Screwdriver MK2 fail

[AlchemI]

Hi all, I just recieved a new SD MK2 in the mail today and I am really annoyed. I was really looking forward to using it as I have heard nothing but good news about it and its supposed quality of workmanship. I followed the instructions to the letter. I charged up the battery and put everything together (yes I did put the battery in the right way), put a few drops of liquid in the atty and pressed the button to do a glow check. Nothing happened except that the unit warmed up in my hand slightly. I tested it with another battery and also another atty. Nothing. I took the thing apart again and looked in the atty end of the unit. The spring inside was kind of squashed up and burnt looking. I took the rubber seal out and saw that the spring runs through a piece of PCB which was just loose and free floating. I assume it is supposed to be glued and fixed in place to the casing. Why wouldn't they use a non-conductive metal part instead of a piece of PCB? There was untidy bits of glue on the surface of the PCB, and the PCB didn't adequately cover the hole. It had two small gaps on each side, so I can imagine that despite the rubber seal it would be possible for juice to get down to the battery since there is not adequate sealing at the other end; there is a slight gap between the casing and the atty connector on the top side. I have to say I'm not really impressed right now. The screwdriver is such an elegant simple design, it shouldn't be hard to construct the thing without faults. They go on and on about the quality of the workmanship on the TW site and how it is manufactured to exacting UK standards. This is plain old shoddy workmanship. You can't put it any other way. Is it made in China now or something? Has anyone else had this experience? For what it is and what you pay for it, The workmanship should be of a high quality using quality materials. *phew* I feel much better now that I have vented. I was just really looking forward to it arriving and now I can't use it. This blows...

 

[AlchemI]

whoops, I don't know why that posted twice, sorry

 

[wazzup592]

Contact them and see if you can get a replacement. That sounds pretty mad. I know what you mean having a nice mod there and it not working! good luck

 

[jangofett]

Are you using a battery with a button top? If so, try putting it in upside down. That's how I had to use it when I used the screwdriver. Make sure the button is screwed on tightly before trying this, as when you have the button top pointed toward the switch it makes for a lighter button press to activate the unit.

 

[AlchemI]

Are you using a battery with a button top? If so, try putting it in upside down. That's how I had to use it when I used the screwdriver. Make sure the button is screwed on tightly before trying this, as when you have the button top pointed toward the switch it makes for a lighter button press to activate the unit.

Nah its not a button top, its the one they supply with it. Its a special 900mAh lithium battery. I know its not the battery though cause the body is heating up when I activate the switch. It's the atty end of the SD. Its just dodgy. The components are loose in there, and the spring looks warped and burnt. The spring should be in shape and look silver and new.

 

[AlchemI]

Guess I'll just have to wait for their reply and hope they replace it with one that works properly. I emailed them this morning and they haven't replied yet. So frustrating! My greensmoke e-cig is doing nothing for me. Flavour is crap and really weak and zero throat hit. Probably wont get another SD in the mail for at least another two to three weeks cause I'll have to send the faulty one back to them first for them to inspect before they send a new one. I really don't want to smoke analogs...

 

[AlchemI]

*Update* I have since worked out what was wrong with my Screwdriver and once I got it working, I have say, this is a great product and I am glad I purchased it.

To Trog, if you ever stumble across this thread, I appologise for my earlier comments, I feel like a bit of a jerk now. I was just upset because I was really excited to get my Screwdriver and was really disapointed when I couldn't get it to work. I now know that it must have been the 901 - 510 adaptor that pushed the contact plate in on the 901 fitting on my SD and caused it to short out. I was just unlucky. You have designed a great PV and I'm officially a fan.

For the rare case where someone encounters a problem with their SD MKII, I wrote up a little Screwdriver trouble-shooter in the technical issues forum. Hope it helps. I'm not really a tech-head, I just wrote down what worked for me. If anyone thinks that any of the information I provided is incorrect or misleading, let me know and I might ammend it. Cheers

 

[prof beard]

It's worth stressing that a number of people have had problem with SD Mk2s caused by the "tank" 901-510 adapter used to fit eGo tank type stuff to it. This adapter is made of two halves screwed together as it is longer than a normal 901-510 adapter, and sometimes is arrives not fully screwed together. If this is the case it causes a short and the SD spring (as it is designed to) will collapse to break the circuit. If you get one of this adapters CHECK it is fully screwed together before using it.