I'm SO motivated BUT now overwhelmed by how to begin!

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440BB

Vaping Master
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A $5 - 10 disposable is a good way to get a start in vaping, and most of us started with a cigarette-sized device. I would probably avoid investing much in this style though, as the frequent need to replace batteries will likely drive you to upgrade to a slightly more powerful setup.

If you get up to 5 posts, I'll send you a message, as I live in Royal Oak and would be happy to help you get started.
 
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madqatter

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Sep 14, 2013
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some e-liquids are tasteless or even awful right out of the mail and have to be steeped for a few weeks. You don't want to choose one of these as your starter juice unless you have a few weeks lead time.
Yes. I am very grateful that the first juices I purchased came from a brick-and-mortar store. They were a bit overpriced, but they had already steeped and gave me something to vape while waiting for other juices to steep. :thumb:

You can check this directory that ECF provides to see if a vape shop is within driving distance to you at your location in Michigan:

Home - ECF E Cigarette Store Locator
The listings there aren't very thorough, however. There are several shops in my area with vape equipment & juice, but none are listed in that directory (and I haven't bothered to take the time to figure out how to update the directory either, so I'm not eschewing all blame ;) ). For this reason, I'd recommend checking sites such as Yelp using words like "vape," "vaping," etc.

Baditude is right: check out the brick-and-mortar stores. Don't be pressured into buying anything yet, just ask lots of questions, handle the merchandise, test whatever they allow you to test.
 

cloudcity

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Oct 6, 2013
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The E-Roll is supposed to be a pretty great little cig-a-like. It's basically cigarette sized Ego-c / E-Cab. the batteries don't last long, but it It comes with a PCC that charges it about 10 times (when charged up...) reviewers say it only takes about 30-40 minutes to recharge in the pcc and you can put it right back in the charger after use without damaging the battery ...

the tanks are small and will require frequent filling (but that doesn't really bother me... some I know it does...)

I've tried the Volt which is pretty decent, but I like a stronger TH, and I find cartomizers a little subdued on flavor and TH after a little bit of vaping time. (I also don't like the idea of how "disposable" cartomizers are, it's a too wasteful for my taste...)

One very reputable YT reviewer said he felt the Eroll actually vaped a bit better than the E-Cab (which I have and like) and he's notoriously honest if he doesn't like a product so I'm inclined to trust him... so far his reviews have been on point in my experience.

I'm considering getting one so I have something that can last the evening when I hit the bar. Since I'm still fairly new to vaping, I still prefer something a little more small and subdued when out on the town ...

Anyway, there are tons of YT reviews on it you can watch to see what you think...

And if you really do want something compact, I still recommend getting something a little larger for home like an Ego-c, and using something smaller for on the go. I find I only prefer something smaller when I'm out at a bar or club and prefer to blend in a bit ... (It's also a great way to get used to being around smoke and becoming put off by the smell.)

Best of luck!
 

phase2

Full Member
Oct 4, 2013
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West Troy, MI
ALL of your comments, advice, links and ideas are & will help immeasurably! So glad I took the step to pose my question! The next few days should be interesting. I had gotten down to 1/2 pack a day (from a pack or more of Merits on a really bad day) mid week, but I bounced around the last few days, so I was becoming concerned I may not be able to cut out the ones I didn't really need without some intervention of some kind. With everything I'm reading on this site, these may be just what I need to move through the process. I have to laugh though, after reading the comments on cigarettes tasting like an ashtray, lo and behold, I had two and that's EXACTLY what my mouth tasted like when I took the time to think about it. Can't thank everyone enough for your help and support!
 

Racehorse

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Don't be overwhelmed. To be honest, not a lot of RESEARCH is necessary if you are a beginning vaper.

That part comes later, when you start to really search for the "next step."

So do what works for most newbies:

2 Ego Twists or Spinners or ITaste batteries
2 or more clearomizers, try a top coil one like Vision/Stardust or Vivi Nova, and a bottom coil one like EVOD, protank II mini, etc.
some replacement heads/coils for the above
2 or more bottles of ejuice, or preferably, a sampler pack or 2 from an ejuice vendor
1 dripping atty (atomizer not a rebuildable but a pre made one like joye 510 or something) for testing ejuice on ( but not a necessary purchase)

That's it. More users have quit that way than any other. I am talking THOUSANDS. Most of us still use them even after moving on to other stuff.
Ego like devices are the largest selling ecig devices on the planet, and there is a reason for that. :)

In other words, I concur:
I suggest skipping the cigalike stage altogether and going with a slightly larger format like an Ego style battery.

View attachment 258992
 
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ShariR

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Jun 13, 2013
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Hi phase2. Welcome to ECF. You will be overwhelmed with information here. But it starts making sense after a bit. I started off like you. I bought a Blu disposable on a whim when I was buying my weekly carton of cigarettes. Tried it and hated the taste, but the idea made me do a google search and I found ECF. After two weeks of chain smoking and asking questions here, I bought a kit with 2 1300mah spinners, 2 evods, the charger, a 510 atty to try new juices on and a few bottles of different flavors of juice.

I smoked 2 pad for 45 years. I quit within a week and next week will have 3 months smoke free. I love vaping and my spinners. Yes, they are larger than a cigarette and that worried me at first. I am an old lady and thought it would look strange. Bah! I love it and take it everywhere. I have more fun showing it off to people and answering questions about it. I did not go through bad withdrawal either. I did find that I needed to use 24mg nicotine instead of 18mg. On 18mg I still had cravings.

Order several different flavors of samples from a few different vendors in two different nicotine levels. The stronger one you can use for your bad craving times like first thing in the morning or after dinner.

You will do fine. Don't worry about being confused. It is a lot of information to absorb and it is something new to you. Once you start vaping, you will get it real quick and wonder what you were so worried about.

Again, welcome to ECF. And you will be fine. Keep reading and asking questions.
 

Baditude

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Apr 8, 2012
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Remember, few of us quit cold turkey using e-cigs. We have a saying here on ECF, "It's not how many cigarettes you smoke that count, it's the ones you didn't."

When I finally decided to quit, I allowed myself a few cigarettes a day for the first week when I started vaping. I vaped as much and as frequently as I pleased. When I got a craving for a cigarette, I vaped harder and more. If that didn't work, I allowed myself HALF of a cigarette, and saved the rest.

I repeated this for the week. It was not long before I began to prefer vaping, and the half cigarettes began to taste REALLY NASTY, especially those last half of a cigarette. When my last pack was finished, so was I. I haven't wanted, nor even touched, a cigarette since.

:thumb:
 
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Burnie

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Welcome to ECF. I started on a Blu MANY years ago when Blu was first starting. I liked some of there flavors, but there shipping problems with them at the time which sucked, so I had to find other options. I tried a LOT of different PV's and ended up liking the 510 cig-a-like the best (this was 2009 BTW). But because of battery life of the 180mAh batteries I had to carry 1/2 dozen or more to make it through the day. And the atomizers and carts just sucked. After 9 months I went back to the stinkies. August I decided I REALLY NEEDED TO QUIT so I pulled out all my old gear and started up again, determined to make a go of it this time. Then I came back here to see what had changed, WoW was I overwhelmed with all the new stuff. I have spent a LOT trying out a bunch of the new stuff, but have no desire to go back to the stinkies this time. My suggestion, if you want a cig-a-like, look at a 510-X 400mAh setup with a 510-T atomizer. If you want a better battery life, go with an EGO EVOD (which you can also get a PCC to charge the batteries on the go). Here is my current setup when I leave the house (a little overkill, but never hurts to be prepared)

259028d1381103536-my-out-about-setup-20131006_145000s.jpg

259029d1381103546-my-out-about-setup-20131006_145122s.jpg


Good Luck, and we are always here to help.

Vape On
:vapor:
 

Jumpin' In...

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Sep 11, 2013
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A good read for the novice, even if some of the specifics may be a bit dated:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...8093-choosing-e-cig-my-process-hindsight.html

I'm referring mainly to the first post, if time is an issue.

I skipped the cig-a-like stage and chose a Kanger EVOD starter kit, as some have suggested. I have no regrets. My guess is that you will probably want to expand outward from there eventually, but once you have a decent starting set-up you can take your time about it.
 

StarsAndBars

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As many have said, I started with a Blu. I'm gonna be extremely honest about it. Except for a small minority, they will be a waste of money. Not specifically talking about Blu, but the tiny cig looking ones in general.

If you start with one of the previously mentioned, one of two things will all but certainly happen. You will go back to smoking, or immediately start looking for a better device. That being said, it's entirely up to you.

Just starting out this can seem like a ridiculous amount of information. My best advice is don't mind being the noob posting the nooby threads. Everyone here was at that point, and this forum is full of people that are glad to help. Also, spend some time watching youtube videos about the devices you are thinking about getting. Two of my fav reviewers are Grimm Green, and PBusardo (probably mis-spelled that). They give great info and are just generally funny dudes to watch. Good luck, and welcome to the forum.
 
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