Getting longer life out of cartos

[donnah]

Some people can get weeks out of their cartos and some can only get a couple day tops. I've noticed that with juices from a certain vendor, I can only get one good day before the taste and performance get bad. While there is a certain juice from another vendor that will last a couple weeks. I know cartos are meant to be "disposable" but I'm cost conscious and hate having to throw one out every couple days. I end up trying to get a full second day and then not enjoying it at all.

Both juices from both vendors are yellowish/clear in color and very sweet. What could be the difference? About a month ago I started experimenting with unflavored juice. I liked it. I started an experiment with a ccv resurrector using only unflavored and after 2 weeks it was still going strong. I added just a few small drops of my own flavor to the mix and have been using that in it for the past 2 more weeks and the carto is still going strong, great flavor and vapor. I will be using the same carto for 4 weeks tomorrow (not exclusively but every day).

What could be an ingredient in a juice that would cause it to ruin a carto that fast? I've been diying for several months now and find that my own juices are much better companions in my cartos. Could it be a sweetener? Warm sugar cookie from KBV is super sweet and it plays really well in a carto. My friend has been getting a couple weeks use out of hers using this juice. This month old carto that I'm using now hasn't seen any sweetener other than FA sweet cream or vanilla swirl.

There's a thread that lists juices that crack tanks. Maybe we should have a thread where people list juices that last and/or don't last in their cartos.

 

[mooreted]

Well, the Tobacco I got from Tasty Vapor killed most of my cartos. Sometime I wouldn't get more than a couple of puffs before it burnt. I took one apart and all the wicking material was caked with dark sediment. I think the main causes of dead cartos are:

Juice sediment
Too much VG
Too sweet (caramelized sugar)
Age

For cartos, juice should be clear and watery about 80/20 to 70/30 PG/VG.

 

[madjack]

...what the cross-eyed penguin said.....................................

 

[washvap]

I guess it depends on the sweetener since some can gunk up the coil fairly quickly. Seems like you've been avoiding dark colored juices and so, that's good since they can have a bad effect. As mentioned earlier, certain vendors have a thicker base that they use, as compared to others which will cause wicking issues.

Anyways, I think it would be great to create a thread listing juices that kill cartos quickly. I'll start:

BWB Malty

 

[Tersur]

Properly Filling is also a big factor in carto life. If you dont fill it up enough the Filler will get burnt much faster. if you constantly fill it up too much the draw will get tight quicker. Darker colored juices also leave more gunk behind on the coil after beeing vaporized that clog the coil up and cause vapor production to drop off.

 

[donnah]

I love Tasty Vapor juices, but they just don't work well in the resurrectors. Tastyfinger, caramel popcorn and waffle. After a full day, they start tasting stale and the performance of the carto diminishes.

Back a few weeks ago, I was using 901 atomizers and had 5 go out on me in 5 days! Each one lasted one day. An atty a day is too expenive for my budget! Back when I smoked I could make a pack of cigarettes last at least two days. So I switched back to 510s. The new 510 lasted one day and it too died! WTH! I was using a vv device and it wasn't too high, they didn't pop or burn.. just died. Hmm, what was the common factor in all of the dead attys? TV tastyfinger!

Crap!
I just found this juice!
I looove this juice!
I want to keep using this juice!
So I've diluted it.. cut it half and half with unflavored. After I shake the bottle and mix it together it still tastes like tasty finger! diluting it didn't hurt the flavor. I've been using it for almost a week now in a 510 atty and it's still alive. I haven't tried it in a carto yet but I sure hope this works. If it does I've not only found a way to make my equiptment last longer but a way to inexpensively double my juice!

 

[mooreted]

Yeah, I really like TV juice, but I can't afford to kill a carto every day

 

[MaxUT]

Have you tried IKV cartos? I'm using standard Boges and only get 2 days out of them before a funky taste creeps in. IKV Fusions and Premiums last at least twice as long. I attribute this to a higher quality filler that doesn't taint the liquid.

I'm using VS Phoenix, Boba's Bounty, VR Kentucky Premium.

 

[MaxUT]

Yeah, I really like TV juice, but I can't afford to kill a carto every day

Have you tried adding a little PGA to the juice? Might help...

If that doesn't work, you could always try the PGA in your orange juice.

 

[mohawkx]

I use the Gogo horizontal coil cartomizer for my dark colored, sweet juices like French Toast or cappucinno. After about 3 or 4 days the coil is caked with carbon and you can pull these apart, dry burn the coil and remove all the caramelization and reinsert the cleaned filler. You're good to go for another 3 or 4 days. Repeat as necessary.

 

[Shadow102]

donnah- The best thing I've found for keeping a carto alive is actually using a tank with it. My favorite juices are clear but lightly colored, although I have a chocolate covered strawberry I love but its super dark. Just using a straight carto I can get between 4-7 days on the dark one or 7-12 days on the light ones before the draw gets too tight or it just starts to funk up a bit.

Not a bad time frame honestly, however I have a Ressurector that's been sitting in a tank of TVR Waffle for over 2 months now, I vape it a little each day, but tanks are kind of unwieldy for my normal out and about so i don't use it constantly, more of an at home thing. I believe its the fact that the tank keeps it perfectly moistened without flooding the carto creating that tight draw or letting it get too dry which will toast it too soon. The waffle is almost gone and I think I'll throw the chocolate covered strawberry in there and see how long it lasts.

 

[Jeremy-WI]

donnah- The best thing I've found for keeping a carto alive is actually using a tank with it. My favorite juices are clear but lightly colored, although I have a chocolate covered strawberry I love but its super dark. Just using a straight carto I can get between 4-7 days on the dark one or 7-12 days on the light ones before the draw gets too tight or it just starts to funk up a bit.

Not a bad time frame honestly, however I have a Ressurector that's been sitting in a tank of TVR Waffle for over 2 months now, I vape it a little each day, but tanks are kind of unwieldy for my normal out and about so i don't use it constantly, more of an at home thing. I believe its the fact that the tank keeps it perfectly moistened without flooding the carto creating that tight draw or letting it get too dry which will toast it too soon. The waffle is almost gone and I think I'll throw the chocolate covered strawberry in there and see how long it lasts.

I found that my boge cartos last longer in tanks also, less chance of dry burning them. And I don't have issues with 100% VG juice in the tanks even with narrow slots or small holes punched- I usually use some 100% PG to prime the filler of the carto so the VG will soak in faster but after that 100% Boba's Bounty in the tank