Clones - The Good, Bad & Ugly

[Timwis]

A touchy subject to some but with the price of high end vaping products and certainly it seems like an economic downturn for most you can't blame vapers buying clones. But which ones are very good, which ones not so much but still worth the money and which ones are just garbage?

 

[Rob Fisher]

I will take the 5th on this issue! Way too of an emotional subject for me.

 

[KZOR]

The Hadaly was descent, the SVA squonker great and the Dvarw not too shabby either.

 

[Asterix]

I agree . I thought about buying a clone Dvarw while at Vapecon, but couldn’t do it. Just seemed like being “unfaithful”. And I can guarantee that if I had bought it and not liked it, I would still wonder if it was because it wasn’t the original.

Not judging clones at all, just my personal feelings.

 

[vicTor]

these days clones are out basically same time the authentic is released, how they do it, I have no clue

 

[Timwis]

The Hadaly was descent, the SVA squonker great and the Dvarw not too shabby either.

But are all those just cloned by one of the clone manufactures as i know certain atty's are cloned by more than one so while one cloned (just for example) Doogystyle might be very good the clone from someone else could leak like crazy and generally just be garbage?

 

[Timwis]

these days clones are out basically same time the authentic is released, how they do it, I have no clue

Same as when we have a new concept or shape of mod they all come out simultaneously for example the RPM and Vinci whichever was first i can't remember but one wasn't a reaction to the other after release they were too close together for that it's obvious nearly all vaping manufactures have spies in their midst or those willing to sell info, sounds very James Bond but i'm convinced espionage is a foot throughout vaping!

 

[Jean claude Vaaldamme]

My Skyfall and Hadaly clones are great. Dont really understand, if its a 1/1 clone it should vape exactly like the real one, only difference maybe quality of materials, but both my rda' havent rusted and vapes great.
As for my Limelight clone. I use it daily, cant even count how many falls it has taken, even had a swim in the pool and havent missed a beat. Its my daily carry and for the few bucks it cost I just dont care about it, even used it for a hammer a few times.yes half the paint is off, not chipped, plain worn of as it probably only got one coat of cheap paint over the white plastic body. But who cares, what a great reliable mod, maybe I will give it a new paint job one day

 

[Adephi]

My SXK Billet Box finally gave up after 2 years. Worked daily and did what it suppose to. Don't know if I can get something similar for fruity flavors. Single coils seem to be a rarity these days.

I have compared it to the authentic and there is a huge difference. You can just feel the quality in the authentic. I do understand why somebody will go for it if they can afford it.

 

[Timwis]

My SXK Billet Box finally gave up after 2 years. Worked daily and did what it suppose to. Don't know if I can get something similar for fruity flavors. Single coils seem to be a rarity these days.

I have compared it to the authentic and there is a huge difference. You can just feel the quality in the authentic. I do understand why somebody will go for it if they can afford it.

Wouldn't the Boro tank out of your now broken Billet Box work in the SXK Bantam Box?

 

[RichJB]

Same as when we have a new concept or shape of mod they all come out simultaneously for example the RPM and Vinci whichever was first i can't remember but one wasn't a reaction to the other after release they were too close together for that it's obvious nearly all vaping manufactures have spies in their midst or those willing to sell info, sounds very James Bond but i'm convinced espionage is a foot throughout vaping!

It was amazing that both Billy (Heathen) and Brian from TVC had basically the same idea for the drop-in posts on the Dead Rabbit and the Drop at much the same time.

 

[Timwis]

My SXK Billet Box finally gave up after 2 years. Worked daily and did what it suppose to. Don't know if I can get something similar for fruity flavors. Single coils seem to be a rarity these days.

I have compared it to the authentic and there is a huge difference. You can just feel the quality in the authentic. I do understand why somebody will go for it if they can afford it.

Yeah i have just a couple of higher end atty's and the materials used are just better quality. If i had plenty of money of course i would buy high end, would love a strangers mod, maybe one day!

 

[Adephi]

Wouldn't the Boro tank out of your now broken Billet Box work in the SXK Bantam Box?

it could. But I'm not too keen on the smaller battery. One of the things I liked about the BB was the long battery life. A 30q lasted up to 4 days on 18w.

 

[Timwis]

it could. But I'm not too keen on the smaller battery. One of the things I liked about the BB was the long battery life. A 30q lasted up to 4 days on 18w.

I hear you, those 30q batteries are cracking for low wattage!

 

[Puff the Magic Dragon]

But are all those just cloned by one of the clone manufactures as i know certain atty's are cloned by more than one so while one cloned (just for example) Doogystyle might be very good the clone from someone else could leak like crazy and generally just be garbage?

The clone world seems to have its own hierarchy.

There are a few manufacturers which generally bring out good quality products. IMO they are SXK, Kindbright, Coppervape, and YFTK.

The remainder are totally unknown manufacturers and are cheaper than the well-known clone makers. The original high-end item's price is very high. The known cloners' prices are cheap, and the unknown cloners' items are very, very cheap.

When it comes to the quality of the materials used by the cloners I'm not sure that they always use inferior materials. I have clones from unknown makers (very cheap) that are almost five years old. In the "old days," it was almost impossible to get decent kit without buying clones. They are all still in excellent condition. I have never stripped a screw and the stainless or aluminum is still perfect with no signs of corrosion.

The "known" cloners generally make excellent attys. Some of them even make their own original products. The Coppervape BF mech squonker is a vaping legend. Just ask @Raindance about his one. It came out in 2016 and is still sold today. Moreover, you can still buy a spares kit with replacement parts as well as the bottles. Spare parts for cloned vape products are often freely available, unlike many original manufacturers of vape products.

I bought a Coppervape Skyline in 2017. It has been very well used and is still in near perfect condition. I have never needed to replace o rings on it.

In the early days of vaping, cloning was more of an issue because some of the high-end manufacturers came up with genuinely innovative products or an innovative part of a product. The stealing of intellectual property was rightly seen as an issue. As far as I am aware none of these products were ever patented and/or copyrighted. These days there is very little genuine innovation and almost everything is being "copied". We often see YouTube reviewers saying that "..this is very similar to....".

Nowadays, when it comes to attys, the vast majority of high-end products are not copied simply because they are not that innovative. When it comes to mods they are copied even less. High-end mods sometimes use expensive materials and/or are clearly handmade. These are seldom if ever copied, perhaps because the price difference would not be that great, or because they would not have universal appeal.

We should also bear in mind that clones of original Chinese products are probably far more plentiful than copies of high-end products.

The cloning issue will always be divisive, especially on the forum. We have reached a point where we all know that it is best to just agree to differ on this issue. This doesn't mean that it cannot be discussed. IMO the point that @Timwis raised is valid and worthy of an answer.

 

[Timwis]

The clone world seems to have its own hierarchy.

There are a few manufacturers which generally bring out good quality products. IMO they are SXK, Kindbright, Coppervape, and YFTK.

The remainder are totally unknown manufacturers and are cheaper than the well-known clone makers. The original high-end item's price is very high. The known cloners' prices are cheap, and the unknown cloners' items are very, very cheap.

When it comes to the quality of the materials used by the cloners I'm not sure that they always use inferior materials. I have clones from unknown makers (very cheap) that are almost five years old. In the "old days," it was almost impossible to get decent kit without buying clones. They are all still in excellent condition. I have never stripped a screw and the stainless or aluminum is still perfect with no signs of corrosion.

The "known" cloners generally make excellent attys. Some of them even make their own original products. The Coppervape BF mech squonker is a vaping legend. Just ask @Raindance about his one. It came out in 2016 and is still sold today. Moreover, you can still buy a spares kit with replacement parts as well as the bottles. Spare parts for cloned vape products are often freely available, unlike many original manufacturers of vape products.

I bought a Coppervape Skyline in 2017. It has been very well used and is still in near perfect condition. I have never needed to replace o rings on it.

In the early days of vaping, cloning was more of an issue because some of the high-end manufacturers came up with genuinely innovative products or an innovative part of a product. The stealing of intellectual property was rightly seen as an issue. As far as I am aware none of these products were ever patented and/or copyrighted. These days there is very little genuine innovation and almost everything is being "copied". We often see YouTube reviewers saying that "..this is very similar to....".

Nowadays, when it comes to attys, the vast majority of high-end products are not copied simply because they are not that innovative. When it comes to mods they are copied even less. High-end mods sometimes use expensive materials and/or are clearly handmade. These are seldom if ever copied, perhaps because the price difference would not be that great, or because they would not have universal appeal.

We should also bear in mind that clones of original Chinese products are probably far more plentiful than copies of high-end products.

The cloning issue will always be divisive, especially on the forum. We have reached a point where we all know that it is best to just agree to differ on this issue. This doesn't mean that it cannot be discussed. IMO the point that @Timwis raised is valid and worthy of an answer.

Yeah if vaping manufacture was any other form of industry their would be more law suits than vaping products but vaping seems to have a life of it's own that doesn't follow any rules. But it's this shall i just say borrowing of ideas in general and then looking at it with fresh eyes that has moved vaping on so quickly and been such a success. The downside of this is it's made big tobacco, pharmaceutical companies who want to make the bucks from smoking alternatives and governments seeing a loss in tax revenues so nervous of vaping they play dirty to smear and try to bring the vaping industry crashing down!

 

[ARYANTO]

Save up and buy the real thing , a vape connoisseur [ @Rob Fisher and co.] will spot your fake atty a mile away- there goes your street cred as well and will you buy a fake juice to go with it ?
Have some pride , you don't need 27 atties , 2 originals will do the same, and better job. IMO.

 

[Timwis]

Save up and buy the real thing , a vape connoisseur [ @Rob Fisher and co.] will spot your fake atty a mile away- there goes your street cred as well and will you buy a fake juice to go with it ?
Have some pride , you don't need 27 atties , 2 originals will do the same, and better job. IMO.

I put disagree against your comment because i thought it was a loud of rubbish, it's nothing to do with street cred as people who buy clones quite openly say it's a clone i have never come across someone using a clone and trying to pass it on as the genuine product!

 

[ARYANTO]

''it's nothing to do with street cred as people who buy clones quite openly say it's a clone i have never come across someone using a clone and trying to pass it on as the genuine product!''
That's not what the guy said who tried to sell me his rip off Dead Rabbit.

 

[Timwis]

''it's nothing to do with street cred as people who buy clones quite openly say it's a clone i have never come across someone using a clone and trying to pass it on as the genuine product!''
That's not what the guy said who tried to sell me his rip off Dead Rabbit.

That's not a normal vaper but just a con artist who probably rips people off at every opportunity.

 

[Timwis]

That's not a normal vaper but just a con artist who probably rips people off at every opportunity.

I don't understand why atty's like the Dead Rabbit are cloned anyway it's hardly high end, the original is reasonably priced

 

[Raindance]

Now, now girls, get back in your kennels! Both of you.

Lol

Sincere regards

 

[Jean claude Vaaldamme]

Once I show my coolbox, I normally have street cred, so no need to have a mod made from Chuck Norris's toe nails.

 

[Timwis]

Save up and buy the real thing , a vape connoisseur [ @Rob Fisher and co.] will spot your fake atty a mile away- there goes your street cred as well and will you buy a fake juice to go with it ?
Have some pride , you don't need 27 atties , 2 originals will do the same, and better job. IMO.

We know @Rob Fisher vapes at his now famous 28W restricted direct lung style and he just bought the Taifun GTR RTA because now there is a DL post available for it i imagine was a separate purchase. I know prices vary but the first site i came to just for the Taifun GTR RTA it was £136.95 and by his own admission he was disappointed because no way is it giving a direct lung vape. The majority of vapers would be in tears if that happened with partners on their case telling them what better use that money could of been made of. Those that are very anti clones tend to be in a position where they can either afford to buy the original or wouldn't take much to save, others are not in that position!

 

[ARYANTO]

Well neither my Dani or Dvarw dropped out of the sky , I saved for it but seeing I'm talking rubbish , I'll shut up .