My carts often taste like pesticide!

[Chacharm]

Hi - I am relatively new to vaping - started at the end of Sept 2010 and quit smoking overnight. I actually tried it many years ago and it was terrible and I never came close to quitting. But I happened across this forum and read up on it and tried again with Apollo Extreme. I started smoking when I was 14 - 34 years later, I was at 3 packs a day of Virginia Slim Menthol - and I never, ever thought I'd be able to quit.
I don't miss cigarettes, I don't think about it, I don't crave them. Apollo Extremes worked for me like a charm. I never wanted to try a different brand and I recommend them to anyone curious about them. I give away the "free" disposables Apollo sends me to anyone who wants to try. I don't feel like I actually quit - I just found a brand that works for me and is acceptable to the general public. I vape Menthol flavored High Nic.
I smoke about a cartridge a day - and I generally order 4 packs of cartridges and 4 disposables per order. My problem is that lately I have noticed that many of them taste HORRIBLE - they actually make me sick to my stomach. It is like sucking on a pesticide dispenser. I talked to someone at Apollo about it a while back - and she asked me how many of them. I told her it was about 1 out of 5. She sent me a free pack of cartomizers...and that was nice, but it hardly made up for 1 out of 5 of every cartomizer I have ordered.
I should say here that Apollo has never failed to respond immediately to ANY issue I have had. I really appreciate their excellent customer service and I think if I had said I felt they owed me more she would have given me more.
Here is the thing though. These carts come packaged two different ways. Some have the double rubber tip and some have a single tip with an individual plastic baggy on each cart. I groan when I see the double rubber tip - because they are the offenders. I have never had the pesticide taste with the baggy kind.
I just rec'd my latest order of my 4 packs and 4 disposables. All of them are double rubber tipped. The first one was fine, I was so relieved. The rest were ALL pesticide. I called yesterday to complain about the entire first pack being bad - since then I have discovered that ALL of them are bad. I am sure someone will call me tomorrow and we'll get it straightened out. they're nice people.
But has anyone else had this experience? Do you know what it is? Are they just bad? The girl I spoke to at customer service who sent me the free pack said they're hand filled, so some might not have the right amt of nic or flavorant in them. But why would that make them taste like pesticide?
And if they can't fix it - what are my options?
Honestly - the whole enterprise of filling my own and all that seems like a huge, complicated deal when all I want to do is "smoke". (Besides which, I don't know how to BEGIN to figure out how to order what.)
Too much information, right? Sorry! Hope someone has an answer. Thanks!

 

[Off Topic]

I don't know this vendor. Often prefilled cartos are stale, or worse. Your batteries are 280mah, so you are a bit limited on resistance.

They do sell an apollo to 510 converter. You could get some 3ohm Boge cartos and some good juice, and get an idea of what the rest of us are vaping.

 

[Off Topic]

Look around this site. You may want to look at a complete gear upgrade. How long are your batteries lasting between charges?

 

[washvap]

WELCOME TO THE ECF

I've never heard of that vendor neither but, you might be a victim of the numerous crappy kits out there. I would like for you to check out these links I'm about to give you:

Riva 510

Electronic Cigarette - Starter Kits - Riva 510

Either Boge LR or resurrector cartomizers

Crystal Clear Vaping

*free shipping and gifts

Most pre-filled cartomizers or cartridges are filled with e-liquid that is sub-par. It's much cheaper to fill them yourself with e-liquid from quality vendors. For example:

Welcome to Vermillion River Premium E-Juice
Virgin Vapor | Electronic Cigarette Organic e-Liquid | Electronic Cigarettes

 

[GhosT81]

If you're having so many problems with Apollo gear I'd really look into somthing different. If you are vapibg prefilled cartos I'd really consider getting blanks and filling yourself. It'll probably be cheaper in the long run anyways.

 

[Off Topic]

That's a very good start. Don't feel bad Chacharm. The e cig you have is always better than the one you don't. It got you off the stinky deathsticks, so I don't think you wasted your money. I'm just looking at what you have, and I don't want to see you throw a bunch of good money at trying to make what you have do what my system does...because it can't.

 

[Chacharm]

I usually switch my battery out twice a day. Come to think of it, I generally smoke 1 and 1/2 cartos a day. I bought several batteries, and the pcc. I generally switch the battery any time the carto isn't pulling efficiently. I also use the pass through.
After I posted this, I started reading up and trying to get some info on tanks. I see the ads for them and don't know what the heck they are..but am starting to think they are just what I need. The question is whether this old dog can learn a new trick, I think.

 

[Chacharm]

That's a very good start. Don't feel bad Chacharm. The e cig you have is always better than the one you don't. It got you off the stinky deathsticks, so I don't think you wasted your money. I'm just looking at what you have, and I don't want to see you throw a bunch of good money at trying to make what you have do what my system does...because it can't.

Well, that is just it. Except for the pesticide cartos, I have been happy enough with Apollo. I think they are a very good brand of Ecig...but what the heck do I know? I haven't tried anything else but the Blu or whatever crappy thing Walgreen's has on sale when I run ou tof Apollo.

 

[Off Topic]

Don't worry about tanks just yet. Getting you some good batteries and juice is priority one. The riva setup listed above is perfect for what you need.

The tough part is finding "your" juice. Get lots of small bottles. You won't know up front what you are going to love or hate. Don't limit yourself to tobacco flavors. There is a whole world of flavor out there to explore.

In the short run you will spend a bit of money on juice and your new system. In the long run, this is going to be much cheaper than what you are using right now.

Including everything, cartos/bats/juice, I'm spending less than $2/day and I vape like a research monkey.

 

[Chacharm]

I don't know this vendor. Often prefilled cartos are stale, or worse. Your batteries are 280mah, so you are a bit limited on resistance.

They do sell an apollo to 510 converter. You could get some 3ohm Boge cartos and some good juice, and get an idea of what the rest of us are vaping.

Apollo to 510 converter? This is the tank system?

 

[Off Topic]

I started on the Mystic. Quite vile. Then I found this place.

You won't believe the flavor explosion when you vape your first hit of good juice.

 

[Off Topic]

Apollo to 510 converter? This is the tank system?

No, that will allow you to run these on your apollo batteries

https://crystalclearvaping.3dcartstores.com/Boge-REG-STAINLESS-STEEL_p_60.html

Add juice and you are up and running.

 

[hairball]

I had one of their disposables but that was a year ago. Was actually pretty tasty...chocolate I think it was. Never had their menthols so I can't help you there. A lot of the time, pre-filleds are terrible. If they sell blanks and juice, I suggest filling your own and see if that improves the taste.

 

[Off Topic]

510 refers to the threading. It is the industry standard that most systems have gone to.

 

[Chacharm]

Seriously, a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing. My friend tried to get me to go with the liquid and filling my own a long time ago - but it seemed like too much trouble. She never said it tasted better than a pre-filled, or that I could get a higher level of nic...so I went with the easiest thing. But thanks to y'all and to all the great info on this site I just ordered a tank starter kit.
Thank you all very much for your advice and suggestions!

 

[Off Topic]

I'd check the reviews on any tank system before ordering it. Many of them are not noob friendly.

 

[subliminalurge]

but it seemed like too much trouble.

Like many things, it sounds like much more of a hassle than it actually turns out to be.

I'd say it's on about the same PITA level as making a pot of coffee. I'd rather not have to bother with the filters, grounds, and filling it up with water, but it's certainly not enough of a hassle to make me give up my coffee. And it's also not a big enough hassle to make me pay the huge price per cup for one of those nice, convenient Keurig single cup machines. (Although they do make some damn fine coffee....)

So, yeah, I'd say that filling your own carts is right on that level of hassle. I just spend a few minutes each day filling several cartos at once, and then I'm set until the next day.

 

[swedishfish]

Apollo to 510 converter? This is the tank system?

No, the converter so you can use different cartomizers on your pv and maybe fill them yourself. It's a good suggestion.

I did try the Apollo disposable, in fact it's what got me to even try vaping. But I have no experience with their other pvs or juice and things.

You'll save money with Off Topic's suggestion and might like the taste better.

 

[swedishfish]

It really isn't any trouble at all. After you do it once, you'll practically be an expert. You just drip juice into some filler material and vape away.

I think prefilled cartos are pretty nasty anyway.

 

[Chacharm]

Like many things, it sounds like much more of a hassle than it actually turns out to be.

I'd say it's on about the same PITA level as making a pot of coffee. I'd rather not have to bother with the filters, grounds, and filling it up with water, but it's certainly not enough of a hassle to make me give up my coffee. And it's also not a big enough hassle to make me pay the huge price per cup for one of those nice, convenient Keurig single cup machines. (Although they do make some damn fine coffee....)

So, yeah, I'd say that filling your own carts is right on that level of hassle. I just spend a few minutes each day filling several cartos at once, and then I'm set until the next day.

That made me laugh out loud - I HAVE the Keurig one cup machine and I love it! But I see what you mean - I'd go back to filters and grounds and all that before I went to instant Sanka or something. I did buy the tank system - but I think I will get the converter and some blanks as well and try that too. How did I ever do this without this Forum?!?