Recommend Me A MTL Mech Mod?

[G and C]

I've been using strictly regulated mods for the last 6-7 years, and have been pretty happy since I found my sweet spot of 1.8ohm coils at 11w and 18mg nicotine about 5 years ago. But with all of the nonsense going on at the moment, it has me thinking I might want to invest in something a little more durable than internal battery regulated mods.

I understand the basics of Ohms Law, but don't have any experience with using it, so I'm wondering if anyone can point me in a general direction that would get me something that would work with my current setup. I typically use RTAs, although I have recently gotten into RDAs with my introduction to squonking, and it's always the same 1.8ohm coil build (28g, 10 wraps, 2.5mm ID). Should I be looking at 18650 mods? Maybe 18350 for my coil setup?

Any guidance appreciated!

 

[T0mmy1977]

You could go with 18650 or 18350. 18350 would be shorter, so a more compact setup. 18650 would be longer and a much longer battery life. Keep studying ohm's law and battery safety.

 

[Skunk!]

Any mechanical will work for mtl, you just need an appropriate atty. I would suggest you stick to rebuildables when using mechanicals. What attys are you using now?

 

[mimöschen]

1.8ohms is a bit high on a mech mod, so with the max output of 8.5W the vape might be a bit on the cold side.
Me personally I wouldn't go higher than 1.2ohm. Ymmv of course.

At those amplevels it comes down to personal preference, whether you like a shorter or taller setup.
Batterylife, overall performance and most importantly availability would be more important to me. I'd probably go for a 18650 mod, because high quality/capacity cells like the LG HG2, Samsung 30Q, and Murata/Sony VTC6 are readily available. The better 18350 cells like the YDL are hard to come by though, or you have to buy unknown rewraps. Most of those rewraps are garbage, but even YDLs still suffer from significant inconsistencies.

Which mod you choose might be dictated by your atty. A 22mm atty might look okay on a 24mm mech or even fit perfectly if it comes with a beauty ring, but a plain 18mm atty will look ridiculous even on a 22mm tube.
If you have a 24mm atty, a 21700 mod might be worth a look as well, because their largely increased batterylife might be a huge pro.

 

[rob33]

IMHO, for a unregulated mod I'd never considered a 18350. With a mechanical mod the batteries have noticeable fall off from full charge to the end of the cycle. I think with the low mah of the 18350 it would be such an inconsistent vape. I only buy squonkers just because they do everything, I can use what ever atty I want and have them in 18650 and 20700. I now prefer a 20700 just because with a tube 18650s work also. For you since you are not a low ohm"'er, check out the mechanical Dot Mod Squonker or the Boxer Squonker paired with a Hadaly type atty.

 

[G and C]

What attys are you using now?

For the most part, I'm using my Kayfun Prime and a VV Berskerker. I like them both, but the KF tends to be for around the house, while the Berkserker goes out and does the running around with me. I do have a couple of Vapefly Galaxies on the way for my squonk mods though, I'm pretty excited about those.

 

[G and C]

1.8ohms is a bit high on a mech mod, so with the max output of 8.5W the vape might be a bit on the cold side.
Me personally I wouldn't go higher than 1.2ohm. Ymmv of course.

Replicating that on a regulated mod, you're right, 8.5w is just not enough. So as much as I want to keep my current setup going, I might have to add to my repertoire a little bit to make this work. Thanks for putting it in those terms for me, that makes sense.

At those amplevels it comes down to personal preference, whether you like a shorter or taller setup.
Batterylife, overall performance and most importantly availability would be more important to me. I'd probably go for a 18650 mod, because high quality/capacity cells like the LG HG2, Samsung 30Q, and Murata/Sony VTC6 are readily available. The better 18350 cells like the YDL are hard to come by though, or you have to buy unknown rewraps. Most of those rewraps are garbage, but even YDLs still suffer from significant inconsistencies.

I think you're right here, too. As much as I like compact mods, I also like readily available batteries that are affordable. Even just a quick search for 18350 batteries shows that they're harder to find than the 18650s, so I think that pretty much makes this an obvious choice for me. Good call.

 

[G and C]

For you since you are not a low ohm"'er, check out the mechanical Dot Mod Squonker or the Boxer Squonker paired with a Hadaly type atty.

Thank you, I'm going to check those out right now. I appreciate the suggestions.

 

[TrollDragon]

Mecanical or unregulated mods are a PiTA for me and just a novelty. I can run my BSKR for two+ days on a regulated mod at 15W, on the unregulated I'm looking for a new battery before the day is 3/4 over. You have to build for the mod/battery and you might not end up with a coil or wattage you enjoy as much as your current 11W vape on a regulated. The power drops off with each vape as well so before too long you are down to 10W with no way to turn up the power except for swapping the battery.

18350s are a gimmick IMHO for tiny little mods, they only put out 9A and don't last very long.

 

[Hawise]

As you're new to mechs, let me recommend Baditude's blog post on the subject: (8) A Beginner's Guide to Your First Mechanical Mod | E-Cigarette Forum.

I fully understand the appeal of a durable mod in current circumstances, but you'll still need either a regulated mod or an ohmmeter to use a mech safely. The ohmmeter might be the way to go for you since a good one should last longer than a regulated mech you're using regularly. In any case, it's vital to check every coil you make on a regulated mod or ohmmeter before using it on a mech. Even the most experienced coil maker occasionally has something go wrong, like a wire end shorting out the setup or some wire touching something it shouldn't, and when you wind up with a short circuit you'll want to discover it on something safer than a mech.

Another tip for mechs is to be careful not to over-discharge your battery. Dropping the battery much below 3 v can damage it and make it unsafe for further use. The vape will get weaker as the battery discharges so you will learn to catch it before it gets too low, but it takes experience and practice to know when to charge. In the early stages, you'll want to check your battery regularly.

Steam engine is a great resource for finding a build that'll suit you. Start by putting in your current favourites and making a note of their characteristics - heat capacity, heat flux etc. Then start experimenting to see what builds are similar. You'll be aiming for something a bit lower in resistance to match your current experience on a mech.

Good luck!

 

[G and C]

Mecanical or unregulated mods are a PiTA for me and just a novelty. I can run my BSKR for two+ days on a regulated mod at 15W, on the unregulated I'm looking for a new battery before the day is 3/4 over. You have to build for the mod/battery and you might not end up with a coil or wattage you enjoy as much as your current 11W vape on a regulated. The power drops off with each vape as well so before too long you are down to 10W with no way to turn up the power except for swapping the battery.

I'm with you 100%, and that's why I've never really gotten into mechs at all. But the durability of regulated mods is a big question mark, especially when we're talking about having some gear that may need to last me for decades. That's the big reason why I'm working on learning about this stuff now, before it's too late to find something that will work for me.

 

[TrollDragon]

I'm with you 100%, and that's why I've never really gotten into mechs at all. But the durability of regulated mods is a big question mark, especially when we're talking about having some gear that may need to last me for decades. That's the big reason why I'm working on learning about this stuff now, before it's too late to find something that will work for me.

Good luck with it, they are fun to learn and play with for sure.

Another thing to do since you are a low wattage vaper is to grab a stockpile of closeout mods like the iJoy Katana for example at $6.99 or similar units that take an 18650.

 

[Skunk!]

Great mechmods at a great price.
These are non "hybrid" meaning they have a pin between tge battery and atty. They used to be around $200. They are a bit big but they are 25mm which will fit most attys, simple to maintain, and safe to learn on. I have 3 of them.
asMODus Rose Finch Mechanical Mod single 18650

 

[G and C]

Another thing to do since you are a low wattage vaper is to grab a stockpile of closeout mods like the iJoy Katana for example at $6.99 or similar units that take an 18650.

Funny you mention that, I'd never heard of that particular mod, but bought two of them for that exact price this morning on Everzon because they were so affordable.

I've mainly stocked up on Aegis Solos, because they're dustproof/shockproof/waterproof, so I'm thinking durability may be pretty good, but yes, that's been my line of thinking as well.

 

[Skunk!]

Funny you mention that, I'd never heard of that particular mod, but bought two of them for that exact price this morning on Everzon because they were so affordable.

I've mainly stocked up on Aegis Solos, because they're dustproof/shockproof/waterproof, so I'm thinking durability may be pretty good, but yes, that's been my line of thinking as well.

Geekvape sells spare parts for those too

 

[markfm]

The 1.2 ohm previously mentioned works if you want to be at 11w on a mech the majority of the time.

The equations needed are just:
Power = Voltage x Voltage / Resistance = Voltage x Current

Current (I) = Voltage / Resistance

In a mech you start with a fully charged battery, nominally 4.2V. If you aren't stressing the battery (not drawing too much current), the battery will initially drop down quickly, to around 3.8v, then drop voltage slowly.

If your target is around 11 - 12W, a 1.2 ohm coil, you'll be drawing around 3A, safe for any battery Mooch recommends.

Initially checking a build on a regulated mod is a good basic safety practice. Do it when you're first setting up a coil (part of the initial build, when you check for hot spots, at low power), then again after the rda or rta is fully set up (to make sure there isn't any short from the coil to the rda/rta housing - the resistance should be close to your first check).

A protected bypass mod, one that has some protections (short circuit, reverse battery, low voltage) can be an initial step. I have a couple of Ehpro Armor Prime mods that I like; a nice side fire button, the warning/battery voltage LEDs are unobtrusive, and the build quality seems pretty solid.

 

[UncLeJunkLe]

But with all of the nonsense going on at the moment, it has me thinking I might want to invest in something a little more durable than internal battery regulated mods.

You don't have to go with a mech mod if all you want is to be able to replace the battery. They do make replaceable battery regulated mods.

 

[G and C]

You don't have to go with a mech mod if all you want is to be able to replace the battery. They do make replaceable battery regulated mods.

Yes, they do, and I'm pretty well stocked on those as well. I've built a small army of Aegis Solos and iStick Pico Xs that I can rely on. But I'm just trying to be as well rounded as possible, you know? Playing it safe, if you will.

 

[G and C]

The 1.2 ohm previously mentioned works if you want to be at 11w on a mech the majority of the time.

The equations needed are just:
Power = Voltage x Voltage / Resistance = Voltage x Current

Current (I) = Voltage / Resistance

In a mech you start with a fully charged battery, nominally 4.2V. If you aren't stressing the battery (not drawing too much current), the battery will initially drop down quickly, to around 3.8v, then drop voltage slowly.

If your target is around 11 - 12W, a 1.2 ohm coil, you'll be drawing around 3A, safe for any battery Mooch recommends.

Initially checking a build on a regulated mod is a good basic safety practice. Do it when you're first setting up a coil (part of the initial build, when you check for hot spots, at low power), then again after the rda or rta is fully set up (to make sure there isn't any short from the coil to the rda/rta housing - the resistance should be close to your first check).

A protected bypass mod, one that has some protections (short circuit, reverse battery, low voltage) can be an initial step. I have a couple of Ehpro Armor Prime mods that I like; a nice side fire button, the warning/battery voltage LEDs are unobtrusive, and the build quality seems pretty solid.

Thank you for this explanation. This definitely fills in some holes in my understanding of how all of this works. I'm going to use this info to do some playing around with some different ~1.2ohm coils today and see what comes out of it.

 

[markfm]

For calculating power on a mech we use 3.7v, the nominal battery voltage. You're only at the higher part, above 3.8v for a small amount of time.