Not happy with Blu, thinking Magma, or.......?

[flea77]

I smoked Marlboro Reds for over 25 years at about a pack a day and have decided to quit analogs and start something different.

I ordered the Blu because of ads and knew nothing but liked their 30day money back and one year warranty. I quit analogs cold on 11/10/10 and was doing well. The Blu kit seemed to work well for just over the 30 days, then things got weird. One battery no longer works for more than a few hits, nothing hits like it used to, even with a new atty, the carts do not hit at all like they used to, and dripping seems to be better but still not like I remember when I first got the kit.

So now I am thinking about getting something better. My wife ordered an Inferno kit but I think I want something with a PCC and carts as with my job I am always on the go. I am looking for an all inclusive kit with batts, attys, PCC, charger, carts, and I like the clearomizer that Volcano offers. I am not opposed to ordering the parts seperately, but would need one vendor to get it all from and suggestions on which parts to put in my kit. I am currently using full strength cars from Blu and 16mg juice from Johnson Creek.

Here is what I think is the most important for me, in order of importance:

1) Portability (this includes a PCC and some kind of carts as I can not drip with my job, too much driving etc)
2) Quality of hit/flavor (have heard that standard 510s hit harder than Magmas, but lose flavor)
3) Quality of components (how long they will last, batt runtime, etc)
4) Customer service (have heard that Volcano is great)

Is the Magma a good choice? Are there other alternatives I should look at? Is my problem with Blu fairly common? Any suggestions welcome before I get fustrated and sneak an analog!

Allan

 

[Traver]

Personally I like the XL KR808D-1 batteries for the best hit and vapor. I started with these from:
http://store.vapor4life.com/
And four months later I am still using these most of the time.Another good vendor is :
http://www.litecigusa.net/product_p/xpower900mbatt.htm
The ego with a 510 thread is also a good battery. Both the Ego and the XL KR808D-1 last me most of the day. The ego will last longer But I don't get the same hit and smoke with it.

 

[DC2]

The Magma is a good choice, it is 510 model.
And I hear their PCC is a very good one.

 

[emanguba]

Agreed! Magma is a good choice to start with...even if you upgrade to other devices later, just stay in the 510 family and you can always make use of your Magma.

I never had any problems with the PCC...everything was good except for a usb passthrough I got, and the Volcano team sent a replacement out that day for me.

 

[flbutterfly1]

I have a Magma and it is a good 510. You can also use the Blu atty on the Magma Batts or the Blu batts on the Magma atty, so in a bind they are compatible. I have all 510 threaded items that way if a battery or atty quits on me I have a spare. The Pcc is nice it doesnt hold a full cig put together though like the Blu does. The atty on the Magma works great. There are cartomizers also that can work with all 510 threads and they are very convenient. Magma gives alot better hit than the Blu.

 

[pAth77]

I started vaping with a Magma. As others have said, it is a 510 unit (as is the Inferno - Volcano's version of the eGo). I liked the Magma as a starter unit, but I quickly outgrew what it could deliver (primarily the battery life). The Magma PCC does come in handy, but IMO it becomes a bit of a hassle to have to recharge your batteries after an hours use. I eventually purchased the Inferno because it is also a 510 and all the Magma stuff will work with it. The Inferno kit comes with two batteries (650 mah that can be used as a USB pass-through (PT), and a 1000mah). Even with the smaller 650 mah batt, I could go an entire day without need for a recharge (I consider myself a moderate vaper). Although the Inferno is larger than the Magma, I find that the Inferno is still very easy to use as an "out-and-about" PV.

You mentioned that you drive a lot. Volcano carries a USB car adapter, which would allow you to use the 650 mah USB PT batt while you're driving. They also carry a Magma PT batt, but it is not included in the Magma kit and must be purchased separately.

If you do end up purchasing a Magma or Inferno, I would definitely recommend the clearomizers. They perform much better than the older cartomizers, and being able to see how much juice you have left is very convenient.

Personally, I think that other e-juice vendors are better than the Volcano juices. They're not bad, but not as good as other places you can (and should) order from. I would recommend Backwoods Brew and Gourmet Vapor. The throat hit and vapor production will really depend on the juice you use. PG tends to have better flavor. VG tends to have better vapor production. I typically order an 80/20 or 70/30 PG/VG mix.

Another thing to keep in mind is that they will soon be carrying an Inferno tank system. Even if you purchase an Inferno now, you will still be able to by the tank system components separately once it's released. Just a thought.

I hope this helps. Volcano customer service is great, but I've only had to use them once since they carry quality products.

 

[AlmightyGod]

Also look at:

Bloog Planet - KR808D-1 maxx fusion
Vapor 4 Life - KR8 also

Liberty flights sells a 510 Riva that you can use with CE2R4 XL cartos
They have a 20% off sale going.

Those are my best starter kits for new vapers.

Good luck!

 

[TheChariot]

I also started with BLU and had problems with the batteries going kaput. I'm forever grateful to BLU because I quit analogs thanks to their massive advertising budget, but Volcano has been a winner for me.

I vouch for the Inferno. Mine came with a defective 1000mAH battery, so I was using the 650 passthrough battery exclusively for a week while they sent me the replacement. That 650 should last you ALL day... unless you're really vaping your ... off. Though larger than the Magma, it fits just fine in my pocket vertically next to my iPhone... I barely notice it's there (and I wear tight jeans). The 650 battery lasted me for a full day plus most of the second day at work before dying, at which time I plugged in the passthrough. I just started using my 1000mAH yesterday, and I've almost gotten through the second day without charging it.

I'm a pretty consistent vapor, and I cycle through the same amount of cartridges each day. Even if you vape a considerable amount more than I do, either battery should last you all day at work. Plus you can have the car charger on hand just in case. Head out the door with a fully charged battery (either one) and 2 full cartomizers and you should be set.

Honestly, I've been suggesting to my friends that they DON'T buy the full Inferno kit and just buy the passthrough batt, atty cone, a couple USB chargers, an atty, drip tip, carts, and cartomizers ($60-$65 approx). I don't think I'll ever need both of these batteries, in all honesty.

That being said, the Magma is no slouch. However, the ONLY reason I see choosing the Magma would be if you wanted a smaller overall unit for the sake of portability.

 

[flea77]

The bad news is, had a slip. Got really on edge and flipped out, smoked two analogs and calmed down, took a nap. Feel much better. The Blus have just had it and are not delivering anything to keep me going. If the Blus had just continued to deliver what they started with (the first few days were great!) I would have been OK.

The good news is I finally decided to just bite the bullet and get the Magma kit with some extras. Here is what I have coming:

Magma PCC
Wall charger
USB charger
2x Magma batts
3x Magma attys
25 full strength carts
1 10ml 16mg juice
5 clearomizers
1 cartomizer refill kit

One thing I wish I knew was whether the clearomizer will fit in the PCC or not, it would be nice but not required as I plan on using mainly carts while out and about and the clearomizer at home. I am already building a list of other things to get on my next order like a spare batt or two, another USB charger so I can have one charging all the time at home, a drip tip, etc.

Anyway, thanks for the help and wish me luck!

Allan

 

[flbutterfly1]

CArtomizers fit the PCC. My hubby uses both carts and cartos and they both fit in the PCC about the same.

 

[Traver]

You should read this it will answer a lot of you questions:
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/ecf-library/36180-wonderful-world-vaping-illustrated-guide-e-cigs-part-1-6-a.html

 

[TheChariot]

Good luck to you. I doubt you'll be disappointed. I had to clean the atomizers for my Blu like every 2 days - it sucked. I my Magma atty has been strong for like 2 weeks now, although I do notice a slight lag as of now. Still, it beats the crap out of Blu. Once you find what works for you, you can chuck the analogs on the garbage.

 

[flea77]

Well I had several serious dissappointments with Volcano and canceled the order. I contacted Jeffery from wordup and ordered what looks like very nice Joye EGO super kit from him that hopefully will be here tomorrow. I was very impressed that Jeffery actually called me at home, after closing, and sat there to discuss options and different devices with me. I bought the EGO after our discussion of my smoking habits and of course the fact that the EGO kit was 25% off until the end of January didn't hurt.

Allan

 

[flea77]

Received my order from Wordup on time, Jeffery is a great guy! So far the EGO has been working well for both my wife and I. I am not sure I like the size, but the performance is excellent. Ordered a ton of juice to go with it, and have more on the way from all kinds of places. Wonder if I am really saving any money, heh.

Allan

 

[son et lumiere]

Check out Janty www,jantyworld.com they make superior products and have the best warranty and customer service.

 

[Mudflap]

Received my order from Wordup on time, Jeffery is a great guy! So far the EGO has been working well for both my wife and I. I am not sure I like the size, but the performance is excellent. Ordered a ton of juice to go with it, and have more on the way from all kinds of places. Wonder if I am really saving any money, heh.

Allan

Performance > size

No, you're not saving money yet. Over the long haul, hell yes.

 

[True.Flavor]

Although it depends a bit on whether you care if your vape device looks like a cigarette or not, the Intellicig EVO is awesome. Great battery life even with the smaller Atom battery and quality made. I know two other people with one and nobody has had any problems. They are solid little units! I will probably be stocking up on spare batts and attys because I really like the 401's and hope they don't get fazed out.

 

[justkay]

I stopped smoking with the Magma kit! I used up the 25 cartridges and decided to change to cartomizers because they aren't as messy and they seem to taste better than the cartridges. I just get blanks and fill them with juice. But do yourself a favor and get the MANUAL battery. I got the automatic and had to suck hard to get the battery to turn on. Then I bought a manual extra long battery and WOW what a difference. CUSTOMER SERVICE: I emailed them about my battery problem and they sent me another one free right away. Although I think it ended up being more of a preference issue with the battery than a battery problem. Even though I have parts from all over now...I still use the PCC and the battery charger. Still going strong after a year.

 

[leannebug]

Congrats.. good to hear that it's working for you!!!

On size: yes.. the ego is hard to get used to the size after you've been smoking for xx number of years. HOWEVER.. in the long run, it's a superiour product (as far as longevity) Eventually you will get past the size issue, and using an Ego/Riva/Tornado whatever.. will become second nature. I've almost given up my favorite 801 autos! I'm liking my Riva 901's and Vgos so much!

But give it time... we all go through it, and it's just a natural progression in the switch from cigs to ecigs.

best of luck,
L