Taking the next step - Ideas please?

[buildabane]

Well, I have been vaping for about two months, and now tobacco free for just over one month. I have really enjoyed my journey in vaping thus far. Taking me from a simple, eGo battery and disposable carto, to more eGo batteries including VV ones, to plastic then glass tanks, and to pen cigs to an MVP. I really enjoy exploring more options as vaping is now a hobby for me. I have dropped my nicotine levels from 28mg to 12mg in one month, and I am doing just fine at 12. I have also tried a HUGE amount of e-liquids and found what I like. I now enjoy bakery and dessert flavors the most. I find the smooth, creamy touch they have to be extremely satisfying (I do love mixing it up though, and I will do a tobacco or fruit flavor daily). Now that I have sort of found my niche, I am really wanting to take the next step. The next step for me is dripping and DIY. Even with my several tanks, several batteries, and etc I constantly have this feeling that something is "missing". My taste buds aren't that great (it could be from 8 or 9 years of chewing tobacco), and most flavors are somewhat muted for me (I also only vape juice that has a good, heavy VG content). A few weeks ago, my friend let me take a rip on his Nemesis clone and his atty of choice. Just one good vape on that mod with a cinny bun flavor (I think it was called Psychotherapy, not sure who makes it), and I experienced that "missing link". Soooo much vapor and the flavor was so sharp and crisp - Being used to my flavors feeling softer, I was completely enthralled. I decided that I too wanted to start dripping and getting in to RDA's. The flavor and vapor production was just unmatched. I am getting tired of having to carry around extra tanks to switch flavors, or having to wash them constantly when I want to use multiple flavors in a rapid succession. So I've spent the last several weeks researching and checking out stuff at shops to see what I would be in to. At this point I am extremely overwhelmed by the amount of choices - So, I decided maybe a post would help me make up my mind, if some educated people (and many, many of you are) could point me in the right direction. I learned OHM's law and I have applied it, learned about battery safety and mod safety in general...What I am looking for is 1) That awesome, pronounced flavor a dripper gave me 2) More vapor! 3) Something new to experiment with, and 4) Something that I can get my hands dirty with.

I can't build a coil yet, but my favorite shop is willing to build coils with me and show me how to use cotton and etc to wick properly. Basically they just do interactive lessons on RDA's (as long as you buy one or pay for the lesson, I think they charge $10 for an hour on coil building) - so I have a place to get started.

My question for you is what is the "best" way to achieve those 4 points I described above? I am thinking just a good quality mechanical, good batteries, a good charger, maybe a kick, a good RDA or two, and lessons from the people who know how. Is a mech mod the way to go? I've seen RDA's on box mods - How good is that setup (I realize this is a very broad question)?

If you walked into a store that had everything you needed to start dripping, and had a couple hundred to spend (my budget is to stay under $250) - What vape gear would you buy and why?

I want to have something to use that is new, and gives me that awesome flavor and vapor production I experienced on the mech mod.

*end....I know, I didn't think I would be able to stop typing either.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[unsure]

If dripping is what your only wanting then I can't help because I get my best enjoyment and ease from a BF mod with a RDA. Your in luck because here we have a ton of knowledgeable drippers that can help you.

 

[buildabane]

If dripping is what your only wanting then I can't help because I get my best enjoyment and ease from a BF mod with a RDA. Your in luck because here we have a ton of knowledgeable drippers that can help you.

Indeed! I decided to just make a post and see what others with experience have to say. I've learned a lot of goood stuff just using this forum.

 

[HgA1C]

I just purchased an REO and cyclone RDA. Bottom feeding (bf) is as close to an all in one solution for dripping as possible. Not including batteries you should be able to easily hit your price point. Basically, an REO has a self contained dripping bottle and is a mechanical mod. Maintenance is very simple and not messy.

Overall, REO owners tend to regret other previous purchases and buy multiple REO mods. Also they retain high resale value. My suggestion is an REO Lp grand and a reomizer 2 or cyclone bottom fed atomizer.

By the way I just got back into vaping at the beggining of September and bought a real DNA30 and two kayfun clones. I decided to go REO now so I could potentially avoid wasting money on equipment that left me wanting more. I like my kayfun setup, but don't like the hassle of dealing with the mess when working on the coils.. Overall if your not trying to be a serious cloud chaser think about going REO.

 

[sketchness]

Be forewarned it is difficult to walk around with a tank after dripping. I got my first punch in the throat from trying some flavors at a vapor bar. Man what a kick. Coil building is not that hard. Getting it right is a bit more difficult. I had to build about 20 coils before I got one that produced the vape I was looking for. Mostly I just ended up building a bunch where the resistance was too high. Thus they didn't produce the quantity I wanted. The bad part about mechs is that battery life is suckish. If you are going to KICK a mech mod you might as well just look at the different box mods and save yourself some cash. Opinions will vary wildly on this topic. But the new box mods will let you throw fairly high wattage at sub ohms and let you also back off and use a nautilus. For me it is the best of both worlds.

 

[buildabane]

I think I am really hooked on the art behind mech mods. I have an MVP 2, and while that does not go up to 20 or 30 watts, I am very content with it and feel like I don't really want another box mod. I love the look of quality mech mods, and would really enjoy having one of my own. If a kick is something that can enhance that mech experience for me, then I will definitely be getting one. Look and feel do matter to me, but the quality of the vape comes first and foremost...I will definitely check out some other box mods at the store - the rDNA does look pretty sharp....And if a better box mod truly produces a better vape for the same price, I guess I will grab the box mod. Like I said though - I just love the way mech's work, and I loved my brief experience using one.

 

[edyle]

If you walked into a store that had everything you needed to start dripping, and had a couple hundred to spend (my budget is to stay under $250) - What vape gear would you buy and why?

I'd get a vamo v6 20, 25 or 35 watt mod, a sigelei 30 or 30 watt mod, a 100ft roll of 28 gauge kanthal, 4 sony vtc5 batteries, a 30mm magma rda, and the rest on other rebuildable drippers and tanks.
As for a mech, I'd get a steel mech with a kick for backup reasons

 

[Hawaiian Nate]

Pioneer 4 you IPV2 (50 watt box mod) and a Big Dripper clone. If the big Dripper seems too gaudy for you then try a patriot clone rda or the tugboat rda. A couple VTC 4's and a nitecore charger. Should put you below $250. Don't forget an ohm reader as well. At the end of the day, this is all subjective because only you know what YOU like and feel comfortable with. Some people like the box mod look and some don't (all subjective). Some people get lucky and absolutely love their first setup (not me) and some go through 3-4 mod and atty setups to find that "perfect vape" (yeah that's me). Good luck with the perfect vape chase.

 

[sketchness]

Just tried the new sigelei with my nautilus and my drippers. Super cool. Not sure what I will use the other 45 watts for? But first impression, amazing!

 

[edyle]

Just tried the new sigelei with my nautilus and my drippers. Super cool. Not sure what I will use the other 45 watts for? But first impression, amazing!

If you put more coil on your dripper you'll need more watts to power them.

 

[HgA1C]

Again take a look at the REO. It is mechanical not regulated. You can use it while driving or doing anything, unlike a dripper setup. It also is around the size of a rDNA by vapor shark. Pbusardo did a review on them although he failed to cover the fact that there were button covers. He also followed up in later videos on how he was starting to really love his.

I am just trying to help save you money with the best solution to your 4 points. It will allow you to easily experiment as much as you want, and give you the same performance as dripping.

Lastly I know my join date is last month. I first vaped back in 2008 have followed the scene on and off since then. I finally came back to the scene last month, because of the evolv DNA.

I just bought the REO because of the upgraded mechanicals and the Lp style. It can easily handle setups down to .25ohms, and some are taking it lower. The Lp style now allows almost any RDA as long as it gets converted to bottom feed. There is a member that will do that for a reasonable charge. I expect with the upgrades it will become much more popular in the coming year.

 

[Dima1973]

I will put in another vote for REO. If your budget is 250 you are good to go until you deside to get another reo for backup.

 

[Nightshard]

I think the a really big part of "something new to experiment with" is building you own coils.
Using an RDA is not plug and play, it's build and experiment, at least until you learn what you like and how to achieve it, while needing to go to the B&M for a "lesson" each time you want to try something, really hinders it.

 

[buildabane]

I think the a really big part of "something new to experiment with" is building you own coils.
Using an RDA is not plug and play, it's build and experiment, at least until you learn what you like and how to achieve it, while needing to go to the B&M for a "lesson" each time you want to try something, really hinders it.

I wouldn't be taking regular lessons from them - It is a fail safe, basically if I have problems they are more than willing to help me out and get me back to vaping. Thanks for the info guys. I really am still not sure what I am going to go with. Probably just going to spend some time at the shop tomorrow and just go with what feels right. It really could be time for me to just do some new purchasing. I am looking at other VW/VV mods, mech mods, batteries, chargers..But also, just more tanks to experiment with (I only have 2 that work currently, Protank 2 mini and an Aerotank). It would be nice to have some nice new clearo's to make changing flavors easier, and also just for variety! Considering picking up a regular Protank 2 or maybe even two of them, perhaps a Nautilus and...Well you see where this is going. I could be easily content with a few extra tanks, a second solid VV/VW mod, and several bottles of quality juice to puff on. As long as I stay under $250 and I like the things I am buying, you won't hear any complaining. Also I am really interested in purchasing something to store my gear in (tanks, batts, e-juice, spare parts)...If anyone has any good ideas for storage..That would be great. I am not going to order a vape station off the internet (I hate ordering stuff), but there has to be something local that will help..Storing gear in an empty drawer (everything constantly rearranges when I open and close it) is getting old.

WHY DOES THERE HAVE TO BE SO MUCH COOL STUFF?!?!

 

[Frenchfry1942]

Thanks all. I, too, am snooping for a better mod.

As to tanks, I have quite a few. But, I lean to my PT2s for daily, on the run, tanks. I like to have several flavors ready at any one time so that is 3-4 and then some just got cleaned and are drying on a paper towel. They are super simple and supplies are simple. Now, I do have Kayfun clones, two different ones, and I appreciate having them for Sunday afternoon, watching football, rebuilding.

Have fun.

 

[edyle]

I wouldn't be taking regular lessons from them - It is a fail safe, basically if I have problems they are more than willing to help me out and get me back to vaping. Thanks for the info guys. I really am still not sure what I am going to go with. Probably just going to spend some time at the shop tomorrow and just go with what feels right. It really could be time for me to just do some new purchasing. I am looking at other VW/VV mods, mech mods, batteries, chargers..But also, just more tanks to experiment with (I only have 2 that work currently, Protank 2 mini and an Aerotank). It would be nice to have some nice new clearo's to make changing flavors easier, and also just for variety! Considering picking up a regular Protank 2 or maybe even two of them, perhaps a Nautilus and...Well you see where this is going. I could be easily content with a few extra tanks, a second solid VV/VW mod, and several bottles of quality juice to puff on. As long as I stay under $250 and I like the things I am buying, you won't hear any complaining. Also I am really interested in purchasing something to store my gear in (tanks, batts, e-juice, spare parts)...If anyone has any good ideas for storage..That would be great. I am not going to order a vape station off the internet (I hate ordering stuff), but there has to be something local that will help..Storing gear in an empty drawer (everything constantly rearranges when I open and close it) is getting old.

WHY DOES THERE HAVE TO BE SO MUCH COOL STUFF?!?!

If you get a protank2, you can use the base from the miniprotank on it but with an extra silicone cap inverted on the coil spire to make it fit/seal properly. That way you get the advantage of the miniprotank's ego base but the capacity of the protanks. You lose some aesthetics I suppose.