Low Resistance 306 Atomizers - Joye, Ikenvape, Cisco

[NoizMaker]

Hey again everyone,

I decided to write up a couple of reviews in one night, this one about hardware. A while back Switched suggested a swap and I started this thread to basically compare our opinions of the vape qualities.

I have shipped off Switched's Cisco today so it will be a little while before it arrives via snail mail but I figured what the heck let's get this thing going! This will be a bit of a novel, but I feel the depth can help some people in making a choice for what's right for them.


The LR 306


Joye - I heard a while back that Grimm Green was using a 306 and it was Joye as far as I knew. When I placed my NFN juice order I decided to pick up a couple of these to give them a shot since VST seemed to like them as well.

The vapor is not really noticeable on the inhale, and the throat hit just really isn't there for me. That being said they seem much harder to dry burn by accident than the 510's from Joye. I won't be buying any more and I am giving both of the ones I purchased to my friend. I had tried the Ciscos first mind you...


Ikenvape - Switched was gracious enough to send me this atomizer before I had re-upped my Cisco's, as I test all my atomizers as soon as I get them and run them in a rotation. I find using this method prevents my atomizers from dying. ( I've never truly killed an atomizer. every last one that I have bought still works, though 2 or 3 eventually gave a sad puff of vapor so I gutted them for modding purposes )

After removing the wick and priming with the exact method that Switched suggested, activating twice for 1 second then filling with 2 drops and vaping, I noticed that the vapor was noticeable on the draw into my mouth. Not as much as the Cisco, but it is there. The flavor is a bit nicer than a Cisco, Ciscos do lose a tad of the flavor. On the inhale I noticed a very pleasant throat hit, which I was expecting after reading Switched's reviews.


Cisco - When I first heard about the Cisco line of atomizers coming out I knew I had to give it a try. I was honestly sick of standard Joye LR 510's because the coils suck and would give a weak vapor after a single accidental dry burn. I have tried dry burns in the past on many atomizers and can never understand why people do it with anything but the CE2's. To me it just kills your atty. I've only tried it once on every type of atomizer that I have come across and I find that it ruins the TH completely. Anyway...

Jack was quick to stock Cisco 306's and I immediately bought 2 because the hype had reached it's pinnacle in the US. I received them as fast as ever ( you know, because Jack rocks ) and plugged my first one on my eGo, primed with 7 drops, let it sit for a couple seconds, dripped 2 more and vaped on it.

I was amazed by the experience! The warm vapor was actually fairly hot on my lips and the flavor was popping unlike anything I had ever tried. As I inhaled I was really shocked because the throat hit was massive. I don't know about you folks but I vape 24 mg. I tried cutting back but ended up increasing from 18 mg in the end.

Now risking making this review too long, I will mention the variations I noticed with other Cisco 306's that I have received.

I e-mailed Jack after vaping the second 306 I bought an hour in to a sick dratty flavor coming from it. I couldn't seem to get any juice in there, even if I flooded the atomizer. It was sick acrid grossness and Jack offered to replace the atty if I sent it back. Luckily, I found a Kalojado video where he removed the wick and I considered taking it out. It was then I noticed that not only was the bridge covering one open side of the atty, but the wick was wadded in fairly tightly.

Factory build consistency is always an issue with small things I find when it comes to e-cigs. So I pulled out the wick and cleaned up the one side of the bridge that was covered and it vaped like a champ exactly as the other did.


My Conclusion -


The IKV 306 is still a winner, I like it but it's just not as close to a 6v vaping experience in comparison to the Cisco imho. The Cisco 306 is nice because I can really feel the vapor through the whole experience, it has decent flavor and I am left with a very awesome "after vaping" experience that I also feel with the Cisco LR 510 I just received.

My only gripe with 306 atties is that they leak like crazy for me. I always have kleenex nearby.

BTW, Joyes are for anyone who doesn't want much of a TH even at 24 mg.

Hope this wasn't too long but this is pretty much my experience with 306 atties.


Vape hard guys

 

[VAPOINSANO]

well,
noiz all "reviews" are subjective!

i always look forward to reading the right ones !

thanks for another good read....

 

[NoizMaker]

well,
noiz all "reviews" are subjective!

i always look forward to reading the right ones !

thanks for another good read....

Thank you, and yep that they are Vapo. I might have enjoyed those joyes more if I had tied them first and I know I certainly do enjoy the Ikenvape 306's. I will be buying some in fact

 

[IOU]

Great review. I have actually struggled with the idea of going with the 306's especially after watching Kalojado's review of them. I do drip when all else fails, but I like plugging and getting a good 25 plus vapes without messing around.
After reading this I will have to go ahead and give em a shot.
Thanks for the great reviews.

 

[Switched]

Good review Noiz! I was apprehensive trying out the 306s until I was sent one out to try, as the reviews were mixed and much hype was surrounding their launch. Yup! same experience here 306s leak like sieves and even worse if you de-bridge them.

Something I have found useful is to include the Ohm readings in my reviews. IKV LRs come in @ 2Ohms vice the 1.5Ohms for the Cisco (I believe) so yes they will run hotter, 7 vice 9 watts. I am looking forward in getting the Cisco in for comparative review. Regardless of the outcome, both these attys are being manufactured to strict guidelines and QA, which in turn means a greater consistency between batches for the vaper.

In closing, LRs come close to mimicking 5V and that is good for folks that wish to remain with their 3.7V setups, but it was never meant to mimick 6V. That being said as we both know 5 and 6V are 5 and 6V and unless you tune the device to the atty, an LR will not get you there. e.g. running a 4Ohm atty at 6V = 9 watts most run 3s to 3.2s at 6V = 12-11 watts

 

[DemonCleaner]

Thanks I've been wanting to try the cisco 510s. I haven't tried the cisco 306, just the joye, or "happy" 306 and I liked it but found it leaked something awful. Was pretty stokedvto see the 510 version on the CSF.

 

[lickwid]

Noiz, thanks for the review, I've got a few Joye lr 360s on the way, so this is good to know.

Are you running them all off an ego? or true 3.7? or what?

 

[VapourGuy]

I personally just got a couple Joye 306 lr and besides the leaking issues I'm really liking them a lot more then the joy510 lr attys for dripping. I'm haven't tried any of the cisco attys and probably won't as I'm planning to get the rebuildable one from nhaler soon and I already have tons of 510 and 306 attys.

 

[NoizMaker]

Noiz, thanks for the review, I've got a few Joye lr 360s on the way, so this is good to know.

Are you running them all off an ego? or true 3.7? or what?

Hey Lickwid, I am running these on 3 devices regularly, least often is my last surviving eGo battery, my Omega with an 18650 and my home made Cone-Style box mods with an 18650 as well.

I find myself using home-made devices more and more often.

 

[lickwid]

Hey Lickwid, I am running these on 3 devices regularly, least often is my last surviving eGo battery, my Omega with an 18650 and my home made Cone-Style box mods with an 18650 as well.

I find myself using home-made devices more and more often.

Rock on, thanks

 

[NoizMaker]

Good review Noiz! I was apprehensive trying out the 306s until I was sent one out to try, as the reviews were mixed and much hype was surrounding their launch. Yup! same experience here 306s leak like sieves and even worse if you de-bridge them.

Something I have found useful is to include the Ohm readings in my reviews. IKV LRs come in @ 2Ohms vice the 1.5Ohms for the Cisco (I believe) so yes they will run hotter, 7 vice 9 watts. I am looking forward in getting the Cisco in for comparative review. Regardless of the outcome, both these attys are being manufactured to strict guidelines and QA, which in turn means a greater consistency between batches for the vaper.

In closing, LRs come close to mimicking 5V and that is good for folks that wish to remain with their 3.7V setups, but it was never meant to mimick 6V. That being said as we both know 5 and 6V are 5 and 6V and unless you tune the device to the atty, an LR will not get you there. e.g. running a 4Ohm atty at 6V = 9 watts most run 3s to 3.2s at 6V = 12-11 watts

Thanks Switched! I can hardly wait to hear your opinions on them as well.

Totally agreed about the LR vs Standard Res on the different voltages but I do find the Ciscos come so close it is not even funny. The resulting wattage on a cisco will normally be in the 8-9.1 watts range compared to the 11-12 watts on a 6V set up but somehow I feel it is even closer than that.

BasilRay had mentioned in a video before that his ciscos came out at 1.4 ohms even though it was labeled 1.5 ohm, so that might be a factor since that can push it up closer to 10 watts in the end.

 

[Switched]

As you know I will be objective as can be, because at the end of the day. That is what it's all about.

 

[Liv2Ski]

BasilRay had mentioned in a video before that his ciscos came out at 1.4 ohms even though it was labeled 1.5 ohm, so that might be a factor since that can push it up closer to 10 watts in the end.

This is true. I have 35 Cisco LR 306's on hand (yes I like them that much) and a few do come through at around 1.4. I mark those bad boys and make sure they stay on the true 3.7 devices. Funny what .1 ohm will do!!! You have provided a nice review on the various atty's. Also I have picked up some Cisco 2.0 ohm 306's for my VV's and these are producing awesome vapor and TH too.

 

[Nuck]

The Cisco 2.0 ohm (both 501 and 306) are excellent for power regulated devices. The 2.0 ohms allows more flexibility in the range due to the decreased current draw.

After some heavy testing all my new atties will be the 2.0 ohm.

 

[NoizMaker]

The Cisco 2.0 ohm (both 501 and 306) are excellent for power regulated devices. The 2.0 ohms allows more flexibility in the range due to the decreased current draw.

After some heavy testing all my new atties will be the 2.0 ohm.

Very cool, I will keep that in mind when I inevitably get a regulated device. Thanks for the feedback Nuck.

 

[Switched]

I received my Cisco 306 from Noizemaker part of our exchange yesterday. As promised here is my comparative review of them:

• From the packet it can be observed that the cart on the Cisco is shorter than the IKV (28.3mm - 33mm), black vs filter colour;
• the Cisco metered in at 1.6Ohm whilst the IKV 2Ohm; and
• the bridge on the Cisco is 1mm lower than the IKV. Material wise they appear to be the same (meshing).

The weapon of choice for this review was my P18 with a fully charged AW 18650. The ammunition, Strawberry Cream 100% VG @ 18mg (DIY):

• unloaded voltage was metered at 4.18V;
• loaded voltage resulted in 3.6V for the Cisco and 3.7-3.8 for the IKV, producing 8.1 and 6.8W respectively;
• OOB experience flavour Cisco -1 IKV +1;
• VP equal; and
• TH Cisco +1, IKV -1.

As the eGo is my PV of choice for many reasons I decided to give them a go on my VV eGo utilising (PWM) at 4.2V:

• loaded voltages 3.6 for the Cisco and 3.8 for the IKV. Producing 8.1 and 7.22W respectively;
• the flavour further decreased on the Cisco while remaining relatively the same on the IKV;
• VP pretty much the same with a slight edge to the IKV (see closing arguments); and
• TH Cisco +1, IKV -1

That is the technical data of the review. There are a few things that need to be noted, wrt to both attys. The IKV is vaping as a seasoned atty whilst the Cisco is still breaking in (about 2 hrs in).

I use a modified Ce2 atomiser shell as a drip tip which puts the atty the same distance as we would find in a 510, when using a std DT. Why? Too much heat otherwise. This is also why there are longer DTs out there, beside allowing one to vape with cone on the eGo.

The juice I chose is a well rounded delicate flavour. To me it taste like Strawberry Shortcake. The Cisco failed to deliver the crispness of its bouquet. OTOH TH was evident throughout and expected given the resistance of each atty. IMO both have merits and are good atomisers.

Both attys were dewicked for this experiment, something I do with 306s only. The wick does not serve a useful purpose in dripping and since the bridge is exposed, why not remove it. De-wicking goes to the IKV for ease (an extra mm), not that the Cisco was difficult, dewicking the IKV was easier.

In closing, who is the winner. There isn't one, because they both perform really well. If I was to choose a winner it would have to be the IKV a 2Ohm. I cannot go into details wrt the resistance of the IKV line, they are different. They may be higher than most wrt what we are accustomed to, but that is just a number. There is allot more going on under the hood than meets the eye.

So for flavour and a much more rounder vape, I have to side with IKV. OTOH if you are strictly after heat and TH, then the Cisco will get you there. At 4.2V regulated (simulated fresh 3.7 batt) a certain harshness starts to develop in the TH dept, but otherwise not apparent.

As we move further away from the side effects manifested on the body from smoking, heat becomes second fiddle to flavour. The sweet spot in vaping is said to be between 6-12W, I prefer floating around the 7-8W range myself. Whether I am vaping at LV, MV or HV.

I will update this thread wrt longevity as time goes by. That is the litmus test AFAIC.

I do not debridge although that is seen all over the place. That metal mesh is a wick providing the atomiser with the proper amount of liquid to be vaporized by the coil, ensuring it is vaporising at max efficiency. Some folks like Noizemaker have developed/finely tune their dripping system to provide an efficient vape. He is far and few between AFAIC, most either vape too dry or flood when bridgeless. It is reported all the time. IMHO if you are leaking you are either dripping too much, or not vaping enough. It is also my experience that the longevity of bridgeless attys is diminished as well. I hope this was useful

Edit: Ooops, I forgot! Both attys were originally primed in the same way. 7 drops, fire the button twice (1 sec) add to more drops and vape away, replenishing with 2 drops when required.

 

[NoizMaker]

I do not debridge although that is seen all over the place. That metal mesh is a wick providing the atomiser with the proper amount of liquid to be vaporized by the coil, ensuring it is vaporising at max efficiency. Some folks like Noizemaker have developed/finely tune their dripping system to provide an efficient vape. He is far and few between AFAIC, most either vape too dry or flood when bridgeless. It is reported all the time. IMHO if you are leaking you are either dripping too much, or not vaping enough. It is also my experience that the longevity of bridgeless attys is diminished as well. I hope this was useful

Edit: Ooops, I forgot! Both attys were originally primed in the same way. 7 drops, fire the button twice (1 sec) add to more drops and vape away, replenishing with 2 drops when required.

Very awesome review Switched! I am glad we did the exchange as it was very interesting to get your opinion on the Ciscos and to try IKV's for myself.

I am a huge TH fan and the warm vapor is another thing I love about the Ciscos! The flavor is diminished a little for me as well, but I was willing to take that for the rest of the positives (for me anyway).

I was fully expecting a "winner" when we first arranged this but to be honest they are pretty much on par with each other. They don't perform the same, but they both work just as well in their own way.

Glad to know I was unknowingly right when I stated before in other threads that these atomizers were of equal build quality though.

The leaking has to be a user issue in my case and it doesn't happen while the device is in use, so I will just have to revise my 306 methods a little as I move off to VG.

TY again Switched!

 

[Switched]

I'm glad we did the trade as well. For me, it takes a while before I jump on someone's band wagon. The hype usually fades at 1-2 month down the road. During that time frame this is where folks can be judicious wrt research and extrapolation of information provided.

Absolutely there is no real winner here, just a slightly different performance in both flavour and TH. It is indeed amazing 2 individual can actually come up with similar reviews of the same equipment.

To be perfectly honest, I was not a fan of LRs and I am still not today. Yet I do vape MV and HV, go figure.