Hey all! I am a huge fan of the thumbscrew type tanks and a good deal, so when a new vendor popped up selling super cheap tanks, I jumped on purchasing a few. Here is my review.
Out of the box, these tanks look absolutely fantastic. I have two opinions on the build quality already apparent from the picture above concerning the thumbscrews and the tank sleeve itself. Let's begin with the tank sleeve.
Product Comparison
Let's begin with a pretty, pretty picture.
On the left, you will see the Mom and Pop Vapor Shop mini sub tank filled with my beloved Gorilla Juice. On the right, the Valley View Vapes Polypro tank, with my even more beloved (but known tank murderer) Kickin' Peppermint (a cinnamon peppermint concoction from Ms. T's Bakery). I will quickly itemize the comparative pros and cons of these systems.
Use Test
I've spent the entire day putting this tank (or the one with the red thumbscrew) through its paces. I pulled no punches, using my most brutal juice (Kickin' Peppermint with an extra shot of Super Concentrated Red Hot Cinnamon Candy from Ms. T's Bakery).
Leaking
During the first writeup of this review, I left the unit standing horizontally to test the leaking of the thumb screw, ala Phil Busardo in his Sub Tank review.
After many hours, I didn't notice any moisture around the thumbscrew head, let alone on the desk. The fit is tight, but does not make the screw difficult to remove.
Material
This is where I am shocked, being used to the cracking of polycarb tanks. Lesser juices have ruined my previous tanks. I felt it might have been unfair to start off with such a violent juice, but it's all sparkles in the end. There is no cracking, spiderwebbing, or clouding going on in this tank, but we will see how it looks in a couple of days. As of now, it has outlasted any polycarb tank I've used.
Vape Quality
The most important characteristic for many people, besides cracking. I have noticed no flavor loss, but that is a characteristic of the carto far more than it is of the tank. VVV uses Boge 3ohm cartos in their units, punched twice. Flavor is just as rich as when on a carto without a tank.
TL;DR (The Summary)
Verdict
Valley View Vapes
POLYPROPYLENE tanks
POLYPROPYLENE tanks
First, some background. Valley View Vapes is a brand new vendor. Ray is the proprietor, a very, very nice guy (as is the case with many, many vendors on ECF). His goal is to provide hardware (my favorite purchases) near cost. The prices for these tanks are noticeably lower than the competition (it appears that the Mom and Pop Vapor Shop sub tank is the main inspiration for his tanks). As the inspiration for this review, I wanted to see whether the lower cost caused a parallel drop in quality.
Out of the box, these tanks look absolutely fantastic. I have two opinions on the build quality already apparent from the picture above concerning the thumbscrews and the tank sleeve itself. Let's begin with the tank sleeve.
[*=left]Tank Sleeve
The tank sleeve feels very firm and strong. Quick flicks to the casing (as well as strong pressure) reveals little bend or give. In terms of performance under use, I will get to that in a Use Trial below. I do have one complaint, however. If you look closely at the tank rims above, you will notice that the edging could use some work. The cut is near straight, but not perfectly so. If I recall correctly, Ray is cutting the tubing himself as he waits to find a reliable vendor for his polypropylene tubing. It is not a huge issue for me, but may become so when attempting to refit the o-rings when it comes time to replace the carto.
[*=left]Thumbscrews
Of this category, I have no complaints. The thumbscrews are beautiful, shiny, and are butter-smooth in use. This may be largely a product of the material itself, but in comparison to the sub tank, these thumbscrews are an absolute joy to turn. In the tanks I received (which were purchased, not given - Ray is unaware that I intended to review them prior to purchase), the screws fit perfectly (perpendicular to tank, they do not screw in sideways) and they are positioned perfectly. They are high on the tank, which dramatically improved the ease of fill over my sub tank. Let me illustrate what I mean in the next section.
It is worth noting that the thumbscrews come in three colors at the moment: red, blue, and black. I love to accessorize, so it's a plus for me, but it may not affect your purchase. Ray notes in his ECF thread that there may be more colors in the future. Keeping my fingers crossed for purple.
Product Comparison
Let's begin with a pretty, pretty picture.
On the left, you will see the Mom and Pop Vapor Shop mini sub tank filled with my beloved Gorilla Juice. On the right, the Valley View Vapes Polypro tank, with my even more beloved (but known tank murderer) Kickin' Peppermint (a cinnamon peppermint concoction from Ms. T's Bakery). I will quickly itemize the comparative pros and cons of these systems.
[*=left]Thumbscrew: I massively prefer the location of the VVV thumbscrew. With the sub tank, I have to unscrew it and lay my unit flat to refill. As I've done a few times now with the VVV tank, I can palm and tilt it while still attached to the unit for easy filling. Additionally (though this is definitely a product of the material), it is much more buttery smooth to screw in the VVV tank's thumbscrew.
[*=left]Finish: The sub tank takes this one, though it had similar hiccups when MPVS was a new vendor. The cut is uniform, well-polished, and rounded for my finger's protection during carto swaps. I have yet to actually swap a carto in the VVV tank, but I can imagine it will not be as painless as the sub tank. Additionally, because of the slight slant on the cut, the tank sits a tiny bit crooked on my PV. I can't really notice it unless I lay the unit flat, but it is definitely there.
[*=left]Price: VVV has the upper hand here. At $7.99 for a polypro tank (Note: they sell a polycarb tank at the same price) including a carto, it beats the hell out of $12.99 for a polycarb tank, and the material swap is worthwhile, as we'll see in the Use Test. In fact, VVV sells a glass sleeve at the price of MPVS. No contest. It is of note that, in order to get the 6ml version at VVV, you have to pay an extra dollar. But it is still much cheaper than MPVS.
[*=left]Materials: I am absolutely stunned at the difference polypro makes, and VVV has the ticket here as well because of it. We'll get into the nitty gritty now.
Use Test
I've spent the entire day putting this tank (or the one with the red thumbscrew) through its paces. I pulled no punches, using my most brutal juice (Kickin' Peppermint with an extra shot of Super Concentrated Red Hot Cinnamon Candy from Ms. T's Bakery).
Leaking
During the first writeup of this review, I left the unit standing horizontally to test the leaking of the thumb screw, ala Phil Busardo in his Sub Tank review.
After many hours, I didn't notice any moisture around the thumbscrew head, let alone on the desk. The fit is tight, but does not make the screw difficult to remove.
Material
This is where I am shocked, being used to the cracking of polycarb tanks. Lesser juices have ruined my previous tanks. I felt it might have been unfair to start off with such a violent juice, but it's all sparkles in the end. There is no cracking, spiderwebbing, or clouding going on in this tank, but we will see how it looks in a couple of days. As of now, it has outlasted any polycarb tank I've used.
Vape Quality
The most important characteristic for many people, besides cracking. I have noticed no flavor loss, but that is a characteristic of the carto far more than it is of the tank. VVV uses Boge 3ohm cartos in their units, punched twice. Flavor is just as rich as when on a carto without a tank.
TL;DR (The Summary)
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All in all, this is the best purchase I have made for a tank in terms of quality and price. I would like to see future iterations of the tank have more finish, but, as it stands, you absolutely cannot go wrong. I suggest this tank to anyone who is entering the tank modification spectrum of vaping, or those who would like to collect and accessorize many tanks for different juices.
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