I know it's been asked, but what is the best NON-mod pv?

[sailorman]

I agree. The e-Power is probably his best option. It'll outlast a kGo or other *go. But, I understand wanting real quality, so the Silver Bullet isn't unreasonable, even for a beginner. If vaping isn't his thing, he can sell it in a heartbeat without losing as much as he'd lose selling a used kGo.

I'd pay top dollar for a used SB, with a disposable like a kGo, you never know how much time you're buying.

At least he hasn't been convinced that nothing but a Provari is good enough. Not that the fanboys haven't tried.

 

[volta399]

I know people have asked this, but i'm still using my little cheapo 7-11 rig that i got for $20. I've saved up enough money to get something a little more substantial, but it's soo hard to sort through all of the technical talk and jargon to figure out what the heck I'm trying to do! You try to fing out what one piece of shop-talk means, only to be answered with more shop talk! I'm not stupid, but my head is spinning!

I've kind of only got 1 shot at this. I don't have any extra money to buy the wrong thing with, or buy something that's not a complete working pv. I think I've figured out that the silver bullet is nothing more than a battery? so i guess i don't want that one, I've been looking at getting an eGo T, with the type B cylinder tanks. I just hope it doesn't turn out to be crap.

I want something that i can buy, fill, and go. I don't want to have to keep buying parts or anything, besides the juice of course. And I want it to be able to put out a good throat hit, and a lot more vapor and less charging than my lil cheap rig.

I guess most importantly, long term value! I'm a buy it once and keep it for a lifetime kinda guy. Can't keep a girlfriend for more than a week though, doesn't make sense.

Go with the ego-t "b" tank system. Bought one about a week ago, and it blows those cheap 7-11 ones out of the water!

 

[Arrowhead]

Sailorman you're making me want a silver bullet for my next pv. I almost started out with the SB but didn't have the money.

 

[hooflabablah]

Thanks a lot everybody, I think I've got my game plan sorted out. I'm gonna see how long my lil metro 7-11 rig holds out while I save up for an SB. I'll be sure to get a couple batts and as long as no one comes around saying the 510 single coil tanks are worthless, i'll get one of those, and prolly a couple others just to make sure i've got a couple different things to try out. I might be able to keep up on other threads now after having it spelled out for me.

While i'm saving up, i'll keep doing research, and i might just try to put my own together. Don't worry, I'll call up my electrical engineer buddy to make sure i don't burn my house down, haha.

I kinda hate to say this on here, because i'm afraid i might cause someone to fall off of the "no analog" wagon, but i'm not saving money by switching, the only reason I am switching is because I honestly like vaping more. I've been rolling my own for about 2 years now. Total monthly cost: (drumroll...) about $17 a month. I smoke a lot, and would never go back to buying nasty name brand packs, even if they were cheaper. The bags of tobacco are so much better, and a lot fresher. And more natural.

I guess it's a testament to vaping though, that I'd rather spend more money, and it's not for health reasons or anything, vaping's just more enjoyable.

 

[Bradder]

No problem here from continued smoking, in my opinion. If you like rolling your own, at some point ou might like DIY. Costs of vaping drop dramatically after that... and just make sure you have comprehensive insurance on you home .

 

[theWayISshut]

Egos and equivalents are non-mod pv's.

They're all the same, in my opinion. The differences is in the mah rating. The larger the rating the longer the battery life between charging. Not all have excellent batteries. Some last longer than others. Which means their life is over no matter how long you charge them. They're done. Time to get another one. There are even cases where a brand new one don't even last a week or a month. I don't see this as due to being a knock off or the real thing. Batteries inside are simply not perfect. There are bad apples. Just like in many electronic devices.

That's the disadvantage of non-mod's. Batteries break and you throw the whole PV, instead of just the battery inside. The good news is majority of non-mod PV's do last a while.

So any Ego with high mah rating plus LR Boge cartos will do just fine. In terms of cartos, tanks, etc. I haven't seen one that will last longer than two weeks. I'm perfectly fine with that. They're cheap enough to dispose after a few days or so. I have tried tanks. But they won't exactly save you money. They need to be replenished with huge amounts of juices. Fact that the liquid tend to evaporate quickly even without using it. In short, they're not exactly economical.

 

[sailorman]

I guess you had a really cheap place to get tobacco. My RYO cost way more than $17 month. The postage alone was almost that much. I had a couple nice machines and stuffed tubes with pretty good tobacco. The tax hike jacked up the price of my favorite Daughters & Ryan tobacco from around $14lb to about $40lb. Even the tobacco that was cleverly labeled as "pipe tobacco" was getting out of hand. I smoked 2-3 packs/day for the last 2 or 3 years before starting vaping.

Beyond all the other advantages of vaping, I do save money. Lots of it. Once you get your device and setllle on a decent carto or atomizer or whatever, the savings start adding up. The first few months are the most expensive, especially if you get the wrong PV to start with. Also, it helps if you're not buying every PV and juice under the sun. If you do some DIY juice, you really save $$. I figure that, including the cost of cartos, etc., I spend less than $1 a day. That's cheaper than even really bad tobacco, and I never RYO'd bad tobacco.

So, save your money and snag a Silver Bullet. You won't be sorry. Research some batteries. There's a very good thread about the Panasonic batteries in the Variable Voltage-Lavatube forum. You will use more juice with a tank. So you might want to investigate some of the larger cartomizers or even the Vision Stone cartomizer-less tanks, which I personally love and which fit the SB like a glove. Let us know how it goes and good luck.

 

[hooflabablah]

sailorman, could you maybe post a link for the Vision Stone cartomizer-less tanks? I tried googling it, but i'm not sure if i found exactly what you meant, they didn't say anything about being cartomizerless.

oh, about the tobacco, it might make a difference that i live in KY. A pack of marlboros is about $4.75, and the tobacco i was getting, called "today" tobacco (dumbest brand name ever), that i would get at a couple little gas stations was $11 a pound... then they went out of business it was really good stuff too, at least for my tastes. I don't think they did very much to it, just bagged it and shipped it out.

 

[sailorman]

Here's where I get them. Evidently everyone else does too, cuz they're sold out ATM.
VirginVapors.com has them too, but I think they have the Vision Stone 2. The VS 3 are better.
It might be worth a look though. The VS3 just came out recently.

Gotvapes has the best pictures. So here's the link.
VISION Stone 3 - Tank Mod : GotVapes.com, E-cigarette Supplies - Atomizers Cartomizers Mods Juice and more

 

[PoliticallyIncorrect]

At least he hasn't been convinced that nothing but a Provari is good enough. Not that the fanboys haven't tried.

The black Provari pots could reasonably argue that at least one of the Silver Bullet kettles ain't so damned pristine himself.

 

[hooflabablah]

Uh oh, it looks like I'm gonna hafta step on the gas a little. My metro cheapy has decided to start turning itself on any time it's not sitting vertically. I guess i see why everyone likes having a button.

definitely good pics on gotvapes. very helpful.

politicallyincorrect, i like your post. haha, with any hobby, there's gonna be people that are loyal to what works for them. I'm not gonna make this a hobby though, i just wanna know enough to not get ripped off, and get something that works. No product loyalty from me! I'm thinking with anything that has a reputation like a provari or a silver bullet, I could sell it if i don't like it, and not lose too much. If i had to, i'd convert somebody around town and sell it to them. (hope i don't get fussed at for "PRE-advertising" again)

 

[enchantedwonder]

I know in this economy people's idea of spending is different things. I want a Provari and will get one soon. The advice I got a few weeks ago was pretty sound in my opinion. It was for a KGO and spend the money finding the right carotmizers and juice. That in itself has cost me around $350 so far, or more.. It was 563 but I deducted the original Greensmoke and refills roughly.

I do think though that the Silver Bullet advice is good as well if you can get that. I like the longevity of it, and I didn't know that the KGO was good for only around four months.

I'm good because of course now... now I want the Provari... of course.

Best of luck with all of your decisions I think the juices are the toughest part.

 

[sailorman]

Uh oh, it looks like I'm gonna hafta step on the gas a little. My metro cheapy has decided to start turning itself on any time it's not sitting vertically. I guess i see why everyone likes having a button.

definitely good pics on gotvapes. very helpful.

politicallyincorrect, i like your post. haha, with any hobby, there's gonna be people that are loyal to what works for them. I'm not gonna make this a hobby though, i just wanna know enough to not get ripped off, and get something that works. No product loyalty from me! I'm thinking with anything that has a reputation like a provari or a silver bullet, I could sell it if i don't like it, and not lose too much. If i had to, i'd convert somebody around town and sell it to them. (hope i don't get fussed at for "PRE-advertising" again)

You wouldn't have any trouble selling a Silver Bullet in the classifieds here. Another thing I like about the Bullet, that I forgot to mention, is that you can chat with the guy who designed it pretty much anytime. It's just him, his wife and a machinist. Maybe you can do that with the people who build Provaris, I don't know. But it's nice to know that one person is mostly responsible for your PV. He treats them like his children if you ever send one back for some reason. Very impressive. But don't tell him you're stacking batteries or using it for a tack hammer. He gets upset like you're abusing his child.

 

[sailorman]

The black Provari pots could reasonably argue that at least one of the Silver Bullet kettles ain't so damned pristine himself.

The Silver Bullet kettle never goes into it chanting that the Bullet is the only thing in the world worth buying. The SB kettle suggested a couple of alternatives first and doesn't ignore the needs of the poster, immediately insisting that the SB is really what he wants and all others are a waste of money. The SB kettle recommends Volts, Bloogs, kGos, e-Powers, Lavatubes and whatever else will suit what the poster is looking for, unlike the Provari pots.

In this case, the SB kettle recommended the SB because the OP mentioned it in his first post and explicitly stated that he was looking for long term value, not because he's a fanboy. Unlike the Provari pots, who instantly suggest the Provari regardless of the situation, budget or the noobness of the poster, the SB kettle has only ever recommended the SB to one or two other people, out of dozens.

Furthermore, when the SB kettle recommends the SB, he spends time and takes significant pains to describe it and say why the SB is suitable for the poster's needs. He doesn't just jump up and down chanting "Get a Provari cuz it's great and I wish I would have gotten one when I started", which is the usual mantra of many Provari pots. If someone only knew about the Provari what they learned by reading the fanboyism, they'd know virtually nothing about the device itself, except that it was expensive and better than sex.

 

[hooflabablah]

ok, so I'm saving up for an SB. But i think my current rig is near death. So for the time being, I'm thinking MOD KIT! I haven't found any really that'll hold an 18650, anybody know of any? As far as this one goes, the cheaper the better. I'd love it to be under $20, and i don't care if it has little issues.

 

[PoliticallyIncorrect]

Probably not the answer you're looking for, but a regulated 5V output in a small package for $24.99 was a very cool idea: New! 5v Wow Mod

Of course, you'd also have to buy the two LiFePo4 3.0V CR123A Batteries and a charger (from the same site), but those same batts would give you a 6V output—albeit, an unregulated, all-over-the-map 6V—when your SB arrives.

 

[Mark C.]

Ok, wow, good responses!

So, I've looked at the provari, and it is definitely out of my price range for now, the variable voltage does sound nice though. But, i'm gonna try for the silver bullet, and look into the Bolt a little (i don't mind a knockoff, as long as it's a good knockoff) It just kinda sucks to think I'll be spending $80 on what is essentially the bottom half of a mag-lite. XD It seems like it'd be soo simple to make a vaporizer.

btw, i have nothing at all that's interchangeable with anything already, so no matter what i'll have to get all new stuff, so no money saved there.

So when you order a silver bullet, what exactly do you need to make sure to get with it? Also, what does it come with? i.e. do you have to buy a battery?

How long does an atty last, and what eventually kills them? Does the bullet ONLY use cartridges? I like the idea of the tank just because i don't wanna hafta keep buying the same piece over and over, so how long would the cartridge last?

Once again, sorry for being such a noob, I promise i have put in a lot of time trying to figure this stuff out before starting a thread, but i was getting nowhere.

Here is the best advice i can give you from my experience. I Bought an Ego, and i like it but i wanted more i did weeks of research and to buy something once and never have to buy another device again it seems the Provari is the way to go, i work minimum wage and saved up for a while to get my provari because it should be a 1 time buy and not have to buy another again. hopefully this helps you out some (and what others are saying about the silver bullet is probably true ive heard allot of good things about them but i sprung the extra cash for something that i can change the voltage on and know its backed by great customer support and is built to last.

For me cartomizers are the way i go, i can't stand dripping into atomizers every 2 minutes and so far i have had bad luck with tanks so im doing allot of research before buying any more tanks. Cartomizers are very easy to use, easy to fill and even though they start to get worn out after a week or so you can clean them and 9 times out of 10 they seem to work fine if they are completely dry they work almost like brand new again. I really love the idea of clearomizers but so far i havnt found one that works really well for me, and when i do find one ill be sticking to it and probably wont use cartomizers anymore since clearomizers dont have the filler, i dont get any different taste from the filler but cleaning out the carto to get rid of the filler being gunked up can be a task.

Anyway for now cartomizers are the way to go, maybe a cartomizer tank if you find a good one, and once clearomizers are revised to not have wicking issues they will probably be the best thing on the market.

 

[hooflabablah]

If MODs were called APVs, the confusion that prompted me to begin this thread would've never happened. Actually, i don't care what you call them, but MOD is just incorrect.
APV is the new term ECF is going to go with, and while you can still call 'em whatever you want, I'm hoping i start seeing APV in everyone's posts. I think we could do better than APV, but it's a lot better than MOD, which, in any other industry means an entirely different thing.

With that said, for everybody that helped me on this thread, I went ahead and got myself a 5v DIY box APV(mod) kit from madvapes. I slapped it together, and i'm totally happy with it. I just need to settle on what kind of atty/carto/tank i'm going to end up preferring.

To sailorman, i'm glad i went with my current APV instead of the silver bullet APV, just because of the cost. If this thing breaks, i can fix it in 5mins. But thanks a lot for explaining to me what MOD really meant, so i wasn't scared to go the APV route just because the word MOD was so misleading.

To zidakano, thanks a ton for pointing out the kits. They're perfect for anyone that's not scared of a soldering iron. I don't mind doing without all the features, and actually, i've got the variable volt kit ordered, and then i'll have all the features i want. While it's not made outta "aircraft aluminum" or solid gold, it does everything an expensive model does, and a lot easier to work on. There's no need to spend a ton of money if you can do the work yourself. I might've wasted a ton of money if you hadn't pointed madvapes out to me.