Kanger Aero Tank Base and Protank II

[dokebilee]

I bought a Aerotank base for my father's Protank 2 a few weeks ago and the Aerotank base fell apart so easily. There is no glue or welding that holds the bases together, it's like they are hammered on together. Overall, very poor quality, and the airflow ring is flimsy and way to easy to move around even with the springs. Will not buy again.

 

[Crunchy2k]

I bought a Aerotank base for my father's Protank 2 a few weeks ago and the Aerotank base fell apart so easily. There is no glue or welding that holds the bases together, it's like they are hammered on together. Overall, very poor quality, and the airflow ring is flimsy and way to easy to move around even with the springs. Will not buy again.

Would you post a picture of the base in pieces? I can't see any threads inside, but I see what looks like the top of a black o-ring down at the bottom under the ring on mine. I put a silicon poneytail rubber band under the ring. I have a VTR and my palm will move the ring.

 

[dokebilee]

Would you post a picture of the base in pieces? I can't see any threads inside, but I see what looks like the top of a black o-ring down at the bottom under the ring on mine. I put a silicon poneytail rubber band under the ring. I have a VTR and my palm will move the ring.

Unfortunately I threw it away. I tried using a rubber hammer to put it back together but it just fell apart after a few days. There are no threads holding it together, it's just two cylinders (one that is slightly bigger than the other) being pushed into each other, and I find that to be poor craftsmanship. I didn't see any black o-ring that you are talking about, maybe it fell out or maybe they forgot to put one in, but I can't see the black o-ring helping the two pieces stick together. And just having the Aerotank Base in your pocket will move the ring around because it is a bit loose, and this can be quite annoying as it will change your airflow.

 

[lulu836]

I figured it out finally. They are press-fit and not very well either. The middle piece is the ring. Inside one or other of the other parts are grooves where the springs go and everything is then pressed together. I've got mine back together but I did it with a pair of needle nose pliers and it is not a good fit at all. POS as far as I am concerned. Great idea/bad execution.

I sent Kanger Tech an email expressing my displeasure and suggesting they might want to do a little better job on the next iteration of their air control ring.

 

[diab0lik]

They do have a return facility in the US...

This is disappointing to hear though. The one on my aerotank is fine but one of the other two I ordered came with a stuck ring. Fortunately the vendor is cool and replaced, but not exactly confidence instilling.

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[Keeferes]

I haven't had any problems with any of mine yet. Someone mentioned the US facility already. Kanger upped warranty to a year on things, so if I do have a problem I will send it back.

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[Crunchy2k]

I think I'll try the universal air flow controller that sells for $3. The lack of knurling is a bummer, but it protects the 510 threads as you can leave it in place. My buba rubber band fix is marginally working. The ring still moves occasionally. That leaves me with two aero bases to trade off.

 

[Keeferes]

The universal controllers don't work at all. Good as a thread protector, but that's it.

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[lulu836]

Would you post a picture of the base in pieces? I can't see any threads inside, but I see what looks like the top of a black o-ring down at the bottom under the ring on mine. I put a silicon poneytail rubber band under the ring. I have a VTR and my palm will move the ring.

The base is repairable. The air control ring is what holds it together. On the left is the base. Put the first spring in the piece on the right in the groove. The next spring goes in the next piece in the groove. Smush them all together, put them all in the base and tighten the ring all the way down.(righty tighty, lefty loosy) If the rebuild is successful and it holds together then unwind the air ring a little bit and it should start to let air in. Hope this helps.

 

[sdennislee]

I think I'll try the universal air flow controller that sells for $3. The lack of knurling is a bummer, but it protects the 510 threads as you can leave it in place. My buba rubber band fix is marginally working. The ring still moves occasionally. That leaves me with two aero bases to trade off.

Get this one. http://www.smoktek.com/Tank-Airflow-Controller_p_571.html I use it with my Hypertanks and my cartos does a great job of regulating airflow. Wish it had a knurled ring to make it easier to adjust. I set it close before putting the tank on then fine tune it.

Edit: Fixed link

 

[lulu836]

Following is the answer I got from Kanger Tech to find out how to reconstruct the base before I just winged it myself:

Start quote:Unfortunately, this is the current design of the airflow control valves. This tends to happen more frequently when they are put on ProTank 2s, because they are specifically designed for the AeroTanks rather than the Protank 2s. You must be extra careful in using them with the Protank 2s. I will contact the manufacturer to see if they are able to provide some instructions for putting it back together End quote

So I answered their email asking why they put out such a shoddy product, why it was hyped so much and why a warning was not issued......waiting for a reply.

 

[Crunchy2k]

Thank you for posting the pictures lulu. I like the reply insinuating there is a difference between the p3 and p2 other than the internal tube-support height. I'm thinking these aerobases pop apart or become loose whenever ones rig is dropped on a hard surface. The new 1 year guarantee is going to get a workout.

 

[tctom]

I just ordered mine from here: Kanger Airflow Control Valve Pro tank II-III-Aero - Avid Vaper

 

[KjAthena]

I purchased 6 of these 2 for gifts and 4 for my protanks (1 and 2) I have had them in daily use for over 3 weeks and have had no problems with any of them. the solve the problems of leaking and add airflow control to the protanks. Mine have been dropped quite a few times. I am going to order a few more to go with the clones I ordered from fast tech that have nicely colored glass

 

[diab0lik]

I will say I too have had no problems. I did however drill all the air holes out to 1/16th as well

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[j5m0K5ki]

Love this thing! No leaks! For me it makes this tank feel like a totally different one. Sorry to hear some of you having problems.

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[Crunchy2k]

Love this thing! No leaks! For me it makes this tank feel like a totally different one. Sorry to hear some of you having problems.

It doesn't leak like a bare tank, but I've noticed a slight seepage out the center post. I'll keep using what I have. I just bought a smoktech air controller and It has the same loose ring problem with my palm moving it on my VTR.

 

[lulu836]

I did not imply anywhere in what I posted that anything had been dropped. Where did y'all get that idea anyhow? Once more this time with feeling. The AFC is press fit. That means they apply a lot of pressure to the top and bottom in hopes they will stay together. Holding them together also, although without much success, is the air ring. If you open up the AFC to its largest setting the thread on the air ring runs out of anywhere to grip. Therefore it has a tendency to fall apart.

 

[Keeferes]

I did not imply anywhere in what I posted that anything had been dropped. Where did y'all get that idea anyhow? Once more this time with feeling. The AFC is press fit. That means they apply a lot of pressure to the top and bottom in hopes they will stay together. Holding them together also, although without much success, is the air ring. If you open up the AFC to its largest setting the thread on the air ring runs out of anywhere to grip. Therefore it has a tendency to fall apart.

I run three of them all the time always wide open. I haven't experienced any issues of them coming apart for me. Wonder if you just got a bum one. It does happen alot with this stuff. In my short time I got a bad SID, a malfunctioning SVD, an outright POS Nautilus, and countless junk coils for multiple tank types.

 

[sdennislee]

I bounced one of my Aerotank bases across the tiled kitchen floor last night while cleaning it and the PT II I had it on. No damage, still works fine.

I wonder if someone is already counterfeiting the Kanger Aerotank base? If so that could explain why some are falling apart and other are not.