Eleaf Istick

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Right click and "search Google for" works

Here I simply looked at what was in the address and looked up the blog site to arrive at the blog page there.

How did I do? I was just hearing from someone who rewicked a nautilus not Atlantis coil and was complaining about not any flavor with fresh cotton used. Someone else had opened up an Atlantis coil after a week and found it all blackk inside as the material crumbled. Here's what the blog has to say about rebuilding.

The next question of course, is can we rebuild the heads with safer wicking material to avoid concerns? Walt had some cautions to share about that too: “If you take a head apart that uses fiberglass or this other stuff to rebuild it safer, you may actually breathe in a lot of the stuff because particles are liberated during the handling of it. To rebuild heads and strip out the bad stuff, do it while holding it under water.” Think of it this way…. “If you have ever been in a newly constructed house that just had fiberglass insulation installed, and sun beams are coming through the windows, you’ve seen the cloud of suspended particles swirling around and remaining airborne.” When you pull apart a silica-wicked coil head, you’re creating a miniature version of the same thing, but with much lighter, smaller airborne particles.
 

Sue1971

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Just got my eleaf today. Been using it now for an hour. I must say, I absolutely love this little thing. Fits nicely in my hand and while driving well perfect. Reminds me of the days I used to always hold a lighter in my hand. My topper is an Aspire naught mini. with the bvc coil. Ohm read at 2.0 and I'm firing it at 3.3v / 5.4w according to the readout. I have to say. I'm getting great vape and flavor. I know my poor vamo is going to go back in the box as an emergency back up device.

I would definitely recommend this to a first time vapor. I know others have had issues with the threading, But I would think as long as you are careful about not cross threading and over tightening. Things should go smoothly.
 

shack22

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Just got my eleaf today. Been using it now for an hour. I must say, I absolutely love this little thing. Fits nicely in my hand and while driving well perfect. Reminds me of the days I used to always hold a lighter in my hand. My topper is an Aspire naught mini. with the bvc coil. Ohm read at 2.0 and I'm firing it at 3.3v / 5.4w according to the readout. I have to say. I'm getting great vape and flavor. I know my poor vamo is going to go back in the box as an emergency back up device.

I would definitely recommend this to a first time vapor. I know others have had issues with the threading, But I would think as long as you are careful about not cross threading and over tightening. Things should go smoothly.

Congrats!
I'm not sure being careful with the threading always works-- it seems to be the luck of the draw to a certain extent. Experienced vapers have had the issue even though they were careful. That's why alot of people went right to one of the adapter options right away. I love my lil guy too much to see him hurt!
 
Just got my eleaf today. Been using it now for an hour. I must say, I absolutely love this little thing. Fits nicely in my hand and while driving well perfect. Reminds me of the days I used to always hold a lighter in my hand. My topper is an Aspire naught mini. with the bvc coil. Ohm read at 2.0 and I'm firing it at 3.3v / 5.4w according to the readout. I have to say. I'm getting great vape and flavor. I know my poor vamo is going to go back in the box as an emergency back up device.

I would definitely recommend this to a first time vapor. I know others have had issues with the threading, But I would think as long as you are careful about not cross threading and over tightening. Things should go smoothly.

With anything you simply have to use a degree of common sense when going to thread anything into anything else. I think some have been in too much of a rush to put a tank on and ended up cross threading. Here when first going to put a tank I first give it a quarter turn in the opposite direction to avoid going in at any angle which would end up with a cross thread. Once I do that the thread is found right away when then reversing to the clockwise direction.

They are nice little mods but I don't simply pack the two Vamos I have here away but put the iSticks aside until I go out. Of course I have a number of mods and APVs as well as several VV/VW batteries sitting in a pair of stands since I always seem to end up with a ton of flavors over the course of time! :)

When I pull my Nautilus heads apart, they're wet. I haven't had any crumbling issues with the wicking material...

Well this was some photo showing the coil ripped out like someone simply smashed it in order to yank everything out from the inside of the coil itself. I've been going now for almost three weeks and just got the 4th Atlantis tank in today without the need to change a coil on any of the Aspire tanks. Plus there was no time frame for how long the pieces were simply laying around when the picture was taken either. This is where I got a bit doubtful at the time.
 

finelines

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Congrats!
I'm not sure being careful with the threading always works-- it seems to be the luck of the draw to a certain extent. Experienced vapers have had the issue even though they were careful. That's why alot of people went right to one of the adapter options right away. I love my lil guy too much to see him hurt!

Same here. Have 2 and love them both. I did put the adapter on it from the get go and don't have any problems with the threading. Topped off with my nauti mini I'm in vape heaven!
Like Sue my poor Vamo is feeling so neglected. My MVP feels the same way although I do use it from time to time.
I'm addicted to my iStick! :)
 

shack22

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With anything you simply have to use a degree of common sense when going to thread anything into anything else. I think some have been in too much of a rush to put a tank on and ended up cross threading. Here when first going to put a tank I first give it a quarter turn in the opposite direction to avoid going in at any angle which would end up with a cross thread. Once I do that the thread is found right away when then reversing to the clockwise direction.
There are way too many people having thread issues to chalk it up to user error. I 'd be willing to bet that when Eleaf sat around designing the bending adapter they were mostly thinking about coming up with a temp fix for the thread problem--then someone said--let's make it bend too!
 
Same here. Have 2 and love them both. I did put the adapter on it from the get go and don't have any problems with the threading. Topped off with my nauti mini I'm in vape heaven!
Like Sue my poor Vamo is feeling so neglected. My MVP feels the same way although I do use it from time to time.
I'm addicted to my iStick! :)

I had to toss the 510/eGo adapters on right away when the two first came in since I was running eGo threaded Tumblers on them until the Mini tanks came in. When first having the problem with the other adapter I then had taken that off of that one alone and simply turned the tank lightly until the threads caught.

There are way too many people having thread issues to chalk it up to user error. I 'd be willing to bet that when Eleaf sat around designing the bending adapter they were mostly thinking about coming up with a temp fix for the thread problem--then someone said--let's make it bend too!

When looking at the top of the unit itself I would tend to believe that some come in where the opening is tilted at a slight angle and why people end up forcing the tanks on without realizing just where the problem is. Due to the wider flange on the Eleaf 510/eGo adapter I would recommend putting that on and using the beauty ring for a period of time since that might actually tend to straighten it up a bit. You have to remember these have been flying off of assembly lines and selling like hot cakes where QC likely isn't what it should be.
 

Just1Fixxx

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I would definitely recommend this to a first time vapor. I know others have had issues with the threading, But I would think as long as you are careful about not cross threading and over tightening. Things should go smoothly.

I have gotten into the habit of Reverse Threading before I tighten a topper. As in that I first screw it counterclockwise until I feel it drop down in place and align the treads... then I turn it clockwise to attach.

Having started with the Naughty Mini (a relatively light topper) and then switching to an Aspire Mini Vivi BVC (a very light topper) and now predominately using a KFL + (which is actually heavier than the Istick itself) I have noticed that the weight and density of the KFL makes it feel much more susceptible to cross threading, and as such, I am extra careful.

During removal I hold the KFL upside down as to not allow that last rung of threads to get wobbly on the device causing unnecessary pressure to the Isticks threading.

Other than the occasional Ghost Fire, I haven't had any issues with either of my Sticks, the above is just proactive things that I do to preserve their longevity.

Happy Vaping-
 

billherbst

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The near-simultaneous appearance of the Aspire BVC coils with the iStick was, in my opinion, a significant part of what caused all the buzz. Suddenly, the wish for higher wattage, initially set off by the cloud-chasers, reached down into the realm of "regular" vapers, who could achieve superior flavor and a better overall vaping experience from the Aspire BVC coils run at higher watts (11-15 watts).

If the BVC coils are found to be potentially harmful (and momentum is certainly building in that direction, at least in popular sentiment), then that might cause a ripple effect. Personally, I don't trust rebuilding an Aspire BVC head. I took apart a couple of them and tried rebuilding early on, but gave up the idea as too much trouble for an insufficient payoff. My experience was that BVC heads were a pain to rebuild and didn't perform nearly as well the originals. I rebuild all my Kanger heads as single coil with cotton or rayon, and do so quite happily, since it's easy, effective, and improves on vape quality of the originals.

I don't, however, use the iStick in its upper power ranges. Many of my Kanger-style tanks make me happy at 5-7 eLeaf watts, and the highest I ever go with an Aspire BVC (whether in a Naut Mini, a CE5S, or a K-1) is 9 eLeaf watts. I don't love the thought of giving up the Aspires, but I truly hate the risk of lung damage. Smoking for 35 years was more than bad enough in that regard. Because my lungs have been clear and my ease of breathing restored, I care about the various possible harmful downsides of vaping---including cheap, underpowered batteries that could explode; diacetyl and other flavorings that are possibly harmful as inhalants; asbestos-like wicking materials (silica, ground ceramic, etc.), and so on. I certainly don't pooh-pooh any of those potential risks. This industry is simply too young and too much a Wild West marketplace to trust it carte blanche. Exercising some caution as an end user seems to me both reasonable and warranted, since we are essentially our own lab rats here.

I'm not at the point quite yet of ditching the Aspire products I've been using the past three months, but it's now a possibility I'll consider. Meanwhile, I'm watching the forums with serious attention to see how this issue shakes out. Kanger's decision to use organic cotton coil (OCC) heads in their SubTank seemed noteworthy.
 

leekeylee

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The near-simultaneous appearance of the Aspire BVC coils with the iStick was, in my opinion, a significant part of what caused all the buzz. Suddenly, the wish for higher wattage, initially set off by the cloud-chasers, reached down into the realm of "regular" vapers, who could achieve superior flavor and a better overall vaping experience from the Aspire BVC coils run at higher watts (11-15 watts).

If the BVC coils are found to be potentially harmful (and momentum is certainly building in that direction, at least in popular sentiment), then that might cause a ripple effect. Personally, I don't trust rebuilding an Aspire BVC head. I took apart a couple of them and tried rebuilding early on, but gave up the idea as too much trouble for an insufficient payoff. My experience was that BVC heads were a pain to rebuild and didn't perform nearly as well the originals. I rebuild all my Kanger heads as single coil with cotton or rayon, and do so quite happily, since it's easy, effective, and improves on vape quality of the originals.

I don't, however, use the iStick in its upper power ranges. Many of my Kanger-style tanks make me happy at 5-7 eLeaf watts, and the highest I ever go with an Aspire BVC (whether in a Naut Mini, a CE5S, or a K-1) is 9 eLeaf watts. I don't love the thought of giving up the Aspires, but I truly hate the risk of lung damage. Smoking for 35 years was more than bad enough in that regard. Because my lungs have been clear and my ease of breathing restored, I care about the various possible harmful downsides of vaping---including cheap, underpowered batteries that could explode; diacetyl and other flavorings that are possibly harmful as inhalants; asbestos-like wicking materials (silica, ground ceramic, etc.), and so on. I certainly don't pooh-pooh any of those potential risks. This industry is simply too young and too much a Wild West marketplace to trust it carte blanche. Exercising some caution as an end user seems to me both reasonable and warranted, since we are essentially our own lab rats here.

I'm not at the point quite yet of ditching the Aspire products I've been using the past three months, but it's now a possibility I'll consider. Meanwhile, I'm watching the forums with serious attention to see how this issue shakes out. Kanger's decision to use organic cotton coil (OCC) heads in their SubTank seemed noteworthy.

I too am very sceptical of the wicking material in the aspire BVC so I have never used them. I do though like the idea of a vertical coil so I now rebuilld my kanger coils vertical and wicked with japanese cotton. I must admit I do find this combination in my kanger emow tanks a real success on my istick and am running at around 12 eleaf watts
 

aldenf

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...I'm not at the point quite yet of ditching the Aspire products I've been using the past three months, but it's now a possibility I'll consider. Meanwhile, I'm watching the forums with serious attention to see how this issue shakes out. Kanger's decision to use organic cotton coil (OCC) heads in their SubTank seemed noteworthy.

Spot-on as usual Bill.
 
I still haven't had a chance to check those out. Most would say to use Japanese organic cotton when attempting to rewick any coil let alone the Atlantis or Nautilus coils. But even with 100% all natural on Smok coils when going to rewick those the results weren't that good there either! The bulk of the problems seen are mostly with either the latest hardwares or coming from relatively new companies and not from those that have been around for some 5yrs. or longer and have gotten their manufacturing down.

As for the use of questionable material in any brand's coils it goes to what the particular company finds as a means to an end in order to suit expectations at the cost of quality. While people were busy raving about something new every other month as far as tanks, batteries, or mods I was simply sitting back taking my time but was also looking at the need to do some upgrading this year. November 2012 I upgraded from refillable blanks on cig size to 1.6ml top coiled to replaced last November 2013 with BCC tanks and now the Aspires plus a look at the new Horizon Scion quad core tanks soon to come.
 

aldenf

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I too am very sceptical of the wicking material in the aspire BVC so I have never used them. I do though like the idea of a vertical coil so I now rebuilld my kanger coils vertical and wicked with japanese cotton. I must admit I do find this combination in my kanger emow tanks a real success on my istick and am running at around 12 eleaf watts

Same here. I am at the point where my Kanger BVC rebuilds are darned close to the Aspires. Still playing to dial them in a bit better.
 

Katya

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friediceman

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When iStick first came out, it was kinda obvious that the Nautilus mini was the perfect tank; the combination was small and easy to carry. The vapor production from these BVC coils were decent with sufficient amount of vapor. Plus, iStick limited the coil to 1.0 ohm or above, so it didn't seem like a good candidate for rebuildables.

As time go by, with chrome plated brass chimney discovered, and the wicking material of BVC being questioned, I started looking at using RDAs with iStick. Dual coil builds would require 2 coils of 2.0+ ohm each, so I focused on the RDAs that can use single coil, with deeper juice well being a bonus.

Veritas definitely came out as a good topper for iStick. It is not an enormous RDA and looks reasonable on top of the iStick:
IMG_1253.jpg

A single coil (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal) at 1.1 ohm works well for me. Excellent flavor, decent amount of vapor, sweet spot of 9.9 eLeaf watts. The wick looks gunked up because I am using a fairly dark and sweet juice these days:
IMG_1254.jpg

The juice well carries quite a bit of juice. I went on an 1-hour driving trip with the juice well filled, and it lasted me the entire drive. The air hole placement makes it leak resistant unless you overfill, and I've been carrying it in my pocket for the past week, no complaint. It's a pain in the .... to build the coil, but you can use whatever wicking material that one's comfortable with.

Also tried the Magma and Plumeveil with single coil on an iStick; while Magma's great with flavor and juice capacity, carrying it in a pocket is generally not a good idea (leaks). Plumeveil is also great on flavor, but the juice capacity is more in line with a classic dripper. So for those concerned about the wicking material of their clearomizer coils, RDAs can be a viable alternative for a small, easy to carry setup with iStick.
 
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Strings

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I originally picked up my Nautilus just to test BVC, and see if I liked it. Decided (after getting a grip on rebuilding Kanger heads as BVCs) to try rebuilding the Aspires

It IS a small bit different, but I don't think it's noticeably more difficult. Just make sure, once you've emptied the "guts", that the liner wicking is still in place. If not, the head really won't work (I know, I tried). Only took me a day to figure out how to replace that (biggest problem figuring out disassembly). Takes me roughly 10 minutes to go from pieces in my box to a fully rebuilt coil.

Problem steps are getting the coil's resistance right (never realized burning was so important!), and getting the right amount of cotton in there (all trial and error). But once you have that all figured out, is easy.

One thing (for either type): have a c clamp or bench vise handy, for pressing things back together. MUCH easier than trying to push things together by hand!
 
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