Kanger Topbox Nano, cotton taste with new SSOCC coils

[brandedbypulse]

So I'm new to vaping and have recently come into some issues. I've had the topbox for about 2-3 months and lately, whenever I change my coils (Kanger brand SSOCC, .5 ohms), I'm tasting nothing but cotton. Yes, I'm priming them. I've tried the 'closing the airflow and drawing on the drip tip' trick too and nada. AND I've cleaned/washed it out.

I usually have my vape set at 30-40 watts, but I've tried lowering the settings (it's currently at 22) and I still get the same taste (definitely NOT a burnt taste, just cottony). The juice I just put in is 70% VG.

Can anyone maybe suggest a different brand of coils that's compatible with this model? If there are any.

Any and all help is VERY appreciated. Like I said, new to all of this and aside from coil changing, filling with liquid and changing the wattage, I'm pretty clueless.

 

[djsvapour]

Welcome @brandedbypulse

I get a cotton taste from all my coils when they are new. You could try a different tank and coil combo, but I don't think you can buy third party Kanger SSOCC coils. You can buy cheap clones, but I don't expect they'll be any good.

40 watts is asking for trouble though i.m.o. There are better tanks/coils for that power range.
Better to use a coil at the low end of the power band than the top.

Your tank is a Kanger Subtank (mini?) and your mod is the Kanger TopBox. You could look at a tank by another brand.

Remember to ask for opinions on here as the review sites will recommend who pays them the most money, so you can't trust these people at all.

I'd have thought look at the brands - Smok, Aspire, Uwell & Innokin

 

[SnapDragon NY]

I believe that you can also use the Kanger OCC coils too! 40w are too high for the .5Ω- I use the SSOCC coils .5Ω in my Nebox , but I know I can use the OCC coils too,and I think they taste great- no problems for me ! I prime really well and usually try to install at night so the can soak in, plus start watts really slow, like 5w and slowly work up, until it tastes good and getting some clouds- and I vape between 25- 30w with my Nebox!
If I go higher in wattage over 30w- they start tasting off.

 

[daviedog]

If you are tasting un burned cotton,, your wick is not saturated with juice.
Try lowering the VG& raise the PG which is the flavor carrier..

 

[brandedbypulse]

Welcome @brandedbypulse

I get a cotton taste from all my coils when they are new. You could try a different tank and coil combo, but I don't think you can buy third party Kanger SSOCC coils. You can buy cheap clones, but I don't expect they'll be any good.

40 watts is asking for trouble though i.m.o. There are better tanks/coils for that power range.
Better to use a coil at the low end of the power band than the top.

Your tank is a Kanger Subtank (mini?) and your mod is the Kanger TopBox. You could look at a tank by another brand.

Remember to ask for opinions on here as the review sites will recommend who pays them the most money, so you can't trust these people at all.

I'd have thought look at the brands - Smok, Aspire, Uwell & Innokin

The tank is also a topbox nano: KangerTech TOPTANK Nano Clearomizer - Pink

(Also has anyone used that site before? I'm seeing the SSOCC coils there and they're about $5-$7 cheaper than I've gotten them for, which seems too good to be true.)

Is it possible I'm using the wrong coils? I noticed that the coil that came with the starter kit is 1.5 as opposed to the .5 I've been using since getting it. I'm honestly not sure how much of a difference that makes, but if anyone could explain I'd appreciate!

(Yes, I realize I kind of dove head-first into vaping without knowing a whole lot, but it's a hell of a lot cheaper than buying cigarettes in NYC.)

I believe that you can also use the Kanger OCC coils too! 40w are too high for the .5Ω- I use the SSOCC coils .5Ω in my Nebox , but I know I can use the OCC coils too,and I think they taste great- no problems for me ! I prime really well and usually try to install at night so the can soak in, plus start watts really slow, like 5w and slowly work up, until it tastes good and getting some clouds- and I vape between 25- 30w with my Nebox!
If I go higher in wattage over 30w- they start tasting off.

Is there really any difference between the SSOCC and OCC? I know with the OCC coils, you can poke a hole through the cotton and it can enhance the flavor, so that's definitely a plus! But I want to ask opinions on differences before I go buying more coils.

And as I said above, I noticed the 1.5 ohm coil was the one included in the kit, and I've been using .5; not sure what kind of difference that makes either.

I obviously need a crash course in these things. XD I've been doing some research but a lot of it is very tech-y and not n00b friendly.

 

[brandedbypulse]

Okay, just looked it up and got the gist of the .5 versus 1.5 coils.

From what I gathered, .5 works best at higher wattage and 1.5 lower. But is there a difference in terms of taste/getting that pesky cotton taste I've got going on?

And I read somewhere that some Kanger coils can be "defective." There are times when I get awesome taste when I change and other times when I get the cotton deal (I let this coil sit overnight and nope, still the same taste, though not quite as bad; and i get virtually NO taste from the juice).

 

[daviedog]

The needle trick, is allowing more juice to saturate your wick. Particularly if the wick is packed too tightly.
The insulators are color coded, what wire material are you using?
Lower resistance coils give more heat, guzzle juice. Yet you are getting more Nico in a shorter period of time. A thing of preference, no right or wrong..

 

[BrotherBob]

So I'm new to vaping and have recently come into some issues. I've had the topbox for about 2-3 months and lately, whenever I change my coils (Kanger brand SSOCC, .5 ohms), I'm tasting nothing but cotton. Yes, I'm priming them. I've tried the 'closing the airflow and drawing on the drip tip' trick too and nada. AND I've cleaned/washed it out.
I usually have my vape set at 30-40 watts, but I've tried lowering the settings (it's currently at 22) and I still get the same taste (definitely NOT a burnt taste, just cottony). The juice I just put in is 70% VG.
Can anyone maybe suggest a different brand of coils that's compatible with this model? If there are any.
Any and all help is VERY appreciated. Like I said, new to all of this and aside from coil changing, filling with liquid and changing the wattage, I'm pretty clueless.

Welcome and glad you joined.
Might like to read:
Tank Flooding Explained | Learning Center | VaVaVape
Tank type atomizers... For new vapists - how they work | E-Cigarette Forum

 

[djsvapour]

OK. Some progress @brandedbypulse

Here are my thoughts. They are not necessarily fact, nor should you consider them anything other than statements from my experience.

I don't subscribe to the 'bad coil' theory. It's rarer than people like to make out. I've had three or four in 4 years of vaping and use up to 3 coils per week, so that's up to 150 a year and getting on for up to 600 total in all the years.

My opinion is that the OCC coils are inferior and less likely to work well. Actually, I hate them. They are (as far as I am concerned) old stock and should be treated as "not worth it unless very cheap". They are super easy to rebuild though so some folk prefer them.

From what I see looking on US sites, the price of 5 x SSOCC coils is about $12. Anything under $10 be suspicious. Anything over $16 and the vendor is taking advantage.

Long term, they are $6 from China if you can wait. (I buy plenty at $6)

I would also recommend poking around in the cotton to loosen it a bit.

Most coils will like being left soaking a while, but if you can get them primed properly you can vape them really soon. Coils where you can happily drip liquid down the centre can be made nice and wet before you put them together in the tank (I would prime them whilst in the base as it were).

Good luck.