Vaping frustration - ideas please?

[AndrewInScotland]

Hello my fellow vapers.
I've just found this forum, after recently returning to Canada from the UK.
I'm hoping for some advice for a new vaping product.
I've spent much time and money on my 510 setup, and before that the 901. I gave the whole thing up after far too much frustration.

My problem is I cannot get a consistent and reliable vape.
I've tried atomizers and cartomizers (mostly from Boge), and a multitude of filling and cleaning methods. I've tried juice from different suppliers, both PG and VG. I've tried dripping. I've tried tea bags. I've tried the straw mod.
The problem is that even if I get a nice vape going, sometimes it will just drop off without warning, and I get unatomized juice in my mouth, or even my throat. It's revolting. When that happens I'm so disgusted that I just throw away the offending carto and try with another one. (Actually the last time this happened, about 6 months ago, I just gave up entirely and went back to analogs).
Sometimes I would fill two carts in exactly the same method, and one would give me a dry, burnt taste, while the other vaped fine (for awhile).
I've tried different types of batteries, plus a USB pass-through.
I've tried many of the tricks and suggestions on the UK vaping forums, but - and here's my point - I still cannot get a reliable vape.

Currently I'm smoking about 30 hand-rolled Drum cigarettes every day. I'm trying to cut that down, and eventually give them up entirely.

Price is not much of a concern, as I'm already paying through the nose for my tobacco.

What I'm looking for, in decreasing order of importance:
--Consistent, reliable vaping
--Minimum of fuss
--Good throat hit
--Lots of vapor
--Flavor

I hope some of you have also gone through my pain, and have come out the other side with a solution and a smile.

Ideas?

Thanks,
Andrew

p.s.
Keep in mind that that I would like to get my products and juices from within Canada if possible.

 

[Battlelance]

Simple enough - Ego Twist and a Kanger T2, T3 (I'm really liking the T3), or a Vivi Nova.

I'm assuming here you're using 510 manual/auto batteries? If so, the only real way to get decent performance out of them is to use them with a low resistance cartomizer and stop using those bloody awful cartridges .

On another note, I'm trying to figure out how you're getting juice in your mouth from a cartomizer. Either it is way overfilled, you're trying to suck the filler out of it, or your battery dead/dying/needs recharged.

I'll suggest https://www.canvape.com/product-p/ultwistkit.htm. Even if you don't want to get the whole kit, use that as a guide for what items most of us have had good luck with (except the vision extreme, damn those things are just gurgling messes).

 

[larktdl]

Indeed I would go with the kit posted by Battlelance. For a juice with a kick maybe try https://www.canvape.com/product-p/halocj.htm
Beware that this juice is strong on the flavor and odor.

 

[cactusgirl]

How long were you vaping prior to giving up 6 months ago? I find it incredible that you never upgraded your hardware from your 510 set-up (I'm assuming it was a standard 510).

All of the mods and fixes that you mention having tried in the past seem sooo long ago! Hardware and accessories have come a very long way, just in the last year or less, that you should have no trouble finding exactly what you are looking for in terms of consistency. The new clearomizer tank set-ups that are now available (vivi nova, ego vision stardust) offer easy filling, replaceable atomizer heads that are easily and quickly changeable, and good consistent performance when paired with a reliable battery/mod.

Check out the review section to get a feel for what is available these days.

 

[Nubbie]

Pretty much said above in this thread, so I will go one further and suggest this.

https://www.canvape.com/product-p/ultwistkit.htm

This will give you everything you need to get up and running and stay that way for along time.

 

[Mindfield]

I'm personally not a big fan of the T3 so far, but I do really like the T2 -- it takes a few hours to a day to break in a new head, but once broken in it's been quite reliable and consistent. Put it on an eGo-C Twist or Spinner and you've got an excellent all-day vape that's consistent and lets you tweak the voltage to your personal preference.

I'll also second Halo E-liquid, they make excellent juice that has never failed to impress me so far. Other great juices are from Maple Leaf Vapes, Jugheads, Vaporus, Pink Spot (there are at least 2-3 Canadian vendors that carry Pink Spot juices), Stinky Canuck (who also carry Pink Spot) and probably a few others that it's still too early for me to think of at the moment.

It can take a while to find that all-day vape, and it's always a combination of hardware and "software" (juice) that meets your needs that you have to find. However the suggestions here have been great, and you're fortunate to be coming back to it at a time when many great advances have been made in vaping tech over the last year that has resulted in a lot more really good product hitting the shelves that provide better vapes than many of us could even have dreamed of when we started out.

 

[WolfeReign]

Shoot the messenger if required here, but after cycling through a ton of mods and even more juice vendors i have finally found the following is great (and used daily)..bare in mind this is what works for me:

E-Juice: Flavor Crafters.

Batteries:

(510) Ego C-2 Upgrade plus a Ego Booster

(808) Redds key cig

GEAR:

(510) Vivi Nova (for $7 plus a ton of really awesome inexpensive add on's at time of delivery? you betcha!) Stardust

(808) Redds Cartomizers

All sites listed above are for happy vapor. With coupon code HV-EZW6VC you get 10% discount on pretty much all of it

 

[Zurd]

I've spent much time and money on my 510 setup, and before that the 901. I gave the whole thing up after far too much frustration.

My problem is I cannot get a consistent and reliable vape.
I've tried atomizers and cartomizers (mostly from Boge), and a multitude of filling and cleaning methods. I've tried juice from different suppliers, both PG and VG. I've tried dripping. I've tried tea bags. I've tried the straw mod.

Are you a time traveler or what, 901, atomizers, cartomizers, tea bags, straw mod?! Things have changed ! Yes, some people still use cartomizers up to this day and I never understood why, they are very unreliable. The most reliable would be a rebuildable atomizer like a DID, takes time and patience to make the right mesh and coil the first time though plus you need to read a load of documentation, however they are now cheap, google DID clone. I personally prefer the other kind of rebuildable atomizers, like the Phoenix, Vision Eternity and so on, there's no tank, no mesh, just khantal wire and cotton wick. It's quite consistent, I make a new coil about every 10 days, takes 5-10 minutes, best throat hit, vapor and flavor I ever got in everything I tried, I've been on this setup for 4 months now.

 

[WolfeReign]

takes time and patience to make the right mesh and coil the first time though plus you need to read a load of documentation,

Psssst....

Price is not much of a concern, as I'm already paying through the nose for my tobacco.

What I'm looking for, in decreasing order of importance:
--Consistent, reliable vaping
--Minimum of fuss
--Good throat hit
--Lots of vapor
--Flavor.

When it comes to Cartomizers, clearomizers, rebuilds, batteries etc they are just as subject-able as tasting juice

 

[AndrewInScotland]

Simple enough - Ego Twist and a Kanger T2, T3 (I'm really liking the T3), or a Vivi Nova.

I'm assuming here you're using 510 manual/auto batteries? If so, the only real way to get decent performance out of them is to use them with a low resistance cartomizer and stop using those bloody awful cartridges .

On another note, I'm trying to figure out how you're getting juice in your mouth from a cartomizer. Either it is way overfilled, you're trying to suck the filler out of it, or your battery dead/dying/needs recharged.

I'll suggest https://www.canvape.com/product-p/ultwistkit.htm. Even if you don't want to get the whole kit, use that as a guide for what items most of us have had good luck with (except the vision extreme, damn those things are just gurgling messes).

Hi Battlelance,

I did try cartomizers of various resistances. I tried filling them using various methods. Two cartomizers filled in exactly the same way with exactly the same amount would give two different vaping experiences. When I got a 'wet' vape, I would try a fully charged battery - or even a pass-through - and it would still be wet!
Hence my frustration.

Thanks for the suggestion and the link. I'll look into the eGo C Twist + Kanger T2.

Thanks,
Andrew

 

[AndrewInScotland]

How long were you vaping prior to giving up 6 months ago? I find it incredible that you never upgraded your hardware from your 510 set-up (I'm assuming it was a standard 510).

All of the mods and fixes that you mention having tried in the past seem sooo long ago! Hardware and accessories have come a very long way, just in the last year or less, that you should have no trouble finding exactly what you are looking for in terms of consistency. The new clearomizer tank set-ups that are now available (vivi nova, ego vision stardust) offer easy filling, replaceable atomizer heads that are easily and quickly changeable, and good consistent performance when paired with a reliable battery/mod.

Check out the review section to get a feel for what is available these days.

Hi Cactusgirl,
The last time I attempted vaping with my 510 setup I took copious notes to document every variation (resistance, battery, juice, fill method, etc) in the hopes of discovering a reliable vaping system. I even labelled my cartomizers and batteries. All to no avail unfortunately.
Looking back at these notes, I see it was actually a full year ago rather than the six months I'd originally claimed...
Anyways, it looks like I need to get hip with the new tech. Thanks for the tips.

Andrew

 

[AndrewInScotland]

Thanks for the links Constantine.

 

[AndrewInScotland]

Are you a time traveler or what, 901, atomizers, cartomizers, tea bags, straw mod?! Things have changed ! Yes, some people still use cartomizers up to this day and I never understood why, they are very unreliable.

Time traveler - I like it. Just moved over here from the UK; maybe things are a little behind there. But it's probably just me...

 

[darren molnar]

No cartomisers or clearomisers are 100% perfect reliable from batch to batch, you have to get over that. Try many, then find one that you can live with and buy lots of them for backups. Throw away the ones that don't work. You throw you're cigarettes away when they're done, don't think twice about tossing something that's not working. You're not losing anything if compared to the cost of smoking.

If you're stuck on cigarette sized batteries, a kit with a charging case helps you deal with the short battery life.

Ego twist batteries are the next step up in size and a leap in performance. I'd be surprised to find many vapers who don't have one in their kit or would say they aren't great in value and performance.

There are so many juice venders for simplicity I'd say stick with one for a while and try a bunch of different flavours. But stick with a 70/30 pg/vg mix to start. Keep that viscosity consistant til you get the hang of you carto/clearo whatever. I think thicker juices throw a wrench into the mix for newbes, it did for me anyways.

Personally after visiting some vaping relatives over christmas and seeing what they use and comparing devices between us all, my advice for serious new vapers would be two ego twists, two chargers ( one for backup), carto tanks and pre-punched cartos, single coil, Smoktec . Multiple boxes for backups.70/30 juice flavour of youre choice. A bit old school but I can't imagine anything more reiable and consistant and satisfying.

 

[darren molnar]

The recomendation for carto tanks is because this eliminates the too dry, too wet carto syndrome

 

[Mindfield]

(510) Ego C-2 Upgrade plus a Ego Booster

You can replace both of these with an inexpensive Twist battery, since that's basically what that setup is.

I realize you're saying it's what works for you, but it appears like you're suggesting them as a possibility, but they'd both be far more expensive than a Twist battery -- and in any event the Booster isn't made any more and no warranties are offered on any currently being sold.

 

[RosaJ]

After 10 months of searching for a consistent and reliable set up I finally settled on a pyrex and polypro carto tank. In my journey I've tried clearomizers (vivi nova's, stardusts, Kangers) and tried cleaning the cartos to get my last cent out of them. It doesn't work for me.

A boge carto in my tanks last about a week and a half, so when it starts giving me a hard draw, I just throw them away any more. Also I noted that you tried tea bags and I haven't done that. Do you mean you make your own ejuice by using regular tea bags? That would definitely gunk up your cartos in no time. I've found that when I vape darker juices it reduces the life of my cartos. The clearer the liquid, the more my carto lasts.

I hope you find what works for you. Also the kind of battery you use will affect your vaping experience. I suggest you do some more research in this forum. Good luck and vape on!

 

[larktdl]

AndrewInScotland .... You will need to purchase stuff and find out what works the best for you. I have been vaping for 3+ years and over the last 2 months I think I have now have discovered a near perfect vape. Of course this 'perfect vape' is what works for me. Might be different for you.

I use the Vivi Novas and recoil/rewick my attys for these units with cotton yarn and 36 awg nichrome. I attach my 4 ohm Vivi head/tank to my Vamo and set the VW for 8 watts ... One of the better vapes I have had since I started this habit.

Try a few things, try again, waste money, keep on trying ... You will eventually get your perfect vape.

 

[Mindfield]

Also I noted that you tried tea bags and I haven't done that. Do you mean you make your own ejuice by using regular tea bags? That would definitely gunk up your cartos in no time.

I believe he's referring to the now-ancient practice of using the perforated material of the Lipton pyramid tea bags as an alternative filler material to polyfill in cartridges to hold E-liquid in the old cart-and-atomizer setup. Back when I first started out I tried a bunch of things, that included, but I didn't find that it was very effective, and didn't work at all in eGo Mega carts. (Too much liquid weight caused it to just dump right back out again.)

 

[r77r7r]

How about getting together with a more experienced vaper? Or on the phone? Probably just missing some little bits of info to get you moving.