My very first mod. Could use some advice.

[HooP OoteD?]

Well, I might as well post what every noobie does. I too was fell prey to the plain ole two piece e cig. Before I realized the vast world of PV's, my brief research lead me to purchase a V2 kit. I guess it served its purpose. I had been smoking for 13 years and since switching to ecigs, I haven't smoked a cigarette since. My last cigarette was nine and a half weeks. At this point, the thought of smoking seems gross to me. I think the time has come to upgrade. I am now in the market for my first mod. I just want something with a stronger throat hit and a longer battery life. I have given it enough time to assure myself that vaping is something I plan on doing for a long time. I am looking for a mod that I can grow with as I learn more and try new things. Probably like most of you, I have been doing my research. This forum and GrimmGreen have been my inspiration to take a step up. Now, I come to all of you seeking advice. I have more or less decided that a tube mod is the direction I would like to take. I know I am skipping a step or two by moving from a basic ecig kit to a tube mod, but I am not a wealthy man and want to spend my money wisely. I am shopping in the $150.00 range. For this price, most people seem to like the SilverBullet, Buzz Pro, Helix, Omega, and Lavatube. I don't know if a VV mod is too much for me to handle, but I have been leaning towards the Buzz Pro. I really appreciate you all taking the time to read this and really look forward to any input you may have. Im glad to be here and be off cigarettes. Thanks again.

 

[Tiesel]

I personally use a Lavatube and it's great. It is arguably as good as a Provari or any other "smart" VV APV and at 1/2 the price. You can easily get a good kit with everything you need and 2 batteries for under $70 shipped. A Provari with a similar kit would cost you over $200. If money is no object then grab a Provari, everyone loves em, the people that hate em are jelly and love them. It may take you a few days to grow into the APV but you will get it fast and there will be no turning back, you wont want to use any non VV device again. Good luck and welcome to ECF!

 

[Hottody]

You can't go wrong with the VVV or the Bolt! I also love my Switchback! With your price range you could order all three of them! Vaporbeast has great prices, free shipping and AWSOME service!

Check them out, they have some cool affordable modes! Ps, I also had a v2 cig, not a bad little unit but I too found myself gravitating towards mods!
http://www.vaporbeast.com/
http://www.vaporbeast.com/gallery_s/1830.htm

 

[JonEfive]

It's pretty much all on what you want in your PV. Are you going to be dripping, using cartos, tanks...? There are so many options. A lava tube is cool and very simple to use for pretty much anything. IMO it's a bit cheap but it works. A buzz pro is a great mod, it's durable and very easy to use. A lot of people go with a Silver Bullet for there first mod, simple with a great battery life. hope this helps... Check out some other mods here Battery Tube e-Cig Mods | e-Cigarette Mods Database

good luck

 

[Warren D. Lockaby]

Welcome to ECF & congratulations on your 9 1/2 weeks! Also I think you're to be commended for your decision to skip a few steps and probably save yourself some money in the long run. So I'm not gonna suggest anything for your upgrade except that you do your homework here. Remember that everything you learn here for free is just one less thing you'll pay to learn in the PV market.

I'm still using my first "upgrade" from the cig-lookalikes - my E-Power 14650 - and while I'm still quite happy with it, I'm also beginning to think about an upgrade. I've been using the E-Power for over 6 months now & am wondering what I could do with other voltages (more, adjustable, power). One of the great things I've been able to do with the PV I have is play around with different resistance attys & cartos, & there's a lot of ground I still haven't explored with it such as tanks, clearomizers, etc. However, it would be a lot better to explore all that stuff with a VV PV than it will be stuck here at 3.7 volts, so while I'm in no hurry an upgrade sure is tempting for me.

That said, if I were upgrading from a cig-sized PV today, knowing what I know now, and could put $150 into it, it would be a VV mod of some kind. But that's just me.

Best of luck, & Happy Vaping!

 

[Strigoi]

If I had to stick with only one mod that I have, it would be my Silver Bullet. It works great at 3.7v with a 1.7-2ohm carto and is tough as nails. It's also hard to beat the battery life of an 18650. Mine has seen over a year of heavy use and I haven't had one issue with it.

The one downside to it is that it is quite heavy. I wear cargo pants 99% of the time and find it annoying having it bumping into my knee when I walk. I don't use a tank if it's going to be kept in my pocket though. I take my 14650 E-Power or a box mod to work with me most of the time.

Load up a fresh battery and tank (if you're into them) and you have something that can last you all day with no fiddling.

 

[HooP OoteD?]

Thank you all for the suggestions. Its a tough decision seeing as there is no way to test them out first. I am completely dependent on user reviews to make the decision. I have a lot more to think about now though. My only personal experience is with cartomizers, but i really like the idea of a tank. And for those of you that have used the Silver Bullet, is 6v an option? I was also wondering if any of you had tried both the Lavatube and the Buzz Pro. I would be really interested to see how they stack up. Final question, is there any real concern about the stacked batteries for the BP, or should I hold on to my money and wait to see if a new single battery BP or BP mini comes out in the near future? Truthfully, I have a million questions. I guess that just comes along with the excitement of buying your first mod.

 

[Vapoor eyes er]

Realize the difference between a Mod like the SB and the Don is that to switch to a higher voltage you have to "switch" the batteries whereas with a VV you merely turn a dial or push a button. Re: stacked batteries are not recommended unless the case is vented. I choose not to stack. Regarding the tank I use one with the 1.7 SmokTech cartos and it's great- fill the tank up twice per day and I'm good to go- cartos lasting 2+ weeks. When buying batteries well worth the investment to buy quality- generic battery performance drops off a cliff once they're 50% discharged. When I use my Trustfires they perform but it's not quality performance to the end of charge whereas when I use my AW IMR batts I notice performance all the way to the end with very little drop in performance.
Happy Vaping.

Thank you all for the suggestions. Its a tough decision seeing as there is no way to test them out first. I am completely dependent on user reviews to make the decision. I have a lot more to think about now though. My only personal experience is with cartomizers, but i really like the idea of a tank. And for those of you that have used the Silver Bullet, is 6v an option? I was also wondering if any of you had tried both the Lavatube and the Buzz Pro. I would be really interested to see how they stack up. Final question, is there any real concern about the stacked batteries for the BP, or should I hold on to my money and wait to see if a new single battery BP or BP mini comes out in the near future? Truthfully, I have a million questions. I guess that just comes along with the excitement of buying your first mod.

 

[Stef64]

In your case I would recommend against going with a 3.7V mod. Mods that allow you to change voltage by changing batteries are nice, but a VV device will give you more options and save you money in the long run. The BuzzPro and the Lavatube are well within your price range and they have been getting pretty good reviews. If you're can up your limit to about $200 you can't go wrong with a Provari.

 

[NeonPriest]

i was literally in the same boat as you yesterday. trying to figure out which new mod to buy before i finally decided on one, with the help of some awesome members here, one of which drove 30 mins to show me his provari and let me use it. the only mod i had before was a GLV which i found ugly and not girly enough for me, but my new provari mini looks perfect and from my limited use of one, works great, although pricey.

 

[Dana A]

Do some homework on battery safety. I just went threw this and ended up with a SS lava tube if I ever get it (Its on preorder) and a carto tank. That will let me try VV and keep my budget safe. I also just ordered a V Mod XL cause they are about to come out with different colored shells for it. The V Mod XL thread has a pic of the shells close to the end of the thread. Good luck with what ever you decide

 

[Hottody]

i was literally in the same boat as you yesterday. trying to figure out which new mod to buy before i finally decided on one, with the help of some awesome members here, one of which drove 30 mins to show me his provari and let me use it. the only mod i had before was a GLV which i found ugly and not girly enough for me, but my new provari mini looks perfect and from my limited use of one, works great, although pricey.

The mini is a great choice! The new smaller size will certainly appeal to many people! Nice choice!

 

[HooP OoteD?]

Well I am now in the lavatube vs. buzz pro decision. The provari sounds great, but is a little too pricey. With the cheaper mods i can afford some of the accessories I've been wanting to try. I really do appreciate every new suggestion. The wheel adjustment does appeal to me as well. I guess I don't really need top of the line, just something dependable and allows for some variety. This isn't a huge deal to me, but I do like the look of the buzz pro better. I mentioned this earlier, but has anyone heard any news on the possibility of a new buzz pro? I guess its like buying a car and I would hate to buy one right before the new model came out. I had an easier time deciding which college to go to than deciding which mod to buy. Thanks again everyone for taking the time to help me out.

 

[Warren D. Lockaby]

Well I am now in the lavatube vs. buzz pro decision. I mentioned this earlier, but has anyone heard any news on the possibility of a new buzz pro? I guess its like buying a car and I would hate to buy one right before the new model came out. I had an easier time deciding which college to go to than deciding which mod to buy. Thanks again everyone for taking the time to help me out.

Interesting comparisons (buying a car, picking a college, choosing a mod)! In every case, a certain percent of each dollar you spend will invariably be devoted to your continuing education. Looking back I realize that has been true with every dollar I ever spent on anything, and I realize that's a good thing. Because most of the stuff I bought with those dollars is gone now, except whatever I was able to learn from it.

My point is, whichever you choose will be a good choice. I daresay if you bought both mods, sooner or later you'd find things you liked better about each of them, and things about each you'd like to change. It's part of that "education" thing, and part of what you pay for. Whichever one you choose, looks to me like it will be a great leap forward so I'd try not to stress too much - just have as much fun with it as you had in college!

Best of luck, & Happy Vaping!

 

[lalasalama8]

the BP is a great choice...I think relying on your taste and sensation for your first VV Mod is a better way to learn about different voltages, different resistances of your cartos or atomizers, sweet spots, ohms law, etc. Later, you can get your Provari and find out what was actually happening!..

for out and about reliable VV that is very pocket friendly, give this little box a look. It was my first VV Mod and I still use it almost every day..

https://smoktek.3dcartstores.com/SmokTek-SmokBox-VariCool--Custom-White-Box-Mod-_p_222.html

also, here is a review of a new and very trustworthy charger for your batteries: XTAR WPII Battery Charger - YouTube

it also comes in a 6 bay version

 

[DedTV]

Lavatube (aka VZ VV, Knight Rider, Mvari, and probably a dozen other names). They're a cheap (they're easily found for $60-70 for a full starter kit) and very capable VV mod and VV is great as it gives you lots of flexibility to figure out what you like as you can use tanks, dripping, LR & SR carts and attys and so on at numerous voltages.

Once you figure that out, then you can think about a more specialized and solidly built mod that offers exactly what you really want if say, you find you like everything at 5v. Or you can move up to a Provari or something if you want to keep the VV capability.

 

[HooP OoteD?]

Well, I have been thrifty with my money lately and just ordered the Buzz. I just want to stay as occupied as possible this week so the time will pass by more quickly. I thought about going with a cheaper model to test how I like them, but I figured I would invest a little more and get the one I really wanted. Thanks again everyone.

 

[Iffy]

Don't ask me which VV PV... I have four BPs...

 

[galaxy710]

Great article with excellent idea! I appreciate your post. Thanks so much and let keep on sharing your stuffs.

 

[The Lukester]

Save money in the long run just buy the Provari! You won't be sorry just ask any Provari user, they are top of the line, dependable, worth the investment and will just plain make you smile every vape!