Problems with the Ego-T/possible plee for ugrade suggestions.

[Exis007]

Here's the deal.

I have two Ego-T starter kits, bought two months apart. My boyfriend splits the hardware with me and I was having hardware problems that led me to double up and buy a second kit. I started vaping four months ago, and it is the only e-cig I've ever tried. There are a lot of things I like about the Ego; the battery life/ease of use is really nice. I like the shape and size. The manual button is really nice. Having a tank full of liquid makes vaping on the go very easy for me.

However, I have a number of complaints.

I clean my equipment regularly. I soak my atomizers in rubbing alcohol, rinse them with water, and then I leave them out to dry for 48+ hours. I have tried just water and just alcohol, but I find that the combo works the best. I may be wrong about that, but that's what I get the best results with. Despite this, I am running into quite a few problems with them. Some clog up within eight or ten pulls and maintain a hard drag unless I blow through them into a paper towel to clear out the juice. Even after doing that, they will just re-clog. Others will work just fine until I have to refill the tank and then they will refuse to wick. Some just only get so clean and the pull is harsh.

The atomizer problems are a nuisance, but the biggest problem I have is that I seem to be pulling through very slight amounts of liquid on occasion. It isn't happening often, but I am very sensitive to it. The inside of my lower lip and the top of my tongue become numb/rough on occasion. It is almost like I burned my tongue on very hot food. I suspected initially that I had an allergy to PG or VG but changing the juice formula seems to have no effect. I use many brands of liquid (Alien, Backwoods, Gourmet Vapor, iVape) and they don't seem to make much of a difference either. Ergo, I have to conclude that either I am very sensitive to the vapor itself or I am pulling through trace amounts of liquid that is causing the problem.

I quit smoking with the Ego, so there's a chance I am just really hard on my atomizers and I am wearing them out. There's also a chance that I am cleaning them wrong. However, I suspect that the tank model just may not be for me. I imagine that the problems I have with the atomizers and the problem with pulling through liquid are connected (i.e. the atomizer is flooding and causing me to pull through), but I cannot find a better way of maintaining them than what I am doing now.

This brings me to my question: am I doing something spectacularly wrong or is it just time to upgrade to a better model? Money is not an issue, but functional is more important than fancy. Size and structure are not an issue. I just want a vaporizer that doesn't require me to troubleshoot the mechanical issues once a week and cause my mouth to be numb from use. I am all for recommended maintenance but having weird technical problems with my atomizers every three days is very frustrating. I was always planning on upgrading to a higher-tech mod when I proved that vaping was for me, but as I am four months deep with no interest in returning to analogs I am comfortable moving up in the world.

Can anyone recommend me a hardy mod/PV that will alleviate these problems or point out what I am doing wrong with my current set up? When it comes to starter kits the internet is all a-buzz with info, but as to how to upgrade from there the information gets fuzzy. I am happy to invest in a system provided I can use it safely without pulling liquid through and having to replace parts bi-monthly as I have been.

What I am looking for in an upgrade:
* Not to pull through liquid
* Fair to middling battery life (I don't mind having extra batteries on hand when I am going out, if that is necessary, but I am a grad student and I like having some longevity).
* Preferably not having to drip: I can go there if I have to, but having never dripped it seems like a hassle….but I might be wrong about that.
*Atomizers that are meant to last longer/fail less than the ones I am currently using.
* A long-term solution…I'd rather put the good money up initially than have to be back here in six months seeking another upgrade. I am not a gadget collector or someone interested in the "next big thing". My philosophy is to buy top of the line and then not worry about it again for several years. Something I can buy and take care of for a long time is appealing to me.
*The whistle tip of the tank system pisses off the boyfriend. It doesn't bother me, but as he is going in on this investment with me it is worth noting.

Any help veterans? I'll answer any and all questions if you have them.

Thanks,
Exis

 

[Sallana]

I'm probably the biggest eGo fan going around here. I started on 510's and got my eGo around the same time I got a Chuck.. since then I've had several variations of box mods, a Tekkeon, a Silver Bullet, a Buzz and have tried a Vypr and Pearl from Vaprlife. But none of them live up to my beloved eGo's.

That being said, I've also tried any and all eGo products that are available. I've tried the tanks and quite frankly, they are probably excellent and impressive for a new vaper, but they are not good for the long term. They are known to be prone to clogging/burning and just general annoyance.

What I would tell you is that right now you've reached a point in your vaping journey where you are simply going to have to troubleshoot until you find a PV combo that works best for you. No two people on this forum like exactly the same thing. Some prefer cartomizers while others can't stand them. Some have NO luck with Mods (like me) while others rave about them.

I can't tell you what you should get and what is going to make you happy. I really wish it were as easy as that, because it would have come in handy when I was in your position. All I can tell you is what wound up being my sweet spot..

eGo pass-through battery with dual coil cartomizers.

Dual Coils are pretty cheap. deejStuff eLiquid, The Apocalypse can wait... sells them $7.50 for 5. One will last me about 2 weeks. You can rinse them with water if you're frugal (like me) and they will perform like new for another two weeks (Your mileage may vary) OR you can just throw them out. Cartomizers are considered disposable where as atomizers are supposed to be a bit more long-term. The taste and TH on these is just as good if not much better than a Low Resistance atomizer, for a fraction of the cost. They hold about 1.5ml of liquid which is roughly the same as an eGo tank if I recall correctly. They don't leak and work fine with drip tips. The one downside of these is that a cone does not fit over them.

As for your mouth sores, I'm just not sure what that could be. I've gotten liquid in my mouth a couple times and it does burn and leave a numb feeling.. but never to the point of a visible rash... I hope you get that figured out.

In the meantime, if money is not an issue just pick up a pack of dual coils. At the link I posted above you can get 5 of them for 8.75.. shipped. So why not see if you like those. They will work on the eGo's you have just fine.

Best of luck.

 

[DonDaBoomVape]

I echo Sallana's recommendations. The problems you are reporting have nothing to do with your battery, so no need to get a mod to solve them.

[NOTE: Upgrading to a 1000 mAh eGo battery (e.g., $20 from Kalamazoo Vapor Shop) would, of course, extend the time between charges. And an 18650-based mod would really extend it ... and bring the voltage up from 3.2V to 3.7V. A very inexpensive one is the $35 NoEgo from Jazz CartoPipe. It doesn't include batteries or charger, but those can be ordered separately from any of the suppliers I mentioned/linked in this post ... or you could purchase the virtually identical $55 e-Power complete kit from BreezEsmokes.]

Like Sallana, I also think highly of cartomizers, especially those Smok Tech Mega Dual Coils. [I thank her personally for that link to the lowest price supplier I ever heard of for these dual coils!] And I've been hearing great things (e.g., pbusardo's review) about the Smok Tech 1.7 ohm Mega Single Coil "Resurrector" cartomizers from Crystal Clear Vaping.

To pare refill time down down to the bone, you can stick the dual coil cartos in the 3-ml or 5-ml J-Tank from ElectronicStix, also recently positively reviewed by pbusardo.