Hello

[Tol]

Well I am brand new to this whole thing and a bit confused by some of it, but learning.
I have not smoked a cigarette since midnight, new year's eve.

My wife and I are trying to quit for good, and it is a bit rough as to be expected with any long term habit/addiction. She has the patch on and doing well with it, but for me, I need something different. I did ok for a day and then I started getting a bit jumpy and had a hard time figuring out what to do with myself. I decided to try an e-cigarette, and wanted it right away, rather than waiting for one to come in and possibly bouncing back to real cigarettes in the meantime.

A friend mentioned a place in town sold them, so I dug around a bit and found unrealcigarettes.com which has local retailers here that sell their equipment. I figured that for $29.99 it was worth a shot. I have to say I am impressed with the amount of vapor and the "feeling" of smoking. What does not impress me is the taste, it's very odd coming from smoking Marb Lights & Marb Reds. After reading this forum a bit, I found I am not alone in my thoughts of "tobacco" Flavored carts. I found the Menthol cart that came with the sampler was more pleasing. I occasionally smoked a menthol, so the taste is not too bad for me. The local shop does not have anything other than Tobacco & Menthol flavors, so I haven't gotten to try anything else yet.

I have read a bit on vaping and see a lot of people recommending GreenSmoke or SafeCig and some others such as Blu, Volano, etc... What would I be gaining by possibly switching to these brands versus what I have now? According to the site, what I have is basically a clone of the njoy NPro and it can use their carts as well.

Anyway, I will stop babbling on, and do some more reading around here.

 

[Sainted_S]

You won't find many people here recommending those brands and if you read the stickies at the top of the new members forum you may discover you want to stay clear of them. Though they may work for some people, there are much better deals out there and ecigs that are much easier to switch to from analogs. There are tons of juice suppliers and everyone's taste is different.

 

[Dizzy_jester]

reason people switch from them is battery life, throat hit, amount of vapor exhaled, and of course flavor...

 

[mlinky]

Tol, go read, and then come back. Welcome, but please stay away from over-priced rebranded stuff. Your previous research was apparently from bogus advertising sites masquerading as legit review sites.

 

[poundpuppiesrock]

Good luck to you and you wife. Keep reading on the forum. Their are lot's of people out there that will help you out.

 

[Tol]

Thanks for the replies, I am guessing that most of what I found is like you said, marketing BS. I see a lot of people around here talking about eGo and Riva, so I will check them out. Right now this one I got is keeping me from smoking which was the purpose originally, but I think with a nicer setup and maybe using some good juice, It might help keep me off them long term. Also I see people talking about Manual batteries being better than Automatic? Is that kind of a general consensus or just a matter of preference?

Edit: I came across the Buying and Using an Electronic Cigarette: A Primer post here and it answered a few questions for me.

TONS of options out there, but pretty much any of them seem a smarter choice than killing myself at $9.00 or more a pack.

 

[AlmightyGod]

Bloogplanet sells the KR808D-1...very nice unit.
Liberty Flights has Rivas(ego type) for $30...that's a 510 unit.

My favorite juice vendor is Backwoods Brew...awesome juice to refill those empties, so don't throw them away! You can reuse them at least 4-5 times...as many as 10-12...from my experience.

 

[Tol]

Thanks to the advice, I might order some juice first and see how it goes with the current unit i have to see if it is more to my liking than the the pre-filled cartomizers it came with, and the additional 10 carts I bought today to try different Nic strengths out. I think I just have to abandon the idea that it tobacco flavors are for me, they may or may not be. Starting to notice that my throat gets a little rough after a bit too, which from what I have been reading so far, I may be one of the folks who find VG better than PG, maybe I will get some of each type and experiment. More than anything I am seeing that vaping is a matter of trial & error initially, until I hit the right setup for me.

 

[Tiari]

I went to the site you got your ecig from, just to see if I could discern the model #. Sadly, though I think it is an RN4081, I cant be certain so can't really suggest where to get cheaper parts/carts for it.

Don't sweat it if you overpaid, your not an idiot, your trying to do something good for yourself, and wanted to do it quickly. Models like the one you have work just fine they are just often overpriced, which is sad....... and they don't specify the model, so you really don't know if you can interchange it with anything. Here's some suggestions that you might be happier with now that you can sit back and research and figure out what you want.

Model RN4081: These get a bad rap because a lot of the mall Kiosk sellers use these re-branded, change screw threading so you cant interchange them with cheaper carts/chargers/ect, and they are WAY overpriced. This is sad because the RN4081 is a real workhorse of of an ecig. Aquavapor.com sells RN4081 kits and parts, and sell a PCC (personal charging case) as well as cartomizers. I have this kit, and its my main go to.

Model 510: Pretty darn popular, and with good reason. Speaking of workhorse, a good 510 with a manual battery for dripping directly on the atomizer with juice is nearly a euphoric experience LOL. The 510 fitting is also pretty common, and just do an internet search for "e cigarette 510" and you'll get more sites selling them than you can shake a stick at. I love my 510's and use them when I'm home a drip directly without a cartridge or cartomizer, although I'll be getting cartomizers soon to check them out. Just look online and search and find good prices.

Model Ego/Riva/Inferno: I do not have one of these, although people on these forums absolutely dig them. I really haven't heard anything bad about this model, and I hear the battery life is incredible!

Stock prefilled cartridges: Usually a no no, as you don't know what they taste like till you vape them, and if you order a lot they could totally be awful. Best is to find a few e-juice suppliers, and order small sample packs. The first sample pack I tried was the pick and choose 5pack from totally wicked, but there are tons of other sellers out there with sample packs.

So those would be the top ten choices from me personally I'd recommend to someone starting out. If in doubt on a supplier, come to the forum before ordering and ask opinions. I am still new at vaping, but so far the vendors I have tried are aquavapor, Volcano, Totally wicked, Vapor Renu and Value Vapor. I have been 100% satisfied with the service and product of all of these vendors, which came recommended to me on these forums.

Good luck and happy vaping!

 

[Jerms]

Welcome Tol! Keep reading and learning and posting questions. You are right, you could have done better for a first purchase but, like you said, it did keep you from smoking and got you interested in vaping. You're on the right track looking for a good set up and quality juice.

The eGo and Riva are definitely good choices but you'll want to ask yourself; how important is it for me that my e-cig looks like an actual cigarette. If that's important, you might want to start out with a 510 or KR808D-1. Both are quality products about the size of a cigarette but you'll want to research both because they both have unique advantages and disadvantages. The downside to both is, small batteries equal frequent recharging. The KR8 does a little better then the 510 but depending on vaping style you'll still only get 2 to 5 hours before recharging. This can be managed by having a few batteries or carrying a pcc.

If it's not so important that it looks exactly like a cigarette then I would say start with a "fat batt", aka eGo style. That includes the Riva, Elegant, Ego, Leo and many others. I like the PigCig which falls in this category. These batteries are fatter then cig style ones, more of a cigar size, but not necessarily longer. What you get with these is a lot more use in between charges. Anywhere from 3 to 8 times longer depending on how high the mah rating is. With these it's easy to use all day and charge overnight.

As far as batteries being automatic versus manual, it's a preference thing. Its seems agreed on the 510 the manual is a better choice and that the KR8 has a reliable automatic. Most fat batts will have a manual battery. It seems more people prefer the manual over automatic. If you don't mind holding down a button I've found the manuals to be more reliable.

Good luck and enjoy the journey!

 

[CJsKee]

Hi Tol and welcome to ECF! Just wanted to remind you to be sure to drink lots of water...PG will dry you out. I generally use 80% PG/20% VG and always have a glass of water handy.

Good luck on your vaping journey and be sure to ask if you can't find answers to your questions...there's so much information now that it can be a bit overwhelming.

 

[CoughingBad]

I was doing the same thing as the OP.

I bought an convenient store eCig while waiting for my ego and the kr8. It was during xmas so delivery takes even longer. Like the OP, the OTC eCig is just a means for me to try it out, and hopefully get me through the days waiting for the orders. And it did, it might not be the best one out there, and it wasnt, I stopped vaping it as soon as i received the "real deal", but it did help. And as long as it helps, it is worth it!!

Good luck Tol!!

 

[AlmightyGod]

Welcome Tol! Keep reading and learning and posting questions. You are right, you could have done better for a first purchase but, like you said, it did keep you from smoking and got you interested in vaping. You're on the right track looking for a good set up and quality juice.

The eGo and Riva are definitely good choices but you'll want to ask yourself; how important is it for me that my e-cig looks like an actual cigarette. If that's important, you might want to start out with a 510 or KR808D-1. Both are quality products about the size of a cigarette but you'll want to research both because they both have unique advantages and disadvantages. The downside to both is, small batteries equal frequent recharging. The KR8 does a little better then the 510 but depending on vaping style you'll still only get 2 to 5 hours before recharging. This can be managed by having a few batteries or carrying a pcc.

If it's not so important that it looks exactly like a cigarette then I would say start with a "fat batt", aka eGo style. That includes the Riva, Elegant, Ego, Leo and many others. I like the PigCig which falls in this category. These batteries are fatter then cig style ones, more of a cigar size, but not necessarily longer. What you get with these is a lot more use in between charges. Anywhere from 3 to 8 times longer depending on how many ohms the battery you choose is. With these it's easy to use all day and charge overnight.

As far as batteries being automatic versus manual, it's a preference thing. Its seems agreed on the 510 the manual is a better choice and that the KR8 has a reliable automatic. Most fat batts will have a manual battery. It seems more people prefer the manual over automatic. If you don't mind holding down a button I've found the manuals to be more reliable.

Good luck and enjoy the journey!

I agree with everything except for that batteries are measured in mAh...
Riva...750mAh
eGo...650mAh
regular 510...180mAh
regular Kr8...280mAh

 

[QueenofHearts]

Egos are also available in 900 mAh. Same circumference as the 650 mAh, just a bit longer. The extra life of the battery is much better. The cones for the 650 will also fit the 900 mAh. Saves money if you move up to the higher mAh.

 

[Jerms]

Glad you caught that almighty. Edited my post to correct that (had put in ohm when I meant mah).

You can also get the eGo type batteries with a higher mah, at a higher price of course.

 

[Tol]

Thanks for all the encouragement and suggestions. It helps quite a lot! It does make me feel a bit better about the whole process, knowing that what I bought, probably isn't the greatest thing, but it is a million times better for me and it led me to searching around the net to see what other people's experiences were. So far it cost me $29.99 for the kit, and I spent another $22 on carts (10 of them). So $50 in before discovering this forum and it's wealth of knowledge, but $50 plus whatever getting a better unit, etc... runs me, is more than worth it to get me off smoking. A pack a day at $9-10 is like $3500 a year I am paying to hurt myself, that just nuts.

Anyway, thanks again everyone, I will be reading up on the models suggested and order one in the next day or two. I don't care so much if it looks like a cig, I am more in need of the action rather than the look, so I may start looking at the EGO or RIVA. Judging from similar threads to mine, I will be quite pleased with one of those units. Also people recommending the RIVA are talking about the Riva 510 or 901? I assume it's the 510 model.

 

[Jerms]

You're going into this with a great attitude Tol! $30 for not so great kit isn't much compared to many of the scam deals going around and Riva's don't cost much at all for a quality product.

The only difference between the Riva 510 and 901 is the threading. Meaning the 510 will work with 510 atomizers and cartomizers and the 901 fits 901 atomizers. The 901 also fits some but not all KR808 cartomizers. Most people would suggest the 510.

 

[Sainted_S]

You're going into this with a great attitude Tol! $30 for not so great kit isn't much compared to many of the scam deals going around and Riva's don't cost much at all for a quality product.

The only difference between the Riva 510 and 901 is the threading. Meaning the 510 will work with 510 atomizers and cartomizers and the 901 fits 901 atomizers. The 901 also fits some but not all KR808 cartomizers. Most people would suggest the 510.

LF also carries the Riva 901, but the 510 connection for attys and cartos is much more widely available. Some people love the 901 connection though.

 

[mlinky]

The eGo/Riva 510 is a great place to start. Reasonably priced, great battery life, easily available replacement parts, and consistent vaping. A lot of people eventually move on to mods, but quite a few stick with the eGo. The eGo will give you plenty of time to enjoy the e-cig experience and figure out if a mod is your "ultimate" vape.

 

[Tol]

Thinking of maybe just getting the Joye 510 Manual in White. After thinking more about it, a Slim model will suite me well, be less conspicuous if I drive with it. I can get a PCC and a Passthrough to offset the battery life on it. I smoked a lot less during the day at work, usually 3-6 cigs in a 9 hour day. Night time is where I got bad with smoking usually. I figure with a passthrough, I can hook it to my pc or even a wall adapter and puff while sitting on my couch. (I assume passthrough works just as well via the wall adapters as it does the usb port on a pc?)

Any suggestions on a good place to buy this from with a good price and good customer service? I see a lot of prices online for them ranging from $25-55 with varying stuff included in the kit. Just don't want to go buying from a place to find out they have cheap prices and crap service. I would rather pay a little more to a company with a good rep.