Looking for advice before I pull the trigger; Experiencing analysis paralysis.

[jiveturkey]

I apologize in advance if I'm posting this in the wrong place, and for another "help me pick a rig" post. There's just so much info out there and I am in need of guidance from people that have walked this path before. I am ready to jump into the world of mechanical mods and rebuildables and have been reading and researching quite a bit. I will be going with a clone and most likely, purchasing at fasttech. I think I've narrowed my options down to either a Nemesis or a Stingray clone and my first question has to do with the materials that the mod is made of. Here's what I'm looking at:

Stingray(s): $24.70 Stingray X Style Mechanical Mod - 18350/18500/18650 / copper + stainless steel at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping
$26.56 Stingray X Style Stainless Steel + Copper Mechanical Mod - 18350 / 18500 / 18650 at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping

Nemesis(s): $18.44 Nemesis Style Mechanical Mod - chromed brass at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping
$19.73 Nemesis Style Mechanical Mod - 18350 / 18500 / 18650 mod at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping

Some of the mods I'm looking at are stainless steel, some copper, some copper and stainless. It seems that copper is preferred because it will be better against battery sag? Is this regarding just the battery contacts or the whole tube? I want this purchase to be a my last one for a while so I need to make it count. I am looking to maximize flavor and satisfying vapor, so I'm looking at picking up an RBA and a dripper on this order too.

RTAs:

Fogger: $17.86 Fogger V4.1 Style RTA Rebuildable Tank Atomizer - 6.0ml / stainless steel at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping
Kayfun Style: http://www.fasttech.com/products/3028/10006473/1494700-svoemesto-kayfun-v3-1-es-styled-rebuildable

RDAs:

Magma: $15.79 Magma Style Rebuildable Dripping Atomizer - 1:1 clone / stainless steel at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping
TOBH Atty: $10.08 Tobh Atty V2 Style Rebuildable Dripping Atomzier - 1:1 clone / stainless steel at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping

I'm not necessarily married to any of these options but liking them the best due to aesthetics and decent reviews on FT. I am wide open to additional recommendations if you see a fatal mistake in my choices, or you know of a better route/combo. I will also add an ohm meter to this FT order, and I'll be hitting Amazon for kanthal, a Nitecore charger and a couple of VCT4s. Oh yeah, as far as kanthal, I wasn't sure which gauge would be best to start with. I thought I'd read that 28 gauge is good but I'd like some confirmation.

Any guidance or advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated. As you know, there's so much information out there and my head is swimming.

Thanks!!!

 

[Harlen]

They work what more do you need to know ?
Discharge a battery to much and it's no good anymore. Why mecs may not be the best choice of mod .
I have two mec mod's and haven't used them in a long time .
You mite try a 2200mah ego they work better then a mec and will tell you when the battery needs charging ?

 

[eyerhere]

I love the ease of adjustment for battery rattle on the nemesis. Dont know the stingray. Magma gets my vote for the atty. Dont order your batterys from ft.

 

[v1k1ng1001]

Consider a mech clone with a recessed switch which you can pocket easily. I personally can't stand mech clones that won't stand on end properly because of a wobbly switch.

 

[papa11]

i have a shot gun i love it!!

 

[sedition]

I know how you feel with analysis paralysis. A Nemesis, Kayfun and Magma will be a perfect set to get started, I doubt you'll come across any problems with these that can't be rectified.

The Nemesis is really versatile, easy to adjust for battery rattle as eyerhere said. Mine has served me well. The switch can be problematic due to design, but it's easy to fix. Easy to swap the spring over to magnets for a nicer action. The combination of tubes allows you to use 18350, 18500, 18650, each with or without a Kick module if you want to use it (for VV/VW). It's popular for a reason.

Kayfun - good solid choice for a tank. Easy to get started with, there's a tiny learning curve with refilling without leaks, it can leak like most RBAs. Easy to build on. Generally considered the standard for flavor, any faults or idiosyncrasies are minor. Very versatile in that there are heaps of cool additions you can make - different tank sections, nano kits, top caps, chimney housings. Also accepts a hybrid adapter to give a seamless mod to tank look.

Magma - starting to become the Kayfun equivalent in the RDA category for flavor. Very simple to build on, solid design. When I researched mine, I was worried about the leaking people talked about, but I've never encountered it. I said a few weeks back that I could fire a tangled mess of Kanthal at the Magma with a slingshot and it'd probably taste good.. I still stand by that.

28 gauge is perfect to start with. When you've built a dozen or so coils and start branching out into different coil builds, having some 24g and 26g will give you more flexibility. I'm liking 26g personally at the moment since it's a bit more rigid, harder to knock or deform when you're pulling a wick. The biggest reason IMO for other gauges is you can set the ID and resistance you want, then using Steam Calculator you adjust the gauge to get a preferred # of wraps / vapor heat.

 

[VapingTurtle]

Just my opinion: go for a KFL+ v2 rather than a KF 3.1ES

pro: lighter, smaller, easier to fill and un-fill
con: need remove a tiny screw to fill

 

[v1k1ng1001]

One of the ways to get past the analysis paralysis is just buy a well-reviewed clone that you think you'll like. Once you cut your teeth on mechs, rbas and rdas, you'll have a basic understanding of what you want to buy next in terms of how happy/unhappy your current set up makes you.

I can give you a couple pointers beyond the recessed switch. As for mods, I recommend a beginner start with stainless steel which is durable and requires little maintenance. The brass and copper of many clones requires a lot of cleaning and polishing and is not as durable if you happen to drop it. Also, if the switch doesn't work well, it really defeats any other features of the mod.

A kayfun lite + clone (EHpro @ fluid vapes for example) is a good rba to start with. With rda clones, it's all about the quality of the deck in terms of durability and building ease and then airflow for whatever builds you want it to support.

 

[stanthemanchan]

Copper mods will have lower voltage drop which means that they will "hit harder". But the downside is that copper tarnishes easily and it will require more maintenance and cleaning.

The Stingray X is a pretty decent mod, but I wouldn't recommend it as your first one as it does not have a recessed switch. This means that you will have to make sure to always lock it whenever you set it down or put it in your pocket (which is a good habit to get into regardless). The other problem is that the switch can be quite sticky and crunchy, especially with the Fasttech clones. The black one is no bueno because the coating tends to rub off and it will end up looking like crap in a few months. The first one you linked is not actually in stock and you'll have to wait 5 days before it actually gets sent out. Be careful when ordering from FT because the items that say "Ships in 5 days" may not actually get back in stock until later and you'll sometimes have to wait even longer than that. I always make sure to only order stuff that says "Ships next day" or "In Stock".

I'd recommend checking out the Paragon mod. It has a recessed button and it has a carbon fibre wrap around the tube, so the copper won't tarnish and it won't require as much maintenance. It also has very decent reviews.

The Fogger V4 is a great atty, but it can be tricky to build on for newbies. I wouldn't recommend it as your first rebuildable. You might want to give the Orchid a try. It's easier to mount coils, but it can also be tricky to wick correctly (about the same difficulty as wicking the Fogger).