What is the Manufacturing Lifespan of the average product?

[Baditude]

smok seems to come out with a new mod every other month. Looks a little bit different from the previous models, maybe it can put out 10 more watts of power. Who needs 10 more watts when the current model can put out 220 watts? Who even vapes over 100 watts, anyway?

I'm all for variety and innovation in function and design, but IMHO smok is too much flash and not enough quality. They have a notorious reputation for poor quality control and customer support. You might get lucky with one, but the next one unlucky. I want better odds than 50-50.

I've got to hand it to smok for having slick advertising and being able to saturate the market with their product. But I research the products that I buy for quality control, customer support, and customer satisfaction over the long haul. I never recommend SMOK. Smok

Getting a year or two out of vape gear is a reasonable expectation these days. However, some products were built to last decades: Provari, Reo, Kayfun, etc.

 

[DaveP]

Rossum nailed it when he said, "I think it depends on how well something continues to sell...". Profit speaks loudly. That, and how well it performs. Word of mouth boosts sales.

It's interesting that the Joye 510 cig-a-like is still selling. I guess some like the ease of use and the shirt pocket size and weight. You could carry a 510 and a 10ml bottle of juice and drip into the atomizer all day if you had a couple of extra batteries. That was my first ecig purchase in 2010. They are just now selling out at half price.

 

[scott58]

I just ordered 2 iStick 30W mods for $21.87 each with Free S/H, from a very reputable US seller on eBay (has sold 88 of them so far, has all 100% positive feedback as a seller, etc.). He's located in NJ, and they shipped the same afternoon...due here Monday.

Thanks. I need to check that out.

 

[JCinFLA]

Thanks. I need to check that out.

I was wrong about his location...it's Arcadia, California. He's now sold 104 of them, and has changed his prices to $22.86-$23.87 depending on the color you choose. Still has Free S/H though. The link to his listing for them is below:

NEW Eleaf iStick 30w 2200mAh Built-In Battery Mod USB Charger Cord and Adapter | eBay

 

[United States]

It used to be demand drove the supply. In some products it still holds true.

Electronics seems to be driven by marketing, not demand. Is it working? I suppose to a degree it is, or they'd stop doing it. The big companies seem to always attempt to see rises in sales so they use gimmicks and shiney stuff.

The shame of it is often the so-called upgrades are not really upgrades. Especially if it comes at a cost in quality of manufacture.

It seems like giant companies have a 90 day cycle between the BR549a and BR550...51, 52.... Smaller companies seem to hang on to what drives the demand.

In the long run, in my estimation the allowing demand to drive the supply is the better long term method.

I'll use Nikon and Leica as examples. Nikon did the 90 day thing. Oh it worked great until cel cams took over the market. Suddenly Nikon was on the verge of bankruptcy. Leica on the other hand had made a deal with Panasonic to include their lenses and algorithms in consumer grade cameras. Yet, when the point and shoot went the way of the dinasaur Leica still had their core market of sales to keep things alive while they adapt.

If the vape market ever goes portable, many big companies will pay a heavy price for relying on the 90 day thing.

Remember Jnco jeans?

 

[stols001]

Stuff sticks around if it's popular and good. I'd say most manufacturers have a few flagship products that they kind of update down the road, sometimes with mixed results but other stuff, well, manufacturer's aren't going to know if like, their new "product" and I am talking to you waterproof speaker with the built in mod, is going to sell well or not. It is in a way, kind of how innovation is driven, I mean look at the nautilus coil, the CLR coil, or the various iterations of the Zenith tank in all shapes and sizes, because it was popular and well liked. For the most part I do see manufacturers supporting their best sellers but in a stepwise sort of way in a sense. You may not be able to get an Istick 30 anymore but there are various redesigns of the product that are SOMEWHAT similar.

If you happen to love a sort of unpopular product, unfortunately for you that may mean stocking up a LOT (if it's a drop in coil tank) or suffering a bit (if it's a built in battery setup) and having to get the "next generation" of it, etc.

Although it is an interesting thought, as far as what it "costs" manufacturers to design various products in order to see which ones will be "flagship" products or not, because there is many a "fail" device, and by that I don't mean it dies, it just gets horrible reviews out of the gate and doesn't sell well.

I have enough "durable" gear to be happy, and to know that I will have satisfying vapes as needed, and I paid the premium for doing that. I will also add, I don't expect some of my cheaper but also very satisfying mods to live forever, be they internal OR external and etc.

Once stuff starts showing up on clearance that you LOVE that is the time to stock up (IMHO) on backups if you want them (although in today's climate, who KNOWS) I mean, it may just be time to stock up.

Interesting topic.
Anna

 

[Punk In Drublic]

What we do not know is are products made with a limited batch amount or do they continue to be manufactured based on sales. Personally I think it is a bit of both depending on the recourses of said company. Vape products are not very expensive, however the tooling required to produce them is. Such tooling also has a limited lifespan. A manufacture needs to sell so many products in order to recoup their costs and generate a profit. With the ever changing market driven by trends, it is difficult for a manufacture to predict if a product will continue to sell should they invest in replacing the needed tooling in order to continue manufacturing. It is a high risk therefore many will only produce a said amount based on the tooling’s lifespan. 85% of production goes to sales, %5 to marketing and the remaining 10% for warranty and RMA’s (these figures are just an example).

 

[stols001]

Still has Free S/H though. The link to his listing for them is below:

@JCinFLA with another surgical strike of finding the right product, for the right buyer! LOL, I'm going to start keeping score, you know my thoughts about your magical abilities to find anything for anyone, along with compelling reasons to do it!

Anna

 

[JCinFLA]

@JCinFLA with another surgical strike of finding the right product, for the right buyer! LOL, I'm going to start keeping score, you know my thoughts about your magical abilities to find anything for anyone, along with compelling reasons to do it!

I couldn't choose the "funny" and the "love" rating unfortunately, but wanted to let you know that I wanted to.

As far as finding HTF things and/or deals for people...I just search for them like I would for myself, if I wanted the item and at a decent or best price. It's like an adult Easter Egg hunt for me, and I'm hunting until I find that "golden egg".

 

[RayofLight62]

I see this under a different perspective. If you look at how the yearly growth of Chinese economy has fallen from 13% to 6%, it is easy to see how they actually have an excess production capacity, that they must use nonetheless.
Being vaping one of very few sectors of retail which are still expanding, it is easy to see how vape stuff is a prime target of their monster production machine with endless reiterations of the same devices. And, on a side, has become obvious that, sometimes, keeping production may be more important than profit...

 

[DaveP]

I still use my iStick 30W and my iStick TC 40W for a stealth vape while I'm out and about. Both are over 5 years old and the internal batteries still last as long as I need for a day away from home. I can always charge them in my vehicle while I'm riding, so they are the ultimate in reliable vape and convenience. And, they slide in and out of any pocket.

 

[redeuce]

I still use my iStick 30W and my iStick TC 40W for a stealth vape while I'm out and about. Both are over 5 years old and the internal batteries still last as long as I need for a day away from home. I can always charge them in my vehicle while I'm riding, so they are the ultimate in reliable vape and convenience.

I agree. The iStick is one of the most under rated units out there. I don’t take my Provaris out of the house. My iStick 30 with a T18 tank is my outside vape.

 

[JCinFLA]

I agree. The iStick is one of the most under rated units out there.

I definitely agree, too! I bought quite a few Mini 10W ones in late 2015 (definitely great for stealth), and I've only had 1 die, because of too many drops on the concrete floor of my barn. 3 local vaping newbies each got 1 from me, and theirs are still going strong after 2.5 years so far.

Got some 50W ones for 3 newbie guys, who all do tree trimming & removal work full time. They've all had them for almost a year now, dropped them numerous times while working, and all continue to work great!

Have had no problems either with the iStick Basics and 20W ones I've been using for awhile now, so decided to get a couple of the 30W, too. It's hard to beat iStick reliability, especially at their inexpensive prices, too!

 

[RayofLight62]

As my iSticks have aged, I replaced them with Smok Qbox. Different shape yes, but same overall tiny size...

 

[MikeyConti]

For stashed away 30W Box Mods I’m pretty sure I have 5 Sigelei Mini’s, 2 Ola X Hero’s, Various Innokin’s, DNA 40’s, And Joyetechs, etc.
I always heard the iCare 30W was the most reliable iCare I believe but I don’t have any of them.. Mistake that I didn’t order some when I had the thought.

And yes, I have been back to cigs past couple years and when I finally come back here and looked at the mods out I really could not find 1 within 40 that I would actually buy. Saw this coming when Firmware included games on Evics lol
I don’t see going past the needs of my DNA 200’s the way I vape and I already use old school RTA’s, Clearos, sometimes the occasional the Sub Ohm Tank with Pre-Made Coils, which I already have some that work great. So when I get switched back to Vaping full time, probably not going to go crazy ordering new mods because only looks have changed. As someone said above, think it was about Smok but anyway I can tell the new models are modified Aliens, or G-Prives nothing new. Sigelei/SnowWolf looks like past models, the Snowwolf 85W I actually like because the body looks just like the old Sigelei 50W VR2 but with TC!
Snowwolf 85W_Official Snowwolf - Vaping Products - Mods,Tanks,RDAs,Kits

 

[440BB]

The only "new" models I have gotten over the last few years have been won in contests. My vaping dollars get spent when forced obsolescence creates heavily discounted "old" equipment. When many chase the new shiny I hunt for the old shiny. As I rarely go over 10 watts and never cross 40, the choices are plentiful.

The constant release and discontinuation of models over the last couple years creates an opportunity to snag things you really like at great prices. As little has changed over that time except for variations of what already works, staying behind the curve has made vaping very inexpensive. I have a somewhat ridiculous stockpile of mods and toppers I enjoy that have been gotten on clearance for as little as 5% of the retail price. Sad as it is that the FDA and market trends led to Provape closing, their clearances allowed me to enjoy a new ProVari regularly for the decades of vaping ahead.

When I load up a Kanger Subtank mini on a DNA 40 mod with a total cost of $20, it's hard to be frustrated with the stream of new stuff coming out every day.

 

[hell_storm2004]

If its SMOK then its probably just over a day. Not sure how many Alien or Alien like mods they have released. Ridley Scott should be embarrassed with his production rate.

 

[DaveP]

I just ordered another iStick 30W. I meant to order two, but I left the page and went back and the quantity change back to 1. Didn't notice that! $17.99 free shipping from New Jersey and no sales tax unless you are in NJ. The name comes back as Mike's Golf Shop. East coast shippers seem to get the item to me quicker than west coast vendors. Most of it depends on how quick they fill the order and hand it over to transit people.

Eleaf iStick 30w 2200mAh Battery Mod USB Charging Cord and Connector USA SELLER | eBay

 

[Eskie]

If its SMOK then its probably just over a day. Not sure how many Alien or Alien like mods they have released. Ridley Scott should be embarrassed with his production rate.

You can still find the Alien for sale. Might even still be in production.

Don't throw bricks at me, but I still have one that works just fine and the finish is intact, so you never know with Smok. They don't all crash. That said, I'm still not buying more of their stuff.

 

[Baditude]

I joke about the lack of durability of SMOK products, and created a slogan for them.

"We make cheap. You buy cheap. If it break, you buy another."