n00b check-in w/ Qs

[Dougiestyle]

First, let me say "Thank You". ECF is awesome! I'm a long-time, respected member of an automotive forum that's powered by Beta, so this site's navigation is quite familiar. The info is abundant here, although a bit overwhelming.

I've come here to gleen some info before making my first purchase. I'm sold on the idea of vaping and will be headed down a healthier road this week sometime. I've done alotta reading. I originally had leaned toward an automitic ecig, but thanks to the info here, I've deduced that a manual battery is more dependable. Please correct me if there are dependable auto units that aren't prone to liquid contamination. I'm looking toward the 510 models, tho, as it appears to be the going industry standard for a majority.

My username is definitve of my character, in that I'm quite particular and want things just right for me. This includes my pursuit of a smoke-free lifestyle, and to aquire the info I'll need from y'all. I'll let you know, also, I'm a cheap-skate. Not that I like cheap stuff by any means, but if I can't find a better deal, I'll keep looking until I find one. So, I'm faced with a conundrum. I've realized "cheap" may negate quality in products in the vaping industry.

I intend on filling my own carts with eliquid. My normal analog brand is Pall Mall full flavor. I'd like a portable battery charger. I'd like the longest lasting batteries. I am not a techie nor do I work at a desk, so pass-thru devices won't really see much use at my hand, unless I hooked up a car-designated pass-thru that stays mounted to the extra USB I have installed in the car.

With all this given, will you help me develop a shopping list, please? Vendors are abundant online. There's a smoke-shop at the local mall (Knoxville, TN) that actually allows you to try an ecig free of charge (where I made my determination). He sells liquids up to 30mL. He's determined to sway me toward the Premium brand ecigs, but the price is a little high for the starter kit when compared to other brands, but is it worth it at $79.99? I've already found a 10% off e-coupon for direct purchase from the manufacturer's website, so hit me with the best info, quality and deals you know of...

510 style (if concensus agrees)
Long battery life
Warranty
Compatible portable charger
Throaty vapor liquid

I'm going full-throttle into this, so please steer me in the right direction. Sorry for the long read lol.

 

[debb]

you could go with riva/ego....it was my first...and i quit the day it arrived....i believe liberty flights has the best price on the riva kit....i would also get an xtra bottle or two of eliquid...try backwoods brew, freedomsmokeusa, alien vision,good prophets, you will find lots of tobacco flavors...i personally like ry4 from fsusa, bobas bounty from av...blended tab from gp is one of my favorites...malty toffee is great from bwb...good luck, and welcome to ecf...

there are a lot of great juice vendors ...i mentioned the ones i am familiar with.....see here for reviews..

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/e-liquid-reviews/

 

[KenInCT]

+1 on the Riva/Ego.....good way to start with small investment. Litecigs has them for $30.00 i believe with coupon code.

+1 on backwoodsbrew e liquid.....good tasting juice helps you get away from nasty analogs and BWB is tasty stuff!

 

[Stosh]

The ego or riva would be the best choice for 510, with good battery life. Looks a little like
a small cigar rather than a cigarette. Current tech doesn't allow for a battery the size of
a cigarette to have a very long life.
These are good tried and true starter kits.

Liberty Flights is reported to have the best prices, but you can take a look at the list
of vendors on the forum front page to see if there is a better price.

Also check http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/pay-forward-pif/85781-deals-steals.html on the last page of the thread for the latest best deals.

 

[JC Okie]

+2 on the Riva kit at E-Liquid and Electronic Cigarette Shop - Category Listings. I like VaporBomb.com for juice...but everyone will have a different juice preference. The Riva kit batteries will last for hours. I know they make a charging case for the eGo/Riva...not sure if L-F has them...I'm pretty sure that Cignot your Midwest Electronic Cigarette store. has them. You can get an eGo passthrough from L-F that you can charge in your car with cig lighter adapter. For the price of one of those mall kiosk models, you could have two FULL Riva kits with long-lasting batteries.

 

[tigerlily]

I agree with the above.

 

[simayi]

Definitely second the eGo/Riva suggestion. I get all-day use from one battery, so I don't have a use for a portable charger. The starter kits at E-Liquid and Electronic Cigarette Shop - Category Listings are a MUCH better deal than $80. Remember to click the 20% off banner at the top of their page. Lots of good information on these forums. Good luck!

 

[DivisionMatrix]

Electronic Cigarette - Starter Kits - Riva 510 use coupon code ECF for 20% off, that make the Lite bundle $30, best deal I've found. I bought one just to have a spare! I like TastyVapor.us and FreedomSmokeUSA.com for liquids, but there are tons of other vendors that get great reviews here too. Its always a good idea to buy some samples from several vendors to see what you like before you buy big bottles as well.

 

[debb]

+1 for vaporbomb....they have the best blueberry pie i have ever tasted...

 

[USMCMom]

Welcome to the community,

We have all been exactly where you are now and we feel your pain lol. The 2 most important things to decide on is
1. Do you want an ecig to resemble a reg cig?
2. Do you want to recharge batteries 3-4 times a day?

If you answer Yes to both then any 510 style will work 4u just purchase a Kit ($30) with 1 or 2 extra batteries($10 ea), some juice in a few flavors (stay with 5ml so you dont waste $ on juice you may not like), Maybe order a 5 pack of cartomizers (blank) so you can explore that method (about $8) About $60-$65 plus shipping.

Both the cartomizers and the cartridges can be filled with e-juice.

If you answered No to the 2 questions
Ego, Riva, Tornado would be your next choice. It takes the same accessories as the above 510 mentioned but with a longer battery life. Same accessories as listed above would run you about $75 plus shipping.

Once you decide on 1 of those 2 styles and use it for a few weeks, you will then determine how far and in which direction you will go. There are plenty of add-ons (Mods) that you can advance to once you have the basic kit and determine what works for you. You could always jump into a higher priced PV right away but it is hard to part with the $ all at once for something that may not work for you.

To touch upon 1 of your statements about the Mall Kioske, If it wasnt for them in the Public Eye and promoting this product we all may have missed the boat. I hate telling you not to buy from a Kioske but they are more expensive because of the overhead they have to be in the Mall. Not to mention there product may be propriotary (meaning you must buy all of your replacement stuff from them) making it difficult to explore new add-ons without having to purchase 1 of the 2 listed above anyway.

Good Luck and we are all routing for you. Remember no question is a dumb quest, especially when your starting out.

USMC MOM

 

[hawkizefan]

Hey dougie...can't really go wrong with the Ego. That was my starter and has worked great for me plus the kit I got came with 2 complete set-ups so getting through the day with the batts. isn't a problem and I vape pretty heavy. Having said that, if I knew then what I know now I would have gone a little different direction. I knew early ( actually before I even started having lurked and read for months and months) that I would want something bigger and better. If I were to start over I would probably piece-meal a kit together like this:

1- An Ego pass-thru...this way you get a good battery that's easily rechargeable almost anywhere with the usb on a computer and if you get the wall adapter ($8) and a car adapter you can recharge or top off the batt. nearly anywhere you go.

2- a 3.7 pass-thru...big diff between an ego and 3.7. again..wall charger and car charger and your good almost anywhere except no battery with this so wandering around the woods wont work.

3-a 5 volt pass-thru...the difference from 3.7 to 5 volt is really amazing. the flavor of the juice really pops and the warm vapor (lots of it I might add) is great. again the proper chargers.

Pass-thrus are cheap and will give you a chance to try different voltages without spending a lot on mods. The only difference between what I just listed and what I currently have is that I have an Ego kit, not a pass-thru. All of this might end up being slightly more $$ at the onset than a standard kit, but in the long run will be cheaper and WAY less time consuming trying to figure out where to go next. Just my opinion but wish that I had gone this way from the start.

 

[Dougiestyle]

Wow! I feel like I'm at home on TeamZX2.com lol. Great community support here. Thanks, y'all!!

It's ironic that the responses lean toward the Riva/eGo 510s, because as I submitted the thread an ad was displayed at the bottom of the page for L-F. I was actually flirting with the ideas of these two starter kits while y'all were responding lol!

I will heed the suggestions of trying different liquids in smaller volume before deciding on a regular supply/vendor or favorite. There seem to be alot to choose from, so the suggestions are appreciated!

Y'all rock!!

 

[Rosa]

Welcome to ECF!

I've deduced that a manual battery is more dependable. Please correct me if there are dependable auto units that aren't prone to liquid contamination.

There's not, they are all built with an unprotected battery that is triggered with your inhale. If you get juice in there, it's dead. Manual is the way to go if you are going to get serious use out of your e-cig.

I'm looking toward the 510 models, tho, as it appears to be the going industry standard for a majority.

There is another model that's very popular (kr808d-1) but I don't think it's as flexible (compatible with as many methods of vaping) as the 510 compatible models. Nor is it as reasonably priced if you want to get one with decent battery life.

I'm faced with a conundrum. I've realized "cheap" may negate quality in products in the vaping industry.

Nonsense! In this industry, the rip off trash is sold at exorbitant prices and the good stuff is reasonable priced (with the exception of variable voltage mods, which can be expensive but worth it, I hear)

I intend on filling my own carts with eliquid. Good, that's how you get the best flavor and the best value.

My normal analog brand is Pall Mall full flavor. You won't be able to find a flavor that tastes like any brand of cigarettes, they just don't exist. You can get sort of close, but not the same. The problem is in trying to duplicate the taste of burning vegetable matter, chemicals and paper: it's a difficult flavor to mimic. The good news is that after vaping for a couple of weeks you will not want your e-cig to taste like a cigarette. You may even smoke one and find that you can't get through the whole thing because the chemically burning rubber taste is such a turn off.

I'd like a portable battery charger. If you get the bigger batteries you won't need one, won't use one... unless you are going into the wilderness for a while?

I'd like the longest lasting batteries. You could get a mod that takes batteries that last for days, but most people will be happy with 650mah (+/-6.5 hours) or 1000mah (+/-10 hours).

I am not a techie nor do I work at a desk, so pass-thru devices won't really see much use at my hand, unless I hooked up a car-designated pass-thru that stays mounted to the extra USB I have installed in the car. If you get the bigger battery ones you won't need a passthrough anyway. You can get a car charger if you like, but may not need it anyway.

With all this given, will you help me develop a shopping list, please? Vendors are abundant online. There's a smoke-shop at the local mall (Knoxville, TN) that actually allows you to try an ecig free of charge (where I made my determination). He sells liquids up to 30mL. He's determined to sway me toward the Premium brand ecigs, but the price is a little high for the starter kit when compared to other brands, but is it worth it at $79.99? I've already found a 10% off e-coupon for direct purchase from the manufacturer's website, so hit me with the best info, quality and deals you know of...

510 style (if concensus agrees) Get the eGo from liberty-flights.com use the 20% off button and the kit (two complete e-cigs and a charger) is $40.
Long battery life eGo: 650mah (about 6.5 hours) You can also get a spare 1000mah battery from liberty-flights.com too, if you want.
Warranty Our trusted vendors will take care of you, I've never needed a warranty for two reasons: *they will replace whatever shipped broken or broke really quickly, they take care of their customers. Just buy from an ECF approved supplier, they're vetted by the forum members, so you can trust them to do the right thing Forum Suppliers *none of these parts are meant to last forever, stuff will need to be replaced eventually. I don't see the point in paying to warranty something that costs $10 to replace.
Compatible portable charger A charger comes with the kit. You can buy a portable charger for extra $$, but you may not need it.
Throaty vapor liquid You'll want to try higher mg (24mg) nicotine made of a PG base (avoid VG if you want big TH - "throat hit") Some flavors have more TH than others so you'll want to get a variety of juices to try, it's just hit and miss. You can't go wrong with menthol for throat hit though. Anyway, it has more to do with the juice than the device.

I'm going full-throttle into this, so please steer me in the right direction. Sorry for the long read lol.

Hope that helps, Good Luck!

 

[Rosa]

DO NOT GET THIS ONE:
Electronic Cigarette Starter Kit - PR110

 

[Rosa]

I will heed the suggestions of trying different liquids in smaller volume before deciding on a regular supply/vendor or favorite. There seem to be alot to choose from, so the suggestions are appreciated!

Y'all rock!!

E-liquid suppliers are like ice cream flavors, you might have a favorite but you'll probably try them all.

 

[SteelJan]

I did a video at some of my friend's request on choosing a good beginner e-cig and my recommendation. Here's the video

 

[Dougiestyle]

I checked out madvapes.com per Jan's video and found the PCC kit: 510 PCC KIT

Opinions? It seems attractive to me (price/contents) aside from the max battery length of 65mm and it doesn't give the battery capacity, so I assume 180mAh from the size. I am ordering one of the disposable 510 kits, as well, until funds are available for the PCC kit (per public opinion). If there are comparable alternatives to this kit, please let me know!

I'm leaning more toward a Riva 510 kit in the near future to weigh the differences, and I'm sure the Riva batteries won't fit into the PCC kit that I linked. If I'm wrong, please elaborate.

I'm so excited to make this transition! Funds aren't exactly cooperative with my intentions today, so I'm having to skimp a little up front. I'll have a working kit together by the end of the week tho. GF's house is non-smoking, and it weighs on my conscience when I blaze analog after an intimate moment. I don't want to jeopardize her health, or the clean scent of her house, either. With my health and comfort being the 2 major concerns for this change, I can hardly wait!!

Is 2 days a reasonable goal to liberate the craving for the smoke sticks via vapor? I'm a determined soul lol.

 

[Rosa]

I
I'm leaning more toward a Riva 510 kit in the near future to weigh the differences, and I'm sure the Riva batteries won't fit into the PCC kit that I linked. If I'm wrong, please elaborate.

The Riva kit can be had for $34 here: Electronic Cigarette - Starter Kits - Riva 510

With a 750mah battery (and the same size as the first e-cig in the video you saw) the battery would last you about 7 1/2 hours per charge, with two batteries at your disposal (15 hours of vaping) would you still need a PCC? If so, you can use this one ($32): Electronic Cigarette - PCC's - Joye eGo but it won't fit in the smaller 510 PCC.

 

[JC Okie]

Forget the little 510 with the PCC. The Riva with a 750mAh battery is wwwaaaaayyy better for cheaper. Honestly. You're asking if 2 days will do it....you sound pretty determined. Two hours will do it for some people....two minutes, even. Many people who start vaping quit and never look back. Everybody's experience is different on that one. I would answer a resounding yes, though...it CAN. Having said that, who know. These can make the transition pretty painless. If you still have cravings after you start, vape through them.

 

[Pneathery]

Dude, I've only been vamping for 10+ days, but let me say this GET THE RIVA FOR $30!!!!!!
I WISH I HAD
Sorry for yelling, but if dollars are tight, then spend it wisely.
My story, my wife bought a Joye 510 beginners kit liked you are looking at. I smoked 3 packs a day, and I could have a battery of that drained in20 minutes, plus I had been changing carts twice in that time. I couldn't recharge them fast enough to keep up, so without reasearch I bought a Joye 510mega (2 beginner sets for $69 each one for me, and one for my wife). That one looks just like the 510, but the battery is twice as long, and will last for an hour+ after I spent that dough I saw the error of my ways, and I spent just a little more on an ego clone, I wish I had seen that riva kit. I spent the same amount of money for ONE battery and charger.
So that's my story, and all of my mistakes. I don't want to smoke, I will die very soon if I continue. I needed something to last all day long, go wth the RIVA. Hands down and don't look back. You will regret getting some wimpy 510 as your first smoke.
Good luck, you can do it.
These things are amazing. I don't want to smoke. I didn't think I would be able to say that. These are so satisfying, good luck man.