I've been vaping for a couple of years now, so I'm not new to these sort of devices, but despite that I haven't really tried all that many in all that time either. I started off with a mini e-cigarrette starter kit I'd purchased from a 7-11 store. That worked out well enough at the time, but I was interested in what else might be out there. I checked online and ended up settling on using m401 series 3-piece type mini e-cigarettes (that were not all that different from what I'd initially purchased from 7-11). At least now I was paying a lot less for my gear, and had discovered useful accessories like PCC boxes and the like. I was buying e-liquid online and refilling my own upgraded XL cartridges as well. So I quickly stopped using analog cigarettes and haven't looked back at them since.
This worked out just fine for me until the m401 series stopped being readily available in the U.S. Essentially it was being discontinued, though I'm sure m401 series parts are still out there if you care to look. That wasn't the only problem. The m401 gear had worked out pretty well, and for quite a long time, but it had its limitations. The batteries didn't hold much of a charge, and even the m401 PCC boxes didn't hold that much of a charge, which meant I was constantly rotating and recharging batteries. The cartridges (even the XL versions) didn't hold that much e-liquid, which meant I was constantly refilling those as well. Finally, the automatic m401 series batteries (my preferred type over manual models) were finicky in operation. They tended to turn themselves on in loud environments, like night clubs, sometimes leaving me with nothing but a pocketful of drained, dead and useless batteries.
So I ended up switching to using automatic ECHO 650mah fat batteries, with either DC (dual coil) 3ml e-liquid capacity cartomizers, or CE4 type clearomizers. The ECHO batteries were bigger than what I was used too, but held a nice charge, requiring far fewer recharges, and their automatic function was highly reliable in even the loudest of environments. The ECHO cartomizers and clearomizers didn't last very long before having to be replaced (only a few days really), but I learned to live with this. Overall I was getting a much better vaping experience, and didn't need to bother carrying around a PCC box or two anymore.
Then I started having allergic skin reaction issues to PG e-liquids, so I had to switch to all VG e-liquids instead. Eventually I found good tasting ones, but I never found any that wouldn't fairly quickly kill my ECHO cartomizers and clearomizers. Now these devices of mine were only lasting a few days, at best, which was starting to get expensive. Unfortunately, as great an automatic fat battery as the ECHO batteries are, there is very little in the way of cartomizers or clearomizers that work with them, and none of those seem to want to play nice with high VG e-liquids. I had to find another vapor delivery solution.
I've had some experience with smaller automatic and manual 510 and KR808D-1 devices. They were all okay, but I found the KR808D-1 batteries to be better performers overall. I needed something in a fat battery type of design though, so that meant either something like a 510 threaded type EGO or an 808 threaded VGO type of device. 510/EGO compatible stuff is more plentiful then 808/VGO, but I already knew I generally preferred 808 threaded fat batteries from my experience with the ECHO, though the ECHO is considered by some to be just an 808 threaded automatic EGO. A 510 threaded type of automatic EGO actually would've been fine, allowing me the widest and best range of 510 compatible clearomizers to check out for use with all VG e-liquids, but apparently there really aren't any short (650mah or less) automatic EGO batteries out there.
That left me with a fairly short list of VGO batteries and clearomizers to consider, mainly Halo's Triton (available in sizes as short as 400mah - about 56mm long, but only in a manual version) or SI's Volt X2 (available in automatic sizes as short as 650mah, but which are actually a fairly long 110mm or so in length). I didn't like the idea of switching to manual operation batteries, but wanted to keep my overall e-cigarette setup fairly short in length. I opted to try out the Triton batteries and clearomizers first, ordering two 400mah batteries, a single 650mah battery, three USB chargers, some Triton clearomizers (tanks), and some replacement Triton clearomizer atomizer coil/wick assemblies (2.6 - 2.8 ohms) for the rebuildable Triton tanks.
Shipping delivery time took about a week after placing my order, which was slightly longer than I've experienced in the past when just ordering e-liquid from Halo. Halo's e-liquid is pretty good stuff, and it used to be an old standby for me before I started having my PG intolerance issues. Halo does not make any all VG juice, so I no longer order any e-liquid from them. Of course, Halo doesn't know that, so they sent me a free sample of their latest juice with my order, Voodoo, which I sadly could not use. I tried a bit of it anyway, and was quickly reminded of why I don't use e-liquids with PG in them anymore. Oh well, so much for that.
The single 650mah battery Halo sent me ended up being dead and not rechargeable, so I had to send it back. Halo replaced it with a 400mah battery at my request, and also credited me the return shipping cost. I would have preferred they sent me a replacement battery right away, without having to wait over a week for my DOA battery to get back to them so they could then send a replacement back via snail mail. I've had better customer service, but I've had worse. They stood by their product, and in the end replaced it at their own expense, so I can't complain much about that. It would've been nice to get everything working right in the first place though, but these things happen and I understand that.
All my other Halo Triton gear is working fine. I've been using it all for a few weeks now, and finally got my replacement 400mah battery recently. It is also working perfectly. The charge time for these 400mah Triton batteries is fairly short, about an hour and a half. Depending on how much I vape, they last me about 3 to 4 hours on a single charge. If I'm really vaping heavy they may sometimes only last me about two and a half hours. This is not bad at all for a battery that is only 57mm or so long, and compares favorably (though not quite as good) to my old 650mah ECHO batteries. Getting used to using a manual button operated battery has taken about 2 weeks. It is an easier transition going from using an automatic fat battery to using a manual fat battery compared to doing the same with mini sized batteries. Remembering to turn the manual button on and off for safe pocket carry by clicking the button 5 times quickly takes abouth the same length of time to get used to, but is a bit more of an annoyance at first.
The Triton replaceable atomizer coil/wick assembly model clearomizer tanks (a VGO threaded Kanger T2 as I understand it) work well with good quality VG juices. I've primarily used Cignot's Basic Sweet Naked in these clearomizers. It is a good juice which actually runs better than most VG juices I've tried in my old ECHO equipment, keeping them going a day or two longer than average. Triton clearomizers handle this juice with relative ease, lasting over a week before needing to be cleaned (which was more of a choice than a necessity). After about 2 weeks I tried disassembling and cleaning the first tank I used again, but ended up deciding to replace the tank's coil assembly. This was easily done, and the replacement coil assemblies (with new wicks attached) are less than half the price of buying a whole new replacement clearomizer.
Filling up one of these Triton clearomizers is very easy. The procedure is very similar to other top feed clearomizer models I've tried in the past. These ones fill from the top after unscrewing the black plastic clearomizer mouthpiece. Sometimes the coil assembly unscrews partially when you unscrew the mouthpiece, so you have to keep an eye out for that. Just always be sure to check by retightening the coil assembly, but I understand it is advised you don't do this to tightly, which I've never had a problem doing properly. The fill opening is pretty generous in size once the mouthpiece is removed, so no needle syringes are needed for refilling. Just drip in up to the fill line, screw the mouthpiece back on until it stops (making sure it's in all the way, but don't over tighten), and then you are good to go.
Even after "rebuilding", I've yet to have a single issue with these Triton clearomizers leaking, which used to be a common issue with my old re-buildable ECHO CE4 type clearomizers. Those leaked regularly, sometimes even fresh out of the wrapper, which was a great annoyance. Fiddling sometimes solved that issue, and sometimes it didn't. The Triton clearomizers are fairly fiddle free, which is wonderful. I can typically vape these 2.4ml e-liquid capacity clearomizers down to about 1/3 or 1/4 full before having to refill them for best performance. They seem to wick reasonably thin VG juices (which tend to be thicker than PG juices) very well. I haven't had to dilute my VG juices with distilled water when using these tanks, though that was a common necessity when I used ECHO gear (though it didn't help much anyway).
The Triton clearomizer tanks are about 72mm in length, which makes them actually longer than my 50mm (not including hidden threads) 400mah Triton batteries. That makes for an overall combined e-cigarette setup 122mm in length, which fits in an average shirt pocket with just a bit of the tip of the clearomizer mouthpiece exposed. It fits very comfortably in the hand. Only the battery button lights up when depressed, and that is almost entirely covered by your finger or thumb. This setup stealth vapes easily. The button will flash when depressed if the battery charge is low, which is typical for nearly any manual button operated fat battery - except for some of the more advanced variable-voltage type batteries. I initially thought that these Triton batteries are voltage regulated (which I still think the SI Volt X2 is), but now I'm not so sure. These batteries definitely weaken toward the end of their charge, shortly before the button starts flashing to indicate a low charge. For most of the battery's charge the vape is pretty consistent. I would occasionally get dry, hot vapes, but that is more due to manual battery newbie error than anything else. Proper manual battery operation takes a little getting used to.
This overall Triton setup produces good vapor and throat hit, though that is something that is highly dependent on the e-liquid you are using. My results with Cignot's Basic Sweet Naked at 12mg nicotine level have been good. Flavor delivery has been good as well. I've not used Halo's smaller G6 model e-cigaratte, so I cannot directly compare the two. I presume, based on my experience with other e-cigarette models out there, that you'd get a bit better performance with the Triton over the G6 in all categories, but not necessarily by leaps and bounds. The biggest area of improvement is how much longer the Triton batteries last on a single charge compared to a G6. I will actually get around to trying out Halo's G6 sometime in the near future, just because there are times when it is nice to have a smaller e-cigarette to work with, and because I still have a slight preference for automatic batteries for certain uses. For now though, the Triton is working out very well for me. I'm good with what I have as is, without any real need to look further for a replacement system at this time. I only wish these Triton batteries were available in an automatic version.
There are all kinds of e-cigarette models and accessories out there these days. I've only tried relatively few, and will probably never get around to trying them all. The Triton system works well for its convenient portable size, without fiddling or other issues. It seems to work particularly well compared to other models I've tried when it comes to working with VG juices. It is for that reason that I give it a good recommendation. If you are looking for a good automatic fat battery, and have no tolerance issues with PG juices, then I highly recommend checking out using an ECHO battery using ECHO DC cartomizers. Dual coil clearomizers would be a nice optional improvement to the Triton, but there don't seem to be a lot of DC clearomizers out there right now, especially for VGO threaded devices. There are some other compatible clearomizers available for the Triton batteries, in particular the VGO threaded X2-T3 and X2 - Mini T3 from Smokeless Image. Those are bottom coil and feed devices. The X2-T3 sounds a little fiddly, but the X2 - Mini T3 apparently has good reviews and is worth checking out, in particular because of its shorter size, which some may prefer. I intend to eventually check those out on a Triton battery when I can get around to it.
This worked out just fine for me until the m401 series stopped being readily available in the U.S. Essentially it was being discontinued, though I'm sure m401 series parts are still out there if you care to look. That wasn't the only problem. The m401 gear had worked out pretty well, and for quite a long time, but it had its limitations. The batteries didn't hold much of a charge, and even the m401 PCC boxes didn't hold that much of a charge, which meant I was constantly rotating and recharging batteries. The cartridges (even the XL versions) didn't hold that much e-liquid, which meant I was constantly refilling those as well. Finally, the automatic m401 series batteries (my preferred type over manual models) were finicky in operation. They tended to turn themselves on in loud environments, like night clubs, sometimes leaving me with nothing but a pocketful of drained, dead and useless batteries.
So I ended up switching to using automatic ECHO 650mah fat batteries, with either DC (dual coil) 3ml e-liquid capacity cartomizers, or CE4 type clearomizers. The ECHO batteries were bigger than what I was used too, but held a nice charge, requiring far fewer recharges, and their automatic function was highly reliable in even the loudest of environments. The ECHO cartomizers and clearomizers didn't last very long before having to be replaced (only a few days really), but I learned to live with this. Overall I was getting a much better vaping experience, and didn't need to bother carrying around a PCC box or two anymore.
Then I started having allergic skin reaction issues to PG e-liquids, so I had to switch to all VG e-liquids instead. Eventually I found good tasting ones, but I never found any that wouldn't fairly quickly kill my ECHO cartomizers and clearomizers. Now these devices of mine were only lasting a few days, at best, which was starting to get expensive. Unfortunately, as great an automatic fat battery as the ECHO batteries are, there is very little in the way of cartomizers or clearomizers that work with them, and none of those seem to want to play nice with high VG e-liquids. I had to find another vapor delivery solution.
I've had some experience with smaller automatic and manual 510 and KR808D-1 devices. They were all okay, but I found the KR808D-1 batteries to be better performers overall. I needed something in a fat battery type of design though, so that meant either something like a 510 threaded type EGO or an 808 threaded VGO type of device. 510/EGO compatible stuff is more plentiful then 808/VGO, but I already knew I generally preferred 808 threaded fat batteries from my experience with the ECHO, though the ECHO is considered by some to be just an 808 threaded automatic EGO. A 510 threaded type of automatic EGO actually would've been fine, allowing me the widest and best range of 510 compatible clearomizers to check out for use with all VG e-liquids, but apparently there really aren't any short (650mah or less) automatic EGO batteries out there.
That left me with a fairly short list of VGO batteries and clearomizers to consider, mainly Halo's Triton (available in sizes as short as 400mah - about 56mm long, but only in a manual version) or SI's Volt X2 (available in automatic sizes as short as 650mah, but which are actually a fairly long 110mm or so in length). I didn't like the idea of switching to manual operation batteries, but wanted to keep my overall e-cigarette setup fairly short in length. I opted to try out the Triton batteries and clearomizers first, ordering two 400mah batteries, a single 650mah battery, three USB chargers, some Triton clearomizers (tanks), and some replacement Triton clearomizer atomizer coil/wick assemblies (2.6 - 2.8 ohms) for the rebuildable Triton tanks.
Shipping delivery time took about a week after placing my order, which was slightly longer than I've experienced in the past when just ordering e-liquid from Halo. Halo's e-liquid is pretty good stuff, and it used to be an old standby for me before I started having my PG intolerance issues. Halo does not make any all VG juice, so I no longer order any e-liquid from them. Of course, Halo doesn't know that, so they sent me a free sample of their latest juice with my order, Voodoo, which I sadly could not use. I tried a bit of it anyway, and was quickly reminded of why I don't use e-liquids with PG in them anymore. Oh well, so much for that.
The single 650mah battery Halo sent me ended up being dead and not rechargeable, so I had to send it back. Halo replaced it with a 400mah battery at my request, and also credited me the return shipping cost. I would have preferred they sent me a replacement battery right away, without having to wait over a week for my DOA battery to get back to them so they could then send a replacement back via snail mail. I've had better customer service, but I've had worse. They stood by their product, and in the end replaced it at their own expense, so I can't complain much about that. It would've been nice to get everything working right in the first place though, but these things happen and I understand that.
All my other Halo Triton gear is working fine. I've been using it all for a few weeks now, and finally got my replacement 400mah battery recently. It is also working perfectly. The charge time for these 400mah Triton batteries is fairly short, about an hour and a half. Depending on how much I vape, they last me about 3 to 4 hours on a single charge. If I'm really vaping heavy they may sometimes only last me about two and a half hours. This is not bad at all for a battery that is only 57mm or so long, and compares favorably (though not quite as good) to my old 650mah ECHO batteries. Getting used to using a manual button operated battery has taken about 2 weeks. It is an easier transition going from using an automatic fat battery to using a manual fat battery compared to doing the same with mini sized batteries. Remembering to turn the manual button on and off for safe pocket carry by clicking the button 5 times quickly takes abouth the same length of time to get used to, but is a bit more of an annoyance at first.
The Triton replaceable atomizer coil/wick assembly model clearomizer tanks (a VGO threaded Kanger T2 as I understand it) work well with good quality VG juices. I've primarily used Cignot's Basic Sweet Naked in these clearomizers. It is a good juice which actually runs better than most VG juices I've tried in my old ECHO equipment, keeping them going a day or two longer than average. Triton clearomizers handle this juice with relative ease, lasting over a week before needing to be cleaned (which was more of a choice than a necessity). After about 2 weeks I tried disassembling and cleaning the first tank I used again, but ended up deciding to replace the tank's coil assembly. This was easily done, and the replacement coil assemblies (with new wicks attached) are less than half the price of buying a whole new replacement clearomizer.
Filling up one of these Triton clearomizers is very easy. The procedure is very similar to other top feed clearomizer models I've tried in the past. These ones fill from the top after unscrewing the black plastic clearomizer mouthpiece. Sometimes the coil assembly unscrews partially when you unscrew the mouthpiece, so you have to keep an eye out for that. Just always be sure to check by retightening the coil assembly, but I understand it is advised you don't do this to tightly, which I've never had a problem doing properly. The fill opening is pretty generous in size once the mouthpiece is removed, so no needle syringes are needed for refilling. Just drip in up to the fill line, screw the mouthpiece back on until it stops (making sure it's in all the way, but don't over tighten), and then you are good to go.
Even after "rebuilding", I've yet to have a single issue with these Triton clearomizers leaking, which used to be a common issue with my old re-buildable ECHO CE4 type clearomizers. Those leaked regularly, sometimes even fresh out of the wrapper, which was a great annoyance. Fiddling sometimes solved that issue, and sometimes it didn't. The Triton clearomizers are fairly fiddle free, which is wonderful. I can typically vape these 2.4ml e-liquid capacity clearomizers down to about 1/3 or 1/4 full before having to refill them for best performance. They seem to wick reasonably thin VG juices (which tend to be thicker than PG juices) very well. I haven't had to dilute my VG juices with distilled water when using these tanks, though that was a common necessity when I used ECHO gear (though it didn't help much anyway).
The Triton clearomizer tanks are about 72mm in length, which makes them actually longer than my 50mm (not including hidden threads) 400mah Triton batteries. That makes for an overall combined e-cigarette setup 122mm in length, which fits in an average shirt pocket with just a bit of the tip of the clearomizer mouthpiece exposed. It fits very comfortably in the hand. Only the battery button lights up when depressed, and that is almost entirely covered by your finger or thumb. This setup stealth vapes easily. The button will flash when depressed if the battery charge is low, which is typical for nearly any manual button operated fat battery - except for some of the more advanced variable-voltage type batteries. I initially thought that these Triton batteries are voltage regulated (which I still think the SI Volt X2 is), but now I'm not so sure. These batteries definitely weaken toward the end of their charge, shortly before the button starts flashing to indicate a low charge. For most of the battery's charge the vape is pretty consistent. I would occasionally get dry, hot vapes, but that is more due to manual battery newbie error than anything else. Proper manual battery operation takes a little getting used to.
This overall Triton setup produces good vapor and throat hit, though that is something that is highly dependent on the e-liquid you are using. My results with Cignot's Basic Sweet Naked at 12mg nicotine level have been good. Flavor delivery has been good as well. I've not used Halo's smaller G6 model e-cigaratte, so I cannot directly compare the two. I presume, based on my experience with other e-cigarette models out there, that you'd get a bit better performance with the Triton over the G6 in all categories, but not necessarily by leaps and bounds. The biggest area of improvement is how much longer the Triton batteries last on a single charge compared to a G6. I will actually get around to trying out Halo's G6 sometime in the near future, just because there are times when it is nice to have a smaller e-cigarette to work with, and because I still have a slight preference for automatic batteries for certain uses. For now though, the Triton is working out very well for me. I'm good with what I have as is, without any real need to look further for a replacement system at this time. I only wish these Triton batteries were available in an automatic version.
There are all kinds of e-cigarette models and accessories out there these days. I've only tried relatively few, and will probably never get around to trying them all. The Triton system works well for its convenient portable size, without fiddling or other issues. It seems to work particularly well compared to other models I've tried when it comes to working with VG juices. It is for that reason that I give it a good recommendation. If you are looking for a good automatic fat battery, and have no tolerance issues with PG juices, then I highly recommend checking out using an ECHO battery using ECHO DC cartomizers. Dual coil clearomizers would be a nice optional improvement to the Triton, but there don't seem to be a lot of DC clearomizers out there right now, especially for VGO threaded devices. There are some other compatible clearomizers available for the Triton batteries, in particular the VGO threaded X2-T3 and X2 - Mini T3 from Smokeless Image. Those are bottom coil and feed devices. The X2-T3 sounds a little fiddly, but the X2 - Mini T3 apparently has good reviews and is worth checking out, in particular because of its shorter size, which some may prefer. I intend to eventually check those out on a Triton battery when I can get around to it.
