Everybody knows Great Lakes Vapor and Altsmoke are two of the biggest names in the industry, and rightly so. They've been in the game for a while now, and their products are evolutionary proof this is.
If you did your research before dropping a bill on either of these - you probably came to the conclusion that the GLV series, and all of Altsmoke's PVs are functionally, the least problematic. You can't go wrong with either.
I just traded my Omega for a GLV-2 (thanks rifleman) and since many of you are torn between the two, hopefully my comparison will make that easier.
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Build Quality: IMO the Omega seems more solid. If I were to take each PV and throw it at the ground 100x, I believe the GLV-2 would be the first in pieces. This is subjective though. When both pv's are at capacity, the Omega is the bigger, heavier unit. Everything in the Omega is machined and purely mechanical. Can't say that about the GLV2. Altsmoke states that their bodies are made from aircraft aluminum. Perhaps GLV uses a higher-quality lightweight aluminum, who knows. Wouldn't it be great if these companies and R&D that did "stress tests"?
Ergonomics: Obviously the GLV-2 wins this department; as that is what made the design famous. The smaller diameter body is easier to grip, and the button placement/tension is a match made on ... um e-harmony. The Omega has the slimmed out middle section - which is a nice change from their fat cousins: the SB and BB. Ergonomics is the ONLY reason why I traded my Omega for the GLV-2.
Maintenance: I have to give it to the Omega on this one. There are zero wires, which means zero chance of an electrical failure. Take down is simple and requires one tool. I'm sort of bugged that the GLV-2 has exposed wires in the head cap.
Thread Attachment: The Omega uses a typical "sealed" connector with 4 air "ports" (510). The GLV-2 connector is totally different. It is bottomless and unsealed with 2-ports. The positive on your atty touches a wire to complete the connection. If I were to fill the atty opening with juice it would spill directly into the battery compartment via the switch wire holes. Not the greatest design. Sure you have the possibility of switching out connectors - but who does that?
Switch: Both have problem/potential problems here. The GLV-2 switch feels awesome, but it's bound to fail after x amount of times. The Omega has no electrical switch, so it can NEVER fail, but activating the switch isn't very comfortable IMO. You either pull it down using your thumb and index, or you push it using your thumb. The latter actually hurts your thumb after a while (imagine clicking a mechanical pencil all day). The former just stressed out your hand muscles. There is also a significant amount of tension on the pull, so weaker hands will get tired. Guys probably won't have that problem b/c well, we exercise our hand muscles quite often lol.
Batteries: This might be the deal breaker for a lot of you. The Omega (hotspring) using an 18650 3.7 battery produces a beautiful vape. Big batteries seems to give better voltage with less cutoff. I used an 801 LR with the 18650 and was set for days. No need for 6v batteries that drain way too quick. You DO have the option to go 6v if you want. The GLV-2 has the 5v option (at cost), but there is no BIG battery option at 3.7volts which stinks. A lot of people prefer to use the LRatty/Big battery combo, as do I. Nobody wants to carry around 6 batteries.
Well, there it is. I wish someone had wrote this before I bought an Omega, but hopefully this answered some questions. Good Luck!
If you did your research before dropping a bill on either of these - you probably came to the conclusion that the GLV series, and all of Altsmoke's PVs are functionally, the least problematic. You can't go wrong with either.
I just traded my Omega for a GLV-2 (thanks rifleman) and since many of you are torn between the two, hopefully my comparison will make that easier.
-
Build Quality: IMO the Omega seems more solid. If I were to take each PV and throw it at the ground 100x, I believe the GLV-2 would be the first in pieces. This is subjective though. When both pv's are at capacity, the Omega is the bigger, heavier unit. Everything in the Omega is machined and purely mechanical. Can't say that about the GLV2. Altsmoke states that their bodies are made from aircraft aluminum. Perhaps GLV uses a higher-quality lightweight aluminum, who knows. Wouldn't it be great if these companies and R&D that did "stress tests"?
Ergonomics: Obviously the GLV-2 wins this department; as that is what made the design famous. The smaller diameter body is easier to grip, and the button placement/tension is a match made on ... um e-harmony. The Omega has the slimmed out middle section - which is a nice change from their fat cousins: the SB and BB. Ergonomics is the ONLY reason why I traded my Omega for the GLV-2.
Maintenance: I have to give it to the Omega on this one. There are zero wires, which means zero chance of an electrical failure. Take down is simple and requires one tool. I'm sort of bugged that the GLV-2 has exposed wires in the head cap.
Thread Attachment: The Omega uses a typical "sealed" connector with 4 air "ports" (510). The GLV-2 connector is totally different. It is bottomless and unsealed with 2-ports. The positive on your atty touches a wire to complete the connection. If I were to fill the atty opening with juice it would spill directly into the battery compartment via the switch wire holes. Not the greatest design. Sure you have the possibility of switching out connectors - but who does that?
Switch: Both have problem/potential problems here. The GLV-2 switch feels awesome, but it's bound to fail after x amount of times. The Omega has no electrical switch, so it can NEVER fail, but activating the switch isn't very comfortable IMO. You either pull it down using your thumb and index, or you push it using your thumb. The latter actually hurts your thumb after a while (imagine clicking a mechanical pencil all day). The former just stressed out your hand muscles. There is also a significant amount of tension on the pull, so weaker hands will get tired. Guys probably won't have that problem b/c well, we exercise our hand muscles quite often lol.
Batteries: This might be the deal breaker for a lot of you. The Omega (hotspring) using an 18650 3.7 battery produces a beautiful vape. Big batteries seems to give better voltage with less cutoff. I used an 801 LR with the 18650 and was set for days. No need for 6v batteries that drain way too quick. You DO have the option to go 6v if you want. The GLV-2 has the 5v option (at cost), but there is no BIG battery option at 3.7volts which stinks. A lot of people prefer to use the LRatty/Big battery combo, as do I. Nobody wants to carry around 6 batteries.
Well, there it is. I wish someone had wrote this before I bought an Omega, but hopefully this answered some questions. Good Luck!
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