So. . . Wantin' to get into it.

[LonelyVagabond]

Howdy!

So, I don't know anything about nothin' to do with vaping, aside from the fact you fill a tank with liquid, put the tank on a box filled with batteries and fire up.

Onto to my question: What tank, batteries, and (atomizer, I think its called?) should I get?

I don't want to have to experiment with equipment. I'm totally committed to not continuing to smoke regular cigarettes (called...analogs, yes?). Given that, I don't wan't "Starter" stuff. I want solid equipment that I can run on for a good amount of time. I don't want to spend copious amounts of money. . . Lets just say a budget of 300? Is that fair? To high, to low? I'm really into priceerformance ratios, being a PC builder and such...

Any other thoughts, opinions, and insights are more than welcome. I'm totally open to suggestions and tips - feel free to call me a crazy nut if need be. Like I said, I know zilch about this.

Cheers,
Michael

 

[DavidOck]

Hi, LV, and welcome to ECF.

Vaping isn't a simple as smoking, as there are many, many variables. It might be best if you did first get some "simpler" gear so you can get your feet wet and find out what a good vape is to you. That doesn't mean going for BTs Vuse and like!

And one of the bigger hurdles is finding a flavor (or flavors - many of us have numerous going at all times ) and the right nic level. So going all out with hardware and NOT finding good flavors can leave one disappointed with the experience.

That said, there is then the issue of ergonomics. What mod feels good in YOUR hand. Tube? Box?

Do you want to rebuild or stick with replaceable topper types?

To me, being in for the long haul means replaceable battery mods and rebuildable toppers. Things like 18650 Lions, kanthal resistance wire and so on aren't going to be regulated / taxed out of reach. And, while that approach needs a bit more $$ up front, it's cheaper in the long run, and still within your budget.

If you have a B&M close by where you can actually go hands on with some of the different types, that would be a good way to find out what types are comfortable to you, and help narrow the field. And many of them also have tasting bars, where you can start to find out what flavors you lean toward. You don't necessarily want to get your hardware there, depends on how much their particular markup is.

As a general "rule" I'd suggest staying with something regulated. Gives you more control over the quality of the vape. Mechanical mods, while pretty much bulletproof, the only control you have is the resistance of the coil - hard to change when your topper is full! Variable/regulated mods, you dial in the power setting that tastes good to you.

But, specific gear? Once you decide what form factor, maybe cruise some of the hardware specific fora?

 

[Ryedan]

David gave you great advice LonelyVagabond. It is impossible for anyone to recommend hardware for you at this point and know that you'll like it. There are just too many variables involved and a lot of it boils down to personal preferences.

There are people who are perfectly happy vaping at 8 watts, while others need 50 watts to be able to quit smoking. Some do not want to get into rebuildable atomizers (aka 'attys') and stick with ready made exchangeable heads that have coils and wicks installed. I suggest you stick with regulated mods at least at first. They have safety features built in that you just don't get with mechanical mods. Then there is the form factor, tube mods or box mods and rda's or tanks. Do you want the longer time per charge that comes with dual battery mods, or do you want the smaller size that comes with a single battery.

I suggest you explore the options until you get some familiarity with what is on the market today and get a feel for what will work best for you. You'll know when you have enough knowledge so you know what you want to pursue.

Juice selection is also important to a lot of people and it can take some time to find what works for you. Buy small bottles of various flavors at a couple of nicotine concentrations at first and see how it goes.

There is a great list of links to general info here. Read up on what things are called, battery info, ohm's law for vaping, the use of a digital multimeter (DMM) for vaping, information for your first rba from Baditude and anything else that interests you. Some of the info is a bit outdated now, things change fast in this game, but none of it will lead you wrong.

After that I also suggest you visit a vape shop or two and actually check out the hardware. A good vape shop will have a lot of different gear and some of them will also let you sample juices with their hardware. You'll have more questions at some point, don't hesitate to ask us when you do.

Hope that helps a bit

 

[Katya]

Hello LV, and welcome. My two learned colleagues already gave you very good advice, but it's really impossible to be more specific in this forum, where we can't ask you any questions.

May I suggest that you start a thread in New Members forum where you'll be able to have a conversations with other members. Without knowing what you're looking for, how much you currently smoke, do you want to rebuild, etc, it's very difficult to point you in the right direction.

That said, I always recommend a nice box mod (Cool Fire 4, Defender, or iStick 30) and a simple but very good tank: Eleaf GS Air. It doesn't get any easier than that--you charge your mod, install a replaceable coil head in the base of the tank, fill the tank and vape. And it can be had for 50 bucks or--depending where you shop.

Later on, when/if you decide you want to expand your horizons, you can always add more stuff--we all do.

Good luck!