Looking for a starter kit - Beginner

[Promentory]

Here's a breakdown of my order: (Pico 25 is shipping to my parents today)

(5) x eleaf ello coils HW2
(2) x LG H2
(1) x Nitecore Q2 battery charger

I also picked up one 60ml discounted ejuice (TITAN by Mod Fuel E Liquid), it's only 6 mg, but it only needs to hold me over until I find some favorites. There are local shops around me. So next week I am going to take my unit and go test a bunch out.

Thank you very much for all of your guys help.

 

[theeshannons83]

I’m still new to vaping but I started out with a Joyetech eGo AIO. It’s a all in one pen style and it’s small. I carried it in my pocket. I think at one of the shops in my area it was $25 so that’s not a bad price. I used to go in the B&M stores a lot more and I still do for some stuff but a lot in my area tend to be on the higher price so I’ve learned what online sites to shop at. It’s all about trial and error and finding the right setup for you. Im still learning and I will research the crap outta something to get a good feel for it. I now have a Smok Priv V8 mod and I’m learning all about it.
As for withdrawal, I was mostly nauseous a lot, but it eventually went away.

 

[dom qp]

I’m still new to vaping but I started out with a Joyetech eGo AIO. It’s a all in one pen style and it’s small. I carried it in my pocket. I think at one of the shops in my area it was $25 so that’s not a bad price. I used to go in the B&M stores a lot more and I still do for some stuff but a lot in my area tend to be on the higher price so I’ve learned what online sites to shop at. It’s all about trial and error and finding the right setup for you. Im still learning and I will research the crap outta something to get a good feel for it. I now have a Smok Priv V8 mod and I’m learning all about it.
As for withdrawal, I was mostly nauseous a lot, but it eventually went away.

To OP: If you order $50 of juice from dashvapes they will throw in a free AiO.

 

[Promentory]

To OP: If you order $50 of juice from dashvapes they will throw in a free AiO.

I saw that . I really wanted to do it, but I just could not afford to spend $50 on juice right now. I still had to buy my girlfriends valentines day present lol.

 

[Letitia]

My friend uses the HW2 coils and prefers 45-50w depending on juice. Prime your coil and start at 25w and work your way up a few watts at a time until you find your sweet spot. I tend to enjoy the lower end recommended wattage. Might be different for you. Don't buy a ton of juices in large quantities, your tastes will change as your taste buds recover.

 

[Baditude]

This is the part that is confusing to me...Until I have the unit in my hands, how do I even know what wattage I will be vaping at lol. And of course, depending on the wattage I vape at, that dictates the batteries I buy and the coils I buy.

Edit: I suppose it's all trial and error. I am going to bite the bullet and order what I intend to. Starting next week with a steady paycheck coming in I can start experimenting shortly. Thank you for all the help!

You answered your own question.

I own a 75W mod and two 200W mods. I never go over 40 watts on any of them, and am usually in the 30 watt range.

 

[NealBJr]

This is the part that is confusing to me. The pico can go up to 85 W. Until I have the unit in my hands, how do I even know what wattage I will be vaping at lol. And of course, depending on the wattage I vape at, that dictates the batteries I buy and the coils I buy. Arrrgh!

Edit: I suppose it's all trial and error. I am going to bite the bullet and order what I intend to. Starting next week with a steady paycheck coming in I can start experimenting shortly. Thank you for all the help!

The pico and the pico 25 both have a small screen, an up and down button, and a fire button. The up and down button are on the bottom. The Pico has a .3 ohm and a .5 ohm coil packaged with it, and the pico 25 has a .2 and a .3 ohm coil packaged with it. The best thing to do, is to try one out for a day or two, then try the second one out and see which one you liked best... then you know which coil to buy for replacement.

Now, as far as what wattage you should use... it's all up to you. I don't recommend going 85 watts on any of those coils... But each coil has a recommended wattage. I recommend starting at the lowest, and working your way up. The wattage you use will be determined by how you vape... if you like less vapor, tighter draw, you will vape at a fairly lower wattage. If you vape at an open airflow with more clouds, you'll increase the wattage. Usually, former smokers prefer a tighter draw and lower wattage to start off with, since vapor is denser than a cigarette, you'll take some getting used to vapor before you get to the larger coils.

The other benefit of getting the pico, is you have a mod that has some growing capability. you don't have to stick with the atomizer that comes with the tank. Once you start vaping, and if you decide you like it, you can explore other tanks, that all have their own strengths and weaknesses. The tanks that come with the pico are good, but there are others out there that you may want to explore with.

And IMO, I'd probably recommend a good 20A battery form Baditude's list. I think the 20A is good enough for most vaping needs, and it offers good capacity for a single cell. The coils for the Pico 25 state the recommended wattage between 35-80 for their wattage mode coils, and up to 90 for the temperature control coil. in either case, I never recommend vaping at the maximum wattage for the coil, you'll end up with dry hits.

last thing I highly recommend, and I'm sure it's in the manual, is make sure you prime the coils. Nothing worse than to get an atomizer with a dry coil the very first time you use it. Make sure the cotton in that coil is fully saturated BEFORE you even screw it into the tank. Although I don't have any experience with the coil heads that come with the Picos, I've always had to poke holes in the cotton of prebuilt coils. it's become where I do it first time when I get the coil heads. I do vape high VG juices though, so if I had to recommend something, I'd recommend trying it without poking holes in it... but at the first sign of a burned coil head, poke those holes asap.

 

[seahawkin]

I also suffer from a form of mental illness, so I am curious if quitting may affect that as well.

It was a lot easier than quitting with the patch, but still pretty tough. The meds make nicotine sorta even us out, my doctor was thrilled when I found vaping cause by month 3 I wasn't doing very well. After the last few years, I have managed to bring the nic level down. But I still find I need it due to the meds...

The Pico 25 looks like a sweet little setup.

 

[Promentory]

So I received my pico 25, and my order of batteries, charger, atomizer, juice! Yesterday I read the manual, and got it all setup and updated the firmware. I have half a pack of cigarettes left.

I wanted to know if anyone else dealt with coughing when they initially started. I tried it a few times last night, and started violently coughing after each pull. I had work today, and didn't want to cough my lungs out, so I brought my pack instead of the pico. I tried it again tonight a few times, and same thing. I tried pulling into my lungs, and that is the worst. I tried to pull it into my mouth, and it helps, but I still cough violently if I pull it into my lungs to quick. The only method I've found that I don't cough as much, is if I pull it into my mouth, let the vapor rise to my nostrils, and breath it in through my nose.

I don't mind doing it this way, but it doesn't feel the same as pulling it into my lungs like a regular cigarette. Also, pulling enough vapor into my mouth is extremely difficult, I never get much vapor. I have messed with wattage, and the airflow valve.

I bought a brand called mod fuel, and the flavor is titan. The flavor tastes wonderful, but the rest is really discouraging. It is a 30% PG/70% VG blend I believe, 6 mg nicotine. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[evan le'garde]

Welcome to the forum !.

 

[stols001]

Some coughing is normal as you switch (especially if dual using). I guess it's not outside the realm of possibility that you are PG sensitive, and may do better lowering your PG some. The amount is kind of variable. I can tolerate about 8% in my mixes (usually the flavorings) but any more gives me trouble and coughing, it can feel like pins and needles in my throat.

You may also want to look at your wattage, and make sure your nic level is good for you. Too much nic can be harsh and make you cough, and give you nicotine overload. Sometimes MTL is an easier way to go when switching, something with higher resistance, and more nicotine per puff. I think it may take some experimenting (not unusual at first) although it could just be adjusting to vaping generally, and going through cigarette detox. I never cough these days but I did some in the beginning.

Best of luck,

Anna

 

[LyLyV]

After thinking about the pen style vapes a bit, I remembered that many, many people love the Innokin Endura line. There are several models, with the t20 being quite popular. I would recommend that over the Smok. If your vape shop has the Endura line, take a look. Good quality, inexpensive, reliable.

I have this - just to use up the 12mg 50/50 juice I have that doesn't come in higher VG. I really like it, actually. I don't care for the taste of the tip, but as a starter device, it's not too bad. WAY better than the Aspire eGo CF VW + ET-S tanks I was using. Kinda like the little cap thingy that comes with it, too.

 

[LyLyV]

Thank you so much for all of the responses. I am definitely vacillating between the Pico and the Endura. I love the form factor of the Endura. If two devices is advisable, maybe I will start with the Endura, and eventually graduate to a beefier device like the Pico for at home use.

I suffer from insomnia, I was up all night reading about e cigs lol. I read multiple threads from here about the health benefits of quitting smoking. I have never actually done much research on the recovery from smoking because I never thought I would go through with it. Reading how many people have had success is giving me some hope. Last month I had acute bronchitis for around 5-6 weeks straight, that is what has persuaded me towards this. I can not even fathom laying down to go to sleep at night and not hearing my lungs crackling and heaving. Or to be able to climb a set of stairs without being winded. I am also curious about smells and tastes that are completely dull to me now.

I am actually ecstatic right now. I am so excited. I am on a fixed income, so I am also looking forward to saving $$$ if I shop accordingly within budget. I also suffer from a form of mental illness, so I am curious if quitting may affect that as well. I won't be able to purchase until the start of next month, so I will continue doing ample research.

For a half a pack - pack a day habit, what quantity of nicotine mg would you recommend starting with? I was guessing 12 mg might suffice, but I am not entirely sure. Also, with regards to the PG/VG blend, I have read some people find the 70/30 much more tolerable then the 50/50. Any experiences with this? Thank you so much again for being so helpful everyone! I sincerely appreciate this.

I also have the Pico 75W. It's a nice device. Super portable. Feels good in the hand. I would recommend the Aspire Cleito tank with 0.4 ohm coils. That setup is working really nicely for me. Congrats for quitting the stinkies!

 

[LyLyV]

...
I suffer from insomnia, I was up all night reading about e cigs lol. I read multiple threads from here about the health benefits of quitting smoking. I have never actually done much research on the recovery from smoking because I never thought I would go through with it. Reading how many people have had success is giving me some hope. ....

*raises hand - Insomnia here, too. It's bad.
Have you tried the 4-7-8 breathing technique? It helps for me sometimes (as well as with momentary periods of anxiety).

 

[Just Me]

When I switched to vaping, the vape shop recommended 12mg nic. Whoaaa, I could NOT inhale any vapor, coughed my head off. Even switching to 6mg, I coughed a lot for a couple of weeks. Just take in a very tiny bit of vapor at first and as you inhale, be sure and mix some air in with it. You'll get the hang of it after a while.

What I think happens is that cigarettes have bronchodilators that help open up the airways, whereas vaping does not. So it's a different kind of "smoke" that you have to get accustomed to. You don't actually have to inhale to absorb the nicotine, but former smokers usually want that feeling of inhaling.

Good luck, and press on!