First-Timers: What to buy to ensure your success!

[Stormee]

I am not here to tell you what brands to buy or what vendors to buy from. I'm here to tell you what to buy if you are an analog smoker who wants to be done smoking once you get your first order!

I don't want any of you to make the same mistake I did so here it goes:

If your first purchase is a vaporking ecig, make sure you buy the biggest kit with all the charging options. The large kit has the pcc (personal carrying case) which is a chargeable case for you to keep one extra battery charging while you vape on another. Also, buy extra cartomizers besides what comes in your kit. Depending upon where you live in reference to V4L, it could take a few days to get more cartos, and you do not want to be without supplies! An extra bottle of liquid wouldn't hurt either.

If you buy one of the other e-cigs such as an 801, 901, 501, etc. don't count on your starter kit to be a kit that will supply both yourself and your significant other! Yes I know most come with at least two batteries and one atomizer. My hubby and I thought we could buy one kit and an extra atty and we would have all we needed for two of us to vape! Wrong!

First, we both work. So we both needed charged batteries at all times. My husband burnt up his first atty within a week. Luckily, I had the sense to read up a bit after I made my first order and found out that we should have extra attys on hand. So on a Monday I ordered my starter kit, and already on Tuesday I ordered extra attys. Wednesday my starter kit arrived and Thursday my extra attys came. Thursday when we both went to work and our batteries died but only one of us had the A/C charger with us is when we realized we needed an extra A/C charger, and extra batteries! So Thursday I was ordering AGAIN! Ordered more batts, two more A/C chargers so we could both leave one at work and have one at home and I ordered one USB Passthrough as an added way to have an always charged batt. Well...that USB Passthrough got here and we were fighting over it! What a hit we got from it compared to our manual and auto batts! So the day after receiving the shipment that included the USB passthrough, I was ordering a second one! Luckily, at that time I realized we also needed to stock up on juice, so I wasn't paying shipping for one little item this time!

Bottom line: There are inexpensive kits out there that do not include all the extra little "gadgets". Do yourself a favor no matter what model you decide to go with and buy the biggest kit right from the start! You will spend less money on the items themselves, not to even mention the savings on shipping if you get it all out of the way from the start. Load up on carts and juice right away too. You could end up spending anywhere from $100 - $200 the first time depending on whether you are buying just for yourself or for a party of two...but how long would it take you to spend that on analogs? For me and my husband, an initial $200 investment would have been recovered in only two weeks of smoking analogs. We ended up spending closer to $300 by not buying everything together the first time around and paying higher prices for the extra gadgets and on all those added shipping costs!

So save yourself as much money as you can from the start and the whole process will be a lot less stressful than it was for me.

I didn't stumble onto this forum until well after spending too much money. All I had was a business card from a stranger in a restaurant with a company name on it from where she got hers. I went to the website that was on the business card and just clicked the buy button without doing any research. She swore by her model and said I didn't even need to shop, but she failed to tell me that I needed to read up on what would best suit my needs before making my first purchase and that I might need to buy some extra items for my husband and I to have so we weren't trying to share. You wouldn't try to share a pack of analogs each day going in two separate directions so don't try to share a kit!

There are so many things I wish I had asked about or read up on before making my first purchase (in hindsight). Take the time to read and ask questions before you buy. The last thing you want is to be three days smoke-free and not having what you need on hand to keep it that way!

Happy vaping!

 

[NightShadow]

Stormee,

Very good money / time / OMG I am out of X! - moment saving tips you have here.

Fortunately for my wife and I, we discovered ecigs while on the internet and not knowing much about them, a few searches quickly brought us here! So instead of making a quick purchase I was able to read for a few days and then make a much more informed decision.

We still ended up having a OMG experience as my wife had tossed the car charger into her car when we first got the kits in. Then days latter actually had a need to use it as she left for work with less than fully charged batteries. Needless to say our car charger is like MANY car chargers out there: Universal and as such needs the end of the HOME charger also to work.

After that incident, we promtly ordered the mega charger (like the one in Moobyghost's review) just from TECC as TW as out of stock. Great item, highly reccomended esp if you have multiple vaper's in the house.

PS: Love your avatar, actually had it in my pics here for possible use as such

 

[modestmark]

excellent advice! don't skimp on that starter kit. the first one I bought only had one battery and one atty in it. whoops!

 

[Lightgeoduck]

Maybe it isn't a good idea to buy the Biggest kit right off the bat... The OP said do research which is a good idea...but if you are unsure of what will work for you and you don't just want to take someone else's opinion as gold

Then buy small first to see if you like it...if it works for you I mean you don't want to waste money on something that isn't right for you....

Yes it is good to hear great reviews of a product before your first purchase
and to stay clear from suppliers that people warn againgst i.e. SE or any supplier that obligates you to purchase more....
know the model ecig you purchase as well so you can find out other sources for supplies just incase the one you buy from closes down and you need to resupply

There is a FAQ sticky that will get you started and tons of info here on ECF that Truely will help

Buying big from first order is a big big mistake if you are unsure of what you like...once you find your fave THEN buy big.

Don't get overwhelmed with all the info or the hype...

 

[NightShadow]

LGD,

I think there are 2 "philosophies" here.

For those wishing to simply "test the waters" to see if a pv is right/good for them, then your suggestion is great.

For those wanting to use a PV to get off analogs asap I'd go with Stormee's OP. Nothing worse when trying to stop smoking and you run out of something needed to vape!

And for others perhaps a combination (happy median) of the 2 will work "best" for them

Having done my reaserch first, I found buying a lot up front saved money in the long run. I will admit if it had not have worked out for us, then it would have been wasted money (could likely sell the kits in the classifieds / to friends etc) .

Both are valid viewpoints, it just depends on what you are trying to achieve and which you find more suited to you. In the end it's the peoples choice, and all we can do to help is give our views and let them decide for themselves.

 

[wdave]

For my experience, look here:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...discussion/42909-choosing-right-ecig-you.html

Dave

 

[Divreon]

I got a simply 510 kit. I'm the only smoker in the house, I have 2 batteries, 2 atomizers, and a wall charger. It came with a 15ml bottle, and I also ordered a 30ml bottle of juice.

I haven't gone big, but I'm doing great. Take a fully charged battery from home, and it rarely runs out before I'm back at the end of the day. But thats just based on my personal vaping habits. Haven't had issue with any of my parts yet, and I have enough juice for around three-six months if keep vaping at the rates I have been(it feels like I'm constantly vaping).

I wasn't sure it was going to be right for me. It was. I'd have liked all the cool gadgets, but I was, and still am on a budget. I quit analog smoking years ago, minus one or two cigarettes a week when I bum from friends, so vaping isn't actually saving me money, its costing me. In my case testing the water hasn't hurt me at all. I think Stormee's best advice is not to assume a basic kit can support multiple people. I'd recommend a basic kit to any light smoker(pack a week or less) as a good starting place.

The PCC and the USB Passthru are AMAZING devices from what I've read, and I really do want them, but for now, given costs, I can't afford to throw any more money into this hobby, and I don't feel I need to given that everything I have is working great and I'm almost never without a charged battery.

 

[Stormee]

Stormee,

Very good money / time / OMG I am out of X! - moment saving tips you have here.


After that incident, we promtly ordered the mega charger (like the one in Moobyghost's review) just from TECC as TW as out of stock. Great item, highly reccomended esp if you have multiple vaper's in the house.

PS: Love your avatar, actually had it in my pics here for possible use as such

Your first line has me ROTF! That has to be my very biggest piece of advice. Don't be stuck without having everything you need to keep on vaping smoothly without any bumps.

I will have to check out that mega charger. We haven't had any problems with our chargers so far but we haven't been on a road trip for more than 3 hours at a time either. Thanks for the tip Shadow!

 

[Stormee]

Maybe it isn't a good idea to buy the Biggest kit right off the bat... The OP said do research which is a good idea...but if you are unsure of what will work for you and you don't just want to take someone else's opinion as gold

This is true also duck...good point. I just know that for me...I had a specific date in mind that I wanted to become a NON-SMOKER. It was my birthday. I had everything I needed in time for that fateful event and haven't smoked since my last birthday. For someone who's not so hung up on getting what they need in order to not go back and forth from vaping to smoking, your advice is great. I already know I did not buy the best product for me, and it's on my agenda to purchase a VK kit. I guess I figure someone will always make use of my 801 in the family, even if we keep it for a backup system. There are four of us vaping!

 

[Stormee]

LGD,

I think there are 2 "philosophies" here.

For those wishing to simply "test the waters" to see if a pv is right/good for them, then your suggestion is great.

For those wanting to use a PV to get off analogs asap I'd go with Stormee's OP. Nothing worse when trying to stop smoking and you run out of something needed to vape!

And for others perhaps a combination (happy median) of the 2 will work "best" for them

Having done my reaserch first, I found buying a lot up front saved money in the long run. I will admit if it had not have worked out for us, then it would have been wasted money (could likely sell the kits in the classifieds / to friends etc) .

Both are valid viewpoints, it just depends on what you are trying to achieve and which you find more suited to you. In the end it's the peoples choice, and all we can do to help is give our views and let them decide for themselves.

I couldn't have said it better myself Shadow!

Just curious, does anyone know of ANYONE who tried vaping and it didn't work for them? My husband smoked 1.5 packs a day for 33 or 34 years of Marlboro Menthols and never picked up another analog since getting his PV.
I have not read any unsuccessful stories on this forum either. The only thing remotely close to it was a gal who said that she and her husband found themselves not being able to give up the analogs 100%. They were still smoking like 10 cigs a day after a week of vaping. Everyone suggested to her that they not have analogs sitting around. Get rid of them! I think they were probably able to give them up after they stopped enabling themselves to have the choice. I'll have to look for that thread and see what the outcome was.

 

[NightShadow]

Stormee,

Since I ordered my mega charger from TECC, I see TW has them back in stock now. TECC has the same device/price, just diff logo.

and a pic from TW as thier site was easier to snag a pic from:

TW says: The mega charger will charge 5 batteries at a time, not only will it charge the Joye 510 model it will charge JOYE306、JOYE306A、JOYE510、JOYE510L、JOYE510LM、JOYE520、JOYE520L、JOYE520LM or mixture of this combination.

I have not ran across a similar product for other battery types as yet, but was not looking for them either
(not so sublte hint for the manf/suppliers!)

At any rate something like is highly suggested esp if you have multiple vapers in the house, saves space, plugs, very convienient.

 

[Stormee]

I got a simply 510 kit. I'm the only smoker in the house, I have 2 batteries, 2 atomizers, and a wall charger. It came with a 15ml bottle, and I also ordered a 30ml bottle of juice.



The PCC and the USB Passthru are AMAZING devices from what I've read, and I really do want them, but for now, given costs, I can't afford to throw any more money into this hobby, and I don't feel I need to given that everything I have is working great and I'm almost never without a charged battery.

Divreon~It sounds like you made the right decisions for your needs. If this were just a hobby of mine, I certainly would not have spent so much money. But since it is an addiction of mine, even with all the money I spent I have saved money in the long run. I broke even a long time ago! If I were in your shoes, I would probably only vape 6mg or even 0 nic most of the time just to satisfy my hand-to-mouth habit. Sounds like you're doing great!

 

[Stormee]

Stormee,

I have not ran across a similar product for other battery types as yet, but was not looking for them either
(not so sublte hint for the manf/suppliers!)

At any rate something like is highly suggested esp if you have multiple vapers in the house, saves space, plugs, very convienient.

Shadow that rocks! I HAVE TO HAVE ONE! 8-o

Thx!

 

[Iambuza]

Hi everyone, another 2 cents from a newbie, I would say start small incase you get equipment your not happy with. I have already switched to a different model and manual batteries, I'm glad I didn't order all the extras with my first purchase, as I have given that unit away....Now if only all the juice companies would offer a 3ml sample set of every flavor they sell I wouldn't go broke trying new flavors....

 

[Cimyss]

I agree with you might want to start small, see if it is for you first!
If you are going to go with a KR808D-1 VK , Nhailer, Nebula or one of the many other names or retailers who sell this I suggest a passthrough as a cheap alternative way to try it first.
But I also wanted to point out not everyone is abel to stop imediately, for some people it requires more time and a learning curve of finding the right flavors and nicotine strengths. SO I suggest speaking with the company and asking for a mix of strengths, carto flavors as well! Most companys have a comments section, email or phone number listed on their site or have a forum here you can talk to people on to see if the company will do this! Also ask questions and browse the comments sections of the company and you will have a better idea of what to expect from your purchase!

 

[Kent C]

Regardless of which model - absolute minimum per person:

2 batteries
2 atomizers
1 charger
10ml of Marlboro at 12mg
10ml of Marlboro at 24mg

You may get tired of Marlboro but it won't gross you out for the first few weeks. While it isn't my regular vape now, it is good enough. I'll still vape it on occasions.

You can take the charger to work or wherever you're going. You'll have 'backup' in case a batt or atty go out and you have the combination of nic level which you can mix if you're either getting a high nic reaction or you aren't getting enough to keep you off analogs.

After that, get a sampler kit from Nhalers and buy as many bottles as you can afford. Even though there will be ones that will likely become your favorites, you'll find yourself hitting some of the others that were just 'ok' first time around. Your tastebuds may well 'grow into some of the flavors' after about 3 to 4 weeks. I still vape every one of the samplers I got from Nhaler.

Nice to have some Ecopure Rich on hand too. I just add a few drops to every top off.

 

[gooney0]

I suggest something in between.

I ordered a 510 starter kit and really liked it. I ran out of juice a couple of days latter, but at least I found something that works for me. I only had to shell out $50 to try it this way.

Once I knew I liked the 510 I ordered juice, a PCC, and spare parts.

I chose the 510 based on hours of reading this site and watching video reviews of various models. There are users who don't care for the 510 even though it is very popular.

The only problem with my strategy is shipping costs and a couple of e-cig less days. If i had it to do over again I'd have added juice to my first order.

-Gooney0

 

[msmanorlee52]

Hey there NightShadow..I'm a "newbie" vaporer, and was gifted a mall set, VapCig (J118??) as a WAY overpriced birthday present in early September. Despite the difficulty I had in figuring it out, (and feeling bad my cousin wasted her hard-earned cash on it..) it DID introduce me to the wonderful world of vaping, and led me to this site. It gave me the opportunity to learn about e-juice, refilling carts, and many of the the dynamics of vaping. I have since purchased a 510 starter set, along with a 510 usb passthrough, and am SOOO loving it! At the same time, I threw all financial caution to the wind, and purchased a JantyStick, (which arrived at the same time)..Much to my dismay, the Janty will not vape, and after a response from their site on how to troubleshoot, (I was very careful&followed all instructions to a T,)..still no vape!! I am currently waiting for a response. Even though I'm sure it will be resolved eventually, had I NOT purchased the 510 set, I would not be happily vaping as I type this. We all just have to have that back-up! Although I'm looking forward to the JantyStick being awesome, (it sure LOOKS awesome,) I have the extra stress of waiting for another response from them, as well as no clue of how long it will take for a replacement. BUT, back to my original comment for you! (Thanks for letting me vent..I've had a VERY stressful couple of weeks..) I'd LOVE to get the multi-charger you posted a photo of! You said they are availiable at TECC and TW..if you would be so kind to us newbies as to NOT abbreviate so much, and let us know what all those letters stand for! So many posts I read on this forum are abbreviated, and I am so clueless as to what, (or in this case, WHERE,) you are talking about! Thanks for your time and help..! Good health to you and yours!..msmanorlee52

 

[Iambuza]

msmanorless52

TW = Totally Wicked
TECC = The Electronic Cigarette Company