QUALITY & RELIABILITY... suggestions?

[Adub]

My wife and I have been vaping for a few months now and have spent a fair sum on different ecigs. So far we have tried:

- Health e-cigarette (overpriced m401 knock-off?)
- Smokeless Delite (Joye 306?)
- Red Dragon (e9?)
- Joye 510
- Puresmoker Protege v1.1 w/ lr510, 1r801, Joye302 attys
We have found that we like the lr801 atty the best!!

We have had a multitude of issues with ALL of the ecigs we have purchased, most recently the protege and it's defective mechanical switch. The arc created each time the button is pressed corrodes the contacts pretty quickly. We have only owned it since mother's day and the contacts are worn down to nubs from all the filing/sanding we've had to do to keep it functioning... lately I have been applying dialectric grease to the contacts to prevent the arc and this has helped a little bit. Yesterday one of the batteries (tenergy 14500) started leaking, the whole unit was actually getting hot when the button was pressed.

Anyhow, enough complaining! I am looking for a quality, reliable unit and have considered the gg double slim as we both like the high voltage effect that the lr attys deliver, however we thought that by purchasing a true HV device we would save money on atties... ???

I have also been looking at the super-t precise; I know this isn't a HV device but it fits my wife's specs as far as looks are concerned... (a slim feminine-looking device) and we could go with the lr801 atty)

Or I thought about just ordering a few XL Kr808 batts (pink ones for my wife, of course! ) w/ adapters for the lr 801 atty...

My questions are:

- Are the above solutions going to provide me with a quality hassle-free experience? (I know there are no guarantees, but being that you are all veterans you must have preferences as far as quality is concerned) perhaps you can recommend something else? (it does have to be slim for my wife!)

- Will I experience problems with mechanical switches on any mod?

Thank you in advance for any suggestions!!!

 

[Kent C]

We have had a multitude of issues with ALL of the ecigs we have purchased, most recently the protege and it's defective mechanical switch.

You should send this back to puresmoker.com. Get a 'ticket' via email and go from there. Their other non-mechanical switches work fine now. Pretty sure they'll fix you up and frankly, a good working Protege is one of the best slim mods (least diameter with a sleek look to it) for your wife. An eGo would also be a good aesthetically looking PV that produces good vaper and if you already have the 510 attys and carts then all you need is a battery or two, the quick charger and a cone.

I am looking for a quality, reliable unit and have considered the gg double slim as we both like the high voltage effect that the lr attys deliver, however we thought that by purchasing a true HV device we would save money on atties... ???

Saving money on attys isn't a prime attribute of HV mods - you'll burn more out at 5 and 6 than 3.7Volts. Even at 5v, you have to watch running a regular 510 atty and the 901 is perfect for 5Volts, imo. At 6 volts even the 801 (highest resistance atty at 3.8ohms = @9.5W) should be an "HV" atty to get you back toward the 8W range - a lot safer. That said, the GG line is good quality. If it weren't for the end button, I'd consider one...

I have also been looking at the super-t precise; I know this isn't a HV device but it fits my wife's specs as far as looks are concerned... (a slim feminine-looking device) and we could go with the lr801 atty)

The Protege, Precious and Provape are all slimmer (and sleeker, imo). Still the quality is in the higher range. So is the price.

Or I thought about just ordering a few XL Kr808 batts (pink ones for my wife, of course! ) w/ adapters for the lr 801 atty...

- Will I experience problems with mechanical switches on any mod?

Not my favorite choice but that would work. I'll let Don tell you of the Elegant - even I'm impressed with the idea - an 'eGo' for the KR8ers. It solves the skinny length thing of the XL's although some like that I hear.

No guarantees on switches for mods. I haven't had one problem with my 'regular switch' on the Protege (but I know many have in the past). I think (don't have but have read enough about as they were in consideration from time to time) the Silver Bullet and BB from altsmoke are solid mods with good switches - again, there are going to be exceptions with every one I might mention. Best to just search the forums for many responses of people that have them. I have had no problem with eGo or Tornado switches and have a bunch of Bartlebys and 2 Wetboxes with no problems. So that's my experience.

 

[DonDaBoomVape]

Despite the thoroughness of Kent's answer (as always), it seems that he wants me to add my .

I'll start with a clarification: The 14500-based Protege and Provape-1 are not slimmer than the currently available version of the Precise (based on the 10440 battery). They are, of course, much higher mAh: the 14500's 600-900 mAh to the 10440's 320-360 mAh. As for the Precise vs. the Precious: I don't know the exact dimensions of the Precise, but the 10440 version of the Precious (69mm X 13mm) is probably shorter and wider. The Precious sells for $10 more. Their respective sleekness is in the eye of the beholder.

Notice the different positioning (and type) of their manual switch buttons.​

Now onto Kr8 batteries and penstyle atomizers...

The penstyle (e.g., 801) atomizer (even with one of the shorter adapters) on an XL Kr8 battery is extremely long: too long even for me. The regular penstyle (i.e., 801 atty on 801 battery) is 155mm ... on the same size regular Kr8 battery (using a 3/8" adapter) it's about 165mm ... on the XL battery with same adapter: 185mm.

One of my favorite configurations to achieve an inexpensive, very slender, moderately long e-cig is the 901 atomizer (no adapter required) on a regular Kr8 battery: ~130mm, true 3.7V, 280mAh. I especially like it in all stainless steel with metal drip tip, as shown in this blurry photo of mine:

[I ain't no photographer.]​

Regarding LR penstyle atomizers: they are not all the same resistance. For example, NHaler's LR 801 is 1.5 ohms (according the the website; I've not measured it) ... Ikenvape's LR 801 is 2.0 ohms ... and IndyVaporShop's LR BE112 (they call it "801" manufactured by BE) is "2.0 ohms +/- 0.2 ohm." They all require a 450+ mAh battery, e.g., 14500 or "Fat Batt" (my name for devices like the eGO and Elegant).

My favorite vape to date is the EM (EastMall) 801 (atomizer and battery). The atomizer is not called "LR" but it is certainly lower resistance than a regular penstyle atomizer and works well on EastMall's 801 battery. Outstanding throat hit, vapor, and flavor ... and not as overwhelming (to me) as the 1.5 ohm atomizer.

As for CigEasy's Elegant, I just received it yesterday, so all my impressions are superficial and tentative. I can say that my brushed gold unit is quite beautiful (the website photos don't do it justice) especially with a gold-tone cartomizer...

.... considerably shorter (about 3/8") and, of course, wider than the regular Kr8 battery ... and works well with all Kr8 cartomizers that I've tried and with the 901, 510, and 801 atomizers (the 510 and 801 require an adapter and the 801 won't fit in the cone). Its voltage is a trade secret (although I'm sure that someone with a multimeter could measure it), but seems to be less than the 3.7V Kr8 battery, perhaps about the same as the 3.4V eGO (although I've never used the eGO).