The Modding scene vs cost

[D4rk50ul]

First a little background for perspective. I started vaping almost a decade ago, there was not much out there and I ended up with a few 510 batteries with cartridges. I've since vaped on every style setup I can think of from MTL Provari/Kayfun style setups, mech/genesis attys, and regulated high wattage sub ohm setups. The first thing I ever modded involved fluval or fish filter in 510 carts, been doing it ever since.

I have come to the point where I wonder why bother anymore. There are so many quality pre-made devices, coils, tanks, etc that I don't NEED to mess with stuff anymore. Sure for those who still enjoy it by all means go for it, but consider something before recommending that path to others.

vaping is cheap now. Everything is fractions of what it used to cost, and it all works pretty damn well. The best thing to keep you off cigarettes isn't saving an extra dollar here or there, it's having a reliable and EASY to use and maintain setup.

No matter how many pre-made coils I burn through, batteries and chargers I buy, and juice I order pre-made I still always come out cheaper and healthier than when I smoked. I officially retired my Modding area of my house, hundreds of feet of various wires, wicking materials, tools, etc are all being packed away. I am happier placing an order as needed, keeping a backup setup, and still getting a great vape. Keep it simple, there is no evolution to vaping that requires you go from a cig-a-like to mod to high powered device to rebuilding. If you quit on and are happy with your setup it's the perfect one.

P.S. I blame Reos for making me so lazy and showing me how enjoyable being that way can be. I blame all of the innovators in the vaping community for getting us to this point where even Chinese knock offs are well above most people's needs, although seeing all my favorite US companies shutting down is tragic as they paved the road for what we now enjoy.

 

[SteveS45]

The most expensive pre-made coil I buy costs me three dollars and last so long it is unbelievable. Sure I can build coils and make awesome RTA's but the cost for the materials is cheap not MY LABOR RATE.

 

[Mandro]

I've been using rebuildables for years and have just started using pre made coils. I'm so used to building coils, I'll be rebuilding the pre made coils too.
I don't think it's just a case of saving money for me, I like to know that I can rebuild if I ever need too plus I enjoy it.

 

[Kickingthesticks]

I'm the opposite. Started out using prebuilt drop in coils now all I use are rta or rda. Let's me fine tune my vape. I was never worried about the cost of prebuilt coils because it was still cheaper to than ciggs but just found diy more satisfying. Someday when my hands give out on me I'll at least have plenty of prebuilt stocked coils in storage.

 

[Eskie]

I like the ease of use with a factory coil, but I don't like being at the mercy of finding replacements. Unless you're using a very popular tank/coil design, there are times you'll come up empty. The other reason is with potential changes in vape gear thanks to regulation, I want to be independent and not have an issue moving to self reliance. Besides, with DIY, the cost savings is dramatic and I've got 8-10 excellent recipes I can count on and it keeps growing.

Still, for things like travel and whatnot where an RTA makes no sense, I have my tanks that take factory coils. They are still useful, but I don't want to exclusively rely on them.

 

[D4rk50ul]

I'm not knocking rebuildables or high end mods by any means, been using them forever. I just look at the scene as a whole and I want to give new vapers the best chance of success as I can. By dispelling the notion that you need to constantly delve deeper into the wild side of vaping and accepting there are people that it suits well but most just want to quit smoking easily.

We had a point before when the ego came out and it was basically ego vs smaller cig-a-likes vs mechs/provari. At the time the Ego was the most logical start for most new users, but the forums were filled with suggestions to use the more hardcore methods.

Right now I feel like after almost a decade I should use all my triumphs and mistakes in vaping to properly and responsibly inform smokers of the best path for them. I'm looking at VW/TC boxes with sub ohm tanks, pods like the Von Erl, and good MTL setups to recommend that require little to no maintenance and predictable costs. If they chose to then go the route of rebuilding and DiY juice I hope they do so based on personal decision and after heavily researching.

 

[SteveS45]

One of the things I find disheartening is when new members are having problems with pre-made coils and members start in with they should build. I do not think that new vapers who are having problems with drop in coils should be told they need to build. Do they have enough knowledge to do it safely? Do they posses they skills or tools? Really? Tell a person who can't fire pre-made coils or figure out why they are flooding to start building?

 

[BlueMoods]

I can build my own but, I can buy quality coils for my deck or, drop in units just a cheap as I can build them. I buy them - my time is worth the bit in taxes I might pay if I buy locally.

Sure, a rainy day and me totally bored, I'll wrap coils for an hour or so, but that's just because I still have wire and, am bored.

Now juice, DIY is the way to go - get exatly the flavor, nic and pg/vg I like best at a fraction of what buying even DeKang juice costs.

 

[sofarsogood]

First a little background for perspective. I started vaping almost a decade ago, there was not much out there and I ended up with a few 510 batteries with cartridges. I've since vaped on every style setup I can think of from MTL Provari/Kayfun style setups, mech/genesis attys, and regulated high wattage sub ohm setups. The first thing I ever modded involved fluval or fish filter in 510 carts, been doing it ever since.

I have come to the point where I wonder why bother anymore. There are so many quality pre-made devices, coils, tanks, etc that I don't NEED to mess with stuff anymore. Sure for those who still enjoy it by all means go for it, but consider something before recommending that path to others.

Vaping is cheap now. Everything is fractions of what it used to cost, and it all works pretty damn well. The best thing to keep you off cigarettes isn't saving an extra dollar here or there, it's having a reliable and EASY to use and maintain setup.

No matter how many pre-made coils I burn through, batteries and chargers I buy, and juice I order pre-made I still always come out cheaper and healthier than when I smoked. I officially retired my Modding area of my house, hundreds of feet of various wires, wicking materials, tools, etc are all being packed away. I am happier placing an order as needed, keeping a backup setup, and still getting a great vape. Keep it simple, there is no evolution to vaping that requires you go from a cig-a-like to mod to high powered device to rebuilding. If you quit on and are happy with your setup it's the perfect one.

P.S. I blame Reos for making me so lazy and showing me how enjoyable being that way can be. I blame all of the innovators in the vaping community for getting us to this point where even Chinese knock offs are well above most people's needs, although seeing all my favorite US companies shutting down is tragic as they paved the road for what we now enjoy.

I enjoy mixing and rebuilding. 20 minutes a month to mix, 15 minutes twice a month to rebuild and 5 minutes twice a week to re wick. I spent much more time than that standing outside smoking. I still have my N mini and it's still a fine vape but I won't depend on it because of the government interference threat. I have sufficient supplies for 10, may be 20, years for less than it cost to smoke for 3 months. That requires mixing and rebuilding. Call me a mild vaper. My RDA uses a single 30 AWG 1.4 ohm stainless coil fired at 16 max watts with a 0.4 second pre-heat at 24 watts then a 400F max temp. I vape the N mini on the exact same settings except no temp control because of the kanthal wire. Again the N mini is a lovely vape but I can't rebuild the coil heads (I also prefer to avoid the glass and higher parts count compared to the SV rda clone I prefer.) I also mix because I can have 1% flavoring and 10 mg nic and don't have to put up with over flavored liquid that gunks up coils too fast. If all that isn't enough my cost of ingredients for a year supply of liquid is about $25. The least expensive pre mix I notice is 10 times that cost.

 

[BreSha6869]

I enjoy rebuilding (and am good at it) but discovered last year that I love Smok TVF8 tanks.

I bought 4 tanks and about 100 replacement coils. They last me about a month each and at $2-4 each, that is super cheap IMO.

I bought a few extra RBA's as I will rebuild my TFV8's in a few years when my cache of factory coils is gone.

 

[Bad Ninja]

While I'll never be tethered again with premade coils or juice, I agree the scene has evolved to the point that a person doesn't need to spend a fortune to get a high quality vaping experience.

 

[Eskie]

I'm not knocking rebuildables or high end mods by any means, been using them forever. I just look at the scene as a whole and I want to give new vapers the best chance of success as I can. By dispelling the notion that you need to constantly delve deeper into the wild side of vaping and accepting there are people that it suits well but most just want to quit smoking easily.

We had a point before when the ego came out and it was basically ego vs smaller cig-a-likes vs mechs/provari. At the time the Ego was the most logical start for most new users, but the forums were filled with suggestions to use the more hardcore methods.

Right now I feel like after almost a decade I should use all my triumphs and mistakes in vaping to properly and responsibly inform smokers of the best path for them. I'm looking at VW/TC boxes with sub ohm tanks, pods like the Von Erl, and good MTL setups to recommend that require little to no maintenance and predictable costs. If they chose to then go the route of rebuilding and DiY juice I hope they do so based on personal decision and after heavily researching.

Oh, I agree. Starter options are way better than in the past. Pod mods are a great way to start, and are vastly superior to the cigalikes still being pushed out. Entry level mods and tanks are excellent options for a new vaper. Subohm high wattage setups are just an expensive invitation for failure.

Sent from my KFAPWI using Tapatalk

 

[Verb]

There is still a significant advantage to learning to rebuild. What you learn, about how a vaporizer operates, is very useful even when a user goes back to using premade coils. The other advantage is the peace of mind that comes with knowing the quality of the wire and wicking material. There is still a lot of experimentation going on with us users as the guinea pigs. As companies go through rough times, they can make poor decisions to meet the bottom line.

I feel recommending rebuilding to anyone who's vaped a couple of months to still be good advice.

 

[medleypat]

I agree on the rebuild I see a lot of times someone will post not interested in rebuilding and someone will almost always recommend to rebuild. Another thing I see is someone have a problem with a tank leaking and a lot of times you see people say get another tank no first make sure its not user error. If your doing something wrong changing tanks probably won't fix the problem.

 

[Asbestos4004]

I will always rebuild. It takes me minutes and I like the results better than premade stuff. Also, as ninja and eskie pointed out, I don't want to rely on anyone.
But, I never recommend rebuilable gear to folks trying to get off cigarettes....

 

[tj99959]

I would suppose that in the course of the next 50 years or so, I will probably need to replace batteries a time or two. Other than that, I no longer need any vape supplies in this lifetime.

Sure is nice that now I vape for free. (regardless of what Sam decided to do)
So I guess I'll just keep wrapping coils & DIY my own juice.

 

[Asbestos4004]

I would suppose that in the course of the next 50 years or so, I will probably need to replace batteries a time or two. Other than that, I no longer need any vape supplies in this lifetime.

Sure is nice that now I vape for free. (regardless of what Sam decided to do)
So I guess I'll just keep wrapping coils & DIY my own juice.

me too!

 

[daviedog]

Vaping Mechs 80% of the time, i would not trust a pre made coil. Ever..

 

[mountaingal]

Lots of differences of opinion on this thread.
I started cig-alikes and quickly moved to the Ego-c and making my own juice. Then went too far and got a SquapeR and learned to build a decent coil. When I heard the FDA was getting involved, I was not surprised.
Then the kangertech Subtanks came along...and when I found out they all came with a buildable deck OR coils I was overjoyed. I currently use several Clouper 30W VV/VW mods with replaceable battery. The toppers are all subtanks, nano. mini. regular and mega. Now, I can put in my own coils OR use pre-made coils. When the FDA starts makin nic hard to come by I am set for about 10yrs while the are taken to court. And like the original poster, I have retired all my coil making gear. But, when things get hard and only Big Tobacco products have passed the FDA, I will be all set, I can rebuild all the gear I have. And I can make my 20mg/ml juice. I have bought many coils and am set for a long while. One of these coils last for months, yes, months!!! (The most frequent failure is operator error!)
I'd say to anyone, learn the basics, find what you like. In the end the just stay away from those darn cigarettes!

 

[mattiem]

If one jumps in the deep end of the pool without learning to swim first, bad things can and do happen. Most of us here started with low power high ohm equipment and worked our way up to where we are today.

In most every thing in life one must learn to crawl before they walk, then run. Throwing all this rebuilding, sub ohm DIY at someone before they have even gotten to the point of even being able to handle the vape is doing a great disservice to someone wanting to put the smokes behind themselves.

I would be willing to bet that most of us wouldn't have been as successful had we not started slow and worked up to where we are today on our personal vaping journey. JMHO