So, will I always be needing to buy more hardware?

[Huckleberried]

I got a Protank 2 back in August. It's out-lived 2 batteries. I first learned about keeping the coils clean. Then I learned how to rebuild coils. Most recently, I started making my own liquids. I'm still in the very, very early stages of that, but as Katya said, it will be so much cheaper. There's no way I've spent as much as I would have when smoking. It only seems like I'm doing so because I can see all I've acquired. With smoking, I burned all the evidence.

 

[barmanvarn]

Appreciate all of the feedback. Will certainly look into some of the DIY options as that's something I have no issue doing.

I'm a hands-on person and prefer to do things myself where/when I can.

 

[Huckleberried]

Oh you're gonna have a lot fun here!

 

[Katya]

I got a Protank 2 back in August. It's out-lived 2 batteries. I first learned about keeping the coils clean. Then I learned how to rebuild coils. Most recently, I started making my own liquids. I'm still in the very, very early stages of that, but as Katya said, it will be so much cheaper. There's no way I've spent as much as I would have when smoking. It only seems like I'm doing so because I can see all I've acquired. With smoking, I burned all the evidence.

Bingo! I don't even want to know how much of my hard-earned money went up in smoke, so to speak.

Also, with vaping supplies, it's so easy to PIF or sell the stuff you no longer need or want. More savings.

 

[Katya]

Appreciate all of the feedback. Will certainly look into some of the DIY options as that's something I have no issue doing.

I'm a hands-on person and prefer to do things myself where/when I can.

So, if you're serious about vaping and saving, consider, in the future, getting a new quality battery and some heads with replaceable coils. Those mini tanks that you're using now are disposable and wasteful.

Good luck and happy vaping!

 

[havinfun1]

I'm a geek so I've started a spreadsheet to track what I've spent (and saved) thus far. We'll see how it goes over time.

There's a free app for the iPhone, Vapemate, tracks money saved & spent on vaping. Should also be something out there for Android.

 

[Moonswanni]

I'm using a Halo G6 and am doing in my carto refills.

I first learned that you can't just refill cartos forever. So I purchased some blanks and found a local place to get liquid.

Refilling is easy in my opinion but after some time I realized that refilling cartos and then using them up at home was a bit of a waste of time. So I purchases a mini-tank. Now I'm reading that they don't last forever as well and have to be replaced.

1) How long will a tank last before I have to replace it?
2) Is there another option I should look into?

I started with the Halo G6 and Triton. I really liked the G6 with mini-tanks, but they are disposable and eventually become a PITA (performance wise). I personally wouldn't suggest going straight to a mechanical mode, but it may suit some people. With mechs you need to know what your doing because you can run into trouble.

For someone who doesn't want to get into the upgrade trap, I suggest an MVP 2.0. It has variable voltage, variable power, has one of the longest battery life between charges, can charge your iPods and cell phones on it, and you can use ego-threaded and 501 tanks on it. The only problem with it is weight and form-factor and eventually you will have to replace it because the battery is not removable. It will last you at least a year (or more) however.

 

[Spazmelda]

I agree with some others who posted above. It would be very hard for me not to save money. The only way I can see spending more is if I really got into authentic shiny things. I've got two provaris, an MVP2, a vamo, an hcigar nemesis, 2 Kayfun clones, lots of protanks, about 100 boge cartomizers I'll probably never use. I have over 2 liters of 100 mg/ml nic in the freezer, a load of flavorings, and make my own liquids, but I sometimes buy high end juice like space jam or Jameson's. I have lots of rebuilding supplies. I went through a few things in the beginning to; go-go batteries, a vmodxl, some vivi novas I didn't like, various clearos and things I didn't care for. My signature down there is probably pretty close to accurate. Maybe -$1000 for stuff I haven't taken into account in the calculation, but at this point it's like, "eh, a thousand, whatever..."

 

[~Sue~Feb2012]

Wanna bet?

Between me and my wife, we smoked 2 packs per day. $6.25 per pack, that's $12.50 per day. That works out to $4,562.50 per year.

There is no possible way I'll ever spend anywhere close to that on ecigs. Even with two SVDs, two mech mods, two Kayfuns, a Trident, 500 feet of Kanthal, over 400ml of juice, a Kick and a Kick2 module, and my Halo Triton starter kit I've yet to spend $500 since last August.

Good point.

Maybe the beta sig banner I'm using from somewhere on the internet, is correct in the $$ I've saved. It boggles my mind I did figure out, a few years ago, that at that time I was spending around $4,000 a yr on smoking cigs. Crazy isn't it.

 

[Frenchfry1942]

I had a mod die on me after it being my daily primary and I have noticed that my actual 18650 batteries don't last quite so long on a charge...So, I guess there is some hardware cost over time.

As to tanks, I go with glass and metal. No issues.

 

[edyle]

Not talking about upgrades, but am referring to the hardware I have....

Still a newb so forgive the incorrect assumptions I've made along the way so far.

I'm using a Halo G6 and am doing in my carto refills.

I first learned that you can't just refill cartos forever. So I purchased some blanks and found a local place to get liquid.

Refilling is easy in my opinion but after some time I realized that refilling cartos and then using them up at home was a bit of a waste of time. So I purchases a mini-tank. Now I'm reading that they don't last forever as well and have to be replaced.

1) How long will a tank last before I have to replace it?
2) Is there another option I should look into?

I'd prefer an option where all I have to buy (assuming no battery issues) is liquid. Is this just not possible?

You should not have to replace tanks, unless it's plastic tanks.

I don't think the halo G6 is a carto (cartomizer) system, is it?

A system where all you replace is liquid: that's what we all really want; a pipe;
closest thing on the topper is called a rebuildable. RBA or sometimes called RTA.

To get away from batteries, you'd need something to plug in to the wall like:

 

[barmanvarn]

I was going thru 2 packs a day, and you could tack on another pack or 2 if I went out on the weekends. So I was looking at close to $400 a month which is just insane.

I could use that money to put into my savings fund for a new house, or use it to pay down a credit card that I have. Either though I know the health benefits are great, I admit that money was probably the primary deciding factor in my switching.

Looking at my savings from not buying cigs and my costs associated with my current hardware, I'm already projecting savings if I don't go nuts with mods. I plan to use this to stop smoking and prefer to wean myself of vaping as well at some point in the future.

 

[edyle]

I like the tank for home use since I can just fill it up faster/easier and can use my cartos when I'm out and about.

I'll have to call up Halo and ask about how long the mini-tank is supposed to last. I'm liking it so far. Since I work from home, I do 99% of my vaping at home so it seemed cheaper to use a tank at home.

you need replacement coils for the triton minitank

 

[edyle]

I agree that it's fun (and way more healthy) but I also hope to save money vaping over analogs. Yeah, you vets to vaping are probably laughing at that statement.

If, in the end, I find that I'm spending as much money vaping as I was on smoking, I'll have to just quit completely as there is no way I can justify spending what I was spending before every month. Especially since I'm trying to save up to buy a house.

Start fixing your vape budget: I suggest set budget at HALF per month of what you used to spend per month on cigs. After a year you should be able to cut your vape budget down to 10% what you used to spend.

 

[edyle]

For a tank you can break down and clean out properly consider a miniprotank 2 later on;
pyrex glass
ego thread not the cartomizer size 510 thread

the replacement atomizer coils for them are easy to find, and while technically they are not real rebuildables, people do rebuild them and keep them going with fresh kanthal and cotton. I rewick mine with cotton;

 

[Buggainok]

I agree that it's fun (and way more healthy) but I also hope to save money vaping over analogs. Yeah, you vets to vaping are probably laughing at that statement.

If, in the end, I find that I'm spending as much money vaping as I was on smoking, I'll have to just quit completely as there is no way I can justify spending what I was spending before every month. Especially since I'm trying to save up to buy a house.

You will find lots of folks on this board who are really into the "hobby" aspect of vaping. They love buying new equipment, and they love tinkering with the equipment they have, rebuilding coils, etc. You don't have to do that if you don't want to.

I think I'm probably like you. I wanted to find a way to quit smoking, and I wanted it to cost a lot less than smoking did. I also want it to be fairly simple to do, and require as little maintenance and tinkering/fiddling as possible.

Here is what is working for me right now. I have a very reliable vaping device, the MVP 2. It lasts for 2 days without having to charge the battery. It provides very good flavor and vapor with all the juices I have. You can buy it on Ebay for about $42, shipped:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/iTaste-MVP-2-0-iClear30-iClear16-Kit-Newest-Version-Directly-From-Innokin-/181333922690?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item2a38581382

You can use quite a variety of tanks/heads with it. I already had some Evod clearomizers from my starter kit which work well with it. The Evods are inexpensive, about $5 or $6, and the replaceable coils for the Evod toppers are also cheap, about $1 each. I've also found a very inexpensive clearomizer that works well with my MVP. They are only $2.89 ea. and the coils are cheap also. Here is a link to them:

DV BCC Clearomizer

I buy my juice from Mt. Baker Vapor, only $7.49 for 30 ml.

My cost to buy juice, occasional new clearomizers and replacement coils for my clearomizers will hardly be any money at all compared to what I was spending on cigarettes. I smoked a generic but even then I was easily spending close to $200 per month on cigarettes!

Other folks have very different systems that work for them, and that cost a lot more. I'm retired and on a fixed income and wanted to do this successfully and spend as little money as possible, both starting out, and for the long haul.

I haven't smoked for 3 months, I've actually saved money so far, even with my start up cost, and I couldn't be happier.