What are the real pros and cons between a Hammond style mosfets box vs a full mechanical box? (I've searched extensively already)

[jj6404]

So I've been wondering what is really the deal between mosfet dual parallel 18650 boxes like the sickclouds box vs the full mech ones like the dimitri clone. I've Google and read and read and I know mosfets protect the switch and mech boxes don't need it because they have big metal buttons, so why build Hammond boxes with mosfets at all? If a nice angelcigs cherry bomber clone is full mech and $40 and a mosfet box with all the wiring is $150+ then why is the latter sometimes more desirable or even selling?? I'm asking because I just got a dual 18650 dual mosfet box and my friend got a full mech cherry bomber clone and he paid half of what I paid and I thought his would at least be bigger but no, it's smaller. I can't find any pros that make mine worth the extra money.

Do the mosfets provide any other sort of protection or advantage other than making a small switch possible?




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[Bad Ninja]

To make it simple, the difference is the switch.
A mechanical box such as the cherry bomber or dimitri have beefy switches and solid copper plate to carry the load.
No wires.
A MOSFET in a box mod, takes the load off the switch and wires.
It also allows the use of a lighter switch.

 

[jj6404]

To make it simple, the difference is the switch.
A mechanical box such as the cherry bomber or dimitri have beefy switches and solid copper plate to carry the load.
No wires.
A MOSFET in a box mod, takes the load off the switch and wires.
It also allows the use of a lighter switch.

Yes. I understand that. So basically the only pro that a mosfet box has over a full mech is a smaller switch?

That's what I'm trying to understand, if nice solid billet aluminum mech boxes like the cherry bomber clone are 40 bucks or even 30 bucks now and a mosfet Hammond style box is 150 or sometimes even 200 bucks and the only advantage is a smaller switch, then why are mosfet boxes even selling so well and so popular compared to the mech ones?


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[Bad Ninja]

Well, those Hammond/MOSFET mods you mention are not clones, and are made in small shops.
The authentic Cherry Bomber is about $300 if you can find one.
The Chinese clones by Ivogo are the ones selling for $40.

Clone Cherry Bomber by Ivogo

 

[jj6404]

Yeah I know. My friend just got one and it looks like really good work. From what I can see the contacts are all machined nicely as well as the box itself and button. It hits hard and consistently. What I'm saying is if the question to a buyer is whether to buy a nicely made clone like this one or an authentic Hammond style box for three times the price, isn't it sort of a no brainer? And if course I'm speaking strictly considering price and performance here, and not the qualms of buying an authentic over a clone.

I'll make it clearer, if one were assured that the cherry bomber clone was a solid piece with no quality issues, say a 1:1 of the authentic, then would it not be a better buy to purchase this clone over an authentic box with wiring?


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[jj6404]

Even further, is one of these types of boxes even slightly safer than the other?

Can one handle a higher load than the other?
Will one possibly last longer than the other?

If I were a prospective buyer, what advantages would I have to consider that the more expensive wired box has over the cheaper mech clone box, other than the already mentioned smaller button and the obvious fact that it's an authentic versus a clone?


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[Bad Ninja]

Yeah I know. My friend just got one and it looks like really good work. From what I can see the contacts are all machined nicely as well as the box itself and button. It hits hard and consistently. What I'm saying is if the question to a buyer is whether to buy a nicely made clone like this one or an authentic Hammond style box for three times the price, isn't it sort of a no brainer? And if course I'm speaking strictly considering price and performance here, and not the qualms of buying an authentic over a clone.

I'll make it clearer, if one were assured that the cherry bomber clone was a solid piece with no quality issues, say a 1:1 of the authentic, then would it not be a better buy to purchase this clone over an authentic box with wiring?


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In my opinion yes. It's a no brainier for me.
The Cherry Bomber and Dimitri by Ivogo are very very well made.
The dimitri clone surpasses the authentic in build quality and performance.
No resistor to fail, and no wires are key for me.

 

[Rizzyking]

Got a Dimitri clone on the slow boat from China I looked at a lot of mechs looking for the ideal one for me I went with the Dimitri because I can replace or if push comes to shove make any of the parts if they fail with MOSFET boxes I can't do that I just wanted something as simple as me that will give me the ability to keep vaping if things go bad with legislation. You can get cloned MOSFET mods as well bringing the prices nearer to each other.

 

[duc916]

I just wanted something as simple as me that will give me the ability to keep vaping if things go bad with legislation.

That's why I stayed away from Mosfet mods.... and I work in the semiconductor industry. All chips go bad eventually. Google "electromigration". A well designed mechanical switch is preferred.

 

[jj6404]

That's why I stayed away from Mosfet mods.... and I work in the semiconductor industry. All chips go bad eventually. Google "electromigration". A well designed mechanical switch is preferred.

I remember reading on reddit that while a mechanical switch has a life of around 500 "cycles", a dual mosfet might have a life span in the millions of cycles.


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[duc916]

That's a broad statement. All mechanical switches are good for 500 cycles? I could do that on a weekend. No current travels through my mechanical switch. It actuates a hefty copper strap against the base of the 510, and the contacts are coated with antioxidant grease. Had it for months, never did any maintenance and it hits like brand new. If I ever did need to "fix" it, it wouldn't involve soldering in any new chips. A q-tip would be more likely all it needs. Millions of cycles even with dual mosfets sounds highly over-optimistic, especially in a high heat application like a parallel mech box. Heat is the enemy. The more of it a piece of silicon has to endure, the shorter their lifespan. If you insist on going mosfet, look for big heatsinks on them, or look elsewhere.

 

[Rizzyking]

Don't know who said that on reddit but they are wrong on 500 cycles for a true mech switch either they bought a very bad mod or they did something wrong. But as said even if it were true it's so simple to repair a full mech switch looking forward to getting mine in hand so I can talk from personal experience rather then research only.

 

[jj6404]

That's a broad statement. All mechanical switches are good for 500 cycles? I could do that on a weekend. No current travels through my mechanical switch. It actuates a hefty copper strap against the base of the 510, and the contacts are coated with antioxidant grease. Had it for months, never did any maintenance and it hits like brand new. If I ever did need to "fix" it, it wouldn't involve soldering in any new chips. A q-tip would be more likely all it needs. Millions of cycles even with dual mosfets sounds highly over-optimistic, especially in a high heat application like a parallel mech box. Heat is the enemy. The more of it a piece of silicon has to endure, the shorter their lifespan. If you insist on going mosfet, look for big heatsinks on them, or look elsewhere.

I was just trying to remember what I read but I know that mechanical was in the high hundreds and dual mosfet was in the millions. I know mosfets are made to handle the current and metal can lose its conductivity over time, especially brass and copper. I have a dual 18650 parallel box with two mosfets rated to a combined 600watts. I hope it lasts :/.

Anyway I still have the question of which box (mechanical vs mosfet) can potentially handle more load. Is a mechanical box truly only limited to the batteries? Because the maker of my box says it can handle down to 0.08 ohm builds. Are there any such restrictions for mech boxes?


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[Bad Ninja]

I was just trying to remember what I read but I know that mechanical was in the high hundreds and dual mosfet was in the millions. I know mosfets are made to handle the current and metal can lose its conductivity over time, especially brass and copper. I have a dual 18650 parallel box with two mosfets rated to a combined 600watts. I hope it lasts :/.

Anyway I still have the question of which box (mechanical vs mosfet) can potentially handle more load. Is a mechanical box truly only limited to the batteries? Because the maker of my box says it can handle down to 0.08 ohm builds. Are there any such restrictions for mech boxes?


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Do you really think the switch in my mechanical Dimitri mod failed after 500 uses?
It's a spring and solid brass "bolt". What is there to fail?
That's not even logical thinking.
I hit my mod more times than that in a day.

 

[Rizzyking]

Personally I think the person on reddit got the figures the wrong way round a pure mechanical switch is more likely to last longer then a MOSFET switch but either way your choice comes down to personal preference and to a lesser point what mod your liking the most.

 

[foolswithsometools]

Personally I think the person on reddit got the figures the wrong way round a pure mechanical switch is more likely to last longer then a MOSFET switch but either way your choice comes down to personal preference and to a lesser point what mod your liking the most.

It sounds like theyre talking about a "mechanical" switch more like using just a plain 3amp or whatever anti-vandal switch instead of a high-load mech switch, a real thick conductive mechanical switch will likely never fail (at worst you maybe have to clean the switch contacts of oxidation)
I know for a fact I hit both of my mosfet-less mechanical boxes at high current at least 500 times a day, but I also know that "switch failure" means one of my chunks of copper welding itself, and at the power Im pushing (even though its a lot), welding a thick copper beam from just 40-60 amps is nearly impossible
That includes the weak anti-vandal switches too, "failure" just means one of the contacts welded itself on or off, a homemade mech switch made from a conductive metal like copper, silver, brass or aluminum will likely never break on you from usage

 

[jj6404]

I just don't understand why mosfet Hammond boxes are so popular when mechanical boxes are so much better. Even speaking strictly authentics, most hover around the same price point.


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[foolswithsometools]

I just don't understand why mosfet Hammond boxes are so popular when mechanical boxes are so much better. Even speaking strictly authentics, most hover around the same price point.

You dont need to wire super well to make a mosfet box mod, thats why so many dummies go into box modding, because you can throw a mosfet and battery sled in there and not worry about a crappy switch or (to a point) bad soldering. Mechanicals usually are more well made and need either great wiring or no wiring, which take skill to make, or at least manufacturing equipment.
Im surprised, I thought good mechanical boxes were always way more expensive than the "local do-it-yourself craze" of hammond mosfet boxes. I do see hammond boxes with REAL high amperage switches though sometimes, but theyre crazy expensive as well (and theyre "authentic" but that doesnt mean anything at this point)
A lot of hammond homemade box mods come with all the bells and whistles too (voltmeter, USB charging, stuff like that), so that might make them more expensive
Look around at non-clone unregulated boxes, theyre crazy expensive. Just like simple mosfet hammond boxes can be crazy cheap

 

[duc916]

If anything should deter you from a mosfet switch, it's the fact that the failure mode of the vast majority of them is a dead short.