When I upgrade

[letoatreides3508]

Hello again folks. As I stated in a previous thread, I recently purchased the xhale02 e cigarette from a 7-11 near my house and I have been 'vaping' for nearly three days now. Based on its price, I'm assuming the xhale02 is a piece of crap and I'm looking to upgrade. The apollo and ion revolver are the models that have grabbed my eye so far. One interesting feature they both seem to have is 'blank' cartomizers that you can refill. My question is twofold

1. If I use the blank cartomizers and liquid, will I save money over pre-filled cartomizers?

2. Can I use any liquid in the blank cartomizers, or do I need to restrict myself to the liquid offered by the cartomizer brand (i.e. apollo liquid in an apollo cartomizer, etc.)?

I'm sure these must seem like stupid questions to the veterans on this board but I'm fairly new to the vaping scene, so any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Spazmelda]

Hey, and welcome to ECF!

1. Filling your own cartos is almost always a money saver, plus the flavor selection is usually better.

2. Liquid is not brand specific. You should pretty much be able to use any brand of liquid to refill and vape on various set ups. One thing you do have to consider is the PG/VG ratio of the liquids you choose. Some types of delivery devices don't wick as well with higher VG liquids. Luckily, many liquid vendors offer a choice in PG/VG ratio, so you could order the same flavor in 80/20 (PG/VG%), 70/30, 50/50, etc...

3. You didn't ask this, but you should know... many many ecigs will allow you to buy and fill your own cartomizers, so there's no reason to limit yourself to these two brands because of this. Pretty much all the standard 'starter' kits you will see recommended on this board will allow you to fill your own. And they will also offer some versatility in the type of juice delivery device you can use.

Good luck!

 

[letoatreides3508]

So which would you recommend? I'm looking to buy a starter kit with my next paycheck, this Friday. I'd like a good starter kit between $50 and $75, and I'd like to get $100 worth of cartomizers/liquid. So I'd like to invest a max of $200 on a kit and ancillary supplies. Can you point me in the right direction? So far my 3 finalists are

1. Ion Revolver
2. Apollo
3. Vapor4Life

Oh yeah, and how long does a 30ml bottle last, in terms of puffage. Estimates are fine

 

[Spazmelda]

I'll let other people make recommendations because I don't use the cigarette sized batteries. I wanted longer battery life, and I didn't really care if it looked like a cigarette. Many people here will be able to make some good recommendations about the cigarette sized bats.

 

[Spazmelda]

While you are waiting for more people to chime in, you can look at this thread which has some recommendations for smaller battery e-cigs: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/new-members-forum/260788-e-cig-advice-smaller-than-ego.html

Have you looked at the larger batteries, like the ego and riva?

 

[martinc]

Yeah,take the next step already and save youself aggravation and a few bucks in the process;

You should be able to set you up for less than $100.

 

[Coil]

Welcome to ECF letoatreides!!

A TON of people start off using cheap oh's like myself so don't feel bad.After I bought a few "junkers" I quickly went to a model called the Joye "Ego" and still use one from time to time. They are very reliable for the $. The battery last at least 24 hrs and is rechargeable like many other good starter e-cigs out there. You can get a starter kit for about $40 -$50 and can put a cartomizer or a drip tip on them. You can do a lot with them actually but I don't want to over whelm you with info overload too quick.

Here's a link to a good site to get one from E-Liquid and Electronic Cigarette Shop - Category Listings Search Youtube for things like: "Difference between cartomizers & drip tips" etc. to help you out a bit.

Good juice vendors are all over the ECF. Dont buy the crap from your local smoke shops if you want to save money and your taste buds. Some of those $10 a bottle (3ml) have literally made me puke they taste so bad!

Hope that helps a bit. I'm sure you'll get lots of responses. Everyone here is pretty helpful to the newcomers. Keep Vaping!

 

[Spazmelda]

Oh yeah, and how long does a 30ml bottle last, in terms of puffage. Estimates are fine

This really depends on how much you vape. The average around here seems to be around 3 ml a day, so maybe 10 days for 30 mls. Right now I'm going through about 100-120 mls a month, which puts me at between 3-4 ml a day.

 

[Coil]

Here's a pretty good vid links 4 ya:

Difference between Cartomizers, Drip tips etc:Cartomizer - Cartridge - Drip Tip & The Difference - YouTube

If you want a good cigarette style e juice I would highly recommend checking out Alien Visions: Alien Visions E-Juice
and Backwoods Brew: Premium E-Liquid

Both very good vendors and have a mass following. Reasonably priced and sell 30ml bottles. I would also recommend getting a few 10ml bottles that are flavored differently. That way you can see what kind of juice hits the spot for you. Trust me your taste buds could change from time to time

 

[letoatreides3508]

I've looked at a couple of the larger batteries. I'll have to admit I'm just looking for an efficient vapor e-cig, and am not abundantly concerned with whether or not it looks like a cigarette. So a larger battery doesn't bother me. Flavor on the other hand does. I'm looking for a vapor liquid that tastes like a cigarette and packs a good amount of nicotine. The 30 ml bottles I'm assuming are the equivalent of a... carton of cigarettes? Again, I'm still new to 'vaping' (and still stifling a chuckle when I use that term.

Again, as Yoda said, size matters not. At least to me.

Also, I noticed an ad for the Wet your Stick ecigs. They look pretty reasonably priced, so I was wondering if anyone's used one of their starter kits.

 

[Coil]

While you are waiting for more people to chime in, you can look at this thread which has some recommendations for smaller battery e-cigs: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/new-members-forum/260788-e-cig-advice-smaller-than-ego.html

Have you looked at the larger batteries, like the ego and riva?

I completely agree. The crappy part about most of the ones that look like cigarettes is that they don't perform like a cig does. You don't get consistency off those tiny little batteries. You will get a good drag one sec and the next... nothing! You might be recharging batteries 3-4 times a day on those little things compared to maybe once a night on a Riva or Ego.

The Riva or Ego may look huge compared to a real cig but after a couple days you get used to it.

 

[Coil]

Closest I've ever had to a real cig was Alien Visions 555 and Flue Cured. Never tried Wet Your Stick juices or starter kits. Did you check the links I posted up yet? Def. get more info and tips from other users but I would say the majority of everyone on here would recommend the Ego or Riva to you. Just about every Vapor has owned at least 1. haha

 

[Sweeney Todd]

I'd get an Ego. $40-60 for the kit, $15 for 10 cartomizers, the rest on sampler juice. That best fits your needs.

An Ego with Boge LR 2 ohm cartomizers has excellent vapor production and flavor.

I haven't heard of any of the vendors you've mentioned. I've had incredible luck with vendors discussed on ECF, so somebody can probably help you out. I'd strongly suggest you go with an Ego from a vendor you get here.

 

[bigtiime]

The vendors that are registered with ECF are here and stay here because they offer a good quality product and have very good customer service. The suggestions to go with a larger battery model are good and should be considered. Because I like the idea of replaceable batteries, this might be a good choice for you. E-Power From Smok Tech and HECS

 

[stiche]

I got an ego t here, ExtremeVapor.com. it was $58 delivered for the starter kit. Seems a nice unit, but I have only been vaping for a week.

 

[mynameisrob]

Do NOT get either of the first 2 ecigs you mentioned. They are both very basic but are also very overpriced too. You can find a much better kit. For a slim ecig, the Volt from SI, ones from Vapor4life, Bloog, and Halo g6 are the only decent slim ecigs. If you really feel you must get a slim ecig, get one of those. They are the only ones that arnt overpriced and people seem to thing their okay. Even the best slim ecig is going to have a small battery and slim ecigs can only use standard resistance attys and cartos so your limited to what you can use.
A bigger battery PV will give you a LOT better battery life and alot more options since they can use standard resistance attys/cartos, but also low resistance attys/cartos too, which most people prefer.

The eGo is a popular ecig and it does work well, but I would also check out the E-Power, kGo, and Riva.
The E-Power, kGo, and Riva are 3.7V PVs while the eGo is only 3.3-3.4V. They all have 510 connections and are similar is size and all in the same range price-wise too.
Personally I would say go with a kGo or E-Power. They both have great battery life and give an awesome vape.
The kGo has 1100mah batteries and the E-Power has 1050mah batteries. The biggest difference between the two is that the E-Power has non-proprietary batteries, meaning that you can remove the battery and replace it, like you would do on a flashlight. I have an E-Power and love it. Being able to remove the battery was on of the thing I really liked about it bc I could just carry an extra small battery with me and unscrew the switch and pop it it if needed. With the eGo/kGo/Riva type PVs, the only way to carry a spare is to carry a second PV bc the battery is part of the unit. I also dont like with them that if you need to replace a battery or your switch fails, you have to buy a whole new unit bc its all one piece.
With the E-Power everything is seperate and every part can be replaced individually. If you need a new switch, you can buy just the switch for under $10, and keep using your existing batteries and tube. E-Power batteries are alot cheaper too and cost $4-5 compared to eGo/Riva/kGo batteries that cost $14-20, and the E-Power batts last a lot longer before they need to be replaced. You can buy 4 E-Power batteries for the cost of one eGo/kGo/Riva battery so its cheap to get a few andnever have to worry about being stuck with a dead battery. I get on avg a day to a day and a half on one battery, but always carry a spare in my pocket or car just in case. The batteries are about the size of a AA but alittle longer so its easy to always have a spare with you.
I would check out Hoosier Ecig Supply. They have the kGo and E-Power there fr a good price. Both kits cost $43 there.
Crystal Clear Vaping also has a good deal on the E-Power. Its $57, which is more, but you get about $25 in free stuff so its actually a better deal bc you get free Ressurector cartos, free 30ml juice of your choice and free shipping.
Put in "5off" on Hoosier for 5% off order, and put in "ecf5off" on CCV for 5% off.
Boththe kGo and the E-Power give a great vape and are actually cheaper than most of the slim ecigs. I got my E-Power from CCV, but I would prob get it from Hoosier right now bc they have the new switch already and CCV wont have it for another day or 2. I would buy a spare switch from Hoosier if you get the E-Power bc with all ecigs, you should always have backups.
Both the kGo and the E-Power have 5-click on/off features so you can turn them off and not have to worry about it firing in your pocket accidentally

 

[stephpd]

In the Ego class of e-cigs there's also the Riva and the Kgo. These latter two offer even longer batteries and a slightly higher voltage. And they cost about the same, if not less.
SLB KGO Starter Kit
KGO 1100 mAh 2 battery kit

The next step up would be a 'mod' where there's a removable battery inside the battery tube. This makes sense from an economic standpoint as the batteries are much cheaper. An E-Power would be a good choice in this regard.
E-Power From Smok Tech and HECS
Crystal Clear Vaping

Next would be what many consider good cartos for any and all of these type of e-cigs. For most folks here the brand and resistance of a carto is just as important as having a good battery system. And 2 brands and voltages stand out above the rest. These seem to be the Boge 2.0 ohm and the Smoktech (resurrector) 1.7 ohm;
Crystal Clear Vaping
Cartomizers

With these and some good e-juice most have been able to quit analogs and stay off them. Hard for me to give recommendations on what flavors you'd like, since everyone's tastes vary. But for good juice at one of the best prices it's hard to beat Blue Mist Vaping with 180 ml for $30. But try the smaller size before committing to any bulk purchases.
BlueMist Vaping Supplies

 

[stephpd]

Double post.

 

[sonicdsl]

All very good suggestions here. Since you said you're not worried about size, you might consider the GoGo as well (DiscountVapers - Your source for savings on electronic cigarettes and accessories, Go-go eGo, vGo). These are great kits that come w/2 batteries and a pack of cartomizers (much easier than an atomizer/cartridge set up IMO), and pack great power and flavor for a basic kit! The batteries are 1300 mah, which means you'll get, on average, 13 hours, but they last me about a day or so, as do the 3ml cartos. Some people shy away because they are not 510 size (very common battery thread size), but there's a cheap adapter available, which I got, and have had no problems getting anything to work with it. All the fave cartos work fine, but the GoGos are still the best, and still the ones I go back to.

See these threads as well for more info:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...tvapers-com-thread-formerly-go-gousa-com.html

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...3-go-go-specific-thread-all-things-go-go.html

For juices, everyone has a favorite. You can see mine in my sig below. Keep in mind, it's difficult to find an actual cigarette flavor, as the flavor of burning leaves cannot really be replicated in a liquid. It's more like the scent of a cigarette when you pull it out of the pack, before you light it. You may be like me, too, in that you find that after vaping for awhile, you no longer care for a tobacco or smoke flavor, but prefer something else. I enjoy the dessert flavors best, although there is one, Tobacco Haze, from ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE / E CIGARETTES STARTER KITS AND E LIQUID NICOTINE FROM MOM AND POP, that has an amazing nutty tobacco flavor that I still love!

 

[dearme]

It is generally believed on ECF that the PVs with larger batteries produce more flavor, because of warmer vaper and they have more power. Also the larger batteries will allow you to use lots of different configurations on your PV, some of which produce better flavor than others. Of course, this is all subjective, but a fair overview of long time users.

Almost all recommend that once you have stuck your toe in the water with a slim ecig, it's time to move on to bigger and better PVs, including mods, for a more satisfying ecig experience.