RBAs versus traditional replaceable attys.

[sangdraax]

Ok, so I got my ERA a few months ago, and at first i was really entranced by the whole thing. Then one day, i just didn't have time to replace a coil that wasn't working out, so I slapped an old fashioned shorty LR 510 on it.

Here's my problem. The old fashioned attys just work. Yeah, you get a bad one every now and then, and that sucks. But I just spent a month using really thick juice, and only now has this old school atty finally gummed up and stopped working so well.

Anyway, I know a lot of people love their RBAs, but I think I don't get it. Even when I was using my ERA every day, I was replacing the coil every two days... It just seems like a lot of fuss for something that works marginally better at it's best.

For what it's worth I've been using micro coils with cotton wicks. I might be doing something wrong, but it just doesn't seem worth the effort. Figured I'd throw my two cents in amongst all of the rave reviews. Maybe someone can float me some advice that'll change my mind.

 

[rc10mike]

I 100% agree with you. The concept of RBAs is cool, but replacing wicks every 2-3 days is just as bad as using cartos. I never got huge performance gains with RBAs either. RBAs may be cheaper in the long run, but the convenience factor is on the very low side with them IMO.

 

[unloaded]

The RBAs work a lot better for me. Probably boils down to personal preference. If they work better for you consider yourself lucky and enjoy them. It seems like I've gone through gallons of juices that people rave about only to find that they aren't for me.

 

[KeithB]

I like the peace of mind that comes from knowing I can rebuild a coil when I need to and not have to worry about not having a functional atty. I generally use silica wicks and get more than two days out of them. Having more than one rebuildable also means not being put on the spot to rebuild a coil 'right now'.

 

[super_X_drifter]

I think alot of it has to do with the RBA. The hornet / ERA produces a decent vape, properly built, they rival that of a carto. To me the main design flaws with them is no drainage - so your usually drowning the wick and a thin cap that doesn't dissipate heat generated by chain sessions.

Moving up to a truly exceptional (and expensive) RBA the vape was a game changer, particularly when chain vaped - that's where I noticed the biggest difference; consistent vapor temperature each hit. And positive drainage so you are not storing excess juice in the atty.

Then REO rolled out the RM2, and it too is an exceptional RBA, chain vapers wet dream, at every mans price, and extremely simple to build.

I am no longer looking for a better RBA. Even if it automatically coiled and wicked itself (boring), and levitated to my mouth, the vape could not get any better than I get with my RM2.

 

[garyinco]

The next person in line might say why even bother with an atomizer, a cartomizer would be even less of a hassle. They'd be right in the hassle factor. There is no best answer. If there was you'd see every local retailer selling them and the tobacco industry come off their perch and overwhelm this little cottage industry, along with their cronies (the State and Federal government, if they can tax it).

I now prefer the RBA's, but I also keep some attys and cartos around. If I go out on a camping/biking/sledding/out-of-state trip the RBAs stay at home. But I spend far less time at home rebuilding a RBA then going through the frustration of hopelessly searching for a vendor that is not out-of-stock on what I need.

I get much more than a couple of days out of a coil/wick setup. I guess I've reached the point of heading toward quitting. Keep some of all three around, and good luck.

 

[Njt07]

I am also using micro coils on my Igo-L and cotton yarn as the wick and haven't replaced the wick or coil for a week. I usually end up rewicking about once a week, along with dry burning the coil.

I found that 30 gauge is a great size as it heats up quick and keeps its shape through rewicking. I only rebuild my coils when I want to try something new, but my current setup, 32 gauge at 3ohms with peaches and cream yarn wick on my Igo-L (with airhole drilled out to 1/16) is perfect (for me). Far more vapor than any stock atty can produce and I can drip about 10 drops into the atty and vape that for a while.

 

[ancient puffer]

Prior to the RM2, I would have agreed about it not being worth the hassle. The A7, ERA, etc., at best produced about the same vapor as the 1.7-1.9 ohm attys I bought in bulk. I tried to like the rebuildables, I really did, but the hassles outweighed the cost savings (for me, at least).

Truthfully, I bought the RM2 only as a swansong for RBA's, telling myself, if this didn't do it, I would remain forever a disposable atty guy.

The RM2 arrived, I made a sloppy coil with some silica wick, soaked it and fired it up (elapsed time, maybe 8 minutes). First hit: BAM! Plumes of warm, sweet vapor, and I thought to myself, what did I do different? Answer: nothing, it's the RM2. So I thought "This can't really last". But it did! And kept on and on and on. So two days later, I bought another.

Okay, so now that I've had the RM2 a while, here's what I've found. (Except for one wonky build) I easily get WEEKS out of a coil/wick. No daily maintenace, fiddling, wondering what happened to the vape, dead attys, shorts, or anything else undesirable. Just steady, consistent, plentiful vapor. Okay, so every once in a while the vapor/flavor drops off. Squonk, and it's all "right" again.

Maybe not everyone has the same experience I had, but I'll never go back to disposable attys/cartos. TBH, I tried one of my "favorite" attys about a month after I got the RM2, just to see if I remembered and was comparing fairly. The vapor was sad by comparison, although, the flavor was about the same. I used to get about a week, maybe a week and a half tops, from the disposable attys, then they'd just give out on me or the flavor would degrade to an unexceptable level.

The RM2 has been so good, I can't even remember when I built the one I'm using. If you're at the end of your rope with rebuildables, I'd say give the RM2 a shot, it saved the day for me and I couldn't be more pleased.

 

[supertrunker]

RM2's are pretty much all i use now - if you really want a long lasting wick you can dry burn etc, then use silica or better still the nextel or ekowool.

I got a little over 2 weeks from a nextel wick, with - naturally - no maintenance at all, cos i'm too lazy, in a grand that i thrash every day. I mean it - i start on it as soon as i get up and vape pretty much all day till i go to bed. In fact all i altered from when i smoked was disposing of a lighter.

I make a few spare wicks and coils ooh, once a week in case something happens to one of them. Cartos run red hot for me and electronic devices don't cut it; 7 seconds a puff (??) and then they shut off - nonsense!

Some cartos, if those are your thing maybe better than others - i hear a lot about hh-357s and bridgeless ones which i think Empire mods sell, but making an easy coil now takes minutes.

Practice!

T

 

[karmakatie]

For me the RBA's work so much better on 100% VG juices.......I was tough on regular atties they gunked up really fast and the draw would tighten and it always seemed to be feast or famine on the right amount of juice for that perfect hit, I now get those perfect hits each and every time!!...

I also hated buying vodka just to clean atties!! It became quite expensive to keep them clean and it still never lasted...now just rinse RBA's in hot water and I am good to go....I can rebuild a coil and be vaping as fast as what it used to take me to prime and get one of those shorty cartos going, and I am an old woman with arthritic hands LOL And one big thing...no more dud atties!!

 

[Big Hitter]

For what it's worth I've been using micro coils with cotton wicks. I might be doing something wrong

That might be what your doing wrong right there ..... IMO cotton sucks as a wicking material, but everyone is different. Honestly not much of a fan of micro coils either .... Apparently Im an odd duck.
Never had an ERA so cant say for them but for me I can throw 4 wraps of 30g around doubled over slica and throw it in pretty much any RBA and its 3-4 times better than the most expensive disposable attys.

My builds can last 6-8 days and it really ... really only takes <3 minutes to re-do one. And it would be a sad day if I ever had to go back to 510/306 attys.

But what ever works for ya is cool, we don't discriminate in REOville

 

[Chinner]

What he said. ^

Another thing to remember, is if you build strong coils, there's no need to change the wire much at all. Just use tweezers to yank out crappy old wick, fire the coil red hot until the gunk is off, then slide a new piece of wick through the coil. I can do this process in about 30 seconds, (assuming my RBA wasn't broken .

Learning that I didn't need to wrap coils every time really made the RBA experience more enjoyable and I can get at least a week with most juices without changing wick.