Finding good flavors in pre-filled carts

[orson]

I'm feeling pretty frustrated with e-cigs at this point and to be frank this forum is only adding to my confusion at the moment.

It seems like all the experienced posters here are more or less singing to the same tune of buying something that is refillable and then buying juice separately.

I just can't see myself messing around with dripping drops of liquid into cartridges, cleaning thingamajigs, washing this and that....

I really don't have a problem spending half as much as a pack of cigarettes on a disposable cartridge if it means I don't have to monkey around with buying juices and dripping them into cartridges.

What I do have a problem with is batteries that suck and flavors that blow.

The only pre-filled cartridges I've found that I like the flavor of are safecig, their Royale flavor in particular tastes a lot like a real cig with just a hint of chocolate versus the nasty cloying flavors of V2 and the wimpy non-cigarette like flavors of Blu.

Right now I'm experimenting with trying to mate the really decent V2 batteries up to some safecig original cartridges with an adapter.

The other option would be to stick with the safecig micro cartridges which I think thread to a 510 battery.

I would also like to know if anyone who has enjoyed safecig's flavors can recommend any other brands of pre-filled cartridges they thought were in the same genre of flavor, throat hit etc.

Thanks

 

[mattiem]

Welcome to ECF. I know information overload can be pretty overwhelming. Actually it can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be. Just take a deep breath and relax.

My advice would be to get a high amp battery and a handful of cartomizers and a bottle of juice. Filling the cartos is simple. If I can do it anyone can.

 

[jays1fan]

I am in the same boat , new and V2 to boot.

 

[swedishfish]

Most people find buying juice from a juice vendor, you get better tasting juice. Quality juice, make to your specifications. You chose the nicotine level and pg/vg ratio. You can even add extra flavoring if you want. prefilleds are nasty, sorry to say.

Filling a cartomizer takes about 1-2 minutes. You can fill or top off your cartos for the day in about 5 minutes in the moring or evening and be good to go all day.

You chose tiny batteries and small cartomizers. There are options. Bigger batteries, bigger cartomizers. Some cartomizers hold 4-5 ml of juice. Probably more than you'd vape in a day. 1300 mah batteries will last at least a day. 1 hour per 100 mah.

 

[orson]

Most people find buying juice from a juice vendor, you get better tasting juice. Quality juice, make to your specifications. You chose the nicotine level and pg/vg ratio. You can even add extra flavoring if you want. prefilleds are nasty, sorry to say.

Filling a cartomizer takes about 1-2 minutes. You can fill or top off your cartos for the day in about 5 minutes in the moring or evening and be good to go all day.

You chose tiny batteries and small cartomizers. There are options. Bigger batteries, bigger cartomizers. Some cartomizers hold 4-5 ml of juice. Probably more than you'd vape in a day. 1300 mah batteries will last at least a day. 1 hour per 100 mah.

Thanks for the replies.

As I mentioned I don't find safecigs prefilled carts to be nasty at all, moreso just frustrated with the crappy batteries.

So you're saying that the liquids taste better when you buy straight liquid and fill your own cartridges, how on earth do you go about figuring out what your specifications are? Do you just buy 50 different liquids and start mixing stuff up until you figure out what tastes good?

Is there a reasonably methodical way of going about that because it sounds pretty daunting.

I'm not looking for a lifestyle here, I just want to replace smoking with an e-cig that tastes good to me and works.

 

[dearme]

Since taste is subjective, the only recourse is to buy sample packs of juice in your nic level and preference for PG/VG percentage from several vendors, hoping to find some that you like. If we tell you what we like, chances are that you won't.

 

[swedishfish]

Thanks for the replies.

As I mentioned I don't find safecigs prefilled carts to be nasty at all, moreso just frustrated with the crappy batteries.

So you're saying that the liquids taste better when you buy straight liquid and fill your own cartridges, how on earth do you go about figuring out what your specifications are? Do you just buy 50 different liquids and start mixing stuff up until you figure out what tastes good?

Is there a reasonably methodical way of going about that because it sounds pretty daunting.

I'm not looking for a lifestyle here, I just want to replace smoking with an e-cig that tastes good to me and works.

If you're right that the safesig is a 510, you can pick up pretty inexpensive 510 batteries elsewhere. Get some meg 510 batteries, the longer type and use them with the safesig cartos you like.



I didn't happen to like prefilled. My mom did like a few.

I did a board search almost before I started vaping for Newport (my cig brand) and read every review I could and saw a juice recommend. I now realize I was very lucky because it was the only juice I ordered and liked it. It didn't taste like a newport but tasted pretty good.

After that I did buy a zillion juices, hated most but found the type of juice I like (mint & fruit). So I just go in that direction.

 

[dormouse]

If you like a cocoa-y tobacco try V4L WOWbacco (and Wowboy is the same but with a bit of mint added). Both can be found in the WOW Tobacco Shop carto sampler at V4L.com and are same threading a V2cigs.

I vape 2 models, one with WOWbacco and the other with WOW Vanilla for the contrast. For occasional vapes I like sweet RY4 tobaccos that have little tobacco aroma, other caramels, and peach flavors like Vixen Vapor Peach. I stay away from all dark, cloudy or opaque juices that drop flavoring sediment (degrades cartos fast).


The Safecig is RN4081 so buy an 808 to 4081 adapter (aka KR808D-1 to 4081 adapter) to use safe cig cartos aka cartomizers on V2 (they are not carts - carts = cartridges = use a separate atomizer). Adapters are 99 cents at Goodprophets.

 

[Zodas]

Pre-filled carts are not anything special at all...they can be refilled as well.

The logic just kind of astounds me...

-Pay for a pre-filled substandard cart for 500% of the price of an empty cart, use it once (about 4 cigs worth), throw it away. 5 carts = 3 days.

Instead of...

-Pay for a pack of high quality carts at a very reasonable price, refilling is easy, use it for 2 weeks (a few hundred cigs worth). 5 carts = 2 months.

God Bless the USA.

 

[mb300sd]

I have found that you can't go wrong with V4L. I stalked this forum and bought their starter pack. very generous then bought tons of other stuff. What fun. Buy a V4L sample pack in whatever flavor appeals to you (i was a menthol-Kool & Nuport smoker for 40 years but hate menthol vaping) in a high nic content like 24 mg so you are satisfied with the draw. then allow your tastebuds to pick something you like and focus on it. if you like a V4L flavor, buy a pack of prefilled cartos (price is the same as blanks) and some juice and "topoff" all day. they will last a while. try the saamplers and let us know

 

[swedishfish]

If the thought of filling your own overwhelms you- stick with prefilled for the time being. Better to do that than get frustrated and not vape or go back to cigs.

If you reach the point where your ready to look into buying juice or fill cartos, just ask. We'll be happy to help.

 

[rubrduk]

You should try fill the carts. Its so easy and worth it . I thiught all I wanted was prefilled and found out quickly I did not. Only been at it a few weeks. Look at the supplier page here . You will find places with very good juice and the have sample packages. Low price for several small samples so you can see what you like. I have tried and liked Best Electronic Cigarettes and E-Liquid - MyFreedomSmokes.com . and VermillionRiver is also very good, they will send you 1 free sample of your choice if you cover the shipping (2.50). VaporBomb is another. All of these places for around 20.00 give or take and will get you sample pack of about 5 or 6 flavors.
Good luck

 

[Zodas]

You only have to fill a carto once in any time consuming fashion...that being 2-3 minutes.

After that its drip, drip, drip, drip...done.

 

[Patrick21]

i tried my partners ecig from liberro and they were with prefilled carts. Taste really smoky and its the liquid i want for my ecig but unfortunately they dont sell the liquid on its own in bottles

 

[Ladypixel]

I'll be honest, when I first started messing about with this stuff a couple weeks ago, I thought the idea of mucking about with liquids et al was going to be an annoyance.

And then my husband decided on a whim to order a few samples of different juices.

What a difference that made. I got very lucky on the first sample by tasting Vermillion River's Kentucky Blend #7, which is a tobacco-and-bourbon blend that's got a nice smokiness and a hint of sweetness to it. I think that proved to me that I could, in fact, find tobacco flavors I liked. (Admittedly, I also vaped "butter rum" for 24 hours, just because I was fascinated by the fact that my e-cig tasted like a butter rum lifesaver.)

I've got samples coming from VapeDudes right now, and I've been cruising other suppliers curiously to see what they've got available. And right now, I'm vaping the Vermillion River Kentucky Amaretto, which is tobacco with a nice nutty, almondy flavor to it.

To fill a cartomizer easily, use the little rubber thingie that it comes capped off with. Fill it about 2/3rds of the way full of juice, and then put the cartomizer in (atomizer end first) slowly, pressing down on it. Do NOT put your finger over the hole as you push down. The cartomizer slorps up all the juice. Takes about 30-40 seconds to fill it, and another few seconds to rinse out the cap with water when you're done and set it somewhere to dry.

Also: my ecig comes with prefilled cartridges. I've been refilling those prefilled cartridges by putting a couple drops of juice in when they start to dry out, and then dampening the tip of my atomizer (I've got a 3-piece system, my husband's got a 2-piece cartomizer system).

Don't give up hope yet. Yes, it does take some experimentation, but I'll be honest, once you find flavors you like - and I don't mean just 'flavors you can tolerate', I mean flavors you actually enjoy just for the flavor itself - you'll understand why everyone here is so focused on their own selection of flavor choices. Everyone's tastes are very different!

 

[CharityRoyal]

So go ahead and start simple! This forum can be completely overwhelming at first and it's totally fine to go experiment first--it's wise to start with prefilled. If you like your V2 batteries, stick with them. I'd suggest a couple things-- in order of complexity for if and when you want to.

Step 1: Go to V4L.com and order some sample packs of prefilled "WOW cartomizers." All their stuff is interchangeable with your v2 batteries. You want WOW cartomizers (and not "Cool Carts"--- unless your main battery is a passthrough). To be completely honest, I haven't liked a lot of V4L's flavors, but I do like V2's flavors-- so I think you and I just have different tastebuds. V4L has a TON of flavors. So just order a whole bunch of sample packs that sound good, each pack will have 5 different flavors and from that you should find a few you really like. Then reorder packs of just that flavor. (BTW, V4L batteries are the same model and so almost identical to V2 batteries---but for a fraction of the cost. If you want more bats like your v2, consider buying them from v4l).

Step 2: If and when you're ready, consider buying juice of the flavor you like from v4l. Juice is not only cheaper, it also helps keep your flavors really tasty. So since you sound particular about having good flavor, I suggest you consider buying some extra juice to add to your prefilled ones. You only need to go simple here. Periodically you'll use a bent paper clip to remove the white cap, and squeeze about 5 drips onto the white cotton filling in your cartomizer. That's it.

Step 3: If you're satisfied by now, you're all set. If you're ready to step up to better flavors, buy some blank "Wow Cartomizers" or blank cartos from v2. Then get some juice from an independent seller to go with it. Filling is simpler than you think-- particularly after you've recovered from your current information overload. I'm going to personally recommend Backwoods Brews if you want to start somewhere for filling blanks. My reason is that it's one place I know of that's really good out of the mailbox-- I'm sure there are others, but you probably don't want to enter into the world of "steeping" yet.

 

[mb300sd]

V4L batteries are top notch. the xl's last all day even with chain vaping and the regular length is my go to battery because it gives the most "true" flavor hit with the easiest draw. you just cant go wrong with v4l. they will even refund if you dont like it. aces man.

 

[orson]

If you're right that the safesig is a 510, you can pick up pretty inexpensive 510 batteries elsewhere. Get some meg 510 batteries, the longer type and use them with the safesig cartos you like.

Is Blu a 510? Safecigs will screw onto the Blu batteries and work just fine, though they won't screw into Blu's charger pack.

 

[Deblym]

I understand the original poster's frustration lol I never roll my own cigs even though it's cheaper nor do I think I will want to refill cartomizers but who knows, the journey has just begun.

 

[T-roy Jenkins]

i find that my pre-filled carts usually last me over a day sometimes two, can all pre-filled carts be refilled???