What VV would you recommend?

[Starspecks]

You cannot compare a cheap China made unit with a Reo or Monkey that is just wrong. If you ever tried a Reo or a monkey you will see they function so different and with the VV that the monkey offers it is for me hardly beatable. Also I had the Provari and sold it asap I tried the monkey the draw is just so freaking amazing and so nice to use.

Again though whatever you feel is right will be the pv for you I like to have a 6ml bottle on my mod some people prefer cartos or to drop than the Provari would be your best choice.

some people recommend the Darwin I personally would put that device in last place because price is not justifiable to me also I heard there will be a new version and it just looks so weird but that is just me talking.

I was talking the concept of a bottom feeder. Not comparing products in any way shape or form. I'm more comfortable with dripping and cartos was what I was insinuating. I do use 100% vg. I have my main vape thinned (for cartos) and different flavors regular (for dripping). I don't want to stray too far from my comfort zone.

 

[Starspecks]

The Darwin has all of your requirements (colors are coming). Plus it has a full 2 year warranty at no charge. It has the longest battery life, 21+ hours for heavy vapers and it doubles as a pass-through. Never needing to carry extra batteries again is liberating. It also has a unique feature in that it senses the resistence change in the atty/carto as you vape and automatically adjusts the power level to maintain the warmth of the vapor to your personal setting.

So with the darwin you don't necessarily set voltage but warmth and vapor level and it adjusts accordingly to the attys or carto?
or is that just one of the modes?

 

[markfm]

Another vote for a buzz pro, though it admittedly doesn't have the built-in display (just the add-on option). I've been very happy with their earlier Infinity, run a full day (6 ml) on one pair of batteries (it's a two-battery mod). If you do go that way, ECF Buzzkill is the coupon code. They're also coming out with an Infinity Pro in about a month, likely about $30 - $40 cheaper than the BP. BP uses a pair of 16xxx batts, while the Infinities use 14xxx.

Voltage control is via a thumbwheel, with a couple of paint markers on the knurled wheel if you want cal points. Realistically I don't look at the markers, just rotate the wheel to tune it to what tastes right for a given carto/liquid.

I've been impressed with how rugged the Infinity is, the battery life (and the Buzz, even before BP, had longer life than the Infinity), simply how good a total package it is.

Good luck -- you're receiving solid recommendations from people, multiple good products out there.

 

[debb]

another vote for the provari...I couldn't do without it...it is a great tool...as well as a great pv...

 

[Starspecks]

Another vote for a buzz pro, though it admittedly doesn't have the built-in display (just the add-on option). I've been very happy with their earlier Infinity, run a full day (6 ml) on one pair of batteries (it's a two-battery mod). If you do go that way, ECF Buzzkill is the coupon code. They're also coming out with an Infinity Pro in about a month, likely about $30 - $40 cheaper than the BP. BP uses a pair of 16xxx batts, while the Infinities use 14xxx.

Voltage control is via a thumbwheel, with a couple of paint markers on the knurled wheel if you want cal points. Realistically I don't look at the markers, just rotate the wheel to tune it to what tastes right for a given carto/liquid.

I've been impressed with how rugged the Infinity is, the battery life (and the Buzz, even before BP, had longer life than the Infinity), simply how good a total package it is.

Good luck -- you're receiving solid recommendations from people, multiple good products out there.

How long is that coupon code good for?

 

[markfm]

I believe that's an ongoing CC from Buzkill. I used it back in Feb I'm pretty sure, and it's still valid now.

 

[TNTAbilene]

The Darwin has all of your requirements (colors are coming). Plus it has a full 2 year warranty at no charge. It has the longest battery life, 21+ hours for heavy vapers and it doubles as a pass-through. Never needing to carry extra batteries again is liberating. It also has a unique feature in that it senses the resistence change in the atty/carto as you vape and automatically adjusts the power level to maintain the warmth of the vapor to your personal setting.

+1 for the Darwin. I have both the ProVari and the Darwin and settled on the Darwin for everyday use (100% VG). On top of what wv2win has already mentioned, it's got a visual battery indicator on the (more detailed) LCD display, mini-USB charging port, transferable warranty (ProVape's warranty doesn't transfer, AFAIK), current limit is around 3 amps vs the ProVari's 2 amp (think dual/triple coil cartos), and only one button press or wheel scroll to do anything; check ohms, voltage, amps, adjust wattage, etc. The only thing that took me a little getting used to was the shape, but for me that turned out to be a non-issue.

some people recommend the Darwin I personally would put that device in last place because price is not justifiable to me

That reminds me, let me respectfully disagree with the premise that the Darwin is "more expensive"... the Darwin is $229 for mod with internal battery and charger vs $159 for the ProVari mod alone. If you go ProVari you'll probably want the 18650 battery (which would be almost comparable to the Darwin's) then add $24 for the extension cap. Add at least two batteries ($24), plus the $25 charger and you're up to roughly $232 at ProVape. So to compare apples to apples (mod, charger and batts), the Darwin and ProVari are about equal price-wise for what you need to get started.

The only thing that turned me away from it was the swivel for the connector. To me it looked like it could break fairly easily, and the Provari just looked more durable.
Riggs-

I thought the same thing at first, but someone here posted pics of the inside. The brass swivel connector looks like a barbell. One half being inside the mod, the other half outside. It's actually huge and would be really tough to break. Any fall that could break it would probably break any mod, but of course that's just my opinion. I'm not saying the Darwin is more durable, but I'm not as scared of the swivel part breaking anymore. I actually think they're about even, both solid mods.

So with the darwin you don't necessarily set voltage but warmth and vapor level and it adjusts accordingly to the attys or carto?
or is that just one of the modes?

Instead of being voltage (volts) regulated, the Darwin is power (watts) regulated. Once you set the wattage output with the scroll wheel, no matter what you put on there, a LR/SR/HV atty, carto, tank, etc; the power output (heat output, warmth, vape, whatever you want to call it) will be the same. If the resistance changes, the Darwin adjusts the voltage to compensate therefore keeping the wattage consistent. It's just a different way to try and achieve a consistent vape.

Despite sounding like I'm 100% in the Darwin camp, remember I have both and I think either mod would work fine for you. My wife loves her ProVari and wouldn't trade it for anything, but she admits the only reason she doesn't have a Darwin is because she prefers the tube style mod. Anyway, just wanted you to have a little more information that will hopefully help you decide. Good luck!

 

[Starspecks]

+1 for the Darwin. I have both the ProVari and the Darwin and settled on the Darwin for everyday use (100% VG). On top of what wv2win has already mentioned, it's got a visual battery indicator on the (more detailed) LCD display, mini-USB charging port, transferable warranty (ProVape's warranty doesn't transfer, AFAIK), current limit is around 3 amps vs the ProVari's 2 amp (think dual/triple coil cartos), and only one button press or wheel scroll to do anything; check ohms, voltage, amps, adjust wattage, etc. The only thing that took me a little getting used to was the shape, but for me that turned out to be a non-issue.



That reminds me, let me respectfully disagree with the premise that the Darwin is "more expensive"... the Darwin is $229 for mod with internal battery and charger vs $159 for the ProVari mod alone. If you go ProVari you'll probably want the 18650 battery (which would be almost comparable to the Darwin's) then add $24 for the extension cap. Add at least two batteries ($24), plus the $25 charger and you're up to roughly $232 at ProVape. So to compare apples to apples (mod, charger and batts), the Darwin and ProVari are about equal price-wise for what you need to get started.



I thought the same thing at first, but someone here posted pics of the inside. The brass swivel connector looks like a barbell. One half being inside the mod, the other half outside. It's actually huge and would be really tough to break. Any fall that could break it would probably break any mod, but of course that's just my opinion. I'm not saying the Darwin is more durable, but I'm not as scared of the swivel part breaking anymore. I actually think they're about even, both solid mods.



Instead of being voltage (volts) regulated, the Darwin is power (watts) regulated. Once you set the wattage output with the scroll wheel, no matter what you put on there, a LR/SR/HV atty, carto, tank, etc; the power output (heat output, warmth, vape, whatever you want to call it) will be the same. If the resistance changes, the Darwin adjusts the voltage to compensate therefore keeping the wattage consistent. It's just a different way to try and achieve a consistent vape.

Despite sounding like I'm 100% in the Darwin camp, remember I have both and I think either mod would work fine for you. My wife loves her ProVari and wouldn't trade it for anything, but she admits the only reason she doesn't have a Darwin is because she prefers the tube style mod. Anyway, just wanted you to have a little more information that will hopefully help you decide. Good luck!

Geez can you guys make the decision any harder? Lol! so when are these colored darwins coming out? If I did drop the darwin and it broke... Is that covered under warranty? What is the feel of the case like?

 

[bobsyeruncle]

I am currently waiting for the Provari I just ordered. I liked the fact it went up to 6 volts and promised circuit protection for the low-res MAP tank I accidentally just used to fry my cheap box mod and my 5 volt passthrough (well I just had to test the MAP tank again, didn't I).

 

[mistinthewoods]

You are referencing the buzz pro2? I just looked at that this morning.... Looks promising. Can you tell me how you personally find your voltage without the display?

The adjuster wheel has a painted center that indicates 4.5 volts and you can go from there. You can buy a screw on meter if you really feel you need to know the exact voltage you're at. Personally, I just adjust it until I like the results. I don't really care what the voltage is unless I'm trying something new or writing about it.

The Buzz Pro offers the same protection circuitry as the others, it offers the same regulated voltage all the way through the charge cycle like the others, it has removable batteries you can replace cheaply (unlike Darwin), boasts a longer battery life than the ProVari and it's cheaper. Seems like a no brainer to me.

 

[Chinner]

+1 for Darwin.

I was lucky to try both, and the Darwin is just too cool. It's like VV for dummies! Rather then matching atties with voltage, you just find a perfect wattage for whatever juice you're using, and it will work with any atty/cart. If you can get over the looks and shape, which I did immediately, you will love this thing. Every hit is perfect, and the battery life will eat provari for breakfast.

My only knock on the Darwin, is how easy it is to accidentally change the wattage setting if you're not careful, the wheel is kinda touchy. Both are cool mods though, so good luck!

 

[wv2win]

I personally think the Provari beats the Darwin by a mile. This is just me talking and I have not tried both units for longer than 1-2 weeks but the darwin is just not the way to go price wise, durability, looks, vape quality I tink the Provari beats the Darwin in every category besides the warranty which is nice on the darwin.

I've vaped on both of them and and totally disagree with you. First, they are the same price when you factor in the cost for the batteries and charger and warranty on the Provari, so you are comparing apples to apples. Second, with the Provari you have to press the button like 10 times to get to one menu option and remember which is which. and becomes a PITA. Third, the Darwin lasts 21+ hours on a charge for a very heavy vaper which the Provari does not. Fourth, the Darwin doubles as a pass-through which the Provari does not. Fifth, the Darwin automatically senses and adjusts to the resistence change in the atty, providing the ultimate in consistency, which the Provari does not.

I'm not knocking the Provrai, as I think it is one of the top PV's on the market. But your conclusion that the Provari is somehow a mile better than the Darwin is not backed up with facts.

 

[wv2win]

So with the darwin you don't necessarily set voltage but warmth and vapor level and it adjusts accordingly to the attys or carto?
or is that just one of the modes?

The Darwin is way simpler to use than that, as there are no modes. You set the wattage level by just turning the little wheel, to what vapes best for you and the Darwin automatically adjusts to the changes in your atty/carto to maintain your original settings.

 

[wv2win]

I really considered the Darwin vs the Provari. The only thing that turned me away from it was the swivel for the connector. To me it looked like it could break fairly easily, and the Provari just looked more durable. I really do like how you set the wattage on the Darwin and it automatically adjusts the voltage for you so, as you mentioned you get the same wattage between carts/cartos. From what I have read they are both very good devices, just a matter of preference.

Riggs-

To date, no connector has broken on a Darwin and I highly doubt they ever will. When you see just how solid that connector is and the "heft" of the Darwin, you will realize it is quite sturdy. I've dropped mine many times with no damage.

 

[wv2win]

Geez can you guys make the decision any harder? Lol! so when are these colored darwins coming out? If I did drop the darwin and it broke... Is that covered under warranty? What is the feel of the case like?

I don't know the date on the colors but I know they did a few already as a test. You would have to send Evolv an email and ask. And yes, if you drop it and it breaks, it's covered. In fact, those you have had a problem, Evolv overnighted the customer a new one the day they got the email and didn't wait for a return of the one with an issue. You will not find that level of service anywhere else.

 

[Chinner]

One other thing i find really cool, is you can simulate other mods by watching your voltage instead of wattage to Mimic other batteries. Want to know what that LR atty would taste like on an ego? Scroll down a bit until it's pumping 3.4v or whatever and there you go. Want to know what the same juice and atty would taste like on a fresh charged 3.7? Same deal, just scroll up. What's awesome with the Darwin, is you'll find that maybe 3.7 is too weak But 5v is too hot. Other mods can find a sweet spot, but IMHO not as easily and as user friendly as the Darwin.

 

[CraigHB]

I DIY my own VV devices so I don't use either, but just looking at the specs, which I have done in detail, I can comment on what I like and dislike about the Pro-Vari versus the Darwin.

The Pro-Vari has a traditional shape and connector. The Darwin has a flip connector that doubles as an off switch. It does not close with large atomizers so you have to remove the atomizer to shut the device off.

The Pro-Vari has lackluster run times. Even though it can take a large 18650 battery with the extension kit, it must be an unprotected IMR batt which has lower capacity (and thereby shorter run time) than a regular protected ICO batt. The Darwin has excellent run times with its built-in LiPo flat cell.

The Pro-Vari requires removal and replacement of the cell to charge, the Darwin uses USB passthru charging.

The Darwin does not use a digital push-button user interface, the Pro-Vari does. That's a biggie for me. The mechanical dial on the Darwin is an un-feature for me.

The Pro-Vari uses voltage control. The Darwin uses wattage control. The consistency of wattage control is preferable in an ideal sense, but voltage control is the accepted standard or paradigm.

One thing I'm not sure of is the output capacity on the Darwin. I know the Pro-Vari rates around 12W which is low for something like a dual coil carto (it can't drive them much over 4V). Not sure about the Darwin. Might be higher and that would be an advantage.

There are other VV devices out there, but the Pro-Vari and the Darwin are the only production devices I'm aware of that provide digital user feedback. In other words, they have some kind of digital display. There's also the Eclipse that is supposed to be coming out soon. However, that device does not provide a digital user interface. It provides an LED bar for voltage control.

 

[styler]

I would have a hard time deciding between the Buzz Pro and the Darwin.

Ease of getting to the sweet spot is key for me. I am constantly adjusting my Infinity and I really appreciate the thumb dial. I have learned that I don't need to know what the voltage is set to, I can get to the sweet spot in the blink of an eye without even looking at the device. And the Darwin's "set it and forget it" approach - wow. Shouldn't that be the goal for all PVs?

 

[wv2win]

The Darwin goes up to 12.7 watts.

 

[Starspecks]

Wow you guys are awesome! I have a lot to think about. I am going to have to get two of whatever I choose so my husband doesn't get jealous! LOL I'm so excited to try VV. Many thank to all who have posted your input it is greatly appreciated