Finally decided to purchase an AVP

[supermiff]

Hello there guys.....
I am fairly new to the world of vaping. I started around 7 months ago and quit analogs about 6 months ago. Up until recently I have been rocking an Ego-C Twist (1000mAh) with a Vivi Nova Tank. Now that I am confident that I'm off analogs for good and am happy vaping, I decided that it was time to purchase a much better unit to keep me going long into the future.
I recently purchased a KangerTech ProTank 3 which I find a much better vape than my Nova however I have noticed that the Twist batteries performance varies considerably as the battery begins to wear and tests have shown that the voltage fluctuates under load. This is very noticeable as the day goes on and I eventually find myself having to crank the voltage up on my twist to get the same vape that I got early on in the morning. Don't get me wrong, I find the twist an excellent entry level VV unit and at the low price I cannot expect to much so I have now decided to take the swing and purchase an AVP to use with my protank 3.
I have been looking at all of the popular units available on UK websites and have been looking at loads and loads of different reviews but the comments vary so much I was interested in some opinions here.
My price range is £40 - £80, it must be compatible with the protank 3 and I do definitely prefer the tube styled units to the box shaped units. I am loving the Provari however it obviously sits way outside my price range so the ones that I have been focusing most of my attention on are the following;

1. Vamo VE V3
2. Innokin iTaste SVD
3. Sigelei Zmax V3
4. Sigelei Zmax V5

Thanks guys...

Oh nearly forgot... Some of these units are advertised as telescopic... Does this mean that the larger batteries can be fitted without needing to carry around extra tubes like you do with the vamo?

 

[ShariR]

All the ones you have chosen are a good fit for what you are looking for. I have the MVP2 and use Vision Spinners (which are like your Twists) so I can not comment from personal experience. What I do suggest you do, in addition to following this thread, is go and read posts here about what the owners are finding are pros and cons for each device. Because there are pluses and minuses to each of them.

I hope you find the one for you soon. Congratulations on your success thus far.

 

[wonner]

No experience with Vamo or Zmax but I would NOT recommend the SVD.

The only redeeming feature of the SVD is being telescopic. Otherwise it is cheap build quality and poor ergonomics. I own several Innokin products but this one never gets used.

BTW, welcome to the forum!

 

[moondragon]

Just wanted to say welcome to the forum! I haven't used any of the 4 that you listed, but I do recognize them all as being popular right now. Hopefully some other members with experience using them will be along shortly!

 

[DavidOck]

I find my SVD very comfortable to hold, and consider it to be a solid and well made unit. I do like the more than one button config, and the ability to lock the settings to prevent accidental change is nice. Ergonomics may be related to the size of the hand holding it?

It's my understanding that the ZMax 3 and 5 are the same animal other than the addition of being able to use the V5 to charge other devices. The Zmax gets generally good reviews around here as well.

 

[supermiff]

Thank you for the comments and for welcoming me to the forum. At the moment I think Its a head to head between the Vamo VE and the Zmax V5. The Vamo is quite a bit cheaper which is obviously attractive but I am unsure whether the V5 has any extra features that make it worth paying the extra for.

 

[yzer]

1. Vamo V3. It's just too large, has three buttons (two too many) arranged in a way that looks like a silly face. Cheap build quality.

2. Innokin iTaste SVD. It's nice. My issue is the styling which is a little on the gaudy side for me. It has too many buttons, too.

3. Sigelei Zmax V3 Telescopic Flat Top. My choice for the best VV/VW ever. Mine has been in daily use for nearly eight months. I just bought a second V3 Telescopic this week to have a back-up unit. Best build quality. Uses 18350, 2x18350, 18490, 18500 and 18650 IMR batteries, bright OLED display, single button menu. Heavily built and short for battery size.

4. Sigelei Zmax V5 Telescopic Flat Top. This ties the Sigelei above for first place. V5 Adds two extras: a cell phone charger accessory and a puff counter. Otherwise, identical to the V3 model.

 

[mooreted]

The nice thing about the Vamo is the button design. You can move up and down through menus easer than the single button Zmax. Both are really good. My Zmax V3 was dropped and the button moved up away from the plastic outer part making it hard to press the button, so that might be something to consider.

 

[yzer]

Vamo V3 is 139 mm tall with a 18650 battery. The Sigelei Zmax Telescopics are 128 mm tall with 18650 and get shorter with shorter batteries.

 

[supermiff]

I think the Zmax v5 is at the top of my list at the moment. I have heard a couple of people commenting about "hot spots". HAs anybody experienced this issue.

 

[yzer]

What do you mean by "hot spot?"

 

[supermiff]

I heard a couple of owners say that when using a section of the shaft begins to get very hot.

 

[caged imp]

Hi I have a vamo v5 nice bit of kit yes it is quite large and a little heavy but I would recommend it
also I notice no one has mentioned the smoktech sid shorter lighter and still very reasonable on price
and only has one button with a simple menu.

hope this helps

 

[supermiff]

Hi I have a vamo v5 nice bit of kit yes it is quite large and a little heavy but I would recommend it
also I notice no one has mentioned the smoktech sid shorter lighter and still very reasonable on price
and only has one button with a simple menu.

hope this helps

What is the V / W range that the Zmax V5 can vary between?

 

[yzer]

I heard a couple of owners say that when using a section of the shaft begins to get very hot.

I never experienced anything like this. I keep the threads clean, though.

 

[yzer]

What is the V / W range that the Zmax V5 can vary between?

Specs are identical for Sigelei Zmax V3 and V5...

3.0 to 6.0 Volts, in 0.1V increments

3.0 to 15.0 Watts, in 0.5W increments

 

[supermiff]

Specs are identical for Sigelei Zmax V3 and V5...

3.0 to 6.0 Volts, in 0.1V increments

3.0 to 15.0 Watts, in 0.5W increments

Thanks for the info... I think I have made my mind up. Thanks guys.

 

[Imperialbeachboy]

Save some money and get the zmax v3. That's what I got and it's great.

 

[Train2]

All good choices, top in their class. All fairly similar in reputation and capability.
Gotta disagree with the one neg. comment on the SVD though - mine's rock solid.
Little details:
VAMO has long history of crappy threads, and my ProTanks won't screw all the way down, so I don't use ProTanks on the VAMO. Other toppers are fine (from T3's to EVODs to Cartotanks).
SVD is perfect with all my Protanks, but cuts off airflow a bit to a T3. So, with the VAMO for those, all is good.
SVD is more flexible battery-wise - telescopic as you mentioned, it can handle ANY battery - 18350, 18500, 18650, button, no-button...

 

[3minute]

Personally, I only own the Zmax v3 and I love it. I was originally going for the SVD but after reading some reviews and stats, I decided otherwise. Too many negative reviews to have an even conscious. From what I have read about the Vamo and the Zmax, they are both great devices.

I only know of the v5 Vamo but I'm quite sure that all versions are quite similar to each other. If I'm wrong about this, someone please chime in. The nice thing about the Vamo is it's user friendliness is the menu screen. It has two buttons for the menu and the fire button making it super easy to change your settings. I've also seen that the finish on the Vamo tends to fade/scratch easily so that is another factor you have to think about. If you don't care so much about the aesthetics,you get quite a functional rig for about $10-15 USD less than the Zmax. (That's what I've seen on most sites anyways.)

Now for the Zmax. The only difference between the v3 and the v5 is the puff counter, and the phone charger attachment. If you don't want either of those then the v3 is the way to go. You had asked about the telescoping feature on the Zmax and the SVD. You are correct about the tubes. There is one tube that twists up and down to accommodate larger/smaller batteries. Quite a nice feature if I could say so. As far as the menu goes, it only has the one button for all functions so searching though the menu can get a little tedious but I really like the Zmax all in all. I know for a fact that it will accept your protank seeing as I own a protank 1and it threads right on nice and smooth. The only complaint is that when threaded all the way down, there is a slight gap between the top cap and the base of the protank. This can be remedied by just twisting the cap up and snugging it up with the base of the protank. Problem solved.

Well, I realize that this post has become rather long winded so I'm going to end it here. Haha I hope some of this info helps and PLEASE. If anyone sees any flaws in something I said, Please correct me! I am still a newbie myself and only know what I have researched and experienced for myself.

Happy vaping!