Why pay well over $100 for a mech when a clone of it is a fraction of the price?

[articus]

REO has some of the best support directly from the maker available.. ("REO" IS the maker's initials) Right up there with ProVape. Ask me how I know? I've been using both REO's & ProVari's for years.. As for why folks pay $144.00 for a new REO Grand? Perhaps because they're made in the USA, have great customer support & warranty, milled from a solid block of aircraft-grade aluminum, carry 6ml of juice on-board, are bottom-fed, and work great with BF rba's..

Perhaps you should try one for yourself before you make opinions based upon no personal experience whatsoever..


EDIT: I also own and use some of the better quality GG clones too.. I tried most all of the popular Chinese VV / VW mods as well. They are gone, but I still have a couple ProVari's..

My first Reo went to a friend, cant stand cutting my hands corners on it...
And that's "made is USA" statement?
As stated , my personal experience with Reo is BAD, but that's nothing to do with yours.
Mods you love, you will defend the same way I do, we all humans.
Personally, I dont see any improvement in Reo mod in past year, half of there website contained: empty pages.
Looks like a dead horse to me.
Lets finish that "personal opinion conversation" gets us no where...
PEACE!

 

[Thrasher]

The Russian for example. How many owners of it will end up buying the real Kayfun? From the reviews and the comments of people that have received theirs already rave on how well built it is and how good it performs to the real thing. $78 co-op price vs $175 real RBA price. Who's the fool?

none, actually, because people like me own kayfuns as a thank you to svoe for creating such a wonderful device. then a year later you get to vape an exact replica that fits your budget so win win.

this is actually a bad example as the russian is probably the first time a clone is a 1=1 copy.
lets say the KF came out and noone bought it, then the russian was introduced at 1/2 price. what incentive would someone like svoe or any other modder have in researching, developing, r&ding then producing a device.? none - then you wouldnt be getting any clones of new devices because people will give up and just make them for small groups, forum lists and friends. then you get to kick back and enjoy your evods.

getting a gryphon or a foggatti has been h ell, but i dont blame these people either as soon as they go into mass production china will rip them off too.

There are many devices out there that dont get sold through storefronts for this very reason. you have to join lists at places like vaporwall and others. so far I do not see clones of any of these devices. not trying to be offensive but if people like me dont buy originals and keep the modders modding people like you are referring to dont get any clones.

While clones are catching up in quality their proliferation is enough proof that china cant actually design their own well made mods and rely on the original designers for their copies. and people like me give those modders incentive to keep making better products.

If poeple cant or wont spend the money on the original there is nothing wrong with that in my veiw, but you should never try to harp on the people who do as it is their popularizing of a product that catches chinas clone eye. if the roller never became popular they wouldnt have wasted time cloning something that didnt sell so its a vicious cycle.

just for the record I dont buy 8 dollar reebok copies from walmart either. and im sure enough people here complaining about paying to much for the originals are wearing 60+ dollar nikes

 

[Valhalla17]

Is it really worth 5-10x the money (some cases even more) to get an original vs the clone? is the GG really 14x better than the kts ($246 vs $17)? is the empire mod really 5x better than the k-100 ($129 vs $23)? Is the sentinel v3 really 10x better than its clone ($180 vs $17)? i know the materials and look are better and a lot of people have plenty of money to burn, but how does it all affect the vape experience? Is there something i am not seeing? The only thing that would make sense is if the clones were known to breakdown sooner, but i find that hard to believe as they are all mechanical. Someone please enlighten me. I don't want to hear any talk about the morality issue of buying clones however, as it does not affect me presently.

When I started vaping there was no way I was going to pay the kind of money you have to for a high end mod. I got to the point where I wanted to try mechs so I purchased a Sigelei 19, I know all aren't horrible but mine was, I finally got it running decently but it took some effort. Recently, I got curious about the difference in the real mods and clones so found a good price on an Nzonic V3 and bought it, yeah now I see the difference. To me it is a different world and now I'd rather put that $20-$40 that a clone costs toward buying something that will work well, is build well, I can get parts and support from the company if I need to, its just a better vaping experience from start to finish. Some people simply don't want to spend the money, I can appreciate that, but the difference in the two to me is indisputable if you try a real mod.

 

[Jaseruckus]

I didn't mean it to sound like I was calling anyone a fool about buying a Kayfun. I was just pointing out that the some people that want a Kayfun but get a Russian instead was due to the price. Neither one is a fool, like I mentioned, it's up to the person on whether something is worth the asking price. I have a KFL and I have a 91% on pre-order. I am going to purchase 2 more KFL and won't be getting another Russian 91% for the same very reason you are. I feel the Kayfun is one of the devices that screams innovation. But as you can see, as soon as the Russian came out, Svoemesto came out with a KFL that is under the $100 price. That is what makes me want to support them. They could have priced it $150 or made it the same price of the regular Kayfun but they didn't. The Kayfun is a hot device right now but Svoemesto priced it to ward off the Russian and make it more affordable. Ihybrid did the same with the Pure. Even Vapinaze is pricing their upcoming products with consumer minded prices. I'm all for supporting modders to develop and make new innovative products. I just don't want to buy anything I feel is over priced. Too many modders come up with a simple design that is pretty much like a dozen other mods out there but add a couple lines on the tube, ask for $200+ for it. I feel that modders will have to develop new and innovative products to continue demanding the current high end prices.

As far as China goes, who's to say making their own designs won't be in the near future. It wasn't too long ago when it was hard to imagine products like the Kayfun, EA and Chi You could be copied so closely to the real thing. These are just metal parts after all, not high tech electronics. China is showing some progress. In the end, I don't see this hurting the well known mod makers because their products get sold out as soon as they are released. The only thing China is doing is giving budget minded vapers better alternatives. It is a bad thing though about copying logos and putting the modder's name on the clones.

 

[jwelborn]

Simple. Clones are a copy of someone's original design. Without original designs, there would not be clones. Also, generally, clones are not as well made or differ slightly in some vital aspect from the original.

 

[TS12000]

Balling on a budget rules for me. Take what you can afford in cost vs. Quality but don't front like its something it is not. Big no-no. I always tell people that ask about my mods exactly what they are, where I got it, and for how much. They can make up their own minds. Hopefully with this whole vaping community seemingly expanding at a breakneck speed we'll start seeing stuff get cheaper, better made, and newer designs that don't take a year to wait on.

 

[Cjax]

Until China makes a mod with Mill Spec Rhoduim plated battery contacts, I'll keep rocking my Super-T ELA! Seriously though, I've got no hatred for clones. My ELA is topped with a Hercules, my Reo is topped with an A7, and I have a (modified)Sig19, RSST, Fogger, and a Russian 91%all en-route to my mailbox as we speak. I don't buy the OEM atties, because their performance is 99% dependent on my ability to build them correctly. And with companies like Rainbow heaven making perfect 1:1 copies, I can't justify the price of the high-end atties. I don't personally know any of their creators, so I hold no loyalty to them, or them to me either. But like I said, with my mods, there are certain things I wanted out of them. I spent the premium on the ELA because it has super conductive battery contacts that never tarnish, a telescopic system that doesn't take 5 minutes to unscrew to change a battery, an adjustable center pin that doesn't just float, so it won't push on the atty, and a lifetime warranty never hurts. I got the REO because I wanted to drip, but was tired of the dripping, I wanted a Bottom feeder that could rock a .7Ω coil, and I wanted something that was as durable as a tank just incase I ran over it with my truck. That being said, I got the Sig19 in a trade because it looks awesome and came with the fusion sg1 kit so I can hybridize any 22mm atty I want with it, plus all the switch bugs were said to be worked out already. Do I expect it to be as well made as my ELA, of course not! But I'm sure with regular cleanings it'll come close in performance and definitely be enjoyable. Like Jaserukus said, there is no status gained by owning the real thing over the clone, and if ppl I tell about my mods act like there is, I'm positive they're only being nice. I'm sure they think I'm insane for spending what I did on a metal tube or box. It's about me though, not them, and they all make me very happy, real or cloned.

 

[fistofsouth]

Why pay over $100 when a clone costs a fraction of the price? The same reason you pay asking price for a BMW when a Kia is a fraction of the price; there's a massive difference in performance.

 

[ebhomepc]

Why pay over $100 when a clone costs a fraction of the price? The same reason you pay asking price for a BMW when a Kia is a fraction of the price; there's a massive difference in performance.

Just thought I would chime in on this one as it got my attention this day and age there is definitely not a massive performance increase when comparing clones to the real deal obviously there are some clones that perform trash there are also some originals that perform sub par especially when you take into account the price and lastly there are definitely clones that perform on par or even better then the original counterparts.

Edit the main difference is build quality fit and finish but I must say even they are getting better on the clones and to be honest a clone can be polished up to immaculate standard also if we are talking ss grades etc do we need such a high grade steel? Is there any benefits? If I drop a clone it will scratch if I drop the real deal it will scratch my threads are still going to last on my clone.

Last edit sorry

OK don't get me wrong I am not for full on replicas that's just wrong there is no excuse I don't agree with a manufacture replicating hard work but as many others say almost every thing in this world is a clone from your TV to your bed its life buy or don't buy.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

 

[blowingclouds]

Why pay over $100 when a clone costs a fraction of the price? The same reason you pay asking price for a BMW when a Kia is a fraction of the price; there's a massive difference in performance.

This could be said 1 yr ago. They decided to put a bmw engine in that kia nowadays. Yes bmw looks 10x better than a kia, but heck my kia clone finishes the quarter mile the same time as the bmw. So slap the bmw logo on my kia and call it a kimw. Chimw..lol

 

[Speedsix]

I don't own any mods yet. I'm still a gape newbie. I am into flashlights and I see a lot of similarities. I started off buying a lot of ultra cheap Chinese knock off lights due to cost. I could get 5 of them for the price of one name brand.

What I have found about flashlight relates to AVPs and most things in life. In general, you only get what you pay for. A $10 flashlight may work but it will almost always have problems and lack the quality of a $50-100 flashlight. Many times the cheap light break or fry the led or driver. They aren't waterproof or shock proof so the first time you drop one is the last time they work. There are a million reasons why they are cheaper and you can't expect much from a cheap clone.

All that being said, there are rare exceptions to this rule. Sometimes a name brand is no better than the clone because the company is simply ripping you off. Sometimes a cheap version preforms 90% as well at 10% of the price. It's rare but it does happen. I used to think I was saving money by buying cheap lights until I realized that while they may work and basically do the job they were intended for, they don't do it with any style or sense of quality.

I find that I almost NEVER use my cheap lights for anything. I always grab one of my name brand lights. They feel better, have better beams and tints, are built better and are just more rewarding to use. I'm sure it's the same with gape gear. I intend to try to buy American if possible but will certainly buy a name brand even if it is made in China. The cheap Chinese knock offs don't save money in the long run. Buying quality always ends up being a smarter move.

 

[sayurasem]

none, actually, because people like me own kayfuns as a thank you to svoe for creating such a wonderful device. then a year later you get to vape an exact replica that fits your budget so win win.

this is actually a bad example as the russian is probably the first time a clone is a 1=1 copy.
lets say the KF came out and noone bought it, then the russian was introduced at 1/2 price. what incentive would someone like svoe or any other modder have in researching, developing, r&ding then producing a device.? none - then you wouldnt be getting any clones of new devices because people will give up and just make them for small groups, forum lists and friends. then you get to kick back and enjoy your evods.

getting a gryphon or a foggatti has been h ell, but i dont blame these people either as soon as they go into mass production china will rip them off too.

There are many devices out there that dont get sold through storefronts for this very reason. you have to join lists at places like vaporwall and others. so far I do not see clones of any of these devices. not trying to be offensive but if people like me dont buy originals and keep the modders modding people like you are referring to dont get any clones.

While clones are catching up in quality their proliferation is enough proof that china cant actually design their own well made mods and rely on the original designers for their copies. and people like me give those modders incentive to keep making better products.

If poeple cant or wont spend the money on the original there is nothing wrong with that in my veiw, but you should never try to harp on the people who do as it is their popularizing of a product that catches chinas clone eye. if the roller never became popular they wouldnt have wasted time cloning something that didnt sell so its a vicious cycle.

just for the record I dont buy 8 dollar reebok copies from walmart either. and im sure enough people here complaining about paying to much for the originals are wearing 60+ dollar nikes

Damn this hit the spot. Without the original buyers that pays $100 plus, clone buyers have no hope of buying the cloned original.

Be thankful for the original buyers!!! Or else you can't have your clone...

 

[JColt]

It's worth what ever you want to pay.

 

[ilanstylz]

Ehh to me it goes both ways as far as there is no reason to bash on those who choose to buy clones as to those who choose to buy the originals.......... Nobody here pays my bills so if I choose to buy one or another that is my choice as it is everyone elses.... I can understand why others may get upset that items are being cloned, however the only ones that really have a reason to be upset are the original makers of the items being cloned...........

I personally own both as far as high end mods and clones, my reason is I like to take my clones out with me and leave the expensive ones for home use. This way I wouldn't be as upset for dropping a $30+ item opposed to dropping a $200+ one.......In the end its to each his/her own decision on how they want to spend their money, and nobody elses right to question them..... JUST MY OPINION.....

 

[XTERRA]

I have read this whole thread ,,, now lets sum this up ,,high end vs clones ,,, who cares,, its just great that we all can vape just remember what team we play for,, the feds are comming so lets not loose site of what we love ,, clone ,, high end ,, as long as we stay united in our fight for our right to vape ,,,,,

VAPE ON

 

[NiburianElf]

Wasn't the chi you logo borrowed from the old Korean national soccer team logo? Perhaps that logo designer should be paid dividends?

The steel used to manufacture the mods in the us? Probably not from the States.

The tools used to manufacture the mods, probably from another country as well.

These clones seem like a natural progression, making high quality originals more affordable for the future of vaping.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4

 

[Vapeaddikt]

Wasn't the chi you logo borrowed from the old Korean national soccer team logo? Perhaps that logo designer should be paid dividends?

The steel used to manufacture the mods in the us? Probably not from the States.

The tools used to manufacture the mods, probably from another country as well.

These clones seem like a natural progression, making high quality originals more affordable for the future of vaping.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4

An actual astute observation. Don't get me wrong I firmly believe in voting with my dollar and do so regularly but there is a distinct difference in paying to support a High end mod builder who has items regularly in stock and simply getting lured into paying outlandish amount's based on rarely in stock supply.

In my opinion the smart move for these designers would be to keep their current model but also get in contact with a commercial entity within the US that could mass produce a "very close in quality" but not a collectors so to speak version of their items which could be retailed around the 75-100 market. I have no doubt if they got retailers involved in brick and mortars as well as online they would end up making so much more through volume.

Now since they have not done this the Chinese have simply taken the opportunity left open by the Mod designers.

This is no bash to any one who has been fortunate to acquire a rare piece. I regularly check other forums and here for a good buy on one for investment vs actual use purposes.

I chose to vote with my Dollar and purchase a REO mod above all else because he walks the talk. He has stock on hand, is involved in interactions on the forums with his past or potential future clients and based on feedback builds a quality product at a price which I don't consider to be to outlandish to support.

I also have purchased some clones after careful review simply because it simply did not make sense to me at least to pay 250 or more for that certain product. In the end I was really blown away by a mod enough in its clone factor I would buy an original but I refuse to pay 300-500 or more to a flipper. A flipper produces no goods and basically takes advantage of the shortages the mod producer produces by design.

In our society just about everything is a copy of one person's original idea with simple innovations. The ones who win are the ones who can sell the items at a rate the average consumer can justify spending while maintaining most of the quality ESPECIALLY today with the state of our economy more than ever.

 

[floridaBMW]

I always thought people buy the clone because they didn't want/have the $$ at the time to buy the original. There r even small issues with original mods that need attention. But I've always been of the mindset someone took their own money and intellectually created a battery mod or vaporizer. That effort in our small but growing community is important to me. Sveo created and the chineese r simply capitalizing on his efforts. Sveo will always be the original to me. But we will always have the principal of substitution.

Ken


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Lando80]

As far as I know, no manufacturer of high end equipment is stuck holding inventory that they can't sell at high end prices. If anything, they have waiting lists and sometimes money in hand for devices they haven't even started to make yet. No one is taking food off their table. They can make as much money as they want to; all they have to do is increase production. There is enough room for everyone at this party. This won't really be an issue until high end manufacturers can't move their products due to consumers going with clones instead. And as long as some consumers stay loyal or value their possessions as status symbols this just won't matter

 

[Thrasher]

mmvapors. and atmizone are always there for their products.problems, updates. revisions so is atmomixani and many of the other high end mods. and missing restocks is sometimes perceived as a shortage.

being mass produced at a level high enough to meet demand wouldnt really lower cost too much and maybe sacrifice quality somewhat so that really isnt really a viable option. employing a full on machine shop to meet demand isnt going to make prices better. even if they could make 1000 nemesis this month the whole world is waiting for one. and people expect to be paid for running a mill all day. most of these companies cant use kids to grind metal all day like china.

i constantly see people complain about stock but they only stay in touch with one or two vendors.

a perfect example of this is the kayfun light. all of the vendors sell out pretty quick, people cry shortage, yet svoe mesto's own sight shows them in stock almost every day, if there out its not long before more show up.

with something like the roller I dont understand why someone would go to vaperev(or whoever) first when atmizone sells them direct. when i got my first it was almost always sold out at vendors, yet they had 3 models AND the custom ala cart version in stock on the site. and it was cheaper and delivered in 4 days from greece lol

now ill give it to you for something like the foggati. releasing 150 at a time every 3 month? cmon man. even zen does better with his little shop.thats the exclusivity and rarity BS that gives all of the mod makers bad reps. even the ones that are willingly pumping them out.