I don't normally do complete reviews, but since this style of RBA is currently "All the rage" and I have the night off, I thought I would share.
On Jan 1st I ordered what was called (I quote from my invoice) 1 "Kayfun Lite Styled RBA" for $26.70. It stated in the description that it had built in AFC (air flow control), so I'm thinkin cool, it must actually be a KFL+ and is a little mis-described. (...not sure if its a word but right now vodka says it is) Anyway...
A very quick (by Fasttech standards) (By the way I love using Parenthesis) 21 days and it's waiting for me after work. (yea)
I really enjoy doing a meticulous inspections on new stuff. I'm serious ... like actually wearing my reading glasses and strapping on this crazy looking headlamp that sits on your head like a hat. I will now describe first impressions and possibly the fatal flaw that eventually reveals it's self.
(Wow those pictures are huge... I apologize now for the AOL/DSL crowd.)
Out of the box things look pretty positive. Nice Tebeco box (with typical strange Chinese slogan included) everything intact. This is actually my fourth KFunish clone including a genuine actual 91%, so I have a pretty good idea what to look for and expect.
The "club"
I quickly realized this is obviously not a KFL+. From what I understand the KFL+ has a bottom based AFC. This thing does not. it's there but it is located on the side... with a twist. Apparently some genius at Tebeco thought it would be a good idea to put the adjustment screw in the really long hole that is normally used for the actual air vent hole.There are a few problems with this that i will skip for now to keep this post as mercifully brief as I can. Let's just say I think it comes back to haunt this clone version.
After a quick break down and rough inspection, I place all the parts in a bowl and cover with almost boiling water and a small amount of dish soap. (O-rings removed) During the boring one hour time out, I visit the FT site to review the on-line description again...
I went to my orders and worked back thru the FT SKU on my order management page... Oh look at that, they are now calling it the "Russian 91% Styled RBA. And of course it's now 20 bucks. (ugh) (this has happened within the last 48 hrs...I've been tracking my order)
Here is a quick note... This kit had a very strong Oder of machine oil. After the wash all was good, except I saw a noticeable grey film on the bottom of the bowl I've never seen before. The material was very dense and had an obvious petroleum quality. Word to the wise...take the time to carefully wash your new factory fresh SS/metal gear even if its wicked and apparently ready to go out of the box.
You may ask yourself at times (you talking to yourself) "How do they make this junk so cheap!?!" Well here is a clue.
Instead of the highly engineered two piece center screw section of the Russian, this thing has a single hollow screw that provides both the center pin positive connection, but also is the anchor of the positive coil block. To me this ultimately ruins any adjustable pin ability because the pin has to be perfectly aligned with the vent hole inside the 510 shaft. Thankfully the hole in the screw/post is perfectly perpendicular to the slot on the screwdriver slot on the bottom so it's not too challenging to line up the whole works. But, it really doesn't leave much (if any) room for adjusting to different batterys or mods. (Thankfully it works fine on my Provari)
Other things I noticed were that the over all machining is quite good. Also, the choice of using either the native screw-on driptip or the ability to use your own (via adapter) has been replaced with a one-piece top cap that accommodates any 510 sized DT.
Ironically, (I thought) the supplied Russian 91% look-a-like drip tip was particularly of poor quality even after the boil. (notice the q-tip full of metal shavings)...plus the top hole looked like it was made with a steak knife.
Also... I noticed (after removing a really crappy ill fitting O-ring on the roof of the chimney?)... the whole chimney assembly aligned really well with the top cap. This may seem odd to some of you, but if you refill from the top like I do, having the chimney not fully seating into the top cap seal can be frustrating, confusing and have you questioning certain parts of your life. OK it's not that bad but still...
The
coup de grâce
Now Ive heard of people complaining of their KF type devices whistling. I have never really experienced this myself unless it was REALLY quiet and I was REALLY paying attention, but I can't rule out the possibility of people born with dog hearing.
All kidding aside, (and back to the decision to use that teeny tiny air vent hole) This thing whistles like a tea pot about to explode. What the heck were they thinking after their first test vape? There is just no way around it. i took the AFC screw out ...no vacuum... I don't see any way to widen the hole either, it is just a tad larger than 26 gauge kanthal. The whistle is not only noticeable but it is straight annoying when you chain vape. My cocker spaniel acts like I'm trying to kill her... (if "kill her" means to tilt her head to one side look at me disdainfully and quickly exit the room).
It's unfortunate because overall, the Chicoms have really got this cloning thing down. The over all quality is nice. Very few defects on the finish. Some of the threads arn't the greatest and the center pin is almost a cop-out, but that crazy whistling is not going to sit well with me. This thing will most likely end up (regrettably) in the visitors section of the vape collection.
And when uncle Phil comments on the sound his PV is making, i will innocently respond... "what sound".
Thanks for humoring me, I actually love these devices. They are smart and wickedly easy to rebuild. But this version in my opinion is intolerable due to the loud and high pitched noise it emits. I would avoid these versions until they get the air vent size corrected.
Don.