Fed up with iSub-G and got a Vaporesso NRG instead

[Newmikey]

I've been an MTL vaper for quite some time now, using mostly Innokin products like the Zenith and Zlide tanks with mesh-type coils (0.48 ohm). Always enjoyed it and admired the products as well thought out and put together.

Getting curious(er) for DL vaping I got myself an Innokin Kroma-A kit with an iSub-G tank and the Plex3D coils. Total frustration followed. Whether it was my liquid (70%VG Naked 100 Lava Flow), the wattage (always on the low side of the recommended coil range) or my style of vaping, I went through these coils as if there was no tomorrow. They would lose taste after a day and then give me the very worst dry hit out of hell, leaving me gagging in the street.

Took apart on of the Plex3D coils and although the cotton was still virgin-white on the outside, the inside where it meets the mesh was burnt to a crisp. The coil itself crumbled away under my fingers so some of the stuff I inhaled may have contained metal-oxide particles - scary as hell!

Enough is enough! On a whim I went out to a vapestore in Amsterdam and asked for a tank that can deal with mid-range wattage coils and the guy gave me a Vaporesso NRG. Also recommended some replacement ceramic coils which I haven't tried yet.

What I have tried is the GT4 0.15 ohm that came preinstalled, vaping it with one of Halcyon's juices (Apach'i) building up from the minimum 30watts to the "best at" 45 watts for the coil.

Boy, what a relief and what an improvement in taste too! I'll be the last to bash Innokin and I still love the Zenith MTL coils but I just didn't get the flavor notes out of the Plex3D that I'm getting out of the GT4's on the NRG Mini. Also, this coils has been going strong for 48 hours and I cannot see any performance drop-off so I'm assuming they'll last way better than the Innokin mesh coils.

Then on to the annoying top-fill method of the iSub-G tank. Although I had no problems with the glass suddenly popping out and spilling juice, pushing down the top cap against the anti-flooding device of the iSub so it would catch the threads was hit and miss. The Vaporesso has this neat slide-away topcap with a decent fill opening. Really, the only downside seems to be that the coil is not the drop-in type and you can't have liquid in the tank while changing coils. Oh well, I'll live I suppose.

 

[bombastinator]

I've been an MTL vaper for quite some time now, using mostly Innokin products like the Zenith and Zlide tanks with mesh-type coils (0.48 ohm). Always enjoyed it and admired the products as well thought out and put together.

Getting curious(er) for DL vaping I got myself an Innokin Kroma-A kit with an iSub-G tank and the Plex3D coils. Total frustration followed. Whether it was my liquid (70%VG Naked 100 Lava Flow), the wattage (always on the low side of the recommended coil range) or my style of vaping, I went through these coils as if there was no tomorrow. They would lose taste after a day and then give me the very worst dry hit out of hell, leaving me gagging in the street.

dry hits happen when coils run dry. Your coil was apparently very slowly running dry for some reason

Took apart on of the Plex3D coils and although the cotton was still virgin-white on the outside, the inside where it meets the mesh was burnt to a crisp. The coil itself crumbled away under my fingers so some of the stuff I inhaled may have contained metal-oxide particles - scary as hell!

again, it was running dry. Even low wattage will burn cotton if it’s not being kept wet

Enough is enough! On a whim I went out to a vapestore in Amsterdam and asked for a tank that can deal with mid-range wattage coils and the guy gave me a Vaporesso NRG. Also recommended some replacement ceramic coils which I haven't tried yet.

What I have tried is the GT4 0.15 ohm that came preinstalled, vaping it with one of Halcyon's juices (Apach'i) building up from the minimum 30watts to the "best at" 45 watts for the coil.

“recommended wattage” is often garbage. I personally view it as a semi informed suggestion. The bottom of the “recommendation” is not an actual minimum.

Boy, what a relief and what an improvement in taste too! I'll be the last to bash Innokin and I still love the Zenith MTL coils but I just didn't get the flavor notes out of the Plex3D that I'm getting out of the GT4's on the NRG Mini. Also, this coils has been going strong for 48 hours and I cannot see any performance drop-off so I'm assuming they'll last way better than the Innokin mesh coils.

sounds like that one isn’t slowly running dry for whatever reason

Then on to the annoying top-fill method of the iSub-G tank. Although I had no problems with the glass suddenly popping out and spilling juice, pushing down the top cap against the anti-flooding device of the iSub so it would catch the threads was hit and miss. The Vaporesso has this neat slide-away topcap with a decent fill opening. Really, the only downside seems to be that the coil is not the drop-in type and you can't have liquid in the tank while changing coils. Oh well, I'll live I suppose.
View attachment 833429

Slide away top caps have their own problems, but they generally involve wear (they get loose) so you won’t see it till it starts happening in a few months.

 

[Newmikey]

dry hits happen when coils run dry. Your coil was apparently very slowly running dry for some reason again, it was running dry. Even low wattage will burn cotton if it’s not being kept wet

Oh, absolutely! One possible reason I came across were the fact there is very little cotton around the Plex3D coils and it is very tightly packed in with woodpulp so that sweet(ish) 70%VG liquids may just not penetrate the wadding fast enough. The second is the flow control in the iSub tank which only leaves very small openings for the juice to actually get to the wicking holes of the coil. Especially when negative pressure builds up inside the tank, the juice simply stops being delivered to the coil.

“recommended wattage” is often garbage. I personally view it as a semi informed suggestion. The bottom of the “recommendation” is not an actual minimum.

Again, I see no reason to disagree with you. I generally vape at lower wattages than recommended and I vaped the Plex3D at 25 watts (they're rated between 35 and 55 watts) but playing around with the wattage did not impact the lifespan of the coils at all.

sounds like that one isn’t slowly running dry for whatever reason

I can think of a couple of reasons. The fact the coil has very large wicking holes is one, and the fact there is no mechanism around them which constricts flow to the coil is another.

Slide away top caps have their own problems, but they generally involve wear (they get loose) so you won’t see it till it starts happening in a few months.

Of course it will and I'm very much aware of that. Any moving parts will be subject to wear if it'd be the spring-mounted juiceflow-control of the iSub or the topcap mechanism of the NRG. But at $25 for a tank, I don't really see this as a downside either. I used to spend $25 in two days on cigarettes until a few years ago!

 

[IslaIsForIsland]

So should I be upset that I ordered a Kroma-A + iSub-B kit?

 

[Newmikey]

So should I be upset that I ordered a Kroma-A + iSub-B kit?

Nah, the mod itself is a little gem well worth having anyway and you may have a totally different experience than I had with the tank.

 

[Newmikey]

I'm doing a little experiment now. Got a 100%PG nicshot for my 50ml Naked 100 shortfill. That should bring it down to a little under 60/40 which should give the Plex3D coil a better shot at wicking. Let's see how this combo does. Like I said, not giving up on the tank that easily. Also have some older o.5 ohm iSub (traditionally coiled & wicked) coils on order.

I did find the flavor of the NRG with the GT4 coil (0.15 ohm 30-70 watt) at 40 watts slightly more defined and saturated than the the same liquid in the iSub with the Plex3D at 35 watts but bot, does the glass heat up! It is the mini TPD compliant 2ml version so that might contribute as the coils is quite chunky and almost touches the glass. Bubble glass on the way so let's see about that.

One BIG problem is that since I took the step to restricted DL, my MTL tanks are missing some attention. I'm taking to DL faster than I thought and MTL just doesn't taste the same really.

 

[Newmikey]

Well, weird news! I got a new pack of Plex3D's and I've started out using the 60/40 liquid I described above (the one that earlier at 70/30 would burn out the coils in under a day) - the coils are doing great! I have even started refilling the tank with pure 70/30 when it got down to half-full and the coil did't give a squeak. Taste remain spot-on and no sign of any hint of burnt aftertaste or dryhit. Could it have been a faulty batch of coils after all?

The NRG tank now sits on my Coolfire Mini mod looking very decent. At 40 watts, the maximum the mod can produce, the flavor of the GT4 coils is lightly muted and of course the mod needs recharging a bit more often but it really isn't half bad. I'll try the ceramic coils next and see how they do - they are rated between 15 and 40 watts so may prove a better "fit" for the Coolfire Mini.

Baby steps on the MTL to DL road but I'm getting there. From here on in though, going back to my Zeniths or Zlides is really disappointing. I'll pass them on to my daughter who already runs an EZ.Watt with a T20S tank.

 

[Mordacai]

Hello @Newmikey, FYI. GT Core coils also fit Cascade and Skrr ranges of tanks.

I run a Skrr with the 0.5 ohm CCell coil, it's decent. It's a good balance of battery life, vapour, taste and heat.

 

[Newmikey]

OK, we seem to have solved the mystery. I sent back the iSub tank to the supplier and he let me know the following:

Yes we did take a look Strangely the inner chimney had become oval in shape which didn’t allow the coil back in. We assume that has happened due to heat and the material not being ideal. We’ve reported it back to Innokin but this can take some time to get an answer. I have credited your account by the amount so you are free to use that when you need to.​

The second tank I got as a replacement together with Plex3D coils from a different supplier has none of the issues I experienced with the first. The deformation is probably due to the coil burning and that may have been a result from a faulty batch of coils, combined with a liquid which didn't wick as well even though it is 70VG just like all of my other liquids. All is well that ends well.