I use STM's and STN's with the 1.2 ohm coils at 7-9W. Works great!
Mech with a kick--at that point you almost have a regulated device, and you won't be able to fix the kick if it breaks any more than you would be able to fix a regulated mod.
Mods are called mods because the first ones were made from flashlights. Easy to do, too. I was making vaporizers out of flashlights in the 80's and 90's. An incandescent flashlight bulb gets really hot. I just didn't have any ejuice.
The FDA paranoia gets silly at some point. If there is some sort of ban, and there is not at this time, then you will also find it difficult to get tanks, connectors, and such. All of your rebuilding supplies won't be much good unless you're really handy and have some really good power tools.
The good news is this--the vaping industry (and I know I'm asking for trouble even mentioning it--but it's absolutely true) sprang from the drug paraphenalia business, and nobody is better at regulatory workarounds than that crowd. I've purchased lots of stuff for the consumption of "dry herbs" or "essential oils".
Now I may find myself buying "personal aromatherapy" equipment.
I do agree that it's nice to have a mech around. I just don't understand why anyone would prefer it. Then again, I like cartotanks, which really do not work well at either 4V or 3.3V. Also, a 26650 mech, or even a 18650 mech, is still a bit big and heavy for out and about use. The mech I bought is a tiny 18350 mech, which is even smaller than a Provari Mini. Of course, it also weighs almost 2 oz more than a Provari mini, which you can definitely feel if it's in your pants pocket.
I also don't like the bottom firing button.