# "What Mod Should I Get?" - A Buyers Guide



## Alex (9/9/15)

I discovered this great guide on reddit, and so for all you new guys and girls who have just stumbled in here and may be asking yourself this very question.

All credit to the Original poster.
"What Mod Should I Get?" - A Buyers Guide 

by so_sic_of_it

Besides handchecks, this question is probably the number one thing we see in the new queue. I'm sure it's been done before, but I haven't seen a tutorial like this in a while, so I figured I'd make one.

Note: the links I'm going to provide do not necessarily represent the best deal on any particular device, they are provided for reference only. Do your homework, check the trusted vendor list in the sidebar, use VapeCrawler, and search Google for the best deals. These links are just to show specs on the devices shown. Also, I'm not going to even touch on mechanical mods. If you're an advanced enough user to be making the jump to mechanical, you're advanced enough to do your own homework.

I'm just starting out, or I've been using vape pens or cigalikes for a while, and they aren't cutting it anymore. I'm looking for a better vape experience than what I'm getting, either because I want more vapor production or because I'm trying to quit smoking and these devices aren't doing the job. Or maybe I just want something that looks a big shiny robot cock because I'm a gay cosplay enthusiast. What mod should I get?

For you, the Joyetech eGo One[1] is a great place to start. It's a simple device with a built in battery, so you don't have to worry about buying batteries and a charger. It also comes with a tank, but you'll likely want to replace that fairly quickly. It's available in 1100mah or 2200mah (the 2200mah battery version is of course larger), and comes in a variety of colors to match your purse or your mech suit. Joyetech also sells matching tanks in two different sizes available in the same colors. The batteries are permanently fixed to the device though, so when the battery dies, the mod dies with it.

Maybe check out the Joyetech eVic VT.[3] Again, this mod has an internal rechargeable battery, but this time it's 5000mah. That's generally enough power to last three days or so on a full charge. This mod also comes in a variety of colors, and even features a racing stripe (which has been proven to make the mod 20% faster in a drag race). Inside the package you'll also find a silicone sleeve to keep your mod looking fresh (if your definition of fresh includes wearing a condom) and a serviceable but fairly mediocre tank. A few downsides about this mod you should know about though. First of all, it's heavy. That 5000mah battery weighs quite a bit, and that can be a turnoff for some people. Also, the toggle switch on the top has been known to break off. It hasn't happened to me, but that switch does feel a little bit flimsy. So what makes this better than the eGo One? Two major things, variable power and temperature control. The biggest step up you can take from cigalikes and vape pens is variable power. Being able to crank up the watts to dial in your perfect vape is a *huge* improvement from fixed power devices. Start at a low power setting, and gradually move up until you find a vape experience you enjoy. Some people will keep it low at around 20 watts for a cool, light vape. Some folks want more vapor production (your atomizer plays a huge role here, but that's a whole other discussion for another day) and a warmer vape, so they go higher. With the eVic VT, you can adjust up to 60 watts to help dial in what you're looking for. As far as what temp control is, I'll leave that for another post as well, as it's a question that's been asked and answered a thousand times around here. Just know that this mod has temp control, and that that's a plus.

If that's not floating your boat, take a look at the Joyetech eVic VTC Mini.[4] Again, we've got adjustable wattage up to 60 watts, we've got temp control, and it comes in a few different colors. This one is smaller than the eVic VT and lighter. You have the option to pick up a kit with or without a matching tank depending on where you buy from. It does not, however, come with an internal battery. This means you're going to have to invest in a couple of 18650 batteries and a charger. In my opinion, this is a plus, as batteries don't last forever, and internal lipo batteries don't have the best track record. If an 18650 dies, I'm out five bucks, not a whole mod. Oh, and instead of that odd toggle switch the VT has, the Mini has up and down buttons like damn near every other mod. The three button setup is super common because it works and it makes sense. I honestly don't know what they were thinking when they designed that switch. Whatever.

A comparable mod to the VTC Mini is the Kanger Subox.[5] If you've ever visited /r/vaping[6] , you've seen thousands of these. They're relatively inexpensive, have adjustable power up to 50 watts, solidly constructed, comes in black or white, and comes with a pretty decent tank. No temp control on this one, so that might be an issue for you. Personally, I never use that feature anyway, but others swear by it. This one also has a removable single 18650, so again you're going to need a few batteries and a charger. This is a super popular mod, and for good reason. You're getting a lot of bang for your buck here.

Also in this class is the Sigelei 50W V2.[7] Sigelei as a company has a gang of fanboys, and not without good reason. While their products sometimes cost a bit more than that of their competitors, in this case you're paying for quality. To the best of my knowledge, Sigelei has never released a lemon. Anyway, this is a great mod, built to last, and has all the same bells and whistles. Up to 50 watts of power, runs off a single swappable 18650, comes in black or silver, and fits nicely in the hand. All in all a great entry to mid level mod that you'd be hard pressed to beat.

If none of those jog your fancy, maybe the Innokin iTaste MVP 3.0[8] or MVP 3.0 Pro[9] will be up your alley. This little guy has an internal lipo battery that holds a lot of juice (3800mah in the 3.0, 4500mah in the Pro model), adjustable power (30 watts on the base model, 60 watts on the Pro) and comes in a few different colors (including pink ). No temp control here, but the price is pretty respectable.

If you like Innokin products (and you should because they're a solid company) but you aren't sold on the idea of a fixed internal battery, you could check out the Innokin Disrupter.[10] While the lipo battery this guy comes with only measures in at 2000mah, it is replaceable. So not only does this mean your mod can outlive your battery, but you could also buy a spare battery or two to keep at the ready. Not only that, but both the mod and battery come in multiple colors for full fashion customization. Variable power up to 50 watts. No temp control. Not much else to say about this one.

If you're looking to achieve maximum bang:buck ratio, take a look at Pioneer4You's IPV D2.[11] Available in black or silver with silicone sleeves (sold separately) in blue, pink, white, black, yellow, and red, this mod fires up to 75 watts, and has temp control. This is a tiny mod, so if you know someone with small hands (perhaps a wife or girlfriend) who is looking to get into vaping, this might be a good starting point. In wattage mode, this will work on atomizers down to .2 ohms. In temp control mode, it goes all the way down to .05 ohms. Runs on a single 18650 battery.

This next mod sort of bridges the gap between mid level and advanced mods. This is the Sigelei 75W TC[12] As we've come to expect from Sigelei mods, this one is built like a tank. It feels great in the hand, very solid construction all around. This one fires down to .05 ohms (again, that's crazy low) and has temp control. She comes in silver/silver, silver/black, or silver/copper. If you haven't yet figured it out from the name, this device fires up to 75 watts. Powered by a single 18650. If you were just getting into vaping, and you started off with this mod, you would be set for a long time. Not only does it have a lot of room for a newer vaper to grow into, but it's built to last. Great mod, and not a terrible price for a quality device.

But /u/so_sic_of_it [13] , I'm no newbie to vaping. I've been around the block a little bit, and I've outgrown those devices you listed. Maybe I want to get into the world of cloud chasing or flavor chasing, or maybe I just want something with a bit more power. Maybe I want a dual 18650 box mod, or at least a single 18650 stick with some more balls.

Well, I'm not familiar with any mods having "balls," but I get your point. You're ready to step up to a mid to high level mod. Well, you've got a lot of options here. My first piece of advice is to maybe wait a bit until you can get your hands on a DNA200 device. They're hitting the market right about now, and they certainly look promising. If you can wait, you probably should. If you just can't wait, that's fine too. There are still a lot of good mods out there right now. Let's look at a few.

Let's start with Pioneer4You's offerings. We've got the IPV3 Li V2 and the IPV4S. First we have to discuss the elephant in the room, the IPV4. The IPV4 (different from the IPV4S that we're going to discuss later) was a piece of crap that had a ton of problems out the gate. On top of that, P4Y has a record of shitty customer service. Because of that combo, there are a lot of people who don't care for the company, and I think that's a fair stance. Personally, I don't hold a grudge, and I find their newer mods to be of quite good quality and value. So with that out of the way, let's have a look at their mods. First up, the IPV3 Li V2[14] (for the rest of this post I'm just going to refer to it as the IPV3 because that's way easier to type and I'm on my phone). First off, it's a very nice looking mod in my opinion. Again we have a few color options, and again we've got temp control. We've got adjustable power up to 165 watts, which is more than probably 80% of vapers are ever going to use. It's nice to have the capability though, you never know what you might want in the future. Like most other mods in this category, this guy is fueled by two 18650 batteries, so you'll have to buy a couple sets and marry them together (you don't need an ordained minister for this, but it helps. My services are available for a small donation, PM me for info) and you're going to want a 2 or 4 bay charger. Solid mod, solid construction, very few cons. Oh, and it has upgradeable firmware through the USB port.

Next up, the IPV4S.[15] They fixed nearly all the problems the original IPV4 launch had and redubbed it the IPV4S. One problem that remains however, is that if you have a leaky tank or you tend to overdrip, your juice can find its way inside the mod. Full disclosure here, I'm a notorious overdripper, and I've never had a problem. I make a minimal effort to try and keep my mod clean, and I've never managed to get juice inside the device. Some people have. Anyway, this guy comes in black or silver, and is super comfortable in the hand. The rubberized battery door is nice and grippy, and the buttons are clicky and responsive. Again, 2 18650s are the cost of entry, and you always need backups. They ain't gonna charge themselves either. Oh, and temp control is included, as is upgradeable firmware. Power is adjustable up to 120 watts.

If you've spent any time around this subreddit, or you follow any reviewers on YouTube, you've heard of the Asmodus Snow Wolf.[16] First off, this mod is just gorgeous. It looks great, it feels great, and for the most part it fires great. True, the shiny finish is a bit of a fingerprint magnet, and that may be a turn off for some people. Personally, that doesn't really bother me. This mod features temperature control as you'd expect at this price, and it fires up to 200 watts... Sort of. Up until 150 watts, it's business as usual. But from 151 up to 200 watts, it pulse fires instead of providing a constant burn. It's noticeable, but whether or not it's a deal breaker is for you to decide. For my money, I think the Snow Wolf is a fine piece of machinery. This one also needs 2 18650 batteries to run, so buy spares and a good charger. Another handy bonus is that the Snow Wolf fires atomizers down to .05 ohms, which is *crazy* low. Another downside: no upgradeable firmware. For the most part this mod is only available in silver on black. There are some limited edition black on black mods, but they're tough to find.

Are you a gadget junky? Do you love having the newest neatest toy on the block? Do you wish your toaster was Bluetooth compatible, so you could monitor your organic whole wheat bread from your cell phone as it embarks on it's quest to become toast? Have you ever caught yourself thinking "man, what this thing really needs is a bunch of LED lights?" Then the Smok X-Cube 2[17] might be the perfect mod for you. This one fires up to 160 watts, comes in shiny stainless steel or black, has upgradeable firmware, and features temperature control. But that's not all it does! It is also Bluetooth compatible. This means that you can actually download an app to your iOS or Android device and monitor the resistance of your atomizer, your remaining battery life, and your current settings from your phone! Why would you want to do that? I have no clue. But it's there if you want it. Another neat selling point is the fire button on this mod. The entire side functions as a button, and it has multiple springs to ensure a nice balanced button press regardless of whether you hit the top, middle, or bottom of the switch. There is also an embedded LED light bar behind the fire button bar, and the mobile app lets you adjust the color of that LED bar to your liking.

Next up is a real class act, the Sigelei 150W TC[18] 150 watts of no-bullshit power. Temp control. Outstanding craftsmanship. Solid hand feel. At least until the DNA200 mods start sweeping the nation, this bad boy is the Cadillac of regulated boxes. No upgradeable firmware, and of course it runs on dual 18650s. The downside? If you find the answer to that, you let me know. Available in black, red, or blue.

I've had a soft spot in my heart for the Tesla company (the e-cig one, not the car one) ever since their launch. Unfortunately, they haven't always kept up with what other companies have produced, so they're sometimes a bit behind the curve. Fortunately, they have a nice contender in this class, the Tesla 200W TC[19] This is another really solid mod that feels great in the hand, and does exactly what it's told without any real issues that I'm aware of. As the name would imply, this mod features temp control and fires up to 200 watts. Runs on twin 18650s as usual, and has a gorgeous OLED display. I like the display a lot anyway, maybe I'm just nerding out. It has a really nice looking carbon fiber finish in a few different colors that may or may not be your cup of tea.

Final disclaimers: First of all, I didn't list any Eleaf products. After the huge fiasco with the exploding 50W boxes, I don't touch their stuff. Do your own homework if you're considering an iStick. Second, you may notice that I did not mention the USB charging port some single 18650 devices have as a pro or a con. I've seen too many mods (admittedly, it's more of a problem with dual 18650 devices, but it still happens) fail due to these integrated charging ports. It is my belief that you're just better off not using them at all. You're free to disagree, and you're free to do your own research and decide for yourself. If you notice any mistakes in what I've written, please let me know so that I can fix this post. I'm far from perfect. Most importantly, the right mod for you is the one that keeps you off of cigarettes. If you're happy with a Vision Spinner for the rest of your life, great! I'm happy for you. Don't let anyone pressure you into buying something you don't really want. Happy vaping, everybody!

Edit: The astute reader may notice that I didn't talk about tank selection. Partially this is because I wanted to focus on just the mods themselves, and partially because I rarely ever use tanks as I'm more of an RDA kind of guy.

Edit 2: Added the Smok X-Cube 2. Can't believe I left this one out!

Edit 3: Added the IPV D2, because **** it why not.


136 comments (3 new)
source: https://www.reddit.com/r/electronic_cigarette/comments/3k5jxt/what_mod_should_i_get_a_buyers_guide/

Reactions: Like 2 | Winner 1


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## Nick (9/9/15)

Great info thanks... not sure why so bummed out on the eleaf products 40 watt TC is a nice piece of kit especially as it has the plug in charging port.. not sure how many charges 18650 take but they are very exspensive... I asked in another post what my next mod should be but cannot pick any of these as I would like a plug in charger..

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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