This is going to be a bit long, but hopefully it will help a lot of new (or potential vapers) out by relaying my experience with my transition from regular cigarettes to e-Cigs. I also want to clarify that I am in no way affiliated with Reos Mods and am doing this purely of my own free will. The Reo Grand is my first, and only venture into the eCigarette world.
At first, it is very overwhelming trying to understand everything. I am the type that would rather spend the time up front to figure out what will work for me in the long run, than to get frustrated with cheap, ineffective junk that would just turn me back to analogs (regular cigarettes) and drop the whole eCig idea.
I'm not one that constantly likes to fiddle with things. I want a good, lasting solution that takes the least amount of maintenance, as I do not live my life to smoke/vape...it is a hobby/habit that fills some time between the rest of my life.
I took a look at *tons* of pen style eCigs and starter kits, some of them even ranging in the sub $50 range, but like most things in life, you get what you pay for. After reading about the problems with a lot of them (not all mind you), I realized they did not fit my criteria. So I found this forum and started asking questions...lots of them. After getting the answers I was looking for, I decided it was best to outline my requirements and start researching form there. My requirements were:
1) Something durable, reliable and long lasting
2) Something I did not have to constantly refill or buy disposable cartridges for
3) Something that had a decent (at least one, preferably two) day battery life
After posting questions about these requirements, someone pointed me towards a Reos Mod. So I began to investigate. Did it fill my requirements?
1) Yes, no question about the durability and reliability. While certain mishaps are a remote possibility (atty/carto shorting, battery going bad, etc) these exist in every eCig I looked at, usually at a much higher rate. The Mod is tough enough that I am not the slightest bit worried about dropping or even stepping on it. Since it is entirely mechanical, there are no electronic parts to go bad.
2) Yes, with a 6ml bottle I can easily vape for 3, sometimes 4 days before I have to refill (I used to smoke 1/2 pack a day as a comparison).
3) Yes. There are a number of batteries that will work with the Grand (so I am told), but I stuck with the AW IMR 18650's (1600mAH) and get at least a day and a half, sometimes 2 before I have to swap in a recharged battery. I am thinking of buying some of the new 2000 mAH, just to have backups (I'm all about backups!)
I also read a lot of the posts in the Reos Mods forum and everyone seemed very happy with their choice (Grand, Mini or Woodvill) and I cannot recall a single post about someone who was dissatisfied. I also saw a lot of support from Rob, the designer/maker of the product (which I put a very high value in).
So I decided to spend the $139 for a silver Reo Grand with a blue door (nicknamed him R2D2).
Now what else did I need? Well I needed batteries, so I bought 2 of the recommended AW IMR 18650s, an UltraFire WF-188 charger from Super T manufacturing.
I also needed either an atomizer or cartomizer as well as the actual nicotine juice. It was recommended that I start with a cartomizer, as they were supposedly easier to learn, but that I would want to get a couple of atomizers as those were better in the long run. So I bought some of the CCV Resurrectors from Crystal Clear Vaping (15 for $21.50). I also bought some 510 Atomizers from a local shop (more on this later).
Last I bought a few sample packs of juice from some of the various vendors on the forum here... QuickNic, Mister eJuice, Gourmet Vapor and Vapor God. Everyone's taste is going to be different, so you are on your own here. I suggest to just keep buying small sample packs until you find what you like. Once you know what you like, then buy a big bottle (I bought 250ml) when a vendor is having a sale.
So how did this all work out?
Well, to summarize, I am extremely happy and will never go back to analogs. The Reo Grand was the right choice for me. It fit all of my criteria during research and has continued to fit those criteria to date. I admit I have only had little R2D2 for a month now, but based on how it has performed so far, I feel confident it will easily last for years to come.
In detail, of course there are things to work out, things to get used to and I came to understand these quickly and easily, as the whole setup worked flawlessly.
After receiving the REO Grand and all the other parts, I charged the batteries, screwed on a CCV Ressurector cartomizer (which came with a free drip tip, which is a mouth piece to fit on top of the cartomizer) and dripped about 20 drops of one of the sample bottles into the cartomizer (with drip tip still off so I could rotate the catomizer as I dripped for an even filling). I didn't use the bottle at first, because I was going to save it for filling with the one juice I liked the most.
So I hit the trigger and inhaled. It had a slightly chemical taste, so I knew I needed to wait a few more minutes for the juice to saturate the cartomizer. After 5 more minutes, I took another drag and WOW...this thing not only really works, but it works GOOD! I was really surprised!
In retrospect, after all the research I had done and great support with answering my questions from the forum, I probably shouldn't have been so surprised...but it sure was nice
So I tried all of the flavors, each in a new cartomizer (they are pretty cheap after all) and finally settled on watermelon as my favorite, with wintergreen as a close second. So I bought a big bottle from a big bottle from a vendor, filled the 6ml bottle and easily learned how to squench (or press) the bottle, through the mod Hole) until I can barely see the juice flowing into the well of the Reo Grand. This will give me 4-5 good draws, then I squench again. Pure vaping utopia!
I eventually did try the 510 atomizers, and used them for a couple of weeks, but I went back to the cartomizers. I did this because the atomizers always seem to have a tighter draw than the cartomizers. I don't know if this is just due to the particular brands of atomizers and cartomizers I bought, but the CCV Resurrectors work well for me and are pretty cheap at $1.43 each. I did try cleaning out the atomizers, but it just wasn't the same. The Cartomizers do start to clog up after a week or so, but I toss it and grab a new one. Eventually, I may try some other brands of atomizers due to their reported longevity, but for now I am happy with cartos.
So all in all, I have had an excellent transition from analog cigarettes to eCigarettes, after doing some research and the very helpful nature of the wonderful community here.
If you have similar requirements as I do, and do not want to keep fiddling with cheap chinese products that need requent refilling, recharging and replacing, I HIGHLY suggest looking into one of the REO mods. The initial price is a bit steeper, but you will save in the long run (probably after 6 months or so) both in your pocketbook and patience.
If you are new to eCigarettes or have a new user Reos Grand question, feel free to message me for more details on my experience, but I highly suggest just posting here. There is a *lot* more cumulative experience and good natured members of the forum that can all chime in!
Happy Vaping!!
At first, it is very overwhelming trying to understand everything. I am the type that would rather spend the time up front to figure out what will work for me in the long run, than to get frustrated with cheap, ineffective junk that would just turn me back to analogs (regular cigarettes) and drop the whole eCig idea.
I'm not one that constantly likes to fiddle with things. I want a good, lasting solution that takes the least amount of maintenance, as I do not live my life to smoke/vape...it is a hobby/habit that fills some time between the rest of my life.
I took a look at *tons* of pen style eCigs and starter kits, some of them even ranging in the sub $50 range, but like most things in life, you get what you pay for. After reading about the problems with a lot of them (not all mind you), I realized they did not fit my criteria. So I found this forum and started asking questions...lots of them. After getting the answers I was looking for, I decided it was best to outline my requirements and start researching form there. My requirements were:
1) Something durable, reliable and long lasting
2) Something I did not have to constantly refill or buy disposable cartridges for
3) Something that had a decent (at least one, preferably two) day battery life
After posting questions about these requirements, someone pointed me towards a Reos Mod. So I began to investigate. Did it fill my requirements?
1) Yes, no question about the durability and reliability. While certain mishaps are a remote possibility (atty/carto shorting, battery going bad, etc) these exist in every eCig I looked at, usually at a much higher rate. The Mod is tough enough that I am not the slightest bit worried about dropping or even stepping on it. Since it is entirely mechanical, there are no electronic parts to go bad.
2) Yes, with a 6ml bottle I can easily vape for 3, sometimes 4 days before I have to refill (I used to smoke 1/2 pack a day as a comparison).
3) Yes. There are a number of batteries that will work with the Grand (so I am told), but I stuck with the AW IMR 18650's (1600mAH) and get at least a day and a half, sometimes 2 before I have to swap in a recharged battery. I am thinking of buying some of the new 2000 mAH, just to have backups (I'm all about backups!)
I also read a lot of the posts in the Reos Mods forum and everyone seemed very happy with their choice (Grand, Mini or Woodvill) and I cannot recall a single post about someone who was dissatisfied. I also saw a lot of support from Rob, the designer/maker of the product (which I put a very high value in).
So I decided to spend the $139 for a silver Reo Grand with a blue door (nicknamed him R2D2).
Now what else did I need? Well I needed batteries, so I bought 2 of the recommended AW IMR 18650s, an UltraFire WF-188 charger from Super T manufacturing.
I also needed either an atomizer or cartomizer as well as the actual nicotine juice. It was recommended that I start with a cartomizer, as they were supposedly easier to learn, but that I would want to get a couple of atomizers as those were better in the long run. So I bought some of the CCV Resurrectors from Crystal Clear Vaping (15 for $21.50). I also bought some 510 Atomizers from a local shop (more on this later).
Last I bought a few sample packs of juice from some of the various vendors on the forum here... QuickNic, Mister eJuice, Gourmet Vapor and Vapor God. Everyone's taste is going to be different, so you are on your own here. I suggest to just keep buying small sample packs until you find what you like. Once you know what you like, then buy a big bottle (I bought 250ml) when a vendor is having a sale.
So how did this all work out?
Well, to summarize, I am extremely happy and will never go back to analogs. The Reo Grand was the right choice for me. It fit all of my criteria during research and has continued to fit those criteria to date. I admit I have only had little R2D2 for a month now, but based on how it has performed so far, I feel confident it will easily last for years to come.
In detail, of course there are things to work out, things to get used to and I came to understand these quickly and easily, as the whole setup worked flawlessly.
After receiving the REO Grand and all the other parts, I charged the batteries, screwed on a CCV Ressurector cartomizer (which came with a free drip tip, which is a mouth piece to fit on top of the cartomizer) and dripped about 20 drops of one of the sample bottles into the cartomizer (with drip tip still off so I could rotate the catomizer as I dripped for an even filling). I didn't use the bottle at first, because I was going to save it for filling with the one juice I liked the most.
So I hit the trigger and inhaled. It had a slightly chemical taste, so I knew I needed to wait a few more minutes for the juice to saturate the cartomizer. After 5 more minutes, I took another drag and WOW...this thing not only really works, but it works GOOD! I was really surprised!
In retrospect, after all the research I had done and great support with answering my questions from the forum, I probably shouldn't have been so surprised...but it sure was nice
So I tried all of the flavors, each in a new cartomizer (they are pretty cheap after all) and finally settled on watermelon as my favorite, with wintergreen as a close second. So I bought a big bottle from a big bottle from a vendor, filled the 6ml bottle and easily learned how to squench (or press) the bottle, through the mod Hole) until I can barely see the juice flowing into the well of the Reo Grand. This will give me 4-5 good draws, then I squench again. Pure vaping utopia!
I eventually did try the 510 atomizers, and used them for a couple of weeks, but I went back to the cartomizers. I did this because the atomizers always seem to have a tighter draw than the cartomizers. I don't know if this is just due to the particular brands of atomizers and cartomizers I bought, but the CCV Resurrectors work well for me and are pretty cheap at $1.43 each. I did try cleaning out the atomizers, but it just wasn't the same. The Cartomizers do start to clog up after a week or so, but I toss it and grab a new one. Eventually, I may try some other brands of atomizers due to their reported longevity, but for now I am happy with cartos.
So all in all, I have had an excellent transition from analog cigarettes to eCigarettes, after doing some research and the very helpful nature of the wonderful community here.
If you have similar requirements as I do, and do not want to keep fiddling with cheap chinese products that need requent refilling, recharging and replacing, I HIGHLY suggest looking into one of the REO mods. The initial price is a bit steeper, but you will save in the long run (probably after 6 months or so) both in your pocketbook and patience.
If you are new to eCigarettes or have a new user Reos Grand question, feel free to message me for more details on my experience, but I highly suggest just posting here. There is a *lot* more cumulative experience and good natured members of the forum that can all chime in!
Happy Vaping!!
