My opinions on e-cigs for the hardcore ex-cigarette smoker.

[super_X_drifter]

Perhaps I can save you a little trial and error (and money?)...

Me, a 46 year old ex-marlboro lights (gold) smoker, 35 years averaging 1-2 packs a day.
My desire: quit smoking for health related reasons - nothing serious yet, but a good scare made me quit and switch to e-cigs.

What I'm into: Aside from being a full time dad, I enjoy hiking, shooting, pool, beach, riding dirtbikes, cruising in my golfcart, going to stores/ malls, airsoft and similar outdoor activities with my kids. This, IMO is important because if you are into similar outdoor stuff and are accustomed to smoking during, what I have learned may be able to help you...

How I vape: The same way I used to smoke, outside, in my car (windows down), in my golf car, in the woods...- never inside, never in front of my computer (even though i sit in front of it all day).

My first e-cig: V2 starter kit with red 1.8 flavored prefilled cartomizers.
My next e-cig: Volcano inferno with tube tank.

Here are my opinions on each:

I purchased the V2 set up because it seemed to be the highest recommended on the net. I like it for the following reasons:
It was similar to size of a real cig. I like the manual batteries - not the auto. The prefilled cartomizers were easy to use, but IMO flavor was inconsistent from one cartomizer to the next. The flavor ranged from ok to perfumy. The cartomizers run out of flavor pretty quickly too IMO, same with batteries, they don't hold a charge as long as I liked.

I purchased the Volcano Inferno, because battery life is great (compared with the V2), tube tank seemed like something i needed and i kind of got sucked into buying something more "advanced" by all my reading on the net. The downside is that the tube tank set up is pretty flimsy because it is held together with orings/friction. You definitely aren't putting this beast into your pocket because not only will it probably not fit, but the tank system and drip tip (which I also am not a big fan of those) will likely come apart. I would also like it alot better if the cartomizer was longer and you dragged off the end of it, rather than off a drip tip.

Here is what I realize I needed in an e-cig:

1. A long battery life system like the Volcano Inferno or a similar that uses a 510 connection. i will use this only at home, and in the car beacuse you can't pocket it. I have ordered some MAGMA clearomizers in reg and XL to see if I like them better than the tank. I would prefer to drag off the end of the cartomizer and 86 the drip tip. depending on how that goes, I may get a mini vivi nova, because it looks like it screws together, but that would make me have to use a drip tip....we'll see.

2. A compact, pocket freindly, (and stealth - like for the church parking lot) system like the V2, for everything but riding in the car and around the house. I purchased 2 more batteries (XL manual) from V2. I also started to refil their prefilled cartos (wish I had saved all the ones I originally threw away). It is easy, just get a push pin, remove the white plastic stopper and silicone oring, drip in your favorite juice (down the sides, not in the center tube of course) and replace the top. I put a little dot on each one with a sharpy every time I refill. So far only once. They work great so far.

***I make my own (DIY) very simple liquid (juice) to fill up what ever i use and it is the closest thing to smoking a cigarette i know of.

I hope this helps someone!

 

[DirtyPaws]

When refilling your old cartridges, do you try to match the same PG/VG mixture in the old cartridge? Also, do you try to match flavors or do you feel when one of the old carts is empty that the flavor wont "leak" into the new juice your filling with?

 

[Caridwen]

That's good- you've narrowed down what you like and what you're looking for. Makes it much easier.

How much are you looking to spend? Obviously as little as possible but what is your max?

After I vaped for awhile I knew what I was looking for as well so it was a no-brainer for me. I wanted smallish, no messing with filling and durable because I'm clumsy. For me, that was a bottom feeder. Your requirements are slightly different.

I have a feeling I know what will be recommended so I'll defer to the experts.

 

[super_X_drifter]

Dirtypaws: not a problem with flavor if the carto was dry (used up but not burnt). Especially since the V2 flavor wasn't too bad anyway. I don't think the PG / VG vs the existing mattered either. I suggest starting with old cartos in flavored you could tolerate.

Caridwen: Of course I want to know. Please share! My budget is whatever I need to spend to find the perfect e-cig. Money is not so much the driving factor as is convenience and practicality. Thank you.

 

[Doogmar]

Nice post. My 2nd unit was a V2 and I enjoyed it, especially with a usb passthrough. Manual batteries are the best between the 2 options, my big issue was the battery life. It felt like I was switching out batteries every 2-3 hrs if I was doing heavy vaping. Also I couldn't stand the cartos I got from V2. Since I had 3 packs of them, I took them all out and boiled the old flavors out of them, dried them for a day, and then refilled them with juice I had bought.

Dirtypaws: If you refill a carto and taste both flavors, you can boil them out. I did that and then used a big syringe (w/out the needle) and flushed it out with water to make sure I got everything out. Then dried it by an open window overnight.

 

[Vapoor eyes er]

Best stealth vape= Manual 400 mah Mini eGo
Weight:28g
Size:length 60mm(2.36in)/diameter 14mm(0.55in)
Capacity:400mAh
Voltage:3.7v
Threading:510/eGo
About $13.00
or...
my trusty Megalodon broken down to 2 1/2" with a 1300 mah batt.

 

[DirtyPaws]

Dirtypaws: not a problem with flavor if the carto was dry (used up but not burnt). Especially since the V2 flavor wasn't too bad anyway. I don't think the PG / VG vs the existing mattered either. I suggest starting with old cartos in flavored you could tolerate.

Yeah, I actually kind of liked the menthol from V2 - I purchased their ultimate starter kit and completely kicked analogs - so I'm thinking about using those old menthol ones to refill. If I had a bit of flavor leakage, I think I'd be okay with it since some flavorings pair nicely with a menthol hint.

I was really worried about the PG/VG mixtures. Glad to hear now it doesn't matter as much as I thought. Now I need to start buying my own juices so they can start steeping

Dirtypaws: If you refill a carto and taste both flavors, you can boil them out. I did that and then used a big syringe (w/out the needle) and flushed it out with water to make sure I got everything out. Then dried it by an open window overnight.

That doesn't sound too difficult. I just hope I didn't burn my carto's I vaped them pretty dang dry - I imagine some of them are burnt, but, I'll have to give it a shot.

That said, totally agree with them losing flavor very quickly.

I had two of my V2 batts die, but, a call to V2 and they're mailing me replacements as well as paying for the shipping which I wasn't expecting they'd do. I'm kind of disappointed for recommending them so much to my co-workers as a result.

I imagine I'll always keep my V2's around for their look alike features, but, I'm looking into a provari now so I'm excited about getting my own juices starting to steep while I finally pull the trigger on that beast.

 

[Caridwen]

I imagine I'll always keep my V2's around for their look alike features, but, I'm looking into a provari now so I'm excited about getting my own juices starting to steep while I finally pull the trigger on that beast.

Certainly very popular and lots of happy customers. If you read the classifieds, excellent resale so that usually means something. I can't comment because I don't own one. Might be the last pv you buy for a long time. Seems to be checking all of your boxes except for maybe stealth. For stealth vaping, you can pick up a reo mini in the classifieds sometimes at a good price. I love mine.

 

[Doogmar]

I imagine I'll always keep my V2's around for their look alike features, but, I'm looking into a provari now so I'm excited about getting my own juices starting to steep while I finally pull the trigger on that beast.

Just as an fyi if you go with a Provri (or anything with a 510 connection) make sure you get a 501-901/808 adapter like this one: 510-901 adapter This lets use use your V2 cartos on them. They work great (I'm using a V2 carto right now.) Other places sell them also, and probably cheaper...I just got one with my Provari order.

 

[fourthrok]

For long life battery that will work with 510 or eGo threading...carto, tank, whatever I really like the eGo T Mod. Link is for a really nice priced kit. The control head (power button unit) tube and of course the battery are all replaceable. Joyetech eGo-T Mod 18650 2200mAh Device - MyFreedomSmokes.com

That's the best bet for really long life. You can also have a bit of range with voltage with it, but it's not a true variable voltage device like the Twist or the Spinner or the kGo VV.

For stealth...hands down I'd suggest the 3.7 Gripper from Madvapes. Get the extension tube thingy too for the maximum in versatility. This is the BEST stealth thing out there IMHO....perfect for church parking lots, hospitals, work, shopping, movies...you name it. Gripper The extension is on the site too...don't forget it! This thing vapes awesome! Well..both of the suggested ones do. I like the VV Twist et al...they are fine. But use the eGo T Mod and the Gripper the most.

 

[filter]

I just hope I didn't burn my carto's I vaped them pretty dang dry - I imagine some of them are burnt, but, I'll have to give it a shot.

unlikely, you can probably refill em another 5 times at least.

 

[DirtyPaws]

Just as an fyi if you go with a Provri (or anything with a 510 connection) make sure you get a 501-901/808 adapter like this one: 510-901 adapter This lets use use your V2 cartos on them. They work great (I'm using a V2 carto right now.) Other places sell them also, and probably cheaper...I just got one with my Provari order.

That's a really good tip. Unfortunately, it absolutely destroyed one of the last reasons I had for not pulling the trigger. I kept telling myself - I need a tank. Of course, I could only get the Pro-V or the Prive

Seems to be checking all of your boxes except for maybe stealth. For stealth vaping, you can pick up a reo mini in the classifieds sometimes at a good price. I love mine.

I am thinking about getting one of the box mods to use at work. I'm worried the tanks and the Provari will get mistaken for drug paraphernalia. Especially, with the drip tips I've seen. I like that the mini-REO 2.0 uses the 18490, so the batteries between that and either model of a Provari will be interchangeable. I haven't looked into these box mods yet much. Do you still need the whole cartomizer/atomizer combination or what's required for those? It kind of looks like the bottles are inside of the mod, is that correct?

 

[Chris474]

Perhaps I can save you a little trial and error (and money?)...

Me, a 46 year old ex-marlboro lights (gold) smoker, 35 years averaging 1-2 packs a day.
My desire: quit smoking for health related reasons - nothing serious yet, but a good scare made me quit and switch to e-cigs.

What I'm into: Aside from being a full time dad, I enjoy hiking, shooting, pool, beach, riding dirtbikes, cruising in my golfcart, going to stores/ malls, airsoft and similar outdoor activities with my kids. This, IMO is important because if you are into similar outdoor stuff and are accustomed to smoking during, what I have learned may be able to help you...

How I vape: The same way I used to smoke, outside, in my car (windows down), in my golf car, in the woods...- never inside, never in front of my computer (even though i sit in front of it all day).

My first e-cig: V2 starter kit with red 1.8 flavored prefilled cartomizers.
My next e-cig: Volcano inferno with tube tank.

Here are my opinions on each:

I purchased the V2 set up because it seemed to be the highest recommended on the net. I like it for the following reasons:
It was similar to size of a real cig. I like the manual batteries - not the auto. The prefilled cartomizers were easy to use, but IMO flavor was inconsistent from one cartomizer to the next. The flavor ranged from ok to perfumy. The cartomizers run out of flavor pretty quickly too IMO, same with batteries, they don't hold a charge as long as I liked.

I purchased the Volcano Inferno, because battery life is great (compared with the V2), tube tank seemed like something i needed and i kind of got sucked into buying something more "advanced" by all my reading on the net. The downside is that the tube tank set up is pretty flimsy because it is held together with orings/friction. You definitely aren't putting this beast into your pocket because not only will it probably not fit, but the tank system and drip tip (which I also am not a big fan of those) will likely come apart. I would also like it alot better if the cartomizer was longer and you dragged off the end of it, rather than off a drip tip.

Here is what I realize I needed in an e-cig:

1. A long battery life system like the Volcano Inferno or a similar that uses a 510 connection. i will use this only at home, and in the car beacuse you can't pocket it. I have ordered some MAGMA clearomizers in reg and XL to see if I like them better than the tank. I would prefer to drag off the end of the cartomizer and 86 the drip tip. depending on how that goes, I may get a mini vivi nova, because it looks like it screws together, but that would make me have to use a drip tip....we'll see.

2. A compact, pocket freindly, (and stealth - like for the church parking lot) system like the V2, for everything but riding in the car and around the house. I purchased 2 more batteries (XL manual) from V2. I also started to refil their prefilled cartos (wish I had saved all the ones I originally threw away). It is easy, just get a push pin, remove the white plastic stopper and silicone oring, drip in your favorite juice (down the sides, not in the center tube of course) and replace the top. I put a little dot on each one with a sharpy every time I refill. So far only once. They work great so far.

***I make my own (DIY) very simple liquid (juice) to fill up what ever i use and it is the closest thing to smoking a cigarette i know of.

I hope this helps someone!

Long battery life (1000mah), stealth (looking like a pen), pocket friendly (try a cap system)...try a Innokin Leo Pro with the tank system. The cap will cover their atomizer + tank, refilling is super easy. Rugged, durable, easy to charge (mini USB), pass through...just a thought.

BTW, High Plains Drifter was one of Clint's worst films...I'll still watch it when it comes on, but really.

 

[DR. Schwartz]

Could not agree more. I have a V2 currently and have just ordered a eGo-C, the V2 just does not do it for me. I plan on keeping it around for the "stealth" vape you are talking about. Although I may try filling blank carts because I am convinced that they are better flavors out there than what V2 sells.

 

[dDubs]

I started with a V2 Cigs kit! I came home from work and it was there, I opened it up and started using it- and haven't touched an analog since. Its been a little over a year, and I still have a carton in my freezer lol. I loved the v2 red cartos, and I even bought a bottle of it when they started selling just the juice. Since then, I've gone way overboard and have like 15 PVs, bottles upon bottles of juice, cartos, attys, tanks, etc.

 

[dDubs]

Your next step should be an eGo, of course that is just my opinion. Battery life is much better, you can '5 click' turn it off when it goes in your pocket, and its 510 threaded. Most cartomizers, atomizers, clearomizers, (substitute any word)omizers, are 510, and if you want/need to use your V2 cartos still, you can use an adapter.

 

[gumchewer]

What about the recipe for the DIY that is the closest to a cigarette you have ever had?
The most stealth thing you can get I think is ha gripper, with the button on top. Takes a bogue XL carto and only the drip tip sticks out of the top. They only cost 20 bucks, but you wouldn't want to vase all day.too short.

 

[gumchewer]

Sry, missed spell check.

 

[Caridwen]

I am thinking about getting one of the box mods to use at work. I'm worried the tanks and the Provari will get mistaken for drug paraphernalia. Especially, with the drip tips I've seen. I like that the mini-REO 2.0 uses the 18490, so the batteries between that and either model of a Provari will be interchangeable. I haven't looked into these box mods yet much. Do you still need the whole cartomizer/atomizer combination or what's required for those? It kind of looks like the bottles are inside of the mod, is that correct?

I use either an atomizer or cartomizer with mine. The bottle is inside. The mini bottle is 3 ml. You give it a squeeze (squonk) and it delivers the juice to your atomizer or cartomizer. Super easy.

 

[zapped]

Get a Provari and Phiniac tank with prepunched cartos....you'll never look back. 8+ hours on an 18650 and one refill on the tank (maybe two) per day for a heavy smoker.