How can I tell if I got bad Cartos or if they and my atty just don't work?

[MsWit]

I am new to vaping and am restarting after almost 2.5 months! Tried to find an answer, but after a while, it all goes to mush.

After being away for a while, I found I really missed vaping. Part of the problem was with ordering and I was very excited to finally get an order!

Here is my problem: I love my Kr8 (Smoke Tip - lifetime warranty) but wanted more vapor and to try new flavors. I ordered Cool Carts; V4L and Gold Label; CigEasy. They were soooo highly recommended, but are a HUGE disappointment for me. I get a sneak of flavor, and almost NO vapor.

Did I mention I am all about an analog experience? I WANT to trick myself into thinking I'm smoking! I must have vapor. So I began to experiment. Got some fantastic e-juice, but only if I am NOT refilling one of the above cartos. (Works great with others.)

Is this my imagination? Did I get bad cartos or are these not for my e-cigarette? I got six 5 packs and am a little confused. How can I tell, and how do I know what to look for when ordering cartos for my atty?

Your time is appreciated. I am very excited now that I have an e-juice that's just for me! So, I need to get busy. Thanks, MsWit.

 

[DonDaBoomVape]

I am surprised to hear that you get "almost NO vapor" from those two brands of cartomizers. They are not my number one favorite Kr8 cartos, but they are good quality and those two suppliers are very well thought of, with hundreds of users here on ECF. Also, I've read good things about the SmokeTip batteries (including the guarantee and customer service), e.g., in this thread.

I have noticed during my vaping career that not all Kr8 cartomizers work well with all Kr8 batteries. I've sometimes not even been able to screw on the cartomizer. The problem is that this model is manufactured by several different companies, not only Kanger (the creator of the KR808D-1). And each of those manufacturers is constantly making tweaks to their batteries and, especially, their cartomizers (often at the direction or urging of U.S. suppliers or customers). The same can be said about the 510, of course, but somehow much greater compatibility occurs among the myriad manifestations of that model.

You may want to consider ordering a Kr8 battery from Vapor4Life and/or CigEasy to see how well those cartos work on their own batts. [Granted, that does run the risk of "throwing good money after bad," from your point of view.]

I mentioned at the start that those are not my number one favorite cartomizers. The Bloog MaxX Fusion is that favorite. Although they work best on their own batteries (and on the very similar Smokeless Image VOLT batteries), I've found that they also perform well on many other Kr8 batts (and even on a Joye eGO with adapter). MaxX Fusion cartos are somewhat more expensive than most Kr8 cartomizers, but worth it IMO. [FYI: I cannot yet comment (from personal experience) on the VOLT cartomizers, but I've been reading positive remarks about them.]

I am tempted to say that vaping a MaxX Fusion cartomizer on a 65mm MaxX Fusion or VOLT battery (total length: 103mm) is the most analog-like vaping experience I've ever had. However, that insults these cartos and batts. They taste so much better and the vapor production exceeds the smoke that I used to stain the walls and carpets of my home with. But the tactile experience is almost identical.

If you do consider trying out a five-pack of the MaxX Fusions, I suggest the tobacco sampler and/or the blanks (to fill with your own e-liquid from the outset).

 

[Kent C]

Here is my problem: I love my Kr8 (Smoke Tip - lifetime warranty) but wanted more vapor and to try new flavors. I ordered Cool Carts; V4L and Gold Label; CigEasy. They were soooo highly recommended, but are a HUGE disappointment for me. I get a sneak of flavor, and almost NO vapor.

Is this my imagination? Did I get bad cartos or are these not for my e-cigarette? I got six 5 packs and am a little confused. How can I tell, and how do I know what to look for when ordering cartos for my atty?

I started with a 510 kit. And with all the raves I decided to look into cartomizers. And I have to say that for the most part my experience with cartos early on reflects your experience as well - iow, although it may be subjective on our part - it may not be the ecigarette for you - I know now, it isn't for me. Esp. after the 510 atty (there are many more choices now) that had the lowest ohms and hence produced much more vapor than any carto. There are, now, some lower ohm cartomizers that do perform well - the CE2's and the dual coil types - and I get them with 510 threading. There may be others but at some point, I simply quit trying every new version that someone raved about.

There were a few V4L cartos that did reasonably well - but even those were inconsistent and they began changing the flavors - caramel mocha frappiccino was one that became the 'classic' (still not the same) and a new CMFrap flavor. Other flavors were good - cuban cigar for one, but had so little vapor that it simply wasn't worth it when I could get good flavor and vapor on the 510 and later the eGo.

If you stay with the KR8, I'd look into the CE2 cartos with KR8 threading. The dual coil cartos are threaded for the 510 and you'll need a 901 to 510 adapter to use them. Some adapters don't fit well - the ones that I got from cloudsofvapor.com fit well and work on the KR8 batteries. The CE2's also available from many vendors and come in around 2.4 to 2.8 and now perhaps higher but again - the lower the ohms the more vapor you will get.

As far as ejuice goes - despite the PR - 90+% of all carto users refill - so you'll be refilling and your best bet is to get blank cartos and find the ejuice from a variety of vendors to find which one you really like rather than rely on prefilled cartos which unfortunately can change flavor from lot to lot.