Youde Balrog 70 Watt Kit

[Mike Weatherford Jr]

MANY thanks to Youde, and @AlmightyEvan and Heaven Gifts for this prize! I won it on Monday, gave my Address Tuesday, and had it in my hands on Thursday morning! WOOT!! Really fast shipping.

In the box:
Youde Balrog 70W 18650 Ni Ti Temp Control Mod
UD 3ml tank atty w/0.5Ω Kanthal OCC coil
Stubby metal heat proof drip tip
Drip tip heat sink/radiator
Break away lanyard with threaded mount pin
Spare Ni200 0.15Ω OCC coil
Spare Kanthal 1.8Ω OCC coil
Spare Pyrex for tank
USB to Micro USB cord
Spare tank O-rings
Spare Condensation ring cotton pad

Impressions:
First the tank. Seemed very clean, but washed it anyway. The driptip is quite stubby, and has a delrin base for heat proofing, with dual O-rings (nice, can't wobble). There is also a VERY sweet aluminum drip tip radiator base, with 5 fins for heat dispersion! That is cool. So no hot tip on this, ever.

It is top fill, which I love, although the slots are a LITTLE tough to get at with a dropper. Gotta tip it some, which limits topping it up. Won't have that problem with a needle dripper. There is a small innovation on this tank, the tip cap includes a chimney with O-ring that seals off the fill holes when the to is screwed down. Other top fills use a different design so they are thinking on their own without copying.

The coils are unlike any I have seen, with the steel mesh screen covering the coil assembly. I guess that's a good thing, in that nothing can fall down through the mouthpiece and contact the actual coil, but I like to clean out my OCC coils with an alcohol bath and a Q tip to prolong their life, and that isn't going to happen with these.

The afc ring has 11 holes on each side, giving you 11 possible air volume settings. Small niggle with this, it is difficult to see which are open, as both the ring and the surface under it are black. In a strong light, no problem. In a dark room, impossible except by drawing air to feel. The holes are VERY tiny, so even with all 11 open on each side, it's on the tighter side of lung hitters.

Flavor and vapor both, are very good. I would say better than an STM and not quite up to a Uwell Crown.

Ok, the Mod:
OH got me. The battery on this goes in "upside down". So much for assumptions, but I can verify that the reverse polarity protection definitely works. There is a small threaded hole on top, behind the 510 and "condensation ring", for the supplied break away lanyard. I DON'T know why I have never considered a lanyard. I both ride motorcycles, and snowboard, and the utility of this is very apparent to me for those purposes! I LOVE it. I will most DEFINITELY use this mod for those things.

As mentioned before, the magnets are strong on the door, the fit is tight. On any other magnetic battery door, I wonder why they don't make it so it works either way, but THIS door has an ergonomic depression for the thumb that would make that impossible. I LIKE this too!

I ALSO like the condensation ring. PERSONALLY, I get tired of having to clean under my tanks every time I take them off. Both the bottom of the tank and the mod usually have significant moisture from vapor that comes out of the airholes (rda) or from small leaks out the AFC. This solves THAT. But I can see it probably getting gross quickly, and it appears too fragile to wash out. Well maybe once or twice, and there is a spare, but what to do after that?! Good thing we're good at modding. I'm sure we will figure it out. AND, Thank you @Mike Weatherford Jr for helping me with this, it is reverse threaded. So removing it is Righty Loosey.

The display is bright, and well laid out. It gets VERY bright when accessing the menu's, then dims before turning off.

In TC mode, the static screen displays temp setting, coil type, coil resistance, volts (0) and wattage which I assume is the pre-load or "joules" ramp. THIS is what the up/down button adjusts. To change the temp setting, you must go into the menu. Seems backwards to me. When firing, the display shows actual temps and volts and are dynamic.

In TC, this also has a VERY cool feature I have not seen before. Sensitivity control! The Xcube2 to me is VERY laggy, too long between cycles. Many other mods seem TOO sensitive to me, almost a boring constant temp vape with no ramp at all. This feature allows me to find the "cycle" time that is JUST right for me, and my mood at the time! This is well thought, although I haven't tried it yet.

In power mode, the screen shows what you would expect. Resistance, volts, a little P for Power Mode, and the power setting in watts.

For those complaining about the single decimal place resistance reading, this is only true on the display when NOT setting the resistance. It DOES read the 2nd decimal place when setting the resistance. I think it's important to note this, as that second decimal place is VERY important to know if the mod is reading the atomizer correctly.

The mod is well built, sturdy, ergonomic and very small. Very sculpted as opposed to the much more square Evic VTC and Cloupor Mini+. I am a fan. It allows your hand to have "eyes" and know where everything is situated based on the shapes. A hair shorter than the Cloupor Mini+, but wider. Same depth as an Evic VTC but about 5mm shorter. The power button is VERY easy to find without looking, and has very little sound or motion when firing.

Pro's, top to bottom:
Heat sink! Woot! LIKE it.
Lanyard. Didn't know I needed one till I had one.
Condensation ring. Gimmicky to some, I am sure, but I like how it is a "first defense" against leaks and condensation, rather than it running down the mod where it ends up on my hands.
Sculpted body. Nice hand feel, and good perception of orientation of controls.
Size. They have done a good job of packing this in. COULD have made it even smaller, but at the expense of some of the curves that I think are a benefit.
Menu. With the exception of the up/down not changing temp, but rather power in TC mode it is comprehensive, intuitive, and well laid out.

Cons, top to bottom:
Somewhat difficult to fill
Screen over coil prevents cleaning of coil in OCC's.
Upside down battery orientation. I'm GOING to make this mistake again.
NO Automatic resistance checking! Ok, this is a BIG oversight. Any other modern TC mod allows you to press the fire button when you remove a device, and then knows to ask if the next is a new coil and needs a resistance adjustment. I don't like the lack of this feature. Too easy to fry a coil when changing atomizers.
Last but not least, by far, lack of support for Stainless Steel. I HOPE that there will be a firmware update to address this. I ONLY want to use S.S. for TC anymore, and a TC mod without the feature, is basically a VW device for my purposes. Ti and Ni are DEAD to me. And not so much with Ti or Ni, but with S.S., I need TCR adjustment. LOTS of different steels, and one size does NOT fit all.

Now Heaven Gifts, THEY get an A+. The contest, the customer service, the friendliness, and the SUPER fast shipping! THANK YOU SO very much for this!

No problem, bud!

Invaper Zim

 

[AtmizrOpin]

what exactly does the sensitivity setting do? i had a hard time understanding your explanation.

MANY thanks to Youde, and @AlmightyEvan and Heaven Gifts for this prize! I won it on Monday, gave my Address Tuesday, and had it in my hands on Thursday morning! WOOT!! Really fast shipping.

In the box:
Youde Balrog 70W 18650 Ni Ti Temp Control Mod
UD 3ml Tank atty w/0.5Ω Kanthal OCC coil
Stubby metal heat proof drip tip
Drip tip heat sink/radiator
Break away lanyard with threaded mount pin
Spare Ni200 0.15Ω OCC coil
Spare Kanthal 1.8Ω OCC coil
Spare Pyrex for tank
USB to Micro USB cord
Spare tank O-rings
Spare Condensation ring cotton pad

Impressions:
First the tank. Seemed very clean, but washed it anyway. The driptip is quite stubby, and has a delrin base for heat proofing, with dual O-rings (nice, can't wobble). There is also a VERY sweet aluminum drip tip radiator base, with 5 fins for heat dispersion! That is cool. So no hot tip on this, ever.

It is top fill, which I love, although the slots are a LITTLE tough to get at with a dropper. Gotta tip it some, which limits topping it up. Won't have that problem with a needle dripper. There is a small innovation on this tank, the tip cap includes a chimney with O-ring that seals off the fill holes when the to is screwed down. Other top fills use a different design so they are thinking on their own without copying.

The coils are unlike any I have seen, with the steel mesh screen covering the coil assembly. I guess that's a good thing, in that nothing can fall down through the mouthpiece and contact the actual coil, but I like to clean out my OCC coils with an alcohol bath and a Q tip to prolong their life, and that isn't going to happen with these.

The afc ring has 11 holes on each side, giving you 11 possible air volume settings. Small niggle with this, it is difficult to see which are open, as both the ring and the surface under it are black. In a strong light, no problem. In a dark room, impossible except by drawing air to feel. The holes are VERY tiny, so even with all 11 open on each side, it's on the tighter side of lung hitters.

Flavor and vapor both, are very good. I would say better than an STM and not quite up to a Uwell Crown.

Ok, the Mod:
OH got me. The battery on this goes in "upside down". So much for assumptions, but I can verify that the reverse polarity protection definitely works. There is a small threaded hole on top, behind the 510 and "condensation ring", for the supplied break away lanyard. I DON'T know why I have never considered a lanyard. I both ride motorcycles, and snowboard, and the utility of this is very apparent to me for those purposes! I LOVE it. I will most DEFINITELY use this mod for those things.

As mentioned before, the magnets are strong on the door, the fit is tight. On any other magnetic battery door, I wonder why they don't make it so it works either way, but THIS door has an ergonomic depression for the thumb that would make that impossible. I LIKE this too!

I ALSO like the condensation ring. PERSONALLY, I get tired of having to clean under my tanks every time I take them off. Both the bottom of the tank and the mod usually have significant moisture from vapor that comes out of the airholes (rda) or from small leaks out the AFC. This solves THAT. But I can see it probably getting gross quickly, and it appears too fragile to wash out. Well maybe once or twice, and there is a spare, but what to do after that?! Good thing we're good at modding. I'm sure we will figure it out. AND, Thank you @Mike Weatherford Jr for helping me with this, it is reverse threaded. So removing it is Righty Loosey.

The display is bright, and well laid out. It gets VERY bright when accessing the menu's, then dims before turning off.

In TC mode, the static screen displays temp setting, coil type, coil resistance, volts (0) and wattage which I assume is the pre-load or "joules" ramp. THIS is what the up/down button adjusts. To change the temp setting, you must go into the menu. Seems backwards to me. When firing, the display shows actual temps and volts and are dynamic.

In TC, this also has a VERY cool feature I have not seen before. Sensitivity control! The Xcube2 to me is VERY laggy, too long between cycles. Many other mods seem TOO sensitive to me, almost a boring constant temp vape with no ramp at all. This feature allows me to find the "cycle" time that is JUST right for me, and my mood at the time! This is well thought, although I haven't tried it yet.

In power mode, the screen shows what you would expect. Resistance, volts, a little P for Power Mode, and the power setting in watts.

For those complaining about the single decimal place resistance reading, this is only true on the display when NOT setting the resistance. It DOES read the 2nd decimal place when setting the resistance. I think it's important to note this, as that second decimal place is VERY important to know if the mod is reading the atomizer correctly.

The mod is well built, sturdy, ergonomic and very small. Very sculpted as opposed to the much more square Evic VTC and Cloupor Mini+. I am a fan. It allows your hand to have "eyes" and know where everything is situated based on the shapes. A hair shorter than the Cloupor Mini+, but wider. Same depth as an Evic VTC but about 5mm shorter. The power button is VERY easy to find without looking, and has very little sound or motion when firing.

Pro's, top to bottom:
Heat sink! Woot! LIKE it.
Lanyard. Didn't know I needed one till I had one.
Condensation ring. Gimmicky to some, I am sure, but I like how it is a "first defense" against leaks and condensation, rather than it running down the mod where it ends up on my hands.
Sculpted body. Nice hand feel, and good perception of orientation of controls.
Size. They have done a good job of packing this in. COULD have made it even smaller, but at the expense of some of the curves that I think are a benefit.
Menu. With the exception of the up/down not changing temp, but rather power in TC mode it is comprehensive, intuitive, and well laid out.

Cons, top to bottom:
Somewhat difficult to fill
Screen over coil prevents cleaning of coil in OCC's.
Upside down battery orientation. I'm GOING to make this mistake again.
NO Automatic resistance checking! Ok, this is a BIG oversight. Any other modern TC mod allows you to press the fire button when you remove a device, and then knows to ask if the next is a new coil and needs a resistance adjustment. I don't like the lack of this feature. Too easy to fry a coil when changing atomizers.
Last but not least, by far, lack of support for Stainless Steel. I HOPE that there will be a firmware update to address this. I ONLY want to use S.S. for TC anymore, and a TC mod without the feature, is basically a VW device for my purposes. Ti and Ni are DEAD to me. And not so much with Ti or Ni, but with S.S., I need TCR adjustment. LOTS of different steels, and one size does NOT fit all.

Now Heaven Gifts, THEY get an A+. The contest, the customer service, the friendliness, and the SUPER fast shipping! THANK YOU SO very much for this!

 

[LouisLeBeau]

Y

what exactly does the sensitivity setting do? i had a hard time understanding your explanation.

It determines, theoretically, how close the mod keeps the coil at the set temp. Low sensitivity for instance, would let it cool say, 30 degrees before kicking back in, where high sensitivity would only let it cool 5. Don't know the exact numbers, but that is what I surmise is the intention.

 

[AtmizrOpin]

Y


It determines, theoretically, how close the mod keeps the coil at the set temp. Low sensitivity for instance, would let it cool say, 30 degrees before kicking back in, where high sensitivity would only let it cool 5. Don't know the exact numbers, but that is what I surmise is the intention.

is there a practical need for this feature? it seems like you would notice this cooling then reheating of the coil while taking a vape. i dunno maybe i just need to play with one to see what it's about.

 

[LouisLeBeau]

is there a practical need for this feature? it seems like you would notice this cooling then reheating of the coil while taking a vape. i dunno maybe i just need to play with one to see what it's about.

You would, do! Which is kind of... a legacy preference. Some, including me, LIKE the initial cool turning to warm feel of the traditional vape. So TC just guarantees you don't go OVER and into burn territory. SOME like (even me again sometimes) just a smooth, consistent temp without variation. Depends on the flavor, and the atty. This feature would just let you play with those experiences. I think it's fab!

 

[cobalt327]

Didn't I read earlier that there is no provision for firmware updating?

 

[VapingTurtle]

It determines, theoretically, how close the mod keeps the coil at the set temp. Low sensitivity for instance, would let it cool say, 30 degrees before kicking back in, where high sensitivity would only let it cool 5. Don't know the exact numbers, but that is what I surmise is the intention.

Is this your speculation, or have you read something somewhere that confirms this? There are other things that the sensitivity setting may be, like the frequency of reading the resistance, or the frequency of updating the display, or maybe something else. Maybe I'm wrong, but I haven't seen anywhere that Youde has explained the sensitivity setting at all.

Didn't I read earlier that there is no provision for firmware updating?

I don't know, but Youde hasn't said it is update-able, and I would think that would be a marketing feature that they would mention.

 

[LouisLeBeau]

Is this your speculation, or have you read something somewhere that confirms this? There are other things that the sensitivity setting may be, like the frequency of reading the resistance, or the frequency of updating the display, or maybe something else. Maybe I'm wrong, but I haven't seen anywhere that Youde has explained the sensitivity setting at all.


I don't know, but Youde hasn't said it is update-able, and I would think that would be a marketing feature that they would mention.

Hi Turt! Well, Balrog CALLS it "temperature sensitivity", but I completely agree, that doesn't tell much, so it IS speculation on my part. And I have yet to play with the feature. I have another hobby eating my minutes at the moment. But being named "Temperature Sensitivity", I feel my chances are good of being in the ballpark on the assumption.

Also, on updating. Given the very short length of the supplied USB cable, AND the stoutness, it appears to be more of a DATA type cable, and not for everyday use? I'm guessing firmware capable and intended. But again, assumption, and ya know what they say about THOSE. How are YOU doing?

 

[VapingTurtle]

I also received my Balrog as a gift from HeavenGifts' contest. They have been very generous, and their reputation is very good for customer support. Thank you, HG!

The Balrog is not up to the standards set by competitors (Joye VTC Mini, P4Y IPV D series, etc.) in features and usability. The previously mentioned shortcomings need to be addressed in future releases, and I bet they will. Lack of support for SS and/or user set TCR, small display with lack of precision on resistance display, difficult battery sled, (questionable) lack of update-able firmware, strange choice of making wattage more prominent than temp in TC mode, the sometimes difficult to enter menu system, that nebulous sensitivity setting, imprecise (no tactile feedback) fire button, and other little niggles may make it less than most desirable in its class.

But yet, its form factor and comfort in my hand have kept it at the top of my rotation for the past couple of days. It's comfortable. It fires quickly without delay. The fire button is usable in various ways (thumb, index finger, palm). It is a really good design that needs refinement.

(The tank is not my style, and I am not qualified to judge it, but that access to the top fill slots look like failure to me.)

 

[VapingTurtle]

Hi Turt! ...
... How are YOU doing?

Good, Louie! And, as I just stated, enjoying using the Balrog in spite of its shortcomings.

 

[AtmizrOpin]

i keep calling this mod the Youde Ballrag. sounds like it's living up to my mispronunciation. a miss for UD?

 

[VapingTurtle]

i keep calling this mod the Youde Ballrag. sounds like it's living up to my mispronunciation. a miss for UD?

Almost, sort of, maybe. But comfort means a lot, and it is comfortable. Good shape, good finish, good looks. It just needs technical refinement. Its got my grip over my VTC, D2, Wismec Presa TC 70, and Kanger kbox mini right now.

I want this Balrog' body with Joye/Wimec's display, SS and TCR support, upgradeable FW, and menu, the D3's good Yihi chipset, and a better battery compartment. Kinda like a Mercedes' comfort, BMW's handling, Volvo's safety, and Toyota's reliability rolled into one. Or Megan Fox's body, Grace Kelly's grace, Lisa Randall plus Samantha Power's brain, all morphed together. And I want it all for less than $20. Know what I mean? (Ain't gonna happen.)

 

[zanzi]

The Balrog is also a little lighter

Only "a little lighter"?

What is this tank?

 

[Roadtrip635]

Only "a little lighter"?

What is this tank?

The iPV D2 (left) has a Stumpy RDA on it and the Balrog has the tank included in the kit. The Balrog is a little lighter, but does feel solidly built.

 

[zanzi]

The iPV D2 (left) has a Stumpy RDA on it and the Balrog has the tank included in the kit.

I use a Stumpy-
so I knew that tank is small.

Went hunting on alibaba for shipping weight & realised it was the Balrog tank...lol

Do you think the coils can be rebuilt?

 

[Roadtrip635]

I use a Stumpy-
so I knew that tank is small.

Went hunting on alibaba for shipping weight & realised it was the Balrog tank...lol

Do you think the coils can be rebuilt?

Should be easy to rebuild, I haven't done it yet though. I've popped off the contact and insulator from the 0.5 coil and easily pulled the old coil and cotton. I know someone that has and was told it was simple and straightforward.

 

[VapingTurtle]

Oh, and I'm liking the timeouts on the display. Long enough to read during the bright period, and quick enough to dim out to black standby so as to not be annoying.

 

[snkrumble]

I just bought one of these. Was in the market for a new small single battery mod. Just could not decide on what I wanted lol. Evic mini of course seems to be the go to. But comfort plays a big part for me just like a cig I try to look for a device I can use it without thinking about it. I do not use TC at all currently cause I love my mini super tank regular coils and they last me almost 2 weeks per. I ended up going with this give it a shot hell for $40 something with a tank worse case it ends up really sucking and just pick up something else. I prefer to be as stealth as possible with my vaping.

 

[gerrymi]

So far, this looks like a terrific kit for both new vapers and us veteran vaper alike.

Peta...I think I disagree...

New Vapers...Kit might be worthwhile...to try a new tank and Mod...

Veteran Vapers...Most have already found a tank (or tanks) that they like and have little interest in adding another tank (and yet another set of coils) to their rotation. Seems, to me, they'd be most interested in getting the Mod by itself...

I just got my Youde Balrog 70 Watt Starter Kit, sent directly by Youde to show you guys and give my first impressions.

Does the Mod have a spring-loaded 510 pin...(or, at least, an adjustable one)???

..

 

[snkrumble]

Pretty sure it has a spring-loaded least I believe I read that.

For someone like myself I think this kit will be fine. I've been vaping for a year, but I'm not hardcore hardware guy I just like small boxes that I beat to death generally. When I order a new setup (generally every few months) I always look for a box that comes with a tank usually. Even tho I have my favorite go to tank that I use still nice to have extra stuff I either keep it for a rainy day or hand it off with a old box to a friend to get them interested in vaping and off the stinky stuff.

Bit off topic but co-worker/friend come to me the other day and starts whispering "Hey, come check this out" he had one of them mark 10 cig-a-like things. I promised him I'd bring one of my other cheapo boxes in shortly after I get this kit. Probably give him my istick 40w tc or subox mini 50w with maybe my other mini super tank (my favorite tanks but I have 3). So far coverted about 5 people to vaping lol with old hardware and they end up always going out and buying new stuff within a month and handing that off to another smoker.