I have a question about refill cartridges

[GSHARQ]

I bought 2 e-cigs.

One is the SS Choice No. 7 Micro. It came with cartomizers, but apparently it can also use refill cartridges. I saw a video on youtube that was a short tutorial on how to refill a cartridge. The tutorial says to only put 3-4 drops in the cartridge.

I also bought a Vapor King eTank series. Apparently this is a newer model and doesn't have the absorbent materials in it's cartridges that most traditional cartridges have (like the No. 7 Micro). Their staff told me that I can fill it's refill cartridges all the way (as opposed to just 3-4 drops) but they also told me that I can only refill a cartridge 3 times before replacing it.

I was under the impression that cartridges that don't use absorbent materials in them can be refilled many times before needing replacement.

Can anyone confirm or clarify this for me? How many times can cartridges that don't use absorbent materials be refilled before needing replacement? Also, why is it recommended to only put 3-4 drops in the No. 7 Micro cartridges instead of filling them all the way?

 

[dormouse]

atomizer + cartridge aka cart - the cart is just plastic and stuffing and can be reused until damaged. You can clean and restuff these. Downside - may need frequent addition of juice, may dump its whole contents, inconsistent experience, and you have to keep the atomizer clean. Also atomizers can degrade or die so you need spares. Since cartridges are not a popular way to vape, you may never need more than the original 5-pack. Popular restuffing material is blue foam (for tiny carts, you can cut down the inexpensive precut foam for 510 from strictlyejuice.com, for other carts use Marineland Rite-Size U Bonded Foam Sleeve from the aquarium dept of Petsmart)

atomizer + tank (if your eTank is a Ego Tank clone, this is what it uses) - the tank is empty and you fill it with juice. Nice when it works well but some complain of leaks and lack of flavor. Also atomizers can degrade or die so you need spares an tank atomizers are more expensive than standard ones. This ecig can also use standard atomizer + cart or drip tip, or cartomizers.

cartomizer (stuffing kind, screws onto battery) - these are disposable cart with internal atomizer. They hold more juice than a cart, generally need juice less often (though they cannot be restuffed so you have to keep them damp to avoid singeing it), leak very little if at all (if filled properly), keeps your flavor totally separate (not mixed with old flavors in an atomizer), generally provides a consistent experience, no atomizer to keep clean. Downside - they have limited lives. I can get a week or more use out of each using thin clear juices. Some try to clean and dry them to get more use.

cartomizer (reservoir kind, screws on battery) - filled with a syringe, should deliver purer flavor, may hold more juice than a stuffing cartomizer, may leak,may require some adjustment to work right. With clear ones you can see the juice level but some kinds may crack.

I don't use tanks or reservoir cartos so i don't know how many reuses.

 

[Renzuli]

atomizer + cartridge aka cart - the cart is just plastic and stuffing and can be reused until damaged. You can clean and restuff these. Downside - may need frequent addition of juice, may dump its whole contents, inconsistent experience, and you have to keep the atomizer clean. Also atomizers can degrade or die so you need spares

atomizer + tank (if your eTank is a Ego Tank clone, this is what it uses) - the tank is empty and you fill it with juice. Nice when it works well but some complain of leaks and lack of flavor. Also atomizers can degrade or die so you need spares an tank atomizers are more expensive than standard ones. This ecig can also use standard atomizer + cart or drip tip, or cartomizers

cartomizer (stuffing kind, screws onto battery) - these are disposable cart with internal atomizer. They hold more juice than a cart, generally need juice less often (though they cannot be restuffed so you have to keep them damp to avoid singeing it), leak very little if at all (if filled properly), keeps your flavor totally separate (not mixed with old flavors in an atomizer), generally provides a consistent experience, no atomizer to keep clean. Downside - they have limited lives. I can get a week's use out of each. Some try to clean and dry them to get more use.

cartomizer (reservoir kind, screws on battery) - filled with a syringe, you can see the juice level, may hold more juice than a stuffing cartomizer, should deliver purer flavor, may leak, some kinds may crack, may require some adjustment to work right

Once again , dormouse has listed all the pros and cons , of the particular devices . So as there is nothing to add , I'll just say welcome to the ECF .

 

[alamor]

Dormouse pretty much hit the nail on the head! One question you had is "why only 3 uses out of the cartridge before throwing away" I would say thats is a B.S. statement from the people who sold it to you. If I were you I would use it until it degrades in performance. Most retailers at kiosks will tell you things like that to get you to come buy more product from them. So, use your own judgement on how it is functioning for you. My guess is you will find you can use more than 3 times.

 

[GSHARQ]

What do you all prefer? Cartomizers or Cartridge/Atomizer combo?

It seems to me that cartomizers are more convenient, but cartridge/atomizer combo would be less expensive.

 

[JustaGuy]

Many people prefer cartomizers (cartos). I use cartridges (carts) with blue foam as filler. It's a personal choice.

Cartos are more convenient on the go since juice and atomizer (atty) are in one. Whether you use carts or cartos, there will be maintenance and refilling. I find refilling carts actually easier. You can, however, just toss a carto after 3 days to a week and not bother cleaning them. They are disposable and therefore cost more, imo. I spent $3 on carts and $3 on blue foam. They will last me nearly forever. I did have to buy attys, and the standalone attys can last from weeks to months, which I find easier to clean too. My attys have lasted me 5 months so far. I fill 10 carts twice a day, could also fill all 20 carts at once, takes only 5 minutes. There are bigger carts that hold more juice and last longer before refill.

Try them both, see what works best for you. Good luck!

 

[dormouse]

I started with cart and atty and eventually my attys degraded to a point where cleaning didn't totally refresh them. Sometimes the cart would dump a lot of liquid in my mouth and was a mess to clean up.

I only use manual batteries and some are totally sealed. I use cartomizers for my favorite thin juices and do 95% of my vaping with cartomizers. I can get 2 weeks of use out of a pair and I use 2 contrasting flavors. On a sealed manual battery I use an atomizer and drip tip to test new juices, to vape some that are thicker than I will put in cartomizers, and occasionally to vape some juices I vape rarely. The only time I use a cartridge is I occasionally use a blue-foam stuffed Joye 306 cartridge and atomizer on a manual 510 battery with a juice I want to vape but won't put in a carto (like a 50/50 juice or one I only vape occasionally). It's also good for an extended test of a juice without wasting a cartomizer. I only put in cartos thin juices (20% or less VG) that I like a lot and are clear and don't drop a bunch of flavoring sediment - mainly my 2 all-day juices and 3 other flavors I carry for if I want a change of pace.

I have not used any clear cartos yet. Not fond of the idea of carrying syringes or syringe bottles nor dealing with leaks. I got some CE3 to try (not supposed to crack or leak) but I heard they leak too. If there is ever a clear slim carto that really doesn't crack or leak, doesn't need to be opened and fixed to get it to work, can be pocketed without breaking, and is easy to clean, I will try them.

 

[JustaGuy]

Hi dormouse! Yeah, sealed batts for me too.

I'm sure you've tried these BreezEsmokes - Premium Electronic Cigarettes, right? They sell them for the Jessy too at FSUSA. There are versions 1, 2 and 3. They're clear and hold 1 ml of juice. I learned them from ECFer goodtimes, will try them myself.

However, being cheap plastic, they may crack in pocket. I would put them in a small ziplock just to be safe. Also, I'm not sure how easy they are to refill.