Kumiho Model V Mini-Pod Kit
Welcome back with another Z-Lee review. Today we have the Kumiho Model V Mini-Pod Kit we're going to be taking a deeper look at. It's really a "Pod Kit", but these smaller devices have kind of pushed out the larger "Pod Kits" into a realm of the unknown. Pod devices like the Innokin Sceptre Tube, VooPoo Doric, and uwell Havok V1 are still pod kits to me because they use proprietary pods, but apparently other people think differently. Therefore, I'm deeming smaller devices such as this Model V as a Mini-Pod device - they are quite mini. It's the same general size as the Innokin MVP Pod Kit, Surge Pod Kit, Freemax Onnix 2 Pod Kit, and a plethora of other similar mini-pod devices like the vaporesso Xros, Caliburn A2/G2, etc. The drip tip or mouth piece is quite a bit thinner than most however, and I really like that. I'll show some comparison pictures later in the review.
I want to thank Sue over at HealthCabin for setting me up with the samples needed for this review. Before she'd asked me to do a review on this product, I was rather hesitant. I'd never heard of Kumiho before and I'm not a big fan of the direction vaping is headed with pod systems as a whole, but I'm happy that I said yes. I was rather surprised by the Model V. As always, I'll remain fair and unbiased in this review.
Welp, shall we?
-Package Contents-
- Model V Battery/Mod
- 0.6 Ohm 2 mL Refillable Pod (14-18 Watts)
- 1.0 Ohm 2 mL Refillable Pod (11-13 Watts)
- User Manual
-Specs-
(as written in the User Manual which I'd highly recommend you read)
(as written in the User Manual which I'd highly recommend you read)
- Power Output: 11-18 Watts
- Coil Resistance: 0.4-3.0 Ohms
- Battery Capacity: 600 mAh
- Charging Specification: USB Type-C Charging Port (5V/0.75A)
- Low Voltage Warning: 3.2V +/- 0.1V
- PCBA Temperature Alarm: 60° C (140° F)
- Longest Vaping Time: 8 Second Cutoff
- Working Temperature: -10° to 45° C (14° to 113° F)
- Standby Current: =< 15 uA (millionths of an Amp)
-Color Options-
In case there are issues with photos, the available colors are:
- Gold Pink
- Red
- Blue
- Gunmetal
- Black
-Breakdown-
This device is solidly built, yet extremely simple in construction. I'll get into more details about all of this down below.
-Features-
- Vibration Interaction
- Patented Cotton Design
- Adjustable Airflow
- Refillable Transparent Pods
- Pre-fill Pods (sold separately)
- 2 mL Pods (TPD compliant)
- USB Type-C Charge Port
- Auto-Draw
- 600 mAh Internal Battery
When inserting a pod or taking a puff, the LED indicator will show the status of your battery for around 5 seconds and then fade out.
- Red: 0-30% battery remaining
- White: 31-100% battery remaining
- Pulsing Red: 0-29% charged
- Pulsing White: 30-99% charged
- Solid White: 100% charged
- Low Battery: Slow pulsing red light when inserting a pod and the battery is below 30%, the red light will flash 10 times when the battery is out of power
- No Atomizer (Pod): Red light will flash 3 times
- Atomizer Short: White light will flash 3 times
- Output Timeout: When a puff timer exceeds 8 seconds, the LED will flash white 7 times
- Overheat: White light will flash 5 times when the device exceeds 60° C or 140° F
This is quite an interesting array of flavors:
- Ice Mango
- Ice Watermelon
- Mung Bean
- Assam Milk Tea
- Ice Blueberry Lemonade
- Ice Banana Apple
- Passion Fruit
- Banana Ice Lolly
- Ice Coke
- Fanta
-Personal Observations and Experiences-
(Note: The package does NOT come with a USB Type-C cable)
I've been very surprised with the flavor output in these pods. I'm not one to be all gung-ho about disposable pods simply because I think there are better options for the environment, but I'd be lying if I said these pods don't deliver in flavor.
I've been using Vice Cream (Vanilla Ice Cream & Buttery Sugar Cookie) from Freeman's line of e-juice which I've had a difficult time getting much of any flavor from in rebuildable decks and MTL premade coil head ("sub ohm") tanks, but Kumiho's Model V is popping out some extremely tasty vape. I've just been enjoying the crap out of this juice, and so I haven't really tried other fruit or custardy flavors. I also only received two pods, and I wanted to give a fair comparison in flavor between the 0.6 and 1.0 Ohm coils. The 0.6 Ohm coil definitely puts out better flavor, but the 1.0 Ohm coil isn't far behind. As mentioned above, the 1.0 Ohm coil will also give you a tad more battery life if you're in dire need to stretch it out.
On the front side of the battery mod toward the top, you can see the fox head logo which shows the LED indicator through the cutout of the eyes. Toward the bottom is the Kumiho logo.
Transitioning to the left side of the battery, is the airflow control that slides up and down. The picture below will give you a better look at that.
On the back side, is simply Model V along the bottom.
Flipping the mod upside down gives us a view of the USB Type-C charging port. This device will charge from a 3.0 QC charging cable, but it will still only charge at 0.7A. Again, you're looking at a 45 min. to an hour charge time from fully dead, but you can safely vape while it's charging.
Every time I've recharged this device, the pod has remained in the battery while on its side. Zero indications of any leaking.
On the top of the battery where the pod seats, you can see an oval-shaped opening - that's the airflow hole that feeds up from the airflow control on the side of the battery. The two spring-loaded brass positive and negative connector pins are interchangeable meaning you can put this pod in either way, and it will function the same. The small circular hole near the top is your auto-draw detector which I must say, is very sensitive. Even if the MTL draw is too loose for what you're used to, you can still draw slower than the suction, and the auto-draw will still fire the battery. If you have problems with the auto-draw activating in the future, remove the pod, hold the battery near the bottom, and whip it (whip it real good) like you're trying to get the last drops to come out of a hose. Do this for as long as you need. This will hopefully release any residue caught down in the auto-draw sensor.
So, I wasn't all that impressed with the airflow control. Can I tell a difference when I'm inhaling and plugging the airflow and when I'm not? Yes, but ever so slightly. Maybe this was intended, but I would have liked to have seen a bit more of a wider airflow range. I noticed more of an airflow restriction from switching between the 0.6 Ohm pod to the 1.0 Ohm pod. The restriction might be bottlenecked at the air intake at the base of the pod which may mean this was intended.
When the knob is up, it's fully closed. When the knob is down, you can see 3 air inlets reveal themselves.
Also noted here by the dark blue arrows, is the minimum juice line indicated on the pod with "MIN". This is the point where you're dropping down below the juice ports on the coil inside the pod, which can disrupt the air displacement process of your coil. If you continue to vape while the e-juice is below this line, you are apt to receive some dry hits when you fill your pod back up. This may fix itself, and it may not. It's best just to keep the juice level in this pod above the MIN line.
I will say of all the mini-pods I've tested, this is one of the easiest simply because of how far into the refill hole you're able to get the nozzle. Once it's filled up, seal the rubber plug, and look for those tiny cute little bubbles floating to the top. This indicates that the juice the wick is absorbing, is pushing the air out of the wick, and into the tank which is how it's supposed to be. Allow the wick to absorb the juice for about 5 minutes to be on the safe side before vaping.
If you don't see bubbles when first filling, or after taking a few puffs, that's a bad sign. Expect some dry hits in the near future.
-Pros/Cons-
- No leaking (not a hint so far)
- Super lightweight
- Built sturdy for a pod device
- Very simple to use
- Slender/pocket-friendly and sleek look
- Fairly simple LED indicators
- Love the thin mouth piece
- Flavor in refillable pods is outstanding
- USB Type-C compatible
- Vibration lets you know the pod is seated correctly
- Decently long coil life (so far - no decline in flavor)
- Pod seats very snug
- Refillable and Pre-filled Pod options
- Adjustable airflow
- Vibrant colors
==Cons==
- Battery status indicator is a bit lacking; I'd be severely disappointed if I thought my device was near-fully charged, when in fact it was actually sitting at 30% - both statuses would be indicated by the same white light
- Adjustable airflow is hardly noticeable
==Preference Considerations==
- 600 mAh battery
- No USB Type-C charging cable
Left to Right: Freemax Onnix 2, Surge Pod, Kumiho Model V, Relx Pod, Innokin MVP Pod
-Overall Rating-
Compared to other mini-pod devices: 9 - 9.5
I'm a huge sucker for flavor, and this mini-pod really delivers.
The Kumiho Model V Kit can be found at HealthCabin currently at a price of $24.99 when you create an account and/or login which gives you 30% off. It's also part of the Weekly Sale page right now which means you can use the code "WSHC" at checkout for another 17% off which will further drop the price to $20.74. Refillable pods in packs of 3 for both 0.6 and 1.0 Ohm coils are currently $9.99, and pre-filled pods in packs of 2 with various flavors come in 30 mg/mL (3%) salt nic for $7.99.
If you have any questions regarding this product, feel free to leave a comment or contact me directly.
Thanks for checking out my review, and happy vape hoarding!