Tough questions (I think)

[AllYouBleed]

Hello all...I'm new here,

I'm newly considering purchasing an e-cigarette. I have reviewed the sellers sites and browsed through the forums here. So my e-cigarette education is probably "Kindergarten". Please bear with this noo-be and his questions...which follow:

About my habit
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I will likely only use an e-cigarette in places I can already smoke. I smoke about a pack a day. I smoke cheap cigarettes. I've tried the "indian reservation" thing and got screwed by the state for taxes. Taste, looks and draw isn't much of a concern...I want to replace the "hand-to-mouth" and nicotine habit...that simple. I love gadgets when they don't require baby-sitting and I don't have an interest in getting into the hacker mentality of dealing with a new one.

Questions
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There are numerous manufacturers of the devices and cartridges. Usually, this is due to re-branding of a base product. My concern is, of course, how long my choice of product/brand will be available and the availability of replacement parts, cartridges, etc. So...any insight or suggestions of a long-term product choice?

I have no interest in getting into re-stuffing a cartridge or manually adding fluid etc. I have enough gadgets to deal with (ha-ha). I just want to replace the existing smoking experience. I'm not so concerned about the strength (eg. volume) of a "hit" nor the taste. My biggest concerns are the inconvenience of battery replacement/recharging and the replacement/cost of cartridges. I guess the best way to ask the question is this...if 100% is a forever lasting cigarette, without concern for taste or draw...what percentage would you rate an e-cigarette...and...which one/brand?

The two greatest reasons for my consideration of an e-cigarette are cost and health. Personally I don't care if the thing makes it look like I'm smoking a terd. Any insight on the cost issue? Is there really a long-term benefit? And...the big one...how soon should I plan to replace the device itself? Usually hi-tech, small devices don't last all that long and the $150 price is a consideration.

Thank you in advance,
Mark

 

[rejoice]

After reading your post,sounds like you may like the screwdriver. It does cost more money,but battery issues are near none. One charged battery will last near 8 hours for me. The Janty kissbox pen is also a good e-cig. I have several e-cigs ,and the Vapor cig is one of my favorites. For me theses are my favorite e-cigs.

 

[AllYouBleed]

After reading your post,sounds like you may like the screwdriver. It does cost more money,but battery issues are near none. One charged battery will last near 8 hours for me. The Janty kissbox pen is also a good e-cig. I have several e-cigs ,and the Vapor cig is one of my favorites. For me theses are my favorite e-cigs.

Rejoice....thanks for the prompt response. Screwdriver and Janty Kissbox...is there a "best place" to look at, or find these items? I guess I could Google by why not go to the source (eg...you).

Mark

 

[JustJulie]

Honestly, I'm not quite sure it will necessarily be cheaper for you to e-smoke if you aren't willing to top off or refill your cartridges with liquid, but I could be wrong.

In my opinion, if you aren't willing to refill carts, you should probably be looking at a pen style because the cartridges last longer than the DSE901 (which is what many forum members recommend for a new e-smoker). Cartridges cost around $5 for 5, and how long they last really depends on how you smoke. For me personally, I find a pen style cartridge lasts about a half a pack, but others report much better mileage. I think that for me, I like a lot of vapor, and so even if the cartridge isn't completely empty, I'm not satisfied with the vapor when it gets below half full.

There is no e-cig that will last forever. Most people find themselves replacing a part once every month, two months, or maybe even three months depending on how lucky they get. You can better control your costs by buying from a vendor who offers a longer warranty on their parts, although you'll probably have some expense involved in mailing back a defective part. Also, you'll have to wait for a replacement part, which is why most people suggest you buy some backup parts so that you're not out in the cold while you wait for a replacement.

Replacement parts for pen styles and DSE901s are generally pretty easily available, except, as we're finding, when we're dealing with the Chinese New Year. Suppliers are once again getting parts in stock, but it's been a rough few weeks for many.

You really don't replace the device itself . . . e-cigs (except for the disposable types) have a separate battery, an atomizer, and a cartridge. So when a part goes, you simply replace the part, not the entire e-cig, if that makes sense.

In terms of a forever lasting cigarette, I'd have to rate e-cigs at 0%. They simply don't last forever. But, then, neither do tobacco cigarettes.

Realistically, if you were to buy a starter kit at $50, an extra atomizer at $10-$15 depending on the model, and an extra battery at about $15, your startup cost on simply your equipment would be around $75 to $80. Then figure two carts a day at a cost of $14 a week, and maybe $25 in equipment replacement costs a month just to be safe, well, you can do the math.

Others might have different calculations, though, because so much of it depends on how long you feel a cartridge will last and how satisfied you will be with decreased vapor production as the cartridge gets spent. Also, it depends on how often you have to buy replacement equipment, and that varies.

If you are willing to add liquid to your carts (which really can be as simple as dripping from the elqiuid bottle directly onto the exposed cartridge), you can cut your costs substantially.

As for the health benefits, who knows. Most of us believe that vaping has to be less harmful than smoking tobacco with its 4000+ chemicals. After one month of vaping, I no longer have a smoker's cough, I can take deeper breaths, and I don't smell like an ashtray.

 

[sherid]

You can buy the kissbox at Janty USA The screwdriver is at - The ScrewDriver - An electronic cigarette that simply works but it is out of stock. Consider the other pen models, DSE801 also. I just ordered my first one on Ebay for $39.00 although now it says $44.95 from the same buyer, Classic Black PenStyle Electronic Cigarette Starter Kit - eBay (item 320345587253 end time Mar-30-09 11:07:49 PDT) I haven't gotten it yet, but I ordered because so many people recommend them

 

[rejoice]

The kissbox is found at jantyusa.com. The screwdriver which by the way is very different looking can be found at www.cavecom.com/screwdriver/forum/forumdi... You can find information on that forum. The vapor cig is at vaporcig.com.

 

[AllYouBleed]

There is no e-cig that will last forever. Most people find themselves replacing a part once every month, two months, or maybe even three months depending on how lucky they get. You can better control your costs by buying from a vendor who offers a longer warranty on their parts, although you'll probably have some expense involved in mailing back a defective part. Also, you'll have to wait for a replacement part, which is why most people suggest you buy some backup parts so that you're not out in the cold while you wait for a replacement.

So...and please don't take this wrong....but..."they are basically cheap devices that require a lot of attention?" Would you agree that that applies to all models, in general, or are the better (eg. more expensive) heartier?

Mark

 

[AllYouBleed]

So...and please don't take this wrong....but..."they are basically cheap devices that require a lot of attention?" Would you agree that that applies to all models, in general, or are the better (eg. more expensive) heartier?

Mark

PS: Would everyone/anyone else agree with this level of baby-sitting the device?

 

[rejoice]

All require babysitting. The one unit I have that doesn't require much babysitting is the Screwdriver. Only problem is can't vap it much in public. Everyone thinks its a dope item LOL. So in public I use the pen style.

 

[taz3cat]

they are a lot more trouble than a pack of analogs, but once you learn to take care of them they last longer. The imporvement in your breathing/other benefits is worth the trouble.

 

[JustJulie]

I don't think they're all cheap devices that require a lot of attention or babysitting . . . it's just that you can't expect to plop down $50 for a starter kit and then some more dough for some cartridges, and then be done for a year. It just doesn't work that way.

I don't really babysit anything. At the end of the day, I disassemble the e-cigs that I used. That takes a few seconds. I then blow through the atomizers to remove an excess liquids. That's another few seconds. And then I'm done.

Throughout the day, the only fussing I do with them is to switch out a battery and place the old one on the charger. No biggie. I then wind up adding liquid to top off the cartridge several times a day, but that only takes a few seconds as well.

So, yes, there's more fussing than with analogs, but it's not really that much, imo. The hassle comes when a part croaks, and you never know when that's going to happen. That's why you purchase spares.

Also, it is more work going out and about. Before, I'd leave the house with a pack of cigarettes (plus another one stuffed in my purse just in case) and a lighter. Now, I travel with an e-cig, a spare atomizer, and a spare battery (or sometimes two if I'm really going to be out for a long time). I rarely go through more than one or two batteries while out and about, but I like to have a safety net.

But there are savings as well. If you're a heavy smoker like I was, I'd already be well ahead of the game if I'd quit buying cool new e-cigs. Honestly, I don't *need* them . . . I just enjoy trying new things. If I had stuck with a simple DSE901 and a simple pen style, I'd be rolling in the dough right now. A 2+ pack a day habit ain't cheap.

Also, there are the benefits that are hard to quantify with money. I can vape in the house. I no longer have to excuse myself to go outside for some "fresh air." I no longer smell like stale cigarettes. I'm not having to wash my hands 10 times a day to get rid of the lingering smell of tobacco. I no longer accidentally burn a hole in my clothes. I no longer am wiping up stray ashes and cleaning out ashtrays.

I also feel better about myself, both physically and psychologically. And unlike tobacco cigarettes where the only way I can limit my nicotine intake is to smoke less, I can vape all I want . . . I just switch to zero or low nicotine if I want to vape and I'm worried about how much nicotine I'm taking in.

I suppose if you're looking for reasons NOT to like e-cigs, there are a few. But the way I look at it, there are a heck of a lot more reasons not to like tobacco.

 

[Ladycats]

Ditto to everything Julie has said .... she's explained it perfectly ....

 

[smog]

PS: Would everyone/anyone else agree with this level of baby-sitting the device?

Yes i would and most others would to I suspect .It's really the batteries
and charging that are the major problem ,the simple fact is that running a heating element to produce adequate vapour takes quite alot of power and a 'cigarette' sized battery is simply not upto the job .Thats why most 'serious'
e smokers end up buying a screwdriver or some other large battery type mod or making there own mod which saves an awfull lot frustration and messing about with battery charging etc .

Regards

 

[JustJulie]

Regarding the batteries, I personally don't find it all that frustrating. I have a rotation going of three batteries . . . one I'm using, one has been charged and is standing by, and the third is on the charger.

Also, when I vape at the computer (I do a lot of work at the computer), I simply use a USB passthrough battery, making the battery issue pretty much a non-issue.

But I agree that if one finds dealing with the batteries bothersome, there are other alternatives, such as the screwdriver or the USB passthrough battery.

 

[MonkeyMonk]

Before you make a purchase of a kit and supplies, you might want to try a disposable cigar, just to get the feel and the taste; It's about 1/2 the cost of a kit. And/Or watch a lot of the videos posted at YouTube and other places, many are posted in the Review section.

 

[yvilla]

I just have to ditto the advice in favor of using liquid! If cost is a consideration as you said, then buying liquid over the overpriced pre-filled cartridges is truly the only way to go. And it's no big deal at all - no need for syringes, etc. You just carry a tiny dropper bottle (think of it as your lighter) and top-off throughout the day.

 

[yvilla]

Re: my post above - read this post.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/new-members-forum/7561-i-missing-out.html

And then see her earlier posts reflecting her puzzled dissatisfaction with the vapor amount to be had with only pre-filled cartridges.

 

[Kate]

If you don't want to mess with refilling then consider a disposable like the Ruyan Jazz.

Red Dragon and Bloog also sell disposable atomiser/cartridge devices.

It will cost you more though.

 

[The Wiz]

All...You might want to take a look at The Red Dragons for a low maintenance e-cig. They are a 2 piece unit(atomizer built in the carts).A Co-worker uses these to avoid the "topping off" or "Juicing".Might me pricey at the Red Dragon site,but you can get replacement carts at Bloogplanet, if I'm not mistaken, for alot less! Hope this helps! The Wiz!

 

[The Wiz]

Damn Kate...........Your FAST!!! The Wiz!