I just bought my first setup. I ended up getting a Vision Spinner. I have a few questions because the guy at the store didn't seem to helpful. He told me coils and atomizers are the same thing, is that true? Is a carto the same as an atomizer but just built into the tank? Why do some have wicks and some don't? I'm confused but really enjoy my new AVP. Maybe just brain overload from all the searching the web the last few days. Thanks for your help everyone.
Just bought 1st setup
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Hi. Vision Spinner is great. With that part fixed, learning what goes on it and the variations is part of the fun. 
Glad to hear you bought your kit and welcome! A coil is what heats up the juice and every topper has one, whether its an atomizer, cartomizer, clearomizer, RBA etc. An atomizer is just a coil with a wick that must either have e-liquid dripped on it or have a cartridge to supply the juice. A cartomizer is essentially like an atomizer, but the coil is surrounded by filler that holds the juice.
Tanks are just a means of holding the eliquid to supply either of these types. Carto tanks have a cartomizer in the middle of them, while BCC style like the Protank have a coil assembly at the bottom that bears a closer resemblance to an atomizer, with just little wicks sticking out to absorb e-liquid from the tank. Top coils like the Vivi use the same idea.
It is confusing, especially when suppliers are flexible with which terms they use.
Tanks are just a means of holding the eliquid to supply either of these types. Carto tanks have a cartomizer in the middle of them, while BCC style like the Protank have a coil assembly at the bottom that bears a closer resemblance to an atomizer, with just little wicks sticking out to absorb e-liquid from the tank. Top coils like the Vivi use the same idea.
It is confusing, especially when suppliers are flexible with which terms they use.
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Sound like you got a good kit. Congrats on your decision to pick up vaping.
The term "coil" and "atomizer" are mostly interchangable, you might also see the word "head" sometimes, which refers to the coil or the entire tank assembly, so it's a little more vague. "Atomizers" are usually referring to dripping setups, or rebuildable tank setups, but I think they're also used for the beginner setups, too. (It's still the same idea.) There's a coil of resistance wire installed on a wick that is heated to a high temp, this then vaporizes (or "atomizes") the liquid that is fed into it via the wicking material. Cartos work on a similar principle, but usually contain a white, fluffy denser material that feeds liquid into the coil instead of a traditional wick. They're identical in principle, the only difference is the how the liquid gets to the coil. We all have our preferences. Hope that clears it up?
Cheers and welcome to ECF!
The term "coil" and "atomizer" are mostly interchangable, you might also see the word "head" sometimes, which refers to the coil or the entire tank assembly, so it's a little more vague. "Atomizers" are usually referring to dripping setups, or rebuildable tank setups, but I think they're also used for the beginner setups, too. (It's still the same idea.) There's a coil of resistance wire installed on a wick that is heated to a high temp, this then vaporizes (or "atomizes") the liquid that is fed into it via the wicking material. Cartos work on a similar principle, but usually contain a white, fluffy denser material that feeds liquid into the coil instead of a traditional wick. They're identical in principle, the only difference is the how the liquid gets to the coil. We all have our preferences. Hope that clears it up?
Cheers and welcome to ECF!
Congrats and welcome. I've been vaping for more than a year and I'm barely getting a grasp on all the ins and outs and lingo and atty's and whatnots and doohickies. cyberwolf seemed to basically cover it though
Yes that cleared it up, thanks. I'm guessing you need a drip tip (which i don't know how to use) to sample e liquids or a lot of cartos? I can't see taking in 10 cartos to sample some juice.
Sort of. There's some designs out there that reign supreme for sampling, but I wouldn't worry about that right now. RDA's/RBA's (rebuildable dripping atomizers/rebuildable atomizers) are a fairly advanced thing and not good for your first real dive into vaping, IMO. Even then, most of the designs still use a wick that gets soaked with juice, so you usually have to switch it out to maintain "pure" flavor of each juice. Again, don't worry about this right now, you'll know if you want to move up. Something easier is a better transition, IMO.
As for my advice, I regularly switch juice on the fly with compatible juices. For example, I might combine a lemon with another fruit or something...but I'd never put a mentholish thing in a baked good, that just wouldn't be good. You can get some interesting combos that way, and usually towards the middle of the tank, you're getting "pure" flavor again. For some flavors, you can clean an atomizer in Everclear or Vodka, but if it's burned (or had a really strong, incompatible juice before), it's usually best to replace the coil. Cartos, however, are not always as good at switching flavors on the same carto because there's a lot of remaining juice that will taint the new flavor, maybe for good, maybe for worse.
I like the Kanger setup, mainly because they're easy to rebuild, which makes changing coils a breeze and something I can do inexpensively. That's another semi-advanced topic, but it's easy to do, really and doesn't cost a lot to try out to see if you like it. I started rebuilding about 6 or 7 days in, so it's not uber-advanced as you might see. Cartos traditionally can't be rebuilt, so you're stuck buying them new all the time.
An atomizer with a drip tip is the simplest and cheapest way to sample e-liquids a little at a time. An atomizer has no filler material in it and was originally created to have a cartridge containing juice inserted into it. You can however, drip a few drops directly into the atomizer and vape it like that. In that case, you would use a drip tip to take the place of the cartridge. There's nothing fancy about a drip tip, it's just a hollow mouthpiece. Atomizers are good for tasting because they are very easy to clean by just running water or alcohol through them.
Many people get more sophisticated with this idea by using rebuildable atomizers (RBA) that achieve the same goal, but allow you to simply replace the coil instead of the whole atomizer. They're not that difficult, but do your research on how to properly build and test before embarking on that journey.
One additional option is a bottom coil topper like the EVOD or Protank. These can hold quite a bit of e-liquid, but are also very easy to clean and have replaceable coil heads, making a bad juice choice a lot less costly.
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Vaping terminology can be confusing. 
Atomizer is a catch-all term for a heating coil used to vaporize liquid into vapor. These coils are in all juice attachments whether they are clearomizers, cartomizers, or drip atomizers.
A dripping atomizer is like a cartomizer without any wicking material in it. Only a few drops of juice can be used at a time. These are often used to sample flavors before devoting an entire tank with a particular flavor. Many people also prefer to vape with these because there is no wick to possibly alter the flavor of the juice.
510 drip atomizer
Clearomizers can be top or bottom coiled. The top coiled variety have large visible wicks. The bottom coil variety look like they don't have wicks, BUT they do, they are just smaller and located in the bottom of the tank.
Proper Terminology: Is It a Carto, a Tank, or What?
Advancing Up the Vaping Ladder from Cigalikes to Ego's & Mods
The Vapers Table - electronic cigarette support
Atomizer is a catch-all term for a heating coil used to vaporize liquid into vapor. These coils are in all juice attachments whether they are clearomizers, cartomizers, or drip atomizers.
A dripping atomizer is like a cartomizer without any wicking material in it. Only a few drops of juice can be used at a time. These are often used to sample flavors before devoting an entire tank with a particular flavor. Many people also prefer to vape with these because there is no wick to possibly alter the flavor of the juice.
510 drip atomizerClearomizers can be top or bottom coiled. The top coiled variety have large visible wicks. The bottom coil variety look like they don't have wicks, BUT they do, they are just smaller and located in the bottom of the tank.
Proper Terminology: Is It a Carto, a Tank, or What?
Advancing Up the Vaping Ladder from Cigalikes to Ego's & Mods
The Vapers Table - electronic cigarette support
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All ecigs use atomizers. All atomizers have coils.
What most people call coils are replacable atomizers for tanks that have their coil wrapped around a wick.
This is the atomizer out of a cartomizer.
And this is an atomizer from an RBA:
And this is what most people call a Coil:
Notice that the "coil" is virtually identical to the RBA in it's basic construction. The wire is wrapped around the wick, just like the RBA. The only real difference is the coil is prefabricated and sold as a single replacement part where the RBA is something you have to build yourself.
What most people call coils are replacable atomizers for tanks that have their coil wrapped around a wick.
This is the atomizer out of a cartomizer.
And this is an atomizer from an RBA:
And this is what most people call a Coil:
Notice that the "coil" is virtually identical to the RBA in it's basic construction. The wire is wrapped around the wick, just like the RBA. The only real difference is the coil is prefabricated and sold as a single replacement part where the RBA is something you have to build yourself.
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Welcome to vaping, davis0710. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. There is a lot of terminology surrounding vaping that can be a little tough to sort out. It took me a while to get it down, and I'm learning more all the time since the technology is constantly evolving. Essentially, and to my knowledge, all atomizers have coils. The coil(s) wrap around a wick of some sort, and when you press the button on your battery the coil heats up causing the liquid in the wick to turn to vapor.
There are a lot of different terms out there where it comes to atomizers and their form. Cartomizers are typically a tube with a coil in it. The more common cartos contain a wadding which is soaked with e-liquid that wicks to the coil. They come in a variety of sizes but the most common ones are about the size of a cigarette ..... I don't care for them as they tend to dry out without warning, ending in a "burnt hit" that tastes nasty. I have seen the term carto used in conjunction with soem take units, but I don't consider them true carts.
Clearomizers and tanks are different story. The classic clearo has a top mounted coil with two to four wicks that reach down into the tube to wick the e-liquid to the coil(s). Some good examples are the CE4 or CE5. There are also what are called bottom coil clearomizers (BCC) units that have the wick and coil at the bottom of the tank. These are great for thicker e-liquids. Good examples of these would be the Kangertech Pro Tank or T3S.
Hope that helps a little.
There are a lot of different terms out there where it comes to atomizers and their form. Cartomizers are typically a tube with a coil in it. The more common cartos contain a wadding which is soaked with e-liquid that wicks to the coil. They come in a variety of sizes but the most common ones are about the size of a cigarette ..... I don't care for them as they tend to dry out without warning, ending in a "burnt hit" that tastes nasty. I have seen the term carto used in conjunction with soem take units, but I don't consider them true carts.
Clearomizers and tanks are different story. The classic clearo has a top mounted coil with two to four wicks that reach down into the tube to wick the e-liquid to the coil(s). Some good examples are the CE4 or CE5. There are also what are called bottom coil clearomizers (BCC) units that have the wick and coil at the bottom of the tank. These are great for thicker e-liquids. Good examples of these would be the Kangertech Pro Tank or T3S.
Hope that helps a little.
Let me explain how mine works so you all can tell me what i have lol. On mine the mouth piece and tank are one piece. When i take that off part of the atomizer is in the tube. I then unscrew the atomizer from the mouth piece/tank. When i fill my tank up with juice there is a tube in the middle of the tank the guy told me not to get any juice in. The atomizer doesn't really show any wicks except for 2 little pieces that are flush on each side of the bottom of the atomizer (part that in the battery). Hope i didn't make that too confusing.
Hmm. I had planed on an IBTAnked and carto's. Since I'm new and plan to try out a lot of juices to see what I like this now would not be ideal. Guess after settling on a few favorites I can invest in tanks. So basically Clearo's would be best for a newbie's sampling sessions? Currently I have two EVODs from a kit and a Vision 1300 Spinner in route.
Dripping new flavors is "the best". You'll get the best taste from dripping, you only use a few drops of liquid at a time, and it's really easy to clean the atomizer and try a new flavor. It's just not a good way to vape all day.
Second "best" would be a minitank. A tiny clearo that only holds 1-1.5ml. That way you don't have to commit to a large tank full, and if you decide you don't like a flavor or want to change flavors you can simply dump the remainder out and you only loose a few drops.
I think what you're describing there is a coil/atomizer setup, not a carto. If you don't have to "prime" (or put a bunch of juice in) a cottony like substance, then it's not a cartomizer setup. You might even be describing a Kanger coil, but there's a few that operate fairly similar and have nearly identical designs.
It's definitely something to think about, for sure. I found the cartos and cartotanks weren't quite as friendly to juice changes for me, but that's me. They do tend to perform a little more consistently over traditional coil setups, though. I'd agree, try a few to find what you like and then get a few in that style. I don't argue with anyone's preference, to each their own, but you'll find once you've tried the various designs that you have fairly strong preferences one way or the other. I still use my eVod's for sampling quite a bit, for what it's worth.
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I've been at this for a year and a half and am picking up new information everyday...like the info on this thread! Thanks all for clarifying some things for me too
That makes sense. What IYHO are three mini clearo's to check out beside the EVOD?
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