need help choosing between 3 ecigs

[element8]

my pack a day habit is up to around 6.50-7/day because of the last local tax hike, since i can't quit (tried multiple times) i figured i'd give an ecig a shot. I'm looking at a couple of them on puresmokers, the pen style (not sure of it's generic model name), the hybrid (m401), and the mini (DSE901).

From what I read the pen has a long charge and bigger carts, but is funky looking and less comfortable to hold

the DSE901 has a smaller battery so it's comfortable to hold like a cigarette but i'd need more batteries for a 6-10hr day & refill/drip more often than the pen

and the hybrid pilot is somewhere in between the 2 as far as batt. charge goes but is sensitive to loud noise/wind and has recessed carts which are a pain to refill

all 3 come in black w/blue LED which i was looking for, and are similarly priced, so i'm not sure if there are other differences i'm overlooking that could swing the decision toward one of the 3

also what are some sites to get decent quality liquid from, i read a better quality liquid can help make an atomizer last longer, any truth in that? i usually smoke a pack of lights a day so i guess i'd be looking for light liquid (~11mg?) and around 2ml a day to completely replace tobacco cigarettes?

 

[chicagobrad01]

Go with the DSE-901 thesmokelessshop.com has an awesome deal The Ultimate DSE901 Black or White Starter Kit, it comes with everything you need to get started. Although you might want to grab an extra bottle of juice and a USB pass through battery.
I've bought Juice from Altsmoke, TrueVapor, PureSmoker (they have the best IMO), TheSmokelessShop, VaporGuys, MyVaporStore, & SmokeLiberation and I've only had one atomizer die on me since I switched to ecigs in Dec 2008 (I do rotate between about 3-4 though).

 

[chokmah]

Well I have the penstyle from puresmoker its the RN4072 compatable with the DSE801. I love mine personally as I was a 2 pk a day smoker and the battery seems to last a while as well as carts although I fill my own carts. I am a woman who was worried about the size and it works fine for me. I don't vape on it like I would an analog its more like I cup it in my hand and drag on it that way.

I call it my magic wand and so far its held up well. We bought two, the earliest Feb 5th and its still working fine. The second was ordered late Feb/ early March and its still working fine too. We bought 1 white and 1 black one so havent tried the stainless steel one yet.

I don't have any others to compare it to though but so far these have held up nicely, even the original atomizers are working as well as the two spares we bought.

Good luck on your choice and welcome to the forum..

 

[element8]

wow quick reply =) i did see that link in another thread and the deal is better than PS, but they're outta stock =( guess i can email them to see when they'll get more

oh wow just realized they're only about an hour from my house, maybe i can bypass shipping costs too

looks like almost all of the liquids on PS are sold out at the moment =/ guess i picked the wrong time to try to buy one of these things.

 

[element8]

thanks for the info chokmah =) do you get your liquids from puresmoker too?

 

[lachesis]

I'm also new, and I haven't started e-cig yet, but here's what I found out from reading up.

1. I'd say go with DSE901. Most popular, one of the tried-and-true to go with, and a lot of people recommend it. I also suggest getting a couple of spare atomizers, and maybe USB pass-through, if you don't mind connecting to a USB hub or USB power-pack.

2. Since I'm also waiting my first e-cig to arrive sometime next week - I haven't tried e-liquid, but many people regard PureSmoker's Cash e-liquid to be one of the best. Also Totally Wicked, a popular UK brand have a great reputation having great tasting juice as well. Just a couple of very popular ones - I'm sure there are other vendors with great taste and price as well.

3. I think atomizer life is combination of many things - 1 being the original quality control from the manufacturer... probably the most important factor. I hear some last longer than others from the get go. Another being how well you take care of the atomizer, like not flooding, not rushing to get the vapor with prim-puff, and cleaning etc. I'd say expect the worst - say every new atomizer in 2 weeks - but I am counting some of them would last more than a month, thus making my average atomizer consumption to 1 per month, which I'd be able to live with.

4. According to the video guide up there, a lot of people "over vape" because now you can smoke pretty much anywhere, etc - thus taking more nicotine than you are used to.. so I'd say go with weaker solution. 11mg. Roughly 2 drops of 11mg (if you are dripping) would be equal to 1 cig worth of nicotine (not sure it's light or regular)... so if you can live with something lower than that - say 8 or 6mg - I'd say go for it. But I also hear the lower the nicotine level, weaker the throat hit. So it all depends on your preference, I guess.

 

[chokmah]

thanks for the info chokmah =) do you get your liquids from puresmoker too?

Yep.. I have bought the French Pipe, Riskee, Vanilla and Coffee ones so far. Alll taste good IMO but I havent chosen a favorite yet. I probably like the Riskee the most out of those then the French Pipe.

 

[cosican]

my pack a day habit is up to around 6.50-7/day because of the last local tax hike, since i can't quit (tried multiple times) i figured i'd give an ecig a shot. I'm looking at a couple of them on puresmokers, the pen style (not sure of it's generic model name), the hybrid (m401), and the mini (DSE901).

From what I read the pen has a long charge and bigger carts, but is funky looking and less comfortable to hold

the DSE901 has a smaller battery so it's comfortable to hold like a cigarette but i'd need more batteries for a 6-10hr day & refill/drip more often than the pen

and the hybrid pilot is somewhere in between the 2 as far as batt. charge goes but is sensitive to loud noise/wind and has recessed carts which are a pain to refill

all 3 come in black w/blue LED which i was looking for, and are similarly priced, so i'm not sure if there are other differences i'm overlooking that could swing the decision toward one of the 3

also what are some sites to get decent quality liquid from, i read a better quality liquid can help make an atomizer last longer, any truth in that? i usually smoke a pack of lights a day so i guess i'd be looking for light liquid (~11mg?) and around 2ml a day to completely replace tobacco cigarettes?

hi I have all three

the 901 w/ a passthru is a worker all the time, great to drip and push the cig to its max good product

801 w/ or w/ passthru also very strong, not as good to drip, cos the atom is slightly longer in lenth, so dripping is not as easy as the 901

the others! just not for me

any and all suppliers are good and quick, if you get them on a good day

\good luck

 

[Sun Vaporer]

my pack a day habit is up to around 6.50-7/day because of the last local tax hike, since i can't quit (tried multiple times) i figured i'd give an ecig a shot. I'm looking at a couple of them on puresmokers, the pen style (not sure of it's generic model name), the hybrid (m401), and the mini (DSE901).

From what I read the pen has a long charge and bigger carts, but is funky looking and less comfortable to hold

the DSE901 has a smaller battery so it's comfortable to hold like a cigarette but i'd need more batteries for a 6-10hr day & refill/drip more often than the pen

and the hybrid pilot is somewhere in between the 2 as far as batt. charge goes but is sensitive to loud noise/wind and has recessed carts which are a pain to refill

all 3 come in black w/blue LED which i was looking for, and are similarly priced, so i'm not sure if there are other differences i'm overlooking that could swing the decision toward one of the 3

also what are some sites to get decent quality liquid from, i read a better quality liquid can help make an atomizer last longer, any truth in that? i usually smoke a pack of lights a day so i guess i'd be looking for light liquid (~11mg?) and around 2ml a day to completely replace tobacco cigarettes?

Element--IMO--after all the vape abates--the Pen takes the prize as the "Funky Look" give way real quick to the longer cartridge life and battery life the Penstyle affords and it is easy to get used to holding it. If you want the Pen, make sure you go for a 801 and stay away from the RN4072 as IMO again I simply can not reccomend the atomizer at all--it has a hotter burn rate that wastes e-liquid and also has a shorter lifespan due the the residue left behind by the high burn rate---Sun

 

[JustJulie]

Well, you've done your research, and you've accurately summarized the pros and cons of each.

One thing that might weigh into the decision is both the penstyle (801) and 901 have USB passthrough batteries you can purchase, allowing you to vape with a portable powerpack or something with a USB power source (like your car cigarette lighter with an adapter or your computer). Using a USB passthrough a good portion of the time kind of makes it easier to deal with battery issues since you're not using your batteries as much.

The only other thing I'll throw out there is the fact that the penstyle (801) generally comes with a whistle tip. In fact, I don't think any round mouthpieces are made for the 801, although I could be wrong about that. Personally, I like the whistle tip just fine, but some people hate it.

As for the liquid, I think most vendors people will recommend around here have liquids that are fine with the atomizers. I've used a lot of different brands, and none of them have shortened or lengthened the life of my atomizers as far as I can tell.

Ordinarily, I suggest people try PureSmoker for their liquids, but they're having trouble keeping their liquids in stock (a problem many suppliers are facing right now). You can take a gander at the supplier section and check out some of the vendors to see who has what.

I think you're probably right that a lower nicotine concentration will probably work fine for you. If you find that's not working, you can always order a higher nic solution and spike your cartridge from time to time.

 

[gep]

I started with the Penstyle and just recently got the 901 and I must say...I wish I had started with the 901. Even tho the carts/batts don't last as long, it feels like I'm smoking a real cig. The pen reminds me of smoking a pipe, which is ok.

I use them both but it depends on my mood.

 

[gep]

From Just Julie: I think you're probably right that a lower nicotine concentration will probably work fine for you. If you find that's not working, you can always order a higher nic solution and spike your cartridge from time to time.

Man, this can't be emphasized enough. I think it's better to see how much you're actually using and then either stick with that level of Nic but purchase a higher quantity or bump the nic level up a notch and try that for a while.

Too many people are starting out waaaaay to high and it's making 'em sick or dizzy etc.

 

[chicagobrad01]

wow quick reply =) i did see that link in another thread and the deal is better than PS, but they're outta stock =( guess i can email them to see when they'll get more

oh wow just realized they're only about an hour from my house, maybe i can bypass shipping costs too

looks like almost all of the liquids on PS are sold out at the moment =/ guess i picked the wrong time to try to buy one of these things.

I'd email her and see if she's expecting any in soon.

 

[element8]

justjulie- yeah i'd rather go lower than start high deal with being jittery and headaches. i could definately see a USB passthrough being useful even if i just use that at home. i don't think whistle/round tip should be an issue.

i guess if i went with an 801 instead of a 901 i would probably just drip in the cart instead of on the atmoizer since the cart is easier to refill, right?
if i go with a pen is there another good site out there that has 801s instead of RN4072s?

 

[element8]

fff i can see myself bying both of them lol, emailed smokeless to see when they're getting more 901s in

 

[Elendil]

You should check out e-cigarette-mart.com You can get a 901 for 29.99 shipped. I picked up 2 more of these because the price was so cheap. I also recommend some extra atomizers and his is the "heart" of any ecig.

 

[chicagobrad01]

I have both and prefer the 901, the carts don't work good for me with the 801 so I've started just dipping with that one....which I've heard will shorten the life of a atomizer.

 

[JustJulie]

From Just Julie: I think you're probably right that a lower nicotine concentration will probably work fine for you. If you find that's not working, you can always order a higher nic solution and spike your cartridge from time to time.

Man, this can't be emphasized enough. I think it's better to see how much you're actually using and then either stick with that level of Nic but purchase a higher quantity or bump the nic level up a notch and try that for a while.

Too many people are starting out waaaaay to high and it's making 'em sick or dizzy etc.

Yup. That little bit of advice is based on personal experience (i.e., stupidity). I was a 2+ pack a day smoker, and I simply assumed I'd need a high nic liquid. Well, I didn't. And to add to the problem of having too high a concentration, I was vaping almost continously when I first started.

You would not believe the headache I had, and then the nausea started the second day. In fact, the headaches and nausea were nasty enough that I wondered whether I'd be able to continue to vape. I also wondered whether I might be allergic to PG. Ummmmm . . . did it occur to me that my nicotine concentration was too high? Nope.

So then I started doing some research (which, of course, I should have done on the front end), and I was HORRIFIED to realize how much nicotine I had been taking in. I was a close to 3 pack a day smoker, and I had probably INCREASED my nicotine intake with vaping my first several days. 8-o

I backed down to a medium nic solution, and the headaches and nausea magically disappeared.

 

[chicagobrad01]

You should check out e-cigarette-mart.com You can get a 901 for 29.99 shipped. I picked up 2 more of these because the price was so cheap. I also recommend some extra atomizers and his is the "heart" of any ecig.

Wow...that is a good deal. the parts it comes with alone would cost around $27....your pretty much getting a charger and a pack of carts for free with that deal.

 

[JustJulie]

i guess if i went with an 801 instead of a 901 i would probably just drip in the cart instead of on the atmoizer since the cart is easier to refill, right?

It's easy to drip on the cart with a 901 or a penstyle. You can also pretty easily direct drip on the atomizer with a 901, but you have to be careful. If you add to much liquid, you can flood the atomizer and, worse yet, have leakage into the battery. Wonky batteries aren't much fun at all.

Honestly, there are some people who get penstyles as their first e-cigs and are very, very happy . . . but for some people, the transition from analogs to penstyle just seems a big one. It's weird looking, it's big, the whistle tip doesn't feel right, etc. I have to say that I really enjoy my penstyle, but I don't know how much I would have liked it as my first e-cig. But that's just me.