Eleaf iStick "pico"

[Jim_ MDP]

The Pico only has one real problem... the design limits the atty diameter.

Near as I can tell... the Mega doesn't appreciably address that.
Just a touch sure, but the 510 plate is still a narrow end of the mod, and the batt cap is still damn close.

Then again... most thinking vapers with large deck attys for heavy metal builds will know a single cell mod is not the appropriate choice for that atty. In general... you need moar power.
And 26650 performance is less than stellar, to say the least.

So to me, the Mega is a solution in search of a problem.

Anyone have one and can give personal impressions?

 

[Jim_ MDP]

There is a Pico Mega, or are you talking about a rta?

Yeah, there's a 26650 version... and a dual 18650 VTC now too.

 

[ddirtyvapes]

It's not worth it. I don't own one but my friend does. Unless you have 26650s laying around that you don't want to waste, it's a silly upgrade. As Jim says, it doesn't really fix the problem of the battery cap in any appreciable way. It only upgrades the wattage by 5W. It doesn't do anything else new besides that.

The Pico is meant to be a small, palmable device. Why they would WANT to make a "mega" version of that is beyond me.

It's kind of neat that it can take either 18 or 26650s, but "neat" doesn't make it worth the extra money or extra size.

I bought a second Pico since the Mega came out, and I went with the original again.

 

[Ed_C]

And the extra 5 watts is only able to be used with 26650 batteries, which is pretty silly when there's 18650s with higher amp ratings than any of the 26650s, from what I understand.

 

[ddirtyvapes]

Right, exactly, that's part of why it's so silly. Why it isn't 80W across the board (at the very least!) is ridiculous. It also implicitly says "our original mod really pushes the boundaries of safety," if 'an 18650 can't handle 80W' (in their minds), neither of which are true.

I honestly think this was like the definition of an update that was just out for the sake of being out before the hammer dropped.

 

[Ed66]

nice where did you get it?

I made it, took some thin sheet steel and drilled a hole for the threading on the battery cap and another for the lanyard, then cut and sanded it down to shape. I have a small metal shop in my garage i tinker around in.

 

[Jim_ MDP]

I bought a second Pico since the Mega came out, and I went with the original again.

Ditto.
Last week I finally got the Full Black I said I would, wow... however many weeks ago.

I honestly think this was like the definition of an update that was just out for the sake of being out before the hammer dropped.

Agreed.
The 26650 is in a bit of a Cinderella period with vapers ( I have a VT75 myself).
But re-wrapper spec inflation is as bad, or worse, than our 18650s.
Which sucks because they could make a stunningly capable cell in that big fat can... it's not all about mAh and runtime guys.

Now that dual 18650 VTC I mentioned? That looks interesting.

 

[sawlight]

Ditto.
Last week I finally got the Full Black I said I would, wow... however many weeks ago.



Agreed.
The 26650 is in a bit of a Cinderella period with vapers ( I have a VT75 myself).
But re-wrapper spec inflation is as bad, or worse, than our 18650s.
Which sucks because they could make a stunningly capable cell in that big fat can... it's not all about mAh and runtime guys.

Now that dual 18650 VTC I mentioned? That looks interesting.

I disagree, I really like the run time, that was the only reason I got a Hades clone, three days out of a mech is pretty nice sometimes! Same with my Istick TC 200w, loaded with LG HG2's, lots of fun time, I've hit 65w once I think? Most times its 14-30w.
Do I think there's room for improvement in the 26650, absolutely! I'm certain you could easily get 50a CDR from these, and it would be stellar for some, but not my reason for using them.
For the Pico mega, I'll pass, the whole point was to be light and compact, anyone that's been around 26650's will tell you they are neither! I think Eleaf missed the mark entirely with this. If anything they should have gone the other way, 18500/18490 or even 18350.

 

[ddirtyvapes]

For anyone who missed it, there is ALSO now (or soon will be) a Pico squonker, but it seems to be basically an unregulated with protection. I can see how that would still definitely be more attractive to some than the Mega, but I personally have other squonkers and never really got into it the way some did/do.

@Jim_ MDP Yes, the new VTC looks absolutely great. I just got an RX 2/3 too which I really am enjoying the option for two or three batteries... having a mod that can take one or two is even better. I really love compact mods. Do you know if that will be available in the US or because of August 8th will it be China only?

I agree that I appreciate some good run-time, but frankly I'm flexible. I like it when I can get it but I like a little headroom for draw, too. But I run my (original) RX200 like @sawlight does... never really get much past 70W on there unless I've built something special and the battery lasts for-freakin-ever.

 

[Ed_C]

I think Eleaf missed the mark entirely with this. If anything they should have gone the other way, 18500/18490 or even 18350.

That might be cool, I'm just not sure how well a ~35 watt device would do in today's market.

 

[ddirtyvapes]

That might be cool, I'm just not sure how well a ~35 watt device would do in today's market.

Really? I feel like there have been a number of 30-40W devices around relatively recently. Even the BilletBox Rev 4 still uses a DNA40W board (though whether or not that was the best move is debatable).

I can't speak for anyone else, but I like supersubohming plenty and I still get lots of use out of my iStick 30W. It's basically my primary out-and-about device besides the Pico.

My point being that if a hobbyist vaper can still get good use out of a device of that power, I don't see why it couldn't be popular for the market at large.

 

[Ed_C]

Really? I feel like there have been a number of 30-40W devices around relatively recently. Even the BilletBox Rev 4 still uses a DNA40W board (though whether or not that was the best move is debatable).

I can't speak for anyone else, but I like supersubohming plenty and I still get lots of use out of my iStick 30W. It's basically my primary out-and-about device besides the Pico.

My point being that if a hobbyist vaper can still get good use out of a device of that power, I don't see why it couldn't be popular for the market at large.

Maybe you're right, I just assumed that most people purchased products based on hype and numbers more than their needs. I still use my kicked 18490 mech with carto tanks, so who knows. I would be interested and maybe you're right that others would as well. There's is is definitely those that value small size.

 

[dennism]

I have 3 istick picos, bought mainly for their size. The mega is a bit bigger. I seldom vape above 30 watts, so the pico is perfect for me. Also not one problem with them in the 3 months or so that i've had them.

 

[ddirtyvapes]

@Ed_C Yeah, that's all I'm saying, and I definitely don't think you're wrong that a) there are plenty of people who purchase based primarily on hype and b) for a long while now, the vaping industry and vaping public have been moving towards higher and higher power.

I just think there is still a place for "lower power" mods, especially those of a small size. What we're calling "lower power" is subjective, but I'm talking 40ishW... which obviously used to be crazy high Like you said, there are definitely those that value the small size and who also understand that sometimes you must make concessions to get that size.

To be perfectly fair, the Pico has changed my views on this some. It's such a tiny mod for using a removable 18650 and doing 75W so the benchmark has basically been set. Like I said, I still enjoy and get use out of my 30W, but your point is well taken that even for a small mod I would try to get as much power as I could get. Or you know, find the balance between the two. I find the Pico to strike that balance perfectly, really. It's just nice to know that I can bring around the 30W and if something should happen to it I certainly wouldn't be crushed.

 

[sawlight]

There's still a lot of us low power vapers out there, look at the Nugget, the COV Mini Volt, that cute little thing Eleaf just came out with (the name escapes me now) and the Target mini. People that want them are having a hard time because they are out of stock everywhere! I'm even tempted on the new Eleaf, if it had a replaceable 18 series battery I'd have one in my hand right now!
I have an SXK Mini Zero that I just love! Only 60w, but it just feels so good in the hand!
Seriously, there's a huge market for these things, it's just not as obvious because all the noise is about power.

 

[ddirtyvapes]

There's still a lot of us low power vapers out there, look at the Nugget, the COV Mini Volt, that cute little thing Eleaf just came out with (the name escapes me now) and the Target mini. ... there's a huge market for these things, it's just not as obvious because all the noise is about power.

I totally agree. Not only are there plenty of people who still truly use lower power, I think it's easy for those who often use higher power to forget that for most of us, it's still entirely possible to get a satisfying vape at comparatively low wattage with the right topper. I mean some folks just want rip-roaring crazy vaping at 150W+ and nothing else... but those folks are few and far between. Even if it's not their first preference, I honestly believe the vast majority of vapers could get a perfectly satisfying vape on a 40-50W device if they tried. Fortunately, we have more options than that, but I'm sure you get my point.

Me personally, I will truly vape anywhere from 8-180+W, depending on the situation and my mood.

Are you possibly thinking of the eLeaf iCare or the 80W iPower?

 

[sawlight]

It's the Istick mini I was thinking of, had to look it up. It's a mini Pico. Neat little sucker, but the perm battery kills it for me.
I've got a buddy, real cloud chaser, Noisey cricket, stacked 18650 mods, likes over 100w builds. Suits him fine, I can vape them, but it's not my cup of tea. He's around 3-6mg and kicked the butts like a champ! I'm happy for him, honestly. But I'm on 36mg juice and once in a while I'll amp it up, really bad days, but most times I'm 12-20w or 400deg at 30w. That's his happy place, this is mine.
It's so nice we have the options we do now days to do this! I remember the struggles people had not that many years ago! I think the smaller, lower power devices will come back into favor once people realize what they are really running at and tire of carrying around the power beasts.

 

[Kyi]

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.

 

[Ed_C]

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.

 

[sawlight]

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 wouldn't, but that's me, I just think it's too bulky. 5 watts and a semi better screen aren't going to make or break it for my needs.