I'm VERY disappointed in my Protank II Mini, however with all the research I've done I still can't decide what to choose next

[cityofthecondemned]

I have an itaste vv v3 and I always use 18mg nicotine juice, usually 50/50, but sometimes higher VG, and I cannot find a topper/accessory I like. It came with the iclear 16 which worked and tasted great but since it's seems kind of cheap quickly got an air hole somewhere thus breaking the vacuum in the chamber and I could hear air sucking in from the outside every time I would take a draw, so I got little vapor. Eventually it got a really, really nasty taste to it as well, which might have just been due to old wicks.

I just got the Kanger Protank II Mini due to rave reviews, and I could not be more disappointed. Even after I vaped off the factory chemicals, it still tastes absolutely terrible, and the flavors are muted. Maybe it's still my fault, but I did lots of research trying to fix it, the fixes I found were to loosen the connection between the base and the coil, flip the rubber gasket upside down, (tried both of these), or the things I'm a little weary to try because some people said to do them, some said it was a bad idea: removing a wick, cleaning/dry burning. I am still not happy with it. I could rebuild the coil, but I do not want to do this every 10-20 days. Honestly this thing is already too much of a hassle and the silica wicks mute the flavor too much, I want something with cotton wicks.

So, sorry for the long post. What should I try instead? I definitely want cotton wicks, bottom coils would be nice. I am lost because every post I've looked through suggests things from a person and no one really chimes in for second opinions. And I know where reviews get me, after what happened with the protank . I've only been vaping for about two months, so I'm still trying to figure everything out.

I've seen people suggest in posts:
vapeonly mini
vapeonly 3.5 ml bbc mega
stardust clearos
Smok Trophy Tank
BDC Aspire Large Aspire BDC Tanks
iclear 30

any suggestions? I want bright taste with minimal hassle and I don't want to expect a burnt taste unless the piece is just burning off factory chemicals or needs to be changed. Am I just delusional to want something that works?

 

[Katya]

Hi city and welcome to ECF.

First of all, I wouldn't give up on the Protank as yet. I use myself and it's a nice topper. There is something you're doing wrong--or maybe you got a bad coil; it happens. I always wash my tanks with water and maybe a bit of dish soap before I fill it, but I never had a coil tasting like factory chemicals...

No stock coils come with cotton wicks because cotton burns easily--if you have to have cotton, you'll have to rewick your atomizer coils yourself--no matter what you get. As for muted flavors, I can't help you there. I use various clearomizers and cartomizers and the difference in taste between the two is not a problem for me. YMMV, of course. I'm afraid you'll just have to try several different toppers to find the one you can live with. Since you own a VV V3 battery, look for heads that are eGo-threaded. I like the Kangers a lot: T3S, eVod, even the top-coil T2--they are all nice. The Aspire ET-S I have is nice too. I don't much care for the iClears, Vivi Novas, Vapeonly BCCs, and Vision (Sardust) clearos, but you may like them.

In the meantime, try to get your ProTank to work--maybe use a new coil?

A few tips:

Kanger Troubleshooting 101:

If your clearo is flooding, the connections are not tight enough--or too tight. Keep reading.

If you're using clearos and getting a burnt taste it means that not enough juice is getting to the coil and you're basically vaping dry, hot air or inhaling smoke from the gunk that's burning off of your coil. Not a good thing. Another case of bad taste maybe the tank itself--some arrive covered with some kind of nasty grease; wash them with soap and water (just the tanks--soak the coils in PGA or vodka).

There are a few things you need to remember when using a T3 or an eVod or a ProTank--in addition to keeping your coils clean and free of gunk that accumulates on them.

1) Make sure that the atomizer coil is screwed into the base tightly--every time you refill; they often come not fully tightened from the manufacturer, or may have gotten loose through repeated refills.

2) Look at all the inner seals and gaskets to make sure they haven't become dislodged.

3) Make sure that you screw the tank into its base tightly. If it's not tight, it will leak.

4) When you screw your clearomizer into your battery, do not overtighten--screw it in only until it makes contact--no farther, or you may push the center post in too deep and cause all kinds of problems, including leaking. When the draw becomes tight or the taste and vapor production begin to diminish, replace the coil. This will happen sooner (even as soon as one day of heavy use) if you're using dark, viscous, or very sweet juices. The old coil can be cleaned and dry burned.

5) Make sure you're not getting any juice in the center tube when you're filling--this will cause your eVod to leak like a sieve. If some juice gets into the tube, close the top cap, place a tissue under your tank and blow gently through the clearomizer to get rid of any excess eliquid. Also, extra condensation inside the tank may, on some occasions, drip back into the center tube. Wipe your mouthpiece dry with a q-tip or a tissue when you refill (or more often when/if needed).

6) Take an occasional "primer puff" (a slow draw without activating the battery) when you vape. It helps move the juice into the coil chamber and removes any air bubbles that sometimes form in the tank and may cause gurgling or impede proper wicking.

7) Take slow long draws rather than sharp and quick ones like we used to do while smoking cigarettes. Do not over vape, chain vape, power vape. Let the juice travel to the coil between drags.

and last but not least

8) Do not remove any flavor wicks if you're experiencing any leaking or flooding. Those wicks are there for a reason. If you feel that you have to remove a wick because your eliquid is particularly thick, do it carefully--one strand at a time. If your liquid is super thin, you can thicken it with a bit of VG (USP--pharma grade) or you can add another strand of cotton to your flavor wick. Don't add too much or you'll choke your atomizer and get a dry hit.

Also, make sure you're vaping at correct wattages; I like 5.5-7 watts.

Good luck!

 

[salemgold]

My favorite clearo type tank is the Aspire Nautilus by far. It utilizes dual coils and has adjustable airflow. The dual coils increase the flavor and I do not get an off taste using them. Unfortunately, just because I love it does not mean that you will. Plus, it does have silica wicks.

Have you thought of trying a carto tank using dual coil cartos? I have heard that IBtanked makes some nice ones but, you may want to try a simple inexpensive one to see if you like them first.
They may well provide the flavor that you are looking for.

Good luck to you.

 

[tmcase]

Out of your list I can only recommend the Aspires. There is a whole line of them that use the same coil heads except the Nautilus. They use silica and for me silica mutes flavor but I haven't noticed it as much with these clearo tanks. Also, I've never gotten a chemical taste from any of the coil heads.

Kat is right. There are no coil heads that come with cotton. If you don't want to have to rebuild a coil every 10 - 20 days then you don't want to use cotton. It burns very quickly.

A good silica is German Silica. I doesn't mute flavor at all. I get mine at RTDVapors and it says specifically that it is made in Germany. It's the only kind of silica that I rebuild with anymore.