New to vaping, bought a blu starter kit from walgreens, encountering difficulties.

[shulginstestsubject]

Okay, so the first time I tried vaping, I had purchased a blu disposable e-cigarette and loved it. The cartridge lasted 2 days, the draw/pull/nicotine(24 mg cartridge) delivery was nice and consistent and it motivated me to look into vaping. I didn't do much research and had decided to purchase the blu starter kit from walgreens. These e-cigs are a bit different (16 mg nicotine cartridge might be an important detail). Once the batteries are charged and the cartridge is screwed on, the first ten puffs are wonderful, but following those first few puffs, I encounter some manner of difficulty and inconsistency. I don't know exactly what "happens" but I can describe my experience to you. Basically I feel like I need to "pull" unnaturally hard to draw the vapor from the e-cigarette. Either that, or I give the e-cigarette an unusually "shallow and long" pull to sort of let the atomizer start sizzling, then once I feel a tickle in the back of my throat, I'll then proceed to inhale. Also, I feel like I need to puff on it a couple times to sort of "rev" up the atomizer before it gets going. I'll know when it's working when I hear a sort of "crackling" within the e-cigarette. Also, I encounter some difficulty when the cartridge is running low. What happens is that I'm in some sort of mental debate regarding whether or not my brain is receiving the nicotine that it's expecting from the drags I'm taking, it's mad disparity at this point and it makes me question my decision to devote myself to vaping. There is still vapor at this point, but each draw becomes increasingly difficult and utterly unsatisfying. It is at this point that I proceed to switch out the cartridge as soon as possible. I just wish it would work EXACTLY the way the disposable blu e-cig worked. Any comments, suggestions, advice will be greatly appreciated, thank you.

And also, sometimes I'll have a relatively new cartridge and a fully charged battery and there will be NO vapor. I'll pull as hard as I can and as softly as I can and for as long as I can, but I just won't be able to get a decent drag out of it. For me, e-cigarettes need to be completely dependable in every circumstance, or else what's the point?

 

[Retriever]

The disposables, and the Blu, in particular, don't get good reviews. If you want to stay with a slim ecig, you may want to check out Vapor 4 Life, Smokelessimage, or Elite Vaporworks. I think you will be amazed at the difference. There are, of course, other ecigs you could check out called "mods", but you will need to let us know what you like and what you don't about the form factor (slim like a traditional cig, or more battery life, more throat hit, etc.).. welcome to ECF! Ask any questions you may have - glad you are here!

Vapor4Life

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Elite Vaporworks Home

 

[Iusedtoanalog]

Well shu, let me start by saying welcome to the ECF... you have figured out the "primer puff" to acheive the better vapor from the auto batts... the down side is that you have low mg nicotine. Since you are recently leaving smoking you should consider upping your dosage to get that nic that you are missing out on with the lower strength. Most vapers that i know start between 24&30mg nicotine eliquid, if you can you should take a look at the forum suppliers and order up some eliquid so you can get those units tocked up with something with a bit more of an "oompf".... for now while you have 16mg liquid if you stick with it until you liquid arrive it will be so much more enjoyable. Also theres a section dedicated to Blu here on the ecf. They will have plenty of info on how to empty/fill the cartomizers if you choose to keep at it with the blu brand. Good Luck. Happy Vaping.

 

[jdiulus]

I have been a blu user for several weeks. Honestly the only thing I like about Blu is the flavor (which doesnt last long)! I have experienced a lot of inconsistency with their cartomizers. Out of the box they're pretty good (usually) but it just doesn't seem to last long. I go through their caromizers like crazy. I go through a 5pk every 2 days and I am paying $16 for a 5pk. It is costing me about the same exact price as Analogs did.

My advice is search for a different product! There are a lot of great products out there! I just purchased unit called a Kgo, which is much bigger than the blu and is far superior in every way. Look at like this, you will always have your blu to fall back on just in case or you could return it all together because they do have a 30 day guarantee.

Good Luck!

 

[TheSneakerHoarder]

The disposables, and the Blu, in particular, don't get good reviews. If you want to stay with a slim ecig, you may want to check out Vapor 4 Life, Smokelessimage, or Elite Vaporworks. I think you will be amazed at the difference. There are, of course, other ecigs you could check out called "mods", but you will need to let us know what you like and what you don't about the form factor (slim like a traditional cig, or more battery life, more throat hit, etc.).. welcome to ECF! Ask any questions you may have - glad you are here!

Vapor4Life

Smokeless Image | Only The Best Electronic Cigarette | Electronic Cigarettes | Wholesale Electronic Cigarettes | E-Cigarette | Best Electronic Cigarette | Electronic Cigarette

Elite Vaporworks Home

A_better_mod_is_in_order...at_least_in_my_case_an_upgrade_was_needed_within_a_week.

 

[stahrman]

I just started vaping about 2 weeks ago. I bought a blu premium 100 kit. Very nice! Worked very well for me.....and the flavors are great.....especially the peach schnaps and pinacolada!! Battery time just didn't seem to last long enough for me and the switching of batts were getting annoying..lol. So I ended up selling the kit to a freind at work and bought a Firebrand Diablo Falcon kit....WOW.....krazy vapor!! So far the batts seem to last me 3-4 days before recharging them. The blu cartos work on my diablo too!!! As far as the blu's, just take slow long drags on them and you should get plenty of vapor.....worked well for me.

 

[dragonriot]

I also started on a Blu, and it didn't last very long for me from the get-go. I shared those things with ALL my friends, getting all the smokers to try vaping, and a few of them enjoyed it, and everyone thought it was cool, but it was just not a good enough replacement for analogs. My gf at the time was using a Joye 510 with an extended battery, and she had mint juice, which I got totally addicted to. I bought a Joye 510 kit and never looked back. After a while, the Joye wasn't enough for me, and I was still smoking 1-2 cigarettes a day, so my neighbor gave me his eGo battery, which I continued using with my 510 Atty's. After I lost that eGo, I started smoking analogs again. A few days ago, I built a box mod that you can find on this site called The Puck, and ordered a Silver Bullet. I haven't smoked in 3 days. =) I'm feelin fine.

So in short, Blu is a great way to start, and you can just pass it along to a friend who smokes so they can get that fresh start like you did. If you don't want a hand cannon or a box, the Joye 510s are a great manual e-cig, and the eGo (original) is a great upgrade from it until you feel like you want to buy a big mod. Best part of the eGo is it has a safety power switch, just hit the switch 5 times in less than 2 seconds, and you'll cut off the power so you won't have any pocket firing, which burns atty's and your pocket...

 

[NeoLythic]

Congrats on making the switch! Lots of knowledgeable folks here (Lord knows they've help me a LOT) so ask away if you have questions.

I started (successfuly) on the Greensmartliving e-cigs, and still fall back on those from time to time. They make a decent backup when I'm grumpy with my ego-T lol.

If you check out their website they have a list of distributors and there may be one in your area.

 

[kingu]

I'm a brand new e-cig smoker and I've experienced some of the issues you're having with your kit.

My first suggestion is to order some e-juice from one of the vendors on here (and it's been shocking how fast things have been delivered...) I use a 21st Century e-cigarette. It was purchased mostly just to stop smoking in the car on the way to and from work. The first day, I chopped my smoking habit in half. Right now, I'm smoking about a quarter of the analogs I used to, and I'm pretty satisfied with that. Had I been smoking retail analogs, I probably would have switched completely by now, but I custom make my own cigarettes with a favored blend of tobaccos which I especially like, so kicking completely is going to be hard for me.

Anyway, rambling - back to your issues. I've found that pre-packaged cartomizers in chain stores are hit or miss as to the amount of liquid in them. Yes, they're in cartomizer condoms and in a sealed package, but odds are they were loaded over a year before you're trying them. The second day I had my e-cigarette, I picked up some juice from a local shop, and I've since ordered from the various vendors on here (Vermillion River might end up breaking me...) Refilling the cartomizers is easy (there's tons of videos on youtube to see how it is done) and even with a fresh cartomizer, I'll add a few drops of my favorite juice (presently the Kentucky Cherrywood) to the cartridge and I've not had any more issues like you've had with lack of vapor or cartridges lasting a very short time.

I also bought a second kit from the store (they were $39.95) so I'd have two chargers and four batteries. A constant theme around here is 'have backups for your backups' - I keep a charger at work, and a charger at home. Another tip that seems to work well for me is to use those cartomizer condoms on the ends of the e-cigarette you keep as a spare to keep it from drying out. (it's also helped on the occasional dropping of the e-cigarette, silicon bounces.)

I'm eager to get in some of the variations out there, but that first trick, of refilling the cartomizers, drastically changed my experience for the better.

 

[hmlessalky]

Kingu, I am on the same path as you. My 21st has held up pretty well through a day (I haven't actually killed the battery yet), but I was not happy with the flavor. Tasted like a stale partially smoked cig. I ordered juice from Chi-Town Vapers (no clue how good or bad thy may actually be), but they were delivered quick and gave me a whole new outlook on vaping. Without cleaning, or even emptying a cart, I added fluid to fill it up (2 days of partial use), and it instantly improved the experience. I can't wait to clean a cart and start fresh (but I am a cheapskate and refuse to waste any nicotine). My kits were 20, but only had one batt, a charger and 2 carts, but I figure with filling they should get me started and last me for a bit. Plus, my 'cold turkey' quitting wife started using one to stop from being a royal P.I.T.A. We will see how it goes. I read a lot of good reviews on the Blu, but I went with the impulse buy and am pretty happy so far. Good luck to all!

 

[Kay1959]

Well, here's another one who started off using the Blu. Here's a link the the ECF review mentioned above.
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...197-blu-cig-review-first-kit-i-purchased.html

My bateries didn't last long enough to get me through A cup of coffee in the mornings. Whatever type of ecig you end up going with, be sure it has a manual battery instead of an automatic. Yes, they are alittle bigger, but the payoff of having them last ALOT longer more than makes up for it!! You have to press a button when you inhale, which took me about 5 secs to get used to.
I went from the Blu to the eGo after about 2 weeks. Keep looking until you find your 'sweet spot' you won't regret the effert!

 

[bigtiime]

Welcome to ECF guys. Retriever is correct. Up your game a bit and buy a quality product.

 

[thatick]

from my newbie experience, i would say go with the KGO for hoosierecigsupply. It is such a big difference from the blu, and is not overly complicated at all.

 

[tj99959]

The Blu is pretty low end, and the kits worse than their disposable. That said, if they get you off cigarettes, I guess they are pretty good.

You will be best served by learning how an e-cig works, and the many ways one can be made to work. A little home work will save you from spending a lot of money needlessly.
Just keep in mind that everyone has their favorites, and they may or may not be what you will like.

 

[Butters78]

I hate that a friend from work purchased a Blu. I told her and her fiance that I was doing a lot of research and ill let them know. I already ordered the kgo and was going to show them but she was still dead set on the blu because you can buy cartridges at the supermarket. I'm waiting for when they get tired of it.

 

[wv2win]

..........So I ended up selling the kit to a freind at work and bought a Firebrand Diablo Falcon kit....WOW.....krazy vapor!! So far the batts seem to last me 3-4 days before recharging them. The blu cartos work on my diablo too!!! As far as the blu's, just take slow long drags on them and you should get plenty of vapor.....worked well for me.

That is nothing more than a rebranded eGo model. The ONLY way you can get 3 -4 days on a charge is if you are one of the lightest smokers in the country (1 - 2 a day). At most it is a 1000 mAh battery but probably no more than 650 mAh. For the average smoker/vaper, 100 mAh = 1 hour of light to moderate vaping. So depending on the size of the battery 6 -9 hours, not 3 - 4 days.

 

[shulginstestsubject]

Yeah, basically what I'm looking for in an e-cigarette is this: It needs to be cost effective, it needs to be dependable (in terms of delivering nicotine when I need it- I'm finding my blu e-cig to be less and less dependable everyday due to the short battery life and the inconsistency of the quality of the vapor), the vapor should be easy to draw from the e-cigarette, the batteries should last at least a whole day, and one shouldn't have to bother fiddling with cartridges and batteries more than once per day ( I find with blue, I am constantly switching out batteries and cartridges), and I'd prefer being able to buy it from a retail outlet store that I can drive to, but I can be open to ordering it through the internet. Thank you to everyone who responded so quickly! Great advice.

 

[wv2win]

Yeah, basically what I'm looking for in an e-cigarette is this: It needs to be cost effective, it needs to be dependable (in terms of delivering nicotine when I need it- I'm finding my blu e-cig to be less and less dependable everyday due to the short battery life and the inconsistency of the quality of the vapor), the vapor should be easy to draw from the e-cigarette, the batteries should last at least a whole day, and one shouldn't have to bother fiddling with cartridges and batteries more than once per day ( I find with blue, I am constantly switching out batteries and cartridges), and I'd prefer being able to buy it from a retail outlet store that I can drive to, but I can be open to ordering it through the internet. Thank you to everyone who responded so quickly! Great advice.

Based on your comments and assuming you don't want to invest yet in the higher end models that will get you around 21+ hours on a charge, I would suggest you look at these models with manual batteries (better/safer than autos) that will provide you 5 - 6 hours on a charge and are about the size of a sharpie pen. Plus they are higher volt and higher mAh batteries than the eGo. Here are several reputable suppliers for the Kgo, E-Power and Riva:

Electronic Cigarette - Starter Kits - EGO E-Power

KGO 1100 mAh 2 battery kit

http://crystalclearvaping.3dcartsto...d-30ml-juice-Free-priority-shipping_p_58.html

e-Power

 

[shulginstestsubject]

Also, since I've been smoking my Blu, my front teeth have some black stains on them. Anyone else experience this? If so, do you think it's due to the black mouthpeice rubbing against my teeth? Or is it the vapor? Also, when one purchases an e-cigarette that has seperate cartridges and atomizers, how often does the atomizer need to be replaced? How easy is it to refill a cartridge? Is it still cost effective? Are there any higher end electronic cigarettes that use cartomizers?

 

[shulginstestsubject]

Based on your comments and assuming you don't want to invest yet in the higher end models that will get you around 21+ hours on a charge, I would suggest you look at these models with manual batteries (better/safer than autos) that will provide you 5 - 6 hours on a charge and are about the size of a sharpie pen. Plus they are higher volt and higher mAh batteries than the eGo. Here are several reputable suppliers for the Kgo, E-Power and Riva:

Electronic Cigarette - Starter Kits - EGO E-Power

KGO 1100 mAh 2 battery kit

Crystal Clear Vaping

e-Power

I took a look at your suggestions and I like the EGO E-Power - 3.7v Kit. Is it automatic or regular (is there a button?) ? How long do the batteries last? Can one just use cartomizers instead of buying separate liquid and atomizers? (Side question, which method is more effective/ easier to learn and use?; Cartomizers or buying separate atomizers and juice?) Also, I'm looking about the website and I'm having difficulty finding which cartomizers I'd have to buy for this one. Is this a dependable e-cigarette that I can count on to deliver nicotine when I need it? Thanks for all your help!