Smoktek Smokbox Varicool- 6 Amp Beast Destroys the Provari V2 in Xtreme Vaping

[niczgreat]

Kind of gotta agree to ronda. Who the hell vapes at anything above let's say 15W?? This is just advertising and nothing that relates to your all-day experience. Just like quad-core processors in smartphones which, I'm sure, are great for marketing but don't give you any edge over other dual-core processors since it's simply not used. Just like mods with 28W

Hi Liquinator, Thanks for your input, but it's really irrelevant to this thread. Myself I don't go to extreme vaping temperatures, but I know that their are Vapers that do. Really it's not for us to judge other peoples tastes. According to the testing an Extreme Vaper will be happy with the Varicool and feel underwhelmed by the Provari.

 

[GIMike]

If the beast was made anything like the gripper, then I would have to agree with GB. I was very excited about the gripper, and my cheapness hasn't ever allowed me to purchase anything that expensive until recently. I like the features, but yes, the design and quality are horrible. Shouldn't release a prototype and call it the production version. Cause that's about all this is. But maybe the beast is better *shrug*

 

[niczgreat]

Wattage does seem pretty ridiculous. I don't even turn my ProVari all the way up on a 3ohm carto, much less one with a lesser ohm rating which would do nothing but fry it and possibly the juice. Vaping at that kind of wattage... you might as well just be smoking IMO. If it was ideal to vape at this amperage I'm sure I could just rig a car battery up by my couch to an atomizer system.

Impressive feat nonetheless (Especially for the price!), but yes it is hindered by real world application usage.

Hi Done Deal,
Thank you for your comment, but you are making judgement on taste, which varies and is subjective. Their are a variety of Juices out there some specially designed for higher voltages. It's all a matter of taste. My taste in vaping is not that high but there are many members of the vaping community that are into extreme vaping.

 

[niczgreat]

I don't necessarily understand the need to compare it directly to the ProVari though. It's a completely different device, why not compare it to other VV box mods or, specifically, with the forthcoming VV Reo? I find that most people prefer one or the other (with a very niche just buying most anything). I myself like machined metal tube mods, so it'd be a hard sell to get me interested in a plastic box no matter if it could push amps like a car battery.

This review is not a comparison between the Varicool 6V Amp and the Provari. It's a limited scope test comparing the two in xtreme vaping

I chose the Provari for two reasons.
1. I own one so it was available for testing
2. It is arguably the finest unit on the market

I felt that it would be interesting and valuable to see a real world scientific test of how the Provari performed in Xtreme Vaping.

This review doesn't subtract any value from the Provari to those who like to vape within the tolerances of the Provari, but could be valuable to those who are looking for a unit that will provide an xtreme vaping experience.

Also the industry is still young, around two months or so ago I bought the Vivi Nova, it came with 3 Heads. One of them was a 1.8Ohm within 1 week of vaping with the 1.8Ohm head my Provari V1 became defective. It wasn't designed for the new gen of LR Clearomizers. I had to send into the shop for repair and upgrade to the Vs 2.0.

 

[niczgreat]

If the beast was made anything like the gripper, then I would have to agree with GB. I was very excited about the gripper, and my cheapness hasn't ever allowed me to purchase anything that expensive until recently. I like the features, but yes, the design and quality are horrible. Shouldn't release a prototype and call it the production version. Cause that's about all this is. But maybe the beast is better *shrug*

HI GI,
When I was looking at purchasing a backup unit for my Provari, while it was in the shop and I was down to 1 Ego VV style for a backup.I checked the reviews on the Gripper. The typical Chinese hit or miss quality control was evident. I checked the reviews on the Varicool and they were almost all really positive, this unit is assembled in the U. S. the Gripper in China.

If you are interested I reviewed this thoroughly at
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/apv-discussion/321528-smoktek-smokbox-varicool-custom-box-mod-made-u-s-review.html

 

[niczgreat]

Serious question, What defines real vaping?

Dual Coil Cartos above 12w, many people enjoy this vape.

Might as well be smoking? That's ridiculous. How did you come to the conclusion that it is hindered by real world application?

What reason do you have to not trust the QC? Do you have experience with SmokeTEK (not SmokeTech)?


I would ask that all of you reread your comments for sanity. It is variable voltage. Too hot? Turn it down.

Tom did a great job on this test and the results remained unbiased. The scope of the test was Extreme Vaping....not real sure how this was confused into expecting "real world" or the average vaper's power level.

It's impossible to list all the miniscule reasons that Provari fans will find to dismiss a product. But in this case, after often reading "it doesn't even hold up to it advertised amp limit" as a reason to dismiss other products, now you are dismissing a product because it is capable of power levels that no sane person would vape.

Again, it is variable voltage.....you can turn it down.

Awesome reply, you got it and get me!

 

[Done Deal DR]

Fair enough. I'm not discounting the device at all, it certainly is a good deal for someone who enjoys box mods at extreme wattage.

 

[rondasherrill]

Hi Rondasherril,
Thanks for your comment, but it isn't pertinent to this thread.
This is not a Provari Bashing thread nor does it compare the quality of the Provari to that of the Varicool Beast.

The thread is a comparison of the two at extreme vaping temperatures. I should add that I own a Provari V2 and the Smoktek Varicool Beast and I've relegated the Provari to a back up unit and Ohm tester.

The unit is smaller,has excellent battery life and it's voltage under load is rock solid. If you are interested in finding out more, I've completely reviewed these units from top to bottom. The links to my reviews are in the first post.

I just found it interesting that you chose to compare the Smokbox to the Provari, and not some other high amperage mod(idk... High Power Saber Touch(5A), what else?), ... I mean, we all know the Provari tops at 3.5A. The title, and the thread, it flame bate for Provari fanboys.

 

[GIMike]

The title, and the thread, it flame bate for Provari fanboys.

I thought they liked to see everything compared to the Provari so they could come in and deflate the OP's suggestions since the Provari is the best of the best of the bestesterest.

 

[niczgreat]

I just found it interesting that you chose to compare the Smokbox to the Provari, and not some other high amperage mod(idk... High Power Saber Touch(5A), what else?), ... I mean, we all know the Provari tops at 3.5A. The title, and the thread, it flame bate for Provari fanboys.

Hi Ronda,
I'm not a professional tester.
The only units I own are the Provari, Smokbox Varicool and two ego VV Knockoffs with a bent USB Charger that I don't trust anymore.

I compared it to a Provari in Xtreme Vaping because that is the unit I own. In addition the Provari is the unit that all others are judged by, it is arguably the most reliable unit on the market.

Many are considering purchasing the Provari. The information provided in the review allows the potential customer to make an informed decision whether the vape level on the Provari will be adequate at their preferred level.

Also everyone makes claims about there units, the Provari claims to be a 3.5Amp unit. Maybe it's really a 4 Amp or maybe it's really a 3 Amp, until it's tested, who knows? What does a 3.5 Amp Limitation mean in terms of Vaping Voltage, this post showed exactly what level that you could go to on different types of Cartomizers/Clearomizers. This post gave a potential Provari owner the vaping limitations of the Provari in an easily understandable manner.

The Provari by the way isn't just limited by the 3.5Amp chip, this was shown when it underperformed on the 1.8Ohm Clearomizer. According to the Chart the Provari at it's maximum of 6V 1.8Ohm would have been pulling 3.33 Amps. Theoretically the Provari should have done the 6V but in real world vaping it reached 5.5V

This shows the danger of just plugging numbers into a chart.
I suspect the Provari has a Watts Limitation, above and beyond an Amps limitation. Regardless of the Cartomizer or Clearomizer used it wouldn't go above 16 Watts. (See below)

The title yes a little inflammatory, but that's how I felt at the end of the testing. The Provari in the limited parameters of Xtreme Vaping, based on impartial testing was destroyed by the Smoktek Smokbox Varicool Beast.

On a 1.8 Ohm Vivi Nova it did 5.5V // 2.75 Amps //15.1 Watts
on a Dual Coil 1.5 Ohm it did 4.9V // 3.2 Amps //16 Watts
1.25 Dual Cartomizer it did 4.5V // 3.6Amps // 16.1 Watts