New user seeking suggestions....

[Casey_in_Carolina]

Hello all, I'm new to the whole e-cig thing, and looking for some suggestions. First, a little background on how I got to where I am now. I was a smoker for thirty years, the last twenty of which were non-filtered, roll your own, smokes. I've always fooled around with pipes and cigars as well, and for about six months, was smoking cigars and cigarillos exclusively, but as frequently as I had cigarettes, and still inhaling. I figured that wasn't good, and decided to look at quitting. One of our command staff was always walking around with the little glowing blue thing, so I asked him about it. He told me the Blu e-cig had helped him quit smoking, so I ordered the basic Blu kit to give it a try.

No dice going from cigars to the e-cig. So I switched to a filtered cigarette(Camel) for a couple of months to sort of step me down, and then gave it another try. I haven't had a smoke, other than the Blu, since May 30th.

It started off ok, but quickly got expensive. The little cartridges for the Blu cost about $3 each, and are supposed to equate to about a pack of cigarettes. Which was fine when they lasted a day and a half, but I find them lasting shorter and shorter times, to where I was going through three to four a day, bringing the price point up to being more expensive than regular cigarettes.

I tried purchasing some high nicotine juice from an e-cig kiosk at the mall, and refilling my own. The Blu cartridges aren't designed for refilling, but I found a video, and gave it a shot. It seems to be very hit or miss, with some cartridges now lasting hours, and others mere minutes. Probably due to the fact that they aren't designed to be refilled.

So, while I'd love to stick with the Blu set up that I have now, I just don't think it's feasible, as I'm getting frustrated being unable to get the nicotine I'm craving from it. I think I need to try something else, and am looking for suggestions on where to start with something that will give the big nicotine hit, and feel of the vapor, without burning my lips, which I end up doing with the Blu cartridges getting so hot.

I'm desperately trying not to light up again, and would appreciate any input or ideas you might have. The Blu set up started out great, but just doesn't get the job done any more.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Casey

 

[Latenite]

Hi Casey -
Friends of mine repeated your scenario almost step by step. We figured the more heavily advertised (Blu) or convenient (kiosk) the e-cig is, the worse it seems to be. We decided to do a ton of research and have some vape parties to try out new items. Most of us have the taken the 510 route - starting with the Joyetech 510 XL battery and then progressing to the Joye eGo-C or eGo-T for the bigger battery. The Joye models (watch for knockoffs - the website pic should show the logo) are solid and upgradeable - the Blu's don't seem to be able to take that next step. Several in our group eventually tossed their Blu cigs since they were getting frustrated. The 510 is closest to the Blu and I think you'll be happier.

 

[dirquist]

Well, the Blu is not really a great option. IMO none of the devices that are the same or similar size as a cigarette are all that great. Volt and Smoov both have better options than a blu and are close to cig sized.

The best options for a newb tend to be the Kgo/ego. I would get a ego twist personally along with some boge or smoketech cartos. Or a stardust tank maybe. There are a rediculous amount of options.

That said, if you are absolutely certain you will never smoke again and want a device combo that will last you for many many years to come I would get a Provari with a rebuildable atty like the Penelope. You can buy both right now and this combo is a life long one.

Also, if you are like me you could get a pipe from ePipeMods. They release every couple of weeks and can be tough to get. Personally I just love to kick back and smoke my pipe. Also they get very little attention out and about.

 

[Vapoor eyes er]

Hi, welcome to ECF and congrats on not smoking since May 30.

It started off ok, but quickly got expensive. The little cartridges for the Blu cost about $3 each, and are supposed to equate to about a pack of cigarettes. Which was fine when they lasted a day and a half, but I find them lasting shorter and shorter times, to where I was going through three to four a day, bringing the price point up to being more expensive than regular cigarettes.

A cartomizer should last at least 5 days depending on the juice you use- darker heavier VG based juices clog up the carto quicker. Blank cartos cost about $1.50 each.

without burning my lips, which I end up doing with the Blu cartridges getting so hot.

It sounds as if you maybe were chainvaping and your nic level wasn't high enough.

If you want a cig sized PV then the Volt is your best bet although unless you buy the very long Volt battery life is an issue- 808 threading- cost depends on kit purchased.
Next is the Kgo- the size of a sharpie- a true 3.7 volt PV that can be bought in either 650 mah or 1000 mah- 510 threading- kit is about $50.00
Next the Twist variable volt- 650 or 1000 mah- voltage can be adjusted- starter kit about $70.00- 510 threading.

When buying realize battery info:
100 mah= 1 hr normal vaping before recharge is needed

Juice Components
Flavoring usually about 15%
PG enhances flavor, TH and lung hit- water like
VG= vapor and can mute flavor- thick
Nicotine- TH, lung hit and our need for nicotine. The MOST important ingredient in regards to TH and lung hit.
Standards in the industry are 80/ 20 or 70/ 30 PG/ VG. I vape 70/ 30 PG/ VG.

Different delivery systems:
atomizer/ atty- an element on to which 3-4 drops of juice is dripped
cartridge/ cart- a container with sponge (filled with juice) that is used with the atty- juice drips on to atty from cart and is vaporized
cartomizer/ carto- metal tube with stuffing and element.
carto+tank- a carto with a hole punched in it. Carto is than placed in a glass, metal or plastic tank which is filled with juice- juice saturates carto by way of hole in carto.
Clearomizer- a plastic or metal tank with a wick and element. Contains NO stuffing

 

[Dean71]

Good post Vapoor! I would recomend the KGO and clearomizer. If you want to stay with cig size, then go with Smokeless Image 78 mm standard kit would be my choices, as that's what I have.

 

[Cigmund]

Well done for switching. Best ecig to start with is the Ego t but beware there is plenty of crap being sold. Best in class by far is the Biansi Ego t with long life no leak carts and replaceable wick like its more expensive cousin the imist.

 

[slipdiskk]

Well, the Blu is not really a great option. IMO none of the devices that are the same or similar size as a cigarette are all that great. Volt and Smoov both have better options than a blu and are close to cig sized.

The best options for a newb tend to be the Kgo/ego. I would get a ego twist personally along with some boge or smoketech cartos. Or a stardust tank maybe. There are a rediculous amount of options.

That said, if you are absolutely certain you will never smoke again and want a device combo that will last you for many many years to come I would get a Provari with a rebuildable atty like the Penelope. You can buy both right now and this combo is a life long one.

Also, if you are like me you could get a pipe from ePipeMods. They release every couple of weeks and can be tough to get. Personally I just love to kick back and smoke my pipe. Also they get very little attention out and about.

Good advice. I second the ego twist.

 

[Mroutlaw]

If you are looking for something the size of a cigarette then go with the smokeless image volt. The battery lasts from 2-4 hours. The cartomizers last a long time and can refilled several times and don't burn easily. It is reasonably priced with starter kits from $20 to $90. The equivalent to the blu starter kit is $65 but you can use the coupon YOURVOLT00 to save 15%. If you want to use prefilled cartos like the blu, they are about $1.50 each. But you can refill them several times for about 20 - 30cents. They also have a promo on their forum here that will give you a free bottle of juice, battery or pack of cartos just for posting a picture of yourself with your volt. They also have the best customer service in the industry and fast shipping. Here is a video that demonstrates the volt products and teaches you what you need to be successful no matter what you buy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELM4QhceR7o&feature

If you want something larger, like the size of a sharpie, a good device is the kgo. As with anything, make sure you get 2 batteries along with your delivery system. I recommend bottom coil ce3 (Phoenix) and the vivi nova.

The video also talks about the volt x2. The x2 is the same as the kgo but with 808 threads. It uses the same cartos, clearos, ce3s as the small batteries so you can interchange, I use the small battery on the road and the x2 at home.




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[Alli]

I bought a KGO from Hoosiers when I first started with ecigs. I appreciate that I can depend on the KGO to produce a good vape throughout the day. It's small enough that I can toss it into my purse or put it in my jean pocket when I am in a hurry. Brent customer service was great when I had a small problem with the charger. He took the time to answer my questions and he sent me a new charger immediately.
Recently, I upgraded to an Apollo VTube Mini. I also bought a VV Nova tank because of the advice I saw posted on ECF. I love this setup. Smoking cigarettes never tasted this good! lol This is alot of fun.

 

[martsumoto]

I recommend a mod like the provape 1 or a silver bullet + mom and pops sub tanks and regular stainless steel cartos to punch yourself. you will be enjoying your ride and cartos last longer in tanks!! at the end you will be spending less, I have enough cartos for a year now that I went this route

 

[Doctor Berger]

I have a similar situation... used No. 7's (referred by friend), and the had the same issue with the price to use ratio. So, I'm ordering a Provari mini hoping that will do the trick. Good luck!

 

[Casey_in_Carolina]

Wow! Thanks for all the responses. I have to admit though, I think that I probably understood about half of that, and I'm being generous with myself there.

At the very least, I have a lot of stuff to research now, and try to see what might fit.

As one mentioned, I am tending to chain-vape, trying, I guess, to get the nicotine hit my body is looking for. I just don't understand why it has gotten so much harder in the last two weeks. I thought it would get easier as the time went by, not harder.

I was kind of looking at the e-pipe option, thinking that those might deliver a bigger nicotine hit, as well as being better suited to a longer smoke. That's pure assumption on my part, based on smoking regular pipes. I always enjoyed a navy flake tobacco in a pipe for a nice smoke, and am wondering if I can replicate that with an e-pipe. If so, it might be the answer to my problem.

I do like the smaller, cigarette sized, Blu e-cig, just for convenience sake, but am not opposed to having something like an e-pipe in my pocket, especially if it does the job.

Thanks for all of the advice so far, does anyone have experience with the e-pipe type devices?

Casey

 

[Stormlark]

Another Smokeless Image fan here, having switched from Blu. You'll get a variety of recommendations on what to buy. Try not to get too overwhelmed. Blu isn't a very good system and many of their customers come here looking for better options. The good news is that the recommendations you're getting are all pretty good options. Take a look at some of the products linked, do a little research, and decide on something you think best fits your needs. If you have any more questions or concerns, feel free to ask.

Oh, and welcome to the forum!

 

[Stormlark]

Wow! Thanks for all the responses. I have to admit though, I think that I probably understood about half of that, and I'm being generous with myself there.

At the very least, I have a lot of stuff to research now, and try to see what might fit.

As one mentioned, I am tending to chain-vape, trying, I guess, to get the nicotine hit my body is looking for. I just don't understand why it has gotten so much harder in the last two weeks. I thought it would get easier as the time went by, not harder.

I was kind of looking at the e-pipe option, thinking that those might deliver a bigger nicotine hit, as well as being better suited to a longer smoke. That's pure assumption on my part, based on smoking regular pipes. I always enjoyed a navy flake tobacco in a pipe for a nice smoke, and am wondering if I can replicate that with an e-pipe. If so, it might be the answer to my problem.

I do like the smaller, cigarette sized, Blu e-cig, just for convenience sake, but am not opposed to having something like an e-pipe in my pocket, especially if it does the job.

Thanks for all of the advice so far, does anyone have experience with the e-pipe type devices?

Casey

It's possible you need to raise your nicotine level in the cartridges or juices you buy. It might seem strange, but I've noticed my own tolerance for nicotine has increased since I started vaping. I used to get headaches if I used 12mg juices all day, and that's no longer an issue. I think the important thing is to stay off the cancer sticks, and if you need to increase your nicotine levels to do that, I'd say it's worth it.

Can't say one way or another about the e-pipes. Never used one. I'm also not sure if there are devices that can deliver more nicotine than others. It might depend on the voltage, which would mean a variable voltage device might be something you'd be interested in, but again, I don't know much about them.

 

[Mroutlaw]

It's possible you need to raise your nicotine level in the cartridges or juices you buy. It might seem strange, but I've noticed my own tolerance for nicotine has increased since I started vaping. I used to get headaches if I used 12mg juices all day, and that's no longer an issue. I think the important thing is to stay off the cancer sticks, and if you need to increase your nicotine levels to do that, I'd say it's worth it.

Can't say one way or another about the e-pipes. Never used one. I'm also not sure if there are devices that can deliver more nicotine than others. It might depend on the voltage, which would mean a variable voltage device might be something you'd be interested in, but again, I don't know much about them.

Variable voltage will just give you more vape or warmer vape. Also, some juices taste better with high temps.

The only way to get more nicotine, is to increase what's in your juice.

The only difference between an e pipe and an ecig is what it looks like. It still works on the same premise

 

[Vapoor eyes er]

It is a lot to absorb but once you have your PV in hand it will all come together. I smoked 1 PAD for 44 yrs very strong Rez tobacco- so strong friends would go without rather than smoke mine

As one mentioned, I am tending to chain-vape, trying, I guess, to get the nicotine hit my body is looking for. I just don't understand why it has gotten so much harder in the last two weeks. I thought it would get easier as the time went by, not harder.

I don't know if you realize this but vaping is very hydrating- the vapor comes from our bodies and not the juice. PG and VG are humecants- they trap the moisture in the mouth and throat areas. I drink 1 1/2 liters per day. PG will also coat the throat and mouth areas- I rinse/ gargle once per day with fresh squeezed lemon and water- mouthwash will do the same. Dehydration can negatively impact the vaping experience.
As for choosing a PV I would strongly suggest at least a 3.7 volt PV. Before I bought I spent a solid 200+ hours researching and before it arrived I knew it inside out. While waiting for the 15 biz day delivery I spent another whack of time researching juices. It was time well spent and when it arrived I was good form the get go. Yours is not the first time we have heard of Blu users wondering if vaping was really going to work- once you're settled in with your new PV you'll truly discover how vaping is meant to be. And I know once you begin ordering juices and finding your sweet spot you'll be on top of your game.
The Best of Luck to you.