Need advice on new vaporizer setup

[MurBob]

Hi folks,
I quit smoking actual cigarettes about 4 years ago and switched to the vaporizers.

When I switched, I went to the juul units and found I enjoyed the Mint Green refills. The problem was that my local supplier was always out of stock just when I needed more.

After a bit of desperation, I visited my local smoke shop and the teller set me up with something called an Etco for $30.. (See picture)

It worked, but then I noticed that the little heater element needed to be replaced frequently and the device didn't produce such a great "hit" even using 12mg fluid. The "hit" is kind of weak and on top of that, the little heaters only last for about a week before they start producing an undesirable "tang" or burnt taste.

I really like the Juul but they are unreasonably expensive for the replacement pods and I want to upgrade to something else.
I have a large supply of 18650 batteries and I'm thinking maybe it would be smart to start utilizing them.

Can someone recommend a reasonably priced vaporizer that runs on the 18650 batteries and that doesn't require constant maintenance to purchase new heater coils every week? Do they even exist?
I'm also concerned about parts availability.. I'd like something that is popular so I can find refill liquid and the replacement parts easily. I don't want to spend $200 on the Ferrari of vapes, but not looking for a piece of junk either.

Thanks!

 

[classwife]

Moved you from Atomizers and Cartridges to General Vaping Discussion

 

[Nate5700]

Well for the "hit" problem, I can say that the Juul uses very strong liquid, around 50 mg, so comparatively 12 mg is going to be weak if you're vaping the same way as you were on the Juul.

I don't know anything about the Etco, but if you're doing mouth-to-lung at low watts (similar to how you would a Juul) you'd want stronger liquid. You'll probably want to go up to at least 24 mg. Trouble is that liquid at that strength is getting hard to find at the vape shops so you'll likely need to buy online.

With any setup you get, unfortunately coils are a consumable item and will have to be replaced from time to time. There are a lot of factors that can affect coil life, I find that the juice I'm using is a big one (sweet and dark juices can really gunk up a coil pretty quick). I find that clear fruity flavors aren't nearly as bad.

Others may be able to offer more advice on specific equipment. But you may not need to give up on your current setup if you make some adjustments.

 

[Letitia]

I would advise buying a device that lets you control the wattage. Then you can lower the power if you are chain vaping. Makes a huge difference in coil life. If you have the funds take a look at the Innokin Kroma/Zenith kit or a Eleaf Istick 30w to use with your existing tanks.

 

[bobwho77]

Just off the top of my head, for a reliable, easy to use set up that gives you the same kind of draw your used to, I'd suggest an I-stick Pico, and an Aspire Nautilus mini.
IIRC the Pico does on board charging, but you'll need to buy at least one battery. (research battery safety here on ECF)
I'd suggest buying THREE batteries, and a two slot charger (Nitecore makes a good one) that way you can rotate them out.
The whole setup (including the batteries and charger) should leave you with change from a $100 bill.
Like the post above mine I'd also recommend bumping your nic level to 24mg.

 

[DeloresRose]

A week per coil is not unheard of, especially for that kind of set up. So there’s nothing really wrong there.

I would also recommend the Istick or Pico, and also Vaporesso Tarot nano ( internal battery) or Swag (18650 battery). Sorry, I don’t have any mtl tanks I can recommend, but others will.

 

[Coyote628]

Coils are, unfortunately, expendable. Making your own coils for rda, rta, or an rdta will keep you from having to buy a replacement, but you will still need to change out the wicking when it gets nasty. There will always be some kind of maintenance with any kind of vape set up you choose. Its just the nature of the beast. On the bright side, nothing involved is very labor intensive. Making your own coils is the least expensive way to go and gives you complete control of your vape, not to mention a more satisfying and enjoyable experience. Its definitely something to look into.

 

[AngeNZ]

+1 for the innokin zenith tank - the coils last me a lot longer than other tanks I've tried. It comes with 1.6 ohm and a 0.8 ohm coil. Another option would be the uwell crown original tank - you can get 1.2 ohm coils for it. Plus you can get an rba for it.

If you are after an external battery mod - the eleaf pico 25 85w is a great small sized mod.

 

[Letitia]

+1 for the innokin zenith tank - the coils last me a lot longer than other tanks I've tried. It comes with 1.6 ohm and a 0.8 ohm coil. Another option would be the uwell crown original tank - you can get 1.2 ohm coils for it. Plus you can get an rba for it.

If you are after an external battery mod - the eleaf pico 25 85w is a great small sized mod.

Pico 25 (85w) is a better option, it holds an atty up to 25mm, with the 75 you will need to use a heat sink for anything over 22mm including the OG Crown (af ring makes it 23mm).

 

[sonicbomb]

The Innokin Zenith kit comes highly recommended

 

[DaveP]

These days I'm vaping a Hcigar DNA75 and an Eleaf Invoke. The Eleaf Invoke is a nice compact mod that uses dual 18650s, accommodates 24mm tanks, and fits in a pocket nicely. $49.

Eleaf Invoke 220W TC Starter Kit | Vape Starter Kit

 

[Opinionated]

What your calling a heater is called either a coil, or a replacement atomizer head..

Those are disposable, needing periodic replacement. It's a simple task that's part of vaping. The reason you didn't have to replace them with the Juul is because they were built into each pod so when you changed your pod you also changed your coil head.

If you'd like something with an external 18650 I'd go with the above suggestion of the 25mm Pico, or other inexpensive device.

You will enjoy the Innokin Zenith for your atty...

The Juul uses 50mg nicotine ejuice... a 12mg ejuice is nothing i comparison. With the Pico/Zenith set up I would recommend 24mg ejuice due to the increased efficiency of the PICO.

 

[MurBob]

Hi folks,
Not knowing what I'm doing, I decided to run down to my local vape shop.. the folks there are always really helpful.

I ended up purchasing a SIGELLEI E1 vaporizer.. takes a single 18650 battery.. mounted an Aspire Nautilus 2 tank on top and purchased 30ml of PURE Salt E-Liquid (Mint) @36mg.
The Aspire comes with both 1.8ohm and .7 ohm coils. I'm currently running the .7ohm coil at around 19 watts.

It hits a lot better than the Juul ever did, more reliable, I don't have to keep banging it on the table to get the bubbles out of the heater like I did the Juul.. The battery lasts all day easily.. (had to recharge the Juul 3 times each day).. Plus I have a few hundred 18650 batteries laying around so power will never be a problem.

Its also a lot cheaper to run.. I was spending $17 for a pack of 4 pods that would last me for 3.5 to 4 days with the Juul.. The 30ml of juice I bought was about $16 and looks like it should last me for a month.

The only drawback is that my local speedway gas station doesn't carry any parts or juice for it so I won't have any more excuses to go there and let the cute girl behind the counter hit on the handsome married guy.. I'm 50, she's around 25... kept buying new bras and showing them to me asking if I like them.. LOL.. Oh if I wasn't married....

Thanks for all the advice.. The salt liquid rocks!

 

[MaceoBorker]

Get the Ghost new generation pod system

 

[ilporcupine]

Hi folks,
Not knowing what I'm doing, I decided to run down to my local vape shop.. the folks there are always really helpful.

I ended up purchasing a SIGELLEI E1 vaporizer.. takes a single 18650 battery.. mounted an Aspire Nautilus 2 tank on top and purchased 30ml of PURE Salt E-Liquid (Mint) @36mg.
The Aspire comes with both 1.8ohm and .7 ohm coils. I'm currently running the .7ohm coil at around 19 watts.

It hits a lot better than the Juul ever did, more reliable, I don't have to keep banging it on the table to get the bubbles out of the heater like I did the Juul.. The battery lasts all day easily.. (had to recharge the Juul 3 times each day).. Plus I have a few hundred 18650 batteries laying around so power will never be a problem.

Its also a lot cheaper to run.. I was spending $17 for a pack of 4 pods that would last me for 3.5 to 4 days with the Juul.. The 30ml of juice I bought was about $16 and looks like it should last me for a month.

The only drawback is that my local speedway gas station doesn't carry any parts or juice for it so I won't have any more excuses to go there and let the cute girl behind the counter hit on the handsome married guy.. I'm 50, she's around 25... kept buying new bras and showing them to me asking if I like them.. LOL.. Oh if I wasn't married....

Thanks for all the advice.. The salt liquid rocks!

You can always buy gasoline!

 

[vapdivrr]

A few hundred 18650's? I thought I had alot in around 20ish

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[Susaz]

If you want comparable throat hit from a more definite setup you should go subohm. The Crown Nunchaku is a little bit long but it will enable you to go higher in watts to have a more pleasant throat hit with 12 mg. You should search for coils in the vicinity of 0.6 to 0,25 ohms. The lower you go, the higher the power, the better the throat hit. Look for subohm tank kits from Vaporesso (Armor), Joyetech (Solo kit) and Crown (Nunchaku). There are more than those, but those three are popular, heads are not that expensive, and have great flavor and throat hit.

 

[MurBob]

UPDATE:
This is an update on the Sigelei E1 + Aspire Nautilus 2

I'm using Pure ELiquid Mint @36mg Salt and its working great! WOW! This things produces a much better and more reliable hit than my Juul ever did.. Its been problem free since I bought it.

All the 18650 batteries I have are salvaged so they're not all in the greatest condition capacity wise. I tested the battery on my Opus BTC3100 and it says it has 1200 mAh of capacity.. it pretty much lasts me all day without a problem.

My only complaint is the Aspire Nautilus head.. its a pain to unscrew it to fill it up.. You pretty much have to take it off the base, hold the air shutter with a gorilla grip and then unscrew it. If you just try to unscrew it while its on the base, the whole thing comes off.

Besides that, I'm happy.. and saving lots of money. I was going through a Juul Pod every day at $4.25 per pod and now a $17 bottle of juice lasts me for almost a month.

I also like that I can take an extra battery with me and just flip them out in like 5 seconds if one runs low.

I'm not experienced with these vaps but I'm happy with what I have.

 

[MurBob]

A few hundred 18650's? I thought I had alot in around 20ish

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They're all salvaged from various laptops and power tool batteries.. If you crack open a "dead" or worn out laptop battery, you'll find it contains six or eight of the 18650 cells. Usually. two of them will be bad and dragging down the rest which will still be in good shape.

 

[vapdivrr]

I didn't know that, but did see one of those huge battery packs for that car (can't remember the name, but it's that hi end battery car)and when they opened up this big pack, there were hundreds of these tiny 18560's in it. Just seemed weird

They're all salvaged from various laptops and power tool batteries.. If you crack open a "dead" or worn out laptop battery, you'll find it contains six or eight of the 18650 cells. Usually. two of them will be bad and dragging down the rest which will still be in good shape.

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