YouTube - LitecigUSA's DSE-601 e-Pipe Video Review and Demo
Name: LitecigUSA e-Pipe
Category: e-Pipe
Website: LITECIG USA
Price: $79.95
Warranty/Guarantee: 6 Months
Overall Rating: 4
Pros: Monstrous vapor and easy draw, long battery and cartridge life, bargain price, realistic appearance.
Cons: Some whistling, difficult to change battery, realistic appearance.
Atomizer Performance: 4.5
1- Smoke; 5
2- Draw; 4
Battery Performance: 4.5
1- Switch; 4
2- Battery life; 5
Overall reliability and performance: 4
Appearance/design: 3
Customer Service Experience: Limited experience. Fast and friendly service, order shipped quickly.
Contents: Standard set: One atomizer (pipe body), two batteries, EU charger, US adapter, two mouthpieces, 3 cartridges.
Extras: None
Battery charging times:
Narrative review: Ive been curious about e-Pipes from the start, but always held off for a number of reasons. One was the form factor. I couldnt see me carrying around a pipe, it would be awkward to use while working, etc. Another reason was the draw, I expected an e-pipe would be like a cigar, and youd have to puff on it rather than just inhale. Last was the cost. Only the e-cig.com model looked reasonable, the rest were as expensive as a premium e-cig, and if I was going to spend that much Id go with a form factor I KNEW I liked.
LitecigUSAs e-Pipe interested me because of the low price. At $79.95 its much more attractive than any others on the market. And the light easy draw really surprised me. Instead of puffing and pulling, its actually a lighter draw than the generic RN4072s! About a 4, just a bit harder than a Janty or Sedansa. And the vapor output is, of course, truly outstanding. Monstrous, really! Its not just a 5, but a 5 plus! If you smoke high strength e-liquid with this it will blow your freaking skull off!
I have so far only dared smoke low strength in it, and it still quite often leaves me reeling after a few hits.Battery life is of course also much better than a penstyle. I havent pushed the batteries to depletion yet, but I have gone 18 hours on a charge before vapor declined. And one cartridge will last me all day. On the other hand, at one 4ml cartridge a day, I actually went through twice as much liquid as I usually do with a penstyle, so all that vapor will burn through your liquid fast.
The cartridges, BTW, work very efficiently. I didnt squeeze the depleted cartridges, because I refilled them, but they were very dry appearing, and I did refill around 3 or 4ml, so I do think you get most of the liquid out of them.
The switch has a short delay after you draw on it, about a half second or so before the atomizer activates. And performance in general can be a bit unreliable; I get a poor hit every once in a while. Of course a poor hit on this is only getting a 4 compared to a 5+, but still, reliability is this models only real flaw in performance. J
Appearance and build quality wise, there are no color or finish options, but it is very attractive, so I would give it a 4 for appearance. But, the appearance score also includes the design and build quality, and it has what I consider a serious design flaw, regarding the battery cover.
The little fake gem lid is damn hard to get on and off, because theres nothing to put pressure against when you turn it. Your fingers tend to just slide without turning the lid. Youve got to figure the typical e-pipe smoker is going to be of the older generation. Younger generations havent typically been drawn to pipes, so e-pipes will likely be the same. So if a relative youngster like me is having trouble, how about someone with arthritis?
Plus, when you do get the lid off, theres a tiny lever you have to slide over the battery, while also pushing the battery down into place. Again, hard enough for me, someone with arthritis or other motor control problems will find it way too frustrating, and that costs it a point. So, I only give it a 3 total for appearance and design. There was also an annoying whistle when using one battery, but not the other.
I havent tried any other e-Pipes, but they have a reputation of needing to be dripped, of having a hard draw, and otherwise not being satisfying. This model challenges that reputation, and smashes it. With a larger atomizer and larger battery and cartridge, more vapor and longer life is to be expected. But the easy draw was a surprise, and the cartridges have proven very efficient. I still cant see myself carrying it around often, but for home use, its going to become a staple for me. With high performance and a bargain price, its highly recommended if you want or are curious about an e-pipe.
