Someone explain squonker prices to me...

[Dropmyload]

So I see these cute minimalist squonkers on sale all over the place. Usually unregulated, 3D printed.

Prices vary from $150 to even $1000.

Someone explain how they can be so expensive?

It doesn't make sense...most are aluminium or some sort of plastic/nylon, very simple basic mech set up, no electonics whatsoever.

Exploitation or just a market segment waiting to be given a reality check?

 

[bombastinator]

I’d go with reality check myself. There is some value in high priced squonkers in that they tend to be designed for low internal resistance, but even that is often not actually true. The whole 3d printed device for over $100 thing completely escapes me. The devices often cost more than the printer needed to make them.

 

[Dropmyload]

While I understand the value attached to a unique design...most are clones of each other...the only unique proposition they offer is the shape of the hole that allows you to squeeze the bottle.

Someone pls help me understand what makes a mech 3D squonker cost $200 ++, I must be missing something given I'm a noob.

 

[sonicbomb]

Someone pls help me understand what makes a mech 3D squonker cost $200 ++

The willingness of someone to pay it

 

[alvitae]

I've always thought the same thing. The charge more for less.

 

[Qaay]

Someone pls help me understand what makes a mech 3D squonker cost $200 ++, I must be missing something given I'm a noob.

Vaping market is relatively new market so the quality/status/price standards are not as clear as for example on a car market. There is a certain group of customers that wanna pay alot of money to got something rare and "high endish" so as the market is always filling the holes you will find other people that will try to cover the supply. So as i said before vaping market needs some standards and the standards will form over time. For example in the atty section of the market we already have some standards that were formed by companies like svoemesto / squape / athea / ecg ... etc - so if you wanna set the price of your product higher than their products you must offer something more... better quality, better performance, better customer service, innovative solutions, status of the brand etc. Squonking is on the other side, the standards are far from being clear and the prices can be very high without any reasonable justification other than simple snobby attitude of certain customers. Such group of customers will always exist but when the market standards will develop thay will be more aware of buying the "overpriced garbage" and their personal standards will adjust accordingly. I might be wrong in case of 3d printed mech squonkers because i'm not really interested in this kind of vaping but IMHO boxer / rebel mechs could act as a litmus paper for this section of the market... but as i already said it needs some time and the market will sooner or later adopt some standards.

 

[score69]

I think it's a reality check as well. I think once more regulated squonks are available, it will open the market to more folks. It will need to be more competitive at that point.

There are folks that will still prefer unregulated or mech squonks, but with a good selection of reasonable priced regulated mods available, more folks will be interested in squonking. I think this will force the mech section of the market to be more competitive as well.

Some folks just prefer mech, some of us regulated. Problem is there aren't a lot of good regulated devices out there right now. Squonking is a relatively new manner of vaping, and the market and products are now really starting to take off.

I have a few mech/unregulated squonks, but I haven't tried them yet. I've been vaping since the days of the Kanger Evod and the like, but have never used an unregulated device yet. As the market and demand grows, I think the simple unregulated and mech mods you are talking about will be forced down in price as well.

I see folks here posting about how they used to mod their own RDAs to be bottom feeders. I think squonking is still in its infancy in a way compared to other manners of vaping. Likewise, I remember paying high prices for a simple 10 watt Innokin SVD, etc. Now you can get a VERY nice high powered mod for the same price. I think squonking just need to catch up with the rest of the vaping market. When that happens, these simple mods will need to be more reasonably priced to keep up.

That said, I think the next year or two are going to make a HUGE difference in the squonking sector. Willing to bet all of these prices drop as it becomes more common and more devices become available. Just a limited number of choices at this point I think.

 

[Steve Parry]

Vape a Pulse, then vape a Rig Squonker. That will pretty much close the case for you. You can get a $40 mech squonker, but it's gonna vape like a $40 mech squonker.

 

[mimöschen]

CoilFather Hades 18650 Box with the E-XY Horse RDA.
Fit and finish is excellent, hits like a champ and the setup costs only 16$.
Only drawback is the missing locking feature.

Highend mechs are pure bulls**t.

 

[Steve Parry]

I don't know where you got that for $16, it appears to be in the $25 to $35 range on the Chinese sites. Maybe you have to pay more to get one that the squonk bottle actually fits in?

 

[Opinionated]

While I understand the value attached to a unique design...most are clones of each other...the only unique proposition they offer is the shape of the hole that allows you to squeeze the bottle.

Someone pls help me understand what makes a mech 3D squonker cost $200 ++, I must be missing something given I'm a noob.

Reo mods charge I think 135 for their mods - which are mechanical.

However they are well made, unlike the 100 dollar dot squonk which is unregulated with a wire that has been shorting the fire button on people - what fun! What I'm finding surprising is that no ones been hurt yet with those.

Here's the thing, whether it's 200 dollar or more doesn't matter - what matters on a mod, most especially on a mechanical mod, is the quality and whether the device is unregulated (like the dot) or whether it's fully mechanical - which goes to quality as well.

It's nice to know when using a mech mod, that there isn't something that's going to cause a short at some unknown time.. like all the el cheapo's..

It's nice when using a squonker to know that your not going to have e juice leaking all over your battery too.

Other than that, aesthetics are sought after, but I'd imagine not so much as a mod that is not going to cause you to blow your face off any time soon.

But hey, YMMV.

In the end, I believe most people buy them because they want a safe, high quality mechanical squonker that is safe to use, in a different style or with different aesthetics or different battery styles (like dual parallel mechs) than the REO. And for safety reasons it's likely that people are willing to spend more, and designers and manufacturers know that.

 

[Asbestos4004]

It's not worth knocking anyone for the value people put on their time and efforts. To me, CC mods, pdibs....they're works of art that are worth the investment. Some of the 3d mods seem a little trendy. $100-200 for a 3d mod like a 67 neo or a delrin Molly is completely reasonable. Even the Frankenskull....since it was kinda the first like it. It's a simple design that works great. The flipper prices are absolutely ridiculous though. Frankenskulls were going for well over $1500 at one point. Silly .
I use little orcas . I bought my first one for $150 and was completely satisfied. I've built about 8 more for around $50 apiece. They're great mods. I've seen the Pulse and for what it is, it's fine. But I don't like them....so, I didn't buy one.
The only justification is, if someone wants something, they'll buy it. If it's too expensive, find something else.

 

[mimöschen]

I don't know where you got that for $16, it appears to be in the $25 to $35 range on the Chinese sites. Maybe you have to pay more to get one that the squonk bottle actually fits in?

The mod on AliExpress 13$, with coupon code 10$. The atty from FastTech. Ok. Make that 17$ perhaps.
Yeah, I shoved that bottle a bit too far up, so it looks crooked, but it fits very well. The squonkbottle is soft and squishy, but not too much, and seals perfectly fine. Unlike those from VV and other manufacturers.

@Opinionated
Functionality and safety isn't tied to the cost of the mod though. There are "high end" mechs out there, no sane vaper should even consider to vape on.
Likewise there are cheap ones, that work absolutely flawless.

@Asbestos4004
If a mod is a work of art or really unique, a higher or "high end" price is absolutely justified imo. But if it's produced in the hundreds or thousands, there is absolutely no reason or justification for the prices some manufacturers demand for their products.

 

[Asbestos4004]

The mod on AliExpress 13$, with coupon code 10$. The atty from FastTech. Ok. Make that 17$ perhaps.
Yeah, I shoved that bottle a bit too far up, so it looks crooked, but it fits very well. The squonkbottle is soft and squishy, but not too much, and seals perfectly fine. Unlike those from VV and other manufacturers.

@Opinionated
Functionality and safety isn't tied to the cost of the mod though. There are "high end" mechs out there, no sane vaper should even consider to vape on.
Likewise there are cheap ones, that work absolutely flawless.

@Asbestos4004
If a mod is a work of art or really unique, a higher or "high end" price is absolutely justified imo. But if it's produced in the hundreds or thousands, there is absolutely no reason or justification for the prices some manufacturers demand for their products.

I agree.....it's why I value the choice to buy or not to buy. There's mods I've seen that I liked and then saw the price....then I just laughed.

Like the kimech.....

 

[Steve Parry]

Reo mods charge I think 135 for their mods - which are mechanical.

There was a time when they were worth every penny. Now, not so much.

Here's the scoop on squonkers. If you've been vaping less than two years, you won't get it. Google the Vmod XL from Vapeage. It's a little plastic body, aluminum shell bottom feeder with no tube that only takes cartos and, if you drill out the shell, the A7 atomizer. That thing used to go for $100.

Until the Kanger DripBox, the big companies didn't make squonkers or bf RDA's. So, you were at the mercy of Tye smaller outfits who make damn nice stuff and charge out the tailpipe for it. Now that everyone is making them, prices are coming down. That being said, like any other type of mod, you will always have high end stuff. Take it or leave it. But there are some damn nice squonkers with atties available for $100 or less right now, and 3 years ago that wouldn't buy you a decenr bf dripper, let alone a squonker.

 

[Opinionated]

There was a time when they were worth every penny. Now, not so much.

Here's the scoop on squonkers. If you've been vaping less than two years, you won't get it. Google the Vmod XL from Vapeage. It's a little plastic body, aluminum shell bottom feeder with no tube that only takes cartos and, if you drill out the shell, the A7 atomizer. That thing used to go for $100.

Until the Kanger DripBox, the big companies didn't make squonkers or bf RDA's. So, you were at the mercy of Tye smaller outfits who make damn nice stuff and charge out the tailpipe for it. Now that everyone is making them, prices are coming down. That being said, like any other type of mod, you will always have high end stuff. Take it or leave it. But there are some damn nice squonkers with atties available for $100 or less right now, and 3 years ago that wouldn't buy you a decenr bf dripper, let alone a squonker.

I vaped almost four years, so i think I get it just fine even though I don't currently vape.

 

[Steve Parry]

I vaped almost four years, so i think I get it just fine even though I don't currently vape.

Only the first paragraph was replying to you. The rest was in response to the thread. I wasn't trying to imply or suggest that you didn't have the knowledge. Sorry if it came off that way.

 

[sonicbomb]

 

[mimöschen]

Oldie but goodie

 

[Asbestos4004]

Bottom line is: people have been complaining about the price of some mods since the beginning. Many of us have seen the sentence "$200 for a metal tube? C'mon!" . The answer is the same now as it was then....don't like it? Don't buy it .