The Trusted Choice???

[madgik]

Hello Guys,

I just joined The E Cig Forum today because I need to ask some of you more experienced vapors for some advice regarding buying an E Cig from a website I found called totalcigarettes.com. I have seen them in the paper and they have flyers around the place advertising their website. I am interested to buy an E cig after doing some research and speaking to friends but I am aware their are some bad companies out their. The reason why I ask is because since going to their website I'm not sure do buy of them as it seems a bit basic compared to the bigger companies even though they say they sell their products in pharmacies and a big supermarket. I am interested in the TC Pro electronic cigarette. Please can you advise me if I would be making a mistake to "Trust" this supplier.


Madgik Magda

 

[JC Okie]

I don't know about that company. I visited their website and the e-cig they're selling is a small, cigarette sized pv that is usually UNSATISFACTORY. I'd stay with a vendor that is endorsed by this forum. I know that Totally Wicked (www.totallywicked-liquid.com) and E-Liquid and Electronic Cigarette Shop - Category Listings are both in the UK. I'm sure there are others. Do more research. I couldn't translate the money to USD in my head, but I'm betting you can find better for cheaper. Go to the sticky threads above on this new members forum and watch the videos made by MistressNomad. She talks about two of the most popular starter pvs, the KR808D-1 and the Joye 510. Either of these is great, and can be had for about $35.00 USD. If a vendor is listed on this forum under the suppliers section, they're safe to use with a good reputation.

 

[Who-dat]

Bienvenido/Welcome!

I've only been at this about a month, but the array of options and vendors is daunting! A few things I've found:

1. The closest thing to a "standard" seems to be the 510 platform (This includes 510, Ego, Riva, etc). If you get a "510 compatible", you can use it on a wide range of stuff.
2. Once you get into this, and quit smoking, you will want a somewhat larger battery. 650mah or larger is good. And buy two batts.
3. Liberty Flights seems to have a good selection, and they're headquartered in the UK. A Riva kit would be a good way to go...

Riva Starter Kits Electronic Cigarette - Starter Kits - Riva 510
An Ego would also be nice Electronic Cigarette - Starter Kits - Joye eGo
If you really want a mini, these 510 kits might work Electronic Cigarette - Starter Kits - Joye 510

Probably best to start with an Ego or Riva, as the larger batts will come in handy. Again, these are "510-compatible". If you want the mini form factor, you can find often a mini 510 battery & charger for 5 Euros, if you look around.

Buy some Cartomizers, to start with. These are really easy to fill (take off the "condom" cap, add 20 or so drops, and slowly slide it back on). Here are some, from the same vendor... get the 510...
http://www.liberty-flights.co.uk/product.asp?id=108

Buy some juice... you may want to experiment with both PG and VG, as some have problems with one or the other. Buying a few 5ml bottles is a nice way to do that. Though I would probably pick out at least one 30ml bottle, so you're sure you have a stockpile and don't run out.

The nice thing is that all will use the same atomizers, so you can swap them across the platforms. And the Ego and Riva are pretty much entirely compatible, with only some very minor differences. Buy one of those kits, along with some cartomizers & juice, and you're on your way. You will probably experiment with other stuff later (eg. mods, tanks, etc.), but those kits will still come in handy and parts will likely be usable.

A few problems with the site you linked to:
1. I don't know what platform it is, but it looks to be something other than 510. You might have difficulty finding replacement cartridges, at a good price.
2. Those small batteries can wear out quickly, especially as you get into this. If you go with an Ego or Riva, you've got something only a bit larger that lasts 3-7x longer.
3. Buy a system that will more easily allow you to drip juices into it. You'll save a lot of money and have fun experimenting. As you get into a Riva or Ego, you can do that.


Welcome!

 

[wv2win]

I would second Who-dat's advice of buying an eGo or Riva 510 kit from Liberty Flights which has shops in both the UK and US. They have an excellent reputation. And the eGo or Riva 510 is a much better product that what you initially found.

 

[Chasbo]

I agree. Also check out the forum suppliers on this site.

 

[unsure]

Hola

E Cigarette Suppliers Forum

 

[madgik]

Thanks guys for advice! But from what I can tell the TC Pro is a 510 e cigarette but with different branding. Why would this 510 be any different to the ones liberty flights. If anything its a better deal from totalcigarettes because you get the flexibility of a second charger and 16 cartridges as opposed to 5. But I will admit liberty flights website is a lot more attractive.
Would there be any differences between these suppliers and if so what??

Madgik!

 

[Valsacar]

One thing to note about our suppliers, if they are listed here as a Registered Supplier or Forum Supplier then you can trust that they are legit. Issues with any of them (and I mean major problems, not the occasional oops they sent the wrong stuff and quickly fixed) are rare.

 

[knobbysmoo]

One of the biggest differences is battery life. A normal 510 battery can last from 1/2 hour to 2 hours, a Riva or eGo can last 8 hours. This is huge as far as convenience. With 2 batteries you can keep one charged at all times while vaping on the other. You refill your cartridges so you don't really need to have a zillion sitting around and that goes with the chargers too.

 

[unsure]

I have never used liberty flights but heard nothing but good things about them. I have been vaping for well over a year and would only use a mod but as a newbie I did start my journey with a 510 type PV. The options mentioned in previous post are all good choices. Good luck on your new life of smoke free vaping and keep an open mind to possiblility of mods when a uprade is considered.

 

[Sainted_S]

Thanks guys for advice! But from what I can tell the TC Pro is a 510 e cigarette but with different branding. Why would this 510 be any different to the ones liberty flights. If anything its a better deal from totalcigarettes because you get the flexibility of a second charger and 16 cartridges as opposed to 5. But I will admit liberty flights website is a lot more attractive.
Would there be any differences between these suppliers and if so what??

Madgik!

Their product is not a rebranded 510, the connections are not the same and it doesn't look like a quality product. For just a bit more you can buy a second charger if you feel you need to have a back up (which I do recommend) and have good, solid products. The main difference between the suppliers is that the suppliers on the forum are trusted and stand behind their products. There is also a community that they are part of where you can air complaints if you don't have resolution in your dealings with the company if something goes wrong. I highly recommend Liberty Flights because I have had problems with equipment that were promptly resolved with absolutely no resistance. If those are cartridges and not cartomizers you won't need more than 5, you can even use one cartridge continuously. Cartomizers are an atty and cartridge combined.
The recommendations you are receiving are not because we have personal stake in what supplier you use, it is because of the experiences many vapers have had when choosing a questionable supplier and high priced, inferior products.

 

[Valsacar]

I forgot to add, since you are looking for trusted sources. If, in the rare case, you were to have problems with one of the registered suppliers here we have staff that can try and help resolve issues. See our contacts page (Ecigarette Forum Contacts) for information.

To make my two posts short... if they are a supplier listed here, it's pretty safe to assume they are a reputable and trustworthy business. Otherwise they wouldn't have made it through our review process, or would have been removed if too many (valid) complaints were filed.

 

[Valsacar]

Thanks guys for advice! But from what I can tell the TC Pro is a 510 e cigarette but with different branding. Why would this 510 be any different to the ones liberty flights. If anything its a better deal from totalcigarettes because you get the flexibility of a second charger and 16 cartridges as opposed to 5. But I will admit liberty flights website is a lot more attractive.
Would there be any differences between these suppliers and if so what??

Madgik!

Should note, LF has discount coupons I believe 10% (for UK) is on their site (coupon link at the top of the page) and there's a special one for ECF (ECF69 I believe, 15% off). In the general section there's a thread titled Coupon Code Master List, and that's exactly what it is (some may not be current, just have to try and find out).

That one you found is definitely not a 510, and doesn't look very sturdy. The Joye510 (a more cigarette sized model) is a good model and as it uses the standard 510 threading is compatible with many parts (and easy to find replacements for). It also less expensive (29.90 vs 43.50) for the starter set. As already mentioned, carts are reusable so you really don't need many of them. When they say Wall charger 99% of the time they mean a charger that has a USB plug on it so you can plug the USB charger into it (in other words, still just 1 charger), but since they do not show a picture of it I cannot say with 100% certainty that is the case.

 

[dormouse]

No - if you don't know what model it is, whether it's a good model, where you can get parts elsewhere, whether you are paying a reasonable price, then no. All slim ecigs are made in China. They all have real model numbers. SOme models are good, some are not, some are well-supported with parts sold by multiple vendors, some are not.

These are the most supported and recommended threadings/model lines in the US
Joye 510
KR808D-1 (not D-2) (in colors, Vapor4Life)
and after that, with less market support, maybe DSE801, DS901

And manual batteries are most popular - harder to kill with a juice leak.

But I don't know what is the best and most supported models are in Europe. You need to get 3 more posts/replies in New Members for a total of 5 then wait and hour. Then you can ask in the Europe section of ECF
Europe Forum

 

[pixiedust]

The US price for the TC Pro would be $71.97. How important is it to you that your e-cig resembles a regular cigarette? If that is NOT a primary consideration please look at this: Liberty Riva 510 its cheaper and is about 1000% better- it comes with two 750 mah batteries which last the better part of a day. Trust me, after a month or so of vaping you will be looking for something with a longer battery life than the kit offered at TC Pro.

OR if you are sold on the looks of the TC Pro, get the joye 510 from LF, adding a car charger and 10 more cartos still makes it cheaper - in GBP it adds up to 38.28- rather than 43.95 at TC.

 

[dormouse]

This guy says the TC model is a DSE510 ( a 510 clone)
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/new-members-forum/172172-yeesss.html

If it is a 510 clone then it would be OK (short battery life though - standard 510's have 180mah batteries). However most people here use manual batteries because 510 manual batteries are sealed on the threaded end and safe from juice drips. With manuals it's safer to refill cartomizers and also to use the dripping method to drip on the atty. Manuals also can turn on by accident from wind or vibration.

 

[John O]

Hello Madgik!

I bought my first E cig 6 months ago from a company called Gamucci . I was really excited about my purchase and couldnt wait for it to arrive. When it finally came all I had was problems the atomizer stopped working on the second day so I wrote an email and the supplier agreed to send me a new one which was fine but I had to wait another week so ended up back on normal cigs In the end I never used it again and decided e cigs were rubbish. That was until a few weeks later I met a guy in a bar smoking an e cig so I told him my story and told him a felt sorry for him. He laughed in my face and reminded me of the benefits and what e cigs are all about and the fact that there is a lot of rubbish on the market. He told me he uses totalcigarettes.com and that he had his TC Pro (DSE510) for 6 months with no probs only to replace atomizer twice which wasnt a big deal because it came with a spare atomizer so he was forced to revert back to regular cigarettes while waiting for replacement to arrive. Also the carts and E juice worked out a lot cheaper than Gammucci. In the end I felt silly and unlucky for buying rubbish and thinking that was the same for all ecigs. Now I have my TC Pro for 3 months and loving every minute of it which as dormouse mentioned is a DSE510 and I havent for the first time in years had a cigarette since. Couldnt be happier. TC all the way!!

 

[wv2win]

A small regular 510 you will get 1 to 1 and half hours on a charge. With the Riva/eGo 510, you will get 4-6 hours on a charge. Plus the bigger the battery, the longer it stays at peak performance which provides better consistency.

 

[DjCaptainKiddo]

Arctic Vapor is rad, TTTELiquid.com is also great.

 

[base234]

I would second Who-dat's advice of buying an eGo or Riva 510 kit from Liberty Flights which has shops in both the UK and US. They have an excellent reputation. And the eGo or Riva 510 is a much better product that what you initially found.

Same here. I always have a couple of Riva 510s charged up and ready to go.