Regulated mods & their tanks – my bottom line.

Spydro

Elite Vaper
ECIGSSA Donor
LV
21
 
Joined
11/3/16
Posts
1,972
Awards
24
Location
Spylandia
After not doing regulated mods for over 2 years I recently dove back into them some after joining this forum. I have had some fun playing around with them, but as I already knew they are still not my thing. Mech’s with rebuildable toppers have been my bread and butter for three years.

There has been zero issues with the asMODus gear… the three Snow Wolf Mini’s or the Minikin VGOD. They have got it done in power mode just fine if the tank on them at the time played nice. I have no interest in TC at all. So, all four of them have not been a waste of time, effort or money to me… cheap fun and something to pass some long hours with. If nothing else I can keep them on the desk, put some of my high end RDA’s on them and drip them, or dig out my high end Euro carto tanks ran with Greek RTA’s that have flow control.

I can’t say the same for all the tanks bought for these mods though.

The three Target 2 Tanks have never failed in any way. Just luck of the draw I guess from getting only good 0.9 cCells (so far). I have enough of the 0.9 cCells in hand to see me thru to my last day if they all, or at least the majority of them continue to be good coils. While touted as the best flavor from ceramic coils so far, I don’t see the cCell as being any better than what I get from the Reos and their BF RDA’s (or some of my other mech mods/toppers for that matter), and without thinning juice down.

There is a Gemini Sub Ohm Tank sitting at my mail place waiting to be picked up that I'm not in any hurry to go get. But it will get a try out eventually since I have so many cCells on hand. In fact the only reason I finally bought a Gemini Sub Tank at all is all the cCells I have. If it has the vacuum problems so many others have had with them, any leaking, etc it won't be on line very long. I’m not loosening the cap or doing anything else to make it work like it should work right out of the box. If it works without any issues it will become my 4th (and last) cCell tank. Either way with all the BS from Vaporesso that they do not live up to, they have got my last dollar spent on gear from them.

The Geek Vape Avocado tanks have remained true with no issues at all. They have a big advantage to me as I can build them to my liquids same as I do in all the Reos and other mods running RDA’s/RTA’s. I am on a preorder for the Avacado 24's, but they are still many weeks away. But I can see the Avo tanks riding on all four of the regulated mods eventually.

The Wismec Theorem still continues to leak, albeit it only condensed juice from the top cap air vents. Doable, but it also gets very hot... both issues probably from my long, slow pulls. Add that getting the AFC dialed in right and keeping it there, or trying to get the top cap off to refill is an issue that can be a RPITA (and even lead to my breaking one glass tube). So I see no need to bother with it at all when I have Avo tanks that get it done with zero issues.

The new Cerabis Tank has not won me over either. Issues that may be my own, but they are issues that I will not tolerate. If the second tank and more extra boxes of coils for them was not already on the way to me I would have cancelled the order. My mistake for ordering more before I even had the first one in hand.

The Reos get it done for me every time I pick one up with whatever BF RDA it runs with whatever juice it runs, and with zero issues to deal with. So they will regain almost all of my vape time. I’ve started playing with some of my GP PAPS mech tube mods and their Heron, Spheroid and SnP/RTA toppers again as well after nearly 2 years out of service. They also get it done very well with no issues other than requiring more maintenance than the Reos do.

So I don't see any more tanks being added to my kit, or anymore regulated mods either for that matter. It matters not to me what other mods/tanks might work for other folks, I’m not interested. It's been a fairly cheap ride at something over $775 US that I’ve spent on reg mods and tanks for them over the last month and a half. But I’ve spent all I am going to on them. The Target and Avocado tanks will cover the four mods with spares until I have enough Avo’s for all four of them. Then the rest of the other tanks/coils bought can go by the wayside out of service completely, or revisited only as I choose.

Si it’s mostly back to the mech mod’s full time for me.

Thanks for the banter during this venture that got me involved with this gear regardless of how it turned out for my uses. It's been another chapter in my book of vaping that I can now mostly put behind me.
 
@Spydro, nicely said. I also own A LOT of tanks regulated mods etc. Bottom line, I stick to Bottom Fed Reo's. In my honest opinion, I rather settle for another Kangertech Dripbox and know I will get a quality vape without any issues.
 
I hear you @Spydro! I have Two working Gemini tanks (which despite the airlock issue are still my favourites) and 4 working Target Tanks and the one Cerabis... And the Snow Wolf's, Minikin's and Presa have all worked flawlessly. But after having been away from my vape cave for a week and out and about the only Mod that stayed with me 24/7 was my REO Grand... the problem I have is the amount of juice the tanks hold and the rate at which it's disappears... not to mention the battery life...

That being said I plan to persevere with the tanks because I'm discovering other juices that are really nice in the ceramic coil driven tanks and not so great in my REO's.

I have no doubt I'll never leave home without a REO (or Two) but I am convinced that they will get the ceramic issues waxed and ceramic coils will be the way forward for the newbie (especially) and for the average vaper.
 
Tanks... MEH. Between the Messes Squared, Tsunami and Goon I am in vaping heaven.

Drippers. All I care about now. The Goon is so huge using Scottish Roll it holds as many toots as a Gemini RTA (horribly thirsty tanks those). And a drip os nowhere NEAR a tank full.

Better flavor, no leaks, cinch to build RDA is the bomb.

I can see how BF RDA fans will never be happy with anything else. The flavor and quality of a dripper with the concenience of that squonk bottle.
 
I hear you @Spydro! I have Two working Gemini tanks (which despite the airlock issue are still my favourites) and 4 working Target Tanks and the one Cerabis... And the Snow Wolf's, Minikin's and Presa have all worked flawlessly. But after having been away from my vape cave for a week and out and about the only Mod that stayed with me 24/7 was my REO Grand... the problem I have is the amount of juice the tanks hold and the rate at which it's disappears... not to mention the battery life...

That being said I plan to persevere with the tanks because I'm discovering other juices that are really nice in the ceramic coil driven tanks and not so great in my REO's.

I have no doubt I'll never leave home without a REO (or Two) but I am convinced that they will get the ceramic issues waxed and ceramic coils will be the way forward for the newbie (especially) and for the average vaper.
I have only been vaping since Jan and I am already drippers only... Noob solutions need to be a tad cheaper than the Gemini IMO. I am impressed with the AIO as a starter device. 350 bucks?! What a steal.
 
@Spydro, nicely said. I also own A LOT of tanks regulated mods etc. Bottom line, I stick to Bottom Fed Reo's. In my honest opinion, I rather settle for another Kangertech Dripbox and know I will get a quality vape without any issues.

Thanks Petrus. I certainly agree that a Reo with the right atty's AND them built right for the juice they run cannot be beat for my vaping style.
 
Thanks for the detailed and informative post @Spydro
It was a great read

It also shows just how many "mini journeys" and detours one can take on this epic main vape journey!

All credit to you for taking the time and put in the effort and cash to explore as thoroughly as you did.
And for documenting it all the way.
 
I hear you @Spydro! I have Two working Gemini tanks (which despite the airlock issue are still my favourites) and 4 working Target Tanks and the one Cerabis... And the Snow Wolf's, Minikin's and Presa have all worked flawlessly. But after having been away from my vape cave for a week and out and about the only Mod that stayed with me 24/7 was my REO Grand... the problem I have is the amount of juice the tanks hold and the rate at which it's disappears... not to mention the battery life...

That being said I plan to persevere with the tanks because I'm discovering other juices that are really nice in the ceramic coil driven tanks and not so great in my REO's.

I have no doubt I'll never leave home without a REO (or Two) but I am convinced that they will get the ceramic issues waxed and ceramic coils will be the way forward for the newbie (especially) and for the average vaper.

As you know discovering new liquids is anything but new to me. But I have yet to find a juice that I considered worth any effort at all that I couldn't figure out the perfect build for it in my BF atty's of choice to run it with. The more you do that the better you become at doing it to the point that you can guess what the right build should be your first build more often than not, and if not the second build. No that's not quite as easy as just pushing buttons to vary the wattage. But to me it nets a far better vape than what just adjusting the wattage on these ceramic coil tanks has been. Maybe they'd do better in TC, but TC doesn't interest me enough to bother with it or to try to score ceramic coils that are not dud's to try it with. So I am going back to the KISS gear that I know so well.
 
As you know discovering new liquids is anything but new to me. But I have yet to find a juice that I considered worth any effort at all that I couldn't figure out the perfect build for it in my BF atty's of choice to run it with. The more you do that the better you become at doing it to the point that you can guess what the right build should be your first build more often than not, and if not the second build. No that's not quite as easy as just pushing buttons to vary the wattage. But to me it nets a far better vape than what just adjusting the wattage on these ceramic coil tanks has been. Maybe they'd do better in TC, but TC doesn't interest me enough to bother with it or to try to score ceramic coils that are not dud's to try it with. So I am going back to the KISS gear that I know so well.

Therein lies the problem for me... building coils and playing with different builds does not come easy for me... I'm currently battling with the O16 trying to get it to give me the same flavour with my juices as I get in the Divo... I've also failed at getting XXX to taste like a Gemini tank with cCells in my Squonkers... I was kinda hoping the O16 would be the one to win with XXX on a lung hit but so far I haven't been successful...

The flavour with Tropical Ice on a 7 wrap 27g Kanthal Micro coil is perfect... but that same build doesn't work with XXX... I really need to play with coils and squonkers methinks...
 
Thanks for the detailed and informative post @Spydro
It was a great read

It also shows just how many "mini journeys" and detours one can take on this epic main vape journey!

All credit to you for taking the time and put in the effort and cash to explore as thoroughly as you did.
And for documenting it all the way.

Thanks Silver. Except for a couple of first false starts gear wise most of the endless gear I have bought has done pretty well... until I found something better (for my uses). A lot has been learned in 3+ years about this thing we call vaping, the many kinds of gear, how to get the most out of it, making my own liquids and getting the most out of them, etc. But that knowledge still just scratches the surface of what is out there. I mostly took this plunge in support of Rob's all in lead in ceramic's for the benefit of everyone here. He has more than earned the credit that really matters, and will continue to carry the torch.

My comments are just my opinion, why they have not worked for me, why I will not pursue more of them anymore.
 
Therein lies the problem for me... building coils and playing with different builds does not come easy for me... I'm currently battling with the O16 trying to get it to give me the same flavour with my juices as I get in the Divo... I've also failed at getting XXX to taste like a Gemini tank with cCells in my Squonkers... I was kinda hoping the O16 would be the one to win with XXX on a lung hit but so far I haven't been successful...

The flavour with Tropical Ice on a 7 wrap 27g Kanthal Micro coil is perfect... but that same build doesn't work with XXX... I really need to play with coils and squonkers methinks...

Troubleshooting has always came easy for me. In part because I've always been accused of having a way too analytical and logical approach to new things (from a lifetime of being heavily involved in the natural science discovery fields). But only you can figure out the why's for your own tastes, what the build is lacking or what it is over powering, etc. If you can recognize the why's you can rebuild in the right direction to correct them.
 
Therein lies the problem for me... building coils and playing with different builds does not come easy for me... I'm currently battling with the O16 trying to get it to give me the same flavour with my juices as I get in the Divo... I've also failed at getting XXX to taste like a Gemini tank with cCells in my Squonkers... I was kinda hoping the O16 would be the one to win with XXX on a lung hit but so far I haven't been successful...

The flavour with Tropical Ice on a 7 wrap 27g Kanthal Micro coil is perfect... but that same build doesn't work with XXX... I really need to play with coils and squonkers methinks...
I suspect you need a warmer vape in the ol 16.
Let me elaborate, the OL16 does a great job of maintaining cool so if you are intent on using kanthal do a big build I. E 3mm.
Otherwise I suggest a 2.5mm SS build.
The chamber is small but it is highly efficient in heat dispensation.
 
@Spydro, I have been following your insights and @Rob Fisher on the ceramic side and I must thank you both for saving me some cash as I have heard your insights.
I have a nice TC device but I mainly use it in the car, TC is nice to tinker with and I find I get a nuppin style vape with tc. I.e that warm vape that can be had on any dripper if you build low enough.
The reos and now recently upgraded steam crave squonker are my all day devices.
Tanks are convinient but I stand by my comments a few months ago that a reo is truly an end game device.
I'm tired of chasing tech and even though I'll try and support something that I find intriguing, the reo is the simplest and most cost efficient device.
Note to some I said cost efficient.
Not cheap but in the long run the reo is the cheapest and most reliable device.
 
@Spydro, I have been following your insights and @Rob Fisher on the ceramic side and I must thank you both for saving me some cash as I have heard your insights.
I have a nice TC device but I mainly use it in the car, TC is nice to tinker with and I find I get a nuppin style vape with tc. I.e that warm vape that can be had on any dripper if you build low enough.
The reos and now recently upgraded steam crave squonker are my all day devices.
Tanks are convinient but I stand by my comments a few months ago that a reo is truly an end game device.
I'm tired of chasing tech and even though I'll try and support something that I find intriguing, the reo is the simplest and most cost efficient device.
Note to some I said cost efficient.
Not cheap but in the long run the reo is the cheapest and most reliable device.

Almost all of the very first Reos made in 2010 are still in daily use according to the earliest Reo folks that ran ECF. My two oldest Reos date from very early 2011, an OG VV Grande and an OG Mini that both work flawlessly and are both as pristine as the day they were made. As mods go most of the Reo models they are not expensive even brand new. Add that used can be bought for less and still offer a lifetime of service. Yep, agree with cost effective.
 
Anticlimactic now, but I got an update from the USPS that informs me there is new vapemail waiting at my mail place to pick up... a Black Gemini tank, a Black Cerabis tank and extra boxes of coils for it. So maybe they will be picked up tonight... if it's not pouring down rain and the stars are in alignment.

Unfortunately the Avocado 24's on preorder that I do care about will not be here for several weeks yet. I could have had them in hand next Tuesday if I had the slightest trust in that seller. But I don't trust that seller at all. I will wait for those from a seller that I do trust without question (but who will not ship to Africa).
 
@Spydro, nicely said. I also own A LOT of tanks regulated mods etc. Bottom line, I stick to Bottom Fed Reo's. In my honest opinion, I rather settle for another Kangertech Dripbox and know I will get a quality vape without any issues.
Loved seeing your converted Tsunami I am sooooo doing the same thing as budget allows. Looks like the correct road to my first BF rig...
 
Therein lies the problem for me... building coils and playing with different builds does not come easy for me... I'm currently battling with the O16 trying to get it to give me the same flavour with my juices as I get in the Divo... I've also failed at getting XXX to taste like a Gemini tank with cCells in my Squonkers... I was kinda hoping the O16 would be the one to win with XXX on a lung hit but so far I haven't been successful...

The flavour with Tropical Ice on a 7 wrap 27g Kanthal Micro coil is perfect... but that same build doesn't work with XXX... I really need to play with coils and squonkers methinks...
@Rob Fisher, I know this is not the right thread, but my best built in the OL16 is dual 1.5mm coils. 28ga SS316 or Ni80 7 Wraps. Dual airflow - medium setting. I bet you WILL find it worth. IMHO I get better results with single coils in my RM2. I am busy getting my hands on the Viper V2 and Predator atty's. I will keep you posted. Try that dual build, it will Rock with Tropical Ice.
 
Back to Tanks. Currently I am using a moonshot for juice tasting. I must admit I like. I am considering getting a YIHI pure tank. Any insights on that technology would be great.
 
FWIW , the ijoy Tornado is a fantastic tank and very well priced. It's like a Griffin and Moonshot had offspring , give the build and style of moonshot with griffin capacity.

Well worth buying.
 
My opinion is somewhat contrary to this .. take the humble Crius with a 30 gauge nickel build properly set in TC mode you can literally dial it in to the exact taste you enjoy from your e-liquid and it stays there right up until the battery is kaput. Since you will be rebuilding a 30 gauge nickel set-up rather often, becoming expert at building the exact same set-up does come naturally rather quickly. ;)

Which leads me to the next point, rebuilding RTAs aren't easy. There seems to be a notion that rebuilding on a RTA is simple and they should just work 'of the shelf'. In my experience this is very much untrue, be prepared to spend some time to get the best out of it. Cotton on an RTA has the dual purpose of transporting e-liquid and functioning as a leak seal, finding the correct balance takes practise and whilst experience in the subject matter helps, each different RTA model will again have slightly different requirements.

It is my opinion that the big deck tanks that are popular now are meant for large and 'heavy' coils and the amount of power required to run them at optimum are simply beyond, or at the limit of, the capabilities of a single battery set-up. The amount of airflow they give are simply lost on smaller 'standard size' coils.

For me the biggest shortcoming of unregulated mods remain the consistency factor. I suppose this is less of an issue if liquids are swapped often but I tend to focus on a particular set-up and liquid and work at it until its perfect for my requirements, again, consistency from all components becomes a large factor here.

I still have limited experience with ceramics at this point (30 days on one technology is my minimum requirement) and while they do present a difference in flavour I still think that it is subjective to call it 'better' and so far my humble little Cleito far outperforms the one's I have tried from a flavour perspective on my current adv liquid. Of course the next guy in line might enjoy the ceramic's flavour profile on that liquid more. Objectively considered, their longevity should be a plus though.
 
Irony is, @Spydro, that we have been using ceramic for quite some time - RxW.

I have recently wicked my DIL's Subtank Minis with the 4 mm RxW in a 3.5 ID coil. Works perfectly.
 
Irony is, @Spydro, that we have been using ceramic for quite some time - RxW.

I have recently wicked my DIL's Subtank Minis with the 4 mm RxW in a 3.5 ID coil. Works perfectly.

I think there is a difference here, ceramic silica wick is non crystalline ceramic e.g. it's melted and extruded to create fibres and are not porous on the macro level.

Ceramic guards in coils are definitely crystalline in nature and is probably a fine powder pressed via injection moulding into the desired shape, I imagine the more porous the better.

EDIT: To finish what I meant to say, ceramic 'guards' as utilised in these commercial coils seem to have a rather distinct effect on the vaping experience. It's definitely a colder vape and, I suspect, since the ceramic is keeping more heat away from the liquid it removes some flavours which are sensitive to heat in favour of those that are not.
 
Last edited:
I've never gone a'squonking, and drippers are too much trouble to keep on drippin. So up to now I've mainly stuck to RBA's.

Yet I despise tanks. They've got this habit of being perpetually empty and being a PITA to fill. So I been thinking about squonking. Problem is 'tank cracker' juices. How is this handled with a squonker, you just drip or avoid?
 
I've never gone a'squonking, and drippers are too much trouble to keep on drippin. So up to now I've mainly stuck to RBA's.

Yet I despise tanks. They've got this habit of being perpetually empty and being a PITA to fill. So I been thinking about squonking. Problem is 'tank cracker' juices. How is this handled with a squonker, you just drip or avoid?

Not an issue, as 99% of all rda's are all metal.
 
Back
Top