Mech mods (without the additional Kick or Kick 2 chip) will continuously push 3.7V until the batteries you're using begin to drain past the 3.7V mark, then you'll notice a small drop in performance. It happens even on the regulated side of things as well. The biggest difference between mechanical mods and regulated mods are the coils you're able to build and fire on them. Whereas both devices I posted a picture of - one has a 3.5 Amp limit and the other I believe is a 3.0 Amp limit - which means the lower the resistance of my coil - 0.9 Ohms to 0.1 Ohm will NOT fire if the Amp limiter is engaged. However on a mechanical mod - it doesn't care it just throws 3.7V at everything.
Now mechanical mods can have a Kick / Kick 2 installed in them at the sacrifice of battery size. The Kick / Kick 2 allows you to adjust WATTAGE OUTPUT to the coil you have on the device but again - BE CAREFUL! You may run into popped coils, blown batteries, fried liquids, burnt wicks, etc. If you need help on coil building - check the web - RiPTrippers is one of the best coil builders I can find. The OP said he wasn't an electrician - well... I don't think many of us are / were certified electricians but most of us, I can almost bet, build our coils or REBUILD our dead [INSERT MANUFACTURER HERE] atomizer heads. It's more cost effective and convenient for a lot of folks to rebuild rather than wait until that trusty coil we've had running for a month or so to finally pop and we need to go get a few of them, to find out NOBODY has them in stock. So you buy yourself a spool or 10 of various gauge Kanthal or Nichrome wire and dive right in. That's where the Ohm reader comes in handy.
But like most people have stated it's all in personal taste. I prefer electronic regulated mods - Nivel, ProVaris, DNA30D's, etc. Why? Because the devices above are ELECTRONIC cigarettes - so why not? If you're looking to get started, a good clone device - mechanical or otherwise - is a good start. If you're just wanting to try it - a Joy-E eGo Twist or a Kanger Evod VV with a Kanger Mini Pro Tank 2 is also a reasonable start. The latter being the least expensive just because the devices are relatively inexpensive and you don't NEED to purchase the wire, wick, tools, etc to rebuild. Both the Twist and Evod VV batteries are variable voltage which can be adjusted on the fly, but that's personal preference.
About the different wicks / wicking material - don't wrap yourself up into it too much. There are various wicks / wicking material out there. You have silica, ecowool, hemp fiber, stainless steel mesh (various grades), stainless steel cable, organic cotton, and porous ceramic. Stainless steel (both cable and mesh) and porous ceramic are primarily used in genesis style atomizers. Whereas silica, ecowool, hemp fiber, and organic are the prime choices for tanks and drippers. Same thing applies to the resistance wire - you really have a lot less choices there. You got Nichrome (various grades), Kanthal (various grades), sterling silver (less common than Nichrome and Kanthal), and of course some other various styles and types of resistance wires. The ONLY ones I would focus on would be either Nichrome or Kanthal - Preferring Kanthal over Nichrome. But again pay no mind to the wick and wire for now. You'll get there - trust us. You can worry about the wick and wire when you delve into rebuildables to keep your hands busy when the craving to pick up and light a burning analog is becoming the largest habit to break. The nicotine addiction will come and go - and quite rapidly if you're an active person - I started at 24mg and am now staring at 3mg - been vaping for a month too. But the habit of lighting up makes my hands twitchy and so I build a new coil, rewick it, and check improvements over the previous coil(s).
