Leaving Green Smoke, looking for reassurance.

[GaryParr]

Hello all,

New to the forum and pleased to say that I've earned more in the past few days of reading posts than I thought possible. Only suggestion I can make for the forum is that someone needs to review the InfoZone posts. Most of them say they include links but actually don't. Very odd. Anyway, first things first. I was a pack-a-day smoker since about '91 and tried quitting several times. Finally decided I liked smoking too much to leave it completely and started looking at e-cigs. I wasn't sure about them so went the typical route and bought a phosmoke kit. I went with Green Smoke and, even though they have a very negative image here on the board, I've been pretty pleased with them. My only complaint would be the occasional dud pack of cartonomizers they send me but considering they are the reason I haven't bought a pack of smokes in 4 months I really can't complain.

Anyway, I've decided these e-cig things acually work and it is time to move onto a better quality rig. I've read quite a bit here on the boards and I'm pretty sure my first setup will begin with an eGo-c twist battery. Probably the larger one since I spend most of my time at a desk and portability takes a back seat to battery life. Pass-through is a no-go since I have an aversion to sticking anything in my mouth that has a cable on the end of it. Also, I like the VV idea since it will allow me to try different juice delivery systems with differnt voltages until I can settle into my sweet spot. That said, what I'm unsure of is the best choices for atomizer/tank/carto/clearo/blahblah to start with that will give the best representation of their style. I'm willing to try just about anything, but I do have a few requirements...

• Clear visibility of the remaining juice. Nothing burns me more than taking a hit on a dead cart and tasting burning filler.
• Low/No maintenance. I'm a lazy ........ I didn't have to clean my cig filters, I don't want to clean my e-cig burners.
• Container flush fit with battery. Not interested in collars to hide threads or whatnot though this is flexible.

With that said, my board reading has taken me into 3 basic setups I'm curious to try. Here they are:

Joye Type B Tank
Yes, I've read that some people have leak issues. Seems hit or miss. I've also read some people think the taste is muted. This seems personal preference and, considering I'm coming from a Green Smoke, not really an issue. My biggest concern here is the maintenance. I don't really like the idea of having to constantly clean atomizers and burners. So... what is the real-world cleaning regiment for these systems? Joye has a great reputation so I would think their tank systems are at least worth trying, but if I'm going to be taking the tanks apart every day to burn off the "cocoon" or whatnot then forget it.

Clearomizer
This seems the easiest to me, but not really sure. From what I can tell the Stardust is the most common go-to option for the eGo with the Vivi Nova Mini and Vision V3 a close second/third. So far, I'm leaning towards the Stardust but the smaller tank size leaves me wondering. More than likely I will go with whatever is the cheapest from whatever vendor I buy the batteries from. Unless of course someone tells me otherwise. For these, what is the real-world amount of time I can get from a clearo before I have to chuck it?

Carto Tank
On this... I'm looking at the SmokTeck 3.5 mL option, but only because I see it referenced the most in thread posts about the eGo-C. This leads me to believe it is a pretty decent option and represents the carto-tank style pretty well. Again, open to options and may go with whatever is the cheapest from whatever vendor I get the batteries from. As with the clearos... how long do these things realistically last before making their way to the round file?

Juice
This is where I'm the most lost. I know I need to go with small volume, large variety in order to see what I like. The problem I'm facing is that I need something that will work equally well in all the different delivery systems. To boot, I'm only familiar with the Green Smoke method of marking nicotine content. I currently use the 1.8% refils which, I believe, is the same as 18mg. Is this correct? If so... what pg/vg ratio should I look for that will give me a good result in ato-tanks, carto-tanks and clearos?

Vendor
This may be the oddest question... but does anyone know of a vendor that offers some kind of trial kit with these different options? If not... why not? It would seem to me that a beginner kit with a couple batteries and a few different styles of juice containers would be a great seller. After all, you don't know what you want until you try them all, right?

Anyway, thanks in advance for any tips, tricks or random suggestions.
-GP

 

[NuLLMyndZ]

**Cracks knuckles** Alright lets get into this.

First thing is first, welcome to the forums!

Now, what kind of budget are we looking at here?

Some people like to start with a less expensive Ego kit with something like a Vivi Nova tank on top.

Others like to jump straight into the deep end and get something variable voltage or higher end mechanical at 6 volts.

There is no wrong choices, the only wrong choice is to go back to the pack.

Give me your rough budget and I think I have enough knowledge about a ton of vendors that I can give you a good start at least.

 

[Off Topic]

Juice is the hardest part. I can tell you what I like. But that doesn't help you much. Don't buy any big bottles of anything till you have vaped it for a while. Also, you sense of taste is going to change over the space of weeks as your taste buds come back to life.

Here is a great power supply. It will handle resistance as low as 1.25ohms.

Crystal Clear Vaping

Carto tanks:

Crystal Clear Vaping

I don't use tanks, I just use regular cartos. These are cheap, easy and disposable:

Crystal Clear Vaping

 

[Off Topic]

If you have some money to throw at this, go ahead and get the Provari V2. It's the best variable voltage tube mod on the market today. It's nearly indestructible. I've been trying to kill mine for nearly a year.

Clearance

They have some blemished ones on sale for $160. That's a steal.

 

[flintlock62]

Welcome to the forum! You have lot's of questions to try to answer, but that's fine.
Joye Type-B - these aren't the best choice. You will probably become disappointed with it. They leak, the attomizers don't seem to last long.
Clearomizer - Probably the best to start with because they are the easiest to maintain, and replace heads. I, like other like many other have a Vivi Nova.
Cartomizer with tank - They are good, but can be a little fussy to learn how to fill them and not get flooded.
Cartomizer without tank - OK, but don't let them run dry, or you'll get a burnt taste quickly!
Juice - Everyone has different opinions on flavors. Pick a couple of different vendors, and get their sample size bottles.
Vendor Trial - yes you can get "free trial" stuff. They are all a trap to charge your credit card monthly on stuff that's over priced, and you don't need.

My suggestion is to start with a eGo Twist and a Vivi Nova, or Stardust, if you like.

I can come back and suggest some vendors, if you like.

 

[GaryParr]

OK, and here I go with replies...

Off Topic, thanks for the advice on juice. I'm pretty sure I want to go with 5mL "sample packs" until I settle into whatever vendor/manufacturer/juicer/whatever works for me. I've been cig-free for a few months and it is amazing the things I smell or taste now that never bothered me before. My 2 year old's diapers being one of them. What concerns me is the juice ratio that is the most universal and can be used in the most deliery systems. As for the kit you linked... thanks, but I'm pretty sure I'm going with a eGo twist. I'll probably try to find a cheap kit that comes with a couple B style tanks so I can try them to see what I think. Unless of course someone tells me the atomizer/tank system from Joye is more cleaning than I want... which is next to none.

NuLLMyndZ, thanks for the welcome. Budget is an interesting issue. I'm fine with spending a decent amount (100 or more bucks) as a way to start and sample. I'm pretty sure the eGo-C twist is the battery for me... good performance and reasonable portability. I'm open to other options, but not looking for anything with LED readouts or a built in butler. As for juice systems... I want to keep those cheap. My goal is to replace the Green Smoke with something a touch cheaper in the long run while improving performance. One thing I hate about the plain cartonomizer is the degredation of flaor/vapor over time. That's why I'm looking at tank systems I suppose.

 

[Thrasher]

im not going to jump too far in the fray but the twist is an excellent battery definitely dump the joy tank set up very inconstant.

and just about EVERY vendor has a version of a starting kit. just have to find one that fits the bill.

 

[GaryParr]

OffTopic, seems I replied while you were still typing . Is the Provari really with the extra $$ for someone who isn't a gear head? I'm open to the idea... I know that sometimes the extra dough will give better return on investment. Other times however the extra cost is more towards satisfying a "need to have it" itch than anything else.

flintlock62, thanks for the input on the Joye tanks. I'm torn on them because the leaks seem to be hit or miss. More important to me is the durability and amount of cleaning required. Supposing I got a no-leak setup... would that make me happy with them? Or do they just suck that badly? I've seem posts from people that seem really happy with them. Maintenance is an issue for me though. With the clearo or carto-tank... not really worried about how difficut they are to fill. I've got steady hands and a place to put things. What is this with replacing heads though? I may not have read enough because I thought most carto-tank or clearo systems were disposable?

 

[Off Topic]

I've heard a lot of good things about the ego twist batteries. Anyone know what the watt limit is on them?

I've heard a lot of horror stories about the ego B and C tank systems. I'm no expert on tanks. I drop my device too often to use a tank.

 

[fourthrok]

Well, right off the top...on your question about juice delivery systems: You say you don't want to mess with cleaning attys or using "cone" and want something that holds up and performs well. You mentioned something about looking at the Twist. Easy answer (in my opinion) for someone at your stage of your vaping journey: eGo Mega Single Coil (or dual coil if you must..but I don't advise it) Cartomizers. Also called EMSCC. The dual coils are referred to as EMDCC. You can get 1.7ohm & 2ohm (for 3.7 and lower voltage) and 3ohm for high (4v and up) voltage. They hold about 2.5 to 3 ml. of juice. VERY reliable, and will take multiple refills. Cleanable. No cone required as they are "skirted" for eGo threading (any eGo threaded device...including the Joye eGo T Mod and the Smok telescope, etc. etc. etc.)

I use them ALL the time (along with cartotanks) and one EMSCC with a "designated flavor" can last up to two weeks...YMMV. I am a very heavy chain vaper. I have found the average life of the EMSCC for me is between 8 days and 12 days...constant heavy use with many many refills (I vape an average of 8 to 10ml. a day).

Several vendors carry the 1.7 ohm type (hubby's favorite ohm level) Hoosier's, MadVapes, DiscountVapers, Smoktek.. others I'm sure. You can get the 2ohm (my fav) and 3ohm ones from Liberty Flights (Smoktech Type "B"...they are the single coil. They also have dual coil on this page.) Electronic Cigarette - Cartomizers - Smok Tech Cartomizers

 

[NuLLMyndZ]

Well then I feel the E-power Off Topic linked would fit the bill nicely.

As far as tanks go, I think a nice Vivi Nova or Stardust would treat you very well.

For juice, give a couple sampler pack from a couple of vendors a go. Almost every vendor has a sample pack.

 

[ajventi]

I'm less than a month in, but got off the original mini 808's within the first week. In my case I bought a starter kit for $15 at the local gas station, realized by the second day I would need a second battery, so bought a second starter kit and a pack of cartos on day 2. By around day 4 I realized I was not going to be saving money buying these things and found plenty of info on the web (thanks much in part to ECF).

So my first online order was a Volt X2 1100 mah, a pair of Stardust type clearos and 30-mL of Volt Country juice. I knew there was a risk I wouldn't like it, but it turns out now after tasting close to 30 juices it's probably my favorite everyday vape (In fact I'm rationing it so I don't feel the need to order more so soon.)

I can say in hindsight I would have made some different choices ... mostly buying a VV battery (which is my next purchase). However I still like an automatic battery, I spend much of my work day on my feet where I can't deal with pulling my PV out, 5 clicks, vape, 5 clicks put it in my pocket. So In addition to a VV I'll be buying a larger capacity auto.

In sampling juices, I think it's a good idea to have VV as from my understanding it will give you a better idea of the potential of your juice.

One thing you should ask yourself is how do you plan on tasting all your new juices? In my case I bought a 901 atomizer so I could Drip and sample new juices. I like my clearos for all day vaping, but it would be a pain to wash them between every fill just to sample a new juice, not to mention sort of wasteful. I suppose picking up empty cartos would be pretty simple, but for me an atty was the easiest way to sample juice.

I've been using stardust type clearos and am quite satisfied. Some thicker and darker juices can have trouble wicking, but I understand that can be the case with any setup. I would recommend fiding the latest version with the replaceable heads if possible. I can't speak on the other stuff as I haven't tried them.

As for Low/No maintenance, I guess if you're in touch with your laziness you'll just have to accept that you should plan to buy more of whatever you use and throw them away when there's a problem. I guess most clearos and cartos are relatively cheap compared to smokes, but you can pay more money to save yourself the hassle of cleaning and maintaining things.

Juice:

The nicotine Level you may commonly see will say something like 18-mg it is an unfortunate (and very bad) trend that has caught on in the vaping community it's short for 18-mg/mL which is also 18 ppt (parts per thousand) which is equivalent to 1.8%. To make it simple move the decimal one space to the left to convert to percentage from mg/mL.

I would say don't worry too much about PG/VG until you start tasting juice, Higher VG will most likely give you wicking problems in everything.

As for vendors, I've so far bought sample packs from two different places, I got some recommendations, did some searching, and ultimately found places that had some of the minor hardware I wanted and offered reasonable sampler packs of juice.

 

[The Ocelot]

Hi and welcome!

I started with Green Smoke too, but sent the kit back in less than a week after I discovered all of the flavors available with "real" PVs. I started with a small eGo kit, just 2 650mAh batteries, that came with 510 attys, fiber-filled cartridges and chargers. Very old school now, but I'm glad I started low end(ish) since it gave me something to move up to. I then got a LR306 atty and learned to drip. The next thing I got was a regular 1000mAh eGo (actually it's an eGo-C upgrade, but that's mostly a gimmick; I could have skipped that step). I got several clearomizers, which can be finicky until you figure out how to keep the wicks wet and keep them from leaking. I also got mini vivi novas - one of the groovy hot toys, but I'm not crazy about them. I like the clearos since they're cheap and disposable. Just rinsing them out, I get about 3-4 tankfuls per unit. The novas can be rebuilt, but for me that's a pain in the b*tt, and I only get about 3-4 tankfuls for head. I break it down to clearo= $3-$5 each; Mini novas= $10 for the tank and 3 heads, after which the heads run about $3 each.

I like cinnamon based vapes, which melts clears and novas (you can get a metal tube for the nova, but you can't see the level of juice in them), so I've ended up with glass and polypro tanks and cartomizers, which I have found to be brilliant! It takes awhile to get the the cartos primed, but once you do, the hits are consistent every time. I've read that lots of people like the Kanger T3s instead of clearos, which I think look interesting, but I'm passing for now, since cinnamon is incompatible. I've also got two Twists now, that I really like, but I'm glad I didn't get them first, since I wouldn't have had much to compare them to, and it took a couple of months for my taste buds to return, so the advantage of variable voltage was lost me at the beginning. I also would have been intimidated by the size. I thought the 650mAhs were big (compared to cig-a-likes), but now I no longer care if it looks like I'm vaping a weapon. I still use the 650mAhs when I go out, so it doesn't look like I'm armed. Here's a picture of the smallest glass tank I've found so far on a 1000mAh Twist to give you an idea of the size:



Sorry for the long ramble. I hope at least some of it helps.

 

[williebb123]

just to let you know most vendors for juice dont let you select pg/vg ratios on sample packs , with a nova setup i have used 30/70 with no wicking issues , taste is the 10 thousand dollar question , ive tried more pg , less pg , it may just be me but the taste is about the same the only real difference has been vapor , more vg = more vapor i usally choose 30/70 or 50/50 but some people are more sensitive than others thats why its the 10 thousand dollar question and thats my 2cents hope it helps

 

[klynnn]

I would go with a spinner at 1300mah and a vivi nova tank. The spinner lasts longer than the twist is slightly shorter and fatter and you can read the voltages without a magnifying glass. Will stand upright with a 3.5ml mega nova on it. You can not go wrong starting with the vivi just make sure it is genuine vision. It is easy to clean{comes apart} the heads inside last a long time and can be replaced or rebuilt if you desire that route. I have it and use daily along with the provari.

 

[Carlofpembroke]

I'm new to this forum too and have found the people here very friendly and helpful. I was on the nicolites which were good but expensive and as you say a tad frustrating when you don't know how much is left. After asking on here for some advice I bought an ego with some tobacco flavoured liquid,case, battery etc, today as it happens. So far so good, I can see how much liquid is in the tank and I get a better throat hit than the e-cigs. I went for the smaller battery as I am on a refinery and need to keep it in my top overalls pocket. The big test will be tomorrow when I'm back in work to see if it lasts the day though I will be bringing the charger just in case. I can only comment on what I have bought and how it works for me and not what to get as I haven't a clue about what's better or worse (hence why I came here first) will let you know how I get on though and if I make it safely through the day.

 

[flintlock62]

The Joye type-B are hit or miss. I still prefer a clearo-tank, or a carto-tank. IBTanked has some very good, and durable carto tanks, and you can use any juice in the without fear cracking the tank. Phiniac makes the best carto tank per the PBusardo review.
The Spinner seems to have become popular, but there are no problems with a Twist other than the dial is hard to read, especially with older eyes like myself. The Vivi is a great clearo tank, as is the Splitfire.

If you use too high a VH mix, you may experience wicking problem, especially if you chain vape. I use a 70/30 (PG/VG) mix with no problems.

OffTopic, seems I replied while you were still typing . Is the Provari really with the extra $$ for someone who isn't a gear head? I'm open to the idea... I know that sometimes the extra dough will give better return on investment. Other times however the extra cost is more towards satisfying a "need to have it" itch than anything else.

flintlock62, thanks for the input on the Joye tanks. I'm torn on them because the leaks seem to be hit or miss. More important to me is the durability and amount of cleaning required. Supposing I got a no-leak setup... would that make me happy with them? Or do they just suck that badly? I've seem posts from people that seem really happy with them. Maintenance is an issue for me though. With the clearo or carto-tank... not really worried about how difficut they are to fill. I've got steady hands and a place to put things. What is this with replacing heads though? I may not have read enough because I thought most carto-tank or clearo systems were disposable?

 

[wv2win]

The eGo has the weakest voltage battery on the market. It's even weaker than your bottom of the barrel Green Smoke. You could do better for the same amount of money. A Kgo would be a better alternative.

 

[flintlock62]

That's the first time I've heard that about the twist. Do you have any supporting evidence of this?

The eGo has the weakest voltage battery on the market. It's even weaker than your bottom of the barrel Green Smoke. You could do better for the same amount of money. A Kgo would be a better alternative.

 

[lulu836]

The eGo has the weakest voltage battery on the market. It's even weaker than your bottom of the barrel Green Smoke. You could do better for the same amount of money. A Kgo would be a better alternative.

Yeah, let's see some verifiable numbers.