New and looking for advice

[snickiton]

I switched to vaping about a month ago. Picked up a starter kit at my local B&M and started lurking here and on Reddit. I'm still overwhelmed by how much there is to learn. I have so many questions.

The starter kit was the only one they had. Came with 2 Innokin 650 eGo batteries, 2 iClear 16 single coils (disposable kind), and a charger. I got three of their house juices (pricey but good). Two tobaccos and a menthol vanilla. After the first few days I realized I didn't enjoy the tobaccos much.

Read some more and knew I would eventually want a better setup with a bigger battery and a glass tank. I can't see myself building coils or any of that, so I wanted something inexpensive but durable. Back to the vape shop and they sold me an iStick mini 10w (don't laugh) and an Aspire ET-S bvc with a 5 pack of coils. I wanted to buy more juice because I'm not happy with what I have, but their bottles are $12/15 ml and couldn't justify the expense. So next I ordered a bunch of samples from Vape Wild.

My latest purchase is an eGo One XL. It should be here Monday. I'm still planning on ordering more coils (once I figure out which one I like) and a subtank nano. I'm a little bummed about how much money I've sunk into this already. I'm hoping this will be my main setup I stay with for a while.

I've learned that I tend to rotate through various flavors in the plastic clearos throughout the day. The glass tank has been used for likely tank crackers but since it's bigger I haven't switched flavors much. Battery life on the iStick isn't great. I want more glass tanks so I can still have variety without the worry. I vape mostly in the car and after the kids go to sleep. Portability and a modicum of stealth is important to me. I'm much more interested in flavor than clouds.

So a couple questions:

1. What's a good inexpensive pyrex tank that will work with my eGo batteries? There are fixed not variable. They are convenient and easy to carry and use in the car so I plan to continue using them until they die.
2. Is there a way to try different flavors/drip without rebuilding? Is that what bridgeless attys are for? I never see anyone post about them anymore. Is there another alternative for a new user?
   

Thanks so much for reading!

 

[ImSoToxik]

I would suggest one of the Pro Tank Mini series. Either the Pro Tank 2 Mini or the Pro Tank 3 Mini. Both are light weight in size, not too pricey, and they should work great on eGo batteries. Kanger tanks are quite renowned for their overall reliability.

A secondary recommendation would be the Kanger Aerotank Mini. Same size as the Pro Tank Mini series, but has adjustable air flow for if you like a looser draw, or a tighter draw. You can make it hit however is comfortable for you.

 

[Shadav]

if you like the istick i suggest the 30w istick, it's still small in size but the battery should last you 3 days before recharge (depending on usage)
and as far as a tank goes and you don't want to rebuild...i suggest a glass mini protank with airflow control valve and using the new vertical coils
if you don't mind buying from china and waiting about a month, fasttech has great deals on clones and authentics, just make sure to read any and all reviews/discussions and feel free to ask here before buying....

and yes bridgeless atties are great for dripping 3 - 5 drops in and sampling a juice, then can just blow out the excess and try a new one.....to most these are old school, but i love mine and are hard to find at a good price anymore....

if you don't want to rebuild yourself but want the easiest way to drip, i highly suggest the vision eternity dripper and again if you shop at fasttech you can get a 50 pack of premade coils/wicks for under $3

 

[Sarasotared]

I have nautilus mini, gs air, protank2/3 w air valve and I like them in that order. If you don't want to spend money gs air is less than half the price if the nautilus and supposedly made for the I stick. Can't help with dripping I use my iclear16 for trying new flavors. Replacement coils are only .80.

 

[snickiton]

I would suggest one of the Pro Tank Mini series. Either the Pro Tank 2 Mini or the Pro Tank 3 Mini. Both are light weight in size, not too pricey, and they should work great on eGo batteries. Kanger tanks are quite renowned for their overall reliability.

What's the difference between the two? Would I use the 2.2 ohm coils? From what I've read the 1.5 won't work so the glass EVODs are out?

if you like the istick i suggest the 30w istick, it's still small in size but the battery should last you 3 days before recharge (depending on usage)
and as far as a tank goes and you don't want to rebuild...i suggest a glass mini protank with airflow control valve and using the new vertical coils
if you don't mind buying from china and waiting about a month, fasttech has great deals on clones and authentics, just make sure to read any and all reviews/discussions and feel free to ask here before buying....

and yes bridgeless atties are great for dripping 3 - 5 drops in and sampling a juice, then can just blow out the excess and try a new one.....to most these are old school, but i love mine and are hard to find at a good price anymore....

if you don't want to rebuild yourself but want the easiest way to drip, i highly suggest the vision eternity dripper and again if you shop at fasttech you can get a 50 pack of premade coils/wicks for under $3

Hoping not to buy another battery for a while. I'm scared of the iSticks with the issues I've been reading. I think my next battery purchase will be the replaceable type but I'd like to hold off for a few months before making that leap.

Is there a current tutorial for bridgeless attys? Why aren't they used anymore? I'll check out your suggestions. Thanks so much.

I have nautilus mini, gs air, protank2/3 w air valve and I like them in that order. If you don't want to spend money gs air is less than half the price if the nautilus and supposedly made for the I stick. Can't help with dripping I use my iclear16 for trying new flavors. Replacement coils are only .80.

thanks for the recommendations, I'll check them out. Is the iClear16 you use plastic?

I really appreciate your replies. Thanks for taking the time!

 

[Sarasotared]

Yes my iclears are plastic I mainly use them for trying flavors and use them on my egos when knocking around where my glass/I stick could get damaged or lost(gardening, bar etc )

 

[Baditude]

There are a variety of glass/pyrex clearotanks available, some of which are reasonably affordable.

Proper terminology - Is it a carto, a tank, or what? A Guide to Juice Attachments Check out the offerings at My Vapor Store, Discount Vapors, or AltSmoke.

A 510 dripping atomizer is a great way to sample flavors. They only hold a few drops of e-liquid, so you can easily change flavors on a whim. They last a reasonable amount of time, and clean by dry burning.

Vaping may appear to be expensive in the beginning because the gear cost adds up quickly. However, once you have a setup that you like, your subsequent costs will only be for replacement coils and more e-liquid. Figure out how much money you spent smoking a month ... and compare that figure to what you will eventually be spending by vaping. Vaping is way cheaper. Make a vaping budget like you had when you were smoking; set aside money for additional tanks and new juice flavors to try.

 

[kwb5064]

I agree with choosing any of the protank mini series. I've been vaping for over a year and still go back to my mini protank 2 from time to time. The protank mini 2 & 3(<-dual coil) are very reliable and easy to use. Plus, you can rebuild them just in case you wanted to get into rebuilding in the future.

 

[kartoffelfaust]

Nautilis Mini. I hated the protank 2 & 3 - their sole purpose in life was to leak, then cause dry hits. Sometimes simultaneously.

 

[Shadav]

not sure what all you've read about isticks???? And replaceable batteries are dangerous...make sure to read up on safety first before buying one even a regulated mod with a replaceable battery is dangerous....

eh, i'm sure badittude made one somewhere or was it occy? i'll have to see if i can find it with the new forum software....as i said they are considered old school and out dated....i mean that's not much to know, you get ya a bridgless atty (or even bridged, some people don't care either way, it's all personal taste), drop 3 to 5 drops in and vape until dry hit...if you don't like what you are vaping just blow the juice out, give it a good shake, maybe dry burn real quick and start again

sorry that took some digging....here's the blog that the ocelot posted about dripping
Drip, Drip, Drip - The Sound of Dripping

 

[Shadav]

Nautilis Mini. I hated the protank 2 & 3 - their sole purpose in life was to leak, then cause dry hits. Sometimes simultaneously.

lol i understand that one....but i have to admit with the airflow control vavle and the new vertical coils, i'm in love with my protanks again....the flavor is almost on par with my dripper....

 

[snickiton]

not sure what all you've read about isticks???? And replaceable batteries are dangerous...make sure to read up on safety first before buying one even a regulated mod with a replaceable battery is dangerous....
<snip>
sorry that took some digging....here's the blog that the ocelot posted about dripping
Drip, Drip, Drip - The Sound of Dripping

I've read about issues with the iSticks autofiring, starting fires, display breaking, etc. Seems like the QC is poor on them. I'm going to try and just work with the batteries I have for now.

Thank you for the blog post! That's what I was looking for with pictures I've done several searches but most of the posts were old with dead links.

I'll look into all the recommendations. Much obliged.

 

[philoshop]

Welcome to ECF snickiton! And congratulations on making the switch!
The ET-S tanks are glass, very affordable, and work quite well. If you don't like the flavor that you're trying, put that coil in a zip-lock bag and write the juice flavor on the bag for future use. Rinse out the tank, pop in a new coil, and try again. You may find that going back to that old flavor works for you at a later date. If not, you're out the 2 bucks.
Finding the juice that works for you is the biggest part of getting started. It's going to cost you a bit.

Contrary to many here I'm a firm believer in keeping it simple at the start. Once you find a juice that you enjoy you can invest a few bucks in something like a nautilus tank that becomes your go-to vape to keep you away from the smokes. A new battery/power set-up will quickly be necessary so that you can get through a day without having to think about switching batteries. A simple MVP2 can be had for under 40 bucks and it won't let you down as far as durability and battery life. Don't get too hung up on the power thing. Plenty of us are perfectly happy at 10 watts or less. (See the "Tootle Puffer" thread)

You'll probably do all of this in the next month as you get things sorted out, and it might actually cost you as much as the smokes did. Once you get to a happy smoke-free place the costs will drop tremendously. Trust me, I've been through it.
Best of luck to you.

 

[saintaylan]

I switched to vaping about a month ago. Picked up a starter kit at my local B&M and started lurking here and on Reddit. I'm still overwhelmed by how much there is to learn. I have so many questions.

The starter kit was the only one they had. Came with 2 Innokin 650 eGo batteries, 2 iClear 16 single coils (disposable kind), and a charger. I got three of their house juices (pricey but good). Two tobaccos and a menthol vanilla. After the first few days I realized I didn't enjoy the tobaccos much.

Read some more and knew I would eventually want a better setup with a bigger battery and a glass tank. I can't see myself building coils or any of that, so I wanted something inexpensive but durable. Back to the vape shop and they sold me an iStick mini 10w (don't laugh) and an Aspire ET-S bvc with a 5 pack of coils. I wanted to buy more juice because I'm not happy with what I have, but their bottles are $12/15 ml and couldn't justify the expense. So next I ordered a bunch of samples from Vape Wild.

My latest purchase is an eGo One XL. It should be here Monday. I'm still planning on ordering more coils (once I figure out which one I like) and a subtank nano. I'm a little bummed about how much money I've sunk into this already. I'm hoping this will be my main setup I stay with for a while.

I've learned that I tend to rotate through various flavors in the plastic clearos throughout the day. The glass tank has been used for likely tank crackers but since it's bigger I haven't switched flavors much. Battery life on the iStick isn't great. I want more glass tanks so I can still have variety without the worry. I vape mostly in the car and after the kids go to sleep. Portability and a modicum of stealth is important to me. I'm much more interested in flavor than clouds.

So a couple questions:

1. What's a good inexpensive pyrex tank that will work with my eGo batteries? There are fixed not variable. They are convenient and easy to carry and use in the car so I plan to continue using them until they die.
2. Is there a way to try different flavors/drip without rebuilding? Is that what bridgeless attys are for? I never see anyone post about them anymore. Is there another alternative for a new user?

Thanks so much for reading!

Hi ,
I think you made a right decision to buy a ego one XL. I do not know but it cant be so difficult to use ego xl for you daily basis.It is so compact to carry with you everywhere.I could suggest you to buy a iclear for your eGo batteries but you already have purchased them.

So i think you have to make a decision whether you want a stealth vape like using iclears etc. or more comfortable vaping like ego one XL.

You have all the things to choose for starter. Also subtank nano can match nicely with ego one battery.

 

[dmwalker24]

As many others have said the protank line and the aerotank mini are both perfectly fine. I get really great flavor from my aspire nautilus with the BVC's (bottom vertical coils), although the lack of airflow no longer gets the job done for me. Used to be a huge fan of EVOD's way back. I rebuilt the coil heads and the small tank size was good because I like to change flavors often. You're really only limited by what the battery can handle. The vaping world is all about subtanks atm. There are still quite a few good options available though.

On the subject of flavor testing... I keep a few 510 attys around for dripping when I try a new juice vendor. They can be cleaned out with greater or lesser success. I'm sure there are threads on the forum about it.

In the future if you do decide to rebuild... I'm currently using the Subtank rebuildable deck and building higher resistance coils (~1 Ohm) which extends battery life and juice. It's just so easy to build on. A few wraps on a drill bit, tighten two screws, insert cotton, and vape away.