I have been a regulated dude for 7 years. Started with cigalikes, then egos, then regulated boxes. Just got a wismec machina and love the heck out of it. I'm really into the simplicity of it, and how your build controls the power. My question is, what's the difference between this $40 mod, and the metal tubes I see for $400? Can something work better than this thing? Thanks for your answers.
LOVE MY FIRST MECH!
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I think it kind of depends. Some of the crazy expensive mechs look lovely but often a good clone of something can get the job done as well as (if not more sometimes) than a supremely expensive mod, or so I have heard (and have experienced, the good and the bad) with clones of tanks for example.
I'd say if you start looking into more expensive mech mods to look at reviews carefully, as that becomes a more major purchase but as far as I understand it, a mech doesn't HAVE to be expensive (and may often be LESS expensive than some regulated mods that have DNA chips and other things) to get the job done and done well. So if you decide to climb the price ladder, I'd say pay a lot of attention and do a lot of research, just like any other piece of expensive vaping equipment. It may be superb, or it may simply be overhyped.
I'm glad you are enjoying what you have now, though.
Anna
I'd say if you start looking into more expensive mech mods to look at reviews carefully, as that becomes a more major purchase but as far as I understand it, a mech doesn't HAVE to be expensive (and may often be LESS expensive than some regulated mods that have DNA chips and other things) to get the job done and done well. So if you decide to climb the price ladder, I'd say pay a lot of attention and do a lot of research, just like any other piece of expensive vaping equipment. It may be superb, or it may simply be overhyped.
I'm glad you are enjoying what you have now, though.
Anna
From my limited experience of the past couple months with mech tubes, I would have to say there is some difference in clones vs authentication. If I compare the clone admiral I have to the authentic broadside I see some minor fit and finish issues with the clone. Now the clone hits just as well from what I can tell to the authentic, it just doesn't feel as nice in the hand. The threads aren't as smooth and the button isn't as smooth either.
Between some of the $75-$100 authentics and the $400 ones, I haven't seen any difference. I tried some of my buddies Able's and a purge mod and they hit no differently than the dreamer for $100. I think a lot of the huge price comes in to play partially with the name, some of it from the mod being a limited run, and the rest being nice engravings and the amount of machining done to the mod.
Between some of the $75-$100 authentics and the $400 ones, I haven't seen any difference. I tried some of my buddies Able's and a purge mod and they hit no differently than the dreamer for $100. I think a lot of the huge price comes in to play partially with the name, some of it from the mod being a limited run, and the rest being nice engravings and the amount of machining done to the mod.
The difference is status and/or bragging rights, for the most part. I had a $200+ dollar Nemesis when it first came out and I loved it. Then, after a few months, I had a $30 clone from either Tobecco or HCigar and I loved that one, too. I still have the original Nemesis and the clone and guess what...unless I look at the numbers, I can't tell the difference. They both work the same. Throughout the years, I've purchased many authentic mech mods and many clones. Most often, the clones hit the same. Save the money and buy a clone or many clones.
Back when I worked in a vape shop, my store's francise manager would sometimes show some of his collection of high end mechanical mods. He was a collector. He probably has had a hundred or more mechs in his collection. I never vaped them, but I did inspect and handle many of them when I had the opportunity.
Not always the rule, but many of the high end mods just conveyed a sense of better quality in general when held in the hand and closely inspected. The threaded parts operated more smoothly (better machined threads); poorly machined threads can sound like fingernails on a blackboard. The 510 connector looked more rugged. The fire button was smoother than silk to operate, and was either recessed into the mod or had a locking feature for safety. Sometimes visible vent holes could be seen (but not often enough IMHO).
Many of the top mechs now have a plastic or otherwise insulated battery sleeve that prevents a ragged battery from making contact with the metal tube, a safety feature.
And of course there are the aesthetics of a highly polished finish (a fingerprint magnet to some folks), attractive artistic engraving, or the exclusivity of a limited production run complete with an individual serial number on the mod, etc.
Caravela
King
Hades Mod V2 "Tribal" by Footoon ($3000)
Steampunk
Kennedy Hawaii Five-O Dragon Combo
Not always the rule, but many of the high end mods just conveyed a sense of better quality in general when held in the hand and closely inspected. The threaded parts operated more smoothly (better machined threads); poorly machined threads can sound like fingernails on a blackboard. The 510 connector looked more rugged. The fire button was smoother than silk to operate, and was either recessed into the mod or had a locking feature for safety. Sometimes visible vent holes could be seen (but not often enough IMHO).
Many of the top mechs now have a plastic or otherwise insulated battery sleeve that prevents a ragged battery from making contact with the metal tube, a safety feature.
And of course there are the aesthetics of a highly polished finish (a fingerprint magnet to some folks), attractive artistic engraving, or the exclusivity of a limited production run complete with an individual serial number on the mod, etc.
Kennedy Hawaii Five-O Dragon Combo
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I spent many nights setting alarms and waking up so I could engage in F5 battles with about 10,000 others who had done the same to get a swing at one of about a dozen artisan mods that would become available and be sold in the time it takes to refresh your computer screen. After having been successful in a number of these and having obtained my share of unobtanium over the years, I’ve discovered that for me, the joy of vaping lies in getting the gear that works best for me, regardless of price. There’s definitely a pride of ownership factor that comes into play with high end or difficult to obtain mods, but at the end of the day, what matters most to me now is having the best running, most dependable and trouble free gear I can have, at whatever price.
There’s a good chance you can achieve the best possible result without breaking the bank. I’ve had some great inexpensive mods, and some obscenely overpriced total failures. Of course the inverse is also true.
Your best bet is to always do your homework and carefully research before purchasing. The amount of time I spend doing this is usually proportional to the amount being spent.
tl;dr: A good mod is largely independent of price, and will earn that designation in the opinion of the user.
PS- Mechs friggin rule.
There’s a good chance you can achieve the best possible result without breaking the bank. I’ve had some great inexpensive mods, and some obscenely overpriced total failures. Of course the inverse is also true.
Your best bet is to always do your homework and carefully research before purchasing. The amount of time I spend doing this is usually proportional to the amount being spent.
tl;dr: A good mod is largely independent of price, and will earn that designation in the opinion of the user.
PS- Mechs friggin rule.
Baditude, I had an original Caravela for about 30 minutes. I bought/sold it at a VapeBash for $350/$500. About 6-8 months later, the first clones of it hit the market.
I wasn't much into mechanicals at the time, but the absolutely lovely finish and engraving quality of the Caravela was mouthwatering. It was always a favorite of mine to dream of owning if only by it's beauty. Of course, beauty is always in the eye of the beholder...
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Wow thanks stols001 and all of you! I'm blown away by how nice the pics are! How could anyone who vapes resist those beautiful mechs! What I take away from this is its just what you want whether it's 3000 bucks or 40 bucks. And apparently quality varies from different makers despite the price.
My perfect example of vape what works best for you is the calvert clone. The switch design is so simple the cloners would have to go out of their way to screw it up.
I have a bunch of authentics I love and still use as the mood strikes but the bulk of my mech tube use is with that $15 calvert clone. It is the smoothest, most pleasant feeling switch I've ever used and hits hard and consistent every time. It also requires the least amount of maintenance of any of my mechs.
I liked it so much I bought 6 more just to keep as backups or for spare parts because I plan to keep using it for as long as I vape. I've never bought more than 3 of anything I've liked when it comes to vape gear.
I have a bunch of authentics I love and still use as the mood strikes but the bulk of my mech tube use is with that $15 calvert clone. It is the smoothest, most pleasant feeling switch I've ever used and hits hard and consistent every time. It also requires the least amount of maintenance of any of my mechs.
I liked it so much I bought 6 more just to keep as backups or for spare parts because I plan to keep using it for as long as I vape. I've never bought more than 3 of anything I've liked when it comes to vape gear.
All of my mods are Super T's or Titanide and no one ever cloned them as far as I know (except the ELA which I know longer own. I understand the clone was a turd.) Very few of the people I've talked to who buy authentics rarely do it for bragging rights. (Seriously, who are these bragging people? I've been vaping 5 years, never met someone who bragged about their mod.) They buy them because they like them and want to pay the guy who went to the trouble and spent the money to design and manufacture their favorite mods and atties rather than a faceless chinese corporation.
I’ve never understood why some genuine mech mods are hundreds of dollars compared to their clone counterparts. It’s a brass or copper tube either way, you could make one yourself with a piece of pipe , am I right? They’re like a flashlight switch, not high tech at all right?I think it kind of depends. Some of the crazy expensive mechs look lovely but often a good clone of something can get the job done as well as (if not more sometimes) than a supremely expensive mod, or so I have heard (and have experienced, the good and the bad) with clones of tanks for example.
I'd say if you start looking into more expensive mech mods to look at reviews carefully, as that becomes a more major purchase but as far as I understand it, a mech doesn't HAVE to be expensive (and may often be LESS expensive than some regulated mods that have DNA chips and other things) to get the job done and done well. So if you decide to climb the price ladder, I'd say pay a lot of attention and do a lot of research, just like any other piece of expensive vaping equipment. It may be superb, or it may simply be overhyped.
I'm glad you are enjoying what you have now, though.
Anna
I think it's brand... Oftentimes just sheer beauty of design... And etc. I got an antique, very lovely mech for my husband for super cheap and it is INCREDIBLY gorgeous. I will probably vape it before he does, but I'm happy to have one.
With that said, yes, I'd probably agree with my limited knowledge of clones/originals, that I often find a perfectly good vape out of a clone, for example. E.g. my Kayfun Prime clone which is fantastic. I don't own an original and doubt I will, though I'm fairly sure the vape itself may be somewhat better. I mean, kabuki clones don't match up to the originals, for me. They just somehow don't. But I can't by every original thing I see that I want, so I try to strategize a bit....
I'd say with a mech, there are probably (just like anything) clones that are better than the original. I do try to buy originals when I can afford it but it is not 100% of the time.
Anna
With that said, yes, I'd probably agree with my limited knowledge of clones/originals, that I often find a perfectly good vape out of a clone, for example. E.g. my Kayfun Prime clone which is fantastic. I don't own an original and doubt I will, though I'm fairly sure the vape itself may be somewhat better. I mean, kabuki clones don't match up to the originals, for me. They just somehow don't. But I can't by every original thing I see that I want, so I try to strategize a bit....
I'd say with a mech, there are probably (just like anything) clones that are better than the original. I do try to buy originals when I can afford it but it is not 100% of the time.
Anna
Apparently you've never held or vaped on an original high end mech. There is usually a huge difference between an original and a clone copycat.
High end original mechanicals are often hand made by private business machinists, with a lot of attention to detail. More time and effort is applied because the machinists have their reputation at stake. The end result is smooth-as-silk threading between individual parts, a more aesthetic finish, a higher quality firing mechanism, a higher quality 510 connector.
In my experience, all of the clones come from Chinese factories whose overall quality of build and attention to detail leave something to be desired. I've seen clones whose threading was rough as sand and sounded like fingernails on a blackboard. I've seen crooked 510 connectors, or made from pot metal instead of stainless steel. I've seen firing buttons that appeared to be off center. They'll still "work" and are far less expensive than the originals, but like the old saying goes, "You get what you pay for".
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If I had it to do all over again…I'd spend the $dope$ I dropped on the batch of test clones…on a second authentic.
You can always sell or trade an authentic. With a clone you're lucky to recover the down payment. And only a neebie will buy your variable box.
Good luck.
Two Main reasons.
One is Workmanship. And the Other is because they can get it.
This was the 1st Mech Mod that I ever bought...
But it Didn't look like ^^^ when it arrived. And it didn't come in a Hardwood Box. It was a Clone from FT. And it came in Thin, White Paper, somewhat Squished Box.
It also Didn't work so great.
So I got out the Dremel and went to work. Smoothed Out the Switch. Cut and Re-Stretched the Spring. Replaced the 510 Contact. Sanded and Shimmed the 510 Connection to removed RDA Gap. Wet Sanded the Rough Laser Etched Ship. Then spent about 2 Hours on a Buffer making it Gleam.
So when I was done, It Did Look like and work like I'm sure the OEM's version. But I also put lot of my Time and some Money into it.
I'm Not going to Defend what some Mod Makers charge for their Mechs. Because I think some of the Prices are Off the Map. But the Time and Effort to do Fishing and Fine Tuning does cost Money.
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BTW - Here is a Mech I bought that Basically worked Great right out of the Box. It also can Highly Polished. And needed Very Little Cosmetic Detailing.
$24.48 Windrose Style Mechanical Mod (Full Set) - stainless steel at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping
So sometimes a Mech Clone can be a Great Buy.
$24.48 Windrose Style Mechanical Mod (Full Set) - stainless steel at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping
So sometimes a Mech Clone can be a Great Buy.
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