First E-Cig? A Review of the Most Popular Models With Comparisons, Reviews and Thoughts

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DocWyatt

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Considering that the initial search for an E-Cig can be very confusing, I wanted to make a quick outline of what i have learned after reading posts, asking questions of the experts, reading the library, etc. to help narrow a newbies search with the most popular styles. Here is a brief explanation of each style and an outline of some possible pro's/cons/differences of each. This should provide a newbie a good place to start their search and decision making process. Personally I own the EGO and a "mall" type.

Keep in mind that this is my attempt to cover the basics of each popular model and condense it all in one post - for a starting point of understanding. A much, much more detailed explanation of all this can be found in the Library along with pictures, etc. As far as " does XYZ model taste better, etc" this is subjective and everyone will have their preferences.

Here is the link to get much more detailed information about every aspect of e-cigs:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...ping-illustrated-guide-e-cigs-part-1-6-a.html


1) EGO 510 and Riva 510: Basically a 510 with a large fat battery so you it will last a long time. Lots of vapor, consistent hits because of very long battery life. Length: 118 mm with standard battery.

2) Mini Style: DSE 901 and 510. DSE 901 - Less vapor than 510, possibly smoother taste. Length 118 mm. 510 - more vapor, possibly less smooth than 901. Length 112 mm.

3) Pen Style: 801 and 302 These are longer, less vapor than a 510, but some say more vapor than 901 and smoother taste than a 510. It is somewhere between the two models - but much longer. Length 155 mm.

4) Two Piece Design: KR808D-1 and 4081. The KR808 is the style that Vapor4Life uses, for example. Brands that use the 4081 include SmokeStik and njoy. Simple, easy. You do not need to purchase those styles from them as their product is mostly branding with maybe some slight differences, just giving a reference point. Keep in mind that the KR808 is the only true 3.7 V in this style and far more popular than the 4081. (SS is testing a new 4081 called the Pitbull currently and apparently will be out in a month or so.)

The consensus on here seems to be that the EGO is currently the most popular model because of it's very long battery life and tons of vapor. Second and third is probably the KR808 and the 501, but not certain of the order. But again, what is best for you depends on your personal preferences.


Accessory Needs: Passthrough, Liquid, and Cartomizers.
Passthrough: If you choose anything but the EGO/RIVA and you smoke a lot at home I think most on here would say to get a passthrough to eliminate having to charge your battery many times a day. If you choose the EGO I do not feel it is necessary. In personally doubt i would ever use a PT with my EGO.
Liquid: You will almost certainly want to buy liquid as it is cheaper than buying pre-filled and much better tasting. In addition you can select a huge assortment of flavors.
Cartomizers: Some may decide they like the ease of a cartomizer instead of using an atomizer and a cartridge. You will need extra of these with your order. Personally, I like these over the carts/atomizers because they seem to last longer before re-filling and easier for me. But many prefer the other option.

Other Considerations: For your first attempt you will need to decide on a manual vs. an auto battery. I wanted to point this out as many new users may not even notice that there are two choices. With the manual battery you have to press a button. This provides more control and allows for longer hits. This is preferred by the majority of heavy vapors. The auto is more "natural" in that it activates when you inhale - but generally has shorter hit times and you have less control.

All of this is not complicated at all - once you understand what you are reading.

So don't get overwhelmed trying to understand all the lingo and the myriad of options. The point is that it is not complicated to use an e-cig at all. The only complication really is understanding what everyone is saying - and then choosing the model that is best for YOU.


Here is a post that I wrote that explains some more basics and my initial thoughts when i received my EGO, but i did not get into detail about the various models (mostly because I knew virtually nothing until I found this forum and learning as I test and read):


Received EGO: Thoughts and Comparison vs. "store" e-cigs and Newbie advice...
 
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DocWyatt

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Seems like you're re-writing the content that's already in the ECF Library. It's a lot of reading, but lots of pictures, videos, and other helpful stuff are already stickied to the top of the new users forum. Lots of contributors too so it's not necessarily biased toward one person's limited experience.

True enough. Just trying to help others out in one reasonably short post as it took me a FULL three days of reading to even understand what the heck my choices were. This was only my attempt to condense everything with the basics - not replace it. It did get a little long as i can tend to be long winded when writing. Anyhow, no big, was just trying to help.

As far as providing my opinion "by someone with limited experience" nothing in here comes from me personally but rather learned after reading 48 billion posts, the vast Library, and asking others many times - and spending 3-5 days of reading. Most users are not going to do that. They should - but they won't.

Anyhow oh well. Was just trying to help.
 
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RedForeman

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True enough. Just trying to help others out in one reasonably short post as it took me a FULL three days of reading to even understand what the heck my choices were. This was only my attempt to condense everything with the basics - not replace it. It did get a little long as i can tend to be long winded when writing. Anyhow, no big, was just trying to help.

And there's the catch. There's so many options to match up with so many user preferences, there's always that one more thing to add and next thing you know you have an epic for a summary. From what I've seen, probably less than half of new people actually get something that they ultimately stick with. Mainly because until you have the frame of reference of actually having used this gear in some fashion, you really can't relate to the actual features that the various options bring.

For that reason, I usually send people to the stickies and tell them to pick one that they think they will like and get one. Get it, use it, live with it for a week or two before you burn up your credit card buying more stuff. By that time, you've figured out how to fill a carto or which end of the atty goes where and you make better choices.

As far as providing my opinion "by someone with limited experience" nothing in here comes from me personally but rather learned after reading 48 billion posts, the vast Library, and asking others many times - and spending 3-5 days of reading. Most users are not going to do that. They should - but they won't.

Anyhow oh well. Was just trying to help.

Don't take the limited experience thing too personal - that wasn't meant as an attack. I'm the poster boy for limited experience. I too spent a few days reading the library contents. I figured the eGo would work for me after all that reading. I started with an eGo kit and have been slowly trying out new stuff. I'm still with it, but I honestly can't put it ahead of anything else because I haven't bought another model or mod to truly compare it with. It's that hands-on piece that no amount of reading will really give you.

You're right on about people not reading the contents and making a real bad purchase. They're the same people that call tech support because they don't have time or are far too important to read the manual. Or maybe they're not particularly savvy with using a computer and the forum search features, or maybe just aren't good readers. You can't fix that. Those people will always sign up to the forum and post their bad experience before they even read the first article trying to solve their own problem.

My personal approach is to chime in on threads where I have actually "been there done that" and let someone else follow up on the ones I didn't try myself. After that I just don't get too bent out of shape defending my thoughtful, good, always correct advice :laugh:
 

DocWyatt

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It's cool. Actually, thanks for pointing out that it may have sounded too much like an authoritative post. So I did some MORE editing to make sure people know this is based on a LOT of reading and some experience with the EGO and a "mall" cig - thus far. Comparing the two I have and reading a lot i can see that how this is a bit more complicated than what i thought it would be. There really is no such animal as "one shoe fits all".

The only caveat about "listening" to someone that has used a product is much of what is "best" is subjective. You can have 5 very experienced users of one model and 3 will love it and 2 will not like it at all. So i tried to stick to the obvious pros and cons that are not really subjective. For instance with me i like my EGO but find myself still puffing on my Safe Cig sometimes still - even though it is FAR less in vapor. Why? It tastes totally different. The problem with it is I don't think these type of "mall" cigs can possibly produce enough satisfaction to actually be used on a daily basis. They simply do not have enough UMPH - but the type of hit and taste is significantly different even with the exact same juice.

i will have a better idea in a day or two about the two piecers when i get my KR808. If i don't like that I may wait for the PitBull to come out. If I don't like that one... well.....LOL. I am not trying to replace my EGO really... I just want a small cig to go with it, if that makes sense.
 
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RedForeman

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It gets even better when you reverse yourself on input you posted earlier. Early on I said I just couldn't figure on having to constantly grab a juice bottle to drip. After a few weeks of doing just that (only a little less frequently) with carts - even with a PTB mod - I just decided to try it. Wow. No more mess, no more wiping everything off when filling, etc etc. I just have to be a little more in tune with when that atty is about to dry out. A super-T drip tip later and I'm now invested in dripping after saying I couldn't figure on doing that just a few weeks ago.
 

deback

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TheBuss - You might be changing your text daily, since there's a long learning curve with vaping, choosing parts, choosing liquids, etc. I've learned new things every day since receiving my first starter kit on 09/14/10 -- and have changed my mind about many things almost daily.

And there will come a day when you can no longer edit your message...
 
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DocWyatt

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I hear ya. I am not going to post any more "generic" posts to try and help. I was bored today ...lol.

The entire point of this was simply to give a point for a newbie to ask questions. If you don't know what to ask, you don't know the answer. Everyone should read the Library for detailed info, but will most? Probably not. So was just trying to assist in making this as basic as possible.

But I won't try and help with all this anymore as there is plenty to read on here already.
 
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Automaton

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Very cool!

I think it may be worth re-working the eGo/Rive category though.
There is the Defender and the Elegant for the Kr8, which are basically eGo's with Kr8 threading.
The Lux for the 902, and the Riva 901 - also eGo like batteries.

All of these models, regardless what threading they have, have the exact same advantages as the eGo/Riva 510. Maybe listen them all together, since you can now use any of the common Mini atomizers/cartomizers on an eGo-like battery.
 

DocWyatt

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Thanks. No, no, no.... lol. I am not posting "outlines" any more. I think people want everyone to read the Library which is fine. That is great in theory. Even people in college want the cliff notes version....:confused:

My KR808 should be here Thursday. Then i will know the EGO, the "mall" cig and the KR808. I only want one big one with huge battery life and one mini to get the "mental" thing of smoking. I think each type has it's own place...
 
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deback

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I hear ya. I am not going to post any more "generic" posts to try and help. I was bored today ...lol.

The entire point of this was simply to give a point for a newbie to ask questions. If you don't know what to ask, you don't know the answer. Everyone should read the Library for detailed info, but will most? Probably not. So was just trying to assist in making this as basic as possible.

But I won't try and help with all this anymore as there is plenty to read on here already.


I understand where you're coming from and appreciate that you want to help new users, but here's what happens: Each day, several new users post their first messages. They might have read a portion of a thread or two beforehand. They're excited about e-cigs but have no idea what to buy or where to buy it. They get a few responses in their thread, usually from the same posters giving the same recommendations, and then the next day, those messages disappear into page 2 of the New Members list, and a bunch of new users come and post their first messages, and the cycle repeats day after day after day.

I've noticed that many of the new users will just read the thread they started, hoping to find what they need to know, and won't venture out to the other threads. Some, however, do read several of the other threads and will learn quickly what they wish they had known at the beginning.

Anyway, there are always new threads each day, and the threads started the day before get pushed back into page 2, page 3, and so forth.
 

jplanet

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As someone relatively new to vaping, I appreciated DocWyatt's post very much. I have, personally, felt extremely overwhelmed by the libraries of information and videos, so Doc's post is one of the first I have encountered that I could actually understand! I would propose that anyone who is inspired to share their experiences feel free to do so - you never know what angle someone will ultimately relate to!
 
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