Newbie Who has Failed with Ecigs Thus Far

[McBarron]

Hello all,

I appreciate what this forum brings to mopes like me who seem to always fail at quitting smoking. I know that ecigs are a proven way to quit cigs. However, my attempts to quit via E-cigs failed. Here are the types I failed with.

-Some cheapy 7-11 disposable E-cig that was beyond terrible. If you would have seen the veins bulging out of my forehead in an effort to get any sort of throat hit then you would know what I had bought was nothing more than a 10 dollar piece of plastic. FAIL

-Next, was a Groupon deal for South Beach Smoke. They sent me a starter kit with Light tobacco flavored cartridges for $25.00. This was a couple years ago. Long story short: the throat was better but barely (had issues with forehead veins....once again) AND the ecigs from SBS gave me TERRIBLE ......... DOUBLE FAIL.

Well, 2 years have past and I know I need to quit smoking. However, I love my nicotine. So, I have heard of a crapload of folks buying ecigs from tobacco Depot and raving about them. In fact, my wife (who was always against ecig technology) tried one from her co-worker (she had a Halo Tribeca, or something like that) and loved it. So, now my interests have been resurrected.

My questions that I need help and need answered from the great ecig-vets here are:

1) Is this ........ normal for Ecigs, or is this manufacturer issue? Any info regarding South Beach Smoke and ........ causing ecigs would be much appreciated. Also, please confirm that South Beach Smoke is not the cream of the crop as far as the ecig world is concerned. If so, my search stops here.

2) If you make to this question, vets, please answer me this. What is the perfect brand/model/make/etc. for me. I want a strong tasting, throat-punching ecig that simulates what a cig does for me. I smoke light cigarettes (non-menthol) and smoke < 1 pack a day. I request that you all do not give me vague responses. Instead, put yourself in my shoes and tell me which site, which kit you choose if you knew then what you do now.

UPDATE: Co-worker who has a HALO from tobacco Depot let me take a hit. I took a hit from it like I would with my SBS ecig and about coughed like I did when first started smoking. That's a good thing, I suppose. LOL.

Thank you all for reading this and thank you for having such a great forum available to folks like me.

 

[LovesKitten]

Myself. I am new as well however I did try the cheap disposable units from 7-11 Circle K and various other convenience stores. I didn't really much like them it made me feel sick it made me shake. A friend of mine had an evic and I tried it an absolutely loved it so I went to revolvercig.com and ordered my very own evic. it all honestly depends on your price range. the EVIC is a little bit spendy $104.99 plus you have to buy the tank or a mouthpiece and you have to buy your e liquid. Welcome to the forum and have fun. Everybody here has been so helpful to me so far.

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

 

[CreepyLady]

Hi and Welcome! Congrats on the switch!
1) 9. ........
Again, this may be a tobacco withdrawal symptom although it has been claimed that intolerance to PG might be the cause. Once again, a switch to VG accompanied by the immediate cessation of ........ would confirm it.

You will find a lot of valuable info here:
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...hen-quitting-tobacco-changing-ecigarette.html

2) I cannot tell what is best for you. I can tell you that I started with the "Advanced Starter Kit" from roar vapor and a few back up winders and ego batteries. I also picked an assortment of juice samplers from Roar, Goodlife, Mt Baker, and other highly rated liquid vendors that I found here on ECF.

The taste and feel of a liquid and delivery device are extremely subjective. The preference truly varies person to person. Also - what is your budget, what are you comfortable with (rebuilding coils, a mech mod, an APV a PV?)

An MVP V2 is going for a similar price and is also a great device (101vapes) - but not sure if you are comfortable with either a box mod or variable wattage?

 

[white88stag]

Welcome back and here to say I did the same thing with e cigs.

I would shoot for an eGo twist with a Kanger Protank 2 Mini. Tribecca from Halo and you'll be set.

Otherwise a Vamo 2 with a Kanger Protank 2. Billows of smoke and massive throat hit (adjusted to taste)

 

[Boiler]

........ could just be your body adjusting to vaping and clear up soon, or it could be completely unrelated. It may also be a reaction to the propylene glycol (PG) in e-juice. Using a juice that has more (or all) vegetable glycerin (VG) instead might help.

Halo has good reputation around here. They wouldn't be a bad choice.

 

[Dakota Jim]

Hey McB
welcome to ECF and congrates on giving vaping another try

Let me start with giving you some advice on ecigs - do not try to puff on them like you would a cigarette (sharp, strong, quick inhale) you want use a nice gentle slow inhale - remember cigarettes are already burning and get hotter as air flows thru them - e-cigs need to warm up and fast air flow cools them down quicker

the cig-a-like style is weak battery, the carto's generally are poor quality (and expensive) I always recommend an ego style battery with the fire button (allows you to "preheat" the coil for a 1/2 second before inhaling) it is easy to get used to and is main stream enough most people will not stare (I use a vamo and protank which does get a few stares and questions)

Here is my recommendation for a starter kit for someone serious about giving a fair chance

Kanger eVod Kit - Black

for juice I also started with Halo Tribeca which I really liked - get it from Halo here - you may want to start with 18mg nic (if it is too strong you can always order lower nic in the same flavor and blend them to a lower nic level - I started at 24mg in April and am now down to 2mg nic

E-liquid | Electronic Cigarette | E Cig Liquid | Halo Cigs

Halo ecigs use less common connector threads which limits you ability to try different atomizers or to get emergency parts if needed which is why I recommend equipment from a different supplier

evod kit uses 510 threads - most common and easiest to find
Halo uses 808 threads

hope this helps

 

[stillnotsmoking]

I personally would skip all the cig-a-likes, you will have better success with something bigger IMO. Here is what I would get if I was just now starting my vape journey, and it's what I recommend to all new vapers, good throat hit and vapor production, easy to fill/maintain and enough battery to last you more than a few puffs.

ElectronicStix.Com · Kanger EVOD 650mAh Starter Kit

Just add liquid and you're good to go.

 

[McBarron]

You guys/gals don't play around. LOL

I'm looking to spend no more than $100.00. Only because of the letdown with South Beach Smoke. I was under the impression they were in the top echelon of ecigs.

The VG suggestion is perfect so long as someone here can tell me that SBS uses PG.

The ones I hear thrown around are: Kanger, Ego, Joye, and others that aren't coming to me right now. I'll check their sites out. Thanks again......and any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Y'all are AWESOME!

 

[devauto]

Hi and Welcome!

I have never heard of anyone getting ........ from vaping before. I won't say it's impossible, only that I have never heard of it.

As for vaping devices, a lot is going to depend on your budget. If you like the Halo that your friend has, and you think it will work for you, then go ahead and get one. If you are like me, then you will start with one and move to another and another and another over time, how long will depend on how long you get by with each setup. IF you are certain that you are not going to go back to smoking, then I would recommend spending more money on a good setup now, as it will be cheaper in the long run. I can't tell you what to buy, but I can recommend what has been good and has worked for me. I will give you a couple options to consider, starter kits and more advanced setups, so that you can decide. What I can't recommend are juices and flavors, everyone is completely different in this regard.

On to the recommendations:

For a good basic starter kit, I would recommend one of the following:

1. Kanger Evod Starter Kit
2. Kanger Mini Protank 2 Starter Kit -VV

Personally I would recommend the kit with the Protank II minis, but that is because I like the flavor of my juices in them. Both kits are awesome, and you won't go wrong with either one.

For a bit more advanced starter kit this would be a great way to go, I own 2 of these that I am still using today, even though I have more advanced stuff now too.

1. ITaste VV v3.0 by Innokin - I suggest 2 of these, so that you have a spare.
2. No URL here, but either a Kanger Protank II or iSmoka BCC tank to go with the iTaste VV express kit above

For a top of the line setup, there are a lot of options, here are just a few. I won't post links because there are so many vendors to choose from.

1. Joyetech Evic - This is AWESOME, I am using one now as I write this. This has been my workhorse for the last 6 months and I love it.
2. Innokin VTR - This is a different style completely, it is a "box mod" instead of the more traditional tube style. I have not used it yet, but I have one on order and can't wait to get it. There are a lot of GREAT reviews on it, so it may be worth looking into for you.

If money is no object, then there are many more items out there that people like, here are a couple examples. As these START in the $200 range and go up, I do not own one, so I am not going to give you anymore info on them, but wanted you to know they were out there in case you wanted to research them further. LOTS of people swear by the Provari, there is a lot of available info in the forums here.

1. Provari mods
2. DNA 20 mods

Hope this helps!

 

[LovesKitten]

Woots. Evic! Lol sorry.

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

 

[McBarron]

ALRIGHT THEN! KANGER it is!!!!

Only every reply in this thread is recommending it.

And, yes, dude................ Since, it was a Groupon deal, maybe their liquid was jacked up. But, yes, I got .............and if I had pics of it, I would happily show you........J/K. Thanks for the advice/recommendation.

 

[McBarron]

Ms. Kitty, I'll look into Evic.......JUST for you.

 

[H Niemand]

You have a lot of great advice here. Don't feel bad that you failed. I did too, twice. For me, it was all about the right gear and desire. If you have a local B&M, give them a visit to do a touchy feely. Either way, ask questions here and research what is best for you. Then, you will be successful.
Enjoy the journey.

 

[toddrhodes]

Here's a *very* long email I sent to a buddy who wants to try out vaping to get off about a .75 pack a day habit. He smokes Camel Turkish Silvers, for whatever that's worth:

Sup man! When we have more time to chat, I can explain why I'm almost hesitant to suggest a "starter" kit but I'm picking one that has some pretty damn good components in it for less than $40. You'd get two batteries and two tanks that can be rebuilt and are very highly regarded in the vaping community even by advanced users. The kit is called the Kanger EVOD starter kit and can be found here for $39.99. It can be purchased in black, silver, or red.



Kanger EVOD Double Starter Kit





The Kanger EVOD tanks can be rebuilt so they technically never wear out. The replacement heads, the part that does the burning and wicking of the juice are pretty inexpensive but I don't have a link for those yet.




Found one - Atomizer Head for Kanger Protank, EVOD, Unitank

$1.75 per new head. I'd expect a head to last 3-4 weeks or so, give or take a few weeks depending on the type and thickness of juice. In a nutshell, thick dark juice will "gunk up" faster and wear out a head more quickly. The good news is that a quick splash under really hot water, let it dry, then "dry burn" the head for 4-5 pulses will generally restore the head to about 95% of what it was doing before. The starter kit actually comes with 5 new heads apparently so that should last for a few months, depending on how much you change out juice.




Speaking of which, when you're starting out it's hard to figure out what kind of juice flavor you'll want. The basics are: Tobacco, Dessert/sweets, Fruit, and Coffee. Then you have combinations of the above which are, for me, where it's at. For instance, my favorite "flavor profile" is tobacco + caramel + vanilla. It's something I can vape all day and not get tired of it. But, variety is the spice of life so I suggest trying anything and everything. I have a number of flavors to choose from if you want to try any. In that vain, I would pick up one of these for $6 plus shipping:




KP Long Barrel Atomizer - Kidney Puncher





It's an atomizer (the wick/head that wicks and burns the juice) that you can vape until the flavor is gone, then drop some of a different juice into it and the flavor changes basically instantaneously. Makes it nice to float between different things as your mood changes.




Compared to the options I started with, I spent about $55 on a starter kit that was clumsy, had "meh" flavor, and produced little to no vapor. With the equipment i have now, I can practically fill a room if I wanted to. The thing about better, higher-powered setups is they taste better and deliver nicotine more quickly and more effectively so you can step down to much lower nicotine levels which is good for everyone.




Take a look and give me a shout after you've had some time to research. If you really want to try it, I can help you do so without breaking the bank. If you really get into it, I take no responsibility for how much money you can spend. To put it simply, the deeper I've gotten into the hobby, the more I've spent. I am at a point where I've spent far more in the last 17 days on juices, hardware, and accessories than I would spend in several months of smoking. But, I don't care. I feel better, can taste more stuff, my asthma is much improved and I don't have to freeze outside if I need some nicotine. It's not for everyone though. What I've found is if you get discouraged, it is OK to grab a cigarette. The last time and this time, I've stuffed my cigs in a drawer and haven't touched them. But, not everyone can do that and you shouldn't feel like that's what has to happen. Vaping definitely has a learning curve, it can be a tad bit messy, and it can get frustrating if you forget to bring a spare battery or tank and you find yourself empty. But it's a pretty short learning curve and is easy to push past and I can help you do that if you're so inclined.

 

[CreepyLady]

You guys/gals don't play around. LOL

I'm looking to spend no more than $100.00. Only because of the letdown with South Beach Smoke. I was under the impression they were in the top echelon of ecigs.

The VG suggestion is perfect so long as someone here can tell me that SBS uses PG.

The ones I hear thrown around are: Kanger, Ego, Joye, and others that aren't coming to me right now. I'll check their sites out. Thanks again......and any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Y'all are AWESOME!

If your budget is 100 bucks here is a good recco - Innokin iTaste MVP V2.0 - 101 Vape - but then you need back ups, Ego Kit 650mah - 101 Vape (you are now at 60 bucks) so take the other 40 for juice and clearos. BOOM.

 

[dice57]

The main thing in vape is finding flavors you like and the VG/PG ratio you prefer. Not an easy job for any new vaper. Take a bit of hit and miss. Same goes with the gear and atomizer.. If I was starting all over, my atomizer oh choice for a new person would be the Aspire Vivi Nova BDC, it blows the Kanger protank out of the water. And I'd probably start with the inokkin VV V3 or the MVP V2, which ever style you prefer. An ego style will get you started and a big improvement over anything you have tried so far, but still is just and ego. Hang in there, there is a lot to choose from, and it only gets better. Good luck and welcome to the ECF.

 

[DKP#]

If you're trying to quit smoking, I recommend moving past the automatic cigalikes. I started with the disposables and worked my way up and it wasn't until I got to a VV (variable voltage) battery and a Vivi Nova Mini that I was able to quit smoking. You get used to manual batteries pretty quick. You don't have to give them a "primer" puff and get vapor from the first draw.

I've heard halo has good batteries but they have a non-standard thread that keeps you stuck with their stuff when there's so many other products from different vendors that have the standard 510 thread.

This kit Would be a great way to start. I'd get the 1000 mAh joye twist batteries because I know they're great batteries (spinners are highly recommended too, but I've never tried them). Get an evod and a Vision topper to give you a sample of 2 different types.

If you aren't ready to spend that much and really just want to test the waters, Here's a cheap starter kit. It's only $15. It lacks the VV battery and the CE4 is about as cheap as toppers come but works fine. It also lacks the wall adapter for faster charging.

If I had to start over today with nothing, Here's what I'd get from Altsmoke because I'd want something I've tried before and know is reliable.
2 joye 1000 mAh twist stainless batteries
Vision Vivi Nova (2ml)
Charger


and a multiport wall adapter so I could charge my phone at the same time without needing two adapters

 

[toddrhodes]

One thing that I'd like to add for OP is that you want to make sure you're following the links people are providing so you are getting genuine parts. There are a *ton* of clone and fake parts out there that to the unsuspecting eye look totally legit. I fell into this trap with a few "Smok ARO" tanks and they were awful. $25 wasted. I won't let that deter me, I just am more careful about who I order from and what I buy now. Just $.02 more from me

 

[CreepyLady]

One thing that I'd like to add for OP is that you want to make sure you're following the links people are providing so you are getting genuine parts. There are a *ton* of clone and fake parts out there that to the unsuspecting eye look totally legit. I fell into this trap with a few "Smok ARO" tanks and they were awful. $25 wasted. I won't let that deter me, I just am more careful about who I order from and what I buy now. Just $.02 more from me

A VERY valuable

 

[steel bender]

To me, it sounds like you need something that's variable voltage, like the eGo-C twist. That way, you can adjust the "hit" you're getting to your preference. That plus both a kanger protank 2 and a mini protank 2, is what I'd tell myself to start out with. Two batteries and two tanks. And I would definitely suggest trying out some 50/50 pg/vg juice. mtbakervapor.com is a great place to check out with some good prices.

Edit: If you're looking for more throat hit 80/20 pg/vg is probably the way to go, although I found that my protanks leaked with that thin of a juice.