I have been using the kick for a couple of months now and it's great.
However, I find myself replacing the 18500's even before my regular tank
of juice is finished. I typically go through 2 batts for one tank and I vape at 8.5W.
I'm thinking I need new batteries or is that a normal rate of usage
for the kick?
Does anyone go through batteries just as fast?
Too many variables to compare to anyone else.
The Kick is designed to cut-off at 3.2 volts under-load which often translates to around 3.6 unloaded (multimeter). That "under-load" is where all the variables are sort of hidden. The resistance of your attys/cartos (LR demands more amps and will drain faster), conductive efficiency of your device, age and maintenance of the batteries, etc.
I rarely use just one device but when I was a pre-release tester for the kick, I forced single device use for testing purposes. I tend to vape about 5ml/day on average. At 8.5 watts using 2.8Ω cartos - I tested the Kick on P+ 18650, SB and Empire devices. Using brand new AW IMR 18490 batteries, I averaged about 5 to 6 hours of vaping before the Kick gave me the stutter vape signal it was ready to cut-off. Time is not an accurate measurement either as aggregate button time is an extremely relevant factor (someone who averages 2 minutes of aggregate activation/button time per hour will get more "hours" than someone who averages 4 minutes). I never actually measured ml(s) vaped per charge cycle but if I had to guess it would be in the 2 to 3 ml range (again, resistance will be a variable factor here too). So, as I said, there really is no way to compare to anyone else. Age of batts, number of charge cycles, batts left in hot cars, overdrained (can happen in non-cutoff devices), etc all can impact the charge cycle life of a batt.
You can try different IMR batts (preferably new ones), if not using a "smart" charger - do not leave them on the charger overnight and try to take them off the charger relatively soon after the light goes green, try a different device (preferably one listed on the Evolv website on the kick page), different resistance, etc.
Now I am using Kick with 18650 IMRs and, as I said, I use multiple devices each with a different juice. I have not drained one to stutter vape in a day yet and use a freshly charged batt each day (I throw the previous one on a charger when I get up and remove it when the light goes green - but I also use a smart charger as an additional safety factor).
Hope something in here is helpful.
