Looking for future upgrade. Whats out there? Pros and Cons over the Kgo?

[RyanRed]

This might be a little premature, but I'm really enjoying my vaping experience so far.

About a week and a half ago, I ordered up the Kgo. Love it! Been using it with clearomizer, and now I just ordered a tank for it. The vivi nova v2 tank to be exact.

So what else is out there? Whats "better" and why? Thinking about maybe doing an upgrade in 2 weeks, and I just wanted to get this in early, so I do some personal research.

What do you recommend, and why?

I dont have any issue with battery life with the Kgo, and 1100mah batts. I think this is 3.7?

Whats the advange of going above 3.7?

Alight thanks all! Just looking for some recommendations, and to be steered in the right direction!

-Ryan

 

[MariB]

I have a kgo as well. After using carts and clearomizers, I opted on going with an eGo 3.5 ml tank. The reason I went with that one is to have a more streamlined look. The vivi is wider than the kgo and it just wasn't appealing to me for some reason. The eGo dct is pretty awesome, and if you don't end up liking the vivi, I would give it a try. But you said you were thinking of upgrading though too. As far as that goes, it depends on your personal taste. If you like the box mods or bottom feeders, start looking at those. People have them up for sale all the time in the ecf classifieds. If you like the more cylinder ones, take a look at the lavatubes. If you want to put more money into it, take a look at a Provari. Personally I would buy a Lavatube because right now they have a coupon for 30% off. Your new vivi would look good on it because it's bigger. Upgrading to one of these will give you higher voltage and (in my opinion) more options for tanks. As to the why go higher than 3.7, someone else will have to answer that. I've only used a 3.7 and don't know what they are like to vape with. I know the higher ones are suggested to people who smoked more than 1.5 packs a day and who vape a lot.


This is the tank I got and it works really nicely with the kGo.
GotVapes SMOKtech Clear eGo Dual Coil 3.5ml Tank 1.5ohm - CLEAR [gv-SMOKtech-eGo-DCT-clear] - $11.95 : GotVapes.com, E-cigarette Supplies - Atomizers Cartomizers Mods Juice and more

Here is the Lavatube site.
Lavatube Ecigs - Lavatube e Cigs Discounts & Coupons

Here is a place to look at bottom feeders.
VMOD 2.0 and VMOD XL

Good luck!

 

[John D in CT]

This might be a little premature, but I'm really enjoying my vaping experience so far.

About a week and a half ago, I ordered up the Kgo. Love it! Been using it with clearomizer, and now I just ordered a tank for it. The vivi nova v2 tank to be exact.

So what else is out there? Whats "better" and why? Thinking about maybe doing an upgrade in 2 weeks, and I just wanted to get this in early, so I do some personal research.

What do you recommend, and why?

I dont have any issue with battery life with the Kgo, and 1100mah batts. I think this is 3.7?

Whats the advange of going above 3.7?
Alight thanks all! Just looking for some recommendations, and to be steered in the right direction!

-Ryan

Variable voltage. See: "Goldilocks and the Three Bears". (You can get your wattage "just right").

No brainer: A Joyetech Twist or two, a Smoktech 3.5ml DCT tank or five, and Boge 2.0 to 3.0 single coil XL stainless steel cartos or 20 (have to be slotted per PBusardo's YouTube video). Charger and a trim ring for between the tank and battery, and you're good to go.

Vaping above 3.7 lets you use higher-resistance coils for better battery life and a better vape at those higher resistances. If you don't already, get to know Ohms Law: Volts x volts / resistance = watts. Six to eight watts per coil is a pretty good range, and different juices will taste best at different wattages. Variable voltage is the only way to maximize your vape, and a 650mah Twist costs under $25. There is no good reason not to get one IMO.

 

[bcFleet]

What is a kGo? is it like an eGo?

 

[sailorman]

Higher voltage let's you use higher resistances and get a warmer, fuller vapor.
Variable voltage lets you tailor the heat of your coil to vape the juice at a temperature that is most pleasing to you.
For example, you might prefer 5 volts for tobacco juces and 4 volts for fruit flavors.
VV also lets you change the temperatures without changing the resistance of your carto/atty or whatever.

Other reasons to upgrade are that you can get something with replaceable batteries so that when your battery wears out, you don't have to throw your whole e-cig away. You just buy a $5-10 battery.
A decent permanent e-cig is also generally more reliable and durable, fixed voltage or variable.
Many permanent e-cigs take very large batteries. For example, a Lavatube can take a 2250 mah battery, over 2X tha capacity of your kGo.

You can upgrade to fixed or variable, bottom feeder or box mod or both. $30 or $300, it just depends on what you want, what you like to use it with, what your budget is and how long you'd like it to last.

As for the Lavatube, the best site for that is Apolloecigs.com Apollo VTube Kit
They have a 30% off sale with discount Vtube30. The Vtube is the name of their Lavatube, which is a generic name.
Right now, it's the best deal on earth for that particular machine. You can get the full kit for $50 shipped in Aluminum, $60 in chrome plated copper or $73 in stainless steel. With those prices, it doesn't make much sense to buy a disposable, even at half the price. If you want to check out high voltage or variable voltage that, IMO, is the best route.
Apollo is a great vendor that offers a 1 year warranty and 30 days money back, which is unheard of for a moderately priced VV APV.

If you just want another 3.7V PV, there are a million options, but the standard by which all fixed voltage PV's are measured is the Silver Bullet by Altsmoke. It's about $85, but you can pass it down to your great grandchildren. It's an upgrade by virtue of its reliability and durability. It's virtually indestructible and you can search this whole board for a bad word about it and come up empty. Or, you can opt for the cheap chinese knockoff of the Silver bullet, the Bolt. It'll run you about $45.

You just need to decide exactly what you're looking for and there will be plenty of options to choose from. Do you want higher voltage, more durability, more vape time, more reliability, more compact? Some will be time tested, like your kGo, and some will be the "Flavor of the day" and all hyped up until next month when there will be another flavor. It's up to you to do the research and learn to tell the difference.

 

[John D in CT]

What is a kGo? is it like an eGo?

Very similar in size, if not virtually identical. I have a Joyetech eGo and a kGo in front of me, and the Joytech is putting out 3.4 volts and the kGo reads 4.08. kGo's have a big following and perform very well, although I'm not sure if they use pulse width modulation like a believe the Joyech eGo does, which I think makes the eGo perform better than its 3.4 volts might indicate. The edge might still go to the kGo, but I think it's closer than the raw voltage numbers might make it seem.

***

"Some will be time tested, like your kGo, and some will be the "Flavor of the day" and all hyped up until next month when there will be another flavor. It's up to you to do the research and learn to tell the difference".

Reading between the lines, that sounds like a veiled rap on the Joyetch Twist. many people have a lot of good reasons to believe that it's going to stand the test of time. Joyetech has a long history of making first-rate products.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...sion/302432-why-ego-c-twist-game-changer.html

***

Looks as if newer kGo's have pulse width modulation, so I might have an older one.

"I read where the KGO are PWM now and i guess that is an upgrade from the original KGO ...."

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/ego-type-models/187735-slb-ego-kgo-1100-a-41.html

 

[Warren D. Lockaby]

What is a kGo? is it like an eGo?

As I understand it, a KGO is basically a longer, more powerful (& less expensive) clone of an eGo that runs at 3.7 instead of the eGo's 3.4 volts.

 

[MariB]

Yeah, sorry about that. Sailorman has the right link, I forgot who had the sale going on.

By the way, isn't the twist the one that got really bad reviews?

 

[John D in CT]

Yeah, sorry about that. Sailorman has the right link, I forgot who had the sale going on.

By the way, isn't the twist the one that got really bad reviews?

No. I have only seen very good reviews.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lLAVH_Lae0&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PLBB2F71D79927987C (Phil Busardo)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFymDFPFYKU (VaporChase)

VaporChase:

"The Twist is inexpensive, sleek, and performs extremely well for its size. I love mine and plan on buying one or two more because they fit very well into my vaping arsenal and daily usage. My mods are better for things that need more muscle (dual coils), but the Twist is perfect for single-coil devices around 2-3ohms. Love 'em and highly recommend 'em even to newbies, which I wouldn't normally do with a VV device".

 

[sailorman]

... Variable voltage is the only way to maximize your vape, and a 650mah Twist costs under $25. There is no good reason not to get one IMO.

I can think of a whole list of reasons, besides being the "flavor of the day".

Variability:
Twist: 3.2 to 4.8V (1.6V range)
Vtube: 3.0 to 6V (3V range)

Current limit:
Twist: 2 amps
Vtube: 2.5 amps

Capacity:
Twist: 650 mah
Vtube: 1600mah standard, 2250mah add $8

Lifespan:
Twist: 4-6 months, accordint to mfg. literature.
Vtube: Permanent, 1 year warranty.

Runtime betwen charges:
Twist: 3-4 hrs.
Vtube: 14 hrs std. up to 20 hours with upgraded battery.

Battery level indicator:
Twist: None
Vtube: LED display

Voltage indicator:
Twist: small ring on bottom with tiny numbers
Vtube: LED digital display

Warranty:
Twist: 30 days (?) maybe
Vtube: One Year

Satisfaction Guarantee:
Twist: None
Vtube: 30 days

Price:
Twist: $25
Vtube: $50-$73

Extras:
Twist: charger
Vtube: Case, battery, charger atomizer

A 650mah variable voltage will have a short life at the higher current draws of vaping over 4 volts.
Small batteries are heavily taxed at the higher current draws encountered with higher voltages.
Joyetech states that the expected lifespan of a 650 ego battery is 4-6 months.
Under variable voltage use, the 650 Twist will likely not last that long.
When your Twist is ready for the trash can, the Vtube will still have months left on the warranty.
When your Twist dies, you toss it. When your Vtube battery goes, you buy another 2250mah for $8.

 

[John D in CT]

I can think of a whole list of reasons, besides being the "flavor of the day".

Variability:
Twist: 3.2 to 4.8V (1.6V range)
Vtube: 3.0 to 6V (3V range)

Current limit:
Twist: 2 amps
Vtube: 2.5 amps

Capacity:
Twist: 650 mah
Vtube: 1600mah standard, 2250mah add $8

Lifespan:
Twist: 4-6 months, accordint to mfg. literature.
Vtube: Permanent, 1 year warranty.

Runtime betwen charges:
Twist: 3-4 hrs.
Vtube: 14 hrs std. up to 20 hours with upgraded battery.

Battery level indicator:
Twist: None
Vtube: LED display

Voltage indicator:
Twist: small ring on bottom with tiny numbers
Vtube: LED digital display

Warranty:
Twist: 30 days (?) maybe
Vtube: One Year

Satisfaction Guarantee:
Twist: None
Vtube: 30 days

Price:
Twist: $25
Vtube: $50-$73

Extras:
Twist: charger
Vtube: Case, battery, charger atomizer

A 650mah variable voltage will have a short life at the higher current draws of vaping over 4 volts.
Small batteries are heavily taxed at the higher current draws encountered with higher voltages.
Joyetech states that the expected lifespan of a 650 ego battery is 4-6 months.
Under variable voltage use, the 650 Twist will likely not last that long.
When your Twist is ready for the trash can, the Vtube will still have months left on the warranty.
When your Twist dies, you toss it. When your Vtube battery goes, you buy another 2250mah for $8.

Sailorman Sailorman go away, come again some other day.

VaporChase:

"The Twist is inexpensive, sleek, and performs extremely well for its size. I love mine and plan on buying one or two more because they fit very well into my vaping arsenal and daily usage. My mods are better for things that need more muscle (dual coils), but the Twist is perfect for single-coil devices around 2-3ohms. Love 'em and highly recommend 'em even to newbies, which I wouldn't normally do with a VV device".

Phil Busardo, starting at 17:37 of his review:

"Overall, without a doubt, the Twist gets a thumbs up. I'm really happy with it, its performance, its vape time, its power ... it's price is extremely reasonable ..... to me, having something that's going to give you variable voltage, in such a small form factor, to me is a win."

Not everyone wants a big (A)PV. The Twist fills a very nice niche with very nice performance at a very nice price.

 

[sailorman]

...Reading between the lines, that sounds like a veiled rap on the Joyetch Twist. many people have a lot of good reasons to believe that it's going to stand the test of time. Joyetech has a long history of making first-rate products....

It is a rap and not veiled. Regardless of Joyetechs history, a 650mah battery is only going to stand up to VV for so long. The Twist doesn't use some magical 650mah battery. It is what it is. A small battery. It hasn't been out long enough to tell whether it'll last 3 months or 6 months. There's no reason to believe it will last longer than that when a standard eGo, operating at a lazy 3.4V has an expected lifespan of 6 months. You know as well as I do that the battery of a variable voltage PV will not last as long as the battery of a fixed voltage PV of the same capacity.

It does what it does well, for now. But in a world of sub $75, non-disposable VV PVs, it's not that great of a bargain and certainly not worthy of the hype it's been receiving. Let's wait 6 months and see how, or if, they're still performing. See how long they're holding a charge. When you can get an equally capable VV with far more features, a warranty longer than the lifetime of a Twist and a replaceable battery for little more than a Twist, there's no sense buying a disposable PV.

 

[sailorman]

Sailorman Sailorman go away, come again some other day.

VaporChase:

"The Twist is inexpensive, sleek, and performs extremely well for its size. I love mine and plan on buying one or two more because they fit very well into my vaping arsenal and daily usage. My mods are better for things that need more muscle (dual coils), but the Twist is perfect for single-coil devices around 2-3ohms. Love 'em and highly recommend 'em even to newbies, which I wouldn't normally do with a VV device".

Who cares what VaporChase says? Instead of silly nursery rhymes, why don't you deny one single item in that list? If a Lavatube was still costing $75-80, you might have a point. When you can get one, in stainless steel no less, for $73 shipped, it's a no-brainer. Nursery rhymes notwithstanding.

And, if you don't like the bulk, a mini Lavatube is shorter than a Twist and barely a 1/4" more in diameter. When the Twist is only holding a charge for 2 hours, you can chuck a new battery in your Lavatube for $8 or so.

VaporChase has his mods already. He's going to have as much tied up in Twists as he would be paying for a Vmax or a stainless Lavatube. And that makes sense how?

Moving from an 1100mah battery to one barely half the size and with less than half the runtime, and less than half the lifespan is hardly an upgrade. Buying two of them in a world of $50 permanent VVs is insane.

 

[Warren D. Lockaby]

I think you'll love the Vivi Nova vers. 2 tank; I have a couple vers. 1 and even with their issues I've been fairly impressed. It's a great design, & it appears with the new version the problems have been pretty well addressed. Can't wait to try a new one! You will probably find you won't get much use from the highest resistance head; the lowest & middle should work well at 3.7 volts.

I'd strongly suggest, for now, getting 2 or 3 high quality dripping atomizers & drip tip(s) to fit them. To me these are essential for testing new liquids, and the only way to really know how a juice is supposed to taste. My personal preferences are IkenVape io6 in 1.8 Ohm, but I like to keep them on hand in 1.5, 1.8, & 2.5 Ohm for testing juices at 3.7 volts. IkenVape's 510 attys are excellent as well, and I've read good reports about their Cannons but haven't tried them yet. If the IKVs are unavailable, Cisco attys from Avid Vaper are pretty good in either the 306 or 510.

And if you're interested in upgrading to a variable voltage PV without breaking the bank, Apollo has their VTube kits on special at 30% off with free shipping and as far as I know theirs is the best deal going (if it's still on): Apollo VTube Kit Use coupon code Vtube30 . I'd check them out before buying anywhere else (Actually, I'd check everywhere else out too ) Just bought the Stainless Steel model kit from them a few days ago & I'm delighted with it. After discount, I think the prices are for aluminum models, $50, Chromed copper, $60, & SS, $73 shipped. (The aluminums are painted black, red, etc. I think)

Happy Vaping

 

[John D in CT]

Who cares what VaporChase says? Instead of silly nursery rhymes, why don't you deny one single item in that list? If a Lavatube was still costing $75-80, you might have a point. When you can get one, in stainless steel no less, for $73 shipped, it's a no-brainer. Nursery rhymes notwithstanding.

And, if you don't like the bulk, a mini Lavatube is shorter than a Twist and barely a 1/4" more in diameter. When the Twist is only holding a charge for 2 hours, you can chuck a new battery in your Lavatube for $8 or so.

VaporChase has his mods already. He's going to have as much tied up in Twists as he would be paying for a Vmax or a stainless Lavatube. And that makes sense how?

Phil Busardo says he gets 4 hours on a Twist 650 at 2.0 ohms single coil, and 7 hours at 3.0 ohms single coil. And I care more what PBusardo and Vapor Chase have to say about the Twist than I care what you have to say.

I had a feeling you'd be in my face, and I was right.

By the way, did you ever discover for yourself that apparently I was right that the Joyetech eGo battery outperforms the e-Power because of its pulse width modulation?

 

[Randy C]

Very good question RyanRed! My vaping experience has been a progression; deeply grounded in networking and gaining insight and education on the subject. One could waste hundreds, if not thousands of dollars buying products that are unsatisfactory.

I avoid taking advise from those who make purchasing decisions solely on "looks". For me- form follows function, as I need vaping supplies and juice that work and satisfy me. For me, vaping is a life or death activity- not just a hobby. I no longer want to expose my body to carbon monoxide, added carbon dioxide, thick gooey tar, and/or thousands of known carcinogens, so I must continue to make vaping "work" for me.

In terms of an APV, I chose the Provari. It gives me control over my vaping experience, it's rugged, it has extended battery life, operating range from 2.9-6 volts, and it comes with an optional 2 year warranty (which I purchased for $25). My second choice would be a "kicked" Silver Bullet, which is just as rugged and has plenty of power. The ONLY reason I chose the Provari over the Silver Bullet was that I gave up on trying to find the "Kick", as it's availability has been poor up until now.

I strongly recommend a variable watt deice over any VV device. With a VW device, you just set the watts and forget it. In terms of a VW device, the Darwin (made by Evolv) leads the pack. Or, as I mentioned, another option would be to buy a "kicked" Silver Bullet. The Kick device is manufactured by Evolv and offers VW technology to virtually any non variable APV.

In my opinion, the real opportunity for the vaping industry is the developent of a long life component to reliably create vapor. Aromizers, cartomizers, fluxomizers, clearomizers, etc all have their strengths and weaknesses. I personally think the best experience comes from a quality flanged, punched cartomizer within a tank. I think we are now seeing a race to develop "the perfect" tank/atomizer combo (such as the Vivi Nova and others). I think this technology is advancing at a fast rate and I think we are going to see some interesting options hit the market very soon. Although manufacturers are getting close, they have not developed the "home run" tank/atty combo yet.

And, the following is purely subjective... I stick with quality juice manufacturers. There are many opinions as to which juice manufacturer is the best, but I will only buy from three vendors: Backwoods Brew, Mom & Pops vapor, and Highbrow.

Stay tuned for more... The vaping industry is developing quickly and we're going to see some very cool stuff very soon!

 

[sailorman]

Phil Busardo says he gets 4 hours on a Twist 650 at 2.0 ohms single coil, and 7 hours at 3.0 ohms single coil. And I care more what PBusardo and Vapor Chase have to say about the Twist than I care what you have to say.

I had a feeling you'd be in my face, and I was right.

Pbusardo is a low paced vaper by his own admission. Maybe he does get that long. That's more than the average vaper gets at 1hr/100mah, even on a fixed voltage. You expect someone to just take that at face value with no indication of what voltage he was vaping at, or at what pace? I've heard many people report they get 3-4 hours on a 650 Twist under real life conditions, not during a test for battery life. And that's what one would expect if they knew the first thing about batteries. And, as they age, batteries don't hold their charge as long as they do when they're new. Halfway through that Twist's life it's very reasonable to expect to get 2-3 hours between charges. That's the nature of batteries and if Pbusardo disagrees, he's wrong.

You can care or not care what anyone says. I wasn't addressing you in the first place. Evidently you're very fond of using the fallacy of authority to attempt to trump what common sense and the laws of physics dictate. That's fine. I understand you have little else.

You are no expert, John, and if refuting your cherry picked quotes with facts means being "in your face", then I will be "in your face" whenever I please. I will counter your opinions (Correction. I mean the opinions you parrot) with facts any time I choose. Your talent for quote mining doesn't give you any special privileges of immunity when you make claims that can't be substantiated except by more quotes.

 

[John D in CT]

Pbusardo is a low paced vaper by his own admission. Maybe he does get that long. That's more than the average vaper gets at 1hr/100mah, even on a fixed voltage. You expect someone to just take that at face value with no indication of what voltage he was vaping at, or at what pace? I've heard many people report they get 3-4 hours on a 650 Twist under real life conditions, not during a test for battery life. And that's what one would expect if they knew the first thing about batteries. And, as they age, batteries don't hold their charge as long as they do when they're new. Halfway through that Twist's life it's very reasonable to expect to get 2-3 hours between charges. That's the nature of batteries and if Pbusardo disagrees, he's wrong.

You can care or not care what anyone says. I wasn't addressing you in the first place. Evidently you're very fond of using the fallacy of authority to attempt to trump what common sense and the laws of physics dictate. That's fine. I understand you have little else.

You are no expert, John, and if refuting your cherry picked quotes with facts means being "in your face", then I will be "in your face" whenever I please. I will counter your opinions (Correction. I mean the opinions you parrot) with facts any time I choose. Your talent for quote mining doesn't give you any special privileges of immunity when you make claims that can't be substantiated except by more quotes.

And with that, you get the last word.

 

[sailorman]

I think you'll love the Vivi Nova vers. 2 tank; I have a couple vers. 1 and even with their issues I've been fairly impressed. It's a great design, & it appears with the new version the problems have been pretty well addressed. Can't wait to try a new one! You will probably find you won't get much use from the highest resistance head; the lowest & middle should work well at 3.7 volts.

I'd strongly suggest, for now, getting 2 or 3 high quality dripping atomizers & drip tip(s) to fit them. To me these are essential for testing new liquids, and the only way to really know how a juice is supposed to taste. My personal preferences are IkenVape io6 in 1.8 Ohm, but I like to keep them on hand in 1.5, 1.8, & 2.5 Ohm for testing juices at 3.7 volts. IkenVape's 510 attys are excellent as well, and I've read good reports about their Cannons but haven't tried them yet. If the IKVs are unavailable, Cisco attys from Avid Vaper are pretty good in either the 306 or 510.

And if you're interested in upgrading to a variable voltage PV without breaking the bank, Apollo has their VTube kits on special at 30% off with free shipping and as far as I know theirs is the best deal going (if it's still on): Apollo VTube Kit Use coupon code Vtube30 . I'd check them out before buying anywhere else (Actually, I'd check everywhere else out too ) Just bought the Stainless Steel model kit from them a few days ago & I'm delighted with it. After discount, I think the prices are for aluminum models, $50, Chromed copper, $60, & SS, $73 shipped. (The aluminums are painted black, red, etc. I think)

Happy Vaping

Warren, have you seen how easy it is to re-coil those Vivi Nova heads. The 1.8 and 2.4ohm head are of dubious value on the Lavatube, but you can recoil them in about 10 minutes and get them up closer to 3ohms where they'll work great in the Vtube. I just ordered a bunch of silica wick and a 75' spool of Kanthal A wire for $10. If I run out of wick, I'm going to try it with cotton. It's supposed to make a big difference in the flavor and especially help the V1 in that respect.

 

[RyanRed]

Im really leaning towards the Vtube. Sadly, I wont have the extra cash for 2 weeks. I would assume the sale will be off by then. Any ideas on how long thats lasting? If its not on sale in 2 weeks, ill just wait around till it hits again. Or hope it does anyway