Outgrown the M4; what next?

[Entendu]

Hi, pros,

I feel like I've outgrown my M4 a bit. I'm not happy with the quality of the components. Here are the things I don't like about the M4:

-Battery life -- I mean overall battery life, not the length of a charge. I have 4 dead manual batteries on my hands, a couple months old max.

-Attys have a very short lifespan -- I've been through 8 attys or so in the same time, a couple months

-Passthrough availability -- I got my pt for free as a bundle deal, but now they're hard to find and I have to order them from janky-looking websites. Who knows if the order will come through

I'm looking for an ecig with a passthrough available (IMPORTANT!) that has great vapor production and doesn't require me to futz with it and replace parts all the time.

Halp me!

 

[DonDaBoomVape]

There are several alternatives that would meet your criteria. Here are two of the most popular:

1. The 510: The most popular e-cig model with piles of available options and accessories (including PTs). The 510 atomizer leads the pack in vapor production and its manual battery (although only 180 mAh) is very well implemented.
   
   
2. The Kr8: Not quite as popular, but with a fiercely loyal following. The Kr8 is the original simple to use, two-piece cartomizer model (with the possible exceptions of the more expensive E9 or GreenCig). Its true 3.7V, 280 mAh battery is the most powerful of the skinny batts. Passthroughs also are readily available for the Kr8.

Starter kits for each can be had for around $40 from many of the suppliers listed in my comparative review of those two models (and of my personal favorite, the penstyle).

For $20-$40 more, you could start with a kit using much higher mAh batteries.

• For the 510: the 650 mAh* eGO/Tornado, 750 mAh Riva, or 1000+ mAh Hello 016 (aka Hello, Good-Buy). Many suppliers carry one of those; NHaler happens to carry all three.
  
  
• For the Kr8, CigEasy is the first to carry the 750 mAh Elegant.

* Longer 900 mAh and much longer 1000 mAh batteries are coming available for the eGO and Tornado, respectively ... although only as extra or replacement batteries at this time, not in kits.​

All of the above are good models carried by good suppliers, who provide redress for "lemons." Know, however, that the parts of all e-cig models, especially atomizers and cartomizers, have a higher proportion of lemons than most consumer electronics. The quality control ain't what it ought to be.