Why Kanthal?

[Ryedan]

Kanthal is the wire of choice for the majority of premade coils and used in a lot of rda builds as well. Is there a reason kanthal is so popular? It would seem something like SS-316 would be more versatile since it can also be run in TC. Are there any particular benefits kanthal offers over something like SS-316?

Thanks!!

Over the years I got to know Kanthal really well and it worked just fine for me. Earlier this year I bought a few rolls of SS316 and switched so I could use TC. I've been using SS exclusively now for a few months and I doubt I'll be going back. I rarely vape temperature controlled, but I do frequently have TC set up as protection if something goes wrong and I would have got a dry/burnt hit. It's nice to be able to vape in VW or TP mode with the same wire.

If I had no interest in TP I would still be using Kanthal.

 

[smokinGAVIN]

I use Kanthal in Wattage mode and SS in TC. SS in Wattage mode scares me because of the low resistance.

 

[zoiDman]

I never liked the Taste of Kanthal. And was a Card Carrying NiChrome 80 user. But I have Slowly migrated to SS.

SS is just more versatile. In that I can run it in either Power or TC Mode.

Although I do like to run some Tanks still with NiChrome 80.

 

[Eskie]

I use Kanthal in Wattage mode and SS in TC. SS in Wattage mode scares me because of the low resistance.

Do you mean because SS will give you around half the resistance of an equivalent Kanthal coil? Not that you have to, but it is possible to build with SS to match the resistance of your Kanthal builds, as long as your Kanthal coils are not a very low or high ohm to begin with.

 

[Chodi]

Do you mean because SS will give you around half the resistance of an equivalent Kanthal coil? Not that you have to, but it is possible to build with SS to match the resistance of your Kanthal builds, as long as your Kanthal coils are not a very low or high ohm to begin with.

You can't comfortably match the resistance of your kanthal build using ss on rta's with small build decks like my KFV5, Rose V3, Hussar, etc. I do a lot of single coil builds and ss won't fit unless I drop to lower ohms and use temp control. Small coils don't work very well in TC because of the small mass.

 

[Eskie]

You can't comfortably match the resistance of your kanthal build using ss on rta's with small build decks like my KFV5, Rose V3, Hussar, etc. I do a lot of single coil builds and ss won't fit unless I drop to lower ohms and use temp control. Small coils don't work very well in TC because of the small mass.

If you're limited by deck size then Kanthal is certainly a good solution for you.

 

[Canadian_Vaper]

Kanthal just happens to be a widely used heating element.... Can be found in all sorts of appliances because it lasts quite a long time and can handle high temperatures...


Found in...

• dishwashers
• cooking plates
• electric blankets
• hair dryers
• kerosene-fired appliances
• kettles
• refrigerators
• rice cookers
• tumble dryers
• washing machines
  etc etc...

 

[KenD]

I use Kanthal in Wattage mode and SS in TC. SS in Wattage mode scares me because of the low resistance.

The lower resistance really isn't a problem. The amp draw is calculated from watts so at the same wattage you won't be drawing any more amps even though the resistance is lower.

Sent from my K6000 Pro using Tapatalk

 

[smokinGAVIN]

Do you mean because SS will give you around half the resistance of an equivalent Kanthal coil? Not that you have to, but it is possible to build with SS to match the resistance of your Kanthal builds, as long as your Kanthal coils are not a very low or high ohm to begin with.

I can do that but with too many wraps, I have problems with the coil bending when I wick. I have big shaky hands.

The lower resistance really isn't a problem. The amp draw is calculated from watts so at the same wattage you won't be drawing any more amps even though the resistance is lower.

Sent from my K6000 Pro using Tapatalk

At half the resistance I need to increase the wattage to get an equivalent vape. I guess that's just me and my method of vaping to keep me going.

 

[Rathamar]

I made the switch to SS about 3 months ago. I switched mainly so I could try Temp Control (wow what a difference!) and then started running in my mechs and found that it works a lot better there too.

I can taste the difference between the 2 metals, but don't have a preference on either one, though I have found that some juice taste much better on a SS coil.

I still have a lot of Kanthal left though (3 rolls of 26g and 3 rolls of 28g and about 75 pre-made 24g coils). I am slowly going though the 24 & 26 in the few mods I have that do not have SS Temp as an option. When the 26g wire and 24g coils are gone, I will be running SS only.

The 28g I bought to try fancy coils and discovered that I cannot build them (dam arthritic hands) so it will end up in the classifieds at some point.

 

[Alter]

I just recently discovered SS wire and so far its much superior to kanthal in a lot of ways. I really enjoy TC and taking massive hits not having the heat burn the throat. I still like kanthal wire as core wire for claptons but 34SS as wrap wire. It saves battery cause ramp up time for the 34 kanthal wraps is significantly longer than SS as my clapton wraps.
Just too add I built my wife a 1.2ohm 28kanthal/34SS clapton build and she noticed that it tasted better and asked if I changed how I make her juice. Her last atty was the same 28/34 clapton but kanthal core and wraps and same juice.

 

[rokyo87]

With SS316L wire I see the problem with nickel content. Nickel is carcinogenic and problematic for people who has an allergy to it.

And Kanthal is very stable at high temperatures. It was made primary as a metal for heating purposes.

Majority of studies on vaping was made with Kanthal as a heating element and there is no major issues with metals leaching.

But on the other hand coils are very small and even if some metals are leaching with any wire are they really a big health concern? I don't know, I am not familiar with metal science.

 

[Imfallen_Angel]

With SS316L wire I see the problem with nickel content. Nickel is carcinogenic and problematic for people who has an allergy to it.

And Kanthal is very stable at high temperatures. It was made primary as a metal for heating purposes.

Majority of studies on vaping was made with Kanthal as a heating element and there is no major issues with metals leaching.

But on the other hand coils are very small and even if some metals are leaching with any wire are they really a big health concern? I don't know, I am not familiar with metal science.

If you can point to those studies...

From research I've read, at this point there is no 100% perfect metal, and the main cause is people that dry-burn and cause oxidation, heck, some do it on purpose with KH, believing that it makes a protective "coating". My take on this stuff, is that any oxidation is bad and a risk.

KH might be made for heating, such as toasters, radiators, etc. but NOT in contact with liquid... usually SS is used for this, even if only as a coating over the KH element.

Dry-burning metal coils: is it a good thing?
A chemist’s advice: Don’t Dry-Burn your coil | Vaping Post
This Is What Happens When You Dry Burn Metal E Cig Coils

 

[Frenchfry1942]

It works and I have two rolls of it, that is probably the biggest reason. I have come away from doing the "latest and greatest" routine. I no longer think to much about flexibility in making coils, I just keep it simple so I can think of other things. All my coils are the same 1 ohm resistance at 7 wraps. If I wanted to change, I just change the wraps.

I remember when I was very young, relaxing on the porch in the evening was the norm. My elders said to relax and keep life simple. I see it in movies occasionally. The movie City Slickers has the passage about people getting themselves all knotted up for 50 weeks and then trying to unknot themselves in two weeks or less. Another movie had a guy get paroled after 30-40 years and he complained that the world had become so "fast"...and he ended up hanging himself.

I came to D.C. with the election last fall and this week I will drive home to Arizona. Talk about people all knotted up, D.C. is not healthy.

I may consider SS when my Kanthal runs out in 2019 or so. I will think about it then.

Keep life simple, its healthier.

 

[rokyo87]

If you can point to those studies...

From research I've read, at this point there is no 100% perfect metal, and the main cause is people that dry-burn and cause oxidation, heck, some do it on purpose with KH, believing that it makes a protective "coating". My take on this stuff, is that any oxidation is bad and a risk.

KH might be made for heating, such as toasters, radiators, etc. but NOT in contact with liquid... usually SS is used for this, even if only as a coating over the KH element.

Dry-burning metal coils: is it a good thing?
A chemist’s advice: Don’t Dry-Burn your coil | Vaping Post
This Is What Happens When You Dry Burn Metal E Cig Coils

I spoke with Pedro Carvalho personally on Facebook... For vaping he prefers Kanthal or Nichrome because those metals was made for heating and are of high stability in different environments... He doesn't advise dry burning but he doesn't have a problem with light dry burning Kanthal once or twice. With SS he doesn't advise dry burning because above 650°C hexavalent chromium is formed. For TC he advised Titanium, then SS and as last Ni200. No dry burning even once for Titanium or Ni200.

 

[WillieB69]

Kanthal just happens to be a widely used heating element.... Can be found in all sorts of appliances because it lasts quite a long time and can handle high temperatures...

Found in...

• dishwashers
• cooking plates
• electric blankets
• hair dryers
• kerosene-fired appliances
• kettles
• refrigerators
• rice cookers
• tumble dryers
• washing machines
  etc etc...

So now we all start raiding used appliances for free wire!

 

[Imfallen_Angel]

I spoke with Pedro Carvalho personally on Facebook... For vaping he prefers Kanthal or Nichrome because those metals was made for heating and are of high stability in different environments... He doesn't advise dry burning but he doesn't have a problem with light dry burning Kanthal once or twice. With SS he doesn't advise dry burning because above 650°C hexavalent chromium is formed. For TC he advised Titanium, then SS and as last Ni200. No dry burning even once for Titanium or Ni200.

Yeah, NI and TI, never dry burn, that's a given.

But between those two, from everything I've seen/read about it, I won't use it anymore as there's more information about it oxidizing much easier than NI, and TI-oxides are pretty bad .. never liked it that much anyways, found it gave a metallic taste. NI I barely use now (and it was only in cartridge rebuilds).

From the links I provided and other stuff I've read, KH is just as bad for the chromium oxide, so I don't consider it superior to SS.

As we have lots of cookware and other food related hardware that are SS, should it leach at dangerous level, we'd already be sick or dead, so to be honest, I tend to believe that it's been tested a lot, and more then enough to be proven as safe...

That said, I still recommend keeping dry burning to a minimum, and never beyond the lightest glow, and to avoid if possible.

 

[Asbestos4004]

Who's Pedro?

 

[zoiDman]

Who's Pedro?

"Pedro Carvalho a material sciences expert with good background on metal structure, composition and degradation. Pedro also has deep knowledge on e-cigarettes and is well-known in the Portuguese vaping community and abroad."

Dry-burning metal coils: is it a good thing?

 

[Eskie]

Who's Pedro?

You guess you need a Facebook account for access. Therefore I have no clue either.