# How bad is the "paint" issue on the Smok Alien?



## EdeezaY

So yet another noob conundrum! 

I'm looking to upgrade from my Pico Mega (or should I?)

I'm considering (very fearfully) entering the world of building coils and I've had my eye on the Smok TFV8 Baby Beast tank for a while.

Of late though, I've been considering a new mod as well.

I really like the look of the Smok G-Priv, but the Alien is more within my budget and I could purchase a kit that includes the baby beast tank.

I have been advised against the Alien though due to the paint issues, so I wanted to get some more opinions on this. How bad is this issue? Is it still an issue if a silicon sleeve is used?

I've read somewhere that Smok was addressing this issue. How would I know that the one I purchase is one where the issue has been "addressed" on?

I've also been advised to look at a Minikin V2 instead, but this seems to be slightly out of budget.

I would love to hear opinions from this well experienced group!


----------



## Silver

Hi @EdeezaY 

I dont have an Alien so cannot advise you first hand. From what I can tell from what others have posted, the paint can peel but it doesnt affect the workings of the mod. 

Just a tip, keep your pico mega as backup if you can. If you have something that works well and you know it, let it become a backup instead of getting rid of it.

Good luck with your choices.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2


----------



## PsyCLown

So it was the first batch or so of Aliens which had the poor paint job.

The newer stock should not have the pain peeling issue, some colours only arrived when the new stock did - such as the blue one and the silver one and the white and red one etc. So those colours will be a safe bet.
Alternatively I know that @Naeem_M has received stock from the new batches so the Alien Kit purchased through (www.thevapeindustry.co.za) him should not have any paint issues.

He sells the sleeves too, I see he is out of stock on most of the Alien kits though. Drop him a message and see whether the red is from the 1st batch or a later batch.

Reactions: Like 3


----------



## stevie g

The Alien will shed paint like a leperous scalp but it's a good mod and feels amazing in the hand plus very compact for 2x batts.

A silicone sleeve will help but they feel gross and slimy, trap any eliquid droplets and make it difficult to remove from the pocket as it grips onto clothing. The sleeve also attracts lint.

Reactions: Agree 1


----------



## stevie g

Look at the g-priv that's the one I'd get.


----------



## Slick

EdeezaY said:


> So yet another noob conundrum!
> 
> I'm looking to upgrade from my Pico Mega (or should I?)
> 
> I'm considering (very fearfully) entering the world of building coils and I've had my eye on the Smok TFV8 Baby Beast tank for a while.
> 
> Of late though, I've been considering a new mod as well.
> 
> I really like the look of the Smok G-Priv, but the Alien is more within my budget and I could purchase a kit that includes the baby beast tank.
> 
> I have been advised against the Alien though due to the paint issues, so I wanted to get some more opinions on this. How bad is this issue? Is it still an issue if a silicon sleeve is used?
> 
> I've read somewhere that Smok was addressing this issue. How would I know that the one I purchase is one where the issue has been "addressed" on?
> 
> I've also been advised to look at a Minikin V2 instead, but this seems to be slightly out of budget.
> 
> I would love to hear opinions from this well experienced group!


Hey bud,im on my 2nd Alien kit and love it,sold my 1st 1 only because of the colour,its a great setup,nice and compact,good battery life,nice clouds,I purchased my latest 1 from Vape Cartel and sleeve from Vaperite,I dont think the paint can peel with the sleeve on

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## CloudKnight

Hi @EdeezaY , from almost all reviews and complaints, the Alien from what I understand is terrible regarding the paint wirk. The sweat on your hands tend to remove the paint somehow. I would maybe suggest the SMOK Skyhook? You can definitely build on that as well and no issues from what I see with the paint job and it is more or less the pricing of the Alien. Hope this helps..


----------



## boxerulez

CloudKnight said:


> Hi @EdeezaY , from almost all reviews and complaints, the Alien from what I understand is terrible regarding the paint wirk. The sweat on your hands tend to remove the paint somehow. I would maybe suggest the SMOK Skyhook? You can definitely build on that as well and no issues from what I see with the paint job and it is more or less the pricing of the Alien. Hope this helps..


That thing is a monstrosity... i have not seen one rave review of anyone locally witha skyhook or an rdta box in hand in south africa.


----------



## CloudKnight

boxerulez said:


> That thing is a monstrosity... i have not seen one rave review of anyone locally witha skyhook or an rdta box in hand in south africa.


@boxerulez well you just met one.. haha. I have the ijoy rdta box and today hopefully the skyhook.. no issues about size.. I enjoy it.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Vape0206

Hi @EdeezaY , have you considered the manikin boost? Very nice mod. I cant speak about the alien because I never owned one but apparently its a great mod, but the only thing that put me off was the paint the peels off. If Smok has indeed fixed the paint issues then you should have a great mod


----------



## Ashley A

I own one, heard about the paint issue and took a chance anyway. The paint peel is way worse than I expected. It just disappears of spots randomly so I'm sure it will be silver soon and quite frankly I don't care.

What really amazed me is how compact and lite it was for a dual battery device, yet versatile, powerful, reliable, easy to use, very comfortable in pocket and hand. I was going to get the silicone sleeve when I bought it expecting it to be my stay at home device but after seeing compact and well just awesome it is, I junked that idea since it won't feel as compact and will stick to my pocket like my other sleeved devices and the other reasons that @Sprint mentioned.

If you are a person who generally cares very much for something to look great and s3xy, don't go with this but if you want something that going to do the job and do it well but don't care about some mud getting on your Hilux then get it.

Also, the Beast tank is a real beast of a tank. It is really nice so that's another R400 off your price or free.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2


----------



## William Vermaak

I own an Alien and G-Priv and I love both of them. I have to say though that I bought one of the first Aliens and have had no issue with the paint.


----------



## Nailedit77

EdeezaY said:


> So yet another noob conundrum!
> 
> I'm looking to upgrade from my Pico Mega (or should I?)
> 
> I'm considering (very fearfully) entering the world of building coils and I've had my eye on the Smok TFV8 Baby Beast tank for a while.
> 
> Of late though, I've been considering a new mod as well.
> 
> I really like the look of the Smok G-Priv, but the Alien is more within my budget and I could purchase a kit that includes the baby beast tank.
> 
> I have been advised against the Alien though due to the paint issues, so I wanted to get some more opinions on this. How bad is this issue? Is it still an issue if a silicon sleeve is used?
> 
> I've read somewhere that Smok was addressing this issue. How would I know that the one I purchase is one where the issue has been "addressed" on?
> 
> I've also been advised to look at a Minikin V2 instead, but this seems to be slightly out of budget.
> 
> I would love to hear opinions from this well experienced group!


I have had my alien for around months now and its still almost perfect  I got some of the 1st batch that was released so maybe this is why. It's a great mod, power full and small.


----------



## stevie g

William Vermaak said:


> I own an Alien and G-Priv and I love both of them. I have to say though that I bought one of the first Aliens and have had no issue with the paint.


 which do you prefer the most?.


----------



## William Vermaak

Sprint said:


> which do you prefer the most?.


That's a difficult question. When I'm traveling and moving around I prefer the Alien 'cause it's smaller and easily fits in a pocket. When I'm behind my desk I prefer the G-Priv.

Reactions: Thanks 1


----------



## Bush Vaper

Bro just save a few bucks more and get a freakin Minikin. U cant go wrong with it

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 3


----------



## Dietz

The only issue I have with the Gpriv is that NO it does not peel at all, But the paint comes of *REALLY *easily with the slightest bumps or Nicks. I have the cover on Most of the time, but have had a nick or two even with it on. Was not dropped. the bottom has nicks on from just putting it down on a hard surface. Also the Firebutton seems to wear Quite quickly. Ive had this Mod for a bit over 2 months now only.

This, In my opinion is one of the things that sets an HE mod apart from a normal or expensive mod.

Dont get me wrong, I love the Quality of this Gpriv, just feel that they have a poor \ thin quality paint on it.

Reactions: Like 2 | Informative 2


----------



## William Vermaak

I saw this video last night. Now I'm itching to buy a flaked Alien and have it anodized or polish it as in the video.


----------



## Caveman

I've had mine for a few months now, I don't have any paint peeling issues yet. There are some light scratches on the bottom as it stands. I don't have a cover on and its my daily use. No paint issues at all.


----------



## xRuan

Zero paint related issues with my Alien. As I understand, it's only the 1st batch that had the paint issue. The mod is performing beyond my expectations, it's compact and feels secure in the hand. You won't be disappointed going with the Alien  Also got my sleeve at The Vape Industry from @Naeem_M.


----------



## Amir

I have an alien with the big baby beast as my daily pocket carry. Its a peach of a mod and I've had no peeling issues whatsoever... A few scratches here and there from other items in the same pocket but nothing visible at first glance. I even dropped it last night from about the height of the toilet pot (ask no questions and hear no lies) which resulted in a ever so slight nick on the bottom corner.

That being said... I own a minikin V2 as well. there's no doubt about the quality of this product and I've been caught stroking it on occassion in the skelm while sucking on the Alien... But the minikin is not very pocket friendly. The texture is almost grippy and the shape a bit odd.

Also, minikin dont have pass through charging... something to keep in mind if intending to carry all day without spare batteries.


----------



## Coldcat

Dietz said:


> The only issue I have with the Gpriv is that NO it does not peel at all, But the paint comes of *REALLY *easily with the slightest bumps or Nicks. I have the cover on Most of the time, but have had a nick or two even with it on. Was not dropped. the bottom has nicks on from just putting it down on a hard surface. Also the Firebutton seems to wear Quite quickly. Ive had this Mod for a bit over 2 months now only.
> 
> This, In my opinion is one of the things that sets an HE mod apart from a normal or expensive mod.
> 
> Dont get me wrong, I love the Quality of this Gpriv, just feel that they have a poor \ thin quality paint on it.


How?! ok given I've had mine for only little over a month. But mines looks new out of the box still... first nick will likely cry a river.. only place where I have (tiny indication of) paint coming off is just under the battery nook that you use to lift the battery off, only also cause I use a screwdriver to remove it.. Struggles of a nail biter.


----------



## Slick

@EdeezaY if you wanna buy a Minikin v2 now is the time,@KieranD has it at 14% off for today only,I wish I could get 1 http://www.vapecartel.co.za/collections/new-hardware/products/minikin-v2?variant=34208383619

Reactions: Winner 1


----------



## kev mac

EdeezaY said:


> So yet another noob conundrum!
> 
> I'm looking to upgrade from my Pico Mega (or should I?)
> 
> I'm considering (very fearfully) entering the world of building coils and I've had my eye on the Smok TFV8 Baby Beast tank for a while.
> 
> Of late though, I've been considering a new mod as well.
> 
> I really like the look of the Smok G-Priv, but the Alien is more within my budget and I could purchase a kit that includes the baby beast tank.
> 
> I have been advised against the Alien though due to the paint issues, so I wanted to get some more opinions on this. How bad is this issue? Is it still an issue if a silicon sleeve is used?
> 
> I've read somewhere that Smok was addressing this issue. How would I know that the one I purchase is one where the issue has been "addressed" on?
> 
> I've also been advised to look at a Minikin V2 instead, but this seems to be slightly out of budget.
> 
> I would love to hear opinions from this well experienced group!


I have been using my white Alien for over a month now and so far no paint issues. I bought a rubber sleeve on eBay for a buck fifty that I use when traveling.Mine is version 2.1 so I'm hoping that any improvements have been made are there. I think it is a great mod and preforms well. I recently bought an ijoy Solo v2 and I am extremely happy with it as well. I highly recommend both.


----------



## Apollo

I bought an Alien when they were first launched in SA... and it was bad... I never set my mod down on any surface that could cause it harm (i also have the DripBox 160 and there was some minor peeling on that) but mine peeled like a motherfluffer after a month of fair use and always carrying it in my pocket. So long story short. I peeled it all off. Repainted the whole mod and got a sleeve from sir vape for rediculously cheap, R65? A sturdy, thick sleeve. Almost makes it look like it was rubberized! Also heard Smok revised the paintjob and its much better now.

All that aside. Its a killer mod man. If it gives up on me, i will most defs replace it with another Alien.

Reactions: Like 2 | Informative 1


----------



## Alex



Reactions: Like 2


----------



## Amir

Slick said:


> @EdeezaY if you wanna buy a Minikin v2 now is the time,@KieranD has it at 14% off for today only,I wish I could get 1 http://www.vapecartel.co.za/collections/new-hardware/products/minikin-v2?variant=34208383619



i like your avatar... i need one... please point me in the right direction...


----------



## TechnoSnakeMan

Dietz said:


> The only issue I have with the Gpriv is that NO it does not peel at all, But the paint comes of *REALLY *easily with the slightest bumps or Nicks. I have the cover on Most of the time, but have had a nick or two even with it on. Was not dropped. the bottom has nicks on from just putting it down on a hard surface. Also the Firebutton seems to wear Quite quickly. Ive had this Mod for a bit over 2 months now only.
> 
> This, In my opinion is one of the things that sets an HE mod apart from a normal or expensive mod.
> 
> Dont get me wrong, I love the Quality of this Gpriv, just feel that they have a poor \ thin quality paint on it.
> 
> View attachment 84638
> View attachment 84639



Hence I took the plunge to do this:

https://www.ecigssa.co.za/smok-gpriv-my-v2.t35993/#post-517640


----------



## playa4life

Awaiting my Silver AL85 to arrive in the post any 50 days from now. lol
Any paint issues to worry about with the silver Alien?


----------



## Amir

playa4life said:


> Awaiting my Silver AL85 to arrive in the post any 50 days from now. lol
> Any paint issues to worry about with the silver Alien?




I've had my Alien 220W for a while now and it's had its fair share of handling... From cup holders to pocket carry to tipping over on my desk... 2-3 months later its still intact and has the usual wear and tear scratches around the 510 and on the bottom. Pretty sturdy I'd say.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## playa4life

Cool. I might have a look for a satin touch like finished cover once I receive my AL85


----------



## kev mac

playa4life said:


> Cool. I might have a look for a satin touch like finished cover once I receive my AL85


Many have had this concern since the first Aliens invaded our vapeing world but indications are that problem was addressed by Smok after all the hoopla on early versions.My later version mod has held up well though I bought a sleeve to be sure she'll stay pretty. I think it's a great mod that will serve you well!


----------



## playa4life

I'll sleep easy now. 
Thanx


----------



## EdeezaY

Happy to report that I haven't has any scratch or paint issues on my Alien since I bought it at the end of Feb. It does live in a silicone sleeve though.

That said, I am in the market for a new mod now. I find that my Baby Beast and Mage RTA performs well on the Alien, but my Avocado 24 doesn't perform that well. I've gotta ramp the wattage up to 100+ for any decent performance. A mate of mine had my Avo on his Therion 166 and performs much better. SO...shopping around for a DNA mod


----------



## kev mac

EdeezaY said:


> Happy to report that I haven't has any scratch or paint issues on my Alien since I bought it at the end of Feb. It does live in a silicone sleeve though.
> 
> That said, I am in the market for a new mod now. I find that my Baby Beast and Mage RTA performs well on the Alien, but my Avocado 24 doesn't perform that well. I've gotta ramp the wattage up to 100+ for any decent performance. A mate of mine had my Avo on his Therion 166 and performs much better. SO...shopping around for a DNA mod


@EdeezaY , I have a few suggestions, if you don't want to shell out the $$ for a DNA then maybe do what I did when ramping became an issue because of larger builds ie. Clapton,Alien types.A mod by Ijoy like the Solo v2 for example has a 6step user preheat function that I love.This is a great modestly priced mod IMO and will solve your problem I believe.Another solution may be the VooPoo Drag,a157w mod with a new chip called the Gene Fun.It is an advanced one that rivals the DNA with upgrades and programming on the computer like the DNA itself.Best of all it's $53usd at 3fvape! I have one ordered after watching Phill Brusardos' stellar review on YouTube.Good luck.


----------



## EdeezaY

kev mac said:


> @EdeezaY , I have a few suggestions, if you don't want to shell out the $$ for a DNA then maybe do what I did when ramping became an issue because of larger builds ie. Clapton,Alien types.A mod by Ijoy like the Solo v2 for example has a 6step user preheat function that I love.This is a great modestly priced mod IMO and will solve your problem I believe.Another solution may be the VooPoo Drag,a157w mod with a new chip called the Gene Fun.It is an advanced one that rivals the DNA with upgrades and programming on the computer like the DNA itself.Best of all it's $53usd at 3fvape! I have one ordered after watching Phill Brusardos' stellar review on YouTube.Good luck.


Thanks for this @kev mac!

I've had a look at the YouTube reviews for the VooPoo and it looks good. I will definitely look into this as an alternative to a DNA. Do you perhaps know if this is stocked in South Africa?


----------



## kev mac

EdeezaY said:


> Thanks for this @kev mac!
> 
> I've had a look at the YouTube reviews for the VooPoo and it looks good. I will definitely look into this as an alternative to a DNA. Do you perhaps know if this is stocked in South Africa?


Sorry mate,i'm from the States. I ordered mine at 3fvape on presale but I am not in a hurry,I think Heavens Gifts may have them in stock but I am not sure.It is pretty new so chances are S.A.may take a while to see them in shops. I think this will be a big item so my advice would be to go the China route,though I hear about the issues you guys have with mail from other countries. I think this one will be worth the wait.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Coldcat

Had my G-priv for over 6 months now and just spotted paint coming off in a nook near top screen. Not an area I'd expect either, occasionally had liquid leak in that area and wiped it but other than that it's just naturally peeling off.


----------



## B///Moodley

I have a Smok Alien in red with the paint peel issue. IMO don't use the silicone case because often moisture gets trapped in between the case and the mod(sometimes if your tank leaks it's flavour but most of the time it's moisture) I decided to buy some vinyl and wrap the device. Quite easy to do as the lines are clear. 

It's not that much of a big issue though, the only time paint ever peeled was when I had keys or loose change in the same pocket.

Other than that I can't really find any issues with the mod. I've had 2 instances in the past 3 months where there's a false fire(you click the fire bar and nothing happens) but that is just 1 time and click it again and it's working.

Highly recommend this device. 

Vinyl can be bought for R30 a square metre at Maizey Plastics so it's quite affordable.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------

