Innokin iClear 30 fail. And a few random newb musings.

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tshirtwhore

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Mar 21, 2013
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First post! I'm really not a total newbie, but more of a lurker that lurked for a few months while I weened myself of the cigs. Former 2 pack a day user for 28 years who is now totally smoke free. Got my wife to quit too!

I went the normal route, starter kit, ego-twist and now onto a sigelei zmax telescope (kicks buttocks), and soon a jazz carto pipe.

I went from the ego- dealie-bobs cartomowahtever and atomizers that came with the kit - blech, to the stardusts, to the vivi's and now the Innokin iClear 30. I think I'll learn to re-wick now.

Now the iClear, arrived yesterday and was leaking like a sieve from the get go until it was about 1/3 full. So 2/3 in it would leak. BUT it gave a nice amount of flavor and vapor. Much like a Vivi when I first loaded one up.

I'm not a total genius, nor a total dufus, I'm a screen printer and if I can maintain a screen press and register a 6 color shirt design, I can change a head on a clearomizer. So, with that said, I did a little googling and saw that leaking issues were sometimes resoved with a head change. Irritated that a new item would need such a tweak off the bat (again), I opened my pack of replacement heads, emptied my tank only to find that the replacement ends do not fit! Yep too large to even grab onto the thread of the innokin.

Ok so let's put the original head back on, it fit at least... Ok so it's back on. But wait, now the clearo will not fire! I now have a LOW LOAD error on my zmax. Did i mess up my Zmax? Nope everything else works fine on it.

So I go to see if the Innokin head is maybe not screwed on tight enough...and almost all the wicks start to fall out. They just literally fall off at the slightest touch.

So wow. I'm NOT discouraged or upset really. I just find it amusing and slightly disturbing. Amusing that there seems to be such a wide QC "gap" on some of these things. Disturbing because I feel the need to jump on a lot of this stuff and purchase it. Disturbing because in the back of my mind, whenever ordering from a new (to me) vendor. I wonder if I am getting a fake.

With all that said, I'm a masochist and LOVE the hobby. it keeps me from smoking. I LOVED to smoke. I'm a masochist.

One last note, I read that many find the Vivi's muted. I did too, at first. Then I learned how I should be vaping. I wasn't holding the vapor in my mouth before an inhale. I was "smoking" my juice. Once I figured that out, the Innokin and Vivi are comparable in the flavor department and throat hit. Also chain vaping the same flavor seems to be a reason for muting flavor. So does getting accustomed to flavor. Sometimes it's a mental thing - like speaker break in. Also you will go through a lot less juice when you finally realize the correct "vaping method".

Will I get another Innokin iClear? You better bet I will receive a replacement from the vendor, or a refund, one way or another. But the Vivi works IMHO prety much the same. I'll give the Iclear another go if they send a replacement.

This probably helps absolutely nobody. But it makes me feel a bit better.
 

Shel

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It's amazing how different people's experiences can be!

I tried the Vivi Nova's, used 'em for a few days, then went back to my cartos and tanks. I've been using cartos and tanks for over two years! I generally order replacement cartos from China, which takes a few weeks to arrive, but I order four or five boxes, with five cartos in a box, so I'm set for a while.

I ordered an MVP, which came with the iClear 16. Figured as long as it's included, I'd give it a try.

Loved the iClear 16 so much, when I heard about the iClear 30's, I gave that a try!

Now, about three weeks later, ALL I'm using are the iClear 30's and iClear 16's. Just replaced the head on my iClear 30, easy peasy, no leaking, no problems, and AMAZING flavor and vapor!

Not doubting your experiences at all... it's just amazing how different the experiences can be between different users!

Hope you do give the iClear another chance... I can't imagine why yours leaked, and fell apart! When they work, they are really amazing! The iClear 30's also hold a LOT of juice, but even the smaller 16's hold more then enough for most days....

Good luck! Whatever works for you!
 

tshirtwhore

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Mar 21, 2013
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Yeah it is a weird issue for sure! I had read so much GOOD about the 30 that I had to try them. I liked it a bunch (flavorwise) off the bat, then it all went haywire! :)

As far as changing the heads, yeah I've changed a bunch of heads on other things too, but these don't fit at all. I thought the base on these were wider, but they appear as if the "post" is in that belled out bottom section a bit too far down so it doesn't allow it to grab the thread on the bottom post of the bottom tank cap. I also notice that my 30's bottom post slides back and forth really easily.

I actually wondered if I just had bad luck with this vendor, or I got knock offs. This was kind of a bad experience as soon as I got my package Saturday. I had ordered 5 replacement heads and only got q. But the tank gave off a good flavor and such, just leaked. Thought maybe it was just the head, went to swap it out and it snowballed from there. :) I think it's just a bad one, I'll try another one though.
 
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tshirtwhore

Moved On
Mar 21, 2013
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As far as the Vivi's. When I first got them they were a HUGE improvement of say the Stardust. Then, they became kind of muted like I have read about. I replaced the head, but I made sure to rinse the head under water first this time and it made a massive improvement to me. I also got past the phase of smoking it like it was a cig and learned to hold it in my mouth for a bit before an inhale and that really brought the flavor back. As you said though YMMV. People are weird.
 

Res0785p

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Jan 20, 2010
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I have the Iclear 30 also. I was very happy with it and been trying differant juices and really enjoying it. Now I have something going on and not sure what it is. I started having bad taste left in my mouth and a little nausia. I had it for about a month. Today I went back to my fav ejuice and same problem. So I took a taste straight from the bottle and that taste is what is staying in my mouth. I have tried it from 6 watts to 10 watts. I am thinking that some way I am getting juice with my draw now.
 

TennDave

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I got some 16's I'm using with my Vamo but the threaded ring that goes around the black mouth piece keeps coming off. Is this an issue with the 30's? If not, then I'm interested in ordering a few of them and the heads. I like the 16's but I'll go through a whole tank on my way to work in the morning (15-20 minute drive). I vape at 9 watts and use 24mg juice right now that I make myself.
 

BostonVape

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Feb 25, 2013
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i get 'low load' on my zmax when I screw the iclear too tight ...

that's most likely your problem.. make it a little looser and it should fire like normal.

(btw this only seems to happen with 1 of my 2 iclears.. the 1.5 ohms never gives me the error.. but the 2.0 occasionally does)

i've had NO problems with the iclear and it's the best clearo on the market at this point.

I just tried the EVOD bottom coil and it was terrible..
 

cymric

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Feb 20, 2013
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I like the Iclear 16, but I do clean them fairly often with vodka.

I really like the iclear 30, but I do have to be careful to fill them below the top of the marked line to avoid leakage. I also have to be careful to unscrew the metal thread at the bottom. One time I just casually unscrewed the iclear 30 and found that I had separated the plastic tank from the bottom and had juice everywhere - real NOOB mistake. I am also careful when screwing the top with the drip tip onto the tank as I find that the top does not immediately find the right groove. Still, I have not found any clearomizer I like better.

I was interested in the new Kanger Protank because of the glass tank, but the comments on the Kanger BCC (which is supposed to be the same except for the tank being plastic) may well discourage me.
 

WattWick

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Feb 16, 2013
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Mine came with a spare base. Good, cause the installed one didn't work. After a change, I notice only one coil is firing. Earlier I'd be ....... Now I'm used to these "brand names" putting out very variable quality. Moved on to RBAs, not looking back. Clearos seem like lottery tickets. Sometimes you get lucky, most of the time it's money down the drain.
 
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