Trying To Switch To E's - Thorough Confusion

[knarf]

Hi, everyone -

I love smoking. I love it. I love the sensation of it, the taste, the kick, that it makes you look cool. Everything the anti's say it bad about smoking, I love. Except the disease potential.

So I discovered this whole e-cigarette thing a couple days ago and have been trying to make sense of it all and decide which direction to take. My heart wants to keep smoking but my head (and wallet - thanks congress) tells me I should stop. Ecigs seem like the best of both worlds.

I think I've settled on the Vapor King style two piece disposable ecigs. It sounds like I'll get the kick and "non-smoke smoke" I want and with refilling it will be economical. I'm also the "once I decide I want it now" type.

But actual VKs are hard to come by, and I started looking around for a comparable alternative that I can get fairly quickly.

There appear to be a myriad of different names for the exact same product due to branding.

For reference, I'm about a pack a day menthol light smoker based in the US.

All that for a couple questions:
1. Am I right that a Vapor King-like ecig will give me the experience I want, or is it all hype.
2. If I am right, what's my quickest and cheapest option? Model and Outlet.
3. For simplicity, can I just head to the smoke shop and pick something up to try and see if this is right for me.
4. If I am not right about Vapor King being the closest to analog, do I go Red Dragon? Or do I go in another direction?

Thanks in advance. I am sure these won't be my only questions.

 

[hobson]

Buy them all. You'll do it eventually anyway.

E-Cigs are like potato chips, you can't have just one.

 

[bard]

Hmm - I wouldn't be so sure that smoking "makes you look cool"....

Anyway, I can't comment on the VK - never tried it myself.

I've gone down a route which took me first to the DSE901, which was OK, but I then went to the Evolution (m401 derivative), which I much preferred - far closer to the real smoking experience, and a real winner in my book. Until...

...I tried the Titan (510 - also sold by various suppliers as the Yeti, and a whole range of other names) - this just blows the other two models I've tried out of the water. So far, I can't praise it enough.

 

[knarf]

Hmm - I wouldn't be so sure that smoking "makes you look cool"....

Oops - that's right. I meant to say I started smoking because I liked coughing for 5 minutes afterward and carrying extra stuff around everywhere I went.

Seriously, though, isn't the reason most people start smoking because it looks cool like James Dean and Frank Sinatra? Being un-PC doesn't make it false.

Thanks for the recommend. I'll check it out.

 

[kenb54]

I have only been doing this about a month, and I have tried the 901, 801 and the vapor king. A week ago I purchased the 510, and none of the others compare. The VK is probably the closest, but the cartridges are a pain to refill. The VK has the best battery life of all 3, but I think the 510 beats it in vapor production. The 510 also has a sealed manual battery that lets you draw as long as you want. Since it is sealed no chance of juice getting in it and ruining the auto switch which other ecigs have. Get yourself a 510 and some batteries or a usb passthrough. You will save yourself $ and time.

 

[knarf]

OK - Two recommendations in a row definitely points me in a direction. I was drawn to the VK because I read you get 200 draws per cartridge.

Can anyone direct me to a reputable, quick and cheap dealer? I did a quick search on the 510 and found this at the first dealer I hit, which isn't exactly inspiring confidence in the model:

We are working with the manufacturer to resolve issues we've had with the battery...

Any comments on that issue while I'm at it?

 

[breakfastchef]

Electronic cigarettes (personal vaporizers, of PVs) are not smoking cessation devices. PVs provide maybe 40% of the analog smoking experience. You are not going to take your first draw and get the same effect as if you lit up a tobacco cigarette. So, if you choose to try a PV as a way to wean yourself off of analogs, just be aware that you are going to want to stop smoking as this is not the magic bullet to quitting.

This is a hands-on, 'full-contact' habit.

Manufacturers generally provide inaccurate data about the number of cigarettes in a cartridge, how much money you will save using their product and how freakin' easy PVs are to use. If you begin vaping, have lots of cash for the devices, accessories and smoking juices you will be purchasing. That is the only way to find what works best for you. These are finnicky devices that will work great one day and poorly another and parts fail fairly often.

 

[Skad]

Vapornine has the Nebula in stock. Same cig as the VK as far as I know.
I'm using one now and I like it.

Electronic Cigarette Store at VaporNine:The Smoke Alternative

 

[knarf]

Well, I took the plunge after reading what was written here and in PM and ordered the V9 Nebula Starter Kit from VaporNine (if anyone knows the guy, you may want to tell him removing "PRE-SALE. ANY ORDERS CONTAINING A NEBULA AT THIS SPECIAL PRICE WILL BE SHIPPED OUT ALONG WITH EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE ORDER WHEN SHIPMENT ARRIVES. EXPECTED ARRIVAL THE WEEK OF APRIL 6th." from the listing would be a good idea as it nearly put me off ordering).

I will post again when it arrives. A first impression from a first time ecig user may be useful to some.

Thanks for the words of caution, too, breakfastchef. I appreciate the reality check. I am aware that ecigs are not a magic "stop smoking" pill, but 24 years into this thing if I can cut down to even half of what I'm smoking I'll consider it a success.

 

[Jamalulo]

I am extremely eager to begin switching to e-cigs, or at least give them a try. I have been ready to buy a kit for many months now, having made up my mind several times as to the choice of products; but I just can't seem to make a purchase.

The companies I have found online seem very questionable, at best. For instance, one company (very popular here) has products listed which, when I place them in the cart find they really aren't available... out of stock, soon to be in stock, might be in stock, waiting on delivery and all sorts of other BS which, after months now just looks weird.

And so I go from store to store, shopping cart to shopping cart, reading and studying and placing items in carts, getting ready to purchase products I want so much and am so eager to try, but then it always falls through. I just can't seem to get a handle on this elusive thing that is always just out of reach. I am now quite leery of the whole thing. But I am very anxious and determined to give vaping a try.

Please direct me to a reputable online store which has the initial supplies in stock (today, like Amazon does for books), so I can place the items in the cart, pay for them, and have them delivered without delay. I do not want to wait weeks or months to receive my order. I do not want to hear a bunch of stories about sold out merchandise or excuses about shipments or anything else! I just want to find the best choice and best price on in-stock merchandise, then get my order fulfilled promptly so I can try my first e-cigarette.

 

[CamelCrushed]

I have a micro (anycigarette.com)which is exact same size as a regular analog smoke. to me this made all the difference in helping me quit smoking analogs. I NEEDED something that felt right, looked right, and gave me enough vapor and nicotine to not buy any more analogs. I know that having a e-cig that looked like a real one, felt like a real one, smoked like a real one (as much as possible for an e-cig anyway) was extremely important to me to help me quit. I have a friend who is a 4 pack a day analog smoker - or should I say -was - he now has a micro and he agrees with me that the close resemblance to his real cigs is also what makes it easier for him to smoke these e-cigs and feel satisfied. He is still smoking 10-15 cigs a day, bu thats a whole hell of alot better than 80 a day.

After smoking this micro though for a month now - I have ordered a different model as I now find that the micro cartridge and battery life is just too big a pain in the but for me. I was going through 6 carts and 4 batteries a day MINIMUM. too much muss and fuss. My wife doesn't mind her micro though at all - she still uses it daily, as she is stay at home Mom and easier for her to just keep topping off her cart at home. However for me to carry all that stuff with me is just getting a bit much. A friend has a nebula that I just love - so I have ordered one of them to be my every day smoker - I borrowed one from him and get a whole day or most of one out of the battery, and a cart lasts me all day also.

Just my two cents, but the realism helped me quit, but now I need more. The VK or Nebula is a good choice in my opinion.

 

[Jamalulo]

Just my two cents, but the realism helped me quit, but now I need more. The VK or Nebula is a good choice in my opinion.

Okay. Thanks. So again, just now, I go to the site that sells my e-cig of choice, the Nebula, per your recommendation, but when I get there, it says the product is not yet in stock, but should be this week. Good grief. What's up with that? Why? When?

It seems this is always the case. I have never once, ever, gone to a site which sells these products and found what I was looking for in stock, not once. It all just seems a bit fishy to me.

I do see hundreds of you on here discussing the many e-cigs you've found and tried, but how long did it take you to get your first one? Did they used to be in stock more readily? Why is it that every time I make a decision to take the plunge, I get stopped by the elusiveness of the whole kit and kaboodle?

Also, what happens when I finally find one and get started vaping? Does it then become a constant hassle to find refills and supplies to keep my habit going? This is all so dismaying and disappointing. I am sick of trolling these sites and never actually ending up with an e-cig I can try. I just want one to start!

 

[CamelCrushed]

Don't get discouraged so easily, jam - it is a bit of work to get going, but trust me it is so worth it. I know as of yesterday that vapornine.com had nebulas in stock for sale. It appears their website is down right now though -I have no idea why, and there is no postings in forum about it being down. I like that Vapornine is in the US and has them in stock already. I do know that their are models that are the same at other sites and in stock - if interested PM me and I will send you a link. I don't want to start a price war in this forum or recommend one vendor over another. I am in no way connected to any vendor, just a newer vaper who is trying to help you out.

I would keep checking their site - if the nebula is what you have decided on - I still think it is a great choice, and you will be happy with it. I would also order some juice so you can refill your cartomizers. As everyone's tastes are different I can't tell you what you will ike, although I can tell you I am not crazy about the stock juice inthe nebula. I myself really like the Tennessee cured from johnson creek - I prefer their VG but he PG is also good. That is my daily smoker, and several of my friends also like it.

I have also had myvaporstores RY4 which I also like, but not quite as much as the tennessee cured.

just don't give up, Jam - it is so worth it once you get setup and adjusted to these e-cigs. I wish you all the best in your endevour...

CamelCrushed...

 

[knarf]

Jamalulo:

I ordered a Nebula from vapornine.com earlier this afternoon and the web site says it's been shipped so I'm guessing that means the site is good to go. I'm on it in another tab right now.

 

[Jamalulo]

Thanks CamelCrushed and Knarf. Your thoughts and advice are greatly appreciated. I feel better knowing you have succeeded in buying some e-cig products recently and hope to begin doing so myself very soon.

Jamalulo