Lavatube, good or bad?

[evilfrog]

A lot of posts have said the lava tube is a good "stepping stone" into VV. I assume this is due to the $70 price point instead of $180 for the provari or $245 for the darwin.

What do these other 2 have that the lava tube doesn't? The battery itself is purchased separately, so all battery life/dependability is out of the question. All the protection specs look similar. What else? All they really are is a tube with a variable boost circuit, no? As long as the device accurately creates the voltage you dial in, that's pretty much a wrap.

Perhaps long term reliability (including quality of parts and craftsmanship) is the difference. Still, at a price point of less than half, it would have to be a significant difference.

FYI: I have never tried any of these. I'm looking into my first VV also and these are some of the questions I've been coming up with.

The Darwin is a little different (variable watts instead of volts), but overall you are correct that the difference is mainly in quality of parts and durability.
You left out some other VV devices though: boxmods (that I believe can be even cheaper then the Lavatube) and the NotCigs products that will cost $120-$150 for a full kit (with batts and charger).

It's just a matter of finding the style and build quality you're looking for.

 

[markfm]

Fundamental is how well the regulator works. There are multiple published posts indicating errors in lavatube voltage, actual under load voltage not matching what it says, being further off based on how high the set voltage is and how discharged the battery is.

With a provari, or a darwin, or a notcigs buzz pro or infinity pro, the actual output voltage or power is what you set it at, and stays there right up until it is time to change batteries/recharge. The extra cost compared to an lt is buying both build quality and performance.

(The lt kits coming in at $60 are a sweet price, however yes, you are getting more capability in the more expensive mods. They each have their place.)

 

[s3anvap3s]

I know some people who've purchased one and been really happy with it but for the most part, Lavatubes are just not a quality mod. Most of the folks I know that have one are just frustrated with it and they wind up purchasing a better built variable voltage mod, whether that be the Provari, Buzz Pro, etc.... The point I'm making here is I would highly recommend you do some research on the higher end variable voltage mods out there and go ahead and spend more now to avoid ordering the Lavatube and having to replace it down the line. I'd wager a guess that some folks are ranting and raving about how good the lavatube is and how much they like it on this thread (I don't know because I haven't read any of this thread except the OP and I don't care to either) but I'd wager a guess that they haven't had theirs for very long. Either that or they actually have gotten a hold of a good one and the good ones that work properly really are nice.

Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of great features and attractive benefits to the LT. I did buy one myself (then sold it shortly thereafter).

 

[sobero4]

Provari for sure, but I also have a lavatube and for the price, it is unparalleled in what it can do for you. Does it perform as well as the Provari? Certainly not, but I don't believe that mods differing in price by $100 should be juxtaposed for fair comparisons. In the lavatube's own right, it is one hell of a mod... to go further, for people on a budget, it makes absolute sense and nothing will be lost from buying one. IMHO, th LT is one of the best bangs for the buck on the market today. I still am a diehard Provari fan, and would defend their cause to any length, so in regard to these positive statements I am offering pertaining to the lavatube, I would implore you to consider the words as relevant and factual, because if I really thought that the LT was junk (believe me) I wouldn't hesitate to tell you!!! I don't use my lavatube nearly as much as my Provari, but by no means is the LT merely collecting dust on my shelf.

 

[txtumbleweed]

I bought a L-Rider and it works very good for the purpose I bought it for but it will not replace my 3.7 volt PV's. This is my 2nd VV PV, I bought an original Buzz when they first came out but not ever liking anything above 4.5 volts and it was a hassle to change voltages so I sold it.

 

[SIC08869]

Provari for sure, but I also have a lavatube and for the price, it is unparalleled in what it can do for you. Does it perform as well as the Provari? Certainly not, but I don't believe that mods differing in price by $100 should be juxtaposed for fair comparisons. In the lavatube's own right, it is one hell of a mod... to go further, for people on a budget, it makes absolute sense and nothing will be lost from buying one. IMHO, th LT is one of the best bangs for the buck on the market today. I still am a diehard Provari fan, and would defend their cause to any length, so in regard to these positive statements I am offering pertaining to the lavatube, I would implore you to consider the words as relevant and factual, because if I really thought that the LT was junk (believe me) I wouldn't hesitate to tell you!!! I don't use my lavatube nearly as much as my Provari, but by no means is the LT merely collecting dust on my shelf.

Nice post, I couldn't agree more.