Three Weeks With The ProVari

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Tommy Aces

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Apologies in advance for the lengthy post.

I've been vaping for just under a year now, but for the first 7 months or so, I had been doing the Green Smoke thing (no hate for GS. After all, they kept me off ciggys.)

At the end of last year, I found ECF and decided to get set up refilling my own cartos and such to save some $$$. Well, I certainly haven't saved any money, but I did pick up a great new hobby. Since January, I moved from some Smokeless Image X2s to Spinners, to 4 VAMOs, to The Natural, to 2 SVDs I snagged.

When my tax refund came in, I clearly had no plans of putting it into a typical "rainy day fund". I was gonna put it into the "singlehandedly supporting vape vendors fund" :). I did my research on the ProVari and the limited DNA 20 mods available. And while I couldn't be sure of the long term quality and reliability of the DNA mods, the ProVari was a known quantity.

So I ordered myself a black ProVari Mini with extension cap and extended warranty. I settled on the Mini over the standard because I liked the versatility of battery configuration more. Aside from being able to use an 18350 or 18490/18500, I stumbled onto the fact that the ProV and Natural share the same threading and that The Natural's 18350 tube can also serve as an 18650 extension on the ProVari Mini. (FYI it threads onto the ProVari perfectly and only leaves a small gap).

When I first laid my hands on the Mini, I was struck by the sheer weight of it. I own several stainless steel China mods, but right off the bat, the difference in how solid they were, compared to the ProVari, became quite apparent. The threading on mine is every bit as buttery-smooth as I had heard. The device came without even the slightest blemish. The 510 connection and positive post are rock-solid sturdy (especially compared to the VAMO). Initially, I found the LED display to be quite bright, however, I don't even notice it now.

One factor that I think delayed my purchase of the ProVari was the single button menu system. However, I was pleasantly surprised with how easy it ended up being. I had it pretty well mastered in about 10-15 minutes.

The most pleasant surprise so far has been the incredible battery life I get with the ProVari vs the VAMO and SVD. I think that I can comfortably say that I am EASILY getting AT LEAST 20% greater battery life compared to the China PWM mods. If I had been getting 5 hours out of an 18350, with the ProVari I'm getting 7. As a matter of fact, I don't think I've used an 18650 in at least 2 weeks because I've been getting the better part of a day out of my 18490s.

The only disappointment (and I probably shouldn't even call it that because I was aware it would be an issue before my purchase) I have with my ProVari is the fact that I have to use a tank airflow adapter with my flush fitting carto tanks. It's probably the only thing I'd really like to see changed, maybe with just a couple small notches in the outer ring. I'll probably get myself set up with the Hippo/Twins when I can find them in stock somewhere.

Some people knock the ProVari for being outdated in design and features such as VW. Well, as someone that used VW exclusively for several months, at least for me, it's a non issue. Granted, I primarily use carto tanks running at either 2 or 3 ohms and pretty well know just what voltage I like to run them at.

Also, one of my favorite features has to be the AccuSet. If I set it to 5.3v, I get 5.3v. If I check the resistance on a carto that meters at 3.1 ohms, the ProVari reads it at 3.1 ohms.

Overall,, this is a 5 star device. It is what ProVape says it is and it does what ProVape says it does and does it perfectly, every time. Also, on a related note, I haven't spent a dime on vaping hardware since I purchased the ProVari. It really satisfies virtually all my needs. At this point, other than maybe the new Opus or another DNA mod, my next major purchase will likely be a second ProVari to add to my collection.
 

BuGlen

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As Baditude already said, excellent review and commentary! I've had my ProV for a little over a year now and I echo pretty much all of your sentiments. I recently got a DNA20 18650 wood box mod, which is absolutely beautiful and works great, but like you I'm finding the ProV is about 20-25% more efficient with my AW batteries.

You'll probably still want more gear (I know I do), but now you may be more inspired by aesthetics as opposed to performance, since you already have a top performing device. :D
 

Tommy Aces

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Excellent review and commentary. You've just expressed what most Provari owners already know. And you likely now know why it is difficult for a Provari owner to explain just how great a device it is without sounding like a "fanboy".

Congrats on the Provari. I'm sure it will serve you well.

-- Bad

Thank you Bad!

Yes. As I was typing, I had a voice in my head saying "Gosh, I hope I'm not coming off as a fanboy". Kinda sad when you think about it. Sad on one hand that someone happy with their PV/juice/atty (but more so with the ProVari) has to worry about being labeled a "fanboy" of "fangirl". Sad on the other hand because there are a small but vocal minority of legitimate "fanboys" around that take anyone's criticism of their favorite device as an attack on themselves. Those folks would fall into the 3-5% of the population known as Narcissistic Sociopaths.

Anyhow, I won't take it personally if someone has legitimate concerns or issues with the ProVari, or any of the other things I like. However, I don't hesitate to correct misinformation or try to help someone resolve their issue. If folks want to call me a fanboy because of it, more power to 'em.

Minor rant aside, I'm really happy I pulled the trigger on the ProVari. The only thing I really forgot to mention in my OP was price. My take on it is this:

My Black Mini and extension cap with 2 year warranty came to a total of $228. Just for perspective, in the 4 months prior to purchase, the 4 SS VAMOs and 2 SVDs alone cost me about $400. Those 6 devices came with a COMBINED warranty of 6 months (30 days each). They are all good devices and I have only had minor issues with a couple of them so far. The multiple VAMOs were really because I felt I needed backups due to my lack of confidence in their longevity. I'm confident in saying that had I bit the bullet on the ProVari back in January, at MOST, I would have purchased 1 VAMO and 1 SVD. Those 2 devices & the ProVari with extras would total about $375.....LESS than I paid for the other devices alone!

The ProVari is not a device for everyone. Lots of devices out there can provide you with a very good vape. As a matter of fact, all of my mods do. But few, if any will do it with the accuracy, craftsmanship, reliability, warranty, service, or company behind them to back them up. For my needs, it's a no-brainier.

Final note: I also forgot to mention that one thing I appreciate about the ProVari is the fact that it doesn't seem to sporadically spit tiny drops of juice in my mouth like the China PWM mods...probably due to the fact that the PWM on China's chipset is much slower and alternates between 0v and a full 6v, just adjusting duty cycles.
 

Tommy Aces

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I wonder if they'll ever come down in price.
How long have they been out? I don't want one, I just wonder.

If you look in ProVape's clearance section, you will often find the either or both the standard and Mini "blemished" available for like $140.

My understanding from people that have purchased "blemished" models is that the blemishes have either been extremely minor, or were unable to find them at all..some may simply be the ProVari logo being a slightly lighter color than "normal".

Other than that, I'd say that you're not going to see them drop prices until their product stops being desirable. In all likely hood, when the time comes for a "V3", they'll probably discount whatever manufactured 2.5s they have on hand. Until those things happen.......
 

Tommy Aces

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As Baditude already said, excellent review and commentary! I've had my ProV for a little over a year now and I echo pretty much all of your sentiments. I recently got a DNA20 18650 wood box mod, which is absolutely beautiful and works great, but like you I'm finding the ProV is about 20-25% more efficient with my AW batteries.

You'll probably still want more gear (I know I do), but now you may be more inspired by aesthetics as opposed to performance, since you already have a top performing device. :D

OT, but which DNA mod did you get?

It's funny b/c for a while it was like "We'll, where the heck are all the DNA mods". Now, it seems like every other day a new one is in the works or hitting the street. The Cyborg looks promising, whenever they get their bugs worked out enough to launch. However, speaking of aesthetics, I'm kind of desiring a box, maybe a dual 18650 something.
 

BuGlen

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OT, but which DNA mod did you get?

It's funny b/c for a while it was like "We'll, where the heck are all the DNA mods". Now, it seems like every other day a new one is in the works or hitting the street. The Cyborg looks promising, whenever they get their bugs worked out enough to launch. However, speaking of aesthetics, I'm kind of desiring a box, maybe a dual 18650 something.

I got a Man Cave Mod from a person named matador here on ECF who was making them. It's unknown if he's going to be making more due to some recent events in his life, but if he does I highly recommend getting one.
 
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