Where to go from a ProTank II?

[Roselie]

I started vaping a few months ago and started with an ego battery and a T3s clearo. I wanted a glass tank so I wouldn't have to worry about what liquids you could/could not put in it so I got a ProTank II and a Mini ProTank II. For the first several weeks they worked fine. I even ordered another of both of them but this latest batch of coils is horrible. I've also tried the IClear 30 (got it with my MVP) and the Aspire BDC which I absolutely did not care for (I know alot of people love them). They are both sitting unused as backup.

Of the pack of 5 ProTank coils I last ordered, only 1 of the 4 I've tried has worked longer than 1 tank full. I never had the gurgling or leaking problem with these tanks until now and I can't afford to keep buying coils only to have 1 or 2 work out of the 5 pack longer than 1 tank full. I've also noticed with the higher vg juices (50% vg+) they gunk up really quick and also burn. But I've had this problem since I got them and just dealt with it.

I have no problem spending time with the cleaning and such, but I honestly have no desire at all to rebuild anything. That interest just isn't there. I was thinking about trying a carto tank but wasn't sure if they would be good with an MVP II, a Twist or a Spinner, which are the batteries I am currently using.

Not sure if this makes a difference in what to try but I prefer a 50/50 pg/vg mix if given a choice with the juices I order. I typically vape 12 or 18mg nicotine.

I don't mind spending a bit on the initial cost but prefer something not terribly expensive to upkeep. Preferably something not too difficult to use, again I don't mind spending time setting it up and cleaning it but don't really want to have to dismantle the whole thing just to vape from it lol.

Any suggestions or recommendations would be great. Thanks in advance.

 

[ConradM]

I hear carto tanks are a step up from clearos. Also, I know you said you don't care for the Aspires but PBusardo rated the new Aspire Nautilus as the best clearo yet.

 

[Papa_Lazarou]

Hmmm... well, a couple of suggestions...

The iClearB (new) is a BCC that I recently tried. Too early to tell the long term prognosis, but it's been a good one so far (~3 weeks). I believe they ship with the new CoolFire 1 & 2, but they should be available separately.

A carto tank might be to your liking. There is a guru of such things on the forum by the name of BadAttitude... BadAttitude... BadAttitude (I'm thinking that saying his name 3 times will bring him here). In the meantime, here's the coles notes:

* They're cheap (most of them).
* They vape well (some say the best).
* They require virtually no fiddling (they're pretty much solid state... or as close to that as vaping gets).
* The tanks come in aaaaall kinds of sizes and shapes - one will surely fit your size requirements. Given that a PT2 is acceptable to you as far as form factor, you'd have no problem finding one that fits the bill.
* They'll work just fine with any of the batteries you've listed. The heart of them - the carto itself - is the payload on cig-alikes and is, arguably, the easiest topper to fire of anything.

 

[ConradM]

Also, if you really care about the quality of your vape, if you want the best experience you should look into a simple rebuildable. It's like the difference between a mcds cheeseburger and a well cooked steak. Wrapping a micro coil and shoving some cotton through it doesn't sound to hard does it?

 

[JohnDaddyo]

Do I smell a Protank conspiracy?

 

[Papa_Lazarou]

Do I smell a Protank conspiracy?

Seems to be the flavor of the day, dunnit? PTGate anyone?

 

[TexasTanker19kilo20]

Have you tried rebuilding your PT2 attys?

I started vaping with carto tanks, now I have 3 glass tanks doing nothing lol, I have two protank2s that i rebuild the attys with cotton and they vape harder than any carto I ever used or stock PT2 atty. The PT2 is my on the go device, when I'm at home, I drip. Dripping is by far the best vape I've ever had. Good luck to the OP in your search for the perfect vape.

 

[chemxsol]

I started with a protank then went to cartos for about a month. After that I jumped to mech mods with rda's.....never looked back

 

[Pocha]

Another vote for cartotanks. I have used them on my MVP (as well as my Smok Winder) with no problem whatsoever. I too have no interest in rebuilding coils, tried cartotanks and haven't looked back.

 

[Train2]

I built a coil or two, and understand the appeal, BUT I just didn't enjoy the fiddling (I DO enjoy mixing juice - so that saves plenty-o-money I can spend on disposable coils). I still use ProTanks, and I like them - but I've begun a shift to carto-tanks. I think they're more reliable, less fiddling with the only exception being changing the carto. But that's far less frequent, and may become a smoother process once I settle into a particular type and stop buying tanks. LOL.

You can get a cartotank, and decent cartos, all from IBTanked. Use a ProTank "beauty ring" and a 19 mm tank, and it'll look like this (not mine, found the image here somewhere):

 

[Credo]

My experience:
Carto tanks are a fine vape. Maybe try some cartos without a tank first to get an idea of what you'd be in for.
I found I needed to change the carto fairly often, as the draw would get very tight after a few days. I do suggest you add a good Carto Tank to your collection. I don't think you'll regret it one bit. Just realize that carto life will vary...some might last a long time, while others just a few days (how and where the carto is punched, and liquid choice has something to do with it as well).

With top coil style clearos (Vivi Nova Rev 2.5...they've been around for a long time now), I found I could get a good 3 ounces of a good clean liquid vaped through the store brought coils (less if a thick dark sweet liquid) till the draw got really tight on them and performance started to wane. For me, these do best with higher resistance (2 - 2.5 Ohms) and lower wattage vaping (Never above 8 watts, and usually more like 5). Those with lower resistance and higher wattage required a good deal of 'tipping and twisting' between drags to ensure good wicking. Since the coils are on top, you can still get a pretty 'warm' sensation even with lower wattage configurations.

(Forgive me for going here...as I realize OP said he doesn't care to make coils, but it's been very worthwhile for me)
With the top coil Vivi Nova, I began rewinding my own heads. The process I use takes less time to do 6 or 8 heads in one sitting than it does to order new heads and walk out to the mailbox to retrieve them. I use 5 wraps of AWG 33 Kanthal on cotton for flavors I don't vape as often, and for my regular all day stuff I use mesh/silica hybrids that vape well through several 50ml bottles of liquid.

My only 'bottom coil' tank to try so far is the KayFun style RBT (Range from $30 for clones to over a hundred to import real deal). This thing is nearly flawless, super easy to build, and by far the most cost effective solution I've found to date. I find the coil itself that I make (10 to 14 winds of AWG 28 Kanthal as a micro-coil on a 1/16 drill bit) can easily last a month or more. I just thread in some new cotton after about 50 to 100ml of liquid through the KayFun and I'm back in business. The flavor is outstanding, the vapor production is superb, and the air-flow is fully adjustable. They're easy to refill. The drawback to the KayFun style is that even in their smallest configurations...they can make for a pretty 'large' and 'heavy' PV.

Years back I tried every 'cleaning' method I could find...torching, ultrasonic cleaners, PGA baths...you name it. ALL of them took far more time and effort than just winding a new coil on a bit of wick. Before I ever messed with making a coil...I gave up trying to 'clean' atomizers.