Help with what to buy

[StainlessA4]

I've been wanting to get into vaping for a while but i am unsure of what to buy.
I have a little experience in vaping but not much.
I am interested in being able to do builds. What i have been looking at is the smok tfv12 and the g-priv 2 as a kit SMOK G - PRIV 2 Kit Edition for E Cigarette -$89.99 Online Shopping| GearBest.com .
I like the g-priv 2 and tfv12 prince but its so hard to decide on what to get.
So for a beginner what would you change maybe all of it? so what would you recommend i have always liked to build stuff so it need to have a build option for coils.

And if this is in the wrong section please move it mods.

 

[dom qp]

1) Get a regulated 2x 18650 battery mod with a charger and 4 batteries. This will be the workhorse of your collection. You can use it to read ohms and what not when you build. Later on you can get a mini mod, single battery mod, or squonker. But this 2x 18650 battery mod will always be old faithful.

2) If you want to try rebuildables, get a real rebuildable tank or dripper. These tanks (TFV stuff with RBA deck) are built for replacement coils and have an RBA forced in are never optimal. A lot of companies do this and they aren't worth your time when you can get a real RTA or RDA as a back up in case something happens.

3) I wouldn't recommend Smok. Google it and look it up. I'm not going to go into it because when you do a couple people end up taking it personal.

4) I would either a) buy a tank/mod combo with replacement coils to get started + a RTA/RDA, or b) a mod without a tank and buy a real rebuildable. I don't know what your budget looks like.

I would get something like... The Revenger X, Voopoo Drag, Smoant Cylon. The drag is probably the most proven, cheapest, and sturdiest among them. But IMO it's also hideous looking. You can't go wrong with either 3.

For a rebuildable I would start with a tank, single coil is much easier to build for (hard to hit ideal resistance with a dual coil build). Tanks to look at:

1) Serpent SMM is super easy to build on, but isn't as flavourful/cloudy as;
2) Pharaoh Mini
3) OBS Engine Nano (tried and tested, but IMO ugly and it's getting outdated)
4) Kylin Mini - newest single coil tank. Best flavour. But is less tolerant, your build and wicking need to be perfect.

For wires I would pick up something premade. Like claptoned coils. You can buy a spool of this stuff for cheap. This will show you what is capable with an RTA/RDA.

I would also pick up some 26g NI80. You can play around with this stuff. Try twisted coils, regular round wraps. When you're ready you can pick up 36/38/40 NI80 and try making claptons with the 26.

Building your own coils is like changing your own oil in your car. A lot of people are intimidated. After you do it a couple times it becomes second nature and you can bang one out in 10 minutes. The performance is unrivaled, and you can tailor the build to your tastes.

 

[Kiyle the Manlet]

I agree for the most part with Dom QP. The problem with smoktech lies in their quality control. There are more than a few lemons they sell.

However, you'll probably enjoy it if you do buy it, unless you don't, and that's a risk you should be aware or with smok products, even with their tanks, too.

That being said, everything else is spot on IMO, but I will add one thing to that.

NEVER EVER use off-brand 18650s. Surefire, efest, imren, mxjo, etc. are garbage, and you're playing with matches if you want to trust those in your mod and near your face.

I recommend the following batteries:
Samsung 25r (green wraps)
Sony VTC 4, 5a, or 6 (lime green wrap)
or
Lg HG2 (brown wrap)

If you get a pair those batteries, get a charger with them. Don't want to charge using your mod. It doesn't work right.

Those are good batteries. I'm too lazy to link Mooch's review (he's the battery wizard) on those, but I'm sure a quick Google search can find them.

Here's his recommendations for batteries though.

Mooch's Recommended

And if you ever have any questions, never hesitate to ask!

Enjoy this experience man, welcome to the forum.

(edit): I'd also recommend trying to Clapton with 32 awg your first time. Claptons are wires which you straighten out with a drill by holding the end with some pliers and spinning it, then wrapping smaller wire around that with the drill.

Tricky, but manageable.

The lighter the gauge, meaning the higher the number, the more delicate the wire, and the harder it is to control. I'd hold off on anything above 36 awg (awg means American wire gauge) until you have the technique down.

 

[dom qp]

Lg HG2 (brown wrap)

These are my favourites. They won't work well if you're hitting >100W constantly people very few people do. It's like how you can buy a car that can hit 200mph but the speed limit is 60. For practical vaping, nearly everyone falls in somewhere between 10-90W. I'd guess like 90% of people do most of their vaping in this range, some occasionally dipping out past 100W.

What the LG HG2s give you is 3000mah. Two 3000mah batteries will be one of the longest lasting set ups you can get. If you vape between 40-60W, which will be in the ballpark for a single coil fused clapton, it will last all day.

To put this into perspective, the iPhone X has a ~2700mah battery. You will have more than two iPhone X worth of battery capacity on hand.

 

[Kiyle the Manlet]

These are my favourites. They won't work well if you're hitting >100W constantly people very few people do. It's like how you can buy a car that can hit 200mph but the speed limit is 60. For practical vaping, nearly everyone falls in somewhere between 10-90W. I'd guess like 90% of people do most of their vaping in this range, some occasionally dipping out past 100W.

What the LG HG2s give you is 3000mah. Two 3000mah batteries will be one of the longest lasting set ups you can get. If you vape between 40-60W, which will be in the ballpark for a single coil fused clapton, it will last all day.

That's interesting. I actually used my Tootsie rolls in my series box and ran it around 250 or more watts. I still got about 5-6 hours of life out of them.

But yeah, I usually run about 75 watts when I'm out and about. It's not fun to carry four sets of batteries lol.

also, if your mod is wired in parallel, which most regulated mods aren't, you can get a bunch of life. However, most are wired in series in order to get that extra punch.

 

[Baditude]

I've been wanting to get into vaping for a while but i am unsure of what to buy.
I have a little experience in vaping but not much.
I am interested in being able to do builds.
I like the g-priv 2 and tfv12 prince but its so hard to decide on what to get.
So for a beginner what would you change maybe all of it? so what would you recommend i have always liked to build stuff so it need to have a build option for coils.

I pretty much agree with the previous advice. Stay away from SMOK products because of their notorious Quality Control issues; you might be one of the lucky ones who gets a good unit, but if you're not lucky then you've wasted your money.

Buy a regulated mod that can power at least 40 watts (either one or two battery mod). You don't necessarily need a 200 watt mod, nobody vapes that hot. Get a decent box Li-ion battery charger like the Efest LUC V2 or V4. Buy a minimum of two batteries (for a single battery mod) or four batteries (for a dual battery mod) and rotate them in your mod. You don't need a 30A battery if you stay under 90 watts, a 20A battery like the Samsung 25R, LG HG2, or Sony VTC5A will work well.

I'm not convinced that a beginner should start out "rebuilding". There's enough to learn about vaping in general before you need to start learning Ohm's Law, calculating amp draws of a coil, using a coil wrapping calculator, learning about the different wire types and coil types.

I suggest getting a clearomizer tank that takes factory-made coils to use while you're learning the basic vaping stuff. I suggest either an Aspire Nautilus or the original Uwell Crown(1). Once you get that basic stuff down then start studying and researching rebuildables.

Good Starter Setups for a Beginner Vaper
Advancing Up the Vaping Ladder
Proper Terminology: Is it a carto, a tank, or what? A Guide to Juice Delivery Devices

Battery Basics for Mods: The Definative Battery Guide for Vaping
Deeper Understanding of Mod Batteries Part 1
Information Resources for Your First RBA

 

[stols001]

I'd start with an easy going tank with drop in coils. You'll have to decide whether you think you'd do better with more clouds with less nicotine, or a higher nicotine level with less clouds but more similar to smoking in the inhale-- i.e. into your moth then inhaled into your lungs. I've tried both and vastly prefer MTL.

I'd say sometimes the easiest way to go is to get a box mod that is powerful enough to handle a sub0hm tank and then try a MTL tank (you'll just get better battery life at low wattage, which is a nice thing to have) and then a DL tank, which is designed for much more clouds and less vapor. Or you could try something of a "crossover" tank like a Uwell Crown (most seem to prefer the original or the V3) which offers a wide range of resistance coils, and you should be able to dial in and experiment with a vape from there.

Best of luck

Anna

 

[Kiyle the Manlet]

I pretty much agree with the previous advice. Stay away from SMOK products because of their notorious Quality Control issues; you might be one of the lucky ones who gets a good unit, but if you're not lucky then you've wasted your money.

Buy a regulated mod that can power at least 40 watts (either one or two battery mod). You don't necessarily need a 200 watt mod, nobody vapes that hot. Get a decent box Li-ion battery charger like the Efest LUC V2 or V4. Buy a minimum of two batteries (for a single battery mod) or four batteries (for a dual battery mod) and rotate them in your mod. You don't need a 30A battery if you stay under 90 watts, a 20A battery like the Samsung 25R, LG HG2, or Sony VTC5A will work well.

I'm not convinced that a beginner should start out "rebuilding". There's enough to learn about vaping in general before you need to start learning Ohm's Law, calculating amp draws of a coil, using a coil wrapping calculator, learning about the different wire types and coil types.

I suggest getting a clearomizer tank that takes factory-made coils to use while you're learning the basic vaping stuff. I suggest either an Aspire Nautilus or the original Uwell Crown(1). Once you get that basic stuff down then start studying and researching rebuildables.

Good Starter Setups for a Beginner Vaper
Advancing Up the Vaping Ladder
Proper Terminology: Is it a carto, a tank, or what? A Guide to Juice Delivery Devices

Battery Basics for Mods: The Definative Battery Guide for Vaping
Deeper Understanding of Mod Batteries Part 1
Information Resources for Your First RBA

I vape at 200 w when I use my Buddha lol. I don't know where that misconception comes from, but it's pretty common here.

 

[Baditude]

I vape at 200 w when I use my Buddha lol. I don't know where that misconception comes from, but it's pretty common here.

I would say that you are definitely in the minority. I should have said "almost" nobody vapes that hot.

 

[madstabber]

Smoant Cylon is great but so are all there other mods. Voopoo drag, vaporesso revenger, Tesla nano, all are well liked for the most part. I agree with others that if your gonna build start with a single coil. Less to troubleshoot if you have problems. Getting the wicking right is the hardest part so watch some videos of people rebuilding whatever tank you choose. Xtar Charger and lghg2’s, Sony vtc6’s, or Samsung 30q’s bought from a reputable dealer. Have fun stay safe and enjoy the vape. Oh and patience when your rebuilding, I suggest you rewick and recoil often when you start just to get lots of practice.

 

[StainlessA4]

So now i am even more confused on what to get now when smok isn't a option what should i get? Many people seem happy with their products?
1) Budget max 150$ i would say depending on what you get in the setup. It can always go over 150$.
2) Mod don't like the overly curvy designs. So a little more sharp style. And it should be somewhat future prof.
3) Tank this is from my small experience of vaping. A little colder vapor and prioritizing flavor over vapor production. A rta would also be a must or at least a rba section if there are some good tanks that have premade coils and rba sections.
4)Also i have a somewhat friend that vapes and do builds so he can do some builds for me in the beginning.

 

[madstabber]

So now i am even more confused on what to get now when smok isn't a option what should i get? Many people seem happy with their products?
1) Budget max 150$ i would say depending on what you get in the setup. It can always go over 150$.
2) Mod don't like the overly curvy designs. So a little more sharp style. And it should be somewhat future prof.
3) Tank this is from my small experience of vaping. A little colder vapor and prioritizing flavor over vapor production. A rta would also be a must or at least a rba section if there are some good tanks that have premade coils and rba sections.
4)Also i have a somewhat friend that vapes and do builds so he can do some builds for me in the beginning.

Smoant Cylon, Ijoy exo tank-comes with dual and single deck and I think can use drop-in coils
Xtar vc4 or vp4 look at both and pick one
I listed what batteries above-buy from orbtronic or imr
Buy some rayon from amazon sally’s Box
Buy premade coils from advanced vapor supply or wire if you want to make your own.
Get some kanthal 26 or 28 gauge
And some ss316l same gauges
Nicotine river get flavoring and nic base
Edit-Ijoy exo doesn’t take drop-in coils sorry

 

[Baditude]

Many people seem happy with their products?
1) Budget max 150$

I'm extremely happy with what I'm currently using.

Mod: JAC Vapour series B DNA75W. Under $100. Reputable company. DNA chipset is one of the best you can get. Temp control or wattage mode. Stellar reviews. 6 month warranty. A single Samsung30Q 18650 3000mAh 15A battery lasts me all day. Must buy through Jac Vapour. Free shipping.



Tank: Original Uwell Crown tank. Under $25. Easy top fill. 4ml capacity. Wide range of air control with ratcheted ring. Wide range of coil options both sub-ohm and standard resistance (0.15, 0.25, 0.5, 1.2 ohm). RDTA base available as an optional purchase.

 

[Hawise]

I'm extremely happy with what I'm currently using.

Mod: JAC Vapour series B DNA75W. Under $100. Reputable company. DNA chipset is one of the best you can get. Temp control or wattage mode. Stellar reviews. 6 month warranty. A single Samsung30Q 18650 3000mAh 15A battery lasts me all day. Must buy through Jac Vapour. Free shipping.

From what I've heard this is a stellar mod, but it is a single battery device. That means you need to stay below (preferably well below) 60w with a 20 A battery. That would suit me (and many others) just fine, but if you want to experiment with higher settings you'd be better off with a 2 battery mod.

 

[StainlessA4]

I am will check with my friend if he has a tank over that would make my life easier then i could just buy a mod and a rta tank or non rta tank depending what he has left over. And he can also help me with starting with building coils and all he also makes e juice so i don't need to buy expensive e juice from stores.

 

[Kiyle the Manlet]

I would say that you are definitely in the minority. I should have said "almost" nobody vapes that hot.

Lol around here, it's common for people to push 300. My former roommate ran a d-laws box with an alliance Fatboy on it at around 800 watts lmao

 

[dom qp]

Lol around here, it's common for people to push 300. My former roommate ran a d-laws box with an alliance Fatboy on it at around 800 watts lmao

It's common around here for guys to be slightly over weight, really into hockey fandom, and into video games.

My group of friends doesn't represent the actual population of my city at large though. There's tons of women, fit people, and those that don't follow hockey or play video games.

 

[Baditude]

Lol around here, it's common for people to push 300. My former roommate ran a d-laws box with an alliance Fatboy on it at around 800 watts lmao

Perhaps among your tight little crowd it is common.

If there was a poll taken on ECF on who vapes over 90 watts I'm quite certain that only 5% would say they do.

I have no argument with you or how you vape. I just happen to believe that novices to high wattage mods don't have to get a 200 - 300 watt mod from the start and would probably be better served with a less powerful mod.

 

[Kiyle the Manlet]

Perhaps among your tight little crowd it is common.

If there was a poll taken on ECF on who vapes over 90 watts I'm quite certain that only 5% would say they do.

I have no argument with you or how you vape. I just happen to believe that novices to high wattage mods don't have to get a 200 - 300 watt mod from the start and would probably be better served with a less powerful mod.

I absolutely agree. I'm just saying that most of my company's 10k+ customers here, only a couple didn't use their mods over 150 watts.

But you're right about the novice thing. I started with an istick 20w for my first box.

edit: I will qualify what I said for fairness, I'm not saying the majority does what I do, but I'm saying that most of the customers I served were using their devices to their fullest capabilities. It's common in our geographical area, in every vape shop I have been to, across the state.

 

[BrotherBob]

I am will check with my friend if he has a tank over that would make my life easier then i could just buy a mod and a rta tank or non rta tank depending what he has left over. And he can also help me with starting with building coils and all he also makes e juice so i don't need to buy expensive e juice from stores.

Welcome back and glad you re joined.
"When buying your first kit, go with one of the older, reliable ones over a hyped-up newer one.
I would advise them to buy older well know devices with good reviews and to avoid buying something just because its trending. Someone just switching from tobacco cigarettes does not need a sub-ohm tank and a 150 watt box mod. Start out with a basic eGo type starter kit or if you want something a bit more advanced try an Aspire Nautilus Mini and an iStick 20 or 30."
Beginners, Listen – Words of Wisdom From 10 Master Vapers | Vape-Resource.com