I'm a name brand e-cig buyer....

[xg4bx]

and I'm not embarrassed by it.

In the past 3 months I've had 2 510 batteries lose 75% of their charge, 2 Hello 016 batteries fry on me (to the tune of $20 each), a box mod break on me and a handful of 510 attys drop dead.

In that same 3 month period I am still on the original batteries and atty that my Volcano starter kit came with. I stocked up on supplies after hearing how crappy minis/name brand e-cigs are and now have about 8 attys and 3 batteries I haven't had to unwrap....keep in mind that theres a 1 year warranty on these batteries I haven't had to touch yet. I wish I could say the same for my dead ones from other suppliers.

I just paid $60 for an 808 kit from Smoketip. Yes I could have saved money buying elsewhere but Smoketip gives me a lifetime warranty on the batteries. To me warranty>upfront savings.

I'm currently of the mind, based purely on my own experiences, that if I pay nothing, I get nothing. If I save a few bucks upfront but end up needing to replace a battery or 2 in a year, am I really saving anything?

Yes there truly are rip-off kits out there and we all know who they are. But I think the mid-range products ala Volcano, Sidesho, Revolver, Smoketip,etc get unfairly lumped in with the true rip-offs. Yes they are a tad more expensive but the companies stand behind their products. Maybe I could save $20 buying an ego instead of an Inferno but if the battery dies on day 16 after the 14 day warranty is up I'm s.o.l.

My advice to anyone considering a "name brand" e-cigarette is go for it. Think longterm instead of saving a few bucks from the get-go. Yea your ego might only be $40 but will your supplier replace your battery for free if it dies 3 months from now? Doubtful.

 

[5cardstud]

ood post and very right on.
I don't go through all that with my Buzz and I've used just about all the atty's and carto's in the industry on it. Oh and I'm still using the first set of batteries I recieved with it. I know what you mean about the other ones that are sold, you get what you pay for. Plus customer service is amazing.

 

[FreakyStylie]

Speaking of warranty. Have you seen this post? http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...forum/139789-vapormaxx-lifetime-warranty.html

 

[VeeDubb65]

But I think the mid-range products ala Volcano, Sidesho, Revolver, Smoketip,etc get unfairly lumped in with the true rip-offs. Yes they are a tad more expensive but the companies stand behind their products.

This has been exactly my experience. I have an Elite and a Vgo from Revolver, and I have been EXTREMELY happy with their products and the way they stand behind them. In the rare instances where I've had a problem, they have bent over backwards to fix it.

I don't begrudge anyone who doesn't want to shop with the "branded" companies, but I'm perfectly happy buying 95% of my stuff from Revolver, and I've heard similar things about Volcano.

 

[Automaton]

Interesting post. I think you're right, that there are some really good name brand e-cigs that get unfairly lumped with the crap. Volcano is actually building itself quite a good reputation and stocking stuff for the more experienced vaper now (Inferno, drip tips, etc).

But when it comes to the super-mini's, there's still a problem with them, no matter how high quality they are or how good their warranty is. They won't get most heavy smokers off cigs. Their power is limited by their size. If you're a light smoker, maybe that's ok. And there is the odd heavier smoker that they do work for - but they're not extremely common.

So, I still don't recommend super-minis as a matter of course, because they aren't as likely to actually get a person off cigs as the slightly bigger models. Even the size jump from a Revolver to a Magma (510) is a pretty big jump in power, performance, and the likelihood of getting someone off cigs.

So... I just don't bother recommending super-mini's at all. But mini's will work for most people. And there are brand name e-cigs out there with great reputations. They may cost a bit more, but like you said, that may be worth it for the warranty.

But... I had my generic, 14-day DOA warranty Kr808 kit for 5 months. And I just passed of all 4 batteries that I got with my original purchase, in perfect working order, and a PCC and USB/wall charger, in perfect working order, to a friend. So, generic kits can be good too.

 

[cozzicon]

and I'm not embarrassed by it.

In the past 3 months I've had 2 510 batteries lose 75% of their charge, 2 Hello 016 batteries fry on me (to the tune of $20 each), a box mod break on me and a handful of 510 attys drop dead.

In that same 3 month period I am still on the original batteries and atty that my Volcano starter kit came with. I stocked up on supplies after hearing how crappy minis/name brand e-cigs are and now have about 8 attys and 3 batteries I haven't had to unwrap....keep in mind that theres a 1 year warranty on these batteries I haven't had to touch yet. I wish I could say the same for my dead ones from other suppliers.

I just paid $60 for an 808 kit from Smoketip. Yes I could have saved money buying elsewhere but Smoketip gives me a lifetime warranty on the batteries. To me warranty>upfront savings.

I'm currently of the mind, based purely on my own experiences, that if I pay nothing, I get nothing. If I save a few bucks upfront but end up needing to replace a battery or 2 in a year, am I really saving anything?

Yes there truly are rip-off kits out there and we all know who they are. But I think the mid-range products ala Volcano, Sidesho, Revolver, Smoketip,etc get unfairly lumped in with the true rip-offs. Yes they are a tad more expensive but the companies stand behind their products. Maybe I could save $20 buying an ego instead of an Inferno but if the battery dies on day 16 after the 14 day warranty is up I'm s.o.l.

My advice to anyone considering a "name brand" e-cigarette is go for it. Think longterm instead of saving a few bucks from the get-go. Yea your ego might only be $40 but will your supplier replace your battery for free if it dies 3 months from now? Doubtful.

I've had the same experience.

Personally, I use Joye products for every day vaping. I would go straight to Janty for the warranty, but I've never had a Joytech product really fail. I also really like the Eluma Cigs setup and DSE901 systems (roughly the same thing).

 

[Shan B]

I agree with Nomad on this. I think it really depends on WHO you're getting it from and WHAT it is.

I myself when I 1st started vaping went with a no name E9 style and it's still going, all 3 of them. As far as my eGos... I have 5... 3 of which get used on a daily basis and all of which still work, top notch. I would never buy a "mini" again, nor would I slam over 60.00 into ANY mod, and I guess is why I started making my own. Nothing like spending 10 - 30.00 (if that) to build something yourself and know you can always replace or fix parts.

Mods that cost 100.00 or more should honestly IMO have at least a 1 yr warranty on them.

 

[mistinthewoods]

Mods that cost 100.00 or more should honestly IMO have at least a 1 yr warranty on them.

I make mods as well but I do own a 5V GLV that I love ('course Jay gave it to me for veneering his) and I just bought a Buzz that is pretty friggin' nice. I'm vapin' that now at 4.75 volts through a standard 808 carto, nice.
The only mod I've bought for $60.00 or less is a wetbox that lasted a week (leaked and switch died) and the only other one I have that's under $100.00 is my Chuck. Hard to find a durable mod for less than $80.00 IMO. Of course, I tend to drop them on concrete and run them over with lawn tractors so plastic ones aren't really for me.

 

[Automaton]

I think you can draw a very similar comparison with mods that you can with name-brand e-cigs with warranty's.

You can get a mod that can be run over by a truck and still work, or vape perfectly for 100 years with only the most basic of care, if you're willing to spend a little more than 60 bucks.

But... not all mods that cost over 60 bucks have that kind of durability or longevity. Some are quite fickle, with serious weak points. And if you're someone who likes to play with things, you may be better served building your own or going for something cheaper than spending lots of money on the latest type of mod, which may have first gen problems, or simply be priced high because it's new to market.

But, if you have slightly more advanced mechanical skills, you could also build a mod yourself that can, indeed, be run over by a truck or vape for 100 years. You would just have to spend more time and effort, and slightly more money, on it.

Depends what you want out of a mod.