Ah, the age old mod question. Believe me when I first started all the vaping jargon threw me for a loop. So let me try and see if I can help answer your question.
When it comes to mods, be it mech, box, tube, crazy straw, or some other wild configuration, you are really, IMO, grouping them into two major groups: Regulated and Unregulated.
Unregulated, which is what most people are referring to as mech mods, is simply a battery hooked up to a atty with a switch. When you flip the switch power flows form the battery to the coils and bam you have vapor. There is no regulation of volts or watts. There is no protection (save whatever protection may be built into the battery you are using). And this is where you really need to be familiar with Ohm's Law and battery safety. In these type of mods you need to build your coil to specific resistance in order to achieve the type of vape you want. Lower resistance = higher volts/watts/amps and a more powerful vape. So with these if you want a cooler vape build higher resistance, a hotter vape build lower (within safety).
Regulated, this, while I see most often referring to box-style mods also includes most VV/VW devices like your vision spinners, evods, or what I call pen batteries or tube mods with displays. These type of mods have chips in them that regulate the amount of power coming from the battery. This not only provides greater safety to the user but gives you greater control. For example you can build (or use pre-built attys) generally what ever you like and then adjust the power to the atty to generate the vape you want. For example I'm currently using a dual micro build at 1.0 ohms. On an unregulated devices that would be about 3.7 amps, 3.7 volts, and 13.69 watts. Not at all the type of vape I'm looking for. But on my regulated mod I'm pushing the watts up to 35 which then gives me 5.91 volts, 5.91 amps. Much better IMO.
With that distinction now we can address you question a bit better. The term "box mod" can refer to either regulated or unregulated devices. More often than not when people are talking about box mods they are talking about regulated devices like a DNA or an IPV. These have displays (or dials) on them to adjust either the watts or the volts to custom tailor the vape you want.
When you see something like DNA20, DNA30, IPV2 50-watt what does that mean? Those are referring to the maximum output of the device. So a DNA20 can push out 20 watts regulated while a DNA30 can do 30 whereas the IPV2 50 can do 50 watts.
That all being said I love my IPV2 50-watt and IMO for the price point and features it is THE regulated box mod to get (~90 -100). It will give you great flexibility to build whatever you want (down to .2 and up to 3) and get the right vape (clouds or flavor or both). Although if you wait a few weeks the IPV3 and IPV2s will be out and they will not only be higher watts but improve on a few issues with the IPV2.
If $100 bucks is within your range do the IPV2, if you can do 120 do the IPV2s, and if you can do 130-150 do the IPV3.
Note: with any of these devices you want the safest battery you can get. I highly recommend (if you can find them) Sony VTC4 or VTC5. Although (depending on the mod) you can go down to a 20amp continuous or 25 amp continuous and be safe just be sure to check your builds using Ohms Law to be sure you are not drawing too many amps.
Feel free to shoot me any further questions you have.
Vape On!
