Split Between Regulated/Mechanical

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Ethanr11

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Oct 11, 2015
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Hi guys sorry this is a long one, I appreciate the responses though,

So I am stuck with whether to buy a regulated box mod or a tube 18650 mechanical mod. I have been trying to decide for months and can't seem to come to a conclusion (before anyone asks, I am well educated on ohms law) If I was going regulated I would be buying probably the sigelei 150w and would hope to build on that...OR I buy a mechanical mod like the tugboat and tugboat rda and drip on that. I haven't actually owned a box mod because I have been so indecisive for months, but I fee I can take the step to mechanical if that is the right choice. Either way they are going to be a lot of money, which is one of the factors as to why I haven't invested in anything to expensive yet, in case it's a waste. So my question is, what do I get? Taking into account: Long term use, short term use, battery life, cost, safety, vapour production, and flavour. Thank you in advance guys, I am really torn down the middle as I have no idea what to invest in (high end box mod, low end box mod, high end mechanical, low end mechanical)

Also I am looking for a good cloud production


Ethan
 
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edyle

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Hi guys sorry this is a long one, I appreciate the responses though,

So I am stuck with whether to buy a regulated box mod or a tube 18650 mechanical mod. I have been trying to decide for months and can't seem to come to a conclusion (before anyone asks, I am well educated on ohms law) If I was going regulated I would be buying probably the sigelei 150w and would hope to build on that...OR I buy a mechanical mod like the tugboat and tugboat rda and drip on that. I haven't actually owned a box mod because I have been so indecisive for months, but I fee I can take the step to mechanical if that is the right choice. Either way they are going to be a lot of money, which is one of the factors as to why I haven't invested in anything to expensive yet, in case it's a waste. So my question is, what do I get? Taking into account: Long term use, short term use, battery life, cost, safety, vapour production, and flavour. Thank you in advance guys, I am really torn down the middle as I have no idea what to invest in (high end box mod, low end box mod, high end mechanical, low end mechanical)

Also I am looking for a good cloud production


Ethan


Get a regulated mod.

It's always good to keep a mech or few for backups, but nowadays you might as well get a regulated mod for your main vape.
 
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NancyR

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You haven't said anything about what you have been using.

Regulated devices are safer and while you may know ohms law there is a lot more info besides just that needed for safely using a mech mod with an rda.

Battery life is better with a regulated device, as it does regulate the cell from first use til last keeping it at what ever level you set it too. A mech will start out strong and die off as the cell drains.

Flavor and vapor production can be reached on both, but again the mech mod will lessen as the cell drains. A regulated tho will give you the same throughout the day. Keep in mind too, you will not get "high wattage" vaping with a mech mod.

With a mech you should also have a multi-meter (not just an ohms checker), depending on the regulated you may or may not need a charger, though I personally think anything that takes replaceable cells should be charged on an external charger.

Now all that said, I feel every vaper should have at least one good mech on hand and know how to use it safely, chips can fail, wires can come loose.
 
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Ryedan

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Hi guys sorry this is a long one, I appreciate the responses though,

So I am stuck with whether to buy a regulated box mod or a tube 18650 mechanical mod. I have been trying to decide for months and can't seem to come to a conclusion (before anyone asks, I am well educated on ohms law) If I was going regulated I would be buying probably the sigelei 150w and would hope to build on that...OR I buy a mechanical mod like the tugboat and tugboat rda and drip on that. I haven't actually owned a box mod because I have been so indecisive for months, but I fee I can take the step to mechanical if that is the right choice. Either way they are going to be a lot of money, which is one of the factors as to why I haven't invested in anything to expensive yet, in case it's a waste. So my question is, what do I get? Taking into account: Long term use, short term use, battery life, cost, safety, vapour production, and flavour. Thank you in advance guys, I am really torn down the middle as I have no idea what to invest in (high end box mod, low end box mod, high end mechanical, low end mechanical)

Also I am looking for a good cloud production

I own and use both mech and regulated mods. I have a Sigelei 150. FWIW, here's a post I did on my opinion of its pros and cons.

I don't know what I would chose if I had to chose between mech and regulated mods, both types have pluses and minuses. After using them both every day for a while I have the following thoughts:

-Regulated mods really open up your coil design options because you can control the watts with the mod as opposed to that being dependent on build resistance. That is really nice, specially if you want more flavor at higher power.
-Regulated mods have a bunch of safety features built in that you do not get with a mech.
-A regulated mod lets me run my batts down to 3.4V without any decline of watts in the atty.
-Mech mods have no electronics in them to fail.
-Mech mods need maintenance to keep them working well. I do a monthly cleaning of all the threads and switch parts in mine. It doesn't take long to do it, but if you don't do it often enough you'll start having issues like the switch getting hot or miss-fires.
-Max safe power for your batteries is determined by the amp draw on your batts and that is pretty much the same in both mechs and regulated devices. Higher amp batteries or multiple batts mean you can safely output more watts with both.

So you really need to think about what is important to you in your vape experience. You can get a Sigelei 150 for around $75 I think and for that price it's really hard to beat. You can get a mech mod clone for a lot less and see if you like it. You need to be careful which clone you buy if you want to try that as they are not all created equal. Read reviews and ask around and you should know what you're getting into before you buy. I am happy I got to know mechs and what I learned from them about about coil design is a benefit to me with regulated gear. That doesn't work the other way around.

Good luck with it :thumb:
 
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sofarsogood

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Close fitting tube battery enclosures are risky because they may not vent properly if a battery fails. Batteries don't burst, tube mods trap the gas and then they burst. It's not worth it. If you want to play with mechanical then use a box shaped mech, but if you have that you have room for protective circuits so include those and then it's not a mech any more.
 

NancyR

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Close fitting tube battery enclosures are risky because they may not vent properly if a battery fails. Batteries don't burst, tube mods trap the gas and then they burst. It's not worth it. If you want to play with mechanical then use a box shaped mech, but if you have that you have room for protective circuits so include those and then it's not a mech any more.

Have you ever used or handled a well made mech?

Any cell can vent, and if you look back through the history of problems there have been very few mechs that had design flaws for venting and they include both box and tube styles.
 
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Ethanr11

Full Member
Oct 11, 2015
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I own and use both mech and regulated mods. I have a Sigelei 150. FWIW, here's a post I did on my opinion of its pros and cons.

I don't know what I would chose if I had to chose between mech and regulated mods, both types have pluses and minuses. After using them both every day for a while I have the following thoughts:

-Regulated mods really open up your coil design options because you can control the watts with the mod as opposed to that being dependent on build resistance. That is really nice, specially if you want more flavor at higher power.
-Regulated mods have a bunch of safety features built in that you do not get with a mech.
-A regulated mod lets me run my batts down to 3.4V without any decline of watts in the atty.
-Mech mods have no electronics in them to fail.
-Mech mods need maintenance to keep them working well. I do a monthly cleaning of all the threads and switch parts in mine. It doesn't take long to do it, but if you don't do it often enough you'll start having issues like the switch getting hot or miss-fires.
-Max safe power for your batteries is determined by the amp draw on your batts and that is pretty much the same in both mechs and regulated devices. Higher amp batteries or multiple batts mean you can safely output more watts with both.

So you really need to think about what is important to you in your vape experience. You can get a Sigelei 150 for around $75 I think and for that price it's really hard to beat. You can get a mech mod clone for a lot less and see if you like it. You need to be careful which clone you buy if you want to try that as they are not all created equal. Read reviews and ask around and you should know what you're getting into before you buy. I am happy I got to know mechs and what I learned from them about about coil design is a benefit to me with regulated gear. That doesn't work the other way around.

Good luck with it :thumb:

Thank you! I am glad you pointed out your personal experience with both and gave me a better perspective on both. I think I will settle with the sigelei for now and maybe one day down the line I will buy a mech and see how things go. Quick question: would it be better (since I am getting a regulated device) to use an rda or a tank? Thanks again for the reply, really appreciate it
 

3ebmike

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Please whatever you do, do NOT waste that much money on a tugboat and an rda, I think the going rate for the tugboat mod is about 100, and the rda is about the same price! That's ridiculous considering the mod doesn't hit that hard. My FUhattan Mech mod hits WAY harder than my authentic tugboat. Plus you have so many less options with the tugboat.. It's got a hybrid top cap, so you'll never be able to put a tank on that thing ever, way too much of a risk and this is how must battery explosions happened.. actually I think they all happened like that. Definitely, definitely, definitely, get a regulated mod.. Yes I understand Mech mods have their place for more hobby/enthusiasts, but the regulated mod will give you more power, more vapor, same amount of flavor... and once again this is all dependent on your wattage, temp, etc.. but it is in YOUR control.. You go with a mech mod after the first 10 hit it starts getting weaker and weaker because you can't keep it at a certain level. The sigeli is a good mod from what i've heard only have used it a couple times.. I own an IPV4, IPV4S, and an IPV3LI. If you see yourself needing to go past 120 watts, then I'd go with the IPV3LI, or a Snow Wolf DNA 200. If not I'd get the IPV4S.
 

Ryedan

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Thank you! I am glad you pointed out your personal experience with both and gave me a better perspective on both. I think I will settle with the sigelei for now and maybe one day down the line I will buy a mech and see how things go. Quick question: would it be better (since I am getting a regulated device) to use an rda or a tank? Thanks again for the reply, really appreciate it

You're welcome and that sounds like a good plan to me :)

Your choice between rda and tank depends entirely on your preference. Mech or regulated doesn't really matter. Rda's are always rebuildable while tanks can be rebuildable, can require manufactured heads or can have options for both. Rebuildables allow you to design your coils, wick them exactly the way you want and Kanthal and cotton is really cheap. Heads are more convenient, do not allow customization and are always more expensive.

My experience is almost all with rda's, with the occasional rebuildable tank thrown in the mix. I chose rda's that have large juice wells in the deck so I don't have to drip every few drags. There are choices in both types on the market for high power and lower power with generally better flavor. If you want to go for max vapor production the best rda for that will beat the best tank IMO.

I don't have a Tugboat V2, but from looking at it online I think it's a great all around rda that should give you lots of options in coil design and for air flow and they have a large juice well. You can also buy a few different clones to get some experience with and then buy an authentic of what you find you really like.
 

Hans Wermhat

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Jun 9, 2015
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Check these 2 sites before you buy.

http://vapingcheap.com
www.vapecrawler.com

Vaping cheap will show you reviews and lots of good deals and will send you a daily email with lots of good deals in it. Vapecrawler is a great search tool if you already know what you want. The old, non TC Sig 150 is less than $70 these days. The iPV4S can be had for less than $60. Both are high power 2x18650 mods with good internals. If you go for the iPV4, make sure you get the "S" model. There were charging board issues with the 1st version, plus the S is updated for more wattage and Titanuim wire.
 

Eekins

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Mar 18, 2015
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It really depends on you. Alot of people will say a regulated, fewer people will say mech mod. Long term use? How long are you vaping through the day? What kind of coils are you building? Theres more to knowing ohms law when getting something new.

I myself prefer a mech mod. Why? It's a hobby for me. As a recovering alcoholic I find ways to keep myself busy. I like taking apart my mech mods to clean it, polish it etc. I like building new coils to see what works best on them. I also like the way it hits on fully charged batteries. The batteries seem to last longer due to voltage drop through usage of the battery. If you like consistent hits, a mech mod isn't for you.
 
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