Greetings Folks,
After a total of 24 hours of research, spread out over five weeks, I made a decision: the E-Power 14650 from
Hoosier E Cig Supply.
A bit of background. Pack-a-day smoker for 45 years. Marlboro Reds to start, then (20 years ago) Marb Lights. Tried quitting cold turkey (once), with Nicorette gum (once), and The Patch (twice). The gum and patch solved the nicotine cravings, but something was missing. Guess what? The ritual!
Ordered the E-Power 14650 kit on Wednesday, and received it on Saturday via USPS. Basic kit contents: the 14650 (blue switch), 5-pack of 2.0 ohm single-coil XL cartomizers, two 14650 protected 1050 mAh batteries, and a wall charger. I also ordered: 5-pack of 1.7 ohm single-coil XL cartomizers, and 50ml of Dekang e-juice (Tobacco flavor, 24mg).
When the kit arrived, I opened the box, checked the invoice, and read the user guide (translation to English from the Chinese is pretty hilarious). Got so rattled that I had to run down to the local convenience store and buy a pack of cigs!
Assembly was easy, but somehow I assumed the 2.0 ohm cartos were pre-filled. Duh. Drew on the mouthpiece. Drew harder. Nothing. Finally (Warning: Supplier Pitch), I called Brent at Hoosier. It was 5:30 pm on Saturday, but he answered the phone promptly, and then patiently explained his technique for filling the carto with liquid.
I'd been researching E-Cigs (and the ECG Forum, in particular) for weeks. I had no illusions about giving up nicotine (I'm a writer, and tend to chain smoke when at the keyboard). But I knew the chemicals in analog cigs were slowly killing me. Plus the new owners of the apartment building I live in have declared it a Smoke-Free zone. Getting caught smoking is grounds for eviction. Plus, I'm the Caretaker!
It is now early Wednesday AM as I write this post, and I am thoroughly delighted. The hardware and software work flawlessly. A carto lasts me 2 days, and a single battery about 1.5 days. The 2.0 ohm cartos deliver plenty of vapor for me. I thought I'd want that good ol' tobacco flavor, but the Dekang e-juice is a bit harsh. Boutique flavors here we come. My taste buds are alive again. And, after 3 days, I feel so much better!
Bottom Line: not everyone may be willing to do as much research. And I realize that we're all different in terms of what we're looking for in an E-cig experience. But if you're motivated, invest a minimal amount of time, join this Forum and ask some questions, the odds are you'll end up a happy customer.
/s/
A Happy Vaper