ready to rid myself of analogs

[coralie]

Hi all. I found this site a week or two ago, and have been reading voraciously. I never knew a thing such as e-cigs existed. I have been smoking for almost 10 years.

I like smoking, but hate the smell, the need, the example for my two little kids, I feel guilty about it. I want to be able to quit smoking, and use vaping to cut down to where I only vape socially, not around my kids. I would quit completely, but there's things about it that I enjoy. Also the social aspect as my husband is a smoker, but he doesn't have the addictive personality I have and can go much longer without one and doesn't use it to deal with things the way I do. I need to quit smoking. I can't breathe good, and I hate hate hate the smell on my clothes, hair, everything. I've tried the patch. It works for the whole day, but I really really want a cigarette at night. This is where I hope vaping comes in.

I'm going to purchase an e-cig, and I've been researching which one I want... I am down to the 510 or the 901, or maybe a Yeti. I first saw a pen-style e-cig at the Ren Faire, and was enthralled. I have done a lot of reading and want to get a good model of e-cig. I don't want to get a bad one, try it, hate it, and give up. Also, I need help with finding a reputable supplier. Yes, I've been reading the threads. Right now I see the DSE901 Mini starter kit for $49.95 from Vaporstix. It has 2 batteries, 5 cartridges, 1 atomizer, and 1 home charger. I really want to click buy and and have it in the mail but I want to make sure I'm not making a stupid move. Help me!

Then my next question will be about buying cartridges or getting liquid and refilling it myself. Is that messy? Difficult? Should I buy additional cartridges with the starter kit? I tried to look them up on vaporstix but can't seem to find them... I would prefer menthol, if it's really going to replace my marlboro menthols. Otherwise, I don't think I'll stick with it.

I have a ton more questions. Thanks for all the posts here that have already helped me. I can't wait to start vaping and get rid of regular cigarettes!

~coralie

 

[shivadance]

Either the 510 or the 901 is a good choice! Oh, the Yeti is a 510, it's just that seller's name for it. Chances are if e-cig/personal vaporizer/PV works for you then you will eventually own more than one.

Refilling is not as hard or messy as you think. My mom started vaping and told me she'd never touch the liquid, but I left some for her anyway. I come back the next week and she had been refilling her own like a pro! I was so proud. So if my 65 yr old mom can do it, I know you can. Just be careful with juice and kids, not all bottles are child proof. You may want to take that into consideration when buying liquid.

You will want liquid, the flavors that come in the prefilled carts are generally not very good, though some folks do like it. Get some blank cartridges so you can fill your own, but by all means get some prefilled menthol ones if you can find them.

Also, how much do you currenly smoke? You'll want to order liquid in strength to match your nicotine needs so that you do not go through too many withdrawals. Some folks order a couple different strengths... a higher one for the cravings and a lower one for sitting at the computer/watching tv and vaping for longer periods of time.

Hope that helps a bit! You can find reviews of vendors by doing a serch for the vendor name. You should be able to find at 901 kit for about $40 and a 510 for under $50.

 

[shivadance]

I looked on the vaporstix website and I see the carts under DSE901 -> Parts. Looks like they are out of stock on the blank ones but have the vanilla. You can always refill your cart with a complimenting flavor. Like you can add chocolate or coffee to a vanilla cart and it should go well. I don't see an issue with adding menthol to vanilla. Minty vanilla!

Parts - DSE901 E-Cig

Oh, and I've ordered from MyVaporStore before.. they have the DSE901 kits for $42.99 and have blank carts in stock. Not as big of a selection of liquid as some but they do have menthol.

http://myvaporstore.com/cartzip/user/index.php

 

[baillou2]

I've been vaping for almost a month, and while I've cut back signifigantly on analogs I still haven't quit all together.
The truth is I've spent a lot of money just experimenting. I'm willing to do so in order to quit, but I just want to warn you that it may not be a walk in the park like it is for some people. If I were interested in vaping for purely recreational reasons I would have never bothered after the first few days. But I am hell bent on quiting.

Good luck!! and yes, a 901 or 510 would be best.

 

[SuperSpliff]

Hi Coralie. I'm not sure if I'm the best person to give you advice but here goes.

I'm a noob to vaping as well, however, I did not do all the research that you have done before making my first purchase and had a terrible Blu experience. Since then I've done my share fair of research and just want to share my experience with you in hopes that it will help you make you're decision.

Blu was a great idea with poor execution. I ordered mine on June 30 and didn't receive it until the 3rd of August. From the 3rd of August until the 13th I was cigarette free, until I ran out of cartridges. On the 13th I called customer service of Blu to return my starter kit and then went to Innovapor and ordered the 510. Bought a couple of packs of cigarettes to tide me over til my order came in today. I still have a 3/4 pack of Newports still sitting in my garage that I haven't even thought about while I've been vaping on my new 510.

Blu starter kit came with 2 batteries, 2 atomizers, probably the best PCC available on the market and 25 cartridges, wall charger, and usb charger for 59.99. I guess it's considered a mini automatic type personal vaporizer. My issues were that one of the batteries they sent right off was defective and the cartridges did not last the 60-80 puffs that is said it did. Also, since it was automatic, it would go off by itself when it was in my pocket or if there was heavy wind. And the cartridges was prepacked and deemed not refillable although I have read where people were doing their own Blu cartridges. And the shipping times were horrendous. Might be better now.

My 510 starter kit came with 3 batteries, 5 atomizers, 8 prefilled cartridges, 3 empty, and 3 3ml bottles of ecopure and a PCC and usb charger for 125.00. With their discount code I got the set for 93.25. And it took 4 total days after I put in my order before I recieved it. The 510 I got was a manual (meaning u have to push a button while you draw in order for it work) and I really love it. The vapor production is nice and consistent, and even though I've only have it for less than a day, it was a much better experience than Blu in my opinion.

I think you would save more money in the long run if you refill your own cartridges. Seems they perform better from what I've been reading. I don't think it's too difficult or too messy. I'm even trying to find better wicker material at the moment and trying different things to fit better with my personal smoking habits and taste.

I've been a smoker for almost 20 years and have tried all different methods of quitting, most recently the gum, and nothing comes close to satisfy my cravings...until now.

I hope this helps. Definitely don't want to influence your decision of where to buy or from whom. But I definitely think that if you're serious about stopping traditional cigarettes you're definitely on the right track.

Happy shopping!

 

[coralie]

Shivadance, I currently smoke 10-15 cigarettes a day. That will cut down a little bit automatically in the next few days as I go back to work. I don't smoke at work. I'm not sure how much nicotine that converts to, I was thinking of getting a medium strength, but different shops "medium" seems to vary a little. Should I get a "high" too for stronger cravings? Also, thanks for checking Vaporstix, I'm still a bit uncertain about where to find things I need. I will check out myvaporstore and keep checking reviews for suppliers.

baillou2, thanks for the reminder. The stories that some have of not smoking another analog after getting their first kit make me hopeful... but I'll be surprised if that happens for me. We'll see. I'd love to love it so much that I don't want another regular cigarette ever again.

Superspliff, I almost got sucked in on a couple of other brands that I found don't have great reviews on here--the greensmoke and Njoy, and I looked at the Blu too. I'm glad I waited, thought it over, and started researching again. I was wondering what the difference between automatic and manual was...your explanation was really helpful. Is it awkward to push the button on a manual? I like that it would go off in my pocket tho.

So here's what I'm looking at buying right now, the 901 starter kit, empty cartridges, and liquid in the menthol flavor, probably a high strength and a medium strength. Maybe another flavor like vanilla or chocolate, a little down the road. Anything else?

 

[SuperSpliff]

The manual for me is not all that awkward to use. My main problem is I forget to push the button before I draw but it's getting to be less and less at this point. And I just appreciate the peace of mind that a manual comes with due to not wanting a dead battery or a empty cartridge cause the auto was going off without my knowing.

I think what you have in mind is a great starter kit! I'm a bit envious and wished I've done the research you have done and came up with a sound decision before making my first purchase. Think you will be happy with your choices.

 

[yknotagain]

Just make sure you have a spare atomizer or two and a spare battery as well. I would also highly recommend a pass-through for when you're at your computer.

 

[JustJulie]

I've been vaping since the end of January, and I've been tobacco-free since about the third day of vaping.

My best advice is to get an e-cig model with a manual battery. Folks often moan and whine about how awful it will be to push a button, but with rare exception, they usually pop back in to talk about how easy it was to get used to the button and how superior the vaping experience is with manual batteries.

The 510 is available with a manual battery (actually, that's pretty much the standard configuration), and there are now 901s with manual batteries. I haven't dealt with the 901 manual battery set up, but I have with the 510, and it's lovely.

Yes, you will want to order some liquid. You'll often hear the "fact" tossed around that a cartridge equals one pack of cigarettes. Yeah, right . . . NOT. Depending on the model, that can either be a mildly inflated figure or a downright lie. However you slice it, though, e-cigs just aren't good about draining a cartridge, and so you'll find the vapor less satisfying well before the cartridge is completely spent.

Thus, being able to top off cartridges and refill them is almost a necessity. In fact, in my opinion, it's almost impossible to give vaping a fair try without having some liquid on hand.

Personally, I would buy a medium nicotine solution and a high nicotine solution. You can vape mostly medium and then if you feel a strong craving for a cigarette, you can spike your cartridge with a few drops of the high stuff. Really helps take the edge off.

My best advice, though, is to go into this experience with no expectations of quitting--instead, expect to cut back on your tobacco cigarettes. Many folks have successfully quit tobacco with the use of e-cigarettes, but I think for some folks, expectations of quitting immediately can get in the way and actually be counter-productive.

If you focus on reducing your tobacco intake, my guess is that, like many folks, you'll find yourself giving up the tobacco altogether with relatively little fuss. For some, the transition is almost immediate. For others, it's a longer road with a few more stones in the path . . . but even for those who find it's more difficult to give up the tobacco, they find themselves signfiicantly reducing their tobacco intake almost immediately, which is pretty major, in my opinion.

 

[coralie]

yknotagain, thanks for the advice, but I currently only smoke outside, not on the computer, so I don't want a pass through. Just makes it too easy to vape all the time. The kits I've seen have 2 batteries and 2 atomizers. Should I order a third one of each?

JustJulie, how do I tell if the one I'm ordering is a manual or an automatic? I was explaining the whole concept to my husband last night...he's skeptical that it will look silly. I said even if I vape after work, that's less cigarettes--the kids are exposed to second hand smoke and if I smoke a regular cigarette with him after they go to bed, no harm done. Every time I think about quitting cigs I smoke more, like a long goodbye. I think you're right that I need to take the focus off quitting and put it on reducing. If I can reduce it and keep it down for more than a few days that will be awesome.

 

[JustJulie]

JustJulie, how do I tell if the one I'm ordering is a manual or an automatic? I was explaining the whole concept to my husband last night...he's skeptical that it will look silly. I said even if I vape after work, that's less cigarettes--the kids are exposed to second hand smoke and if I smoke a regular cigarette with him after they go to bed, no harm done. Every time I think about quitting cigs I smoke more, like a long goodbye. I think you're right that I need to take the focus off quitting and put it on reducing. If I can reduce it and keep it down for more than a few days that will be awesome.

First, you can tell because they should describe the battery . . . but if you look at the picture and the battery has a button, that's a dead give-away.

Second, your comment about the "long goodbye" is a tip-off to me that you are very smart indeed not to go into this thinking you're going to quit smoking. Oh, I think you will . . . and I think you'll quit a heck of a lot faster than you think you will . . . but there's so much power in how we approach things.

For me, the thought of never having another cigarette did not make me feel happy, joyful, excited, or hopeful. Frankly, it filled me with dread and panic. Since I had tried EVERYTHING to quit, I didn't dare hope that this would do the trick. All I hoped for was that I would cut down my cigarette use. Truthfully, I was up to almost 3 packs a day. Even now, it's painful to type that.

Anyway, I figured that if I cut out a pack a day, that would be great . . . cutting down by 50% would mean getting down to a pack and a half a day, and that would be amazing. The thought of quitting entirely? Inconceivable.

And because I didn't worry about quitting, I didn't worry . . . I knew that if I wanted a cigarette, I could have one. I figured I'd try to vape through a craving, but if that didn't work, I'd pick up a cigarette. No pressure.

Every one is different, but for me, telling myself that I could NOT have a cigarette led to panic, which made me want a cigarette all the more. On the other hand, telling myself I could have one if I really wanted it took the pressure off and allowed me to quite easily give up the cigarettes because there was no panic.

For the first time ever, I felt in control. Very powerful feeling indeed.

As for looking silly, yeah, some of us kind of feel that way at first. In fact, I simply didn't vape in public in the very beginning. Now, I proudly tote my big girl e-cigs around with me and whip 'em out in public without any concern about whether I look silly or not. And thus far, no one has approached me telling me I look silly. Usually, folks are just curious, although it's kind of surprising to me how few looks I get.

 

[coralie]

I'm like you, if I tell myself I can't have a cigarette, I panic. Especially if I'm home. If I'm out and about and busy, or at work, it's more of a passing craving. If I'm at home though, where I do most of my smoking, grr. That's why cutting back is so tough for me. My husband always encourages me to cut back, partly cause he doesn't want me to quit for good. But I don't have that type of personality. I think I will be fine if I feel I have my "crutch" and can wean myself to lower nicotine levels and I'll be so proud of accomplishing just that. I can't wait to place my order!