Help! So Confused!

[Speedikeys]

Hi Everyone! I've been reading these forums and searching the web for info on E-cigarettes for about a month, and every day I just get more and more confused about which ecig to buy and everything I need to go with it.

After HOURS of reading, I still can't seem to find an answer to my main question which has to do with a cost comparison to smoking "real" cigarettes.

It seems to me by the time I buy a starter kit, extra atomizer, extra battery, cartriges, and refill liquid, and then factor in shipping costs, I'll be spending about the same amount of money, if not more, than I do smoking a pack a day of generic cigarettes (about $4.50/pack). Are my calculations way off here? I'll admit math is not my strong point!

Anyway, I currently smoke a pack a day of "real" cigarettes and thought switching to the ecigs would be healthier and hopefully save me some money. I noticed a lot of posters have their cost savings listed in their signatures so based on those, I must be calculating wrong.

Can anyone with a pack a day habit give me a ballpark cost comparison?

Thanks in advance. I'm still hopeful this might be a solution for me.

 

[markdb77]

You will need to invest about $100 initially.

kit - 60$
atomizers - 20$
juice - 30$

30$ /month for the juice
buy high strength juice, cut with glycerine.

My opinion : get an M401 or a 510(manual).

 

[rav]

I think the initial setup cost for vaping might equal out to smoking analogs but you will definately see a price decrease once you get going. I was a pack a day smoker and right now I am going through 1 cart a day with about three top offs of 6 drops. I think the most economic way to go is not just buy carts but buy the bottles of liquid. I figure I am spending about $1.50 - $2.00/day in liquid. Keep in mind though everyone is different and some us use more or less liquid depending on what satisfies our needs but I still think you would come under the $4.50/day mark with vaping. I am sure a lot has to with the quality of products your using also so it might be more cost effective to make sure you get a quality startup kit and maybe pay a little more upfront but will save you in the long run. Sorry I can't be more specific on your savings but we are all different and it is hard to put a standard price on cost per day. Good luck and hope this helps

 

[chief druid]

you might not actually save money .... according to my banned i should be rolling in money but i do buy loads of juice ... and i have spent a lot of money on different models before settling down with the dura .... now all i have to worry about is juice ... because janty's warranty is fantastic .... i'm just glad i'm not all smelly anymore and i dont have to go outside when i'm in a pub to smoke

 

[MrKrinkle]

All the answers your lil heart desires - Joye 510 - e-cigarette-forum.com • The place for electronic cigarette reviews, news and chat

 

[wv2win]

Over time (3-6 months) you can't help but save money. The trend in PV's (personal vaporizers) is toward manual switched devices with better batteries because of the consistently good reviews and performance. I would check out the Dura-C/510, Screwdriver, Zi Moshi and upcoming Prodigy from puresmoker.

Favorite Member PV's:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/general-discussion/14342-whats-your-favorite-pv.html

Out of 89 replies on this poll, approximately 60% favored manual switch PV's, with the Screwdriver being the favored.

- The ScrewDriver - An electronic cigarette that simply works

 

[Speedikeys]

Thanks for the responses! So I might not save a ton of money, but I still think it would be worth it to not smell like an ashtray everyday. I'm determined to figure this out and order one, hopefully today.

I've been back and forth between this site and different websites for hours now, and burned through a pack of cigs, and am more confused than ever!

In my perfect world, this is what I would like from an ecig:

1. One that most closely resembles an analog (as you call them! LOL!). Mostly concerned that the part that goes in your mouth "feels" more like the real thing. Thought I wanted the DSE901 but not sure about that tip, but would still consider it. The Screwdriver is interesting...maybe down the road, but not right now.

2. Long battery life.

3. Long cartridge life. I don't want to have to keep refilling/replacing a cartridge multiple times a day so I'm not sure the "mini" versions would be right. Or is this unavoidable if I'm used to smoking a pack a day?

4. From what I've read, I think I should get a manual switch, but I really don't know what that means. Is that a manual battery or is that the atomizer? Of all the reading and browsing I've done today, I don't think I've seen any descriptions that say "manual" anything so how do I know if it has it?

Sorry to be such a pain, but I don't want to buy the wrong thing and then have that ruin the experience. I really want to get off the analogs and hopefully get my kids (not really kids anymore, 24 and 21) off of them too by getting them to try my PV.

Right now they're laughing at me, as is my husband who just up and quit after smoking smoking 2 packs of Marlboro Reds a day and hasn't smoked a thing in over a month, so I really need to get this right so I can prove them wrong!

Any suggestions based on the above?

Thanks in advance! You all are great!

 

[tadslippy]

I think on just a cost comparison it depends on where you live and taxes. For me the cost savings was immediate. I smoked a pack a day until last week when i got my 901. In Massachusetts cigs recently went up to nearly $8 a pack. Even with enough juice for 3 months and some extra parts (2 starter kits, 2 extra atomizers, carts), I"ll break even if i don't buy a pack for three weeks. I haven't purchased a pack since i received my e-cig a week ago. Just hope I'm not becoming even more addicted to nicotine with it. I'd like to be off nicotine by the time my 3-month supply runs out. If I can give it all it up that will be $250 a month in savings.

 

[Speedikeys]

Thanks for the quick response Tadslippy! So you have the 901? That was one of my strong contenders. Does the fact that the tip is different from a regular cigarette bother you? Is it heavy? I mean, can you hold it like you would an analog or do you have to hold it more like a cigar?

Sorry, might sound stupid, but if it doesn't "feel" like a "real" cigarette, it's not gonna work for me. How is the "throat hit" for you? That's another important thing for me.

I know, I want it all! LOL!

 

[Speedikeys]

Oh, and YIKES! $8.00 a pack. I'm in PA and still paying $4.50 for generics.

 

[SmokinScott]

Think of the kit as a start up cost. Ideally, you should only pay it once.

The juice is the ongoing cost. That seems to be running around $10 per 10ml bottle. Just off the top of my head, I'd say 20ml lasts me more then a carton of analogs lasts (your mileage may vary). With a carton of generics at the wholesale club up here running me $34, the juice saves me around $14.

You can refill spare carts at home, then carry the spares with you in an empty breath mints tin. They take 2 seconds to swap out. You don't have to bring the juice bottle with you.

What causes the batteries to deliver voltage the attomizer can be sound or pressure (both caused by simply sucking on the device), or a physical push-button type of switch. The latter prevents the device from being activated by accident.

I would say go for the pen style. Larger battery and cart, means longer lasting for both. It seems a lot of beginners (myself included) want a PV that looks as much like an analog as possible. Then, we want a device with more capacity (both battery and juice).

 

[tikva]

Speedikeys,

I'm a newbie too and haven't even started yet. Already made my first mistake (due to the TOTAL CONFUSION of all the info!!!!) and ordered from ePuffer last week. Now, after reading about ePuffer on this forum, I'll be totally surprised if my order arrives at all---EVER!

I have ALL the exact same questions and confusion that you do! Thanks for posting and saying it all better than I could!

Like you, I'm also concerned about those tips that are not like real cigs (analogs). No one seems to mention that, but I want a tip like a real cig too. Why do most e-cig/PV have those weird tips? Also, the look of many of them overall bothers me. Like the ones (e.g. 'Prodigy', 'GG' etc.) that look like something from a toolkit hanging out of your mouth. Yuk! (Why does that not seem to bother anyone?)

My second mistake, (and like I said, this is BEFORE even starting!) was to order from a different company after learning I will possibly never get my order from ePuffer. Running out of money, I ordered the EM901---only to find out that I won't be able to get parts for it, so when it arrives, if it works, I'll have an e-cig for a few days, then nothing...

So far, it has cost me USD$152.00----and I have NOTHING!

Today, I will order from a THIRD company in hopes of just GETTING STARTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've now spent DAYS reading through info---and still confused----and now getting ready to make my, possibly THIRD, mistake by ordering ANOTHER kit......

I'm going to try the Joye 510 (which is the same as Dura-C, Janty??????) (more confusion)........

OMG. Here goes this month's pay check........


*end of rant......I'm just soooo confused and FRUSTRATED!!!!*


Thanks for letting me vent.

 

[secretsquirrl]

Oh, and YIKES! $8.00 a pack. I'm in PA and still paying $4.50 for generics.

Here in New York, the prices after taxes for a pack of analogs is somewhere along $8.70 or so. In Manhattan, it's closer to $9.70...

 

[secretsquirrl]

I'm going to try the Joye 510 (which is the same as Dura-C, Janty??????) (more confusion)........

From what I've gathered(and it's not much either, I just signed up for this forum yesterday),

The 510 model has many different names.

For JantyUSA - they call it Dura-C(C is supposedly for Control?)
For TheSmokeSafe.com - they call it the Yeti
For TotallyWicked-eliquid.com - they call it the TECC-Titan
Some call it, the Gobblin(dunno who though)

Basically each supplier basically can rename their product anything they want. The only variations to these e-cig models is that some of the batteries only come with manual switch. Some with auto, some with both.

Also, one other common denominator for the 510 series is that most suppliers seem to be out of stock. I don't know if it's because of ritalee76's sparkling reviews or some possibly hording going on.

 

[Tone]

Tikva,
you can't go wrong with ordering the 510, Most people love it
In the beginning It can be a little frustrating with all the different names and suppliers juice no juice, carts-do i fill em do i buy them filled, batteries-auto, manual, pass-through, on and on.
From what is on the forum epuffer might have been a mistake.
please order from one of the forum suppliers for two reasons
1. most of them have reviews from other members and you will no if they are good or not
2. you can get your questions answered by them and if they don't.. well then see #1
Most people believe (me included) that a 901 is a very good choice for the beginner (its also known as the RN4075).
You should also order juice whatever flavor you fancy, what strength is up your taste.
order extra atomizers THE ARE DISPOSABLE and very temperamental
the carts don't last as long as some claim they do so expect to go through them this is why most of us by juice and just refill them.
DON'T get discouraged, it might take a little bit of time but you will get it all worked out.

 

[lbctsolutions]

it took me 4 days to finally figure out how to use my 510 properly, get rid of the 'new' taste, get myself 60ml of juice in dif flavours, spare batteries spare atomizers, now I should be good to go for a few months.

my mother has a real cig lookalike 8084 and I will not say it is unuseable but for me it is terrible in comparison to a bigger 510 or a 901.

I would skip the 'I want it to look the same' phase if I was you as it is costly to keep buying e cigs you will not use again, and if you are like me at all, I believe you will end up dumping it for bigger capacity in the near future. I enjoy inhaling LOTS of vapour and bigger cartridge capacity.

it really does depend and vary person to person.

good luck with the switch regardless

regards.

lee.

 

[wv2win]

.........2. Long battery life.

3. Long cartridge life. I don't want to have to keep refilling/replacing a cartridge multiple times a day so I'm not sure the "mini" versions would be right. Or is this unavoidable if I'm used to smoking a pack a day?

4. From what I've read, I think I should get a manual switch, but I really don't know what that means. Is that a manual battery or is that the atomizer? Of all the reading and browsing I've done today, I don't think I've seen any descriptions that say "manual" anything so how do I know if it has it?

Any suggestions based on the above?

Thanks in advance! You all are great!

I don't think the "total" PV you want exists yet, lol. Difference between a manual switch PV and an auto switch PV, is on a manual, you push a small button as you inhale and that activiates the battery to heat the atomizer. The advantages are you can heat the atomizer as long as you want providing warmer vapor, which for most makes it more similar to smoking. Almost all the manuals that I have seen mentioned on here get good reviews. The difference between the Janty Dura-C/510 and ones like the Screwdriver and the Prodigy is basically battery size. The larger batteries last on average 7-8 hours where as the smaller ones last 2-3 hours.

With an auto switch PV such as a 901, 801 or Vapor King, you activiate the battery just by inhaling which from a physical motion standpoint is more like analogs. They all have auto cut-offs, however, that cuts off the battery power to the atomizer after 4-6 seconds depending on the unit. Since most vapers use liquid to re-fill their carts and some drip on the atomizer, some auto switch PV's have been known to get liquid in the battery compartment where the auto switch is, get gummed up and stop working. Replacement batteries for these units cost $14-$20.

With the manual switch PV's there is no concern about getting liquid in the battery compartment because of how they are made and they don't have an auto switch to get gummed up.

The bigger battery PV's such as the Screwdriver and Prodigy do cost more initially. But the batteries tend to last longer and only cost about $3. So over time you will save money on batteries.

On cartridges, most people buy flavored liquid because it tastes better, comes in many more flavors and will save you much money over pre-filled cartridges. All you have to do is pop off the cart, drip a couple of drops of liquid into your cart, put it back on and go back to vaping. On average from what others have reported on here, 2-4ml of juice a day is typical.

Hope this helps.

 

[TnA]

Okay....since I've only been playing around w/ my personal vaporizer for a weeks, I'll put in my thoughts.

Just like you, I really wanted an e-cig that was as "close" to the real thing as possible (as far as size and looks, etc). Thankfully, all of my research and reading through these forums convinced me that trying to replicate the "real" thing should not be the priority.

Instead, I changed my priority to an e-cig that was easy for a newb and had a proven track record of reliability. Therefore, the easy decision for me was the DSE-901. I will tell you that I'm very glad for this decision. There is a learning curve when it comes to vaping (and so much information to digest!!!) and not having to worry about how to operate the e-cig was a big help! The DSE-901 is a simple device that operates w/out any effort, provides good battery life, good vapor, and still stays close to the size of an analog.

I will honestly admit that this will not stay my only personal vaporizer. I'm already interested in trying out different models and sizes of personal vaporizers as well as trying some mods. The point being, the DSE-901 is an excellent model to start out with (as I'm sure there are other models that are also good for newbs), but be forewarned and fore-armed that this is just the beginning of your e-cig journey!

As for the concern about the tips. I also thought I wanted an e-cig w/ a analog filter shaped tip. My DSE-901 comes w/ the flat tips and I actually find them to be more comfortable in my lips and have no issues w/ it not being the same size and shape as an analog. As for being able to "hang" an e-cig in your mouth like you do w/ an analog, it can be done but not easily as an e-cig weighs more than an analog (I bite on the tip to hold it in my mouth on those rare occassions).

I hope my $.02 was helpful. I understand the plethora of information can be a bit overwhelming and daunting. Just keep asking questions and someone should be able to provide an answer. The only dumb question is the one you don't ask. Good luck!!

 

[Shadowdr]

Another newb impression, I got an N-Joy Npro for my first e-cigg and looks just like an analog. 69.00, OK that wasn't bad since I bought it at a truck stop and knew nothing about them. The cartridges were ok but going through 3 a day at 10 for 20.00 cost to much. A week later I realized my batteries were not going to cut it so I ordered 3 more. All set right? No way my atty went out after 3 weeks. I did get a years warranty so I called them and they sent another but it took two days while I smoked a pack of analogs. Burned out in two days. They are sending me two this time but I had guessed this might happen and ordered a Janty Dura C.

It came with two attys and has a much bigger cartridge, big enough that I could just take a few to work. Batteries last much longer even though they are the same size, sorta. They also charge quicker but only have a six month warranty. Like you I want a round mouthpiece and the Janty has a softer cart end that I can hold in my teeth while working, I just cant press the manual switch. While it is a half inch longer it is lighter and seems smaller around. I truly liked my Npro but the 510 is just more practical and less work. I think a 510 or Dura is a good choice for a new vaper. What was going to be my backup will probably be my primary PV from now on.

 

[hobson]

My advice, go for function, not form. If your e-cig doesn't function properly for you then you'll find yourself running back to analogs. As for the flat tip cartridge, it has the benefit of reducing the pursed lip motion that causes mouth wrinkles. I like it!