Me and my ProSmoke

[mindshatter]

Hello to all. First of all thank you so much to all the people who answer questions and post good information. I have read so many of the posts and threads here and learned so much. I am another one of those people who ordered my ProSmoke before finding this forum, I received mine 1-23-12. So far my experience has been good. I purchased the ProSmoke for the following reasons:

• I really wanted a near cig sized device
• I liked the idea of VG over PG
• I prefer larger amounts of vapor over TH
• I actually don't like the heavy TH very much at all
• I really wanted a nice PCC
• Although I saw mixed reviews in other places, every item I researched had mixed reviews, or leaking problems, or extra work I did not want to do
• I wanted to be able to buy my own e-liquid, but also like the idea of fairly inexpensive pre-filled if I wanted to go that route

So that is all the reasons I picked this unit and here is my review. Everything worked out of the box. The PCC charge indicator is not perfectly straight but I don't care about that. The case and product look nice. The first cart I tried was the Menthol and it had a very machine/oil flavor to it. After reading through a lot of this forum I assume that is just the atty getting broken in, but it was a really big turn off. I switched over to a chocolate flavored cart the same day and it was really nice. Nice flavor, nice amount of vapor, just an overall pleasant experience. I have not gone back to the Menthol cart yet so I am not sure if it is a bad cart or just the atty breaking in that caused that nasty taste. I am on my second chocolate cart and have been impressed with both. So far, I am happy with my purchase.

I am really looking forward to buying my own e-liquid. The peanut butter cup from BlueMist will be the first one on my list to try, sounds amazing. But I am sure I will spend endless time trying different things. That seems like part of the fun of all this anyway. And I think everyone has such unique tastes that something I love may be terrible to someone else.

A little about me that may help explain why I like my ProSmoke while other people hate it so much and review it so poorly. I am the type of smoker who will leave my desk 4 to 5 times a work day to grab a smoke or 2. I never smoke at home or in the car, although now I like to have a quick drag here or there since there is no smell. If I am out playing Disc Golf I will smoke more than usual but average about a half pack a day. I think because I am not a heavy smoker and do not love the big TH is why the ProSmoke is acceptable for me.

Had I found this forum I would have probably gone 510 or eGo, and I still may. The price and overall performance seem to be higher than what I have, but I do like the cigarette like form factor of the ProSmoke and as stated, it has performed well for me. Time will tell and I will try to post here regularly to keep everyone up to date. I think the best thing I can say is that I have not had an analog or regular cigarette since I got this. That was the main point for me, and so far so good.

Hopefully my info/review and ongoing reporting will supply someone some insight into this product and how it has worked for me. Thanks again to all on the forum for the seemingly endless information.

MindShatter

 

[mooreted]

I have never used one but if it keeps you off of the cigarettes then it's a good thing. Checking out their site, the prices aren't outrageous like some sites. I do know - because I own them - that the V4L and Cig2o kits work really well for when I want a small form-factor PV.

Nice review, thanks.

 

[artt]

Welcome! If it's working for you that's great. Also wanted to mention I've been very pleased with my purchases from Bluemist.

 

[mindshatter]

Just a quick update. I had my first troubles with the ProSmoke this morning. Very inconsistent vapor and flavor. I changed to a fully charged battery and new cartridge and the problem continued. I will try to clean the atty today and see if that helps. If not I will contact ProSmoke and see what they say. As stated, if I had read this forum before purchasing the ProSmoke I would have probably gone with a 510. So if I keep having troubles I will probably RMA this guy and get some advice on the best unit for my needs from this forum.

MindShatter

 

[brandontrjn]

I have never used one but if it keeps you off of the cigarettes then it's a good thing. Checking out their site, the prices aren't outrageous like some sites. I do know - because I own them - that the V4L and Cig2o kits work really well for when I want a small form-factor PV.

Nice review, thanks.

I agree, V4L is good and has decent prices and Cig2O is decent (I think it's the same manufacturer as smoketip though, their quality was a little below average) My cousin has a Cig2O and it works ok for her.

For 510 style "slims" I recommend vapeshot.com stuff but they only have a limited selcection of cartos right now so if you do RMA your ProSmoke kit and still want a "slim" stlye it may not work for you.

Your issue with the inconsistency is strange considering you switched batteries and cartos. Make sure there isn't any residue on the battery contacts.

 

[Retriever]

Good luck with getting the problem fixed with your Prosmoke. You may want to check out Smokelessimage too. They have a good kit called the Volt that many people like.

Smokeless Image | Only The Best Electronic Cigarette | Electronic Cigarettes | Wholesale Electronic Cigarettes | E-Cigarette | Best Electronic Cigarette | Electronic Cigarette

 

[mindshatter]

Alright, so I submitted a support ticket at 9:38 AM CST. I will let you all know what I hear back. Here is the support request:

Hello. First of all I would like to commend you on the fast delivery of your product. My order was delivered fast. The design, packaging, and quality of the product seem good, although the LCD on my PCC is slightly crooked. But that is not what I am contacting you about.

After receiving the unit and charging over night I found the performance and taste to be pretty good. But this morning I have noticed that the vapor is very inconsistent as well as the flavor. I have switched batteries and cartridges and am still experiencing the inconsistency. It will hit great once or twice and then I will have nearly no vapor or taste for several hits. I have reviewed your FAQ's and even rinsed the atty in warm water and let dry. Just tried again and still the same issue. I have turned the cartridge and tried all suggestions I have been able to find on your site. Can you please contact me back to help me with my next steps. I really liked the product until the inconsistency started and hope you can help me resolve this issue. Thanks for your time and I look forward to hearing back from you.

I also decided to grab a manual battery and a few spare atty's for an m401 (same as the ProSmoke) from Rocky Mountain as I have read many people prefer the manual batteries and a few blank cartridges as I plan on using my own e-juice. Cheap price ($11.00 for the battery) and free shipping.

Let's see how long it takes them to get back to me.

 

[mindshatter]

Got a response in less than an hour which is great. Unfortunately it is a canned repsonse asking all the things that I already clearly explained I did in the email. I understand why they do this, hopefully next response will be better. There response is in bold below, mine is in italics below that.

Today, 10:33 AM
Thank you for contacting ProSmoke and first, let me apologize for the inconvenience! All products are bench tested before being shipped out and although one could slip through the cracks, let's see if we can get this fixed and working for you! Being that we have less than a 1% defective rate due to testing prior to shipment, getting defective equipment is VERY rare. First, please allow us to include some of our brand new cartridges being released this week at no charge for the inconvenience. On your next purchase, please reference this support ticket in the ORDER NOTES section when checking out, and well include them at no charge!

It sounds like you might just have some residue on the battery terminal that needs to be cleaned. It also sounds like you have tried some troubleshooting steps already, but please allow me to ask some questions and offer some general troubleshooting steps(some are basic but I still need to ask )

If this does not resolve the issue, we can set up an replacement at no cost.

1. Have you replace the blank cartridge the unit is shipped with and installed a new cartridge?

2. Please let us know if both batteries been fully charged (An 8 hour initial charge is required to fully prime both batteries; Subsequent charges only take an hour or so)?

3. Please let us know if blue LED's light when the unit is in use?

4. Can you please check the unit for obstruction in the atomizer? Feel free to rotate the new cartridge after it is placed on the atomizer, this can ensure it is getting good contact and does not have an obstruction. Like any e-cig manufacturer, we do not recommend taking it off until it is fully used since the wick that holds the solution comes with contact of the atomizer and can dislodge if removed to early. So be sure to remove it carefully so you do not ruin the cartridge when removing it from the atomizer.

5. Please ensure the cartridge is properly contacting the atomizer. To do this, you can find a paper-clip and gently place the end into the inhalation hole (The small one) and very gently press and move the internal reservoir forward slightly (1 mm or barely at all). Since our cartridges our such high capacity, some users have inadvertently pressed the cartridge contents back when troubleshooting their unit. Please ensure you do this gently and only slightly forward. Once the contents make contact with the atomizer, you will not have to do this again.

6. If this still has not resolved it, and only then, unassemble the unit completely (unscrew battery and atomizer and remove the cartridge from the atomizer) and run your atomizer under warm water and give it a brisk blow to dislodge any obstruction and let air dry completely (This can take up to 4 hours to dry). Sometimes during cartridge changes, you can unintentionally get some blockage in the atomizer. This typically solves most performance issues.

7. Sometimes, a user can unknowingly cause blockage between the material inside the cartridge and the atomizer. Some users failed to remove the plastic cap or fail to remove the plastic wrapper completely. Please check that nothing is obstructing between the two.

8. Please make sure there is no obstruction on the battery connection that might cause it to not have full contact.

9. Lightly tap the LED end of the battery on a desk to dislodge anything that could be obstructing it the connection.

Please try these and let us know your results Shawn. If needed, we will ship you out a replacement and have you ship the old one back. I look forward to hearing back and once again apologize for the inconvenience. I am guessing this will fix the problem, but rest assured, we are the top performer in the industry so this is not indicative of a properly running ProSmoke.

Thank you again for your purchase Shawn and I look forward to hearing back.

Kristen

Kristen-

Thanks for the quick response.

I understand the requirement to ask about troubleshooting and to make sure I have completed everything I will walk through these steps one more time. First, I have inspected the battery and have not found any residue on either battery. Here are the answers to the remaining questions:

1. The blank cartridge was replaced with a new cartridge and a few additional new cartridges to ensure it was not an issue with the cartridge.

2. Battery 1 was charged over night after receiving and battery 2 was charged for at least 7 hours but I am not 100% sure I hit the exact 8 hours. Problems occur with both batteries.

3. The Blue LED does light when I inhale. If I inhale for more than about 5 seconds it will flash. Again, this occurs with both batteries.

4. I just reinspected the atomizer, tapped it, and made sure to rotate two different cartridges on both batteries and I am still having the same experience.

5. Done, still same issue.

6. This step was completed early this morning and I have verified that there is nothing obstructing the atomizer.

7. There is no plastic or wrapping.

8. Verified that there is no obstruction.

9. Tried again, same result.

It actually appears that it is getting worse. I am getting fewer good hits now than before. This occurs with different cartridges including a brand new I just opened to test. Please let me know next steps. Thanks

Shawn

 

[brandontrjn]

1 issue may be that your batteries have a 5 second cut-off.

It's beginning to sound like the atty isn't working right.

 

[cags]

A little about me that may help explain why I like my ProSmoke while other people hate it so much and review it so poorly.

I still use a joye 510 and I don't use cartos....I use a clear tank cart that isn't popular. if something works for you be happy even if others don't like your set up.

someone wrote: Your issue with the inconsistency is strange considering you switched batteries and cartos. Make sure there isn't any residue on the battery contacts.

just to clarify, OP is not using cartos, he/she is using attys and carts.....

 

[mindshatter]

ProSmoke got back to me again very quickly in response, about 30 minutes after I responded. Their response is in bold below:

Thank you for getting back to us Shawn. Based on your description, it is tough to determine exactly what the cause is. The battery should only blink in two situations; when it needs to be recharged or if you inhale longer than 8 to 10 seconds and the safety mechanism engages. By only a few seconds you should have tons of vapor already. Can you please clarify if the battery is blinking right away or after a very very long inhalation?

We are happy to set up a full exchange at no cost but just want to clarify the issue so we get it right the first time! It is VERY rare we see any defective equipment so I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. Well be happy to include some free cartridges with the replacement as well.

I look forward to hearing back.

Kristen

So it appears that they are willing to do whatever it takes to keep me satisfied. The support to this point has been what I hope for with any company, quick and customer orientated.. I took a little longer to respond to her last response because I wanted to do some extra testing. I think the problem is actually with a group of bad carts. I connected up a chocolate again from a different box and it was all good again. Good, consistent vapor, nice flavor. I responded to let her know that the 3 cherries I tried all worked pretty bad, but the chocolates have been good. We will see what they come back with after my response.

Thanks to those reading and responding. Also, I don't think it is the atty as this other flavor cart works well. I don't have any supplies in yet to test other e-juice but I can't wait for that. I also look forward to testing the M401 manual battery I ordered. I will be placing my BlueMist order shortly. Hopefully I will have more to report soon.

 

[mindshatter]

So I used the ProSmoke quite a bit yesterday and this morning and the problem seems to me to be directly related to the cherry carts I received. ProSmoke support was very good and is sending me out replacements. I am happy again. I will start a new thread to discuss the spare M401 parts I ordered and how they integrate with the ProSmoke.

I find it kind of strange that even though the ProSmoke and the m401 appear to be identical one has gotten much worse reviews on this site. I wonder if that has to do with the E-Juice that is bundled with the ProSmoke, or the fact that it is VG instead of PG.

Anywho, I am a tinkerer so I am going to start with the PTB mod for my cart refills and work from there. How exciting is it to get to play with all this vaping goodness?

I look forward to sharing my experiences here with all of you.

 

[mindshatter]

Quick update on my ProSmoke. More troubles. I have been getting a ton of dry hits lately. I find myself fiddling quite a bit with cartridges that are no longer producing good vapor but still have liquid in them. I will push the filler down and let it reabsorb and then get a few more hits out of it, but this seems like too much work. I don't mind doing something like that form time to time but it feels like it is constant now. I have moved to a second atomizer already, the other one seems to have a funny taste to it, which may be my fault. There is a good chance that I pushed it to far trying to get the remaining liquid out of some of the cartridges. I find that cleaning the battery connectors will help sometimes but I just would like to spend a little less time for a little more reward.

So I think it is time to move up in the e-cig world. I took advantage of the 22% off at smokeless image and got myself a nice Volt kit. So many people recommended this to me starting with Retriever in this thread. I thought about going to a VGO or a KGO but I really wanted to stick to something closer to the cigarette look and feel. And honestly, there are a ton of really solid reviews for the Volt on this forum.

I hope to post a good comparison on the two and maybe that will help give some extra information to other people like me who are really just starting out.

 

[Coil]

I feel for ya. I bought the Pro Smoke too and it was good for one thing... A STEPPING STONE. I admitted defeat and moved on. Sorry to hear your havin all the same probs I did. Good jobon picking up the Volt kit. I hear the're really good for a pen style e-cig. Good luck

 

[mindshatter]

Thanks @coil. Stepping stone indeed. I can't believe how quickly I have moved on but I bought an eGo 650 mAh as well from Vape On in souther Cali. While I can't realistically take that with me to work (that is what the Volt will be for) I am excited to use this eGo when not at work. So far I love it!! I am running a clear smoketech 1.5 ohm dual coil on it and it runs so nice. No more messing with the crappy cartridges. YAY!!

I will say that there is a certain patience needed when filling the cartos but I still far prefer this option. I also know from reading here that the clear smoketech dual coils are prone to crack but I was shown a neat trick by Ray at Vape On. If you use clear packing tape to wrap the plastic part of the carto it will be much more durable.

I think I am going to pass the ProSmoke on to a friend who is planning on moving over to the e-cig world as well. He wants to wait to make his main purchase until we go to Chicago Vapefest in the end of March. He wants to be able to see everything in one place and then make a decision then. I really can't fault that logic. But maybe the ProSmoke will cut some of his stinkies out until then.

Speaking of the ProSmoke and the support ticket I had in they were very helpful and did send out more than they needed to replace the bad Cherry cartridges I got with the unit. That does not help the fact that the product functions poorly way too often and the website makes the most insane claims I have ever heard in the e-cig world. But it is still something.

Anyway, I hope some of what I post here helps someone some day as I have been helped so much by so many on this forum.

Thanks again to everyone who has helped me in getting with the right equipment.

Shawn