New to E-Cigs

[bobjones]

Hello all,
I'm pretty new to e-cigs. I've smoked heavily for several years and I've grown tired of the smell and the number it does on my lungs. I'm interested in trying vaping as a replacement for cigarettes. I've done some research and lurked for a bit on this forum and this seems to be the best knowledge base available on the subject. So I have come to ask for advice as a noob.

I've tried a couple of Blu disposables and they were ok and kept me off the cigs for a few hours but they didn't last as long as I would have hoped. I'm wondering what you think would make a good starter e-cig for me. I want something that's portable and rechargeable on the go but can still provide a better throat hit than the disposables I've been trying.

I'm also hoping you all can point me to a reputable and convenient online supplier.

So far from my googling, the Blu premium 100 kit seems like a good intersection between reputable supplier and convenience (since refills are available at local gas stations) but the $90 price tag is pretty off-putting for an unknown quantity. I've noticed that Blu seems to have something of a bad reputation around here so I'm interested in your thoughts.

Thanks,
Bobby

 

[Mountain_Rain96]

I started out with Blu, and they are...well, there's no nice way to put this...a waste of money. If you must have a cigalike, Jetcigs are compatible with Blu, for far less money. Seriously, though, I wish I had started out with an eGo starter kit, a bottle of my own juice, and clearomizers. You get far more for your money, 1100mah batteries will last all day, and a typical setup actually costs LESS, in most cases, than cigalike starter kits. Far more satisfying vape, as well. If you're interested in eGo setups, by chance, Cuecig has OUTSTANDING prices on eGo starter kits, and e-liquid. They're one of three vendors I do regular business with. But welcome to the forums, always glad to see new faces.

 

[Aceman12]

I bought the vision ego-t starter kit from madvapes. $60 shipped I recall. It comes with 2 egos and 2 vision tank minis. They last 10 hours each and take 2 hours to charge. They are way better than the disposables. I have used madvapes a lot. They are fast shipping and good prices. I ordered some stuff from myfreedomsmokes.com as well. Awesome prices on vivi nova tanks. I've been using rawr vapor for juice. They aren't super fast but great juice and decent price. And blu is not any good and its owned by Newport. I wouldn't give them my money.

 

[klynnn]

The biggest problem new vapers have is they want something that looks exactly like a cigarette. The problem is that they use prefilled cartos which become extremely expensive in the long run. The batteries last roughly 3 hours then need to be recharged. If you can look beyond that to something that is a little bit bigger you can make a better decision. There are so many choices take your time and read some of the threads before you decide. Welcome.

 

[Talyon]

Hi and Welcome to ECF mate.

I suggest a couple ego-c twists or spinners.
A couple of vision vivi nova clearos.
A wall charger.
Juice strength depends on your needs. And flavor also the same.
There's many suppliers who carry the above at good prices most starter kits are around the 50-80 buck range

GL and Congrats on trying to give up the stinkys.

 

[Keith C]

I had to go there before i got here. I wasted so much money on BLU and pencil size batteries, but I'm not sure i would be here if i hadn't gone there. The most useful batteries i have now are eGo C twist, with kanger evod bcc tanks, but this requires buying e-juice and filling. not that its hard to do. What ever you decide to do, just dont give up. I quit after over 30 years of a pack to a pack and a half a day.

 

[fabricator4]

Many of us started with some type of cigalike, but we've moved on. There's cheap VV (variable voltage) batteries like the Ego-C twist and the spinner, and if you search around you will find kits with these in them. The fact is though you should be able to buy them just as cheap or maybe cheaper on their own. Have a look at this thread for some of the arguments.

With the bigger battery you really don't need the recharging pack (PCC) and extra batteries as one 1100mAh twist battery will last you all day. These days I just go to work with the twist and a few tanks or clearos in my pocket. If I know I'm going to be home really late I'll take the extra twist battery with me, but it's hardly ever required.

 

[klynnn]

While looking at the different links notice the mah of the batteries advertised. 100mah equals about 1 hour of vape time so you want a high mah. 1100 mah will last almost all day.

 

[bobjones]

Wow, thanks for your quick replies.

klynnn: I'm not sold on cig form factor, though as a programmer I do spend a lot of time with a cig in my lips while both my hands are occupied on the keyboard. But I understand that the weight of any kind of battery will not allow this so it's not a big deal. What's more important is if I can carry it easily when I go out for an evening.

Talyon: I'm not entirely sure what twists/spinners are. can you link me to a resource that explains them for noobs like me?

Thanks,
Bobby

 

[mvaldez1783]

I have to agree with mostly everyone on this forum. Pick yourself up an ego twist a small carto tank and clearomizer and your good to go.

 

[klynnn]

http://www.myvaporstore.com/Vision_Spinner_Joye_Ego_C_Twist_Combo_p/vvs-c.htm

 

[bobjones]

klynnn: Thanks for the current draw numbers. That will definitely help me evaluate the battery possibilities.

 

[klynnn]

It is amazing how quick you get used to the bigger batteries and the push button manual ones. I would never go back to cigs.

 

[Hammer-Vaile]

Agreed that ego is the way to go. I smoked 2 1/2 pks day for over 25 years, and haven't smoked in over 6 months. I actually used the ego C's with the tanks you get in some kits. Since I like to change flavors often, this worked perfectly for me. I ordered mine from Cignot, and sample liquids from Halo. I did not prefer the twist battery (you can adjust the voltage up or down) since it made the battery so long. I used the low resistance atomizers, so it did not seem necessary (IMO). The 1100 Mah worked well for me. Good luck!

 

[bobjones]

The tank models allow easier refilling, right?
Something else I would like is to not be left stranded while waiting on a shipment if I run out of fluid/carts. So would a 510 compatible model be a better bet than other models

 

[klynnn]

510 is the only way to go. You can find suppliers just about anywhere. 808 is limiting.

 

[fabricator4]

The tank models allow easier refilling, right?
Something else I would like is to not be left stranded while waiting on a shipment if I run out of fluid/carts. So would a 510 compatible model be a better bet than other models

Tanks are easier to fill, yes. The CE4 style are a little harder because they have the tapered top to the glass, so the space available for adding juice is small. I prefer to use a needle bottle with this. With the vivi nova and vivi nova mini the tube is straight so have a wider gap to add juice - you can easily just use a drop bottle to fill these.

Both the recommended twist and spinner batteries will take any 510 carto, so no problems. You'll find you'll soon have a surplus of juice though, and will get the hang of ordering your favourites in plenty of time. If I got in a real bind though, I've got about 5 bottles (nearly 150ml) of less favourite juice I could use after only one month vaping. You won't like all of the juice you buy, but most of it is vapable in a tight pinch. Try lots of different flavours - it's good to experiment until you find out what you like. Your tastes will change over time, possibly quicker than you expect. In about two weeks when your second juice order arrives you won't be having any more juice anxieties. ;-)

 

[klynnn]

I do not recommend a ce4, they are disposable and a pita to clean. The ce5 can be taken apart and has replaceable coils. The vivi nova is one of my favorites as long as made by vision.

 

[bobjones]

So from what I can tell, the best investment for me is an ego tank system.

On slightly related note, how long do atomizers last? It seems like they are basically just small ohm resistors wired between the positive and negative terminals on the battery to provide heat. Do they behave like fuses and burn out after exceptional current draw or is there something I'm missing?

 

[fabricator4]

So from what I can tell, the best investment for me is an ego tank system.

Try a few different ones and see. As mentioned the CE5 is better as you can just replace the coil heads instead of the whole tank.

On slightly related note, how long do atomizers last? It seems like they are basically just small ohm resistors wired between the positive and negative terminals on the battery to provide heat. Do they behave like fuses and burn out after exceptional current draw or is there something I'm missing?

The coils can burn out, but most people find they last for weeks or even months. What you will find though, after a few days of use (say 10-15ml of a lighter juice) the coils get caked with residue and need to be cleaned. This normally requires boiling them or washing in hot water, and dry burning them to turn the deposits into ash. I like to boil to remove all traces of juice, air dry, dry burn to turn the deposits into ash, then boil again to remove all trace of the ash.

You might prefer to just replace the coil heads instead of cleaning. They are not too expensive, so that is up to you. It might depend on what juice you prefer as well - a heavy thick juice especially ones containing caramel or other sugars will start to block up after only a few ml.