I have no idea where to start, help please - for mom.

[tonna11]

It can be overwhelming, thats for sure. I am getting my starter kit today in the mail, so I'm not an expert either, but I'll tell you how I "winnowed down the choices". There are basically two types, and from there you get all the different versions of those types. You'll want a good company for your mom to deal with, as well. I'd suggest checking out the tutorials for the newbies--they are immensely helpful and also lead you to wonderful places like the e-cig master coupon list, so you can save some money as well. E-smoking seems to be alot cheaper than real cigarettes, so as long as you dont sign her up for one of those free trial things, you should come out of this way ahead. So heres what I'd suggest--Go watch these, they are short but extremely helpful, you may want to bookmark them for your mom, as well! You can find these stickied at the top of the new members forum-

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...-videos-newbies-particular-broke-newbies.html

The first one gives you an idea of how much your gift should cost you and exactly what your mom will need to have to get started. Also-the other members who've answered your post here are members who have answered these questions time and again, and never seem to get tired of helping us newbies out--and know what they are talking about. I'd seriously consider their advice, then try to pick a model your mom will have the best success with. I chose the kind with only two parts instead of three--it just seems easier. Thats the KR808d model. I've heard wonderful things about the Ego and Riva as well--and the Joye510 is supposed to be the most popular beginners model. Your mom will need some additional things to start with, and one of the newbie tutorials give you a list. If I remember correctly, this is what that list suggested-
at least 2 batteries, at least 2 atomizers (unless you go with the model that only has 2 parts, then you wont need those), a wall charger and/or a usb charger, pre-filled cartridges and some extra e-juice as she'll need something to smoke, lol! Most beginner sets have these things in them, and a reasonable amount to spend on your beginner kit should be about $30-$50 depending on whats in the kit, and what you need to add.
The beginner kits do NOT include enough stuff to smoke, you'll want an additional 30mls of e-juice to go with your order. It would be a good idea to get 3 10ml bottles in different flavors, or get a sampler pack so she can see what she'll like taste wise. Again-these tips are in the video, and the members here can help you far better than I can, but this is basically what I learned in my past two weeks of lurking and reading.
Good luck and this is a wonderful gift youre getting your mom, she'll appreciate it, I'm sure!

 

[Drozd]

my first best suggestion would be to not wait til christmas...
there are disposeable models as far as both the KR808d-1 model and the 510 model go....I'd get one of each and sit down with her and let her try them out... see what she likes or doesn't like about each... and then use that to pick out a better kit for her..if she likes the 510 go with the eGo...if she likes the KR808 go with the KR808d-1
here's a 510 disposeable: MENTHOL 510 DISPOSABLE E-CIG KIT with Blue LED
I gotta find a disposeable KR808d-1 online...(I see them all the time in local smoke shops and stores here)

cartomizers are probably going to be easiest initially...and yes with the right cartomizers she can drip into them to keep them topped off...but prefilleds as a general rule suck...she'd probably do better getting blanks and juice and filling them herself... (but at the amount she smokes a carto should probably last her a day once filled)...and they can be refilled several times..

in regards to auto batteries... a problem with auto 510 batteries was that they were sound activated so they had a tendency to turn themselves on in purses, pockets, driving with the window down, loud noises etc.... the V4L auto batteries for the KR808d-1 are now sound activated too... so I would suggest manual batteries for either model...or if you're going with the KR808d-1 finding a different vendor...

there's also lately been quite a few CS issues as far as the reliability of V4L equipment and actually getting what you orderd right the first time...

Last christmas I gave my aunt a KR808d-1 from V4L......they didnt get the order right and I had to piece out a kit to give her since they couldn't manage to fix it in time.... anyway she didn't really like it... she tried my 510 though and prefered that so I ended up getting her a different kit after the fact...
but she didn't like the taste of the cartomizer and there just wasn't enough visible vapor from the KR808d-1 to satisfy her to make that jump from regular cigs to PVs...

As far as menthols go...I particularly like the xhale 24mg nuport and the HV 12mg super menthale from nhaler mixed together half and halfwhich yields 18mg strength... probably the most satisfying menthol I've had....and just about everything I've tried from vaporbomb juice wise has been great..

 

[Krisb]

One thing I would suggest on top of what others have mentioned (if someone did, I apologize) is a drip tip. cartomizers are great but you will have to learn how to refill. They are great if she'll be going out and needs it to last her a little while. Dripping involves putting an atomizer onto the battery and then putting on a drip tip. All you do is drip about 3 drops into the hole of the drip tip, wait a couple seconds for it to make it down to the bridge, then vape. She will have a few drags to every 3 drips (not much different than finding a lighter and lighting a cig). Many people prefer dripping, and that's all many do while home. Here is a link to some really pretty ones-
http://shop.nhaler.com/Colored-and-Twisted-510-901-Drip-Tips-color510drip.htm?productId=123

 

[Krisb]

Also as far as juice, I have had great consistent luck with vaporbomb, FSUSA and Backwoods brew. And yes, you will have a hard time trying to get one to taste like her brand of cigs. An idea might be to pick her out a few samples and maybe a gift cert. for her to browse and pick out her own. Most people are surprised when they discover they want juice that tastes nothing like a cig!

 

[Curlygirl27]

Ooooh, great link! I have not bought a drip tip for my eGo 'cos i thought they were all weird looking... but those are nice! thanks!

 

[Krisb]

Can't wait for mine...should be here today or tomorrow...usps site not working right now . Saw reviews for them and they sound like great tips! And oh so pretty!! YW for the link!

 

[abechik]

Also as far as juice, I have had great consistent luck with vaporbomb, FSUSA and Backwoods brew. And yes, you will have a hard time trying to get one to taste like her brand of cigs. An idea might be to pick her out a few samples and maybe a gift cert. for her to browse and pick out her own. Most people are surprised when they discover they want juice that tastes nothing like a cig!

yeahh .. me too.. started with tobacco .. settle down with menthol

 

[zomgname]

if u are not a analog user i would not start using any pv.

it's for my mom, who is an analog user...whole post was about her

still undecided about the model. she'll like the flashiness of the V4L one I'm sure...but if the 510 is better for starters..ahhh.
Is it possible to find a charge case like the v4l one for the 510?

Thank you for the disposable links!! I didnt even know those existed. Will def get one. I guess I'll have to get an automatic, they dont have any stock of the manual..
Manual 510 DISPOSABLE E-CIG KIT with Blue LED

 

[zomgname]

I ordered one of these:
510 DISPOSABLE E-CIG KIT with Blue LED

And went ahead and gave it to her as a birthday gift instead.
Her first reaction was that it tasted bad; went through the 3 flavors included and she preferred the least sweet one (no idea what the flavors were).
She loves how it looks/feels. She did say she'd like it a little thinner, but not a big deal.
She didn't smoke a cigarette from the time I gave it to her until she went to bed, and she went to smoke one and actually put it out saying it tasted nasty after using the e-cig for probably only 2 hrs. She'll probably smoke still for a while but im surprised at how quickly she was able to put one out! Usually she probably would of smoked 2-3 in that time, plus one in bed.

So she likes that it's automatic but also said she wouldn't mind dripping for better flavor when I told her about it. Can do you that with the automatic battery if you have the drip tip piece? In the end, though, do you get better flavor from manual ? thats what I see suggested most.
She also doesn't care about vapor and actually one of the big things she hates about smoking is the huge smoke cloud. She does however like good throat hit, and some vapor.

I told her not to force herself to not smoke an analog if she really wants one and with the fact that she already things they taste really bad after using the e-cig means I'll need to get her the real deal before she uses up the disposable and has to smoke real ones again.

So with these things in mind:
Good throat hit
Vapor doesn't matter
Wouldnt mind dripping for better flavor
Likes automatic
Prefers sleek & thin
Mostly at home with plenty of ways to recharge. Able to recharge in car too. Battery life is not a huge issue.

Is the 510 a good choice? Is the eGo much thicker (and is the battery life the only real difference)? She said she'd like if it were thinner but the ego is even larger than the disposable one. Anyone able to take a side by side comparison picture?

Can anyone point me in some "non sweet" flavors of juice to try, as well?

Also, I forgot to mention that I tried it out a little and mom didn't say anything about this but I noticed that after 2-3 drags that the vapor was going away and there was some distinct "sucking" sound that wasn't there for the first few drags. It could of been that I didn't have the cart on good, or that is was just a disposable? Or is this normal?

 

[Lisa B]

If she isn't worried about battery life, I would say the manual 510 is the way to go with a drip tip. You don't want to drip with an automatic because if any juice gets in the battery it will kill it. She will get use to the manual quickly and the 510 is nice and small. I would have her look over the flavors on a few websites and see what catches her eye, two of the most popular ones are FreedomSmokeUSA and back woods brew.

 

[zomgname]

For the 510 - could I just also order a manual battery for $10-12 and have both automatic and manual on hand and just switch out the automizer? Or is the whole thing needed?
I talked with her some more and she thinks she'll like automatic more, but I think she should try manual too.

Hopefully my last question: which website has the 510/accessories with the best rep/fastest shipping?

 

[Lisa B]

I have got mine at Cignot your Midwest Electronic Cigarette store., they have good products, fast shipping and good customer service.

 

[Friend of Atlas]

She'll probably smoke still for a while but im surprised at how quickly she was able to put one out! Usually she probably would of smoked 2-3 in that time, plus one in bed.

First, I want to say 'that's great!'. I'm sure you're thrilled that your Mom seems to be taking to the e-cig. I was able to quit analogs much easier than I expected with the e-cig. (smoked 22 years and longest I quit was for 1 day!)

So she likes that it's automatic but also said she wouldn't mind dripping for better flavor when I told her about it. Can do you that with the automatic battery if you have the drip tip piece?

Yes, you can drip with the auto battery and drip tip; I should note that the drip tip in very helpful but not absolutely necessary; she can use an empty cartridge for a mouthpiece if needed. There is a risk of ruining the auto battery when dripping because there is a hole in the auto battery to to turn it on when air passes through it, the manual battery has no hole, which is why the button is needed. If she is careful (2-3 drips at a time) she should be OK. I drip on an auto battery when I want to feel like I am really smoking a cig because I don't have to press the button and I can hold the auto battery like I held a cig...

In the end, though, do you get better flavor from manual ? thats what I see suggested most.

I'm not the most experienced vapor, but I don't think that auto and manual make a difference in flavor. I have read that the auto shuts off after 4 seconds or so. People like the manual because they don't run the risk of trashing the battery when they drip. They have more control over when the battery activates and I've read that the automatic's can turn on in wind or loud noisy places.

So with these things in mind:
Good throat hit
Vapor doesn't matter
Wouldnt mind dripping for better flavor
Likes automatic, but i don't think it matters
Prefers sleek & thin
Mostly at home with plenty of ways to recharge. Able to recharge in car too. Battery life is not a huge issue.

If your Mom wants to drip and enjoys it then I recommend removing the bridge on the atty; it's super easy. Shan B gives a great demo of this on youtube

Is the 510 a good choice? Is the eGo much thicker (and is the battery life the only real difference)? She said she'd like if it were thinner but the ego is even larger than the disposable one. Anyone able to take a side by side comparison picture?

Sure, the 510 is not a bad choice, especially if your Mom likes the sleakness factor. I personally went through the batteries faster than I could charge them, which was frustrating when I was first trying to quit! I had to chain vape to keep myself from smoking... The eGo has a diameter of 1/2"; sorry I don't have a picture

Can anyone point me in some "non sweet" flavors of juice to try, as well?

I'm not a sweet fan either... I luckily tried Halo's 'Freedom Juice' right out of the gate and I think it's amazing. Light, smooth, decent throat hit, with just the tiniest hint of sweetness (in a good way). I also really like Freedom Smoke USA's 'Hypnotic Mist', but the throat hit is milder and alot of people think it's not a tobacco flavor even though FSUSA lists it under their tobacco flavors. FSUSA also sells 'Pure Cig' that many think is the closest to an analog they've found... FSUSA is having a great sale that ends tomorrow, here is a link explaining the sale.

Also, I forgot to mention that I tried it o ut a little and mom didn't say anything about this but I noticed that after 2-3 drags that the vapor was going away and there was some distinct "sucking" sound that wasn't there for the first few drags. It could of been that I didn't have the cart on good, or that is was just a disposable? Or is this normal?

I can't help here, I'm not experienced enough and I've never used a disposable e-cig!

Hope this was helpful and best wishes for your Mom...

One last thing to note: when you do get a new kit for your mom make sure you blow out the mouth end of the new attys to remove the primer fluid most manufacturers put on them to keep them moist. It tastes disgusting when vaped!!! I personally clean mine with rubbing alcohol and let dry for about a day before I use a new one.

 

[zomgname]

Thank you! Sorry I keep on asking questions.

Is this a good deal?
Joye 510 with Passthru
I figured I would get the 1st battery manual and the second battery automatic to let her see which one she really likes. The passthru is the thing that lets her smoke while it charges right?

Or this:
Joye eGo
again i would pick 1 manual and 1 automatic.
again really just concerned with this because of the size. but if it's a better deal in the end and will last longer I think she'll deal with it fine as long as it is not heavy.


A question about cartomizers...they replace the automizer, don't they? If so, do you get to choose the color they come in (so you dont have a black battery with a white cartomizer?) or am i wrong about how they work?

 

[DocWyatt]

The cartomizer = atomizer and cartridge in 1 piece.

I would definately get a box of 5 for her to try. Personally I much prefer them.

I would get BOGE soft cap or Joye. Avoid Bauway...

The passthrough allows her to use it while plugged it. It is instead of a battery. There are some with a battery in them also....but not really needed.

 

[DocWyatt]

I would compare prices at LiteCigUSA or Liberty Flights just to make sure getting a good deal. LiteCig is about the cheapest or close. Ego kit is $55 at LiteCig, for instance and very fast.

As far as the size thingy, the EGO is more like a cigar in diameter... the mouth piece is the same - but the battery is fat.

The standard 510 batt is 180 mah capacity, standard ego kit is 650 mah... If you get EGo she won't need a PT. If a standard 510 - I would say yes, definitely.

One one hand i would say your mother doesnt need the EGO because she is a light smoker. On the other hand many, many people find they vape FAR more than they smoked - because they like it...just saying.

 

[Drozd]

I ordered one of these:
510 DISPOSABLE E-CIG KIT with Blue LED

And went ahead and gave it to her as a birthday gift instead.
Her first reaction was that it tasted bad; went through the 3 flavors included and she preferred the least sweet one (no idea what the flavors were).
She loves how it looks/feels. She did say she'd like it a little thinner, but not a big deal.
She didn't smoke a cigarette from the time I gave it to her until she went to bed, and she went to smoke one and actually put it out saying it tasted nasty after using the e-cig for probably only 2 hrs. She'll probably smoke still for a while but im surprised at how quickly she was able to put one out! Usually she probably would of smoked 2-3 in that time, plus one in bed.

first off let me say congradulations... aside from the flavor issue...it sounds like something that she'll like...
and now that we've got at least trying things out of the way and an idea for her preference and what she likes about it and doesn't we can go through those issues...

So she likes that it's automatic but also said she wouldn't mind dripping for better flavor when I told her about it. Can do you that with the automatic battery if you have the drip tip piece? In the end, though, do you get better flavor from manual ? thats what I see suggested most.
She also doesn't care about vapor and actually one of the big things she hates about smoking is the huge smoke cloud. She does however like good throat hit, and some vapor.

ok this is a super helpful piece of information.... since one of the big things the 510 has going for it is a decent amount of vapor production which IS important to a lot of people...
if it isnt as important for her cartomizers may be easier and better for her... which you can get cartos for the 510 or a 2 piece cartomizer model like the KR808d-1
it isn't adviseable to drip with an auto battery (juice tends to get in them since they arent sealed and kill them...

the lag at the end of the cartrige is just the fact that the filler in the 510 carts is somewhat dismal as far as it's wicking ability and needs to be topped off moderately often (lots of people remove the filler and replace it with something else that wicks better)...often called a cart mod (the popular ones being PTB (pyramid tea bag or blue foam... there's threads about them both on here))

So with these things in mind:
Good throat hit
Vapor doesn't matter
Wouldnt mind dripping for better flavor
Likes automatic
Prefers sleek & thin
Mostly at home with plenty of ways to recharge. Able to recharge in car too. Battery life is not a huge issue.

Is the 510 a good choice? Is the eGo much thicker (and is the battery life the only real difference)? She said she'd like if it were thinner but the ego is even larger than the disposable one. Anyone able to take a side by side comparison picture?

both the 510 and the KR808d-1 are the thinnest you're going to find..
a regular cig is about 9mm (with 100's being a bit thinner) and both the 510 and the KR8 are 9mm in diameter as well
the eGo is about 14mm in diameter so nearly double...it's about as big around as a AA size battery (to compare it to something tangeable)
anyway yes here is a comparison picture of some models (including some mixed with adapters):
top to bottom: 510 battery + adapter+ kr8 cartomizer
510
kr808d-1
kr808 battery +adapter +510 atty and cart
kr808 XL battery +adapter +510 atty and cart
650mAh eGo with 510 atty and cart
650mAh eGo with adapter and kr8 cartomizer

yes the eGo is basically just a longer battery life...so I WOULDNT suggest it if she's prefering sleek and thin and has plenty of recharge options...
since TH is prefered over vapor production I'd suggest cartos
I'd actually lean toward the KR8 except for the fact that she's prefering non sweet flavor which the 510 is better at...

Can anyone point me in some "non sweet" flavors of juice to try, as well?

Also, I forgot to mention that I tried it out a little and mom didn't say anything about this but I noticed that after 2-3 drags that the vapor was going away and there was some distinct "sucking" sound that wasn't there for the first few drags. It could of been that I didn't have the cart on good, or that is was just a disposable? Or is this normal?

it very well could be that it's disposeable...sounds like maybe the cart was having a hard time keeping up with the wicking... though a little bit of a sucking noise is normal it shouldn't be overwealming...

For the 510 - could I just also order a manual battery for $10-12 and have both automatic and manual on hand and just switch out the automizer? Or is the whole thing needed?
I talked with her some more and she thinks she'll like automatic more, but I think she should try manual too.

Hopefully my last question: which website has the 510/accessories with the best rep/fastest shipping?

as far as 510s and starter kits there are 3 sites that I would reccommend equally...all have fast shipping (usually gets to you in 3 business days)... and great customer service

cignot ...cheap starter kit but you have to pay extra for shipping and extra juice
rockymountainvapor .... slightly more for the kit but more color choices... free shipping above $14 order... but need extra juice
and
nhaler... more expensive starter kit (but includes 2 6ml sample bottles of your choice of juice flavors) so just the kit after the coupon code (saveinnj) comes out to be $49.30

that's where I got our first 510 kits from about a year ago and am still a customer (and the batteries from those kits are still working)
Joye Tech 510 Starter KIT

I also like them because he has 6ml sample size bottles of their flavors

I would suggest that you make sure it's a joye 510 kit instead of a knock off...
either way....the atomizer she has from the disposeable will work on a regular kit..
so ordering a starter kit she'll have 2 batteries 2 atties and the spare...
as far as juice goes... I like the 24 mg nuport and the 12 mg high voltage super menthol from nhaler mixed half and half for a menthol... and drewbacco1 for a regular not too sweet tobacco...

I'd pick her up some cartomizers as well
either Blank 510 Mega Cartomizers (which have to be filled)
or
510 Mega Cartomizers (which are prefilled with his juice mixes)

pretty much you can one stop some solidly decent choices there

oh.... if she wants another automatic battery...just get an extra auto which can also be found as a joye 306 battery like these : http://shop.rockymountainvapor.com/category.sc?categoryId=36
(the joye 510 and the joye 306 are threaded the same and parts are interchangeable they are just different style atties... for dripping my personal preference is for a 510 battery with a 306 atty and a 306 drip tip... I think that is probably the best cleanest tasteing)

 

[Friend of Atlas]

Thank you! Sorry I keep on asking questions.

Is this a good deal?
Joye 510 with Passthru
I figured I would get the 1st battery manual and the second battery automatic to let her see which one she really likes. The passthru is the thing that lets her smoke while it charges right?

Or this:
Joye eGo
again i would pick 1 manual and 1 automatic.
again really just concerned with this because of the size. but if it's a better deal in the end and will last longer I think she'll deal with it fine as long as it is not heavy.


A question about cartomizers...they replace the automizer, don't they? If so, do you get to choose the color they come in (so you dont have a black battery with a white cartomizer?) or am i wrong about how they work?

I think the 510 kit you linked is a decent price for what it includes. I don't know that it's the lowest, but it's nice that it includes the passthrough.

You can get a slightly better price (51.96 + 2.99 S7&H) right now at Liberty Flights on the eGo. They have a decent selection of colors as well.

 

[IrishGirl]

My vote for simplicity would be a KR808D-1 with an XL battery. I smoked 120s so the XL length feels great to me and the extended battery use is a bonus. I ordered from V2cigs (seem to be having trouble keeping their stock), but the Vapor King from Vapor 4 life is the same model. For the first few days I liked the automatic battery, but quickly changed to like the manual so get one of each.

Don't write off flavors. At first, I was totally against flavors and thought I only wanted tobacco, but couldn't have been more wrong. I hate all the tobacco flavors (taste like cheap cigarettes, stale cigarettes or cigars). I love butterscotch and cinnamon. I won't even be trying anymore tobacco flavors. It's like finding a new cigarette that tastes so much better. I think it also helped with the transition off traditional cigs because after vaping my yummy butterscotch, boy did my old friend taste nasty! The KR808-1 cartomizers also seem like the easiest to refill. A cartomizer lasts me for 2 days. I don't know how so many on this forum enjoy dripping so frequently with the 3 piece designs. Sounds like a pain to me.

 

[KissMint]

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