I thought the gemini would be my main tank when I spec'd all new-ish tanks and ordered a few (TFV8 also and Kayfun V5 clone and some RDAs - I had been using a basic single soil RDA with regular single strand kanthal at 8 watts 3ohms and hadn't kept up with new tanks for the past couple years). The Kayfun deck is just too small for my liking, I never even used it.
Anyway, Because of the juice flow control and top airflow control of the Gemini and also a little but because of the air flow in the center of the velocity deck which may or may not even make a noticeable difference, I thought the Gemini would be better than the TFV8 (when using the TFV8 RBA deck instead of the premade tfv8 coils).
I praised the Gemini in a previous thread before I even used it just based on specs but I prefer the TFV8 now.
I got the Gemini, and like all tanks, opened it and sprayed it with a little bit of alcohol, (didn't let it soak in alcohol and possibly damage o rings), and immediately rinsed it with hot water to clean any machining oil that might be on it. Left it to dry fully disassembled on the counter for a couple days. Put it back together (NOT tight at all) and could not for the life of me get the thing open again. I am by no means weak and I work with my hands most days but it took me like half an hour to twist the thing apart using one of those rubber pads to open pickle jars etc. I was squeezing the thing so hard I thought the glass would break in my hands. The nurling/notches (bumps so you can grip it) are too shallow and basically useless. And there's such a small section needed to grip it otherwise it just keeps spinning as the juice control.
Also, if you're familiar with this tank, there's a ring that goes around the four wick ends. Well, that is seized on (and was not left to dry like that when I first rinsed the new tank and let dry - as if that should even matter). Again, such a tiny piece to try and twist and no knurling on it. I eventually took a pair of pliers to it but I never got it off. It's not totally necessary to remove said ring to tuck the wick ends in first but it's easier when wicking. Another thing is where the 4 wick ends tuck in is such a small hole if you want wide 3mm diameter coil wraps, then that 3mm of cotton will be too thick and thus clog the juice flow and not wick quickly. You also can't build more than 3mm diameter coils or they will hit the metal sides of the tank. I'm not sure the max mm of the TFV8 RBA though, could be close to 3mm before they short out on the metal housing also.
The bottom airflow is stupidly loose, it often closes itself by accident, not a huge problem but it happens now and then from in and out of pocket etc.
I vape around 90VG and the remaining 10 is PG or alcohol based flavors and thus not having juice flow on the TFV8 hasn't been a problem because the juice is thick. With thinner juice, I would be concerned about leaking but that hasn't happened except when it was like 110 degree with heat index and I was outside for the day and the tank leaked in my pocket.
The TFV8 has much wider air flow. I never thought I'd be a fan of wide air flow (my old RDA is like a pin hole compared to this) but I love wide air flow. If anything I can go smaller with the TFV8 drip tip but I find the Gemini mega is too small with the widest tip you can use. The TFV8 is only a couple mm taller with the drip tips installed.
I didn't know about 30+mm tanks when I first spec'd out all new-ish tanks. I made a thread and will pick one/some of those to replace the Gemini and still use the tfv8 and buy the $5 tfv8 coils sometimes if they're not obsolete from clouds of a 30+mm tank beating the octa tfv8 coils.
Besides the issues with the Gemini, I am still in the process to see if I actually prefer the Gemini over the tfv8 (with RBA) in terms of clouds and flavor. Right now, as I mentioned, I think I have to rebuild the Gemini with a thinner coil, like 2.5mm because I seem to be getting cottony flavor from said wick holes are so damn small and had to pack the cotton in too tight. But I'm %98 sure I'll prefer the TFV8 RBA even if the Gemini is built with a smaller coil to thus not give a cottony taste (or maybe I'll just remove half of the thickness of the cotton where the cotton is not in the actual coil so that the cotton isn't too thick for the tiny wick juice ports in the Gemini. I'm using dual fused Clapton builds 7 wraps each and cotton bacon V2.
edit : want to add that sometimes the RBA tfv8 deck does leak out the bottom in my car when hot enough. smok might make a V2 very soon with juice control (although that will be tricky because the premade coils for this tank have juice entrance at different areas than the RBA deck). Either way, there are other large tanks 30+mm that have juice control if I remember correctly, and I''' buy that next.
Anyway, Because of the juice flow control and top airflow control of the Gemini and also a little but because of the air flow in the center of the velocity deck which may or may not even make a noticeable difference, I thought the Gemini would be better than the TFV8 (when using the TFV8 RBA deck instead of the premade tfv8 coils).
I praised the Gemini in a previous thread before I even used it just based on specs but I prefer the TFV8 now.
I got the Gemini, and like all tanks, opened it and sprayed it with a little bit of alcohol, (didn't let it soak in alcohol and possibly damage o rings), and immediately rinsed it with hot water to clean any machining oil that might be on it. Left it to dry fully disassembled on the counter for a couple days. Put it back together (NOT tight at all) and could not for the life of me get the thing open again. I am by no means weak and I work with my hands most days but it took me like half an hour to twist the thing apart using one of those rubber pads to open pickle jars etc. I was squeezing the thing so hard I thought the glass would break in my hands. The nurling/notches (bumps so you can grip it) are too shallow and basically useless. And there's such a small section needed to grip it otherwise it just keeps spinning as the juice control.
Also, if you're familiar with this tank, there's a ring that goes around the four wick ends. Well, that is seized on (and was not left to dry like that when I first rinsed the new tank and let dry - as if that should even matter). Again, such a tiny piece to try and twist and no knurling on it. I eventually took a pair of pliers to it but I never got it off. It's not totally necessary to remove said ring to tuck the wick ends in first but it's easier when wicking. Another thing is where the 4 wick ends tuck in is such a small hole if you want wide 3mm diameter coil wraps, then that 3mm of cotton will be too thick and thus clog the juice flow and not wick quickly. You also can't build more than 3mm diameter coils or they will hit the metal sides of the tank. I'm not sure the max mm of the TFV8 RBA though, could be close to 3mm before they short out on the metal housing also.
The bottom airflow is stupidly loose, it often closes itself by accident, not a huge problem but it happens now and then from in and out of pocket etc.
I vape around 90VG and the remaining 10 is PG or alcohol based flavors and thus not having juice flow on the TFV8 hasn't been a problem because the juice is thick. With thinner juice, I would be concerned about leaking but that hasn't happened except when it was like 110 degree with heat index and I was outside for the day and the tank leaked in my pocket.
The TFV8 has much wider air flow. I never thought I'd be a fan of wide air flow (my old RDA is like a pin hole compared to this) but I love wide air flow. If anything I can go smaller with the TFV8 drip tip but I find the Gemini mega is too small with the widest tip you can use. The TFV8 is only a couple mm taller with the drip tips installed.
I didn't know about 30+mm tanks when I first spec'd out all new-ish tanks. I made a thread and will pick one/some of those to replace the Gemini and still use the tfv8 and buy the $5 tfv8 coils sometimes if they're not obsolete from clouds of a 30+mm tank beating the octa tfv8 coils.
Besides the issues with the Gemini, I am still in the process to see if I actually prefer the Gemini over the tfv8 (with RBA) in terms of clouds and flavor. Right now, as I mentioned, I think I have to rebuild the Gemini with a thinner coil, like 2.5mm because I seem to be getting cottony flavor from said wick holes are so damn small and had to pack the cotton in too tight. But I'm %98 sure I'll prefer the TFV8 RBA even if the Gemini is built with a smaller coil to thus not give a cottony taste (or maybe I'll just remove half of the thickness of the cotton where the cotton is not in the actual coil so that the cotton isn't too thick for the tiny wick juice ports in the Gemini. I'm using dual fused Clapton builds 7 wraps each and cotton bacon V2.
edit : want to add that sometimes the RBA tfv8 deck does leak out the bottom in my car when hot enough. smok might make a V2 very soon with juice control (although that will be tricky because the premade coils for this tank have juice entrance at different areas than the RBA deck). Either way, there are other large tanks 30+mm that have juice control if I remember correctly, and I''' buy that next.
Last edited:
