Turn-Key Solution for a Former Vaper

[Jeff M.]

Well I took the plunge yesterday. On my way home from work I smoked the last cigarette from the last pack I had on hand. Instead of stopping at the gas station for another pack of stinkies, I stopped by a local B&M vape shop. I had hoped that they would have the MVP20 that was so highly suggested here, but they did not. They did have a small selection (compared to what is available online) of other PVs but what seemed like a very large selection of juices. I was encouraged to see a small work area set aside where one staff member was doing some sort of building or rebuilding. After managing a local B&M in another field for several years I really prefer to support local businesses if possible. I recognize the added value of face-time, even if paying a little more than online. The staff was very patient with me and went over the pros & cons of almost every single PV they had in stock. I had a tough choice to make: buy another pack and do more research into what they had suggested, or jump in on faith and start vaping right away. I bought an Ego One starter pack (2200mAh battery & 2.5ml tank Joyetech eGo ONE ) and three juices (2x 20ml and 1x 30ml, all 6mg nicotine) based on their recommendations for less than two cartons of cigarettes would have cost me. I've been using it all day and I'm impressed. I'm about half-way done reading through this thread on it Joyetech Ego ONE | E-Cigarette Forum and I'm glad it's received some good reviews. I'm still going to order an MVP20 as an additional backup and a Reos Grande based on what I'm hearing about them, but so far I'm very happy with my choice. Now down the rabbit hole I go!

 

[Ohm Gnome]

Congratulations. That's a great choice in my opinion

 

[Spidey2011]

REO sounds like a pretty ideal setup for you. Dripping with a built in squirt bottle, basically.

The other mod I would suggest is a sigelei 100+ or 150w and a good rebuildable tank like a Billow, Orchid, or Lemo.


Ooos, looks like you already picked. Hope vaping works out for you this time!

 

[Jeff M.]

REO sounds like a pretty ideal setup for you. Dripping with a built in squirt bottle, basically.

The other mod I would suggest is a sigelei 100+ or 150w and a good rebuildable tank like a Billow, Orchid, or Lemo.


Ooos, looks like you already picked. Hope vaping works out for you this time!

There's still room for suggestions... I'm just getting started. I've been vaping now virtually non-stop for the last two days on this eGo One and now that I've got some bearings I've been reading the forums here and watching reviews on YouTube all weekend. I went back to the local B&M today and picked up a 5 pack of 1ohm & 0.5ohm coils each to toy around with and to make sure I don't get caught short and start smoking again. After reading about how well the Subtank Nano works on the eGo One battery I would have grabbed one of those too if they had had them in stock. I still don't know if I'm going to go so far as rebuilding my own coils, but I might give it a go after I figure more of this stuff out.

 

[440BB]

Good to see you find a setup you are enjoying. Just being able to find a local B&M, walk in and get equipment sure is a leap from those early days. Congratulations on making the move to vaping once again!

 

[Hard hat]

My name is Jeff and I'm a current analog smoker. Years ago (maybe circa 2009) I did tons of research into available electronic cigarettes and finally settled on a Ken's Box Mods "Big Brother". I used it with success for several months. I bought a bunch of juice samples and found that I really liked mixing Vapor Station's apple and mint flavored juices. My first mod melted down after I failed to remove the batteries prior to packing it into a backpack pocket. I replaced it with another Ken's Box Mods, his new Variable Voltage "Big Brother" (one of the very first VV mods on the market IIRC) that also had a kill-switch. Again, it worked great for me for several months. I'm a klutz and dropped it once too many times I suppose and it quit working. At that time there were few, if any, "tanks" or other options besides cartomizers and atomizers. I preferred direct-dripping. After breaking my second Box Mod I gave up and went back to analogs. When my son was born I used cheep gas-station disposable e-cigs while in the hospital, but they don't last long enough for the cost and weren't nearly as satisfying to use as the mods.

Taking a brief look through the forums I feel like I'm trying to take a sip from a fire hose. There seems to be months of research to figure out what's out there now. I'm ready to quit smoking but life is insanely busy between work, family, and going back to school to finish my college degree. I'm not thrilled at the prospect of spending hours and hours researching. I'm looking for recommendations for a turn-key setup, that is proven quality, that I can purchase from one source, or piece together from as few sources as possible. I have a small list of requirements.

1. Durability. Like I said, I'm a klutz. I can't have nice things. It's gotta be tough.

2. Variable or otherwise able to be tuned to whatever vapor volume/throat hit I decide I want. I don't want to buy a bunch of different e-cigs to find one I like.

3. Common rechargeable battery (eg 18650, etc). Nothing oddball/proprietary. I'd like to have a several days worth of spare charged batteries on hand for activities like camping etc.

4. Tank or some other setup that produces similar results to direct-dripping, but easier to use while driving. There have been so many advances in this area, that it is intimidating. Clearomizers, cartomizers, atomizers. It gives me a headache. I have no problem getting a few different add-ons to try out, but I don't know anything about ohms/resistance/etc or how any of this stuff works. As far as I'm concerned it's all just voodoo and magic.

5. While I understand the concept of "Buy once, cry once" I can't honestly say that money is no object. I respect a good value, but I'm willing to pay for quality.

If you have recommendations for a complete setup that works well and is a proven performer, I'm all ears and appreciate the help.

Thanks,

Jeff

I also havea terminal case of klutz,been vaping for 4 years and every vv device i have bought has died due to droping i have a beast box that i am extremly careful with. i use a pro tank 1 and that gets the job done for me. Good luck to you Jeff.

 

[jseah]

Another tank you can look into is an Origen Genesis (there is a V2 and V3 version). It is basically a dripping atty with a 4 ml tank underneath it. You build the coil and then thread the wick through the coil and down into the tank. I got a clone and it only cost me about $20.

 

[meleemark]

I'd second a Provari as your buy option.

 

[RandyF]

You want something bullet proof, do yourself a favor and look into the Billet Box. Everything is internalized except for the drip tip. It may not be something you want to jump into right off the bat, but if you don't mind spending a little money for quality, they are definitely worth a look. They do have one of the things you wanted to avoid which is a less common battery, but RTD sells them for like $7.

 

[MsLoud]

Here are 4 suggestions on PVs - tanks, atomizers, cartos and the such are too numerous to fathom some times but there are great ones out there - I'll list a few that are "plug & play" to advanced building (i.e. buying the all the materials to create your own coils/wick)

Starting from the best of the best in terms to durability and flexibility - I own at least one of each of these and can not recommend them enough!

1. Reo - Grand (18650 single battery) or Mini (18490) - make sure you get a LP (low profile) so you can use any number of atomizers with it - come here to learn all you ever need about them - fantastic community! Reos Mods | E-Cigarette Forum - I suggest the RM2

2. Provari - ProVape | E-Cigarette Forum

3. iStick 30 - excellent little inexpensive mod! I own 3 and use them every day - (I do not recommend the iStick 50 - too many issues) -

4. Yihi SX Mini M Class - temp control - here is a thread dedicated to the SX Mini M Class - SXmini M Class (TEMP CONTROL) | E-Cigarette Forum

Tanks I recommend are the

Kanger Subtank (I like the Mini with the rebuildable RDA section but they have pre-built coils if you prefer)
Lemo (there is a version 2 out - finicky but when you get it right - its wonderful!)
Aspire - been around a loooong time and well worth the price if you like the style though to me they are outdated now

Rebuildables are a dime a dozen but there are many that stand out and range in price from $10 to $200 - you will have to do your research on these but this is a great place to start here on ECF!

Welcome to your insanity that is vaping - enjoy!

 

[jrlakeman]

Sounds like a REO if you drop stuff alot or a tank with a ss tank insert but personally that drives me crazy if i cant see my juice level in a tank. Sigelei boxs are pretty rugged if you get the silicone sleeve with them i dropped mine a few times and not a scratch but its not guaranteed it survives every drop.

 

[Joe Gordon]

For a low price, an MVP 20w or MVP 3 (30w) is a good investment. The 20w has a 2600 mah battery, enough for 2-3 days depending on your vaping style. Very rugged.

A glass tank like the Aspire Nautilus or Nautilus mini with BVC coils is a good buy. Yes they can break if dropped but replacement glass is available.

The Eleaf GS Air is a cheaper but good alternative to the Nautilus but the glass is not replaceable.

The Eleaf iStick 30w seems to have a good track record so far. Maybe not as durable as the MVP. I won't recommend the iStick 50w at this time since some serious problems with some of them are surfacing lately.

I agree the innokin mvp 2 or 3 are very rugged, I've had my mvp 2 for 2 years and dropped it a hundred times or more still working like a champ. The mvp 3 is newer and I've had it a few months it's great and has survive the few drops so far. Both give good hits, but that's depends on tank and build. The aspire nautilus is a great tank and you can get extra glass or versions that have metal on top of the glass or a complete metal tank. If you want to drip there are so many versions of drippers out there now it's crazy, but I was recommended to start on a igo rda it was easy to build and I got great hits off it. But now I have a ton of rda, tanks, clearmizers. I had to try a bunch before I found one I like. Hope this helps

 

[TraceyS]

Durability = REO and a RM2 or RM3, takes one battery, get another for backup. This is the most solid setup in my humble opinion.

Tracey