Being a relative newbie, this is my first RDA.
I wanted something small to fit on my itaste vv. I had read a lot of good things about the IGO-S. Received it today. To provide some perspective on my review...I started with the Innokin itaste v3 kit w/ the iclear16's. Next I got a mini protank 2 just a short while ago. Built some coils. Though I find it a pita, it's vaping beautifully w/ the latest coils I've built. But I also wanted something that would make it easy to switch between juices, sample juices, and just take a few hits off of a different flavour for a break from my all-day vape juice.
It came packaged in a small, cheap cardboard box. At first I thought maybe I had been shipped a clone, but a bit of searching turned up the same package. It does not come pre-wired (good) and includes wire and wick to make a coil and one spare o-ring and one spare post screw.
My first impression after taking it out of the package was: man, is this thing small! Yeah, I knew it would be small, but was still a bit surprised at just how tiny this little sucker is. The pictures and videos I saw before ordering made it seem bigger. For example, that lip that runs around the deck (which I like very much) is really tiny. In the photos, it looked more substantial. I've been rebuilding lots of heads for the mpt2 as I hone my coil-making skills, so I've already become accustomed to building in small spaces. But because the two posts are positioned in the center and near the outer edge of the deck, the distance between the two posts is about the same as the mpt2. I didn't realize that the outer post would be so close to the edge. (I should have - 14mm).
The 510 connector is sealed (no leaking onto the battery). On my battery the connection is just "ok". It doesn't feel right. It doesn't sit flush or level when tightened all the way down. I should have ordered a beauty ring with it to make it look better on my battery. There is one tiny airhole in the cap that you can position as you like - but no airflow control. There are two o-rings around the deck that keep the cap in place. They fit well and have the right amount of tension to pull the cap off and put it back on. The mouthpiece from my mpt2 fit too loosely. It won't fall out, but it jiggles. Not sure which one is too big or too small. I'll be getting another mouthpieces - so this isn't an issue. The posts and the two phillips head screws are of very poor quality. The screws do not fit as snugly as they should. They are too loose when you tighten and loosen them. There are holes in the posts to thread the legs of your coil through, which is convenient, but the holes in the posts are not oriented properly. The middle post's hole is a bit off-center, while the outer post's hole is worse - pointing way too much to the outside. I tried to reposition the posts to straighten the holes out, but they didn't move easily, and I was concerned about breaking them by applying too much pressure. This is a real bummer because it impacts the coil leg position and thus the coil itself. There is an insulator ring around the middle post that does not sit right, mainly because it touches the outer post. I will trim it a tiny bit so it isn't touching the outer post and will then likely sit properly.
I only have 32 gauge kanthal here at the moment. I have 28 and 30 on the way. This proved to be a big problem because the wire is just too thin for the screws in the posts making contact. Tighten too much - it breaks the wire. Tighten too little, it makes poor contact. The result is that the ohms kept changing on me. Not by minor amounts. Big swings. Big problem. Also, the ohms were substantially lower than they were for the exact same coil length and gauge in the mpt2. Weird. This problem of inconsistent and ever-changing resistance (mainly due to the loose screws and/or the wire being too thin) obviously directly impacted the coil and thus the vape. I actually had the same resistance reading from both a 5 wrap AND a 6 wrap coil (all other things being exactly equal). lol. It's the loose screws/poor contact. I suspect that the 30 or 28 will fare much better. I thought about just wrapping the wire around the post screws, but was concerned the coil would sit too high. Maybe I'll give that a try later. The result was that while my ohms were in an acceptable range, around 1.7, that is a bit lower than what I think is the sweet spot for this battery (app. 2.1 ohms).
vaping impressions: HOT. After going from a top-coil w/ the iclear16's (pretty warm vape), then to a bottom coil in the mpt2 (much cooler vape - though still warm enough - which I prefer), the IGO-S is like a mini steam bath or pressure cooker inside. Lots of water / moisture from the vape. Not sure if that's just the way it is due to the small size) or if the coil/wick/etc is causing it? I suppose a longer mouthpiece would help cool things down? The draw I found to be a bit tight with the airhole positioned right at the coils. The other strong impression I had was the throat hit. Wow! Neither of the other two devices I have vaped with came close to delivering that kind of punch. Too much for me (used to light analogs), but not insanely rough either. Most ex-smokers will probably like it. Tried a few different juices. They all vaped well. Taste was very nice (but too steamy). The amount of vapour was fine (but less than my mpt2 at 2.1 ohms) though I was disappointed that there wasn't more. I think that will improve greatly over time as I get used to building better coils and wicks for it. I found that the cotton taste (not burnt - just dry) would come in after only two hits. This surprised me because the wick looks so soaked when I put the cap on. I think because the outer post is so close to the edge, that the cotton wick on the outer side of the coil is just too small. Or maybe it's the airflow that is causing the outer side to run out of juice much faster, creating a "lopsided" wicking issue? I tried various coils as well as different wick shapes, sizes, and layouts. A little bit more on the outer side, tucked under that side, etc., all of them cotton, but I consistently found the dry hits came faster than they should (according to what I've seen in videos and have read). Also, I consistently would get a minor singe mark on JUST that outer side of the cotton. The coils fired evenly/perfectly, so that isn't it. I'll have to figure out a better way to build it (if one exists). Maybe the position of the airhole could change that dynamic? Also, perhaps cotton isn't the best wicking material to use due to the tiny size and design of this particular RDA? I'll build with the silica wick provided and see what happens.
All in all, it's a fine RDA. The screws/posts are the most serious issue. I'm not sorry I bought it. I'll use it. But after being quite excited to get an RDA, I am so far a little disappointed with the IGO-S. However, I think that once I get used to it, and figure out better builds and make a few changes, it might just turn out to be terrific. The potential is there. I'll update the review after getting 28 and 30 and trying various configurations. Hopefully, that'll make a positive difference. Other possible changes: longer mouthpiece, larger airhole or additional airhole, changing the screws, etc. I'll go re-read some IGO-S threads and see what the more experienced vapers have come up with.
I wanted something small to fit on my itaste vv. I had read a lot of good things about the IGO-S. Received it today. To provide some perspective on my review...I started with the Innokin itaste v3 kit w/ the iclear16's. Next I got a mini protank 2 just a short while ago. Built some coils. Though I find it a pita, it's vaping beautifully w/ the latest coils I've built. But I also wanted something that would make it easy to switch between juices, sample juices, and just take a few hits off of a different flavour for a break from my all-day vape juice.
It came packaged in a small, cheap cardboard box. At first I thought maybe I had been shipped a clone, but a bit of searching turned up the same package. It does not come pre-wired (good) and includes wire and wick to make a coil and one spare o-ring and one spare post screw.
My first impression after taking it out of the package was: man, is this thing small! Yeah, I knew it would be small, but was still a bit surprised at just how tiny this little sucker is. The pictures and videos I saw before ordering made it seem bigger. For example, that lip that runs around the deck (which I like very much) is really tiny. In the photos, it looked more substantial. I've been rebuilding lots of heads for the mpt2 as I hone my coil-making skills, so I've already become accustomed to building in small spaces. But because the two posts are positioned in the center and near the outer edge of the deck, the distance between the two posts is about the same as the mpt2. I didn't realize that the outer post would be so close to the edge. (I should have - 14mm).
The 510 connector is sealed (no leaking onto the battery). On my battery the connection is just "ok". It doesn't feel right. It doesn't sit flush or level when tightened all the way down. I should have ordered a beauty ring with it to make it look better on my battery. There is one tiny airhole in the cap that you can position as you like - but no airflow control. There are two o-rings around the deck that keep the cap in place. They fit well and have the right amount of tension to pull the cap off and put it back on. The mouthpiece from my mpt2 fit too loosely. It won't fall out, but it jiggles. Not sure which one is too big or too small. I'll be getting another mouthpieces - so this isn't an issue. The posts and the two phillips head screws are of very poor quality. The screws do not fit as snugly as they should. They are too loose when you tighten and loosen them. There are holes in the posts to thread the legs of your coil through, which is convenient, but the holes in the posts are not oriented properly. The middle post's hole is a bit off-center, while the outer post's hole is worse - pointing way too much to the outside. I tried to reposition the posts to straighten the holes out, but they didn't move easily, and I was concerned about breaking them by applying too much pressure. This is a real bummer because it impacts the coil leg position and thus the coil itself. There is an insulator ring around the middle post that does not sit right, mainly because it touches the outer post. I will trim it a tiny bit so it isn't touching the outer post and will then likely sit properly.
I only have 32 gauge kanthal here at the moment. I have 28 and 30 on the way. This proved to be a big problem because the wire is just too thin for the screws in the posts making contact. Tighten too much - it breaks the wire. Tighten too little, it makes poor contact. The result is that the ohms kept changing on me. Not by minor amounts. Big swings. Big problem. Also, the ohms were substantially lower than they were for the exact same coil length and gauge in the mpt2. Weird. This problem of inconsistent and ever-changing resistance (mainly due to the loose screws and/or the wire being too thin) obviously directly impacted the coil and thus the vape. I actually had the same resistance reading from both a 5 wrap AND a 6 wrap coil (all other things being exactly equal). lol. It's the loose screws/poor contact. I suspect that the 30 or 28 will fare much better. I thought about just wrapping the wire around the post screws, but was concerned the coil would sit too high. Maybe I'll give that a try later. The result was that while my ohms were in an acceptable range, around 1.7, that is a bit lower than what I think is the sweet spot for this battery (app. 2.1 ohms).
vaping impressions: HOT. After going from a top-coil w/ the iclear16's (pretty warm vape), then to a bottom coil in the mpt2 (much cooler vape - though still warm enough - which I prefer), the IGO-S is like a mini steam bath or pressure cooker inside. Lots of water / moisture from the vape. Not sure if that's just the way it is due to the small size) or if the coil/wick/etc is causing it? I suppose a longer mouthpiece would help cool things down? The draw I found to be a bit tight with the airhole positioned right at the coils. The other strong impression I had was the throat hit. Wow! Neither of the other two devices I have vaped with came close to delivering that kind of punch. Too much for me (used to light analogs), but not insanely rough either. Most ex-smokers will probably like it. Tried a few different juices. They all vaped well. Taste was very nice (but too steamy). The amount of vapour was fine (but less than my mpt2 at 2.1 ohms) though I was disappointed that there wasn't more. I think that will improve greatly over time as I get used to building better coils and wicks for it. I found that the cotton taste (not burnt - just dry) would come in after only two hits. This surprised me because the wick looks so soaked when I put the cap on. I think because the outer post is so close to the edge, that the cotton wick on the outer side of the coil is just too small. Or maybe it's the airflow that is causing the outer side to run out of juice much faster, creating a "lopsided" wicking issue? I tried various coils as well as different wick shapes, sizes, and layouts. A little bit more on the outer side, tucked under that side, etc., all of them cotton, but I consistently found the dry hits came faster than they should (according to what I've seen in videos and have read). Also, I consistently would get a minor singe mark on JUST that outer side of the cotton. The coils fired evenly/perfectly, so that isn't it. I'll have to figure out a better way to build it (if one exists). Maybe the position of the airhole could change that dynamic? Also, perhaps cotton isn't the best wicking material to use due to the tiny size and design of this particular RDA? I'll build with the silica wick provided and see what happens.
All in all, it's a fine RDA. The screws/posts are the most serious issue. I'm not sorry I bought it. I'll use it. But after being quite excited to get an RDA, I am so far a little disappointed with the IGO-S. However, I think that once I get used to it, and figure out better builds and make a few changes, it might just turn out to be terrific. The potential is there. I'll update the review after getting 28 and 30 and trying various configurations. Hopefully, that'll make a positive difference. Other possible changes: longer mouthpiece, larger airhole or additional airhole, changing the screws, etc. I'll go re-read some IGO-S threads and see what the more experienced vapers have come up with.
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