The Smowell had a brillant design. Put the DNA25 in that. What makes you think the istick is competition? It's the only thing offered. None of the latest round of mini boxes is made to last more than 3 months - so why would anyone spend money on them? The handful that are quality are square - I don't have square hands. Yea, I have to hold it. And they still don't offer much confidence that they will last or do as they promise.
Let's not forget that I have to wait for reviews to figure out what the mod actually does because many manufacturers aren't very up front with things like power manangement so that I know if I can vape the way I want to with it (since I'm not maxing out power/watts).
I value dependability. That is a high priority on my bucket list for mods. I'll break a piggy bank for it and forget all others. Sigelei used to do ok with a year warrenty and PITA service center in Calif. but they seemed to have dropped that. The result is (drum roll) REO and Provari after how many years??? That's pathetic.
And Siegeli can't seem to figure out that hands aren't square. How many are there now using nearly the same black box design? I am so sick of black - adding a wrap tacks on an additional $10-$20 on to the price of a mod and that gets old after awhile. The rubber skins are getting old very, very fast.
I am buying Cool Fire 4 because I have hopes for quality. I am disappointed with built in batteries because that automatically makes it disposable, which I won't pay more than $30 for. A permanent mod, backed by the manufacturer with some sort of service if things go wonky or upgrades - which is to be expected with innovation, a brilliant innovative ergonomic unique design, would be worth it's weight in gold. One thing counterfietters can't copy is service.
I agree with you. Vaping ain't easy. It's a huge compromise. We have to balance our desires with our resources. There are options out there but at much higher price points. The 20W, Evolv powered, iTaste SVD 2.0 can be had for less than $50. There are always Provaris, Dicodes, the SXMinis and one of many high quality, bespoke mods available on the market. We can have practically anything we want right now as long as we're willing to pay for it.
My vaping devices are not fashion statements, as the cigarettes I used to smoke were not. I will take form, function, value, quality and durability over fashion every day. If I thought I could, I wouldn't be vaping either. I vape to not smoke, not because I love to vape.
Nothing is permanent. The $1k new flat screen is not permanent. That $30k new car is not permanent. Electronic and mechanical devices will simply wear out, especially with the abuse humans inflict. If I want shirts that fit me, I have to spend a lot of money tailoring something off the rack, usually at a cost higher than the shirt itself. I can always get something bespoke, if I'm willing to pay for it. We purchase very expensive homes and alter them with paint, wallpaper, furnishings, landscaping, etc in order to tailor them to our liking. Why not expect the same with mods? Mass manufacturers can't cater to every individual's tastes, needs or desires. If we want to satisfy all of our whims, we should expect to spend the money on something custom.
Devices less than $50 are probably best made to be disposable. After a warranty has expired, neither of us would want to pay to have it fixed. The labor alone could be more than the cost of a new device. "Local" authorized service/warranty centers would be incredible but probably add 50% (or more) to the cost of hardware. Most vapers have voted with their wallets. They don't want to pay a lot for this gear. I certainly don't want to have to pay $45-50 for a 30W iStick.
I truly believe that legitimate questions about looming regulations and legislation are greatly affecting and stifling the industry. As long as the FDA and legislators don't mess things up royally, I believe we will see more varied choices in the coming months and years. Innokin will release something similar to the CF4 with a replaceable battery. Many more businesses will pop up to support vapers. But we need to figure out what vaping is to us and also set our expectations appropriately. Are we simply not wanting to smoke? In that case a couple of 30W iSticks with Nautilus Minis, GS Airs, Kayfuns, Lemos, Magmas, Dillingers, etc should be more than sufficient for most. Anything else is really icing on the cake and we should expect to pay a great deal for it. Prefer the Lincoln MKZ to the Ford Fiesta? Be prepared to pay for it. Just my
.
Good luck with your new Cool Fire 4! Let us know what you think of it.
