Local store selling fake kangers?

[mwjones]

Just had a fun discovery today. At work today I noticed that there was a small burr on the top cap of my mini protank 3, around the diameter that is against the glass. I thought, no problem, I'll knock that off in a couple seconds with a needle file.

So I take the burr off, and have a look at my handiwork, and i see....copper? Nice, I think to myself, turns out this tank is NOT genuine, because why on earth would someone chrome plate over copper plate on stainless? buffed the top cap with a piece of scotch brite, and lo and behold, the whole deal is in fact plated brass. All the websites I've seen advertise kangers as solid stainless steel. I call up the store and ask the guy about it, and he tells me "I get all my stuff from kanger directly, it's legit. The "stainless" is just a coating that rubs off eventually."

So, are the kanger mini protank 3s actually supposed to be stainless, or are they plated brass? I'd like to know, as I paid $12 plus tax for this tank, and if it's a cheap fake, i would rather buy them for $3 on fasttech.

It came in a white box about .75x.75x3 inches, with a kangertech logo, no serial number, no spare coils, no manual, just the tank with a single coil installed and the drip tip. Upgraded dual coils were$12/5, also in a white box, not the black box, with a kangerteck logo with .9, 1.1, 1.3, 1.5, 1.8 ohm check boxes on it, no other information.

 

[GMayberry]

Sounds like they are selling fakes, but who am I to judge?

 

[powerband]

The packaging you describe all sounds legit to me

 

[Kent C]

And they are chrome plated brass. Even their site says so on the unitank:

"It has all the great feature as Kanger protank series, removable drip tip for convenience, brass metal part for the great feeling and highest quality."

Other threads here have mentioned the brass in the protanks. There is lead-free brass as well. I'm assuming they use that but not sure.

 

[mwjones]

This seems kind of silly to me :S Brass, plus the plating process for both copper and nickel or chrome, would be infinitely more expensive than actually using a lead free stainless. Additionally, the time required for the polishing, plating, and re polishing, you'd thing, would be crippling. Sure, stainless might be harder to machine, but we're talking maybe a minute of extra cycle time and $7 carbide insert now machining only 50 parts instead of 100. I just don't understand why someone would pay more money to make a lower quality product.

Anyway, all of the stuff I've got from the local store does NOT have a little scratch off number. Could it be old stock, or am i just hoping that i got real stuff?

 

[skoony]

the general consensus is a bunch of state side vendors got stiffed with what they thought was original Kanger products.
right down to phoney codes on the packaging.

some vendors have fessed up and are trying to make it right. others i suppose cant afford the loss and are stuck selling them.
the info you get from Kangers sight should be the most up to date.

the bottom line is if the serial number doesn't work on their website its a fake.
regards
mike

 

[Monotremata]

I dont know about the generic white boxes.. I have seen some of their products in em, but heres a pic I grabbed from ebay of a PT3 mini..


This is the box the vendor I buy stuff from carries for both the PT2 and 3, and they are all over ebay in this packaging.. And that tank should have definitely come with a dual coil head along with a spare coil as well as having a scratch code on it.. The generic white Kanger boxes sound like the ones that come in the starter kits they sell, only those dont have a K logo on it, the ones in mine just say EVOD Usb Charger, and EVOD Spare Coils (and check boxes on the back for the ohmage)..

 

[Big_Jim]

Sounds like you got a fake.

 

[skoony]

I dont know about the generic white boxes.. I have seen some of their products in em, but heres a pic I grabbed from ebay of a PT3 mini..
View attachment 366012

This is the box the vendor I buy stuff from carries for both the PT2 and 3, and they are all over ebay in this packaging.. And that tank should have definitely come with a dual coil head along with a spare coil as well as having a scratch code on it.. The generic white Kanger boxes sound like the ones that come in the starter kits they sell, only those dont have a K logo on it, the ones in mine just say EVOD Usb Charger, and EVOD Spare Coils (and check boxes on the back for the ohmage)..

there still may be old stock that didn't have the code.
there is no way to tell if that is fake unless you can compare it side by side.
that can be difficult when changes in production are introduced.
many vendors in the past removed extra spare parts selling them separately.
this further confused the subject.

best practice is to source the new coded parts to insure its genuine.
regards
mike

 

[classwife]

Moved to Clearomizers from eGo Type Models

 

[Davey59]

Sounds right to me. The spark plug size box and the Protank 3 minis are plated, That is what mine are. I think all the Protank models are/were. I think the stepped up to stainless with the AeroTanks.
I got a few PT 3 Minis off eBay and was actually a little bit surprised they checked out.

 

[Hammy75]

My PT3 mini came in the same package you describe. Looks to be the same material as my PT2, PT3 and PT2 mini. I didn't check the code for the minis but did on both the full size and they are legit. All bought from the same B&M in town. They sell clones and make you very aware that they are so I have no reason to think they would try to pass off a $10 tank as legit when it's not. I recently bought the new aerotank airflow control valves for all these tanks and the stainless finish on them is definitely different then the finish on my PTs. The PTs are shinier for sure.