I'm only a few weeks into this but...

[Vapo Marx]

...I'm really getting tired of filling cartos every night. It's messy and it sucks. If you know a method that's fairly quick and doesn't result in liquid all over the carto, my hands and my work surface, I'm all ears. I've tried dripping (tedious) and syringes (fast but messy unless you under-fill the carto). The "condom method" sounds like a huge mess so I haven't gone near that one.

I swore I wasn't gonna use clearos/tanks out of the house but I'm seriously reconsidering my position.

 

[Gatorman]

I've only been doing it 2 months but practice makes perfect. I can fill cartos and tanks pretty quickly now thanks to Baditude's tutorial. The tip of the bottle also makes a big difference. The really skinny tips take me forever to fill cartos as they put out really tiny drops. With the blunt tip I can fill much faster. I don't put in a drop at a time anymore and have graduated to putting in around 5 drops at a time which fills it much quicker. I'll put around 3-5 drops, rotate 3-5 more, rotate and then 3-5 more and then shake 20 times. Then repeat until the liquid comes out the bottom. Once you get a drop out of the bottom of the carto blow into it 2-3 times and you're set.

Also, make sure you buy the tank tool so that you can quickly top off tanks and swap out cartos w/o removing the liquid. Have around 4-5 tanks with different flavors ready to go and then you'll be good for a few days.

 

[vape-addict]

I use to use carts condom method to fill now I moved on to a tank much better Imho

 

[shakeytails]

Just curious, why don't you want to use clearos?

I thought I'd prefer cartos as well, now I'll only use them where I have to- on my cig-a-likes I sometimes carry as back-ups.

 

[notawoman]

Some people only use syringes, you can insert it down the side of the filler material and fill from the bottom up. Seems a lot faster and cleaner to me.

 

[NicoHolic]

It's a piece of cake to fill your carto or atty... from the bottom... a hundred times a day... with one of these.

 

[The Ocelot]

There are so many ways to fill cartos (I'm constantly experimenting), but this is one method I use. I haven't found it to be messy. Carto tanks are one of my favorite set-ups. The Ocelot Method of Carto Filling (aka The Upside-Down Condom)

 

[chetto]

...I'm really getting tired of filling cartos every night. It's messy and it sucks. If you know a method that's fairly quick and doesn't result in liquid all over the carto, my hands and my work surface, I'm all ears. I've tried dripping (tedious) and syringes (fast but messy unless you under-fill the carto). The "condom method" sounds like a huge mess so I haven't gone near that one.

I swore I wasn't gonna use clearos/tanks out of the house but I'm seriously reconsidering my position.

I use protanks. no hassle. just fill up and vape. clean it out every 2 to 3 refills (5 min procedure) and change the coil when it dies (1 min procedure o less)

IMO it's the most hassle free way to vape.

 

[Thunderball]

With a quality tank, its not hard to do and not a mess either. Just take off the Drip tip, pull the tank up a bit, hold the tank diagonally and fill it up 80%, push the tank back down and snap on your drip tip. I use any old 30 ml plastic juice bottle. I can do this while driving my truck...or at a red light.

The difference may be the quality tank that I use that has very tight quality O rings. I have to thank Baditude for this advice. I have an IBTanked set up. 25 bucks.

 

[The Ocelot]

I use Protanks for convenience, but I don't find the flavor all that great.

 

[Vapo Marx]

Some people only use syringes, you can insert it down the side of the filler material and fill from the bottom up. Seems a lot faster and cleaner to me.

That's what I've been doing and it IS fast, but it tends to be messy unless I under-fill the carto. If I inject enough liquid to saturate the polyfill, it usually ends up dripping out the bottom, bubbling up through the air tube, etc. I'm just tired of the whole routine of fill, wipe off, blow out airhole, wipe again, etc. Gets really tedious if you're filling 7-10 cartos as I do every night. Maybe I just got spoiled from rolling (well, stuffing) my own smokes for years 'cause I could crank out a day's supply in about ten minutes flat, no muss, no fuss.

I love using my clearos at home but I haven't used them out of the house because:
1. Appearance. I prefer to use an inconspicuous device when I'm out. That's why I'm still using 808 batteries despite their short charge life.
2. I'm more likely to get juice in my mouth with clearos. I'd rather not be feeling the need to spit or run to the sink to rinse out my mouth in a social or work situation.
3. I'm a little concerned about them leaking in my pocket.

But still, they're so much easier to fill.

 

[Gatorman]

They will come out with a really advanced device where all you do is pull off a cap, fill with liquid in a few seconds and that'll be all you do to set it up. It'll have the best flavor and vapor possible and a newbie will be able to set it up perfectly on the first try. It's coming of course but until then I'll stick with carto tanks (I tried the Pro Tank and was not impressed in the least).

 

[Ryedan]

Before I got into RBA's on mechanical mods carto tanks were my favorite vape. Since then they are #2 for me. I would not hesitate to take one out of the house. Every device has people who love them and people who hate them. I think it's all about figuring out the little intricacies that make a device work well. I did have trouble at first with carts flooding after a short time, but I learned how to overcome that. And I use cheap Mom and Pop tanks exclusively, so it's not that I'm using the 'right' tank that work for everyone (no such thing). Love the fill screw and never had a leak that I didn't cause due to user error, which happened once. Whatever you try, best of luck with it Vapo

 

[Myrany]

I shove a toothpick in the hole of the carto then fill the top of the carto with juice. Stand it up and let it soak in. Then top it up again. It is usually nicely slushy at that point. Once it is all soaked in you can pull out the toothpick.

 

[nick779]

That's what I've been doing and it IS fast, but it tends to be messy unless I under-fill the carto. If I inject enough liquid to saturate the polyfill, it usually ends up dripping out the bottom, bubbling up through the air tube, etc. I'm just tired of the whole routine of fill, wipe off, blow out airhole, wipe again, etc. Gets really tedious if you're filling 7-10 cartos as I do every night. Maybe I just got spoiled from rolling (well, stuffing) my own smokes for years 'cause I could crank out a day's supply in about ten minutes flat, no muss, no fuss.

I love using my clearos at home but I haven't used them out of the house because:
1. Appearance. I prefer to use an inconspicuous device when I'm out. That's why I'm still using 808 batteries despite their short charge life.
2. I'm more likely to get juice in my mouth with clearos. I'd rather not be feeling the need to spit or run to the sink to rinse out my mouth in a social or work situation.
3. I'm a little concerned about them leaking in my pocket.

But still, they're so much easier to fill.

I realize you said you didn't really want a clearo because you wanted it to be fairly unnoticeable, but with an 808 device you might want to consider a smoke colored mini tank from SI or halo. It's a kanger t4 knockoff and speaking as a owner of a handful of t4s I love them. They're roughly a mm wider then the cartos but they're so much more user friendly

 

[Rocketpunk]

Drip and flick when I have the time. Ocelot method when in a hurry.

 

[SissySpike]

I shove a toothpick in the hole of the carto then fill the top of the carto with juice. Stand it up and let it soak in. Then top it up again. It is usually nicely slushy at that point. Once it is all soaked in you can pull out the toothpick.

good Idea never herd of that how about expanding that a little put in your tooth pick cut the bottom out of a cart condom slide it on then you have a little reservoir to fill and only have to fill it once. Set up a assembly line do 5 or 6 carts at once and no mess and efficient.

Id also suggest a carto tank for the OP

 

[volume control]

Get a carto tank. An AGR is cheap and a good starter. I prefer boge LR cartos personally

 

[BigBen2k]

Took me two weeks to switch to tanks, but I still use cartos, once in a while. A rubber drip tip would make the refill process even easier. Never had a need for any implements beyond the bottle of e-juice I'm using.

 

[Baditude]

Cartotanks for the win. My main vape for over a year. Fullest flavor, low maintanence, no leaks, consistant and durable.

The most important part of a cartotank setup is priming the carto properly. How well you do this determines how well the carto will perform throughout its life in the tank.

I use the drip and flip method a couple of the other tank users have mentioned. I use the tooth pick in the center hole. Keeps juice out and eliminates the need to blow it out later. Drip juice until the filler's wet. Shake it like a thermometer. Drip some more, shake some more. When it won't take any more, it's ready for the tank.

Takes 5 minutes to do a new tank. 1 minute to refill it. Using a tank tool (Slap Yo Moma is my favorite) is essential. Makes it easy and fast, and protects the tank's o-rings.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/blogs/baditude/3710-5-cartomizer-tank-setup.html

Clearomizers have come a long way in the 1 1/2 years that I've been vaping, in particular the Kanger bottom-coiled variety. They still are a good notch below a properly setup cartotank, though.

I'd suggest spending a little more than $10 on your first cartotank. Don't let the cheap tanks taint your first impression of cartotanks. You get what you pay for. 95% of cartotank issues are user error if you have a decent quality cartotank. A little knowledge and some experience goes a long way towards the learning curve.