# Do the more expensive Mod's deliver a better experience?



## Stew (30/1/21)

I have been looking at different Mod's on offer in competitions and like to look them up to see the cost and it staggers me on how much the prices differ between different Mod's. Say for example a twin battery mod of one brand can be R800 and for another brand R2500. Does the R2500 give a better vape? Do they last four times longer? Then I am on a few Facebook groups and when i go on the more expensive mods pages on Facebook I see people asking how to fix this and that on the more expensive mod's sometimes more frequently than I see the question on the cheaper mod's which may be only because people accept them more as a disposable commodity.
Would love feedback from people that have been Vaping quite a few years and have used both types of Mod, being expensive and less expensive.
Thanks.

Reactions: Like 7 | Winner 4


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## Dela Rey Steyn (30/1/21)

It depends on why the mod is more expensive IMHO. 
More expensive because of quality materials = sturdier mod.
More expensive because of better chipset (ie Yihi or DNA) = better performance.
More expensive because of brand/limited run = no guarantee of better build or performance, but mostly tend to be better.

Honestly, the average vaper doesn't give 2 ticks about a DNA Chipset. Or if the mod is made from aircraft aluminum. They just want something to vape on. These factors only really come into play when you reach the hobbyists stage/phase of your vaping journey.

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## Dela Rey Steyn (30/1/21)

For me, vaping MTL (15-22watts) 95% of the time, I could not care less for "powerful" chipsets. I buy mods I like the look of, whether cheap or pricey.

Reactions: Like 12 | Agree 4 | Winner 4 | Can relate 1


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## zadiac (30/1/21)

Hype.

Reactions: Like 5 | Agree 3 | Winner 2


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## Stranger (30/1/21)

Mods are machines, how many folk do you see on these forums and FB pages that know their machines, can strip them, service them, clean them. My least expensive mod is an Arctic Dolphin Crea that I bought from @adriaanh for R150. I still strip it, clean it and service it with new rings and make sure the contacts are 100%. In return it gives me a great vape. I have never and will never buy a mod or vaping gear on a credit card. If it is too expensive for me to pay cash, then I will go without.

Anything regardless of the price that is mechanical and/or electrical will wear out or break.

Reactions: Like 4 | Agree 6 | Winner 4


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## Puff the Magic Dragon (30/1/21)

IMO if you were into temp control two or more years ago you would almost certainly have had a better experience from a DNA mod. 

Many manufacturers struggled to nail temp control. Nowadays most manufacturers have gone a long way towards "perfecting" temp control. Very few vapers use temp control these days. It has got to the point where some mods even come out without it. I'm pretty sure that this is not a cost-cutting exercise but an attempt to provide mods that are simple to operate. At least one such mod offers the buyer the option of downloading the temp control function if they particularly want it.

Evolv pretty much provided "perfect" DNA chips from the outset. If your mod said 30W you got 30W out of it. Battery charging (balanced) provided added safety, although it is still safer to use an external charger. EScribe software got many vapers very excited. You could now customize almost everything. I spent days playing around with the EScribe software but haven't gone back for years.

Nowadays the main feature which DNA chips have, which others don't, is replay mode which is essentially an advanced form of temp control.

When it comes to reliability I doubt that it would be possible to get a definitive answer. Vapers experience problems with all boards, DNA or not. Reliable stats just aren't available. One would hope that an expensive DNA board would be more reliable. In reality, I think that all we could get is personal testimonials which provide little evidence. I have several non-DNA mods that still work perfectly. To me, that means very little. Perhaps I was just lucky with those particular mods and other vapers had issues with them. We will never know.

If cost is not important to you, and you have tried replay mode and like it (and you like customizing in general), then the DNA route might be for you. 

If cost is an issue then I would go for tried and tested brands (watch or read reviews). I would also wait a few months after a mod has been released to see if the hype has died down or not. If you wait a few months more you will be able to get greatly reduced prices on some mods. The features on a two-year-old may be identical to a mod released today but can be bought on specials or clearance sales at much-reduced prices. You could also buy a second-hand DNA mod but this may still cost much more than another brand's new mod

To sum up. If money is no issue then why not buy a DNA mod or two. If you think that you are missing out on a better vape try to borrow one from a friend or ask a vape shop to let you try one of their DNA mods (if they sell them). If you live in Cape Town come to one of the vape meets when they are safe to return. There is more than likely someone using a DNA mod, but to be safe ask people to bring them before the meet.

Reactions: Like 9 | Winner 3 | Informative 1


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## Stew (30/1/21)

Thanks @Puff the Magic Dragon

Reactions: Like 6


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## KZOR (30/1/21)

I have an authentic BB, Reo, 21700 Dani, Vicious Ant, alot of Yihi models, Hexohm, Lost Vapes and a few more that are great mods but the mod i use as my daily is a R1000 Geekvape Aegis. 
Ergonomics while being reliable for my needs count the most for me.

Reactions: Like 9 | Winner 2


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## vicTor (30/1/21)

you won't believe the cost of some of the HE mech squonk mods

literally nothing inside them

Reactions: Like 5 | Agree 4 | Winner 1


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## Puff the Magic Dragon (30/1/21)

KZOR said:


> I have an authentic BB, Reo, 21700 Dani, Vicious Ant, alot of Yihi models, Hexohm, Lost Vapes and a few more that are great mods but the mod i use as my daily is a R1000 Geekvape Aegis.
> Ergonomics while being reliable for my needs count the most for me.




You are essentially a wattage vaper, like me and many others. Would you still use your Aegis if it came without TC/TCR, and bypass modes?

What I am preferring these days is a mod that is simple and easy to use. I accept the fact that I could just ignore all the extra modes but when entering the menu system, for example, to alter the brightness, all the unused extras just get in the way.

Reactions: Like 6 | Winner 2


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## Timwis (30/1/21)

I pretty much agree with what @Puff the Magic Dragon said so it really is down to the individual. I personally believe it's worth the extra for a DNAC chip but that's because i use Replay and still love designing themes and having customisation options but if Replay and the theme designer didn't interest me then really just a device with a tried and tested reliable chipset (which is the vast majority of chipsets these days) would be just as good while also saving money. I'm also a Yihi fan and apart from Replay on DNAC devices and Smart TC on Axon devices i only ever use TC on Yihi devices as i just find it works better for me! 

It also depends sometimes if the build quality and finish of a device is of great importance as usually devices with more expensive chipsets tend to have better quality finishes. An example of this is the Odins's from Dovpo while both the DNAC and proprietary chipset versions both have excellent build quality and the proprietary chipset at least as far as just power modes are concerned works just as well most who don't have both think the chipsets are the only difference when the DNAC versions are actually much lighter, made of the same metal material throughout and have the best brushed finish i have ever known on a device!

When the Voopoo Drag was released it had a wow factor because of firing speed and ramp up but while Voopoo acquired the Gene chip and have really not advanced it other chipsets have overtaken it and firing speeds now as standard are just out the gate and with features like curves anyone can tailor the exact vape they want without spending a lot of money! 



vicTor said:


> you won't believe the cost of some of the HE mech squonk mods
> 
> literally nothing inside them



I know mate £200-£300 for basically a copper tube, i would never bankroll greed! People can buy and spend what they want but i would never spend more than £200 on a device or over £100 on an atomizer, i lie i have spent over £100 on an atomizer and one of them went in the garbage, so never again!

Reactions: Like 9 | Winner 3


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## Timwis (30/1/21)

"you won't believe the cost of some of the HE mech squonk mods

literally nothing inside them" @vicTor 

I missed the squonk bit i bet they can go for even more and some probably just plastic devices!

Reactions: Like 4 | Agree 3 | Winner 1


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## DarthBranMuffin (30/1/21)

A lot of great feedback already here.

It all comes down to what you like, what you enjoy and what works for you. Even though I have a few HE's on the shelve, I also have a few dead cheap devices that does exactly what I like them to do. New generation devices does some times not outperform outdated devices either.

So to answer your question @Stew on "do the more expensive mods deliver a better experience" it is all subjective to what experience you are looking for. Do you like the feel of a hand crafted piece of art with a top of the range chip in it, or do you like the robustness of a heavy, built in battery IP rated mod that will last you a year on daily use. 

For example: having used temp control on a GTRS GT150 and also on a Paranormal DNA250C in Replay mode, I preferred the Paranormal. Did the GTRS work? Yes it did. Did the Paranormal work? Yes it did. And today the GTRS is still on my shelve and the Paranormal has moved on to someone else. Form over function won that round.

If you are going to go into major temp control realms, then you will have to look at the DNA/YiHi/Dicodes as the best options. And for that you are unfortunately going to pay more than you would for a mainstream device. But for some of these chips you can still get a mod that is not considered HE and not have to donate a kidney either. But you can still get a mainstream device that does Temp Control to your satisfaction too.

Reactions: Like 6 | Agree 1 | Winner 1


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## Stew (30/1/21)

Thanks @DarthBranMuffin. I definitely will have to win one to experience it as I certainly am not splashing out R2500 on any mod.

Reactions: Like 4 | Agree 5


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## Timwis (30/1/21)

Stew said:


> Thanks @DarthBranMuffin. I definitely will have to win one to experience it as I certainly am not splashing out R2500 on any mod.


Another thing worth mentioning as long as a device has been looked after is the premium chipsets tend to just keep going so a used device is a good option to get for example a DNA device yet not pay the earth. An example i have 2 Thor Stabwood DNA75C devices that were as good as new still in their boxes that have nearly as good build quality as the devices themselves and one cost £90 while the other only £70!

Reactions: Like 5 | Agree 1 | Winner 2


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## fbb1964 (30/1/21)

Stew said:


> I have been looking at different Mod's on offer in competitions and like to look them up to see the cost and it staggers me on how much the prices differ between different Mod's. Say for example a twin battery mod of one brand can be R800 and for another brand R2500. Does the R2500 give a better vape? Do they last four times longer? Then I am on a few Facebook groups and when i go on the more expensive mods pages on Facebook I see people asking how to fix this and that on the more expensive mod's sometimes more frequently than I see the question on the cheaper mod's which may be only because people accept them more as a disposable commodity.
> Would love feedback from people that have been Vaping quite a few years and have used both types of Mod, being expensive and less expensive.
> Thanks.


Great topic thanks @Stew I have always been intrigued with exactly what the differences between a $50 and $250 mod are and what would justify spending that amount on a mod. This very informative feedback received addressed this question asked well.

Reactions: Like 3 | Agree 7


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## Timwis (30/1/21)

fbb1964 said:


> Great topic thanks @Stew I have always been intrigued with exactly what the differences between a $50 and $250 mod are and what would justify spending that amount on a mod. This very informative feedback received addressed this question asked well.


That's a forum at it's best! Vapers discussing a topic will yield far more helpful information than looking up articles online while also looking at the topic in question from different view points!

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2 | Winner 6


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## Hooked (31/1/21)

Dela Rey Steyn said:


> Honestly, the average vaper doesn't give 2 ticks about a DNA Chipset. Or if the mod is made from aircraft aluminum. They just want something to vape on. These factors only really come into play when you reach the hobbyists stage/phase of your vaping journey.



The average vaper doesn't even know the name of their mod! Strange, but true.

Reactions: Like 6 | Agree 2 | Winner 1 | Funny 2


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## Stew (31/1/21)

Thanks all for your input. Learned a lot from the comments above. I won't likely be experiencing one of these mod's to form an opinion of my own. I am guessing even if you own one it would be a learning curve to extract the potential out of the chipset and have suitable attomisers to utilize that potential.
Thanks.

Reactions: Like 5


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## Rob Fisher (31/1/21)

An interesting thread... I guess I have had the full range of mods from the stupid priced to El Cheapo's. I don't think there is a massive difference in the actual vape between a $500 mod and a $40 mod. At my desk, I use a $500 mod and when I jump in the Jacuzzi I swop the Stratum for a waterproof Geek Vape Aegis.

I used to buy mods on looks and rarity. Nowadays the comfort of the mod is paramount with looks still important but comfort wins for me.

Dicodes probably is technically the best chip but it's got a really confusing menu system... the SX series are easier but still a little confusing... the DNA chips are simple to use and the plain DNA60 wins for me.

I guess my favourite mods would be the Stratum V4's and the Aerodynamics because the comfort of both of them beats most!

Reactions: Like 4 | Winner 4


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## Stranger (1/2/21)

[COLOR=#0000ff said:


> "KZOR[/COLOR], post: 900547, member: 7313"]I have an authentic BB, Reo, 21700 Dani, Vicious Ant, alot of Yihi models, Hexohm, Lost Vapes and a few more that are great mods but the mod i use as my daily is a R1000 Geekvape Aegis.
> Ergonomics while being reliable for my needs count the most for me.





[COLOR=#0000ff]Rob Fisher said:


> An interesting thread... I guess I have had the full range of mods from the stupid priced to El Cheapo's. I don't think there is a massive difference in the actual vape between a $500 mod and a $40 mod. At my desk, I use a $500 mod and when I jump in the Jacuzzi I swop the Stratum for a waterproof Geek Vape Aegis.



Just pointing this out

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## Timwis (1/2/21)

Stranger said:


> Just pointing this out


I just cut my finger on you mate, sharp as!!!! Personally i find the Aegis devices are great when worried about damaging a device so strike 3 but actually don't find them that efficient with battery life for some reason! What we (not the royal we want) is an IP67 device to be released with a premium chipset!!!!!

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## Stranger (1/2/21)

Indeed, we need more of these with a better chip, type C and 21700. IN SA it would also double up as a personal defense weapon

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## Stranger (1/2/21)

I just had to do it, no apologies though. Surprisingly it ain't half bad

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