this is good solid advice. Thanks. I do plan on grabbing a twist but I already know I will eventually want a really nice, more personalized device. I'm just doing a bit of research now while I have some free time.
I basically agree with this, with the small exception of the specific design of the device you are looking at. Perhaps you want exactly one design and it's a mech design. But unregulated is pretty much old tech, the new tech wrt mechs is the atomizers, and if you can use your desired atomizer on a regulated mod it's that much better.
I'm glad I read this post, as I'm asking myself the same??s. I'm very interested in the Legacy possibly w/ kick, but I want to stay w/ carto-tanks. What I don't get is how can I crank up my voltage/wattage without burnin up cartos and coils? Using 2 ohm pre-punched boges in 2.5 tank. If you happen across this reply, please advise, and recommend me best carto-tank, brand of battery+charger for Legacy.
i use mech mods because they are smaller compared to vv devices i have. if you are inexperienced with RBA's or RDA's dont bother with a mech. i would suggest you try RDA's. they are really really easy to rebuild and and give a very good vape. pair that with a mech and you have a nice setup
All the responses above are great ones, Its all in what you want from your vape. There are dozens of reason for regulated vs non.
For me it was esthetics and simplicity to why I went with a mechanical and a Kick. I like the simplicity of a mechanical device. No circuitry, I can take it apart, clean it, wash it etc. I like the clean looks of a mech, no LED screens or buttons etc. I like using it with and without a Kick but like that with a kick I have consistent performance from the moment I place a fresh battery in to when the battery maxxes out. Yes the battery life is a bit shorter with a Kick but at least you get great performance with no loss of power.
For me it was esthetics and simplicity to why I went with a mechanical and a Kick. I like the simplicity of a mechanical device. No circuitry, I can take it apart, clean it, wash it etc. I like the clean looks of a mech, no LED screens or buttons etc. I like using it with and without a Kick but like that with a kick I have consistent performance from the moment I place a fresh battery in to when the battery maxxes out. Yes the battery life is a bit shorter with a Kick but at least you get great performance with no loss of power.
You can use a higher ohm carto and by doing so, it allows a wider range of voltage. IIf you use a low ohm coil, it doesnt allow you to use a wide spectrum, you basically must use 3.7 volts or around there. With a 3 ohm carto, you can use anywhere from 3.7 to 5.5 volts and experiment.
I've already covered some of the advantages of a mech in a previous post in this thread. One of the characteristics is that the battery starts out at 4.2V unloaded when fully charged and drops from that point on. As voltage decreases, so does current, power, and vapor. Mech users consciously at first, then soon unconsciously, use a bit longer draw as battery voltage falls, to get the same vapor in each hit. This is not a big deal. For best battery life, you want to use it in the upper half of the charge, so you pull it for recharge at about 3.6 volts. Starting out, you'll use a multimeter to find that out, but you'll soon develop a sense from when you get there by the rate of vapor production.
Many new mech owners start out with disposable cartos or attys on their mech. You want to stay in the ohm range most manufacturers consider LOW, i.e. LR. That can be as much resistance as 2.0Ω for about 8W down to 6W of power. You increase the power by going lower on the resistance, for example, 1.5Ω yields about 11W down to 8W of power. You can custom tailor your resistance and/or go lower on resistance, even down into the sub-ohm range, by using a rebuildable dripping atomizer (RDA) or rebuildable tank atomizer (RBA), where you easily wind your own coils and wicks.
You can use something called a kick in a mechanical mod, an electronic circuit that keeps the coil voltage level like a regulated VV/VW mod. The advantages of this over the VV/VW mod is you can remove it wash the mod or use the mod without it in the event of electronics failure. It has several disadvantages; you have to use a smaller battery to make room for the kick, unless the mod has an extension tube or telescoping feature that accommodates its extra length on top of the largest battery (typically 18650), and unless you have one of these features, you have to maintain two different size sets of batteries. It's better if you're going to use a kick to use a mech designed for one. The unique disadvantage of a kick is you have neither the decreasing vape of a pure mechanical, nor the display of most VV/VW, to keep you appraised of the battery state of charge--you have to maintain a sense of how long and much you've used it. Current draw of a kick or VV/VW, increases as battery voltage falls, working the battery harder as it gets weaker, which shortens the life. VV/VW mods, which can typically only handle super-ohm coils, set at higher voltage, can draw as much current from a weakened battery as a sub-ohm coil.
I like to compare mech mods to manual transmissions and VV/VW mods to automatic transmissions, and there are fans of each. Kicks are about like that old 70's semi-automatic VW bug that engaged the clutch when you put your hand on the shift lever. I won't be surprised if our member here who's overly enamored with technology, compares his particular regulated mod to a multi-speed or CV auto with paddle shifters, which makes manuals "old-technology."
Vape on.
Many new mech owners start out with disposable cartos or attys on their mech. You want to stay in the ohm range most manufacturers consider LOW, i.e. LR. That can be as much resistance as 2.0Ω for about 8W down to 6W of power. You increase the power by going lower on the resistance, for example, 1.5Ω yields about 11W down to 8W of power. You can custom tailor your resistance and/or go lower on resistance, even down into the sub-ohm range, by using a rebuildable dripping atomizer (RDA) or rebuildable tank atomizer (RBA), where you easily wind your own coils and wicks.
You can use something called a kick in a mechanical mod, an electronic circuit that keeps the coil voltage level like a regulated VV/VW mod. The advantages of this over the VV/VW mod is you can remove it wash the mod or use the mod without it in the event of electronics failure. It has several disadvantages; you have to use a smaller battery to make room for the kick, unless the mod has an extension tube or telescoping feature that accommodates its extra length on top of the largest battery (typically 18650), and unless you have one of these features, you have to maintain two different size sets of batteries. It's better if you're going to use a kick to use a mech designed for one. The unique disadvantage of a kick is you have neither the decreasing vape of a pure mechanical, nor the display of most VV/VW, to keep you appraised of the battery state of charge--you have to maintain a sense of how long and much you've used it. Current draw of a kick or VV/VW, increases as battery voltage falls, working the battery harder as it gets weaker, which shortens the life. VV/VW mods, which can typically only handle super-ohm coils, set at higher voltage, can draw as much current from a weakened battery as a sub-ohm coil.
I like to compare mech mods to manual transmissions and VV/VW mods to automatic transmissions, and there are fans of each. Kicks are about like that old 70's semi-automatic VW bug that engaged the clutch when you put your hand on the shift lever. I won't be surprised if our member here who's overly enamored with technology, compares his particular regulated mod to a multi-speed or CV auto with paddle shifters, which makes manuals "old-technology."
Vape on.
I used to use a Kick with my REO Grand often... The VV Grand is nice, but the Buzz Pro circuitry is getting long-in-the-tooth, and even though I had one and enjoyed it, I wasn't wild about having to stack batteries...
The VV Grand is nice, but the Buzz Pro circuitry is getting long-in-the-tooth, and even though I had one and enjoyed it, I wasn't wild about having to stack batteries...- Status
