Smok Product Help

[OlderNDirt]

I have used the smok tank and my personal opinion which i know is subjective, I personally prefer the original TFV8 opposed to TFV8 baby series, TFV12, and the TFV12 Prince... my good friend consistently has to replace coils after 3-4 because of burnt taste... smok has been known to have a issues with QC... but i hope for the best aswell

Just to emphasize how "personal opinions" can and do vary, ours happen to be 180º different. I have all mentioned except the TFV12 and the TFV8 is my least favorite. Just differing opinions, no more, no less.

There have been a ton of comments/complaints on Smok coils. I don't seem to have any serious problems leading me to wonder how many of these problems are the result of what seems to be some necessity to crank it up to the top end of the "best at" or worse, "recommended" range? Since I settle in around the bottom end of the "best at" range, I don't know how well they perform at or above the top end. Could be Smok is pushing their recommendations. Could be some are compelled to crank it up as high as possible. Could be a combination of both. Is one day at the very top end unreasonable when the same coil might last a week near the bottom end? Maybe some, or a lot of it just comes down to our "personal opinions" or preferences. We all have ours. That's why some mtl, build, DIY, squonk, and on and on.

While I am glad to see Smok's attempt to take care of their customers, I hope they (or any manufacturer) can make it work. Based on what I read on this board, they may spend the majority of their time teaching basic vaping and/or troubleshooting non-Smok components. Should be interesting.

 

[Coastal Cowboy]

There have been a ton of comments/complaints on Smok coils. I don't seem to have any serious problems leading me to wonder how many of these problems are the result of what seems to be some necessity to crank it up to the top end of the "best at" or worse, "recommended" range? Since I settle in around the bottom end of the "best at" range, I don't know how well they perform at or above the top end. Could be Smok is pushing their recommendations. Could be some are compelled to crank it up as high as possible. Could be a combination of both. Is one day at the very top end unreasonable when the same coil might last a week near the bottom end? Maybe some, or a lot of it just comes down to our "personal opinions" or preferences. We all have ours. That's why some mtl, build, DIY, squonk, and on and on.

My personal experience is with Smok tanks and coils that either I bought and used or have helped others buy and use. The issues I've encountered weren't scorched coils from improper priming over over-powering. It was with leaking or "no atomizer" errors that were manufacturing defects.

Just last Saturday, an older gentleman brought me his new Stick V8 that his daughter had given him for Christmas. His complaint: the tank leaked on day one of use and the shop his daughter bought it from (out of town) said "change the coil."

So we get the tank open (with the help of my channel locks), pull the coil head and... wire lead sticking out. I showed him how to fix the problem, but he didn't trust the fix and wanted to try a new one from the 3-pk he just paid $20 for at a B&M. Ok. He pops one out and... same issue. Pops a second one and it's good.

I assured him that the original I fixed was fine and that the first one out of the pack would be too, but he was righteously suspicious.

I've used 15-ish Smok Baby coils and one pack of Cloud TFV8's. I've also tried the Baby TFV8 and Cloud TFV8 RBA decks. The RBA decks were not great but not bad. But fully one half of the stock heads had shoddy construction where either the ground wire was screwing up the gasket or made no connection at all with the positive lug on the bottom.

There's a youtube video out there from a year or so ago where the guy pops out five different coils from five different blister packs and every one has the screwed up gasket problem. Every one. That's not user error. That's pathetic quality control.

All that said, if you can manage to get a Smok factory coil working right, it's a fantastic performer. It's like owning a vintage Harley. If you can get the damned thing to stop leaking oil, it runs great!

 

[OlderNDirt]

Thanks @Coastal Cowboy ! I have no problem with posts with insightful detail, pro or con, based on personal experience. And my mistake for not emphasizing in my post you quoted, I was talking about burnt taste or coils as well as lack of longevity.

I agree the TFV8 coils tend to leak without pressing in the coils. That's part of the reason I rarely use it and went more with the Baby and Big Baby tanks. I am a bit surprised the problems you indicate with leaking since I have not had a single such problem while using 5 of those tanks regularly for quite a while. I don't doubt your experience, just perplexed at why the extremes. And a bit surprised it sounds like the same problem as the TFV8 coils.