It's not just about behavior...The harsh truth is that mech mods are dangerous, period. They completely lack any real safety features which are standard on any other class of consumer device that uses lithium based batteries. They would not pass any kind of consumer standards certifications. In the long run, IMO, it would behoove the industry to do away with them.
Explosion at Vape Blast
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It's not just about behavior...The harsh truth is that mech mods are dangerous, period. They completely lack any real safety features which are standard on any other class of consumer device that uses lithium based batteries. They would not pass any kind of consumer standards certifications. In the long run, IMO, it would behoove the industry to do away with them.
I wouldnt call them dangerous.A mech has no wires,no circuitry,nothing to go wrong with the mod.The only thing that can go wrong with a mech is user error.If you know how to build coils then a mech can be more safe than any regulated device.Regulated devices can fail at any time.I've had computer power supplies just smoke and start sparking out of no where.With a mech you dont need to worry about any electronics inside the mod going bad or doing something else weird.
just a opinion
I would feel alot more safe using a mech than some no name ego clone or a hana mods clone.
Even a authentic dna device will smoke if you put the battery in backwards.
Mechs are perfectly safe if you do it right.
No they are not perfectly safe and it behooves the industry to come to that realization. Relying entirely on the operator for safety is not going to fly. We are in fact misusing lithium ion batteries; few if any ecigarettes actually have all the proper safety features every lithium powered device should have.
Quality is a separate issue that is related to pricing, so that is an area that also has to change.
Did you hear about the smart, constipated mathematician?
He worked it out with a pencil.
The safety features present in mechanical mods are effective when the mod is used in a manner consistent with battery capability.
The problem is with people who are reliant on safety features or heavily promote their inclusion. That problem is not with any inherent danger it is squarely on the shoulders of those that refuse to accept liability for their own actions and actively seek ways to place blame on others.
Maurice
A regulated mod will just stop working if there is a dysfunction in the mod itself. It will refuse to fire the atomizer and refuse to draw current from the battery. There is literally no risk of a battery or mod exploding. I can't recall one incident of a battery or regulated mod exploding.
If a mechanical mod dysfunctions, it will likely continue to fire the atomizer and draw current from the battery, beginning a snowballing catastrophic event. There is a legitimate risk of a battery or mechanical mod exploding. There's nothing to stop a battery in thermal runaway. I can recall several incidents of batteries or mods exploding with mechanicals. I've had a battery explode in a mechanical mod myself.
dr g said:
I totally agree.
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With all due respect, you caused a battery to explode in a mechanical mod, the battery did not just go off of its own accord.
Maurice
I don't consider myself to have a horse in the mech vs reg race. I own both. I prefer my reg, but that's me.
What I will say, as has already been pointed out, is the lack of active safety features(vents would be a passive safety feature) WILL be the reason why mechs will not be marketable at such time that e-cigarettes become regulated.
We all know that they won't be completely banned. They are a popular, and taxable item, so in the end they will be a regulated item. That having been said, mechs won't go the way of the dinosaur at that time. Let's be completely fair, a mech is a metal tube. They can call it anything they want to sidestep regulations. It's just that they will probably be religated to at home use only at that time.
True enough. I was using a mechanical with a prominent horn fire switch, so there was no way to "lock" the button against autofiring continuously. The button got compressed in a tight space (my error) and the battery vented dramatically from the rapid over-discharge.
This occured over two years ago. I'd only had this mechanical (my first) for a couple of weeks. I only knew that the manufacturer recommended using a protected ICR battery, so that was what was used. (Hard to believe that a protected Trustfire ICR was the recommended battery for a mechanical at that time, but it's true.)
Call me ignorant, but the thought of keeping the mod in a pocket did not ring any alarm bells that doing so could be dangerous. This was a mistake that could have happened to any new mechanical mod user.
Had this been a regulated mod, the timed autocutoff safety feature would have prevented the mod from over-discharging the battery.
How many people using a bottom-firing mechanical mod forget to lock their device when they set it down? This is a poor button design and increases the risk of danger. Fire switches need to be re-designed with more safety in mind to reduce human error behaviors. Why do most mechanical mods made today use a bottom fire button? A side fire, recessed button is a much safer design, as well as being more ergonomically natural.
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Just 3 days ago I found out that the spring in my Nem clones switch is getting weak. I sat it down, like I always do, and 2 minutes later I pick it up and realize it's VERY hot. Lucky for me my KFL had a full tank, and I use AW IMR's. The heat was from the atomizer and not from the batteries.
Now, I just lay it on it's side on the table. I'm not going to spin, spin, spin that stupid lock after taking a draw, just so 2 minutes later I have to spin, spin, spin it back to take another one. I lock it if it's going to be in my pocket for a measurable amount of time.
Interesting point of view... but try this one.
Guns are safe, when loaded with properly manufactured ammo, but what if all ammo had to be hand loaded( powder fill, primers, lead)? With that in mind, you would see all sorts of guns blowing up. a few grains of power overage is the difference between a hrd hitting projectile to a blown barrel or cylider.... a few grains thats all.... pretty much the difference as a .25 ohm coil compared to a .18 coil and a 20A battery....
I really appreciate this very level headed response, it's why I respect your opinions.
I am quite sure a safer design for the mechanical mod would be welcome, however I do not place the responsibility for destructive errors in use on anyone other than the operator of the device.
Inanimate objects do no harm until they are interacted with.
You very obviously learned a great deal since that event transpired, and I'm quite sure your posts and replies have educated hundreds if not thousands of people on how to vape safely. I consider you the resident battery guru, as do others I'm sure.
It is more than anyone should expect, that which you have done and continue to do.
Maurice
Maybe, maybe not. While it does happen from time to time, it isn't as common as you might think. There is plenty of reloading information available today, firearms safety has a bit more age and support than vaping which is nearly infantile in comparison.
Maurice
I'm not sure how this can be said?
If I manufacture a Mod that can Not Vent Properly, or is Very Likely to Self-Fire, does 100% of the Responsibility really fall on the User when the Device Fails and Explodes?
Thank you, Maurice, for the kind words. The battery incident is what spurred me to learn more about batteries and battery/mod safety. Shortly after the event, I replaced all of my ICR batteries with IMR safe chemistry batteries, way before they would be recommended over ICR's. People at that time believed you had to use a protected battery at all costs, and using an unprotected battery was insane. They didn't take the time to research battery chemistries like I did.
Now, two years later, it is IMR batteries which are recommended over ICR batteries. In fact, ICR batteries are now considered to be obsolete for use in any mod. I can't help believing that I had at least a small part in those recommendations coming about.
I also switched from using mechanical mods exclusively to using regulated mods almost exclusively. Again, built-in safety features was part of that rationale.
That unfortunate battery incident is why I promote battery and mod safety on this forum. Education is what can improve the vaping community to be more satisfying as well as be more safe. And isn't being more safe (to stop smoking) the primary reason we all began vaping?
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Maurice, you are making an excellent argument for banning ALL mods. Since we can't ban stupidity, and mods in the hands of stupid people can seriously injure non-stupid passers-by, and since it is futile to create or insist on safety features, what else is left to do to protect ourselves?
Or...ALWAYS sell them with a removable, replaceable, upgrade on the "2 cents for safety" chip, and make the mods JUST big-enough so that they don't make contact unless the chip is in place. The current version, $14 and short-circuit-protection-only, apparently does not require space in the mod but a 10-second auto-shutoff and reverse battery protection could be added, make it about 1/2" or 1/4" thick, and make mech mods with a place to put them. The advantages: Replaceable until Deemageddon, moddable after Deemageddon.
this is quite true, but its the people who will push the envelope to its max to obtain that last little bit of " performance".... repeated use of such hi power "applications" eventuallly weaken the original "structure" to a point as to where even a medium hot load will cause a failure.... an abused battery just might fail even when its being used "just below" its rated capacity due to previous abuse....
Wait what? Did someone just make an analogy that actually makes sense? Internet first for Bunnykiller! 
Next challenge: A car analogy that makes sense. They never ever do.
Next challenge: A car analogy that makes sense. They never ever do.
Someone mentioned bottom actuators ('switches') above, and how this could be a bad idea.
It's worth pointing out that bottom switches are only used because it's the cheapest, easiest way to build a mechmod. Switching the negative line is a bad idea in theory and that is borne out in practice: as soon as you get a battery label tear.
Anyone designing anything electrical should keep in mind that switching the positive line is the way to go. Switching the negative line is just a lash-up done to save money or make the job easier for people who aren't really up to designing or making the device.
To a certain extent the same thing applies to fusing - the positive line should be fused, not the negative. Too much ecig gear is designed and made by people who don't have a clue.
It's worth pointing out that bottom switches are only used because it's the cheapest, easiest way to build a mechmod. Switching the negative line is a bad idea in theory and that is borne out in practice: as soon as you get a battery label tear.
Anyone designing anything electrical should keep in mind that switching the positive line is the way to go. Switching the negative line is just a lash-up done to save money or make the job easier for people who aren't really up to designing or making the device.
To a certain extent the same thing applies to fusing - the positive line should be fused, not the negative. Too much ecig gear is designed and made by people who don't have a clue.
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