IKV cartos arrived and.....

[Evi|grin]

Well they vape pretty darn good. I got the 510 Fusion Mega Punch LR. The website said they were 2ohm but the first one is reading 1.7-1.8 on my MVP v2. Its no big deal to me, it vapes fine but i would have liked to try a 2ohm just to see if it made a difference. Ive tried 1.7ohm SMOKs and these are a little better IMO.

The same 70PG/30VG juice tastes a little sweeter and i like the draw a bit better too. The vape itself is very consistent. I hit it pretty hard yesterday and it kept up with me. Im only on the second tank full but so far im happy with the purchase.

 

[dsconnell]

They've been my first choice carto for a month now. I actually tried Ikenvape before Boge and haven't been dissappointed in the slightest. I've noticed that it takes about a day before they're broken in and running at 100%. Only problem is they're sometimes out and you have to wait or pick a different one. I've not had a DOA either. Good stuff!

 

[Evi|grin]

They sure do have a slight improvement the next day IMO. I think all cartos do to some extent unless its a bad one. Maybe its just the morning mouth wash and breakfast but i did notice it also. Anytime i notice a reduction in flavor, i have a sandwich or eat something and it seems to bring it right back. Breads and spicy soups seem to be the most effective for me.

Now for the second one i filled a few hours ago with a Mango blend that is kinda mild in my iClear30. Its also a 70PG/30VG and even in a SMOK 1.7ohm single coil the flavor is slightly mild. Flavor improved but the huge improvement was in throat hit vs the iClear30. I mean like WOW improvement even at less watts. I had to turn it down to start just to get used to it. I tried higher watts in the iClear30 to see if it improved but it did not. It just got hotter and altered the flavor in a bad way.

Now this juice taste sweeter also with a really nice throat hit but a little cooler than the top coil clearo. Its not a super sweet juice either and somewhat clear. These IKVs IMO are for sure better than anything ive tried yet at 6-7watts. Both are performing on par or better than a SMOK 1.5 ohm dual coil set at 8-9watts.

BTW this one also checked out at 1.7-1.8ohms but i aint complaining.

 

[DHCrocks]

I just got in my SR mega fusion punch cartos too. they are supposed to be 3.0 ohm but so far they have come in at 2.4 and 2.3 ohms. I made the mistake of not checking the ohms first and just used at 5.0v as I ususally do with my 3ohm cartos and damn, that was a harsh hit. seems like the consistency is not that good. I don't see all the fuss about these guys. I'm now vaping at 4.4v and seems ok. I notice that the filler only goes a little about half way as compared to almost the top for boge and smoktechs. The first draw after sitting a while also gurgles then from there it's ok for a little while. if I take several hits in a row it dries out fast and I get a dry hit and burnt taste. I have to do unpowered draws every so often to get it to saturate again. when it works it seems pretty good, nice draw and flavor is ok but slightly muted. I think I'll go back to the boge, can't beat the price on those guys and seems like a more consistent vape to me. Sad to say I'm disappointed with the ikenvape, I had such high hopes based on the reviews.

 

[Evi|grin]

The 3 im using are still working very well after several tank fulls in each. Two are in DCT Pyrex tanks and one is in a IBtanked.

The SMOK dual coils i tried were usually about dead by now or the draw was MUCH tighter. The IKVs still have a nice draw and the flavor is still pretty good. Not quite as good as new but still very "vapeable".

The best part is i have ZERO flooding of any kind. The battery connection on my MVP looks as dry as it gets. Using SMOKs i had to check it several times a day. The SMOK dual holes were just terrible in this regard with 70PG/30VG and i had to use a single hole or add some VG.

The IKV two hole Mega Fushion LRs IMO are performing flawlessly in this regard with 70PG/30VG. They seem to wick as fast as i can vape without a dry or burnt draw. Im not a chain vaper but i did try it a little with some lower nic juice as a test.

 

[Evi|grin]

Well i got a solid 11days out of the first IKV and it was still working. Flavor was muted and the ohms went upto 2.0 so i changed it out. IMO that is not bad for the juice i was using. It was a fairly sweet banana nut bread. The others are still performing great. The one i changed still worked but i was getting a tiny bit of juice on the connection.

It was better to change it than take my chances. Im still very happy with the IKV carto performance.

 

[Spirk]

I have been through hundreds of Smok and Boge cartos so I decided to give Ikenvape a try. I ordered 10 of the MEGA Platinum SR S Series. So far I have had a 100% failure rate. All of them taste like burned plastic. I have tried 3 different juices (KBV Peaches n' Cream, MBV Hawk Sauce, and Kandee Shoppe Smurf Berries) on three different devices (Provari, Lavatube V2, eVic) with the same results every time. All of the cartos test at around 2.8-3 ohms but setting the mod to anything above 4V results in nothing but burned plastic taste.

My experience is this:
Boge cartos come with 2 or 3 duds per box.
Smok cartos clog if you look at them wrong.
Ikenvape cartos are complete garbage.

 

[Evi|grin]

Let me see if i got this right.

100s of cartos with less than satisfactory results
At least 3 juices
At least 3 APVs
Above 4volts taste burnt with IKVs
1 user with over a year of vaping experience

I only see 1 common denominator in this picture unless i missed something.

 

[DHCrocks]

yeah, I think this batch is a dud. so far I've gone thru 4 SR, first one I had to chuck in a day before it tasted like crap. Second one immediately, it was burnt from the start. Third one lasted less then a week. The most recent one I put in (2 days ago) is working like a champ, great performance so far. I did notice that this one is 2.8 ohms and all the others were around 2.3-2.4 and those all were bad burnt tasting garbage. it's a shame I spent good money on this.

FWIW, my boge, smoktek and volcano cartos can last me weeks on end. I've gotten a solid month on average before I retire those guys.

 

[JJOOHHNN]

It is interesting how results vary. I have Ikenvape Platinums loaded in a pair of Provari in front of me right now. One is on day three, the other is on maybe day 11.

 

[Telly R]

I am with you JJOOHHNN... I am sorry to read about bad experiences with IKV cartos... Because, like yourself, I have a couple loaded with different juices and PG/VG ratios and ranging from 3-13 days - and they are just vaping away. I have Boges, SmokTechs and Hoosier Vapes, along with IKVs. The ones I am going to are my IKVs... I might have gotten a "good" batch. I have not tried the Volcanos... I will research them and compare.

 

[BernieVideo]

I have been through hundreds of Smok and Boge cartos so I decided to give Ikenvape a try. I ordered 10 of the MEGA Platinum SR S Series. So far I have had a 100% failure rate. All of them taste like burned plastic. I have tried 3 different juices (KBV Peaches n' Cream, MBV Hawk Sauce, and Kandee Shoppe Smurf Berries) on three different devices (Provari, Lavatube V2, eVic) with the same results every time. All of the cartos test at around 2.8-3 ohms but setting the mod to anything above 4V results in nothing but burned plastic taste.

My experience is this:
Boge cartos come with 2 or 3 duds per box.
Smok cartos clog if you look at them wrong.
Ikenvape cartos are complete garbage.

One peculiar thing I have noticed with the S series is that the slotted cartos need a little extra care and effort when priming. You have to make sure you saturate the carto all the way to the bottom.

I find I need to prime it well, install in tank, fill tank and then give it a bit of time to fully saturate.

I have the same experience with both the Ikenvape and Boge slotted cartos.

Btw my experience with the S series was very good. I felt they provided great flavor and vapor. The only negative is that they clog with heavy or deeply colored juices, as all attys do.


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[samcm010]

I have platinum series LR ikenvape cartos running now and have had them going for 10 days no problem at all.

 

[Telly R]

I think BernieVideo hit it right on the head... Proper set up, particularly, properly priming the cartos is key. Regardless of brand.

 

[dam718]

I have not tried the Volcanos... I will research them and compare.

The cartos from Volcano are SmokTech Flanged cartos with a single laser punch. Nothing special...

Being a frequent customer of theirs, I have often been in the Vape Lounge right down from my house when they get in new stock. The boxes of 5 are repackaged in the Volcano boxes. The singles they sell are in a SmokTech box. Same with the "Tube Tank" they sell, just a rebranded SmokTech DCT. And the Lavatube 2.5 is a Vamo V2 in a much nicer tube... Volcano doesn't do original, they're just masters of marketing.

Their staff is all real cool guys... They all vape Lavatubes at work... ProVari's at home... Go figure

 

[Evi|grin]

This was and still is my biggest concern about switching to cartomizers in tanks. The QC is all over the place and a dud costs me juice. Even one of the most respected vendors can be effected since they all appear to come from a similar area in China. Possibly even the same factory. After all, every company in China is at least partially owned by the Chinese government IIRC.

Its nearly impossible to effectively regulate yourself when i comes to big business especially with limited competition. Its even worse when the government is the only oversite for themselves. Combine the two and you are destined for problems........In other words, You do not put the coyote in charge of guarding the hen house.

It seemed odd that the plain unpunched 1.7ohm SMOKs (cheapest) i got worked very well but all the other SMOKs i tried were very hit and miss. I can chalk some of this up to user error (my own). Once i found how many holes worked best with my juice blends it was better. I did still have some die too early IMO. Those were mostly the 1.5ohm dual coils. I had no luck with 3 SMOK 3ohm single coils i got from different B&Ms so i never bought anymore.

I still need to try some Boge F16s. They look VERY similar to the IKV Fusions i bought. Another member showed me a place that has them fairly cheap. The unpunched "juice bar" Boge cartos i tried seemed really good but i have no other experience with them. The IKV Mega Fusion LRs i got seem pretty good but its obvious i should keep other options available. Im only only my 4th of 10 so its too early for me to form a long term opinion.

I started this thread as a way to track the performance of the 10 pack i got. So far no duds and no funky flavor. They wick well with my 70PG/30VG juice and don't leak so far. Im running at 7watts nearly all the time and rotating three tanks. The first one got far more heavy use because it seldom got a break from a rotation the first few days.

 

[Evi|grin]

I think BernieVideo hit it right on the head... Proper set up, particularly, properly priming the cartos is key. Regardless of brand.

I totally agree. Even after a "perfect" priming they taste better to me the next day or at least after a few hours of resting. The polyfill appears to be a lot tighter in the IKVs i got compared to the SMOK DCT type and a little tighter than the unpunched i got. Im assuming the tighter polyfill would benefit from more time to saturate before the first use.

One thing is for sure, if it taste burnt or funky the first time its probably never going to improve.

 

[Telly R]

I totally agree. Even after a "perfect" priming they taste better to me the next day or at least after a few hours of resting. The polyfill appears to be a lot tighter in the IKVs i got compared to the SMOK DCT type and a little tighter than the unpunched i got. Im assuming the tighter polyfill would benefit from more time to saturate before the first use.

One thing is for sure, if it taste burnt or funky the first time its probably never going to improve.

I am 100% with you... I know from watching previous IKV carto review videos, that it seemed they had more wicking material and the extra material was tightly wrapped. So, from having watched this and just reading your post, it validated the way I have been handling my cartos (from hole punching, juice ratios, resting periods and performance).
You are definitely right about "if it taste burnt or funky the first time it's probably never going to improve". And to add salt to the wound, this is right after you have gone through the set up process (selection, priming, punching, installation and tank filling) and dispensing a good amount of your ejuice... Sucks!

I almost forgot to mention that I have seen and read several reviews and tutorials on cartomizers; from item break down, to performance comparison - and based on the results and conclusions, plus my own experience with them, it's why I have been relying on the IKVs. I hope Bogegate steps up their game again, as they used to be arguably the performance leader.

 

[Evi|grin]

Im relying on IKV to be my last line of defense too because no one else seems to be trying by what i keep reading. its one of those things that either rocks or totally sucks. There is not much middle ground for cartomizer QC. When they work, they quite often work very well when they don't they are like lighting the wrong end of a cig. Plus it cost more.

I did not have a huge amount that failed too soon IMO because the juice can make the life span much shorter. So far i never had one that worked great for a day then went to pffftttt. I did have quite a few that would flood with 70PG juices and adding VG plus some flavoring gets annoying. Plus higher PG and less flavoring seems to increase the life span of the carto. When they worked, i normally got at least 6 days or more unless i had to thicken the juice. I even tried not adding more flavoring but they would still get too tight.

I got 11 days out of my first IKV and i probably could have gotten more. It was so nice not to have to clean my battery connection several times a day or worse. Ive got one that probably has more days on it now with a milder flavor and its still rocking. The only SMOK that came close (in a tank) was a 1.5ohm DC single hole but those are nearly a buck more and drain my battery faster. I need to run them at atleast 8watts to get close to the same flavor/vapor and they did best at 9watts. The unpunched 1.7ohm SMOK XLs were better as a standalone and cost less

Cartogate must end!!!!

 

[Bawn]

where you guys buying ikv cartos? there site doesnt have much. i find boges dont last too long with 50/50 blends or dark juices. they tend to start decreasing in vapor pretty quick. although i have had boges go for 10-11 days but majority of them after 4-5 days it starts to get a little funky and finicky