Hi Ecigssa members, In this review i take a look at the Mato RDTA from Vandyvape. The Mato RDTA was supplied for the purpose of this review by Viktor from Vandyvape.
http://www.vandyvape.com/atomizer/rdta/a...mato_RDTA/
Introduction
To get it straight out the way most will straightaway be thinking Vapefly Brunhilde when they see the Mato. The Mato is a collaboration between Vandyvape and the German Youtuber Nebelfee and the Brunhilde was hardly innovative when it comes to the use of steel rods to replenish your wicks but just revisiting an old European method and making it popular again.
The Mato is an RDTA or as i would refer to it a top coiler offering a postless single deck with large terminals and the space to fit large chunky coils if you wish. It also accommodates two Steel rods per wick for replenishing and a smooth honeycomb airflow system. The Mato also has a self sealing side fill method or the option to use the provided BF pin to increase the capacity further. With a capacity of 5ml (there is also a TPD version) and coming in a choice of 5 colours, let's give the Mato Top coiler a good look!
___________________________________________________________________
In The Box
Contents:
1pc Vandy Vape Mato RDTA
1pc Ni80 fused clapton coil 0.23 ohm
1pc coil Trimmer
1pc 510 drip tip adaptor
1pc squonk pin
1pc replacement steel wire
1pc replacement parts (o-rings, screws)
1pc manual
___________________________________________________________________
Aesthetics
The Mato RDTA came in cardboard box packaging with viewing window so the RDTA can be seen without opening. I received the Gold version, the options are Matte Black, Frosted Grey, Stainless Steel, Gold and Gun Metal.
RDTA's tend to be tall and those with Steel rods taller still so yep it's a bit of a skyscraper but then after the Widowmaker RTA Vandyvape is getting known of late for big atty's. Unlike the Brunhilde which really had a stunning design Vandyvape have gone for a much plainer look with the Mato, which is best aesthetically will all be down to the individual, the Mato build quality is very high standard and nicely machined.
The bottom section has a protective cage over the glass with cutout sections. The Steel rods once installed circle the central column giving it a carousal look! The top-cap section has dual oval short but wide airflow slots with the honeycomb airflow holes on the deck walls also visible.
Up top we have the usual Vandyvape resin 810 which does look nice and moving to the base we have printed safety stamps and branding. The Mato comes with the Gold plated standard pin pre-installed which protrudes enough in my opinion to be hybrid safe but also is adjustable.
___________________________________________________________________
Mato Specs and Features:
Material: stainless steel, heat-resistant PSU
Dimensions: 54.5 * 24 mm (including drip tip)
Deck: single coil (postless)
Capacity: 5 ml (TPD version available)
Inhalation method: DL (Direct Lung)
Filling: Sidefill or BF
Steel wire replenishing system
Positive Pin: adjustable
Thread: 510
Colours: Matte Black, Frosted Grey, Stainless Steel, Gold, Gun Metal
___________________________________________________________________
What You Get?
As well as the Mato top coiler you also receive plenty of spare o-rings and screws. You get no spare glass but the material although looking and feeling like glass is actually PSU which is more durable and of course it's also protected by the outer cage. The TPD version has the exact same specifications as the standard version but has a silicone piece installed in the shipped RDTA reducing the capacity to 2ml so a lot of silicone is going to find it's way into the bin. You also receive a gorgeous looking Resin 810 drip tip (pre-installed) which i actually found felt a little strange between my lips so swapped for another.
Also included is a 510 drip tip adaptor, 2 allen tools, a coil cutting guide and a one piece Gold plated BF pin, the pre-installed standard pin is a two part allowing for adjusting to make hybrid safe.
We also receive 5 Steel rods (so one spare) and a coil but no cotton. The specs of the supplied coil are given, it's a Triple Fused Clapton using Ni80 wire, 0.28ohm, 5 wraps, 3.5ID, 26ga*3+36ga.
___________________________________________________________________
The Airflow
On the deck we have honeycomb airflow walls facing each other which are slightly arced and have 3 rows of holes each, 4 top and bottom and 5 in the middle row so 13 holes in total each side to wrap air around your coil. The top cap has dual short but wide airflow slots and the cap has notches so when fitted over the deck it's like a rail system with stoppers.
There is some distance created between the outer airflow slots and honeycomb walls on the deck and a cavity created. This means when closing down the airflow the air can spread out before going through the honeycomb walls so remains even airflow even if it looks lopsided looking at the outer slots.
I add what else should help with flavour in the airflow section and the top-cap is slightly domed (only slightly) but the large airflow walls and build will pretty much fill up all the space created by the top-cap making the chamber area very reduced.
___________________________________________________________________
Filling
The Mato has a side-fill method which also needs the top-cap removing to get to the port. Some would prefer to be able to just rotate the top-cap to line an outer hole up with the port like with the Brunhilde's but the fill method is much better on the Mato when it comes to the fact it's mess free unlike the Brunhilde's where it could get a bit messy.
The fill port is round but larger than on the Brunhilde's and has a self sealing membrane, i was able to fill it very quickly and absolutely mess free although i won't need to fill often as a swapped pins for the BF so i can top up the liquid via a squonking system.
___________________________________________________________________
Replenishing Rods
As well as the tilt of the tank while vaping your cotton gets replenished via capillary action through Steel wire rods. The rods are made from premium German steel and is many strands of wire woven together to allow many hollows inside going from the bottom to the top. The rods are made from weaving 7 strands of Steel together, then 7 of these sections that comprise of seven strands of Steel are again woven together to complete one rod, so 49 strands of Steel in total. As well as the 4 needed you also get one spare, not sure whether to consider it a pro for getting a spare or a con because it's not a full set of 4.
___________________________________________________________________
Replenishing
When the original Brunhilde top coiler was released some people said it wicked great and others found the replenishing rods are not doing their jobs and it only wicks the side you tilt. Personally i had no wicking issues and the MTL Brunhilde version i rated even higher and have heard nothing but good things from other vapers. The Mato to make sure there is no replenishing issues accommodates 2 steel rods per wick rather than the normal one but i would also just give them a quick torch to get rid of any possible residue from manufacture. Also when installing the rods just drop them into place but don't press down firmly so e-liquid can get underneath to encourage capillary action.
___________________________________________________________________
The Deck and Build
The build is as easy as it gets but you will need to pre-cut your leads with it being a postless deck. Your leads get dropped into the terminals from above and the terminals are opened and closed via hex screws (my favourite) from the outside of the deck.
I opened the terminals and used the supplied cutting guide to cut my leads to 6mm, then simply as mentioned lowered my leads into the terminals before tightening up the screws to fasten in position. Once fastened you can use a coiling rod or fit for purpose tool to position your coil centrally between the airflow walls.
Just to mention the ID of the supplied coil is 3.5ID but you can go much bigger, there is plenty of room and the terminals are huge. Also plenty of cotton can be placed over the steel rods so really i would say 3.5ID minimum is ideal although with quite tight wicking and fluffing your cotton up you can get away with 3.0ID.
When it comes to your wicking even though the wicks are just going to rest on top of the Steel rods and not get poked down you still need a good amount of cotton as it's important to remember the rods don't wick your coils but just feed your cotton so the cotton will be your reservoir. Fluffing your cotton slightly is a good idea but don't do it with a method which removes and thins the cotton!
___________________________________________________________________
How It Vapes And Final Thoughts!
This is my cup of tea, i love using RDTA's (top coilers) which come with a BF pin so i can use the squonk bottle as an extension of it's capacity. I also prefer single coil DL RTA's although i don't mind some loose MTL when i'm in the mood!
I like both Brunhilde's especially the MTL version but the original i find i need to vape at higher wattage than i like being dual coil. With the supplied coil the Mato gave a really nice semi-restrictive vape full of flavour at 45W, i ended up with airflow halfway for the restriction i like which just improved flavour further.
The Mato will allow with the right build to give a nice 30-35W restricted direct lung vape with the airflow reduced (perfect for me) yet the space and large terminals will allow for a large exotic coil, i would say depending on build the Mato is best between 30W to 60W so one for the low to mid wattage direct lung vapers.
The airflow adjusts smoothly and gives no turbulence whatsoever, being a postless deck the build was a doddle and very quick and as for the Steel rods, they replenished my cotton with gusto, it wicked like a dream!
The Vandyvape 810 drip tips of late have looked really nice and no exception here but although i pictured the Mato with the supplied drip tip on my device so you can see how it looks i actually used my own to vape with as it's thick rounded top felt strange between my lips (i couldn't get use to it).
___________________________________________________________________
Likes
Excellent build quality
6 Colour options
Aesthetically pleasing (kind of cool seeing the woven rods through the glass)
Clearly see juice level
5ml Capacity
2ml TPD version just has easy remove silicone piece (Ssshhhhhh)
Mess free side-fill with resealing membrane
Steel wire rod replenishing system
Wicks like a dream
Flavour on point
Draw semi-restricted direct lung
Smooth airflow
Airflow adjusts smoothly
Nice looking 810 drip tip
Postless deck
Very easy build
Coil with specs included
Spare steel rod
Spacious single coil build
Large terminals (can fit a large coil)
Hex screws (my favourite)
Standard pin adjustable
BF pin included
Coil cutting guide included
510 adaptor included
Cons
Tall
I found drip tip a little uncomfortable (might just be me)
Need to remove top-cap to fill (unless using BF pin)
No cotton provided
Only one spare rod (set of 4 would make more sense)
I would once again like to thank Viktor from Vandyvape for supplying the Mato RDTA for the purpose of this review.
http://www.vandyvape.com/atomizer/rdta/a...mato_RDTA/
___________________________________________________________________
http://www.vandyvape.com/atomizer/rdta/a...mato_RDTA/
Introduction
To get it straight out the way most will straightaway be thinking Vapefly Brunhilde when they see the Mato. The Mato is a collaboration between Vandyvape and the German Youtuber Nebelfee and the Brunhilde was hardly innovative when it comes to the use of steel rods to replenish your wicks but just revisiting an old European method and making it popular again.
The Mato is an RDTA or as i would refer to it a top coiler offering a postless single deck with large terminals and the space to fit large chunky coils if you wish. It also accommodates two Steel rods per wick for replenishing and a smooth honeycomb airflow system. The Mato also has a self sealing side fill method or the option to use the provided BF pin to increase the capacity further. With a capacity of 5ml (there is also a TPD version) and coming in a choice of 5 colours, let's give the Mato Top coiler a good look!
___________________________________________________________________
In The Box
Contents:
1pc Vandy Vape Mato RDTA
1pc Ni80 fused clapton coil 0.23 ohm
1pc coil Trimmer
1pc 510 drip tip adaptor
1pc squonk pin
1pc replacement steel wire
1pc replacement parts (o-rings, screws)
1pc manual
___________________________________________________________________
Aesthetics
The Mato RDTA came in cardboard box packaging with viewing window so the RDTA can be seen without opening. I received the Gold version, the options are Matte Black, Frosted Grey, Stainless Steel, Gold and Gun Metal.
RDTA's tend to be tall and those with Steel rods taller still so yep it's a bit of a skyscraper but then after the Widowmaker RTA Vandyvape is getting known of late for big atty's. Unlike the Brunhilde which really had a stunning design Vandyvape have gone for a much plainer look with the Mato, which is best aesthetically will all be down to the individual, the Mato build quality is very high standard and nicely machined.
The bottom section has a protective cage over the glass with cutout sections. The Steel rods once installed circle the central column giving it a carousal look! The top-cap section has dual oval short but wide airflow slots with the honeycomb airflow holes on the deck walls also visible.
Up top we have the usual Vandyvape resin 810 which does look nice and moving to the base we have printed safety stamps and branding. The Mato comes with the Gold plated standard pin pre-installed which protrudes enough in my opinion to be hybrid safe but also is adjustable.
___________________________________________________________________
Mato Specs and Features:
Material: stainless steel, heat-resistant PSU
Dimensions: 54.5 * 24 mm (including drip tip)
Deck: single coil (postless)
Capacity: 5 ml (TPD version available)
Inhalation method: DL (Direct Lung)
Filling: Sidefill or BF
Steel wire replenishing system
Positive Pin: adjustable
Thread: 510
Colours: Matte Black, Frosted Grey, Stainless Steel, Gold, Gun Metal
___________________________________________________________________
What You Get?
As well as the Mato top coiler you also receive plenty of spare o-rings and screws. You get no spare glass but the material although looking and feeling like glass is actually PSU which is more durable and of course it's also protected by the outer cage. The TPD version has the exact same specifications as the standard version but has a silicone piece installed in the shipped RDTA reducing the capacity to 2ml so a lot of silicone is going to find it's way into the bin. You also receive a gorgeous looking Resin 810 drip tip (pre-installed) which i actually found felt a little strange between my lips so swapped for another.
Also included is a 510 drip tip adaptor, 2 allen tools, a coil cutting guide and a one piece Gold plated BF pin, the pre-installed standard pin is a two part allowing for adjusting to make hybrid safe.
We also receive 5 Steel rods (so one spare) and a coil but no cotton. The specs of the supplied coil are given, it's a Triple Fused Clapton using Ni80 wire, 0.28ohm, 5 wraps, 3.5ID, 26ga*3+36ga.
___________________________________________________________________
The Airflow
On the deck we have honeycomb airflow walls facing each other which are slightly arced and have 3 rows of holes each, 4 top and bottom and 5 in the middle row so 13 holes in total each side to wrap air around your coil. The top cap has dual short but wide airflow slots and the cap has notches so when fitted over the deck it's like a rail system with stoppers.
There is some distance created between the outer airflow slots and honeycomb walls on the deck and a cavity created. This means when closing down the airflow the air can spread out before going through the honeycomb walls so remains even airflow even if it looks lopsided looking at the outer slots.
I add what else should help with flavour in the airflow section and the top-cap is slightly domed (only slightly) but the large airflow walls and build will pretty much fill up all the space created by the top-cap making the chamber area very reduced.
___________________________________________________________________
Filling
The Mato has a side-fill method which also needs the top-cap removing to get to the port. Some would prefer to be able to just rotate the top-cap to line an outer hole up with the port like with the Brunhilde's but the fill method is much better on the Mato when it comes to the fact it's mess free unlike the Brunhilde's where it could get a bit messy.
The fill port is round but larger than on the Brunhilde's and has a self sealing membrane, i was able to fill it very quickly and absolutely mess free although i won't need to fill often as a swapped pins for the BF so i can top up the liquid via a squonking system.
___________________________________________________________________
Replenishing Rods
As well as the tilt of the tank while vaping your cotton gets replenished via capillary action through Steel wire rods. The rods are made from premium German steel and is many strands of wire woven together to allow many hollows inside going from the bottom to the top. The rods are made from weaving 7 strands of Steel together, then 7 of these sections that comprise of seven strands of Steel are again woven together to complete one rod, so 49 strands of Steel in total. As well as the 4 needed you also get one spare, not sure whether to consider it a pro for getting a spare or a con because it's not a full set of 4.
___________________________________________________________________
Replenishing
When the original Brunhilde top coiler was released some people said it wicked great and others found the replenishing rods are not doing their jobs and it only wicks the side you tilt. Personally i had no wicking issues and the MTL Brunhilde version i rated even higher and have heard nothing but good things from other vapers. The Mato to make sure there is no replenishing issues accommodates 2 steel rods per wick rather than the normal one but i would also just give them a quick torch to get rid of any possible residue from manufacture. Also when installing the rods just drop them into place but don't press down firmly so e-liquid can get underneath to encourage capillary action.
___________________________________________________________________
The Deck and Build
The build is as easy as it gets but you will need to pre-cut your leads with it being a postless deck. Your leads get dropped into the terminals from above and the terminals are opened and closed via hex screws (my favourite) from the outside of the deck.
I opened the terminals and used the supplied cutting guide to cut my leads to 6mm, then simply as mentioned lowered my leads into the terminals before tightening up the screws to fasten in position. Once fastened you can use a coiling rod or fit for purpose tool to position your coil centrally between the airflow walls.
Just to mention the ID of the supplied coil is 3.5ID but you can go much bigger, there is plenty of room and the terminals are huge. Also plenty of cotton can be placed over the steel rods so really i would say 3.5ID minimum is ideal although with quite tight wicking and fluffing your cotton up you can get away with 3.0ID.
When it comes to your wicking even though the wicks are just going to rest on top of the Steel rods and not get poked down you still need a good amount of cotton as it's important to remember the rods don't wick your coils but just feed your cotton so the cotton will be your reservoir. Fluffing your cotton slightly is a good idea but don't do it with a method which removes and thins the cotton!
___________________________________________________________________
How It Vapes And Final Thoughts!
This is my cup of tea, i love using RDTA's (top coilers) which come with a BF pin so i can use the squonk bottle as an extension of it's capacity. I also prefer single coil DL RTA's although i don't mind some loose MTL when i'm in the mood!
I like both Brunhilde's especially the MTL version but the original i find i need to vape at higher wattage than i like being dual coil. With the supplied coil the Mato gave a really nice semi-restrictive vape full of flavour at 45W, i ended up with airflow halfway for the restriction i like which just improved flavour further.
The Mato will allow with the right build to give a nice 30-35W restricted direct lung vape with the airflow reduced (perfect for me) yet the space and large terminals will allow for a large exotic coil, i would say depending on build the Mato is best between 30W to 60W so one for the low to mid wattage direct lung vapers.
The airflow adjusts smoothly and gives no turbulence whatsoever, being a postless deck the build was a doddle and very quick and as for the Steel rods, they replenished my cotton with gusto, it wicked like a dream!
The Vandyvape 810 drip tips of late have looked really nice and no exception here but although i pictured the Mato with the supplied drip tip on my device so you can see how it looks i actually used my own to vape with as it's thick rounded top felt strange between my lips (i couldn't get use to it).
___________________________________________________________________
Likes
Excellent build quality
6 Colour options
Aesthetically pleasing (kind of cool seeing the woven rods through the glass)
Clearly see juice level
5ml Capacity
2ml TPD version just has easy remove silicone piece (Ssshhhhhh)
Mess free side-fill with resealing membrane
Steel wire rod replenishing system
Wicks like a dream
Flavour on point
Draw semi-restricted direct lung
Smooth airflow
Airflow adjusts smoothly
Nice looking 810 drip tip
Postless deck
Very easy build
Coil with specs included
Spare steel rod
Spacious single coil build
Large terminals (can fit a large coil)
Hex screws (my favourite)
Standard pin adjustable
BF pin included
Coil cutting guide included
510 adaptor included
Cons
Tall
I found drip tip a little uncomfortable (might just be me)
Need to remove top-cap to fill (unless using BF pin)
No cotton provided
Only one spare rod (set of 4 would make more sense)
I would once again like to thank Viktor from Vandyvape for supplying the Mato RDTA for the purpose of this review.
http://www.vandyvape.com/atomizer/rdta/a...mato_RDTA/
___________________________________________________________________
