Purchase suggestions for a heavy smoker

[CookingWithGuns]

My first thread creation, and it is to help convert someone to the vape side.

Me and my fiance` are going to get a cheap starter kit for her father. He is a heavy smoker, I'm guessing 2-3 packs a day easy, marb reds I believe. We'd like him to cut down or quit. We don't want to spend that much because he is a very picky guy, doesn't like change, so he just may straight out hate it, and we don't have a good budget right now. However he love electronics, and gadgets, and smoking so it could be something he falls in love with and gets into as a hobby making his own systems from scratch (he has that ability). It has to be a mini-style. I know something bigger would be better suited to him from the smoking side, but consider it cranky old-man syndrome or something he (at least to start) would probably hate anything that looked even remotely like a .....

We were gonna get him a disposable Blu, but figured an extra 10-20$ so he doesn't need to waste time buying a kit if he likes it is worth it. Anyways right now I'm leaning towards getting the 20$ Volt Starter Kit - tobacco, and letting him have the 24mg tobacco liquids from my Halo Variety I'm ordering Monday. My reason for the Volt is that it is an 808 and someone told me they are compatible with my G6. This means I can loan him an extra battery while he starts (since the volt only comes with one), and some empty cartos for him to try the various flavors. Don't know if the LR cartos from Halo will work on the Volt, but that would probably be better for him if they did. This also means though that if he doesn't like it, I have an extra nice sized battery that would work with my setup, and the charger is also compatible.

I'm sure if he decides he actually likes it, it won't be longer than a month before he probably has another mini and two or three apv and start working on making his own.

Anyways, the advice I'm more looking towards is, are there any other sub-30$ 808-thread mini-size starter kits out there that may be better? Any specific tobacco juices that marb red smokers love? Any coca-cola juices that actually taste like that (his second addiction)? Any issues I should have him watch out for with the Volt?

 

[bnrkwest]

I have used Volt 808's and Halo G6's, they are both compatible with cartos even chargers. If he is that heavy of smoker tho he will be hitting it often and needs some serious battery life. Have you looked at the Halo triton batts? They are great and fit the 808 cartos. I have several and I also have the Volt XL, they are so long compared to the Triton batts, I say Triton for performance and fast charging. Get him a couple 1300 mah so he has more vape hrs. Also Halo Longhorn might do the trick as it tastes very cigarette like, you may have tried it. So glad you are helping him! bnrk

 

[BigSpoon]

i think your much better off finding a kit online with some ego 350 mah batteries and some ce8's ease of use and maitenence is unmatched plus blu was my first vape purchase and nearly made me dismiss vaping as a whole it was THAT bad. since hes such a heavy smoker i'd start him at 24mg nic or higher.

if he winds up switching he's goig to be rotating those 350' like crazy the reason i recommended them was because you can easily find a kit of 350's for 40 bucks tops, so if he doesnt like it your not out a bunch of cash. I work at a local vape shop that specializes in beginner level stuff so i deal with people like your soon to be father in law on a daily basis. Feel free to PM me if you feel the need or have any questions

 

[BigSpoon]

whoops read the OP post wrong. the blu disposables arent that bad...as far as disposables go

 

[CookingWithGuns]

I have used Volt 808's and Halo G6's, they are both compatible with cartos even chargers. If he is that heavy of smoker tho he will be hitting it often and needs some serious battery life. Have you looked at the Halo triton batts? They are great and fit the 808 cartos. I have several and I also have the Volt XL, they are so long compared to the Triton batts, I say Triton for performance and fast charging. Get him a couple 1300 mah so he has more vape hrs. Also Halo Longhorn might do the trick as it tastes very cigarette like, you may have tried it. So glad you are helping him! bnrk

I thought about the triton/XL with cartos, and that is what I'd suggest to him if he decides to stick with it and is actually willing to have something bigger. I have the feeling he also really likes the feeling of a cig in his hands, so going that much larger might be a turnoff for him even if it vapes better/longer. He's the kinda guy that would carry a dozen batteries in the size he wants rather than one that can make it through the day. In fact I suspect that if he does like it, he'll wind up using LR cartos and carrying a couple batteries in an old cig pack.

However right off the back I want to make sure he has an actual starter kit so he can keep doing it till' he decides what he wants for sure and orders that. Getting him set up with a triton or a Volt XL, with charger, cartos, I'm looking at hitting $40ish+, and I am on a bit of a budget until next month.

But next month I plan on ordering a triton battery for myself, a bit cheaper than the x2 so I'll pick up 2. Maybe one of each.

 

[CookingWithGuns]

whoops read the OP post wrong. the blu disposables arent that bad...as far as disposables go

I think the Blu disposables are one of the smartest things they ever did. They are 24mg so people trying it out get their nicotine. The downside is vapor production is low (like all Blu) and the battery on the disposable dies out well before it is out of liquid. I think they should up to the 32mg if they are going to use that battery and try to hook the heavy smoker trying to switch.

As for the Ego 350, better or not, it doesn't look enough like a cig for his first one. I need a mini-slim style. He's gonna be picky, and I have to get him over to e-cigs in the first place before introducing even more change to him. The best part if I get him into vaping long term, he is sure to wind up making it a full blown hobby and picking up a ton more stuff than he can use on a regular basis, which means things I can borrow, juices to try, etc...

 

[transmothra]

You can get halfway decent eGo kits these days for just a little more than $30. Toss in a bottle of Halo Captain Jack or Vermillion River KY Premium, and you'd still only spend just a hair over the cost of a carton of albatrosses, even after shipping. If you absolutely must have cigarette-slim batteries (which will only last 3-4 hours of fairly heavy vaping), go with a 510 kit.

[EDIT] IMHO, the biggest make-or-break part of the purchase is the atomizer. Dripping is the best vape, period, so a standard atty plus a drip tip is all you'd need (besides a battery). HOWEVER, you only get several puffs per 3-4 drops so if he's not into fairly constant vape-maintenance then a Kanger EVOD is the best way to go. They're super cheap (~$6) and perform really well. But honestly nothing beats dripping for flavor, throat hit, and vapor production.

 

[ChrisOrange]

I just started vaping and smoked mostly Winston reds. If they ran out of Winston I would grab a pack of Marlboro reds because they are damn close. I am finding vapor .....es Dark and Mellow is hitting the spot for me. It's a flavor that is really really close to Black and Milds. If he hates black and milds...this still might be a good option to try imo because it's vapor and not nearly as harsh as a real black and mild.

EDIT: I think a reds smoker will look for that throat hit to be pretty good in their vape and the Dark and Mellow seems to be delivering on that for me.

I got a few other tobacco style flavors that I haven't gotten to yet. I tried a local shop's "Red" tobacco flavor and it is really bad like vaping grass clippings...letting it steep to see if the flavor gets better but so far it's nothing close to a cigarette let alone a red. I actually think they forgot a flavor component because this just seems way off the mark.

 

[CookingWithGuns]

You can get halfway decent eGo kits these days for just a little more than $30. Toss in a bottle of Halo Captain Jack or Vermillion River KY Premium, and you'd still only spend just a hair over the cost of a carton of albatrosses, even after shipping. If you absolutely must have cigarette-slim batteries (which will only last 3-4 hours of fairly heavy vaping), go with a 510 kit.

[EDIT] IMHO, the biggest make-or-break part of the purchase is the atomizer. Dripping is the best vape, period, so a standard atty plus a drip tip is all you'd need (besides a battery). HOWEVER, you only get several puffs per 3-4 drops so if he's not into fairly constant vape-maintenance then a Kanger EVOD is the best way to go. They're super cheap (~$6) and perform really well. But honestly nothing beats dripping for flavor, throat hit, and vapor production.

A slim battery is going to be a necessity for his first e-cig. I know it seems stupid to a full-blown vaper, but many people don't want to move that far away from an analog their first time out. If he is willing to stick with it, like it, I predict him to stick with slim for awhile, move to LR cartos, move to a Triton or X2 battery, then eventually (but for home use only) move onto an actual APV, and then actually build his own.

As mentioned, I want to go with an 808 kit so I don't have to worry about picking up any adapters and I can just use his battery and charger if he doesn't like it. Also if he does like it, instead of having to shop around immediately he can take some of my cartos to hold him over till stuff arrives.

 

[ShogaNinja]

I recommend 2 eGo-C Twists (~$25 a piece for genuines, knockoffs are cheaper (I've had good luck with VaporBeast's knockoffs)) with 2 Vivi Nova Mini Clearomizers (about $10 each) (each comes with a total of 3 atomizer heads). You'll also need an eGo USB charger (about 5 bucks - depending on where you look). That's 6 atomizers to start and with a little maintenance every week or 2 they will last months on just the 6 provided atomizer heads. By that time, if they're into it, they can learn how to rebuild them on their own. If they're not into DIY stuff then that's still plenty of time for proof of concept and they can either buy replacement heads for it, or try something different. The Variable Voltage of the eGo-C Twist is easy to comprehend, invaluable, and great for beginners because they can dial in their setting and get what they want out of it. I still vape my twists every day and you can see how long I've been vaping by my join date. If he doesn't like them then you get an awesome upgrade.

I smoked a pack and a half a day of reds at my worst and I was able to quit on the first day. The secret is to get them to start a new day with it, and not halfway through a day of smoking. That will increase the odds. If you'd like more tips you can always click on my website (link is below in my signature) and suggest that reading to your convert as well. It's basically over a year's worth of knowledge in a digestible format that can be absorbed in just a couple hours from beginning to end, from beginner to expert.

One other tip I will leave you with is to avoid this idea of swapping smoked tobacco for a tobacco flavored ejuice. 9/10 them are terrible tasting and just aren't going to cut it. I recommend one start out with fruits or sweets. Berries of all sorts, and Chocolate or Peanut Butter are pretty hard to screw up. You can make your own flavor combinations at ECBlend on the cheap. Mount Baker is the cheapest juice vendor around. Later on, when they learn what they like, they can go over to Wizard Labs and get the chemicals to make they own (DIY) juice and save the maximum amount of money vaping if that's their thing. In the meantime, the eGo-C Twists will last them a good year or so. All of that information on how to rebuild the Vivi Nova, and mix your own E-Juice is on my website, as well as other cool stuff like repairing the eGo-C Twist.

One thing I'd recommend is staying away from is starter kits, which generally tend to try and lure you in with a promise of a good deal. In the end they tend to give you substandard equipment (non-variable voltage e-cigs from yesteryear, ego Vision Clearomizers - aka the antiquated Stardust) at a steep markup. My first starter kit was a KGO and both of them are now dead forever in a junk box after just a few months of use out of each of them (and that was oscillating the use). Pathetic.

I can't recommend a cig-a-like (cigarette sized 808/510 ecig) for a heavy smoker because the battery life on them is underwhelming. A fully charged 1000 mah ego should last all day for most people, and you have 2. It's crucial to have a backup in case you lose one, break one, or you need to charge one. It gives you something to fall back on. Definitely stay away from Blu - which is owned by Lorillard, the company that makes Newport and many other bargain priced cigarettes. Keep Big Tobacco out of the vaping industry. They've made enough money irresponsibly killing people. We shouldn't pay them now to save our lives.

Link to the Vaper's Handbook vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

 

[CookingWithGuns]

I recommend 2 eGo-C Twists (~$25 a piece for genuines, knockoffs are cheaper (I've had good luck with VaporBeast's knockoffs) with 2 Vivi Nova Mini Clearomizers (about $10 each) (each comes with a total of 3 atomizer heads). You'll also need an eGo USB charger (about 5 bucks - depending on where you look). That's 6 atomizers to start and with a little maintenance every week or 2 they will last months on just the 6 provided atomizer heads. By that time, if they're into it, they can learn how to rebuild them on their own. If they're not into DIY stuff then that's still plenty of time for proof of concept and they can either buy replacement heads for it, or try something different. The Variable Voltage of the eGo-C Twist is easy to comprehend, invaluable, and great for beginners because they can dial in their setting and get what they want out of it. I still vape my twists every day and you can see how long I've been vaping by my join date.

I smoked a pack and a half a day of reds at my worst and I was able to quit on the first day. The secret is to get them to start a new day with it, and not halfway through a day of smoking. That will increase the odds. If you'd like more tips you can always click on my website (link is below in my signature) and suggest that reading to your convert as well. It's basically over a year's worth of knowledge in a digestible format that can be absorbed in just a couple hours from beginning to end, from beginner to expert.

One other tip I will leave you with is to avoid this idea of swapping smoked tobacco for a tobacco flavored ejuice. 9/10 them are terrible tasting and just aren't going to cut it. I recommend one start out with fruits or sweets. Berries of all sorts, and Chocolate or Peanut Butter are pretty hard to screw up. You can make your own flavor combinations at ECBlend on the cheap. Mount Baker is the cheapest juice vendor around. Later on, when they learn what they like, they can go over to Wizard Labs and get the chemicals to make they own (DIY) juice and save the maximum amount of money vaping if that's their thing. In the meantime, the eGo-C Twists will last them a good year or so. All of that information on how to rebuild the Vivi Nova, and mix your own E-Juice is on my website, as well as other cool stuff like repairing the eGo-C Twist.

One thing I'd recommend is staying away from is starter kits, which generally tend to try and lure you in with a promise of a good deal. In the end they tend to give you substandard equipment (non-variable voltage e-cigs from yesteryear, ego Vision Clearomizers - aka the antiquated Stardust) at a steep markup. My first starter kit was a KGO and both of them are now dead forever in a junk box after just a few months of use out of each of them (and that was oscillating the use). Pathetic.

I can't recommend a cig-a-like (cigarette sized 808/510 ecig) for a heavy smoker because the battery life on them is underwhelming. A fully charged 1000 mah ego should last all day for most people, and you have 2. It's crucial to have a backup in case you lose one, break one, or you need to charge one. It gives you something to fall back on. Definitely stay away from Blu - which is owned by Lorillard, the company that makes Newport and many other bargain priced cigarettes. Keep Big Tobacco out of the vaping industry. They've made enough money irresponsibly killing people. We shouldn't pay them now to save our lives.

Link to the Vaper's Handbook vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

If he wasn't so stubborn and resistant to change, and I had the money for it, we'd right off the bat get him a ProVari. At first he isn't going to care about battery life, or how long a carto will last before it needs to be refilled. He'll carry enough batteries and filled cartos to last him through the day before he bumps himself up to something that will draw looks from people at work or in public. I'd go so far to say that he'll always have a slim for work (he may bump up to a 650/900mah), however he'd probably get the largest battery possible for when he is at home. Hell I wouldn't be surprised to walk in one day and see him somehow hooked up to a backpack battery while he is doing work around the house. Also, he'd never use any sort of tank while at work or in public, only carts that keep it looking like a cig. I'm not going to throw him into the deep end, hell even the shallow end, but rather the kiddie pool because if he gets scared away, I lose out, and he stays on analog. He gets hooked, he'll be making his own equipment pretty much from scratch. Combine that with the pinstriping and metal work my mother can do, I can wind up with some really awesome looking APVs.

Thanks for the advice on the tobacco juice. I'll let him know. I'm going to look for some chocolate/nutty flavored ones though as he may actually like that. Fruity he won't. I also have to remember to tell him he can easily get 36mg juices if he isn't getting enough from the 24mg I'm going to start him on.

 

[Wow1420]

A slim battery is going to be a necessity for his first e-cig. I know it seems stupid to a full-blown vaper, but many people don't want to move that far away from an analog their first time out. If he is willing to stick with it, like it, I predict him to stick with slim for awhile, move to LR cartos, move to a Triton or X2 battery, then eventually (but for home use only) move onto an actual APV, and then actually build his own.

As mentioned, I want to go with an 808 kit so I don't have to worry about picking up any adapters and I can just use his battery and charger if he doesn't like it. Also if he does like it, instead of having to shop around immediately he can take some of my cartos to hold him over till stuff arrives.

Given his requirements, the Volt kit makes sense to me. I don't understand why so many people recommend what they like instead of reading what the person needs and making recommendations that fit the request. What I like about the Smokeless image set is that they have an upgrade path with better, but still compatible batteries and they offer both pre-filled and liquids for refilling.

 

[Jwaterski]

All I can add is good luck. If he's not ready it won't matter what kit you get, if he is ready it still won't matter, even if he hates the kit you get if he's ready he'll modify, purchase or adapt until it works. Again good luck, hope you have another convert!

 

[candimccann]

Does nobody read what the OP was very specific about? 808 thread cigalike...that's what he wants. They will be able to share batteries and cartos.

There are quite a few brands that offer a 1-battery starter kit, but after checking a few different sites I see they are all priced at the same 19.99 that you quoted for the Volt.

 

[Myrany]

just a thought for you since you say he likes tinkering

Start him with a cigalike but make very sure he is shown right from the start all the wild wacky other devices people have tinkered up to improve their vape experience. That way if he is disappointed in the cigalike he will have rattling around in the back of his mind how HE can "fix" it. Which might just make him more interested.

Yeah I am known in the family as the sneak.

 

[candimccann]

To build on Myrany's idea, here's a video that is great -- GrimmGreen's 'Taking the Next Vaping Step'
TAKING THE NEXT VAPING STEP - YouTube

He starts with Volt and works you up step by step through egos and into mods.

 

[jefsview]

It's a nice gesture, and your hearts in the right place, but no matter what you buy, it's up to him if he even wants to consider it. That's the first obstacle.

Since you seem to have a G6, have you let him try it yet?

I was a 2 pack a day smoker, and I resisted even the idea of the e-cigs until I saw people actually using them. And even the cheap gas station ones do give some satisfaction. When I tried them, I knew it was possible to use them to quit smoking. After a few days, I was already looking for better options than the FINS that I started with. I had heard someone mention an "ego kit" and so I went in search of it.

Basically, I'm just saying have him try your, and let him know that if he wants to give it a go, there are better options out there for him. The Triton Tank setup is so very satisfying step up from the cig-alikes, and really isn't that much larger.

But he has to be be willing.

I'd sit him down in front of the computer and let him watch some Youtube videos -- show him the choices after he tries a cigalike.

 

[CookingWithGuns]

just a thought for you since you say he likes tinkering

Start him with a cigalike but make very sure he is shown right from the start all the wild wacky other devices people have tinkered up to improve their vape experience. That way if he is disappointed in the cigalike he will have rattling around in the back of his mind how HE can "fix" it. Which might just make him more interested.

Yeah I am known in the family as the sneak.

Yeah it is another reason I'm looking at 808s since I know he can jump from slims to bigger batteries, and even tanks immediately if he is willing to, while being able to try mine out to make sure he is comfortable with it. I'm going to have pictures loaded up on my tablet of the various styles, including the chart for that voltage sweet spot as it is right up his alley to get him interested. But like you said, I have to be sneaky about it. Like in the vaping in public thread, the poster who's grandma doesn't let him because to people her age it tends to look "illegal-ish" and smoking drugs, he is going to have that mind set. So he needs to get addicted to vaping first with something that is as physically similar to an analog as possible, and then he won't care what people think. Hell that is why I'm going with white instead of any colours in the first place too. Also, slims are the best for when you want it hanging when driving which he does every driving moment.

Though if he does get into it, I'm sure he'll discover ECF even if I don't tell him about it, which means I'd need this thread deleted so he doesn't see how I describe him. haha.

 

[CookingWithGuns]

It's a nice gesture, and your hearts in the right place, but no matter what you buy, it's up to him if he even wants to consider it. That's the first obstacle.

Since you seem to have a G6, have you let him try it yet?

I was a 2 pack a day smoker, and I resisted even the idea of the e-cigs until I saw people actually using them. And even the cheap gas station ones do give some satisfaction. When I tried them, I knew it was possible to use them to quit smoking. After a few days, I was already looking for better options than the FINS that I started with. I had heard someone mention an "ego kit" and so I went in search of it.

Basically, I'm just saying have him try your, and let him know that if he wants to give it a go, there are better options out there for him. The Triton Tank setup is so very satisfying step up from the cig-alikes, and really isn't that much larger.

But he has to be be willing.

I'd sit him down in front of the computer and let him watch some Youtube videos -- show him the choices after he tries a cigalike.

If he was in anyways a normal person, this is exactly what I would do. However my best chance, and his too for that matter, is for me to give him the gift and he'll force himself to try it, go through some carts, by that time he should be hooked.

 

[Grimwald]

I'm a 60 year old (61 in a couple of weeks) male. I was a 40 year smoker and up to 3+ pad. Also smoked full flavor cigs. I quit using Volts, regular cartos, and 24mg juice. I've been smoke free for 10 months. I have branched out to Smokeless Image X2s (ego sized), and some bigger batts, and I'm using different clearos, but I still use my Volts often, mostly for out and about or working in the yard. The only drawback with the Volt is the 808 connection which somewhat limits the ability to grow...still, it's a solid unit, and perfectly adequate. Smokeless Image has always been a top notch company with great CS, and an active forum down in the supplier section.