Initially, I hated the Subtank and most Sub-Ohm tanks and have generally favoured RTA's and RDA's (probably why I only own 3 ST minis and a nano!). Then their coils improved slightly in V2, then I got 2 Trinity caps which I love and they made me want to vape on the STM again. Because the Trinity's are so pretty, comfortable, and I'm convinced improve flavour, I resisted buying the Target (and Dolphin and all the other Ceramics) in order to wait for STM ceramics.
For the past 4 days I've been having my own little Subtank Coil war. I'm testing:
I'm impressed. The flavour is very good - better than I was expecting. The extra wicking hole is working because it's doing well with chain vaping 80%VG juices (the test for all of the coils), and compared to the last version of this I have (with 2 wicking holes) the flavour seems more saturated. Vapour production as per any stock 0.5ohm coil from Kanger. The negative for me is longevity. Granted, it's much better than the first version of their stock coil, but it's nothing like the ceramics I'm hearing about. Depending on usage, I give these coils 3-4 (5 with a stretch), days of moderate vaping. It's not a gradual decrease in quality - it's more like it's working like new, then it's not, and you suddenly start getting a small amount of "after-burn" and cotton mouth (not dry hits though - change coil before then). Btw, I HATE after-burn/sizzle
Kanger SSOCC Clapton, 0.5Ohm
Quick and easy priming, these pack a bigger punch than the stock coils even at the same 0.5ohm rating. I find mod readings on the stock coils always quite a bit higher than 0.5 (sometimes even north of 0.7 ohms as I've been able to use a few "0.5ohm" SSOCC on a Provari which is extremely accurate and doesn't fire under 0.7) - but the Claptons are closer to 0.55ohms, and I haven't had one above 0.6.
I'm getting ALOT of throat hit from these. That is the thing that stands out so far. Good for some, but for me t's a little much, being so used to a gentle 3mg or less. I'd put my head on a block that I was vaping 6mg if I didn't know better. Flavour - I honestly don't get any improved flavour from their stock coil. About equal - which is pretty damned good. They just hit harder than stock and you can push more power through them
Atom GCeramic, 0.9Ohm
I'm only on day 2. This is a very different experience. My better half, who coughs up a lung every time she puffs on anything I vape other than a MTL Reo/Cyclone, can only really do her Nautilus mini, MTL. I have been trying to upgrade her gear for ages. And now, I can finally replace the Nautilus with a toptank nano. She's enjoying this coil a lot. I can see how some might think it doesn't work or performs very poorly, but once I wrapped my head around this being something different, I started enjoying the coil. Flavour - I don't know how so many people are saying they are getting no flavour. I put in a juice that I know and like a lot (DripTheHype French Toast Crunch). The flavour, for me, has been very good, especially at 30W. I drip this liquid and have it running in a Reo/Cyclone as well. I primed the old-school way - juice into the wicking holes, a few drops into the coil, but I waited a good 4 hours before I vaped it, at a low 20W initially. Meh. Whispy vapour and almost non-functional. There was something odd in taste at the beginning too. Not disgusting, just a light "something funny" going on. That stopped after about 2ml of liquid. There is no throat hit whatsoever. It's quite silent. It has a ramp-up time. A good couple of seconds if its cold. When you can hear the coil, start vaping. Now, it's a suitable MTL coil for me, but I'm actually, at least partially, lung hitting at 30w. A super slow, long, gentle draw produces decent vapour. Less than the other coils in the list, but more than you think after the draw because it's so damn gentle/smooth. Looooong slow draws are really working for me with this coil. If you are a RM2 or Cyclone fan, this is worth testing. I've only tried 2 coils so far, but both seem to perform the same. I vape in my office, but I don't blow clouds at work by any means. That's just rude. This coil is a good choice for me to take with my Reo's to the office as it's stealthy, silent, and modest on vapour production. But I must say, I'm getting good flavour. It really does surprise me to see so many getting no flavour and it suggests inconsistency in the coils - I just don't see how someone could be vaping the same thing I am, and not getting flavour. When I left it overnight (last night) I found it to be performing better the next day (today). The vape is not cool any more, but slightly warmer. Vapour production is respectable - better than yesterday. Wicking - when chain-vaping, I sense that it's struggling a bit to keep up (80%VG) and have sucked-with-closed-airholes twice today to avoid dry hits. As long as longevity is good, I see myself buying these again, if anything to use my Trinity's and maybe even the Provari which has been shelved for so long. And also for HRH's new top tank nano! Although, at 20W, I don't think that's enough. At least 25 is required but like I said, I'm settled on 30w with these guys. Longevity - we'll wait and see. I'll report back.
Atom GClapton, 0.3Ohm
For me, by far the most disappointing of the bunch. I've tried 2 - both gave me the same issues. After-burn/sizzle from word "Go", and I find myself constantly closing the air holes and sucking, in fear of the dry-hit looming. Taste-wise - I can taste my juice, but the vape has been, well, "cottony". The stock SSOCC has been running in tandem with this coil a lot, and there's just no comparison in the flavour department, with the stock coil smashing this GClapton. The SSOCC clapton has also performed better imo, although I don't really see any reason to re-purchase those either. I probably had the highest hopes for these ones, maybe that's why I'm extra disappointed in them, but very happy I didn't commit to buying them in numbers before trying out one or two first. Longevity - well, didn't like them from the first day so I don't really know. I gave them about 4 days each of testing I'd say, then I stopped using them. But the performance was about the same - no better or worse after 4 days. I'd guess that longevity is better than the stock SSOCC.
Verdict
Coils aren't quite as subjective as juices. We can't possibly be having such radically different experiences, whether GCeramics, GClaptons, Target... There must be inconsistencies between coils, at least to a certain degree.
For me, the two I will repurchase are the New SSOCC Stock coils with 3 wicking holes, and the Ceramics (provided longevity is good) - which also have their place in my vaping habits and routine. The Kanger Claptons aren't bad at all - but maybe I'll prefer these when I eventually switch to zero nic because I'm not loving the extra throat hit on 3mg juices.
Ceramics - I'll definitely be trying more. The Kanger Ceramics for sure, and I'll probably cave and get a Target as well, unless something newer, shinier and better comes up before I pull the trigger on that. I'm just waiting for a B&M in CT to get stock
For the past 4 days I've been having my own little Subtank Coil war. I'm testing:
- New Kanger stock SSOCC, 0.5ohm with the 3 airholes. Note, the SS in these only refers to the housing. The coil is Kanthal (red orings - their ss coils have pink orings and aren't available locally yet to my knowledge)
- New Kanger stock SSOCC Clapton Coil, 0.5ohm
- Atom GCeramic for STM, 0.9ohm
- Atom GClapton for STM, 0.3ohm
- Unfortunately, I don't yet have Kanger's Ceramic coil or any other Ceramic to compare
I'm impressed. The flavour is very good - better than I was expecting. The extra wicking hole is working because it's doing well with chain vaping 80%VG juices (the test for all of the coils), and compared to the last version of this I have (with 2 wicking holes) the flavour seems more saturated. Vapour production as per any stock 0.5ohm coil from Kanger. The negative for me is longevity. Granted, it's much better than the first version of their stock coil, but it's nothing like the ceramics I'm hearing about. Depending on usage, I give these coils 3-4 (5 with a stretch), days of moderate vaping. It's not a gradual decrease in quality - it's more like it's working like new, then it's not, and you suddenly start getting a small amount of "after-burn" and cotton mouth (not dry hits though - change coil before then). Btw, I HATE after-burn/sizzle
Kanger SSOCC Clapton, 0.5Ohm
Quick and easy priming, these pack a bigger punch than the stock coils even at the same 0.5ohm rating. I find mod readings on the stock coils always quite a bit higher than 0.5 (sometimes even north of 0.7 ohms as I've been able to use a few "0.5ohm" SSOCC on a Provari which is extremely accurate and doesn't fire under 0.7) - but the Claptons are closer to 0.55ohms, and I haven't had one above 0.6.
I'm getting ALOT of throat hit from these. That is the thing that stands out so far. Good for some, but for me t's a little much, being so used to a gentle 3mg or less. I'd put my head on a block that I was vaping 6mg if I didn't know better. Flavour - I honestly don't get any improved flavour from their stock coil. About equal - which is pretty damned good. They just hit harder than stock and you can push more power through them
Atom GCeramic, 0.9Ohm
I'm only on day 2. This is a very different experience. My better half, who coughs up a lung every time she puffs on anything I vape other than a MTL Reo/Cyclone, can only really do her Nautilus mini, MTL. I have been trying to upgrade her gear for ages. And now, I can finally replace the Nautilus with a toptank nano. She's enjoying this coil a lot. I can see how some might think it doesn't work or performs very poorly, but once I wrapped my head around this being something different, I started enjoying the coil. Flavour - I don't know how so many people are saying they are getting no flavour. I put in a juice that I know and like a lot (DripTheHype French Toast Crunch). The flavour, for me, has been very good, especially at 30W. I drip this liquid and have it running in a Reo/Cyclone as well. I primed the old-school way - juice into the wicking holes, a few drops into the coil, but I waited a good 4 hours before I vaped it, at a low 20W initially. Meh. Whispy vapour and almost non-functional. There was something odd in taste at the beginning too. Not disgusting, just a light "something funny" going on. That stopped after about 2ml of liquid. There is no throat hit whatsoever. It's quite silent. It has a ramp-up time. A good couple of seconds if its cold. When you can hear the coil, start vaping. Now, it's a suitable MTL coil for me, but I'm actually, at least partially, lung hitting at 30w. A super slow, long, gentle draw produces decent vapour. Less than the other coils in the list, but more than you think after the draw because it's so damn gentle/smooth. Looooong slow draws are really working for me with this coil. If you are a RM2 or Cyclone fan, this is worth testing. I've only tried 2 coils so far, but both seem to perform the same. I vape in my office, but I don't blow clouds at work by any means. That's just rude. This coil is a good choice for me to take with my Reo's to the office as it's stealthy, silent, and modest on vapour production. But I must say, I'm getting good flavour. It really does surprise me to see so many getting no flavour and it suggests inconsistency in the coils - I just don't see how someone could be vaping the same thing I am, and not getting flavour. When I left it overnight (last night) I found it to be performing better the next day (today). The vape is not cool any more, but slightly warmer. Vapour production is respectable - better than yesterday. Wicking - when chain-vaping, I sense that it's struggling a bit to keep up (80%VG) and have sucked-with-closed-airholes twice today to avoid dry hits. As long as longevity is good, I see myself buying these again, if anything to use my Trinity's and maybe even the Provari which has been shelved for so long. And also for HRH's new top tank nano! Although, at 20W, I don't think that's enough. At least 25 is required but like I said, I'm settled on 30w with these guys. Longevity - we'll wait and see. I'll report back.
Atom GClapton, 0.3Ohm
For me, by far the most disappointing of the bunch. I've tried 2 - both gave me the same issues. After-burn/sizzle from word "Go", and I find myself constantly closing the air holes and sucking, in fear of the dry-hit looming. Taste-wise - I can taste my juice, but the vape has been, well, "cottony". The stock SSOCC has been running in tandem with this coil a lot, and there's just no comparison in the flavour department, with the stock coil smashing this GClapton. The SSOCC clapton has also performed better imo, although I don't really see any reason to re-purchase those either. I probably had the highest hopes for these ones, maybe that's why I'm extra disappointed in them, but very happy I didn't commit to buying them in numbers before trying out one or two first. Longevity - well, didn't like them from the first day so I don't really know. I gave them about 4 days each of testing I'd say, then I stopped using them. But the performance was about the same - no better or worse after 4 days. I'd guess that longevity is better than the stock SSOCC.
Verdict
Coils aren't quite as subjective as juices. We can't possibly be having such radically different experiences, whether GCeramics, GClaptons, Target... There must be inconsistencies between coils, at least to a certain degree.
For me, the two I will repurchase are the New SSOCC Stock coils with 3 wicking holes, and the Ceramics (provided longevity is good) - which also have their place in my vaping habits and routine. The Kanger Claptons aren't bad at all - but maybe I'll prefer these when I eventually switch to zero nic because I'm not loving the extra throat hit on 3mg juices.
Ceramics - I'll definitely be trying more. The Kanger Ceramics for sure, and I'll probably cave and get a Target as well, unless something newer, shinier and better comes up before I pull the trigger on that. I'm just waiting for a B&M in CT to get stock
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