Getting into vaping. Advice needed.

[v1ks_]

Greets,

Will be a somewhat lengthy post, but hopefully someone will read through it and offer some advice.
I'll start off with introducing myself, I guess.

I'm v1ks_, from Eastern part of Europe. Have been smoking for some ten years or so. Mostly cigarettes, but sometimes I do fancy a nice pipe, while out fishing or camping. Recently I've been thinking about ditching tobacco and turn to vaping instead.
I've read this and that on teh interwebz, but I'm having difficulties finding what I want. So here I am, looking for an advice.

Before I lay out what I want, I'll just add that I base my decisions on what I've seen. I have a colleague with an eLeaf iStick 50W w/ Lemo2(AFAIK) and another colleague with Kanger Subox Mini(both are vaping with half ohm coils, on low W, mouth to lungs).
That being said, he're the first thing I've understood - I dislike Mod Boxes. I want a Tube.

So this is where it all gets tricky. I just can't seem to find any decent (and decent looking) Tube Mods, that would fit my bill. The ones I've seen that both look good and actually are good, cost in the region of 200EUR, which is about twice the amount I'm ready and willing to spend on tank and mod. So far seems that the choice is either between bare minimum, like Aspire CF Sub Ohm, or over-the-top-fancy-state-of-the-art Mods, which cost way too much. I'd love to hear any suggestions on Tube Mods worth considering!

Next up is the tank choice. Boy, this is as hard as finding a Mod, but for the completely opposite reasons. Myriad of options...
At the moment a solid option seems to be Kanger Subtank Mini, because of a reasonable 4.5ml capacity and RBA section. There are few other options I'm thinking about, but those either come with a .2/.3 coil (which further limits Mod options), or with a tiny tank of only 2/3ml.

Well, that's about all I have at the moment.
In case someone has made it so far, I'll be very thankful of any input you might have!

Cheers!

 

[itskohler]

I use an IPV D2 with a Goliath V2 on top, and I absolutely love this combo. The D2 isn't a tube mod, but it's super small, and has power a plenty. It also has temp control, should you get any ni200 coils for your tank. The Goliath V2 holds the neighborhood of juice you're looking for, but has juice control. So you can shut it off, vape for a bit to dry whats left, and it wont leak. It also has some of the best airflow for a tank, and is adjustable. The RBA deck is a breeze for building, and the stepped juice channel shows you exactly where to cut your cotton for opitmal wicking.

 

[stalkster]

I'm Kinda lost, they have small box mods so you want a tube mod? Are you saying you want a mech mod? Or a regulated tube mod? Are you looking to mouth to lung or lung inhale?

 

[kaahn]

Provari comes to mind, variable wattage mod, but is kinda pricey. IT only goes up to 20w which could limit you in the kind of tank/coils you run on it. .9 ohm is I think the lowest you can run on it...the p3 that is. I don't own one so maybe someone here can chime in and tell you about them.

A cheaper alternative and one I found to be great is the mig cig Phantom X1600. I paired it with an Aspire Nautilus or nautilus mini and loved the look and feel. It went up to 15w so was perfect with that tank.

Just a couple of suggestions from my end. Hope this helps and welcome to ecf! Good luck!

 

[v1ks_]

Thanks for replies!

@itskohler
Thanks, I'll read up on the box mod in case I don't find what I'm looking for. Can't recall I've read anything about Goliath, but judging from what you've written, it could be a solid option.

@stalkster
Yes, they have small box mods, but I find them... I don't know... ugly? It's not like I have OCD or anything, but I like things that are symmetrical and have a nice design. Plain box with tank sitting on top just doesn't cut it. For example, the Kanger Subox next to something like Heatvape Power Tube TC (just found it actually and damn, that's a beauty) is like comparing night to day. For now, I'm hoping to find a decent regulated Tube Mod. I'm not entirely certain, that Mechanical Tube Mod is the way to go for someone trying to get into vaping... Finally, lung inhale is what I'm aiming for. Thanks!

@kaahn
I've read good things about Provari, but I'm really looking towards .5ohm or under, for lots of vapor and taste. Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but neither of the Nautiluses had the RBA option? Or I'm confusing Nautilus with some other Aspire tank? Thanks for the welcome!

 

[stalkster]

Not really a tube fan outside of mech mods.
Maybe check out the Apollo vtube 4.0 can fire down to a .2ohm and has 50w, Smok makes some but Im not a fan of smok's devices there tanks are ok.
Most regulated tube mods are not really aimed at subohm vaping.

 

[Tony80]

Volcano Tephra or Lavatube?
Lavatube only goes to 15w though...Maybe a Vamo or SVD?

 

[WileE]

Hello v1Ks - Since your in eastern Europe I'd recommend looking into the Dicodes line of regulated tube modes. The Dani V2 would be a good choice since it takes a common 18650 battery, does 40 watts in either temp control or regular mode & seems reasonably priced for the quality. As for the atomizer; its hard to go wrong with the Subtank mini. Another you may want to look at is the Crown tank. Over here in the eastern USA many people are switching from the Sub tanks to the Crowns.

 

[kaahn]

Thanks for replies!

@itskohler
Thanks, I'll read up on the box mod in case I don't find what I'm looking for. Can't recall I've read anything about Goliath, but judging from what you've written, it could be a solid option.

@stalkster
Yes, they have small box mods, but I find them... I don't know... ugly? It's not like I have OCD or anything, but I like things that are symmetrical and have a nice design. Plain box with tank sitting on top just doesn't cut it. For example, the Kanger Subox next to something like Heatvape Power Tube TC (just found it actually and damn, that's a beauty) is like comparing night to day. For now, I'm hoping to find a decent regulated Tube Mod. I'm not entirely certain, that Mechanical Tube Mod is the way to go for someone trying to get into vaping... Finally, lung inhale is what I'm aiming for. Thanks!

@kaahn
I've read good things about Provari, but I'm really looking towards .5ohm or under, for lots of vapor and taste. Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but neither of the Nautiluses had the RBA option? Or I'm confusing Nautilus with some other Aspire tank? Thanks for the welcome!

Well it can be argued that you have to sacrifice one for the other flavor vs. clouds. Usually the lower ohms you go you're sacrificing flavor for bigger clouds and vice versa. I recon you are going to have to find a comfortable medium. To answer your question about the Nautilus...no it doesn't have a rebuildable deck only prebuilt coils. As far as I know there really isn't a regulated tube mod that subohms. Maybe an Aspire subohm tubemod? I dont know if thats regulated though. You might want to check into something like an ipv mini v2. The form factor imo is great. Nice and slim. Goes up to 70w and is able to fire down to .3 ohms I believe. I love that mod and recommend it highly. Hope this helps!

Edit: with the ipv mini v2 firing that low you will have to take into consideration battery life. It only uses one 18650 battery and running that low will tend to eat battery power for breakfast. Hence why box mods are typically used for sub ohm setups.

 

[v1ks_]

Thanks for the input so far, everyone!

@stalkster
I've looked at Apollo V-Tube 4.0 and it does look like a decent set. A certain site with lots of reviews wrote very favorably about it - both the tube and the tank. Only cons are the fact that there is no option for RBA and the pricetag which, after a 15%-off coupon, is at 144 euros. Don't get me wrong, it's a fair price for what they offer. Carry case, plus tube mod, plus tank, plus another coil, plus 30ml of juice, plus battery and charger for 144 euros is an adequate... just that's a bit more than I can afford to spend, considering this will be my first set. I just know myself all too well... today I _must_ have a Tube, but once I actually get it, I might change my mind in a day, heh.

@Tony80
Seems like SVD is only up to 25W and reviews of Vamo (V10 especially) aren't really what I would call good. Thanks nevertheless though!

@WileE
Dani V2 looks nice and no doubt is worth the price tag, but at 199euros for just the Mod, it's way off my chart.
Huge difference between Western and Eastern Europe, I'm afraid. The minimal wage, after the taxes, is less than two Dani V2's... I'm far from minimal, but still, 200 euros for just the Mod is waaaay too much for me. As far as tanks go, yes, Uwell Crown is getting excellent reviews and would fit my requirements perfectly. Sadly, I've yet to find it in EU. I know it's available State-side for as low as $30, but after adding shipping costs and duty tax, it's just not worth it. If someone happens to know who sells them this side of the pond, I'm all ears.


@kaahn
Thanks! I've already wrote down a small list of Mod Boxes, in case I really can't find a nice Tube that does what I want and is within my price range! IPV is on that list now. The one Aspire I've looked at, which was the Aspire CF Sub, comes without any regulation. They have a control circuit and that is all separating them from "plain" mech tubes AFAIK.

Thanks once more! Keep the opinions/suggestions coming!

 

[v1ks_]

Sorry for double posting. I do hope it's not frowned upon...
Was starting to seriously consider the Apollo V-Tube, even went ahead and tried to register in their UK site... only to find out they don't ship to my country.
Guess it's no to Apollo as the price is already too high, not even taking into consideration shipping costs or hassle getting an forwarding agent.

So it's starting to look like I'll need to settle for a Box Mod.

That being said, what are the thoughts on the following mods/kits?
Kangertech Subox Mini kit - decent mod, good tank, good price.
Innokin MVP 3 Pro kit - better mod than Kanger's(?), 4500mAh (battery included), sub-par tank(iSub G, no RBA, capacity is OK though), size (huuuuuge).
IPV Mini V2 - arguably looks better then the two above, 10W more than MVP 3, doesn't come as kit, which means it's most expensive of the lot, after battery and tank is factored in.

Comments, suggestions?
Thanks!

 

[Ou2mame]

I love my ipv mini 2 its got a great chip, battery lasts me all day, very solid and sturdy. They are like 50 bucks now, a delta 2 is 15 on vaporbeast right now, and batteries are 5 bucks each, and a nitecore d2 charger is 15 bucks. Under 100 bucks. The sigelei 75w tc is going for 50 bucks too.

 

[v1ks_]

$50 for a Sigelei 75W sounds sweet. Sadly, in this case, I'm on the "wrong" side of the pond. I checked a few UK and Germany online stores and Sigelei 75W runs for twice that price (or even more). Hell, I even found a deal for Sigelei 100W for under $50 with a coupon code (out of stock, obviously).

ETA:
Can anyone give some feedback on CigaBuy? Are they legit?

 

[v1ks_]

So... yet another double post. Hopefully I won't get my eyes stabbed out through my screen, heh.

I'm pretty much set on which box mod to get.
Either an IPV D2 or Sigelei 75W.
That being said, does anyone know what chip does the Sigelei 75W use? IPV D2 is SX130H, but I've yet to find info on Sigelei (search in progress).
Another question is regarding the tanks now. Anyone has any suggestions for decent sub-ohm tanks that come with Ni200 coils as stock and doesn't require more than 70W to run, and has RBA? Or should I just get whichever RBA tank I fancy, along with some Ni200 wire and get straight to making my own coils?
Thanks!

 

[Ou2mame]

Delta 2 with the rba and make your own. Or the Arctic tank.

 

[v1ks_]

Delta 2 with the rba and make your own. Or the Arctic tank.

Any comments/thoughts on the non-OCC material that Delta 2 uses for wicking?
Sorry, reading all over the interwebz and stumbled over some negative feedback regarding the material used. Hard to figure out who true it is/should I be concerned, based on just one source.
Thanks!

 

[Ou2mame]

I don't use it, the rba let's you use whatever wicking material you want. It's a great tank with the rba deck no need to use their coils. I've heard from friends they aren't that good anyways.

 

[v1ks_]

I don't use it, the rba let's you use whatever wicking material you want. It's a great tank with the rba deck no need to use their coils. I've heard from friends they aren't that good anyways.

Oh, right... ahem, that's something I didn't know, or rather, hadn't put together in my head, that wicking material is up to me, when using RBA deck.
Thanks!

 

[Ou2mame]

I use Japanese cotton. I have tried others but keep using it cause it works very well. Cellucotton is pretty good too, but the Japanese cotton sheets are easier to work with.

My friend uses the Arctic tank in temp control and has had good results. The evic vt is a food battery too, and comes with nickel and titanium coils to get you started with the ego mega tank too.