Kanger TOPBOX Nano Starter kit (Not Included battery)
That is what I currently use with some random tank from the vape shop.
I also have a Blacksmith mech mod and an Origin mech. Neither have batteries or tanks.
That Topbox Nano is a good place to start. Like the others have said, maybe keep the mechs on a shelf for a little bit, until you get a little bit of experience with the coil building aspect, and then revisit them later on. They're not like "scary" dangerous but, like any tool, they could cause harm to persons or property if used improperly. At the
very least, you will need to use the Topbox or an ohmmeter to check the resistance of any atomizer (make sure there isn't a short, and that the resistance is above a certain threshold) before you fire it on a mech mod. And for the love of Bog, don't use a pinless or "hybrid" style mech mod until you know and understand why people say you shouldn't use hybrid-style mech mods.
Do you have a rebuildable device yet, or do you still need to get one? Probably start with a dripper instead of a tank atomizer, as your first rebuildable, that way you can have easier access to your coil(s) to see what is going on and/or tweak them if necessary. Get some cotton and some Kanthal wire in 26 and 28-gauge, that will give you some versatility in what kind of coils you can make. You don't "need" a jig or any special coil tool to wrap on; a (clean) drill bit or small screwdriver, even a q-tip rod works just fine in a pinch. If you decide that coil building is for you, then you can drop a few $ on a special tool later, but to start with, you can probably find something around the house.
Take a few inches of your 28ga wire and wrap it 6 or 8 times around your drill bit/screwdriver/q-tip. One thing I like to do is wrap a couple more than I need, and then "pull" the first couple wraps off since they tend to be a little messy, especially when wrapping freehand without a jig or tool. So do 8 or 10 wraps, and then pull off the first two (grab the end of the wire with a pliers and then pull perpendicular, while it's still wrapped around the rod) so you're left with 6 or 8 nice clean wraps.
Install this coil on the atomizer. Use the screwdriver/etc. to hold it in place while you pull the leads tight through the post holes, and then again to nudge it into position after tightening down the leads. Check the resistance on your mod or ohmmeter. It should be about 1 ohm, give or take 50% or so (I don't know what sized rod you used, or how tight/spaced your wraps are.) Put it on your mod, turn it down to about ten watts or so, and give it a test fire. Just a few brief pulses, a second or two each. The coil should start to glow, evenly, from the center outward. If you see spots that glow faster/brighter than the rest, that indicates "hot spots" that need to be worked out. Make sure not to hit the button (lock the device if possible) and then apply any or all of the following: Pinch the coil together with tweezers (this works best if you do it while it's hot, so fire-release-pinch-release-repeat; if you get ceramic-tipped, non-conductive tweezers you can even do it
while firing the coil, but don't try that with metal tweezers). Put the rod back inside the coil and jiggle it around a little bit. Take a screwdriver and "strum" across the coil. Any or all of these will help to "work out" any hot spots. Also while you're doing this, the screws holding the leads in place can become loosened. This would be a good time to double-check and tighten them up if necessary. Once you have the coil glowing evenly, take off the atomizer (or lock the device) and then install the cotton wick.
This is the tricky part, and there is no magic "trick" I can tell you to get it right. You'll just have to try, and fail, and try again until you get the hang of it. You should feel a
little resistance as you pull the wick through, but not enough that it deforms the shape of the coil. You want
enough cotton inside the coil to make full contact all the way around, otherwise you will get "dry hits" where the wire that's not in contact with any liquid heats up too fast and you get a nasty hot-metal taste. At the same time, you don't want
too much cotton inside the coil, or it will choke off the flow of e-liquid, and you will get actual
burnt hits when the dry cotton begins to scorch and singe. As for the wick "tails," some people like to leave a whole darn cotton ball hanging off the ends and just stuff it down in the juice well as much as will fit. On the other hand, I prefer to trim them just long enough so that the ends just barely brush the bottom of the well as they hang down. In the end, it's what you like that matters. If you just keep trying, eventually you'll find what works for you.
Once you have the wick installed, juice it up and test-fire it again. It should sizzle and hiss, and put off wisps of vapor. Once you're satisfied, make sure it's juiced up again, then put the top cap on your atomizer and check the resistance once more to make sure the coil doesn't short out against the cap (on some mods, you have to remove and reattach the atomizer before it will re-check the resistance.) If it's the same with the cap on as with it off, you're good to go! Start at low wattage, and work your way up until you find the "sweet spot." Make sure to check your coil occasionally to make sure it doesn't dry out.
