The SEARCH for the PERFECT E-CIG

[uzzaperez]

The SEARCH for the PERFECT E-CIG
Tags: KR808D-1, DSE-901, RN4075, DSE-801, RN4072, RN4081, 510, Vapor King, Ace

This post is about my experience in searching for the right e-cig. I’ve tried a lot (not all), spent a lot of $$$ to do it, and reached my conclusion which I will share here. I hope this post will be of help to others either starting out, or just trying to make a choice and be done with the costly and seemingly endless process of trying them all. I also recommend you search out another post: The Search for the Perfect e-liquid. I haven’t actually written up the e-liquid post yet, but I’ll have it ready to go by the end of next week.

I also hope other people will post their experiences and conclusions too. Everyone wants to know what works best for you and why! If you don’t post it in this thread please post a link to your thread here so I can read it.

In scouring these forums I’ve sometimes gotten tired of endless recommendations without any shared frame of experience around them to shed light on how and why the recommendation was reached. As everyone seems to know – the “right” e-cig(s) could be different for you depending on your priorities. So, hopefully this post is helpful instead of long and boring. If you find it boring you can always just skip down to my recommendation.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Most e-cigs are branded versions of the numbered models described below, though some are truly unique creations of there own. Don’t fall for branding – know your models, know what you are getting – then you can evaluate different suppliers.

FIRST E-CIG(s): Smoking Everywhere and Gamucci “disposable”.

I saw an ad on-line for some e-cig or other and decided I had to try it. I didn’t want to spend a lot of money to try it, so I found a disposable somewhere branded “Gamucci” for about $20. I ordered it. Then I couldn’t wait so I ended up going down to the mall and spending a mint anyway on the Smoking Everywhere.

The Smoking Everywhere was a let down, from the purchase experience to the finicky performance to the short lived atty. (Side note: can you believe these people try to sell you multiple batteries and no extra attys? Are they trying to make you give up? That is like selling a car with five gas tanks and no tires). Luckily, I got educated on this forum and didn’t just give the whole thing up. The SE is really just a branded, over-priced RN4081. And it is actually not so bad for portable direct dripping, but really, you can do much much better, and if it is your first e-cig you probably don’t know what direct dripping is yet so the whole experience pretty much sucks.

Then my Gamucci came in the mail. It blew away the SE because it worked instantly and satisfied until the battery died after about a day of use. The Gamucci they sold online that wasn’t “disposable” appeared to be just another branded RN4081, so I began looking for something like the Gamucci disposable model that wasn’t so…disposable. That’s when I found this forum and the KR808D-1, which I ordered from Vapor4Life.

SECOND E-CIG(s): KR808D-1 and E9

I got my KR and loved it. I actually feel pretty lucky that I landed on the KR second instead of having to work through some other models first. The KR provided a solid benchmark by which to judge the rest of my trials. By this time I was on the forums, enjoying DonDaBoomVape’s “Wonderful World of Vaping” – perhaps the best single post in the forum, located here: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/new-members-forum/36180-wonderful-world-vaping-illustrated-guide-e-cigs-parts-1-through-6-a.html

So I saw Leaford’s five favorites video in the Wonderful World post and ordered both KR808D-1 and GreenTech E9 cartomizers, since these ranked at #3 and #1 respectively in his favorites list. (Side note: Looks like Vapor King no longer sells the GreenTech E9’s L!). Leaford ranked the E9 at #1 because he places quantity of vapor at a higher priority than all else. I myself found that I preferred a proper KR set up, but pre-filled KR’s do not all perform as consistently as the E9 – particularly not on a 3.7 volt battery – so I understand his recommendation. More on what makes a proper KR set up later, for now, I found that the KR had some weaknesses that caused me to continue my search.

Even though later you will find that the KR808D-1 is my ultimate recommendation, here are the experiences that caused me to move away from it in the first place. These problems can all be corrected with proper understanding and use, but there is a learning curve to it. First, the disposable cartomizers seemed expensive (if you actually believe they are just disposables as advertised) because even though they last longer than most other pre-filled carts it is not readily obvious how to refill them so you can go through them pretty quick. You are essentially throwing out an atomizer or two every day – which costs about the same as analogs probably.

Second, they seemed to get hot and force an unwanted pause in the vaping experience in order to let them cool down. Third, when they get hot, and if they are low on juice, due to the design of the carto you can actually burn some of the filler material, getting a burnt taste. Then, if you pull out the inside of the carto to look at what burned you find you were smoking filler! Yuck! And scary since the point was to get away from inhaling burnt $heeet!

Third, upon discovering that you can refill them by dripping into the battery end, you quickly waste a lot of juice trying to refill burnt carts, overfilling because you can’t see what you are doing, and finding out that refilled carts just seem to suck and don’t perform like new carts do. To restate what I said earlier: this is all USER ERROR and can be corrected EASILY. But, moving on…

I still thought the KR carts were the way to go for some key reasons. 1) Size: they are small and very portable and pocketable, 2) They never leak, a huge feature in increasing the portability and convenience factor, and 3) New carts consistently perform great without a lot of maintenance work.

But still I wanted to direct drip to save money. So, I found you could cut a GreenTech E9 in half (they are made of soft metal unlike the sturdy KR carts) and direct drip on the truly unique fiberglass-hair wick in that atty model. This worked great at first, but later proved to be quite harsh depending on the luck of the draw – some carts were better than others. Even though I have since moved on from this, I do recommend that any KR user try dripping a dismembered E9. IMPORTANT NOTE: the GreenTech E9 does not work on the KR manual battery – only on the auto batteries! This is due to the auto battery allowing air flow through the E9 while the manual battery does not. But, dripping the modified E9 seems to never leak, so your auto battery is still safe.

THIRD E-CIG(s): 901 (and RN4075)

Still trying to direct drip my KR, and finding that the E9 did not work on the manual battery, I did some research on the forum and found that a 901 atty fits the KR batteries I already had. So, I went to a 901.

IMPORTANT NOTE: the 901 atty has interesting air flow characteristics. First, to get proper air flow with a KR battery you have to remove the air flow restricting whistle tip from the 901. Then to protect your lips from the heat of being right on the barrel, you have to cut the closed end off of a cartomizer “condom” and slip the condom over the atty – this leaves it open for dripping and makes a nice place for your lips.

Another IMPORTANT NOTE: You have to suck the hell out of 901 atty on a KR auto battery or pass-thru to activate the battery – it is not pleasant, it doesn’t work well. However, the 901 works great on a KR manual battery, without the whistle tip (as described above) it is as good as on a 901 battery. Plus the 901 is prone to leaking, so using it on an auto battery is an all around bad idea.

So, anyway, my first puff from a 901 on an auto battery was awesome. Like a dream! I was sure this was the solution I was looking for. But…not so fast. After going through a few 901s I had learned that their vapor production dies down relatively quickly, and they are seriously prone to leaking. Considering those two BIG problems, the 901 just wasn’t working. I will note though, that even though I don’t like the 901 I still keep a couple around because they are great for sampling different juices – they only take a few drops to get started and they are easy to blow out from both ends to clean an old flavor out and try a new one.

Another note: the RN4075 is like a 901 with a low “bridge”. I prefer it to the 901 actually, but it is basically the same thing.

FOURTH E-CIG: HIGH VOLTAGE MOD with an 801 (and RN4072)

So, I was still searching, I still wanted to supplement my cartomizer use by direct dripping. Research showed that high voltage mods were the way to go, everyone loves them. So, next I went to Leaford’s #2, the Prodigy at 5 volts from Puresmoker, and I decided on an 801 atty because I figured bigger must be better and I wanted clouds of tasty vapor. While bigger may not necessarily be better, I have found that I prefer the 801 over the 901 at high voltage primarily for the reasons I described above as to why I abandoned the 901 – it leaks like a 90 year old man, and the 801 vapor production seems better too, and with medium throat hit, so in this case – bigger is better.

Side note: the RN4072 is like a 801 with a low “bridge”. I prefer it to the 801 actually, but it is basically the same thing, as with the 901 and RN4075.

Let me tell you, 5 volts is the way to go. Trying a few different Prodigy switches and researching the forums, I have found that I agree with most in saying that 6 volts is too much for the juice and 3.7 is, well, it is just usually less productive than 5 volts (which is why so many people love pass-thrus). Also, there are plenty of other high voltage mods and hybrids out there besides the Prodigy. For me, because Puresmoker has other products I like such as the CaSH juice and they also carry KR stuff (the “Ace”), I stick with the Prodigy. Other high voltage considerations include the location and type of switch, the feel in your hand, the look (cool factor, i.e. the Chuck), etc, but 5 volts is 5 volts – the rest of the formula is just which atty you want to use.

So, the Prodigy 801 was an instant hit with me. Now I had my direct dripping solution to supplement my KR carto usage. Since I now thought I was satisfied and had found the perfect combination for me (KR808D-1 for portability and Prodigy 801 for regular and heavy use), this gave me some time to play around with a few things. Namely, I hadn’t tried highly recommended 510, and I just knew there had to be a better way to extend the life and value of my troubled KR cartomizers (which at this point I only used for convenience at times when the Prodigy was just too bulky or I wanted the smaller feel and hands free convenience of the KR).

A final note on using the Prodigy – if you are a KR fan like me, you can get adaptors from Health Cabin – I have an 801 to Cartomizer adaptor I use to vape KR carts on my Prodigy. Nice.

FIFTH E-CIG: 510

So, I tried the 510. I had to in order to make sure I’d found the right thing, as I thought I had, but the 510 is the choice of so many people that I wasn’t settled. Now, I have to say I can see why people like it. In my opinion it is the best alternative for people who want to go with a single model set up but don’t like the KR808D-1 cartomizers.

The 510 easily beats my initial evaluation of the KR above (the KR is re-evaluated below though), and doesn’t suffer from the user errors the KR can be prone to as described above. But once you are properly educated in the use of the KR, then I don’t think the 510 holds a candle to the KR anymore – as described in my final recommendation and *now more experienced* evaluation of the KR808D-1 below.

Now, the 510, it runs hot and produces good vapor with good throat hit. The atty doesn’t touch the filler as in the KR so there is never any filler burn. It is smaller than the 801, but performs as well. It outperforms the RN4081 pretty handily, and it doesn’t have the little whole on the side which would so often leak annoyingly on the 901. It has a TON of user support in the forums, lots of people like it.

The downside? It still leaks the same as most attys – out the bottom after a while of direct dripping. And it doesn’t bring out the flavor of the e-juice – this model ranks poorly on the flavor production scale. It is a solid direct dripper model and honestly, I’ll never touch an 801 again because of the 510. So the 510 is great right…well, except that I will probably never touch a 510 again because I have learned how to get the most out of the KR808D-1…

CONCLUSION: KR808D-1 REVISITED

So, by this time, I’ve tried a lot of different models and been learning tips from others in the forum. I’ve discovered that for me, the KR808D-1 is the best atomizer for all purposes. For starters it has excellent vapor production AND excellent flavor production AND relatively good throat hit, and it does not leak with proper use (others leak, even with proper use). And the standard battery it is a convenient and portable size (and even new short mini batteries are available). On a pass-thru or high voltage mod it experiences a serious performance boost – making the KR at higher power the zen option in my opinion.

I’ve found that the problems I had before with the KR are all easily remedied just by being aware of what is causing the problem. Here are the problems with their solutions:

EXPENSIVE??? – No.
They are expensive if you treat them as disposable. You treat them as disposable because they are advertised as disposable, they burn filler when dry, they don’t perform well if you refill by the wrong method, and at first they seem to be a pain to refill. Once you learn that these things are not true (explained below) you will find that you have discovered the cheapest atomizer on the circuit. Depending on where you buy you can get five KR cartos for the price of one 510 (or 801, or 901, or any of the RNs). Even cheaper if you buy blank cartomizers in bulk, though I usually get a mixed pack of pre-filled cartos for a cheap way to try new flavors.

CAN’T DIRECT DRIP??? – Yes, you can.
It is a misconception that you can’t direct drip the KR. The KR is the best direct dripper out there in my opinion. People think you can’t direct drip because there is no bridge, no mesh, etc. The KR has the atty coil (the part that vaporizes the juice) wrapped up in the filler. It eliminates the mesh bridge over the coil design found in most attys. When you drip on most attys you are simply keeping the mesh around the atty wet. When you drip on a KR you are simply keeping the filler wet. You should NOT try to direct drip down the hole in the middle of the filler directly onto the coil, you aren’t trying to drip right onto the coil in any other model, don’t do it here (try it once if you want to know why, it just doesn’t do the job). You direct drip the same way you should refill – right onto the filler to keep it full and wet. A wet carto on a pass-thru = truly great vaping.

A PAIN TO REFILL??? – Not really.
There are two methods to refill. The first is to drip through the battery end. Try it sometime. The problem with this is that you are refilling blind. You often end up over filling, which reduces the performance of the cartomizer and leads to frustration or the belief that a good refilled cartomizer is “hit or miss” and you just have to get lucky. So, yes, it is a pain to refill this way – though most people try it because it sounds easier than the other method.

The second way, the right way, is to pop the plastic tip off and pull the little rubber ring out and drip onto the filler to fill it up. The reason people avoid this is because they think the plastic tip is a pain to get off. It is…unless you have the right tool, which is something most people do have. A screw. A drywall screw is perfect, any normal size screw will usually do. Just screw it into the air hole of the plastic tip and pull. The even pressure of pulling from the center pops the top right off easy. Every once in a while you’ll get one that is on too tight and you end up mangling the plastic tip…just use these “tip-less” carts for your direct drippers or use the tip off of a throw away to replace the mangled tip. Another convenience of the screw is that the head of the screw is just the right size to push the rubber ring back down over the filler. The rubber ring is non-essential, it servers to prevent leakage, so it is not necessary to vaping if you aren’t carrying the thing upside down in your pocket.

Now, a quick tip on filling: don’t overfill. Once you see the liquid at the top of the filler (usually 16-18 drops on an empty cart, 12-15 on a refill cart), stop. No need to try and squeeze one more drop in. If you flood this atty it reduces performance until you vape or blot it to an un-flooded condition. If you do overfill just roll up a tissue and press it against the filler, turn the atty upside down for one second to soak up any excess juice, and then you are good to go.

Another tip: After extended use you may find you have “dirty old juice” in the atty – you see that with any atty. While you can wash it with hot water like other attys, you should know you can also drain out the dirty juice like other attys – roll up a paper towel or tissue, press it against the filler, turn it upside down and let it drain into the tissue for a half hour or so. I personally never wash an atty, it is too much of a pain, draining the dirty juice is sufficient for me. I just break out a new cart if I want to fill with an incompatible flavor.

BURNS FILLER??? – Not if you keep it wet.
It burns the filler when you vape it DRY and there is no juice to vaporize. Don’t vape it dry. Don’t even vape it mostly dry, unless you want to bleed it dry and toss it, which is a little like making grilled goose when you could have golden eggs. Grilled goose is good, golden eggs seem to be a better long term plan. Remember, now that you are a refiller and know you are just going to put more juice in the atty, you don’t have to be concerned about sucking that last penny of juice out of the carto before throwing it away.

As soon as you detect a flavor change, reduced vapor, or feel like the carto must be going on empty, just set it in the refill pile and bust out one of your ready refills or a new carto. There is no magic sign when the cart is going low – you just get a better feeling for it once you’ve vaped KR cartos for awhile, be prepared to waste a few cartos during the learning curve. Just keep in mind that it doesn’t matter if there are still five drops in there when you decide to refill. It does matter if there is only one drop left and you are still vaping away on it! The trick to not burning the carto, smoking filler, or ruining the carto is simple – keep it wet! Switch to another carto when you sense it going dry. If you are direct dripping at high voltage this is not a problem because you left the plastic cap off and are refilling every 5 or 6 drops of vape.

RUNS TOO HOT??? – C’mon, do you really only have one battery?
Contrary to what might seem obvious, this is more of a problem at 3.7 volts than 5 volts because people vape longer and more repeatedly at lower voltage to get the same amount of vapor. When using standard 3.7 volt batteries, I usually carry four loaded batteries with carts on them in a little wallet size pocket knife sheath. Heck, sometimes I even shotgun (vape two at a time) for a quickie. Anyway, when you feel a cart getting hot switch to your other battery (easier than swapping carts off the same battery). This also helps prevent the filler burning problem. Getting a carto hot is the only real trouble with the KRs, but it is only trouble if you only have one cart to vape.

Have I found the perfect e-gig? No. But in a relative world, with the KRs problems all having reasonable solutions, I’ve settled on the KR808D-1 for superior vape. I have standard batteries for portable convenience, and my pass-thru for higher powered direct dripping, and a high voltage mod (Prodigy in my case) for a high voltage portable power source. So, for me, the choice is KR808D-1…for now. And now should be awhile because I’ve spent enough $$$ trying different things…I need to settle down for awhile.

I still want to try the Juicebox with its custom long-life atty, but I like swapping out flavors too much to go there just yet. All that remains is to find the perfect juice (then I’ll try the Juicebox)…for my experimenting in search of the perfect e-liquid search The SEARCH for the PERFECT E-LIQUID, which I will type up and post by the end of next week.

What do you use? If you’ve settled on your e-cig share your story!

 

[tarkus]

If you like the kr8 you may want to try greencig cartomizers (Do not confuse with green smoke). They work with the kr8 auto batteries. They last longer, have better vapor output and do not burn the filler. They are more expensive, however, I have 2 that I have refilled over 35 times and as long as I clean them once a week they perform like new so in the log run are much cheaper. I have yet to have 1 fail.

The only 2 quality vendors I know of that stock these are nhaler.com and lecig.com. Lecig has the better pricing.

 

[Allan]

Wow. I must say, I wish I had seen this before I started, but then you hadn't posted it then! There are a lot of areas where you speak in a language I have yet to learn, but I was able to make it through many of the buzz words and realize there is much to be learned. I was hoping to not have to invest so much money to gain the knowledge and experience, but....................!

I do want to express my appreciation and let you know that at least one person read all of it. Thanks, Allan

 

[keyzygirl]

I totally agree,same journey,same outcome!!Great post!!

 

[pianoguy]

Very nice write-up!! I started with the KR8 from V4L and have been very pleased with the the portability and no-fuss aspects of it, and I've been satisfied with the performance as well. I've also been happy with the battery life - I typically use the XL batteries with the 13-second cutoff, and regularly get 8+ hours of normal use out of them. I refill the cartos, too, and you're right on the money about not vaping them dry - I am still guilty of that from time to time. I haven't tried your direct-drip method on my KR8 - I will have to give that a shot.

I also have some 901 attys that I use for direct-dripping. I went with that model because they work fine with the KR8 batteries and PT. I originally tried filling the cartridges, but found them to be tiny, and the first and last puffs tasted like burnt foam. So I abandoned that and now just direct-drip with it. I also found them to be leaky - it is crucial to make sure that the vent hole is pointed upward, or you may have juice running all over. When dripping, I found the vape on the 901 to be a bit smoother than the KR8 - good vapor, a little "cleaner" taste, but not as much throat hit. For some flavors, I prefer the 901, and for others, the KR8. I have found that strong flavors, such as Tasty Vapor's Atomic Fireball, are almost impossible to remove from the atty, so it's best to dedicate an atty in those cases. Due to the leaky nature of the 901, it stays at home.

As far as mods go, so far I have only bought a Bartleby. I got it primarily to have an alternative non-proprietary battery option. It's a slick little gizmo, and the fact that it can double as a PT is nice. The on-off switch is also a great feature. I do enjoy using a 5V PT, so if I get another mod, it'll be a 5V. I have been looking at the Super-Six, but it only has a 6V option, and I don't know if I'd be interested in anything over 5. But it looks bullet-proof. Form factor is important to me - I don't want to lug around anything that's the size of a flashlight. That's one of the things I have really appreciated about the KR8 - I just pop it in my Leaford Lanyard and go.

 

[thewomenfolk]

-----

That was an interesting and well-written original post! I'd really like to see some of the other reviewers who've tried all the Mods give their opinion. I went from the Njoy (saved my life when I was introduced to e-cigs in my neighborhood Smoker Friendly store) to the 901 to the Joye 510 to the Janty Stick to the 905 to the 401 to the Bartleby to the Little Chuck and am awaiting a Super-T Six and a Super T2.

All the Mods are good, they require cheap/powerful batteries, produce great vapor, which is the most important thing to me. My experience with Njoy and the 401 say stay away from automatic models (w/o a button) because they're so inconsistent with vapor.

The Janty Stick is an 801 (nice big cart) so the atty collects juice pretty fast, but blowing it out now and then isn't a real problem, just wish we didn't have these juice-leaking issues. The vapor is great! The JS's size and shape is just perfect! I really like the holster it comes with! I've got the new model (V3) on order, made with a rubberized shell.

The Little Chuck is great. It gives consistent vapor and the batteries last a long time. Personalizing it is an added benefit, nobody's got one just like mine. Getting another one with my dog on it one day.

The 905 doesn't give vapor and is not working at all now (6 weeks later). Don't know what the problem is but don't bother with it would be my recommendation.

The 901 is just a nice little unit, gives good vapor but has expensive batteries.

The Joye 510 I'll always carry as a back-up. It's tiny and gives good taste and vapor. A very nice e-cig. Mine's copper, the best color in this model. Again, batteries are too expensive. But they seem to recharge time after time very well and I've not lost an atty in 4 months yet.

The Bartleby is an inexpensive hyper-vapor machine! That never fails! I love this thing. Sometimes the little rugged things are just more fun!

I'm considering a Juice Box Mod but don't like the mouthpiece sticking out the end the way it does. But evidently the atty is very long lasting and there's no messing with juice, just put the bottle inside and push a button on the outside. Tempting, very tempting.

Thanks for that original post. I hope it stimulates lots of good opinions.

-----

 

[Drozd]

As far as mods go, so far I have only bought a Bartleby. I got it primarily to have an alternative non-proprietary battery option. It's a slick little gizmo, and the fact that it can double as a PT is nice. The on-off switch is also a great feature. I do enjoy using a 5V PT, so if I get another mod, it'll be a 5V. I have been looking at the Super-Six, but it only has a 6V option, and I don't know if I'd be interested in anything over 5. But it looks bullet-proof. Form factor is important to me - I don't want to lug around anything that's the size of a flashlight. That's one of the things I have really appreciated about the KR8 - I just pop it in my Leaford Lanyard and go.

Pianoguy, as far as the super-Six goes... now with the newish HV attys you can essentually drop the voltage back down to 5V if you're using an atty...unfortunately this isn't an option with a cartomizer yet..

 

[Chefdeuce]

Drozd, great photo! Praise Thor (have you read order of the stick?)

Thank you for this post, I find it most use full. I too have gone through a few and will post in similar fashion, probally here to rember the ones I left behind and to praise those I have kept.

 

[Kent C]

Cartomizers are good for in the car.... and then, only when you get a flavor that actually produces vapor and lasts longer than 1/2 hour and doesn't have the horrible underflavor that many cartos (non-V4L including greencig) have. About the best I can say is that if you are willing to go through the refilling procedure then get blank cartos and fill them with juice you like. And put it on a 510 mod with an adapter - best of both worlds that way. Get the 510 kit first, then either megas or a mod and then the cartos adapter and try a few out, but the blanks are more versatile and less expensive because you can either make or use your own juice - no off flavors and they last a few good hours.

 

[Meltmanbob]

This is my first post, first I wanted to say thanks the the OP uzzaperez for the great write up. I haven't had much time on here to research and so far this was the best thing I've come across. Very informative in a way that relates each product and experience to the next which is good for me since I'm still trying to figure out what will be my first purchase which brings me to the reason for posting.

I'm hoping I can get some good opinions here, I apologize for now having had the time to read through this forum very much but I am ready to make the switch to an ecig and was hoping some of you guys would cut me some newb slack.

I don't have a lot of money, maybe $50 max to spend and it's either going into an ecig or analogs until I start getting a regular paycheck.

I'll explain a little about myself, feel free to skip this part if you're just interested in pointing me towards a solid first buy. Anyway I just moved from California to Biloxi MS to my dads. I'm 24 and I'm having to start all over after losing my job at the cable company. I've been here about 2 weeks and finally got a job, working at Taco Bell. Not great considering I used to make enough money to be totally independent and have been since I left my dads at 18. It's really a good thing in disguise but for now it's a bit rough. Both my parents are nurses so I never hear the end of it about smoking. My dads mom smokes like a chimney and so does her husband so I'm hoping to eventually get this ecig thing figured out well enough to try and convert them because their health SUCKS from all the smoking... her husband smokes 4 packs a day and almost died from a huge blood clot recently due to all the nicotine over the years. My 22 year old brother is also a light smoker which my dad likes to think was my doing.

At any rate I've wanted to switch for a few months ever since my brothers friend showed me his ecig. The reason it's important I make a decent first purchase is I only have enough money to either get an ecig or buy analogs until I start getting a regular paycheck. I have cut back from 30-35 to 7-10 each day. My cigarette of choice is a Marlboro Smooth, that just happened to be the cigarette that I could smoke day after day. I can't stand regular anything anymore except the one in a blue moon although I started on Marlboro 27's. I can stand Kools for a few packs, Camel Menthol's I get sick of by the end of the first pack, Crush's I can smoke regularly just not my favorite. I'm hoping that eventually I can quit the nicotine also and maybe just keep the vaping habit minus the harmful chemicals. There are a lot of tasty sounding flavors and there is a MT.Dew flavor... I drink about a 2 litre of that a day, well used to anyway!

I've read the 510 is good, Ego is better, the OP said the KR808D was his 1st choice with proper use etc.

I'm not looking to get it 100% the first try, just something I can live with and was a good investment. I've seen the posts about the juicebox and I know that eventually I will get into making my own mods and contraptions which means in the end my device of choice will likely end up being something totally custom built.

I've found starter kits for the 510 with 2 ecigs on google shopping for as little as $30 and I've seen enough threads about where to buy juice.

So do you guys think the 510 is a good place to start? I want the Honda or Toyota of an ecig, not a BMW, Mercedes etc and not a Geo Prism either. Hopefully that makes sense.

Thanks for any help, I'm hoping to have some answers by tomorrow so I can order tomorrow and get it before I run out of analogs.

 

[Cielo]

I really have to agree with the kr8 being top choice. However, i will recommend rinsing out the cartomizers with water after being refilled 3 times or so and let them dry overnight. It really makes a huge difference in the flavor. By doing this, I am still using my 5 original cartomizers that I got with my original kit in Nov 09 and they have no burnt taste. You must let they dry all the way or they lose a lot vapor until the water is all dried out (figured this out the hard way).

As far as the "pain in the ...." white caps. Drew at Nhaler had some blank kr8 cartz that have a one piece white rubber cap. These are very easy to pop on and off, no tools needed. I didnt like the cartz themselves as there was very little flavor but was worth it just for those rubber caps.

Well written review and im sure it will help a lot of people. Look forward to hearing a review on juice.

 

[Kent C]

I don't have a lot of money, maybe $50 max to spend and it's either going into an ecig or analogs until I start getting a regular paycheck.

...
I've found starter kits for the 510 with 2 ecigs on google shopping for as little as $30 and I've seen enough threads about where to buy juice.

Thanks for any help, I'm hoping to have some answers by tomorrow so I can order tomorrow and get it before I run out of analogs.

Welcome to the forum. There's a good chance you can help out your family. I have.

Check this out for $35... (the $30 kits have not been Joye but knockoffs with battery problems ).
Joye 510 NO BOX

Get some Juice:

Cignot your Midwest Electronic Cigarette store.

If you order over $59 you get free shipping. That will be a good start. Imo, it's the BMW at Geo pricing. The 510 atomizer is stable and gets good vapor and flavor on the stronger flavors - tobacco, coffee, etc. You could spend a fortune finding the right cartomizers, they are so variable in flavor, vapor and longevity. After you get started and start making some money (and saving some from not smoking) you can get an adapter that will allow you to use cartomizers on the 510. The you can experiment with them but to get off cigs start wtih the 510 - it's the best 3 piece ecig, imo and it's also the least expensive full starter kit - some kits only have one atomizer.

 

[leaford]

Drozd, great photo! Praise Thor (have you read order of the stick?)

But, shouldn't a Thor Fish have six legs?

 

[Perfectionist]

Superb write up OP !!

Are there any developments coming down the pipeline to improve the KR8 cartomizers ??

 

[uzzaperez]

This is my first post, first I wanted to say thanks the the OP uzzaperez for the great write up. I haven't had much time on here to research and so far this was the best thing I've come across. Very informative in a way that relates each product and experience to the next which is good for me since I'm still trying to figure out what will be my first purchase which brings me to the reason for posting.

I don't have a lot of money, maybe $50 max to spend and it's either going into an ecig or analogs until I start getting a regular paycheck.

I've read the 510 is good, Ego is better, the OP said the KR808D was his 1st choice with proper use etc.

The first investment is tough, 510 or KR? Obviously I think the KR is the way to go. KR easily has the cheapest attys out there once you learn to use them properly, but you have to expect to go through $10 or $20 worth of attys to get the feel for how to preserve them and not burn them...maybe less if you can learn to understand the KR use tips while working through your first five.

Anyway, whether you get a 510 or a KR (these should be the only two you spend too much time researching for your first purchase imo) you need to make sure your first order includes at least two batteries (recommend 4) with at least one auto and one manual. You also need at least two attys for a 510 (recommend three), or 10 attys for the KR (same price as two 510 attys). You need a quality juice...at least 10ml each of 16mg and 24mg (for first juice I'd recommend CaSHTab from Puresmoker or Nobacco 555 from Vapor4Life - on the first juice you should go with a good tobacco flavor, move into the sweets later) (and regarding the nic mg, start w/ 16mg because that is good if it keeps you, 24mg is very satisfying, and you can reduce mg later after you have transitioned). And you must get a pass-thru so you can find out what vaping is like with a better power source than the standard batteries (also, if you are normally around a power source like a USB port this will save you money on batteries).

If you don't get enough stuff and/or the right stuff you will find yourself having to go back to analogs before you get your next order placed. The above recommendations might not turn out to be your preference, but they are a very safe set of recommendations to get you transitioned and enjoy it.

 

[uzzaperez]

Interesting post:http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/vapor4life/60949-v4l-vs-joye-510-a.html

 

[Kent C]

Interesting post:http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/vapor4life/60949-v4l-vs-joye-510-a.html

She's right - the 510 consistently gets better vapor. Some cartomizers are just a puff. Some do better but the whole thing about 'no mess, no refilling' is just a ruse - a bait and switch - because the first time someone asks if the cartos can be refilled - then the 'no mess, no fuss' facade comes off and then the ritual refilling of cartomizers comes out in full - popping the top (better have tool), removing the inner rubber, filliing on an angle only, spinning, letting it sit overnight. Lol. And if everyone refilled, they wouldn't sell many cartomizers and they are expensive - almost as much as cigarettes if you don't refill and don't want the 'mess and fuss'. They should really drop that line - makes them look dishonest when it isn't what they really recommend when someone asks if they can be refilled or use their own juice.

Plus the insinuation that people can't refill a 510, 901, 801, 401, 4081 cart is frankly insulting to most people, esp. when it's followed by what one has to do to refill a cartomizer. Neither is hard at all, but between filling a cart and refilling a cartomizer... uhh.... refilling a carto is a bit more 'fuss'. Sorry. That's the truth.

And the comment that if she 'would have probably given up on vaping had she started with a 510', shows more about her than the 510. There are so many posts of people quitting the day they got their 510 after having other ecigs here, that it would take up the rest of the thread to list the links to people who said exactly that.

This is what people prefer - many after having tried many devices:
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...reviews/13928-primary-device-preferences.html

and then add what atty is used in the 'mod' category:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/general-e-smoking-discussion/52813-atty-your-mod.html

... and you'll get a better picture of how many didn't give up with the 510.

 

[5cardstud]

Great piece but I prefer the 510 with a kr808d-1 cartomizer (with an adapter). I have the best of both worlds. Now I just need to figure out battery life.

 

[Kent C]

Great piece but I prefer the 510 with a kr808d-1 cartomizer (with an adapter). I have the best of both worlds. Now I just need to figure out battery life.

I'll tell you, a cafe mocha frappuccino from V4L on a Bartleby with the 510 to carto adapter is a great long vape! ;-) The cartomizer runs out before the battery which is not true for the KR808-D1/280mAh that I have. Plus I'm not running into that 5 second cutoff on the KR8. (supposed to be 8 second - it's not).

That's one flavor that I find really good and the vapor and longevity has been consistently good. If I want to 'change flavors' and get a bit more vapor, I just pop on the 510 cartridge with DV's Habana Reserve or Absinthe They're loaded and have the carto rubber on the atty threads, ready to go. No mess, no fuss. lol.

 

[yano_jl]

Great piece but I prefer the 510 with a kr808d-1 cartomizer (with an adapter). I have the best of both worlds.

The "Best" of both worlds? I dunno.



I use this set up as well, and my findings differ somewhat:

• Although portable and convenient, the 510 battery's life is shorter that the 808 batts (among others). I think we all agree on this one, otherwise 3.7 mods might not be so popular.
• The draw on the 510 powered cartomizer can be a bit light and "airy". This can be addressed, to some degree, by a minor mod to cover up some of the air holes in the adapter.
• The vapor production using this set-up is, IMHO, the weakest part. I spew a hugh cloud using 510 batts and attys together. Using the cartomizer on the adapted 510 produces a feeble little cloud. I find myself puffing on the cart several times in sequence just to "beef-up" the vapor. For some, vapor production ranks pretty low on the list of priorities, especially for stealth vaporers (is that a word?). I just prefer a bigger hit that this configuration can offer.