This is a new users perspective on e-cigarettes after 3 weeks. Because my experience is limited to the M401/M402 and the M401 USB Passthrough, I am not in a position to compare this equipment to anything else. Ill share my impressions and opinions, fully aware that everyone has their own unique tastes and preferences.
First, some background. Im a male in my early 60s and have smoked cigarettes essentially forever. In my younger life as a systems programmer, I smoked 2 packs of Pall Malls (the long unfiltered things in the red pack) every day. In the midst of intense coding work, that would rise to 3 packs a day and I would often unconsciously light one while another was already burning in the ash tray. Over the years since then, I gradually cut down to a pack a day of Merit Ultimas, the short wimpy ones. (Other current and former smokers who bummed them from me said they were pretend cigarettes. I wasnt insulted because it discouraged further mooching.) Without getting into any drama, Ill just say that I tried many times to give them up but never succeeded. Tried every reasonable method except the heavy drugs like Chantix and Zyban no go.
Id heard of e-cigs occasionally over the past year, but wrote them off as some Gen-Whatever targeted marketing fad (anything electronic must be cool), akin perhaps to the USB Toaster Oven. About a month ago, curiosity led me to look at an ad for Blu e-cigs. That led me to this forum and a lot more research. Given what I was spending on my habit, it was an easy decision to try it out. I settled on the M401 hybrid kit and a bunch of extra pre-filled cartridges from vaporoptions.com. Without even thinking about it, much less trying, my tobacco consumption immediately dropped to less than half what it was. With some effort, I can stay off them entirely, although Ive had occasional lapses. At my age, the improvement in breathing, etc. was immediate and dramatic.
Was it like a real cigarette? No, but obviously close enough, especially after I found some liquids that gave a taste that worked for me. Keeping batteries charged was a hassle, and one of the batteries had a bad switch that required major suction to turn it on, so I ordered two more batteries and a couple of spare atomizers from litecig (good prices). The bad battery went back July 1. I hope for good service from vaporoptions, but waiting at this point.
Even at the price of pre-filled cartridges, my costs were cut by a third, but I could see much bigger savings if I refilled them myself. So I ordered some liquid from Johnson Creek - Tennessee Cured and Hawaiian Kona. The TC is pretty good as a cig replacement. The HK tasted really good at first, but got overpowering. Half and half with TC is a good compromise for occasional use. I use some Low and some Medium nicotine liquid and use 3 to 4 cartridges per day. A full cartridge gives me 40-50 good puffs, the equivalent of about 4-5 of the Ultimas I was smoking.
Even with more batteries, charging is a hassle, so I bought a USB Passthrough for the M401. Works great, but produces so much more vapor than with the batteries that I use a milder-flavored low nicotine liquid (Johnson Creek Original Tobacco) with it.
Based on favorable reviews, Ive since tried RY4 from litecig. It didnt work very well for me. Reminds me of a Persian caramel pastry that looked and smelled good at first, but had a surprising sort of burned caramel and floral yukkiness to it. (I discovered that they used rose water in a lot of pastries.) Also tried their RY3/Power Puff tolerable with batteries, but way too strong with the Passthrough. Excellent, though, when cut 50/50 with JC Tobacco or TC.
The equipment, other than the one battery, has performed well. It works consistently until the cartridge is completely empty. For me, M402 battery (the shorter one) lasts about one and a half cartridges, M401 battery lasts just past 2 cartridges. Cartridge capacity is a bit small (0.3ml) but after some practice I can refill 20 of them in about 15 minutes. I push out the internal cartridge with a straightened paper clip, wipe the condensed juice off the outside of the internal cartridge and the inside of the mouthpiece, and use a syringe to carefully fill them from the bottom up. I dont bother with the hassle of taking out the stuffing, cleaning it, etc. The first ones I got are still working fine after 5 refills. There may or may not be better equipment out there, but this is working just fine for me.
The Bottom Line so far a very cost-effective and positive alternative to smoking tobacco. Next step is to gradually work down to zero nicotine.
First, some background. Im a male in my early 60s and have smoked cigarettes essentially forever. In my younger life as a systems programmer, I smoked 2 packs of Pall Malls (the long unfiltered things in the red pack) every day. In the midst of intense coding work, that would rise to 3 packs a day and I would often unconsciously light one while another was already burning in the ash tray. Over the years since then, I gradually cut down to a pack a day of Merit Ultimas, the short wimpy ones. (Other current and former smokers who bummed them from me said they were pretend cigarettes. I wasnt insulted because it discouraged further mooching.) Without getting into any drama, Ill just say that I tried many times to give them up but never succeeded. Tried every reasonable method except the heavy drugs like Chantix and Zyban no go.
Id heard of e-cigs occasionally over the past year, but wrote them off as some Gen-Whatever targeted marketing fad (anything electronic must be cool), akin perhaps to the USB Toaster Oven. About a month ago, curiosity led me to look at an ad for Blu e-cigs. That led me to this forum and a lot more research. Given what I was spending on my habit, it was an easy decision to try it out. I settled on the M401 hybrid kit and a bunch of extra pre-filled cartridges from vaporoptions.com. Without even thinking about it, much less trying, my tobacco consumption immediately dropped to less than half what it was. With some effort, I can stay off them entirely, although Ive had occasional lapses. At my age, the improvement in breathing, etc. was immediate and dramatic.
Was it like a real cigarette? No, but obviously close enough, especially after I found some liquids that gave a taste that worked for me. Keeping batteries charged was a hassle, and one of the batteries had a bad switch that required major suction to turn it on, so I ordered two more batteries and a couple of spare atomizers from litecig (good prices). The bad battery went back July 1. I hope for good service from vaporoptions, but waiting at this point.
Even at the price of pre-filled cartridges, my costs were cut by a third, but I could see much bigger savings if I refilled them myself. So I ordered some liquid from Johnson Creek - Tennessee Cured and Hawaiian Kona. The TC is pretty good as a cig replacement. The HK tasted really good at first, but got overpowering. Half and half with TC is a good compromise for occasional use. I use some Low and some Medium nicotine liquid and use 3 to 4 cartridges per day. A full cartridge gives me 40-50 good puffs, the equivalent of about 4-5 of the Ultimas I was smoking.
Even with more batteries, charging is a hassle, so I bought a USB Passthrough for the M401. Works great, but produces so much more vapor than with the batteries that I use a milder-flavored low nicotine liquid (Johnson Creek Original Tobacco) with it.
Based on favorable reviews, Ive since tried RY4 from litecig. It didnt work very well for me. Reminds me of a Persian caramel pastry that looked and smelled good at first, but had a surprising sort of burned caramel and floral yukkiness to it. (I discovered that they used rose water in a lot of pastries.) Also tried their RY3/Power Puff tolerable with batteries, but way too strong with the Passthrough. Excellent, though, when cut 50/50 with JC Tobacco or TC.
The equipment, other than the one battery, has performed well. It works consistently until the cartridge is completely empty. For me, M402 battery (the shorter one) lasts about one and a half cartridges, M401 battery lasts just past 2 cartridges. Cartridge capacity is a bit small (0.3ml) but after some practice I can refill 20 of them in about 15 minutes. I push out the internal cartridge with a straightened paper clip, wipe the condensed juice off the outside of the internal cartridge and the inside of the mouthpiece, and use a syringe to carefully fill them from the bottom up. I dont bother with the hassle of taking out the stuffing, cleaning it, etc. The first ones I got are still working fine after 5 refills. There may or may not be better equipment out there, but this is working just fine for me.
The Bottom Line so far a very cost-effective and positive alternative to smoking tobacco. Next step is to gradually work down to zero nicotine.
