Eleaf iStick "pico"

[ddirtyvapes]

Ok, so if I don't plan on using the 26650 battery, then there's no point in picking up the mega over the original for any other reason, even the slight little improvements here and there? I know it has an improved screen and the firing button looks a bit larger (not that this is really a concern for me), but I don't really see any other reason to get it. I agree that they could have done more to improve on the original Pico if they wanted to release a 'new and improved' model of it, 5 extra watts in exchange for a bigger battery doesn't seem like a particularly great trade off to me.

I'm with @sawlight, I would (and did) go for the original. The screen is perfectly readable and the fire button is good, too. Almost anything can be upgraded, but that doesn't mean it needs to be. "If it ain't broke don't fix it" etc. etc.

Saw is there a new "istick mini" out/coming out or do you mean the really super mini 10 or 20W minis that have been out for a while?

 

[sawlight]

Good points and I know that there's a lot of people who don't vape at high wattage.
I had not seen those SXK Mini Zeros before, they look pretty nice. It's funny, you think you've seen them all and then something pops up that you had missed.
As for the iStick Mini, it looks nice, but after I went through 3 iTaste VVs in about 3 months, when I first started vaping, I decided to not buy anymore PVs with build in batteries.

Yeah, for China, the SXK is a pretty nice mod! With some searching they can be found very reasonably as well. It just has two TC settings, but you can access them fairly easy and change the tcr values.
I'm with you on the batteries, if I can't swap them, I don't buy them! Like I said, if it weren't for that I'd have the Istick mini.

 

[sawlight]

I'm with @sawlight, I would (and did) go for the original. The screen is perfectly readable and the fire button is good, too. Almost anything can be upgraded, but that doesn't mean it needs to be. "If it ain't broke don't fix it" etc. etc.

Saw is there a new "iStick mini" out/coming out or do you mean the really super mini 10 or 20W minis that have been out for a while?

This one, official eleafworld.com - eleaf,ismoka,mini istick,istick20w

 

[Kyi]

Ok, I ordered an original Pico in hot pink. $35 with free shipping on ebay for the mod with the tank. Never tried the Melo tanks before so I figure if it's only $5 more for the tank than $30 for the mod by itself, I might as well give it a try. How is the Melo tank btw? Wondering if I should pick up extra coils for it. I haven't been particularly impressed with the Cubis Pro tank that I got recently. It's odd, it doesn't quite hit the like the Egrip 2 even though it's supposedly the same tank.

On the other hand, I still really want a mini mod. If I were to go that route, I would pick up the Evic Basic. Joyetech and Eleaf are the same company right? Or is that Wismec... I'm confused now.

 

[ddirtyvapes]

@Kyi you made a good choice I think, both getting the original and getting the tank for a good price. I really love the Melo 3, personally I think it was a big improvement over the 2, at least in some ways. They're both good tanks, but the 3 gets the win from me. Nice airflow, good flavor, and easy fill. The Pico and Melo 3 mini is a great pairing. Definitely get extra coils but they do last a while. It also takes Atlantis coils.

I think it's Joyetech and Wismec but regardless they all use similar boards.

 

[sawlight]

The Melo seems to be either love or hate, not much in between. I don't have one so I can't comment either way.
But I think you will love the Pico, I sure do!

 

[Kyi]

Is the Melo suitable for MTL hits? I guess I might try and wait to see if I like the tank before buying coils.

 

[Jim_ MDP]

Joyetech and Eleaf are the same company right? Or is that Wismec... I'm confused now.

This gets complicated because... Chinese "Communism". LOL.

Wismec and Eleaf/iSmoka are "wholly owned subsidiaries" of JoyeTech.
Think General Motors.

But Shenzhen, the main city in China's incredibly diverse electronics etc. district (think Detroit... kinda) is seriously incestuous. It's very "wild west". One umbrella corporation may be a subsidiary of some brand that's a subsidiary of the original company.

It's very difficult to decipher who reports to whom, and in general... we needn't care.
But as JoyeTech, Wismec and Eleaf mods share... hardware, chips, software, probably personnel and facilities too... I just consider it all as JTech product.
Just different brands... like General Motors.

Easy right?

 

[ddirtyvapes]

Is the Melo suitable for MTL hits? I guess I might try and wait to see if I like the tank before buying coils.

Meh, probably not really. And the highest resistance atomizer they make for it is a .5 IIRC so that's not really meant for MTL. You can certainly try though. I didn't realize you were looking for MTL; it's definitely more of a lung-hitter or maybe sort of in-between direct lung and MTL at the lowest airflow.

 

[Jim_ MDP]

Meh, probably not really. And the highest resistance atomizer they make for it is a .5 IIRC so that's not really meant for MTL. You can certainly try though. I didn't realize you were looking for MTL; it's definitely more of a lung-hitter or maybe sort of in-between direct lung and MTL at the lowest airflow.

I watched Busardo's Pico feature length film video review and he's MTL all the way but couldn't make it work for him. Just too airy and too power hungry for the task.

That's an oddity I've wondered about since it came out...
The two included Melo 3 Mini coil heads only really come alive above about 65 watts.
They're both using fat wire parallel builds.

And that's what they bundle with a 75w single cell mod?

 

[GarfieldDC]

I watched Busardo's Pico feature length film video review and he's MTL all the way but couldn't make it work for him. Just too airy and too power hungry for the task.

That's an oddity I've wondered about since it came out...
The two included Melo 3 Mini coil heads only really come alive above about 65 watts.
They're both using fat wire parallel builds.

And that's what they bundle with a 75w single cell mod?

The Melo 3 Mini in my opinion is a restricted lung hit tank. But I guess you could make it work for MTL if you were to get the rebuildable ECR coil heads and build a higher resistance coil and run it at minimum airflow. I haven't tried it but its a thought.

 

[Blueraider11]

The Melo 3 Mini in my opinion is a restricted lung hit tank. But I guess you could make it work for MTL if you were to get the rebuildable ECR coil heads and build a higher resistance coil and run it at minimum airflow. I haven't tried it but its a thought.

My wife has the pico/melo 3 mini combo she is a MTL vaper. I got Aspire Triton 1.8 ohm coils. She changed the tip to a more restrictive one and shut down the airflow at 13 watts. MTL heaven for her.

 

[ddirtyvapes]

I watched Busardo's Pico feature length film video review and he's MTL all the way but couldn't make it work for him. Just too airy and too power hungry for the task.

That's an oddity I've wondered about since it came out...
The two included Melo 3 Mini coil heads only really come alive above about 65 watts.
They're both using fat wire parallel builds.

And that's what they bundle with a 75w single cell mod?

I do really like the Melo 3 (Mini), so this isn't a knock, but I actually find the 0.3 ohm heads to work best for me around 50-55W and the 0.5s I can push higher, more like 70 or 80 (if I want)... it's a little counter-intuitive but even with those four holes they're not the beeesssttttt wickers all the time, sometimes they do better than others. (And no, I'm not trying to run molasses through them!) I typically go for 35/65 PG/VG or so, for tanks. But yeah I start getting dry or just not super great tasting hits much higher than those figures... could also be my juice. The juice I use 90% of the time favors a cooler vape.

I feel like the 0.5ohms hold up a little better in general, but sometimes it depends on the particular coil you're using. I've had EC heads of all different resistances that have lasted a long time and could be pushed pretty hard, and others (not too many) that barely lasted a few days and never really opened up. For whatever reason, the 0.3s don't respond well to pushing in the upper range to me, but that just means it works perfectly on the Pico.

Some of this is certainly personal preference. I also use the Atlantis heads sometimes but they are more expensive and only sometimes work well enough to be worth it.

I got a few different types of coil heads for the Melo 3/new Lemo 3 I have coming, so I do intend to do some fairly thorough testing.

ed: So the triton heads do fit the melo 3 mini? I have read conflicting reports!

 

[LarryPer]

I'm with @sawlight, I would (and did) go for the original. The screen is perfectly readable and the fire button is good, too. Almost anything can be upgraded, but that doesn't mean it needs to be. "If it ain't broke don't fix it" etc. etc.

Saw is there a new "iStick mini" out/coming out or do you mean the really super mini 10 or 20W minis that have been out for a while?

I have one,love it

 

[Jim_ MDP]

The Melo 3 Mini in my opinion is a restricted lung hit tank. But I guess you could make it work for MTL if you were to get the rebuildable ECR coil heads and build a higher resistance coil and run it at minimum airflow. I haven't tried it but its a thought.

I have the Triton RBA (I think) but like you, never tried a high res build.
Or tested how tight the airflow could be locked down
I broke sprained borked my MTL so it's all lung hits for me.

My wife has the pico/melo 3 mini combo she is a MTL vaper. I got Aspire Triton 1.8 ohm coils. She changed the tip to a more restrictive one and shut down the airflow at 13 watts. MTL heaven for her.

Actually glad to hear this.
I need a rehabilitation atty (I even lung hit my AIO) so I may dig out my M3M and try it.

I got a few different types of coil heads for the Melo 3/new Lemo 3 I have coming, so I do intend to do some fairly thorough testing.

ed: So the triton heads do fit the melo 3 mini? I have read conflicting reports!

I think the M3M is what I bought the Triton RBA for. Now I don't recall.
Have to dig it all out and see.
I'm sure leaking is why I put it aside (I can't wick RBA heads properly it seems) but perhaps there's an issue with the fit. I think the AnyVape is a suggested better replacement, I should order one.

 

[Jim_ MDP]

Now I'm all confuzzled...

I have the ECR heads and I have a Triton RBA head and I have the Melo 3M and an AIO.
And I've forgotten which I used with which.




The M3M hasn't been used in months and the AIO gets a little use a couple times a month so I haven't changed the coil in at least that long.

#firstworldproblems

 

[Ed_C]

Another single 18650 Eleaf. It could use a bigger tank, but seems like lame button placement.
Eleaf Aster 75W TC Mod

 

[Fozzy71]

Another single 18650 Eleaf. It could use a bigger tank, but seems like lame button placement.
Eleaf Aster 75W TC Mod

i like it at first glance and threw a couple in my cart for later consideration. I agree the button placement is different but at least it seems to look better and be better for thumb firing vs the pico at first glance. Will try to update if/when I buy one.... I assume this was on the pre-order market before aug 8 since MVS is a USA site?

 

[Ed_C]

I assume this was on the pre-order market before aug 8 since MVS is a USA site?

I'm not sure, this is the first time I noticed it.

 

[Mactavish]

Another single 18650 Eleaf. It could use a bigger tank, but seems like lame button placement.
Eleaf Aster 75W TC Mod

Thanks for the link. Other then the shape, doesn't look like anything new over their similar mods. But at the price, should be attractive to many. With my current stock pile of Pico's and VTC Mini's, I'm personally just interested in new DNA75 mods. The chip is assume and with the latest updates, if your a SS fan, they are IMO the best on the market right now, at least in the single 18650 category, which besides my toy mini mods, is all I use.