Ok...I just had to weigh in on this thread. Most folks know I'm a fairly rabid GG fan..even though I'm fairly new to the family and only have my one GGTS#180/AFSv2 at the moment, I wanted to share the fact that I did not come to this level of satisfaction by default nor by lack of comparison to the other possibilities that exist on the market. This is my testament to why the GGTS/AFSv2 is different and superior to any other mod on the market!
The evolution of my ecig experience is like many others, I started out with a basic 510 kit and was blown away that anything could even begin to deliver my addiction in such an unconventional and healthier way. After the initial thrill wore off, I realized as a 3-pack a day chain smoker that this little 510 cig was cute and all..but definitely not up to my daily requirements.
I then evaluated my needs, in order to get to the point where I could walk away from cigarettes forever. I needed to satisfy the following:
1) Battery life -- changing batteries every hr and running them down even before the one currently in the charger was finished..just sucked.
2) Refilling carts -- it didn't matter what cart mod I had or even cartomizers, I'd vape them dry in no time and it basically kept me chained to my desk constantly refilling just to satisfy my nicotine fix...it was a very bad scene. The cartomizers literally burned and screamed in agony trying to satisfy my cravings.
These two issues were critical to my success. Basically nothing worked except the little 510 atomizer itself(and later I came to love the 901 as well). So I read and read with a fervor not unlike a dying man's..(which I technically was). I found the 18650 battery and thought..WOW!...I've solved problem (1). But then I had to figure out some way to house it..and make it work. At the time I'd barely spent any money on ecigs and nothing on mods...but I read about the FogLog and thought..hey..I can build that cheap and easy and it will work. So I ordered a few parts and a couple of 18650 batteries/charger from MadVapes and grabbed some plumbing pipe and ran out to my shop and proceeded to create. It wasn't pretty...but hey it worked!! I had found a battery that could survive my abuse!!
I went to town and showed all my buddies, my family, friends, the waitress at the local diner, etc what I'd created and almost every one of them said "What's that? A drug pipe?"....I was dumbfounded! I've been clean and sober for over 20 yrs...no one even invites me to bars anymore cause they know it's just not part of my reality. The devastation continued to set in....I wouldn't leave the house and take my FogLog...I'd take my cigarettes instead...I was very, very upset about it.
At the same time I was still experimenting with solving the constant cart refilling problem. I was still reading like mad in the modder's forums trying to find an answer. Some of the early juice-feeder mods had my curiousity...so I managed to mod a cart with a tube going down into a juice bottle. It worked...!! I could easily just squeeze the bottle and refill my cart on the go...driving down the road...mowing the yard on the tractor...this was cool!
I'd solved my two problems that kept me from quitting smoking for good. Or had I? I now had a FogLog with a juice-feeder attached to the cart and a big red rubberband holding it all together...my god...even I had to admit this definitely was looking like a serious drug pipe!
I finally broke down and grabbed a black Silver Bullet and was able to vaguely look respectable, but I still had the juice-feeder hanging on the side of it. In the end I bought a mini-Vapestack and would just refill it as necessary when out in public, but I still came home in nic-fits trying to make it all work. I also tried the cartomizers around this time with the Vapestack...but I can tell ya that cartomizers are in no way able to withstand my chain-vaping attacks.
In addition to all of these frustrations, let me emphasize that I was "chained" to my desk with my juice bottles, tweezers, kleenex, spare this and that parts. I got some measure of freedom with the juice-feeder..but it still had complications and still flooded, etc. Not to mention that I spent so much time fiddling that I really couldn't get anything else done in my life. I was about ready to quit and give up...just to get on with my life and doing the things I needed to do. The Silver Bullet was heavy and bulky and the button required pressing with my thumbnail which was getting really sore from constant abuse. The Vapestack was good, but not enough battery life(only about 3hrs) and didn't have the same discharge current(16340 batt) as the 18650 and just didn't hit as hard.
I sat myself down and had a very long talk with myself. I decided that it didn't matter how much it cost, I'd find a solution and not give up. Enter the GG!
I'd heard about the GGTS for awhile and thought it was a nice concept..but I only used my 18650 battery..so no need for a telescopic mod here. I also looked at the chameleon, but since it couldn't accomodate the 18650 it wasn't kept in the running. I really couldn't see spending more money for the GGTS vs the Silver Bullet because I wouldn't use half of it's features.
However about the same time I became aware of the AFSv2 which had just come out. I was overwhelmed! I thought..damn..could this actually work? I debated this for several days before finally pulling the trigger! I had a few 901 atty's laying around so I just couldn't pass it up. I watched every video..read every thread and waited for the mail.
It came in the mail...I opened it...filled it...vaped it...and literally..almost cried..! It was that much of a relief and an amazing device! I knew in that instant that I'd found what I needed to walk away from cigarettes forever! It just worked and worked and worked...for hours on end. I could walk away from my desk...drive to town...sit and visit with friends...all while puffing away and knowing that tank was going to last me for hrs...(around 10hrs usually). I was beyond satisfied.
I still had it mounted on my Black Silver Bullet though and I constantly worried about dropping it and hearing that dreaded snap. I had another long talk with myself...and decided after seeing the "aesthetic mod" setup for the GGTS that I should break down and just get it and have an elegant and complete solution for my vaping experience.
This was the point just in between the older GGTS being replaced by the new current GGTS which at that point hadn't even been seen. I knew I loved the style of the current(old) GGTS..with it's old world silver/brass combination. I loved how the "aesthetic mod" snugged it down to the AFSv2 and knew that would satisfy any "drop" issues I might be worried about. Only trouble was...they were already sold out...I couldn't get one...I was bummed!
Then I heard about Rob having some "orphans" for sale. They were billed as 100% working order with a few surface imperfections. The price was adjusted slightly to clear these units from his inventory. I thought..wow..it can't be that bad based on the pictures he posted..and I knew enough about buffing and finishing to figure I'd be able to resolve any small stuff for myself...and I wasn't sure how long a wait for the new GGTS nor what it would look like. So I grabbed one and a few spare parts while I was at it.
GGTS #180 arrived and I once again..was awed by it's elegance and simplicity. I knew too immediately why it was an orphan. The top silver pieces were highly polished, while the lower silver piece was the original style which showed the machine grooves. It wasn't "unfinished" just had two diff styles in one unit. Otherwise it was perfect and very well done.
Now you can sit there and tell me it's a defective unit...and I'll tell you it's not...because it is indeed 100% mechanically functional. I knew when I bought it had some minor imperfections on the finish. I can also tell you that all the parts are finished to perfection..just the top and bottom are two diff styles...dunno how that happened..but it did..and makes my GGTS very unique in my opinion.
I can also tell you hands down that no one calls this unit a drug pipe...and I can also tell you that I can chain-vape non-stop for over 10hrs at a time..all day...every day...without a hitch..without fail...without question. I can also tell you that I have my life back..I've quit smoking cigarettes forever due to the genius of this device...and I'm also the very proud owner of a beautifully hand-crafted, sculpted and engineered work of art!
When folks come up and ask what it is...this is what I tell them:
"This is my electronic cigarette. It is different than most ecigs, it's like the Rolls Royce of ecigs. It is handcrafted, machined and lathed by an awesome guy in Greece. There are less than a 1000 in the world. I smoked 3 packs a day for over 38 yrs and this is what it took for me to get off cigarettes."
Thanks Imeo!
