Taking the plunge into VV/VW, looking for recommendations.

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flintlock62

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Well, I can "dig" known devices. Not too sure about the N-Vary. There are so many products, but few can attest to actual performance.

One exception is of course, the Provari. I know it's beat to death, but they have the best track record, and the most loyal fans, along with the most haters, for what ever reason other than, well I don't own one, but so many people like it, therefore I must hate it.

The N-Vary Sidewinder, Anybody have this guy?

Kit is $75 and seems like something I could dig. I like the way the button functions.
 
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mostapha

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Well, I can "dig" known devices. Not too sure about the N-Vary. There are so many products, but few can attest to actual performance.

One exception is of course, the Provari. I know it's beat to death, but they have the best track record, and the most loyal fans, along with the most haters, for what ever reason other than, well I don't own one, but so many people like it, therefore I must hate it.

I own one.

I used to be a hater.

It wasn't a "when you get it, you'll get it" kind of situation…I just wanted something better than my Twists. It definitely fit that bill. I don't regret buying it, but it was a tough choice to get it over something like a silver bullet with a Kick. I'm not sure it's a decision I would repeat. But at the same time…every time one of my atomizers is acting up…every time I feel like I need to clean contacts in my Kamry…every time I see the guy I gave one of my twists to fumbling around with it to see if it's still holding the charge it should…my Provari is still sitting there with a carto tank on it, firing day after day. And I don't expect that to stop.

If you're in it for the long hall, I do think a Provari is worth the cost at some point if for no other reason than freeing you to play with everything else and know that something is going to keep working.

But I'll feel differently if the thing dies. And I've only had it for about 6 months, so it could happen.
 

GiraffeSecks

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Im going with the Tesla! I love the look of it so much, from what i hear it has a bit better airflow then the lavatube v2, although people are iffy with the buttons being over the display screen making it an overall awkward design, but i love the design and look past those small faults, also keep in mind this is one of the bigger mods, taller then the lava tube too.
 
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VAMO all the way... should of bought this years ago!
 

RobbJ65

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+1 on the Sigelei. I've had it for a couple of months now with no problems. When I bought it, I was trying to decide between the VAMO and Sigelei. I found the Sigelei as a kit with 2 batteries and a charger for close to the same price as a VAMO (once you added in the batteries and charger). But now, there are some killer deals going on VAMOs so it might be cheaper to go that route if price is an issue.

I was glad to see this post. My Sigelei ZMAX should be here day after tomorrow. I found the body only for $69.99 @ Vapor Alley. For that price I think it beats the VAMO.


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mirrorim

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View attachment 184568

VAMO all the way... should of bought this years ago!

Stopped in at my favorite local B&M today... one of the other regulars there brought in his VAMO :thumb:

I have no reservations about this piece after holding it in my hands His battery was about dead, so my test vape on it left MUCH to be desired, but this thing felt solid as a rock with an 18650 battery. No battery shake, I know this is dependant on the specific battery you are using, but even if I had one a bit thin, I could easily cut the shake with one of the many methods I have had in my head since I started on this path toward my final decision. I was able to do a side by side comparison with a SMOK ZMax they had in stock (no battery installed, of course) and between the two I think I would prefer the quicker adjustment the VAMO offers. The venting on the ZMax is pretty sweet though, that's something I didn't notice in the pictures I have looked at on the web. I think I'm 90% or so on the VAMO at this point. I have put a lot of thought into the more basic mod + kick option, and I would like to have a setup like this, I think I'm more apt to go for the longer battery life and easier adjustment on the VW.

Thank you all for the help on this! I have learned so much and been enlightened to options that I didn't even know were available. Everything I've read in these posts has helped me immensely!
 

Stephenst4470

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I want to reiterate that if you're not buying a Provari, I think the Twist/Spinner are still the best on the market. My Spinner broke from being dropped on concrete, but it still functions. My twists have seen just as much abuse as my Provari, and they've taken it all in stride.

That's why I don't think anything in-between is worth paying for. The little $30 things are 90% of the way there.

As far as trying VW goes…the kick still exists. And there are a lot of $40 mods out there. Together with a couple batteries and a charger, they're right around $100. I really like my Kamry K100 (empire clone). It looks great. It works great with a kick. It fits a 510 atomizer with a 510-510 extension or a 901 atomizer with a slim 510-901 adapter. And Boges fit pretty well with nothing else. You can use whatever size battery you want.

And, honestly, I'm using it more often than my Provari.

I think something like that is a solid way to go.

People like the Smoktech Telescope for similar reasons. A metal Bolt or Natural would probably work similarly. Heck, I almost bought a bolt on a whim yesterday from a B&M because, again, I just like the way they look.

The only thing you really lose with the Kick is the ability to adjust power quickly. And pulling 10W out of a 3.7V battery drains them like woah, but that'd be the same with anything.

There is a lot that's in between that's worth paying for, I have a Provari and I find myself using my Segelei Zmax just as much, also my Buzz Pro, those are both great mods for about half as much as a Provari, the SS ZMAX feels heavy and the build quility is great, the Buzz Pro is just a workhorse and fires like a dream. My Vamo is great too, but it is pretty long compared to the others. My wife has the SMAX, it's a good mod, but it is aluminum, so it doesn't feel as robust as the SS ZMAX.
I also have a couple of kicked mechanicals, and imo the voltage regulator is VERY inefficient in them. They work well but the battery drains much faster than any other VW device I've ever used. The Vamo will go twice as long at 10 watts on the same battery easily.
These are all great choices, I rotate between them daily, and all are leaps and bounds over a spinner or twist. I am not knocking egos, I use them when out and about and for work, but definitely not the same experience as a mod, especially as you get into bigger atomizers like Genesis.

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Stephenst4470

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Stopped in at my favorite local B&M today... one of the other regulars there brought in his VAMO :thumb:

I have no reservations about this piece after holding it in my hands His battery was about dead, so my test vape on it left MUCH to be desired, but this thing felt solid as a rock with an 18650 battery. No battery shake, I know this is dependant on the specific battery you are using, but even if I had one a bit thin, I could easily cut the shake with one of the many methods I have had in my head since I started on this path toward my final decision. I was able to do a side by side comparison with a SMOK ZMax they had in stock (no battery installed, of course) and between the two I think I would prefer the quicker adjustment the VAMO offers. The venting on the ZMax is pretty sweet though, that's something I didn't notice in the pictures I have looked at on the web. I think I'm 90% or so on the VAMO at this point. I have put a lot of thought into the more basic mod + kick option, and I would like to have a setup like this, I think I'm more apt to go for the longer battery life and easier adjustment on the VW.

Thank you all for the help on this! I have learned so much and been enlightened to options that I didn't even know were available. Everything I've read in these posts has helped me immensely!

You can't go wrong with the Vamo, great device and cheap, it's also the easiest menu system of any to use. Wonderful when building a coil on a Genesis, really easy to check resistance without firing the coil and very easy to move power up and down. It’s actually the spring that made the batteries rattle in the older ones, the newer Vamo has a heavy gold spring that solves the problem.

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eric1973

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I bought a zmax a few weeks ago, the latest version. I was also considering the evic at the time, but the zmax was a more solid device, regardless of the added options.

It's nothing I would shout about, but is a worthwhile device. One thing I noticed was the rms/mean function, which gives you more freedom with it. With the mean function set, you can adjust the wattage, and the device will automatically adjust the voltage. With the rms function set, you can adjust both independently. Just be careful on the latter. I fried an atty quick with the wrong settings.
 

mirrorim

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I bought a zmax a few weeks ago, the latest version. I was also considering the evic at the time, but the zmax was a more solid device, regardless of the added options.

It's nothing I would shout about, but is a worthwhile device. One thing I noticed was the rms/mean function, which gives you more freedom with it. With the mean function set, you can adjust the wattage, and the device will automatically adjust the voltage. With the rms function set, you can adjust both independently. Just be careful on the latter. I fried an atty quick with the wrong settings.

I believe the VAMO has the same type of mode options as what you described at the end of your post. Still leaning VAMO for the lower price point and similar functionality to the other options I have been considering. ProVari is definitely in my future, once my cash flow issues are straightened out and I have everything caught up.... unless I win the lottery, then I might just buy one of everything.

As far as the eVic goes... my smart phone ...... me off today because I couldn't figure out how to get rid of a weird double entry in my contacts list... maybe I don't need all that snazzy operating system stuff. I watched PBusardo's review of the v1 and his update after the 1.1 update and that was enough to knock that thing off the list completely. I think I want a simpler vaping experience, and one that's easier to read in different lighting scenarios and less likely to break or malfunction. It's hard not to react to its features when you first see it though.
 

Stephenst4470

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I bought a zmax a few weeks ago, the latest version. I was also considering the evic at the time, but the zmax was a more solid device, regardless of the added options.

It's nothing I would shout about, but is a worthwhile device. One thing I noticed was the rms/mean function, which gives you more freedom with it. With the mean function set, you can adjust the wattage, and the device will automatically adjust the voltage. With the rms function set, you can adjust both independently. Just be careful on the latter. I fried an atty quick with the wrong settings.

You can only set wattage or voltage in either mode, rms is just a much more accurate sampling method than mean. The Vamo has it as well, it is L01 and L02, you never want to take these devices out of rms mode. Mean is redundant. Mean is also referred to as avg.

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Riverboat

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I've spent the morning watching YouTube reviews of some of the options available, and I have already determined that I am not going the route of ProVari right away... its just too expensive. So... as far as VAMO/SMax/VMax/eVic goes, what are your thoughts on this? I am looking to read up a bit more on peoples personal experience and comparisons of these devices to help me make my decision. I can get comfortable with the price point on any of these devices.

Its too bad you dont want a Provari.....I know its expensive but it will last for years....
I was at a brick and mortar the other day.... I checked out the VAMO/SMax/VMax/eVic ......very cheaply made when compared to a Provari..
You get what you pay for....
 

belladonna1

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Its too bad you dont want a Provari.....I know its expensive but it will last for years....
I was at a brick and mortar the other day.... I checked out the VAMO/SMax/VMax/eVic ......very cheaply made when compared to a Provari..
You get what you pay for....

Sorry to say that, but it was very condescending. Sure, I'd dream about Rolls-Royce but can't afford that. Have to settle for some cheap toyota. What a shame. And the Royce would last for 20 years.
 

Riverboat

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I have a VAMO for around 3 weeks and for now I'm completely sattisfied, though looking for best dripper/atomizer still.

As a 3 1/2 year dripper...........HH357 are the best disposible atty available...Dont let the price scare you, the performance(vapor production) and taste are outstanding.... Custom HH.357 Cisco Spec Hybrid 510 Atomizer - Avid Vaper I would get the 3.0 ones for a VV mod...
Sorry to say that, but it was very condescending. Sure, I'd dream about Rolls-Royce but can't afford that. Have to settle for some cheap toyota. What a shame. And the Royce would last for 20 years.

I didnt mean it to be condensecending....... But were are talking about a $159 mod(basic Provari).... not a $300,000 Rolls Royce................. You wish the VAMO was built like a Toyota, they run forever.....lol
 
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belladonna1

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As a 3 1/2 year dripper...........HH357 are the best disposible atty available...Dont let the price scare you, the performance(vapor production) and taste are outstanding.... Custom HH.357 Cisco Spec Hybrid 510 Atomizer - Avid Vaper I would get the 3.0 ones for a VV mod...


I didnt mean it to be condensecending....... But were are talking about a $159 mod(basic Provari).... not a $300,000 Rolls Royce................. You wish the VAMO built like a Toyota, they run forever....lol

well, you might have a point - that was a bit hysterical of me:D But here where I live basic provari is actually more like $300 which is substantial part of monthly earnings, and I think also in USA it may be too much to pay for a hobby:D. And moreover - I think I'm not as crazy of hardware (though looking for better atomizers for sure) than dyi juices.
 

whyycharles

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IMO Vamo is the best bang for the buck. I started on my vamo and i still use it pretty occasionally. Also have recommended to 6 of my close friends, since they all want to start vaping and quit analogs. The vamo was cheap and affordable and it was vv/vw and it seriously is the best bang for the buck. Easy to use and great options for beginner friendly.
 

Riverboat

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well, you might have a point - that was a bit hysterical of me:D But here where I live basic provari is actually more like $300 which is substantial part of monthly earnings, and I think also in USA it may be too much to pay for a hobby:D. And moreover - I think I'm not as crazy of hardware (though looking for better atomizers for sure) than dyi juices.

I just saw that your in Poland...........$300 for a Provari, ouch!
 

e23slack

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I bought the Vamo first.And the reason for this was that I could still afford the extra batteries(4-18650) the charger(Pila charger), a few tanks, a few cartomizers, a 510 to ego adapter, a few juices, a carrying case and only a $150 invoice. A couple of months later a bought a Provari because I now had all the things needed to use it. For a lot of us, it's more than just $159 "start up cost". And forget it if you buy all that stuff from the provape shop. Even if you just get the blemished model with just 4 batteries,(cheap) charger, extension cap(Kind of a ripoff) it comes to around $215. Now, don't get me wrong, the Provari is nice,but not perfect(Variable Wattage?). The vamo is nice and it works well (VV/VW). With all that being said, I think the Vamo is a great place to jump off into the world of "Mods" and have some money left to play with the thing. Then you can decide if you want to move forward. I don't know what happens to some Provari users that they can't see other peoples perspectives and let them buy the products that suit their budget and needs.:2c:
 
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