Recommendations for a total noob...

[StinkyMcghee]

This is my first post here...I've never tried an e-cigarette, but I'm curious to try this as an alternative to analogs.

I've been poking around these forums for a couple days now, and just ordered a 510 disposable from madvapes last night...it sounds like this is what's generally recommended for first-timers to see if they like the experience. In retrospect, I kinda wish I had gotten more than one - what am I going to do while the battery is charging?

A little background about my smoking habits:
- Smoked for 4 years in undergrad, quit for 6 years, been smoking again for the past 5 years in grad school.
- I smoke a pack a day of Natural American Spirits, Organic Lights.

Assuming I enjoy the 510 disposable and it satisfies my need to smoke, what are some good next steps? I'm looking for recommendations here on both hardware and liquid.

As for hardware, I'd prefer something with a shape/size/draw as close as possible to an analog, so preferably not a pen model. I'm definitely a gadget guy (just ask about my coffee-making setup), so I'm not afraid to tinker a bit.

Liquid-wise, I don't mind paying a little extra $$$ for something that's genuinely higher-quality. From what I can gather, the 510 disposables come with the standard Dekang "Marl" cartridges, though I'm not sure about that. It sounds like some folks have had issues with Dekang with regards to inconsistency and quality, but that Dekang is also hard to avoid. Are there any American manufacturers that produce really high-quality liquid?

It also sounds like people generally prefer VG over PG, or some VG/PG mix. I don't think I've got a PG allergy (I've had no problems with smoke machines in the past), but if VG produces a better liquid, I'd like to go that route.

I know flavor is very much a personal thing, but given that I smoke Natural Amercian Spirits, I assume I would want to gravitate towards something with a more natural tobacco flavor...when I've bummed Marlboros off my friends, they always taste weirdly, chemically synthetic to me. Camels are better, but still not great.

Finally, strength-wise, what's a good nicotine concentration given that I currently smoke a pack a day of lights? I'm worried the included 24mg strength cartridges will already be too strong.

Thanks for all your help!

 

[gk7319]

At work right now so I'll try to be brief. The only drawback to the 510 style IMHO is the battery charge. When I used them, I had 6 batteries and a PCC (looks like a cig pack but charges a battery for you) that I rotated all day. I just switched to a silver bullet which is large a bulky but the battery lasts forever.

On the juices, there are a few US manufacturers to be found. I may have a list a home that I can pull together later or you could try a search on the forums. Difference between PG & VG is VG is cooler vapor, thick like syrup, and produces a lot of vapor. Both are good. PG irritates my throat a bit.

 

[gk7319]

On the nic strength, I use between 18-24mg after smoking 2+ pack per day for over 20 years. Neither makes me lightheaded (like that first smoke you ever had) so I was thinking of upgrading.

Flavors and strength are things that will be purely subjective. You can try some sample bottles from different manufacturers for relatively little cash.

Gotta go!

 

[Ast_Isis]

I love my 510 but I did end up buying a battery mod since switching the little standard batteries all the time was a pain. As for which mod, that is really up to you. I bought the Protege from Puresmoker but there are a lot of really great mods out there.

Just as an FYI, I smoked 1 - 1.5 packs of ultra lights per day. Used 24mg liquid in the mornings then 18mg as my all day vape. This combination stopped any nicotine cravings I had.

Flavor is highly suggestive. What one person loves, another hates. I like Kent and RY4 but many people prefer 555 or Marlboro variations. Try getting some small bottles and see what you like.

As for good liquid vendors in the USA who make their own stock, there are a great many of them. Two companies that I really like are DIYFlavorShack and MyFreedomSmokes. I DIY exclusively now and have seen both of these companies base items..very good, clean stuff.

DIY Flavor Shack by E-Cig Smoke Store (Dawn's shop is closed till the 18th but if you msg her, she will open it for you)

Home | My Freedom Smokes

As for the PG/VG debate, it also varies. I have discovered that my sweet spot is 70%PG/30%VG. The companies who mix their own will customize the order for whatever percentages you want.

 

[beast775]

ive had my joye510 for 10 days and im really enjoying it now,ive got it acting like a hr long analogue.huge vapor and easy filling.i used a old mod from this forum.its excellent.being a mechanic makes me want to make it work,and i got it through someone on here.i understand things vapor lock and need air just like a motorcycle gas tank gravity feed.flavours im not able to reply.i will put a pic of the mod ive used it is not mine.

 

[Brewster 59]

This is my first post here...I've never tried an e-cigarette, but I'm curious to try this as an alternative to analogs.

I've been poking around these forums for a couple days now, and just ordered a 510 disposable from MadVapes last night...it sounds like this is what's generally recommended for first-timers to see if they like the experience. In retrospect, I kinda wish I had gotten more than one - what am I going to do while the battery is charging?

A little background about my smoking habits:
- Smoked for 4 years in undergrad, quit for 6 years, been smoking again for the past 5 years in grad school.
- I smoke a pack a day of Natural American Spirits, Organic Lights.

Assuming I enjoy the 510 disposable and it satisfies my need to smoke, what are some good next steps? I'm looking for recommendations here on both hardware and liquid.

As for hardware, I'd prefer something with a shape/size/draw as close as possible to an analog, so preferably not a pen model. I'm definitely a gadget guy (just ask about my coffee-making setup), so I'm not afraid to tinker a bit.

Liquid-wise, I don't mind paying a little extra $$$ for something that's genuinely higher-quality. From what I can gather, the 510 disposables come with the standard Dekang "Marl" cartridges, though I'm not sure about that. It sounds like some folks have had issues with Dekang with regards to inconsistency and quality, but that Dekang is also hard to avoid. Are there any American manufacturers that produce really high-quality liquid?

It also sounds like people generally prefer VG over PG, or some VG/PG mix. I don't think I've got a PG allergy (I've had no problems with smoke machines in the past), but if VG produces a better liquid, I'd like to go that route.

I know flavor is very much a personal thing, but given that I smoke Natural Amercian Spirits, I assume I would want to gravitate towards something with a more natural tobacco flavor...when I've bummed Marlboros off my friends, they always taste weirdly, chemically synthetic to me. Camels are better, but still not great.

Finally, strength-wise, what's a good nicotine concentration given that I currently smoke a pack a day of lights? I'm worried the included 24mg strength cartridges will already be too strong.

Thanks for all your help!

Here is a list of the Americian made higher quality juices that I know about and use
www.tastyvapor.us
www.myfreedomsmokes.com
Nhaler
Ms Ts
dawnsdiyshack

VG vs PG, VG produces more vapor but it is a light vapor lots of quanty but not thick so it doesnt produce a good throat hit. Pg good TH less vapor so me personally I like about 70/30 PG VG.

Nic str I usually go with 24 and if it is to strong cut it with vg

Tob flavors, good luck with this Ive never found one that I Thought tasted like real tob. A lot of people like TW tob ive never tryed it I do find if I put a little menthol in the tob flavors I like it a lot better but finding the flavor you like is kinda a challenge ,possibly try some sample packs.

Hope this info is helpful to you Good luck and Happy Vaping

 

[Drozd]

Asuming you like it some next steps would to be to look at a reqular 510 kit (would still be able to use your disposeable's atty..and a regular 510 would likely be a manual battery which would be slightly different...or an even farther step would be something like a janty eGo which is still a 510 at heart (atomizer) but with a 600 mAh battery so it's lasting 7+ hours per battery charge...
As far as juice goes I've primarily been using nHaler and have loved everything I've gotten from them, quite tasty and the drewbacco1 from there is my default all day vape and 6ml sampler bottles from them are only $4 (and their 510 starter kits include 2 sampler bottles of your choice by the way)..alternately theres a newer juice company on the scene that has been getting awesome reviews with all USA made juice called halocigs that should show some promise as far as QC and quality packaging (cobalt glass bottles with child resistant caps and batch #s on the label)

EDIT: I personally far and away prefer PG to VG unless a person has a sensitivity to PG...simply much more is known about PG than VG testing wise as well as manufacturing wise..though adding some VG will help improve vapor production and decrease some TH...it's still too unknown (well more so than PG)bto trust completely. PG has been being tested and used since the 40s in breathing treatments and asthma inhalers...VG is only produced by a few manufacturers and can be rendered from vegetable, animal or even petrochemical and that can vary batch to batch from the same supplier and the labeling doesn't change from one to the other it's just Glycerin USP..

 

[Kurt]

All PVs will be heavier than an analog, so will feel different in the hand. For cig-looking ones, the KR808D-1 seems to be the fave 2-piece system. I initially got a GreenSmoke, but I wouldn't recommend it. Was good initially, but all the batts lost their ability to charge well very quickly and I didn't like the flavors of the cartomizers (combo cart and atomizer in one screw-on unit). The "mini" ecig generally looks like an analog. But more importantly, when I first bought, I was in the same mindset as you: needs to be as close to a real cig as possible in all ways. After I started vaping, which is fairly different than actually smoking, that attitude changed to wanting a reliable and enjoyable PV that worked well and had nothing to do with analogs!!

That was the 510 for me. PV vapor is far more like a hookah than an analog. Like the previous poster, tobacco flavors didn't work for me in general. They tasted more like tobacco leaf than tobacco smoke most the time. And once I realized that vaping is in many ways simply better than smoking, and tastes different (some may have found tobacco flavors that really are like analogs, but I didn't), and hits different, I sort of let go of the whole analog illusion.

The 510 is great for tinkerers, since it works quite well with stock materials, but the cart can be dramatically improved upon (I've used the mod beast posted...using ZFM now), and many battery mod upgrade units use the 510 atty, so its built for the future in many ways. So are the 801 and 901 pen styles. The 510 atty is a better vapor producer than the 801 or 901, although some like the flavor of those other two better. I love the flavor of my 510, and see no reason to change for now.

I use VG juices, since PG really irritates the mouth, throat, stomach, and below.8-o As long as you thin it with distilled water or PGA or vodka it flows and wicks great. Flavor is enhanced by thinning the VG, and I have zero issues with flavor. It is hard to predict your comfortable nic level, as this depends not just on your previous smoking habits, but also the cart, the atty, the cart filler, the time of day, the phase of the moon... When I would use the straw mod beast posted, I went between 24 and 36 mg most of the time (I was a pack-a-day Winston Lights smoker). Now with the ZFM cart mod, I am normally 12-14 mg. I advise getting a variety of strengths to try and dilute if you need to. Don't worry...you'll buy more, I'm sure. I knew right away I wanted to make my own DIY juices, so bought flavorings, VG, and high-nic unflavored, and started mixing my own.

Get in, get your feet wet, find out who you are as a vaper, as opposed to a smoker, read a ton here, and see which way the wind blows for you. You picked a good first system, but you will probably want to get a real 510 kit, extra batts and attys, some carts, a PCC, and a passthru.

Have fun, and welcome!

 

[breakfastchef]

Get a 401, 901, 510 or 801. Read the manual and use it as dierected. Refrain from reading this forum for at least a week so you learn how to use your new device. No sense being clouded and overwhelmed with a lot of useless information. After a week, fire away with your questions.

 

[CaptJay]

I'm using the 510 - I don't really have an issue with the batteries - one fully charged lasts me about 5 or 6 hours then i switch with the one ON charge - I also have a USB PT which is sooo handy as I use the PC a lot.
So far I like the 510 a lot the only drawback for me is that I seem to get thru the juice rather quickly (I was on, and still smoke, a few marlb.ultra lights per day) so Im looking at a future purchase of larger PV for taht reason alone. Having a tobacco flavored ejuice is NOT something I'm really bothered about either - there are so many other flavors that look much better - my current fave is the capuccino that came with the 510 :grin:

 

[Remie]

I'm using the 510 - I don't really have an issue with the batteries - one fully charged lasts me about 5 or 6 hours then i switch with the one ON charge - I also have a USB PT which is sooo handy as I use the PC a lot.
So far I like the 510 a lot the only drawback for me is that I seem to get thru the juice rather quickly (I was on, and still smoke, a few marlb.ultra lights per day) so Im looking at a future purchase of larger PV for taht reason alone. Having a tobacco flavored ejuice is NOT something I'm really bothered about either - there are so many other flavors that look much better - my current fave is the capuccino that came with the 510 :grin:

I'm having the same experience with the 510. I was expecting to be swapping out the battery constantly. Quite the opposite. One fully charged battery lasts me for about 5 hours. I've never had one go dead on me, I've only noticed a decrease in vapor production, and that is when I swap it out for the charged one.

I would consider myself a heavy vaper. I'm constantly sucking on this thing.

I use a PCC, and have gone a full day, through the night, taken out the charged battery in the morning, and then plugged the PCC in to charge it up.
The battery life in the PCC itself is more than I expected as well.

I too seem to go through a lot of juice. I'm using the straw-mod and I do find it increases the amount of e-juice I can put in the cart, as well as enhances the vapor production, and for some reason makes the draw nicer as well.

 

[WillyB]

I think it's also important to get a true Joye 510 rather than one of the myriad of copies that have popped up. But due to the nature of it's power hungry low ohm atty (which basically gives it it's superior TH and vapor), stock battery life is terrible.

 

[EnewTEEL]

When I was looking into what to get, I decided on a 901. This will be my first one but it was said to be a good starter one. Then when you get more experience with it, you can move on to one that has what qualities you want.

 

[StinkyMcghee]

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions, everyone!

I probably ended up jumping the gun here, but I just went ahead and ordered the full Joye 510 kit...2 manual batteries, 2 attys, AC charger, USB charger, and a bunch of blank cartridges. I'll also got a mini-bottle flavor assortment from Vermont Vapors just to see what I like. Sounds like I'll probably want to pick up a PCC, too...

In retrospect, I probably shouldn't have ordered all this before a 3-day weekend. Hopefully my 510 disposable will get here Tuesday, with the rest to follow soon afterwards.

I'm already debating on what my standard reply should be when friends/family see me vaping and tell me, "Hey, you can't smoke in here!"

 

[Ast_Isis]

Just tell them you are walking "plug it in." That is what my friends call me since my vapor smells so nice.

 

[mwahle1]

EDIT: I personally far and away prefer PG to VG unless a person has a sensitivity to PG...simply much more is known about PG than VG testing wise as well as manufacturing wise..though adding some VG will help improve vapor production and decrease some TH...it's still too unknown (well more so than PG)bto trust completely. PG has been being tested and used since the 40s in breathing treatments and asthma inhalers...VG is only produced by a few manufacturers and can be rendered from vegetable, animal or even petrochemical and that can vary batch to batch from the same supplier and the labeling doesn't change from one to the other it's just Glycerin USP..

I agree with this; I only vape PG based liquids.

 

[WillyB]

EDIT: I personally far and away prefer PG to VG unless a person has a sensitivity to PG...simply much more is known about PG than VG testing wise as well as manufacturing wise..though adding some VG will help improve vapor production and decrease some TH...it's still too unknown (well more so than PG)bto trust completely. PG has been being tested and used since the 40s in breathing treatments and asthma inhalers...VG is only produced by a few manufacturers and can be rendered from vegetable, animal or even petrochemical and that can vary batch to batch from the same supplier and the labeling doesn't change from one to the other it's just Glycerin USP..

Thousands of tons of glycerin is produced everyday all over the world and it is all plant based. The days of animal or chemical/synthesized glycerin are over. If there is a problem with glycerin it has nothing to do with the source or a batch variance. Why would these problems only apply to glycerin and not every product that come down the USP pipeline? Your statement that "VG is only produced by a few manufacturers" would also imply a much more consistent, easier to regulate source.

 

[Drozd]

Thousands of tons of glycerin is produced everyday all over the world and it is all plant based. The days of animal or chemical/synthesized glycerin are over. If there is a problem with glycerin it has nothing to do with the source or a batch variance. Why would these problems only apply to glycerin and not every product that come down the USP pipeline? Your statement that "VG is only produced by a few manufacturers" would also imply a much more consistent, easier to regulate source.

Feel free to disagree if you like...I'm basing how I feel about it from several dozens of threads here on this board and statements made about glycerine and problems people have had vaping it from the same manufacturer (humco specifically) from one bottle to the next...it could also be people screwing up and getting the wrong stuff sine theres enough argument between glycerine usp/ food grade vegetable glycerine/ vegetable glycerine/ food grade kosher glycerine....too many opinions on whats right....I do know that its been stated on here that as far as glycerine usp goes someone did paste up an msds from the company that supplies humco that stated that sometimes it's vegetable rendered, sometimes animal, and sometimes chemical...but its all 99.5% pure and usp....bottom line it doesnt matter to me...I trust it A LOT less than PG it's way less proven and will only use it sparingly...hmm vape something that is intended for medications and inhalers and breathing treatment or something sold as skin softener and protectant and carries a warning label....seems a no brainer to me

 

[kwp924]

As far as devices go, I ordered The $89 Ultimate Starter kit from Vapor4Life. They ship from Illinois so I knew I didn't have to worry about customs (heard some rumors they have held things up occasionally. 2 Batteries and the personal charging case came with it (lots more too) and they also sent some free samples and an extra long-life battery that I didn't order. I am happy with the equipment and like the idea of the cartomizer vs seperate atomizer as I hear atomizer cleaning and operation can be an issue (personal preference I guess). Anyway those were my thoughts.
I made some mistakes when I started and would like to pass them on. After posting here, I have realized my mistakes. My first mistake was thinking this would be an easy transition (from smoking to vaping). It is not. The taste of an analog will not be the same as the taste of an ecig and, if you think about it, would you really want it to? The best advice I have gotten here in the forum is to find the flavor you hate the least and stick with it. My personal recommendation at this time for starting is the 555. It seems to be less sweet than most. The sweetness was a turn off for me at first and I couldn't take the intense sweetness. The tobacco flavors were actually a surprise be cause they don't taste like smoke. They actually taste like tobacco.
The second mistake I made was ordering a low nicotine juice. I recommend starting higher because you will crave it if you don't order high enough level and have to resort to analogs to get your fix. If you order higher levels you can always cut it back.
Bottom line is vaping is not the same as smoking. I think it's better for you and worth the effort to switch. But go into it knowing it will take some effort and stick to it. Good luck.

 

[Drozd]

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions, everyone!

I probably ended up jumping the gun here, but I just went ahead and ordered the full Joye 510 kit...2 manual batteries, 2 attys, AC charger, USB charger, and a bunch of blank cartridges. I'll also got a mini-bottle flavor assortment from Vermont Vapors just to see what I like. Sounds like I'll probably want to pick up a PCC, too...

In retrospect, I probably shouldn't have ordered all this before a 3-day weekend. Hopefully my 510 disposable will get here Tuesday, with the rest to follow soon afterwards.

I'm already debating on what my standard reply should be when friends/family see me vaping and tell me, "Hey, you can't smoke in here!"

Make them enforce that with the tea kettle too...or stub it out on you forehead...they'll get the picture..alternately you can be less dramatic and just explain the vapor to them..
I think you did an awesome job picking out a device...you will probably need juice fairly quickly...unfortunately I dont know uk juice suppliers...if it were US based I'd say drewbacco1 from nhaler...well just about any of their juices really