Newbie to VV Vaping, need advice on LavaTube

[dhomes]

Hi all, wish I could post this on the Mod sections / Lavatubes but I'm new to ECF

I'm going to upgrade from an ego-t to a VV. After debating about going all the way to a provari v2 or buzz pro II i think I'd rather buy a LavaTube + an Ego-C (the tube-type VV seem too large for me to go out with them, the ego-t was an OK device)

I do have a few questions for the more experienced users,

Are all Lavatubes the same? (Apollo vtube, Volcano LavaTube, VapingZone VV Mod). I'm leaning towards the Apollo Vtube SS but dont know if it's a good seller, are they?

For the vtube, which is a good tank to recommend? I saw a vid review for the VV Mod on tasteyourjuice that says they won't fire a SmokTech tank. I was attracted to the Mom & Pop ones as they are quite inexpensive.

if any of you could provide some guidance that would be greatly appreciated

Regards
david

 

[sailorman]

Yes, they only differ in the accessories included in the kit and any logo on the unit. The lavatube itself is the same unit.

Until recently, Volcano ecigs had the exclusive. They named it the Lavatube. Their exclusive ran out and now other companies can sell it too. That's why they all have different names. But they all come from the same place. Some companies, like Apollo, have them customized with their logos etc. Apollo V-Tube has been a very good seller, mostly because of their great warranty and customer service and their low price.

I have a V-Tube from Apollo. I'm very happy with it. Apollo had the best price. But I wish I would have waited.
Because right now, you can get a limited edition stainless steel model, totally re-designed for $52 shipped with the coupon code "Reddit". That's less than I paid for my black V-Tube. The coupon is good unti 3/25 and it is a pre-order that is supposed to ship 3/31. Apollo also has a 1 year warranty. It's really a beautiful design and if I didn't just buy one last month, I'd be all over it.

It will fire on a Smoketech tank. You need to lift the center post on the connector out a tiny bit. PBusardo didn't bother doing that, or it would have fired in his review. It didn't fire in mine until I lifted the center post. Then it worked fine.
That said, I'm not impressed with the Smoketech tank. The J Tank and the Mom&Pop tank are both better.

I can highly recommend the Apollo V-Tube. If you get one, don't buy a spare battery from there. The included battery is o.k., but you can get a 2250mah Panasonic IMR for $10 shipped from Orbtronic.com It's a better battery than even the real AW IMRs and a great deal. There are only going to be 500 of those SS V-tubes sold, so you best jump on it fast. If you don't like it, give me a couple weeks and I'll personally buy it off of you for what you paid.

 

[dhomes]

thanks for the info sailor!

I just visited the Apollo website though, and they said that the SS version factory delivery date (don't know if it's delivery from factory to them or to us) is 4/15!

It's there is red letters Apollo VTube Kit

Still, for the price I think I'll be ordering one today.

regarding the battery, with both being 18650, why not jumping to a 3100 mah from the same site? (dont know what IMR is yet so that may be it)

3100: 3100 mAh Panasonic NCR18650A li-ion rechargeable 18650- the best 18650 lithium-ion rechargeable battery

 

[sailorman]

The lavatube can't use a protected battery because of the circuitry. Also, protected batteries are too long because of the PCB board built in. You need an unprotected battery like an IMR. The panasonic is technically not an IMR, because it uses a slightly different chemistry. But it is as safe, or safer than an IMR.

Go to the Lavatube forum and look for the thread titled something like "Panasonic battery. An AW slayer". There is a video comparing the AW battery to the panasonic when they are shorted. The panasonic only gets to 185 degrees, while the AW gets to 235 degrees. There are graphs as well showing that the Panasonic performs better than the AW. Plus, it's 250mah higher capacity than the AW. It's really a no-brainer.

You'll love the V-Tube. It's worth the wait. I just wish I could snag one myself.

BTW... An IMR is an inherently safe chemistry. That's why it doesn't need protection.

 

[dhomes]

Thanks again Sailor,

The problem is not so much waiting as it's timing. I forgot to say I'm not from the Us but Latin America. I'm just going there next month and will be back on 4/22.If I dont get it delivered by then I'd have to wait until June when sister comes to visit.

Which brings me to supplies! how long (on average, i know the mileage may vary) does a Mom & Pop tank last? I read here that cartomizers tend to last longer on a tank as they dont get dry (if the tank is properly filled). Will have to get quite a bunch

For the Juice... I bought my Ego-T with 5-15ml samples from AmericaneliquidStore.com. Good service and delivery and i really liked the Cinnamon one, those were 24 mg nic. Now they have the 36mg which I havent seen anywhere else (I'm a VERY heavy smoker). My only doubt now is that I have read some flavor (like cinnamon) can break a tank so I dunno how the Mom & Pop ones fare here.

 

[AZCraig]

I have a LavaTube (not from Volcano). After reading the problems of other LavaTube owners I feel fortunate that I've not had any issues with mine.

That said, if you get one that is "good" you'll be pretty happy with it with if you stick with 3.0 ohm carto/attys.

Check out the graph at Taste Your Juice | VZ VV Tube Mod (AKA Lavatube) Full vs. Mini – Vaping Zone
where the indicated voltage is compared to the actual voltage under load across a range of resistances for the Buzz Pro, the LT and the LT Mini. Below 3.0 ohms, you'll see an increasingly (worse) difference between indicated and actual voltage.

For tanks, I like the J-Tank and M1A1.

 

[dhomes]

AZCraig, saw it yesterday, my problem with the J-Tank and M1A1 is that they don't come assembled. I know it's not too much of a deal but I figure for price and convenience the Mom and Pop seemed pretty good (as the whole package ready to use).

For the price i don't mind buying 4 or 5 to Mom&Pop's instead of 1 M1A1.

The whole punching myself the cartos is just a no-no for me right now, i just dont feel confortable at this point (I know is fairly trivial with a saddle valve but i'd rather have 'dispossable' ready to use tanks)

 

[sailorman]

For the Lavatube, you'll want to use 3ohm cartos. Make sure you get ones that are the correct length for your tank. Boge cartos last a couple weeks without a tank and a little longer in a tank. It also depends on the juice. A thick dark juice will clog it faster than a thinner or clear juice.

Cinnamon will crack most tanks. I'd save that for a regular metal cartomizer.

Most of the problems people have had with the Lavatube have been related to the plastic endcap covers. That problem has been corrected, and it doesn't affect the stainless one in any case. Those endcaps have been re-designed entirely.

The Lavatube is regulated for 2.5 Amps. This is a good thing for a new vaper. It will prevent you from doing something stupid, like trying to vape a 1.5ohm carto with 6 volts. If you stick with 3ohm cartos, you will be able to get the full range of voltages.

I think a lot of the "problems" with the Lavatube have been whining and moaning from people who expected it to be built like a $250 Provari. There have been a couple problems with sticky buttons. That's what a warranty is for. There are millions of these things out there. You only hear about the problems. I've heard very little about problems with the electronics. The other problems won't be affecting the SS model.

The Mom&Pop tank should last for a very, very long time. You might see if they have replacement O-rings, but that's about all that will be wearing out, if you don't try to fill it with cinnamon or very high acid juices, like citrus or cola.

There is a list somewhere here of juices that are known to crack tanks. If you search for it, it should come up.

The ship date on the V-tubes has been moved to 4/15? I would be pretty confident of that date. With china, you never can be sure, but they've only moved it up once and I think that the people at Apollo are on top of the situation.

If it ships too late, your sister can send it to me and I'll keep an eye on it for you.

 

[sailorman]

AZCraig, saw it yesterday, my problem with the J-Tank and M1A1 is that they don't come assembled. I know it's not too much of a deal but I figure for price and convenience the Mom and Pop seemed pretty good (as the whole package ready to use).

For the price i don't mind buying 4 or 5 to Mom&Pop's instead of 1 M1A1.

The whole punching myself the cartos is just a no-no for me right now, i just dont feel confortable at this point (I know is fairly trivial with a saddle valve but i'd rather have 'dispossable' ready to use tanks)

With any of the tanks, you can get pre-punched cartomizers separately from the tank. That includes the J Tank. There really is no such thing as a pre-assembled tank. All you do is get a pre-punched cartomizer in the correct length to fit your tank. That's what you'll have to do anyway when your cartomizer clogs or burns out. Slide the old carto out and slide the new carto in. You have to do that when you change flavors too.

You should get a bunch of pre-punched cartos and some regular unpunched cartos. You're not going to want to use a tank all the time. The pre-punched cartos cost about $2-3 each. The regular ones cost about $8 for a box of 5, or you can get 15 for $20. So, it costs quite a bit for them to punch that hole for you. Get a few tanks and a lot more cartomizers. All you do is slide them into the tank. There's really no assembly to it. Dont throw your tank away just because the cartomizer burned out. The cartomizers are disposable, not the tanks. The tanks can last for years. That's like throwing your car away because your tires wore out.

 

[dhomes]

yeah man! it's going straight from sis to you!

VERY bad about the cinnamon, that my fave right now. i'm about to get 120 ml / 36mg (60 PG & 60 VG for a 50/50 mix)

So what if I go for a glass tank? also the notcigs guys/M1A1 state theirs are uncrackable. But that one has a flat bottom so I don't know if they'll fit the LT properly.

I mean, I could go for a provari but the way I look at it the mods are (in essence) a large battery holder / voltage regulator, vapor / hit / flavor comes from the atty / carto use and I plan on using the 3.0 Boge, so besides quality of finishing how much of a improvement could a provari provide over a LT BASED ON VAPOR / HIT / FLAVOR (yeah, i know finishing an looks for the provari a way above the LT, even when the SS gets out the provari should have the lead quality wise, although for the HUGE money difference....)

 

[sailorman]

If this is your first VV, don't even bother with the Provari. I know all the Provari fanboys will come out of the woodwork to disagree, but it's really not worth it in your situation. Once you learn about cartos and voltages and all that, you might want to upgrade to a Provari. By then, they'll have the new improved Provari. You won't be noticing any huge improvement in flavor, hit or vapor unless you want to start vaping low res. cartos or attys at very high voltages. Then, you'll be burning out the coils like there's no tomorrow. Given your location, you don't want to be having to replace cartos all the time.

Glass tanks are great. Google a tank called "Whosmydaddy" I think that's the name. It costs as much as your Lavatube and it's practically indestructible. My advice is to stay with the Mom&Pops or J tanks, but plan on changing cartomizers. You can also get a Vision Grande Tank from Gotvapes.com. They're about $10 and they are disposable and made of plastic that probably won't crack. Honestly though, you'd be better off using even a large cartomizer for your cinnamon. Look for one of the "mega" sized steel cartomizers. They hold a lot and they won't crack. Another disposable tank that I like for the Lavatube is a Vision Stone Tank. They're at Gotvapes as well. They're about $12 and fit the Lavatube like they were made for it. I'm not sure about the cracking situation with those however. I've been using a Vision Stone for 3 weeks now and it's still going strong.

Phinias also makes glass tanks. They're about $35 and they won't crack.

 

[sailorman]

Oh yeah, If you want to get a M1A1 glass tank with a flat bottom and you're concerned about it fitting, you can get a 510/510 shorty extender adapter. That will raise the bottom of the tank so there will be no problem.

 

[brandondparris]

For the Juice... I bought my Ego-T with 5-15ml samples from AmericaneliquidStore.com. Good service and delivery and i really liked the Cinnamon one, those were 24 mg nic. Now they have the 36mg which I havent seen anywhere else (I'm a VERY heavy smoker). My only doubt now is that I have read some flavor (like cinnamon) can break a tank so I dunno how the Mom & Pop ones fare here.

I have 4 SmokTech tanks and I really like them. I do not like the SmokTech cartos however. I use Kanger H coils and punch them with a hammer and a trim nail. It is very easy. There is a version called the SmokTech PRO Tank that is made of polyPROpylene instead of polycarbon. It is tolerant of juices containing cinnamon and citrus, which will crack the polycarbon.

Oh, forgot to mention, The polycarbon tanks are only $4 and the polypropylene are only $8. I get mine from myvaporstore.com.

 

[dhomes]

Thanks all for the info! Great great help indeed.

Sailor, i'm in Venezuela, I do find joye 510 cartos here (at about 1.5x the price) but no boge.

i'll wait until Apollo chat's up and talked to them about estimated delivery for the end buyer.

So Vtube SS + M1A1 1.5" + 510/510 shorty extension (thanks sailor and brandon for the tips).

I'll post my chat with Apollo here FYI

An yeah, i'll skip the Provari for now. For going out i'll stick with the Ego-C still. Americaneliquidstore has the 5 atomizer heads (regular or low resistance) for 24 bucks. the atty on my ego-t lasted about 2 months each using 100% VG Cinnamon, Chocolate (VERY thick one) and Menthols

 

[nansc]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[dhomes]

Thanks nansc,

Ok guys, just placed an order for a vtube ss + a few things around.Total: $93 with the kit + a few 510 cartos (will also buy some Boge from Mom and Pops), one DCT 3.0 OHM tank (will also get a M1A1, just wanted to take advantage of the Reddit code, which worked fine on all items).

for those interested on Status of SS tube (and other who have not bought from Apollo, as was my case and had my doubts), here is the complete chat (kinda long):

Please wait for a site operator to respond.
You are now chatting with 'Ben'
Ben: Hi David
david: Hi Ben
Ben: How may I help you?
david: Question on the vtube ss
Ben: OK
Ben: go ahead
david: will they be delivered to the us by April 21st? I'm just going to be visiting the Us for two weeks and will leave the 22nd
david: to us (the buyer) i meant to say
Ben: They are due to be in stock by the 15th of April
david: What's the delivery time?
Ben: They will be shipped out withing two days of the product arriving.
david: i'm just a bit troubled about placing the order seeing as they have already been delayed from an original stock date of 3/31
david: Are you expecting further delays? i don't mind just getting a regular black one
Ben: I have been assured this is the final date.
Ben: no more push backs
david: great
david: The Reddit code still good?
Ben: I believe so
Ben: please email me, or come on chat, if not.
david: I will.
david: Last one
Ben: my email is ben@apolloecigs.com
david: i was advised by the guys at ECForum to buy a 510 to 510 extender as I want to use a flat bottom tank. I can't seem to find it on your site though
Ben: Let me have a look for you
Ben: One moment please.
david: ok, I'm building my order as well
david: oh! you dont have standard shipping? the cheapest I see at checkout is $24 bucks!
Ben: Have you bought from us before David?
david: First time Ben, I'm moving from a Joye Ego-T to a Lavatube-like VV for the first time
Ben: I see, glad to hear you're making the move!
Ben: are you currently using our US website?
david: yeao, apolloecigs.com
Ben: OK, great
Ben: About the 510 extender
Ben: Accessories
david: I'm not in the Us though, but I do have a USA CC from Bank of America and billing addres in florida
Ben: here is a link to the page selling such items
david: don't see the extender there
david: shipping within the USA seems expensive though
Ben: We only offer fast shipping
Ben: so you orders don't get lost or damaged.
david: but if i select DHL worldwide can those be sent to Latin America?
Ben: Yes, I'm sure it can.
david: You are based in California I see
Ben: and London
david: Ok, I'm about to place my order, but...
david: is this item: Dual Coil Tank Cartomizer for the Vtube?
david: that's a DCT cartomizer
Ben: Yep, this product os compatible with the VTube
Ben: it's a very good seller
david: ok, ready to place
david: thanks for the help
Ben: Great
david: Can I cancel the order if there are further delays on the item tough?
Ben: Of course.
Ben: Full refunds are always offered on unshipped orders
david: ok ben, lets try the store, i'm just picky anytime I buy first time from someone
david: heeeeey
Ben: I understand
Ben: I am the same!
david: at the top of the site it states that you have free shipping on order $30+?
Ben: This is only withing continental USA I'm afriad
david: Yes, i'm the shipping address is Florida
david: I just dont see the option on the shipping method
Ben: Is shipping not deducted off the total?
david: Oh there it's! my bad
david: USPS Priority flat rate=$5.15, fine with it
david: thanks again Ben, placing now
Ben: You're welcom David.
david: ttyl
Ben: Have a good day
david: same

 

[mynameisrob]

I think youll def be happy with the V-tube. I ordered a SS mini V-tube a few days ago, and cant wait to get it.
Like someone else mentioned, one of the main complaints about the lavatube was the end-caps, but the new SS version has been completely redesigned and wont cause the same problem.

It does suck that the date was pushed back again, but I was told that they will def get them by 4/15 and it wont be pushed back anymore. It was already delayed before this for like a month and thats when they said they hopefuly were going to get them by 3/31. Obviously its been pushede back again to 4/15, but they seemed confident that there wont be any more delays. So hopefully we both wont have to wait any longer than that bc I figure your excited to get yours just like I am!

 

[dhomes]

yeah, if they are delayed again i will definitely cancel my order
they said they would be shipped 2 days after they receive them

so i guess we'll have to wait

btw, any good place to buy Boge 3.0 cartomizers? (not prepunched though)

 

[dhomes]

FYI, just got this, it seems that delay maybe as long as 4 more weeks (last two paragraphs, the rest is pretty much on their site)

Hello,

We wanted to send a quick reminder that we do not have the stainless steel vtubes and Chrome in stock as mentioned on our site

Update: The stainless steel version of vtubes are not in stock yet (the new delivery date given by the factory is now 4/15, sorry for the delay). We are still taking pre-orders. This stainless steel is real (not coated or painted) for both the body and the end cap, however because of its extremely high production cost we have to limit its production quantity to about 500 units as of March 18th. So the stainless steel will be a limited edition! Please get one while you can! If you placed your order but can not wait, please contact us for a complete refund.

We will also release a Chrome version which is easier to manufacture and will look similar to the stainless steel version, but it will be made of copper and coated with chrome. We are planning to release a copper version as well because many customers requested it.


We hope to get them in within 2 weeks ( management has informed us of at most/latest 4 weeks) because the stainless steel is a completely new product

If you would like to change anything with the order, or switch to a different color please contact customer service at 1-855-227-6556 M-F 9-5PST

 

[Cloud Wizard]

I have the LeCig VV (LT replica) that came with a great kit tube, 2x2200mAh IMR batts, charger, 2xAttys and a case. Not sure what the price is now, but I grabbed it for $65. I've upgraded to the Panasonic Industrial 3100mAh batts (Orbtronics adds a protection circuit) and they last me a couples days (3-5ml/day). They're a little too long (LT want 65mm batts) so I added an o-ring from HomeDepot to cover the gap. The IMR's have a 10A draw, these ones are 8.5A and the LT has a switch rated at 2.5A (+/- something, some folks have shown their's running up to 2.75A), mine has never tripped either. Should also get a little tube of Noalox for the threads.

I use the DCT V2 and love it. I got it from Apollo with 3ohm Dual Coil cartos - works great at 6v. I also like it with a 510/eGo adapter with the 2.2ohm Vision Stardusts (great hit and flavor, when they're working well... milage may vary) and 1.8 LR atty for dripping. (VV is great for me because right/wrong or indifferent I like changing up for various juices/situations)

Wanted a Provari, but man $250 is a lot of other cool accessories/juice + a LT

Adding a pic