Hi guys :)

[TheBoss]

Hey everyone!


My name is Lee and I am a mid-20s guy from the UK who is relatively new to the vaping scene!


My first and current vaping setup is the simple but fantastic V1P cig-a-like kit from UK based JACVapour. I don't think it will be long though before I start investing in a more advanced clearomiser/tank setup such as the Vgo2 or Twist 510 kits offered by the same manufacturer (I'm actually hoping to get hold of these models to review very soon!).


I have recently set up a YouTube Channel specifically with the purpose of reviewing vaping gear and liquids — already JACVapour have been kind enough to send a bunch of stuff my way, including two of their UK liquid taster tins. I'm in the process of getting 12 or so review videos up (currently done about 4!) and would love for you to check them out. If you're a YouTuber yourself, you are very welcome to like, comment, subscribe and follow. Hopefully you will find the reviews engaging and interesting


My YouTube channel is called "Vape[Off] Reviews".


Happy to be a new user of the fantastic ECF forums, and in look forward to meeting and chatting with all of you!


Cheers,
Lee (TheBoss)

 

[DoubleEwe]

Hi Lee,

After moving on from the cig-a-like setups I tried the JacVapour batteries & tanks etc, I have to say that I was not overly impressed. It was not that the batteries did not work, they were fine, the problem was that they sold batteries that had an unusual threaded connection, meaning that I was basically stuck with buying tanks/cartos from them (good for them), rather than the massive array of different options for the far more popular 510 threaded connection (good for me). I did find that I could pick up an adapter elsewhere, but the whole thing looked an absolute mess.

Also the juice they were stocking and selling at a high price was just repackaged dekang, which even to my newly awakened palate still tasted less than great. I understand they now have different ranges of juice, so some actually might be worth the money idk.

This was a couple years ago or so, so they might have changed their stock (and business model) now.

I don't know whether you are affiliated with them or not, but if you are not then I would suggest that when you take the next step (away from cig-a-likes) you select a more versatile battery unit.

 

[djsvapour]

This is all I need to know.

....the simple but fantastic V1P cig-a-like kit from UK based JACVapour.

Only two possibilites here. 1. Affiliation or 2. Newbie-ness.

I used a V1PCC and it didn't get me off my 15 cigs a day. That is all there is to it. Not good enough, too expensive.

 

[TheBoss]

Hey guys,

Tbh, the cig-a-like kits are currently my primary experience of vaping (as a newbie) ... even after a few weeks using the V1P kit (which is arguably one of the better cig-a-like kits I've had a go with), I'm becoming restless for something more...

Luckily I have a holy motherlode of vaping gear in the post, hopefully to arrive before the end of this week

I know what you mean about the 808-threaded connection from JV DoubleEwe - it is highly restrictive. They do have 510 models now which I'm veering towards because I don't want to lock myself into a very restrictive corner where the ever-expanding world of 510 is closed to me.

I've not really touched the Chinese liquids from JV either - just their UK ones. They do have some top flavours in that range that are a lot nicer than some of the cheap-as-s**t stuff I've endured recently...

Looking forward to getting my new 900 - 1300mah 510 batteries in the post with some decent tanks and clearos so that I can upgrade from the shackles of the cig-a-like/carto combination. It was good at first, but the satisfaction is quickly fading...

djsvapour - Maybe I was overzealous with my description. I just meant to say that it had been a pretty good kit to get my teeth cut on basic vaping. Didn't mean to gush quite so much

Cheers guys!

 

[djsvapour]

djsvapour - Maybe I was overzealous with my description. I just meant to say that it had been a pretty good kit to get my teeth cut on basic vaping. Didn't mean to gush quite so much

Well, to be truthful, I am trying to remain patient and cut you some slack.
You've already bounced onto 2 forums (that I know of) with endless video reviews of stuff and the lack of response to your posts says it all. This kit was pretty miserable two years ago and is even less attractive in 2014.
You may think you have found some great liquids that you want to share with the world, but my liquids are freshly made in the UK for £2.40 for 10ml or handmade by myself for less than 60p.
JacVapour lost my respect and loyalty within 20 seconds of me realising I had filled my vape box with liquids at £6.15 (2012 prices) that I could be buying for £2.99. Then, after discovering the entire £50 kit I had bought wouldn't fit with anything else on the market, I'm afraid I went into meltdown.

If you want to get into reviews and stuff, you go for it! Better to go "independent" and not follow a particular brand.

 

[Boiler]

Damn, The Boss is here

Everybody back to work!

 

[TheBoss]

I understand that - I'm certainly not a fan of the 808 connector they use on their older stuff at JV. There are lots of great 510 devices out there - I'm not saying that JV are the best, but they're the bulk of my experience so far until I've tried/tested/reviewed more stuff. My review channel is about a week old, so it's still in its infancy!

As a new vaper, I'm expanding my experiences bit by bit. I don't claim to be an expert in vaping (not by far!) but then I don't do my reviews to show off my rep as a vapour king - there are plenty of new vapers out there like me who want to know if stuff is worth trying and buying and my reviews are designed for them. If any are useful to more experienced and knowledgeable vapers, then that's all good as well

I would point out that JV have a newer range of liquids that are (apparently) manufactured in UK labs, which sell for about £4.70 - expensive compared to the ones you mentioned, certainly, though I'd have to try these other liquids to make a fair comparison.

Please don't misunderstand - I'm not allying myself to JacVapour. I have a bunch of liquids from 4 or 5 different UK companies to review once I have satisfactory kit for flavour testing. I've contacted a whole bunch of companies - it's just that JV has been the most responsive and supportive, sending loads of liquids and devices to test. Read into that whatever you wish, but I appreciate it; it doesn't mean I'm being swayed or biased in any way. If I receive a device or liquid that I don't like, I'll state it plainly and clearly. Personally, for what it is, I quite like the V1P kit - of course, YMMV, and often does. I carry an affiliate code because I've had good experiences so far of the JV products I've used, and JV have given me great support - by offering the affiliate code, I can say thanks to JV for supporting my early reviewing and also pay it forward to those who take the time to watch my videos, like, subscribe...

The devices I test my juices out on are predominantly JV devices simply because that's what I have right now. When I'm sent a well-reviewed and well-constructed battery kit by a company, I'm not going to go out and spend £50+ buying a different device just to be difficult.

I understand that you've had bad experiences of JV but personally, my experiences have honestly been great so far. Perhaps they've reformed since 2012, or perhaps it's simply a case of YMMV.

As for posting on other forums, yes I have. There are plenty of folk on the other forums that aren't on here, so it's all about exposure. I've found each of the forums to be very different; to have a different vibe to them. It doesn't change that the reviews are entirely my own opinions, whether people agree, disagree, care or don't give two s**ts...

Sorry for the big ... ranty message - I just don't want people to think that I'm some corporate partner of JacVapour or a spammer. I'm just a new vaper who has limited experience but quickly expanding horizons and at this point, JV are the only company out there offering me to try out their devices to review. Doesn't mean they're the best, but by God they're the most generous. That much I can't debate.

 

[DoubleEwe]

I also noticed the lack of comments on the reviews, it might help if you did a written review under the video review.

Having said that, it might also help if you had a bit more to compare, like menthols from different suppliers, that way at least there is a measure of how good it is compared to each other, rather than it just being compared to smoking or breathing.
You wouldn't go out and buy a car based on the judgement of someone that has only ever driven that car.

 

[TheBoss]

Good idea - I should soon be able to start doing more comparative reviews as I have some similar flavours from different manufacturers on the way to me this week. So far I've acquired juices from JacVapour, Vapourlites and KiK through free review samples, though I have just ordered an interesting bunch of flavours from Wickedeliquid.co.uk and a couple of exclusive ones from RealVapes (some look like they could also be repackaged Dekangs and the like).

Trying to get as many UK produced liquids as possible to avoid hitting the cheap Dekang trap. So far all of the juices I have are UK ones with the exception of the ones sent by KiK which are produced in China. To be honest, most of the ones from KiK don't excite me much as they smell and taste very synthetic (well taste is based on some very rudimentary dripping with a deconstructed carto so I can't offer truly fair judgement on that yet)

One thing I will say — KiK's Chinese Cappuccino flavour is the only liquid I've tried so far that has actually made me gag. The smell sets it up for the fall — like an incredibly sickly sweet syrup, only not inviting in any way. I took the risk and vaped a little and then immediately chucked the carto; no way was anything going near it again after that. Should carry a taste bud warning on the bottle.

 

[DoubleEwe]

I can understand you looking for free juices, we all want something for nothing, but I think you need to spend some money on some 'known' vendors' juices. That way you get a better benchmark for comparisons.
I am not saying that all the vendors that you are going to have crap juices, just that people are more likely to buy from 'random vendor x' if you say that you found it to taste better than 'household name brand y'.

There are a few threads on here that will point you in the right direction in terms of which known vendors to buy from in the UK. Failing that, you can check out Best 'made in the UK' juice | All the Juices

I have also tried a few juices that have made me wretch, sadly some of them being UK vendors & one or more from so called 'premium' juice makers.

Anyway, I hope you manage to find some gems within all the freebies you are getting

 

[djsvapour]

I too hope you find some good liquids in your search.

f.w.i.w. I would say you are going about this in a roundabout way. Companies like Vapourlites are run-of the mill "profit machines"; they don't exist to make really good products, they just sell. Like E-Lites, Nicolites - they just sell. Plenty of firms will send you samples because they want the exposure, and that exposure isn't likely to come from experienced vapers.

Kik is Hangsen. JacVapour (chinese range) is Dekang. Both charge way more than independent vaping vendors. It's just how it is. Now, one could either take the view that this is OK, or that maybe it isn't actually OK.

E-liquid doesn't have a price like a 200g Jar of Nescafe. When it does (and I hope that day comes) then new vapers won't have to tolerate being charged twice as much for products that exist elsewhere on the market, and not off ebay either.

I am going to bow out of this thread in a bit, but please... if I may just say one more thing. Please be careful. If you want to build a fan base on youtube, go for it ... if you decide to go full-on publishing/advertising your reviews on forums with thousands of committed vapers who have made learned the hard way where to buy and who to trust, go steady.

It is not a friendly "we're in this together" industry yet. The community is close knit and knows the price of everything and what's good and what's "just selling". Avoid the "just selling" companies and make a niche for yourself on the good stuff at the good prices.

There will be a ton of stuff you can't/won't know. Companies that took people's money and didn't deal with customer service issues. Companies that "pretend" a Protank 2 is £19.99 when you and me can buy one for £7.99.

There is a vendor that sell MVPs for £79.99. Anybody could bag one tomorrow for under £40.

....and of course, one of the very biggest Franchises likes to play all down their involvement with ripping people in other countries off.

It's a nightmare... and some of us invest our time and enthusiasm to help people out and at least slow down the terrible band wagon that is selling e-cigs. Folks on forums WILL help you but it's best to be aware of who you are reviewing, why you are reviewing and if it's actually you who is being taken advantage of. There is probably no such thing as a free lunch.

That's it. Our paths will not cross, unless you come to Vapefest 2014.

Good luck.

 

[TheBoss]

That's it. Our paths will not cross, unless you come to Vapefest 2014.

Good luck.

I hope our paths do cross — you sound like a really solid guy who cares, and I respect that a lot
I wasn't aware of the depth of the issue, but your post has opened my eyes.

Oh and I really need to find out more about Vapefest! It sounds amazing

 

[TheBoss]

I'd like to add that I tried the KiK 'Mint' juice today in a CE4 clearomiser (piece of crap, but it was all I had to hand) and it tastes like someone has dropped a polo in a bottle of 12 year old perfume. It's pretty clear that this stuff is total ....e, like you said. They should advertise their juices as being Hangsen instead of covering it up and hoping nobody notices. The only result is that most of this stuff is going down the drain – given the choice between a quality, flavoursome UK liquid and something approximating Chinese perfume mixed with Daz, I know which camp I'm in!