I posted this up on the electronicstix forum but I figured it be good to have it here as well!
I wanted to upgrade from a Kangertech EDOV/T3S and I was certainly blown away at all of the different systems. I wanted something that was a pleasure to use and carry. I was obviously immediately attracted to Mechanicals but building coils, likeliness of spilling juice and all that really seemed like a bit of a PITA. Then I discovered the Zen 2 Carto Tank system!
I ordered from electronicstix on Wed. and got a package Sat!
Through the forums input, setting this thing up was a breeeeeze! There is so much info here I felt like a "pro" before even having the thing in my hands. THANK YOU ALL!!
I'd like to give some initial impressions. First off, the packaging as received from electronicstix was superb. I can't even imagine the stock of various "zip lock" bags you folks must keep on hand! I bought the Zen, two mini glass tanks, 5 reg LV cartos, a SS "hourglass" drip tip, 3 batts, a charger and a few 30ml bottles of e-liquid. The first thing I did was read the instructions on the "Efest LUC V4" charger and get my three new 18350s juiced up. Next I began to un package the Zen 2 CT. The first thing that really hit me was the weight. This thing is a dense little bugger! It is smaller than the specs listed on the site which I'm stoked about! Time for a QC inspection!:
I am no stranger to high end machining and perhaps I am a bit nitpicky. I used to be a dealer of "Arc Flashlights" and Chris Reeve Knives (also out of Boise, ID!) in the early 2000s. These are some of the finest machined products made. I also have several other items of similar make, for example, PSDproducts.com. Let's get any "cons" outta the way first. In order of my noticing:
There is zero paperwork or instructions that came with mine. That's just silly! The glass tank has a looser fit than I thought it would. Not loose, per se, but it could have a tighter fit. All of the threads were a little gunky. There were no metal shavings in there, just dirt or something. The first thread of both male pieces (the switch and the tank bottom) both have a HONKIN' burr on them. They are both very coarse and sharp. It's not a deal breaker but it is a bit of an eyebrow raiser. The machining of the logo on the bottom seems to be either hastily done or the mill needed to be re tooled. In my opinion it could certainly be neater and crisper. I don't see any great reason for the top cap to be so tall, thick and heavy except to decrease machining cost (which may be necessary at this point). I would say that the most significant shortcoming though is also the easiest remedied. The bevel on the switch was downright sharp on the edges... not with a crisp edge, but with a machining burr. Holding it in the hand and activating it with the pinky would certainly be uncomfortable after only a few puffs. It took me less than one minute of filing it with a fine ceramic sharpening stone to get a perfect feeling and looking chamfer (bevel). That's it, really, for the shortcomings. I'm not knocking the product. I'm sure the folks at Zenesis are working their fingers to nubs getting these things out the door so that you and I can enjoy them. That is the number one feeling I have about the product. I am enjoying it!
Pros!:
LOVE the feel of it. Love the size of it especially with the mini glass/regular carto. It is a beautiful piece of functional minimalist art. I dig its simplicity in use. All other machining is great. The finish, overall, is very good. The glass that it came with is flawless as are the two colored minis I bought. Typically I see "knurling" as a cut corner (vs. machined fluting) but this is done very well. The delrin parts are perfectly milled. The button is well thought out in design. It requires more pressure than I thought it would but seems perfect for pocket carry & avoiding what I will call "crotch firing." Battery rattle is much less than expected. I'd say there is around 1mm of "slide" in there. If anything, I actually like it. The contact screws in mine are Allen heads. They are "button head" type screws but they are flat around the Allen hole. LOVE to see a product getting tweaked and upgraded as new batches are made!
Surely I've left out some impressions & even more likely more will come as I settle in with this thing. I've only had it for six hours now!
Let's talk about setup and vaping!
Again, THANKS TO YOU ALL for your own trial and error and sharing your personal experience!!! It is certainly not a complex machine but you made it practically effortless! I did end up flooding the cartomizer a little but it still atomized the liquid fine and I just blew the excess fluid out through the intake holes (around a drip through each hole). A few vapes and it's working flawlessly. I have zero complaints.
I wanted to upgrade from a Kangertech EDOV/T3S and I was certainly blown away at all of the different systems. I wanted something that was a pleasure to use and carry. I was obviously immediately attracted to Mechanicals but building coils, likeliness of spilling juice and all that really seemed like a bit of a PITA. Then I discovered the Zen 2 Carto Tank system!
I ordered from electronicstix on Wed. and got a package Sat!
Through the forums input, setting this thing up was a breeeeeze! There is so much info here I felt like a "pro" before even having the thing in my hands. THANK YOU ALL!!
I'd like to give some initial impressions. First off, the packaging as received from electronicstix was superb. I can't even imagine the stock of various "zip lock" bags you folks must keep on hand! I bought the Zen, two mini glass tanks, 5 reg LV cartos, a SS "hourglass" drip tip, 3 batts, a charger and a few 30ml bottles of e-liquid. The first thing I did was read the instructions on the "Efest LUC V4" charger and get my three new 18350s juiced up. Next I began to un package the Zen 2 CT. The first thing that really hit me was the weight. This thing is a dense little bugger! It is smaller than the specs listed on the site which I'm stoked about! Time for a QC inspection!:
I am no stranger to high end machining and perhaps I am a bit nitpicky. I used to be a dealer of "Arc Flashlights" and Chris Reeve Knives (also out of Boise, ID!) in the early 2000s. These are some of the finest machined products made. I also have several other items of similar make, for example, PSDproducts.com. Let's get any "cons" outta the way first. In order of my noticing:
There is zero paperwork or instructions that came with mine. That's just silly! The glass tank has a looser fit than I thought it would. Not loose, per se, but it could have a tighter fit. All of the threads were a little gunky. There were no metal shavings in there, just dirt or something. The first thread of both male pieces (the switch and the tank bottom) both have a HONKIN' burr on them. They are both very coarse and sharp. It's not a deal breaker but it is a bit of an eyebrow raiser. The machining of the logo on the bottom seems to be either hastily done or the mill needed to be re tooled. In my opinion it could certainly be neater and crisper. I don't see any great reason for the top cap to be so tall, thick and heavy except to decrease machining cost (which may be necessary at this point). I would say that the most significant shortcoming though is also the easiest remedied. The bevel on the switch was downright sharp on the edges... not with a crisp edge, but with a machining burr. Holding it in the hand and activating it with the pinky would certainly be uncomfortable after only a few puffs. It took me less than one minute of filing it with a fine ceramic sharpening stone to get a perfect feeling and looking chamfer (bevel). That's it, really, for the shortcomings. I'm not knocking the product. I'm sure the folks at Zenesis are working their fingers to nubs getting these things out the door so that you and I can enjoy them. That is the number one feeling I have about the product. I am enjoying it!
Pros!:
LOVE the feel of it. Love the size of it especially with the mini glass/regular carto. It is a beautiful piece of functional minimalist art. I dig its simplicity in use. All other machining is great. The finish, overall, is very good. The glass that it came with is flawless as are the two colored minis I bought. Typically I see "knurling" as a cut corner (vs. machined fluting) but this is done very well. The delrin parts are perfectly milled. The button is well thought out in design. It requires more pressure than I thought it would but seems perfect for pocket carry & avoiding what I will call "crotch firing." Battery rattle is much less than expected. I'd say there is around 1mm of "slide" in there. If anything, I actually like it. The contact screws in mine are Allen heads. They are "button head" type screws but they are flat around the Allen hole. LOVE to see a product getting tweaked and upgraded as new batches are made!
Surely I've left out some impressions & even more likely more will come as I settle in with this thing. I've only had it for six hours now!
Let's talk about setup and vaping!
Again, THANKS TO YOU ALL for your own trial and error and sharing your personal experience!!! It is certainly not a complex machine but you made it practically effortless! I did end up flooding the cartomizer a little but it still atomized the liquid fine and I just blew the excess fluid out through the intake holes (around a drip through each hole). A few vapes and it's working flawlessly. I have zero complaints.
