Hi Ecigssa members, In this review i take a look at the Pixie RDA from Vapefly. The Pixie RDA was supplied for the purpose of this review by Flora from Vapefly.
http://www.vapefly.net/vapefly-pixie-rda/
Introduction
Vapefly have been very busy of late and just don't seem to run out of new ideas especially when it comes to new airflow designs, no different with the Pixie RDA this time helped by a collaboration with the Filipino Ferdinand Factor. The Pixie is a single coil 22mm RDA that looks tiny due to it's height being not much more than it's diameter. It uses a off centre coil placement to control spitting and also has a very deep juice well considering it's size. The Pixie has an angled airflow which allows for different inserts and a very reduced chamber with domed central ceiling for flavour. As with all Vapefly's products it's well worth a look!
In the Box
Contents:
1 x Pixie RDA
1 x BF squonk pin
2 x Hex screws
1 x T-piece tool
2 x Vapefly firebolt cotton
2 x 0.35ohm 26ga*2(KA1)+36ga(NI80) coils
O-rings
Aesthetics
The Pixie came in the usual Light Blue simple cardboard box packaging that all Vapefly samples come in, once i opened the Box despite knowing it was a 22mm RDA and it had the giveaway name "PIXIE" i was still stunned just how tiny it was. I received the Black version and to be honest their isn't a lot to describe as it's all Black, it's also available in Gold, Rainbow, Stainless Steel and Gunmetal. Where the two sections of the sleeve join the seam is visible and it is positioned exactly halfway up the height of the RDA, on the front underneath this seam we have "PIXIE" printed in fancy font and both the look and where it is positioned on the RDA won't appeal to everyone but those into their fancy fonts will like it. The airflow is a small slot and you can clearly see the peak material with three airflow holes through it, to one side of the sleeve we also have a small airflow hole that can be used instead of the slot. Moving to the top we have a delrin piece with heat sink fin followed by a 510 delrin drip tip. The base of the Pixie has etched branding and safety stamps, it's comes with a protruding, standard, Gold plated 510 pin which is hybrid safe. The overall quality and finish is typical Vapefly (very good).
Pixie RDA Specs and Features:
Diameter: 22mm
Height: 24mm
Tank Material: SS/Delrin
Drip Material: Delrin
Coil Building: Single Coil
Super easy building deck for single coil
Interchangeable airflow set
Heat-resistance design
Side coil design to prevent juice spit
BF(Bottom Feeder) pin for squonker MODs
Thread: 510
Colours: Gold, Rainbow, Stainless Steel, Gunmetal, Black
The Airflow
As usual a lot of thought has been put into the airflow so not too sure who designed this part of the RDA as it's just very Vapefly. The sleeve is in two parts with the seam exactly halfway up the height of the Pixie. The bottom section of the sleeve is all in one but has two parts to it the bottom part is a simple round wall that fits over the o-rings on the deck, the upper half the metal thickens out and steps in so the top section of the RDA can fit over the top of it so the top part of the bottom section extends all the way to the top of the RDA. This part of the bottom sleeve that is underneath the top section is where the airflow inlet is which is a slot (7.5mm x 2.5mm), of course you can just use this instead of using an insert as the airflow slot is machined through the metal at an angle so you will still get the same bottom airflow but the Pixie comes with a peak insert that just reduces the slot slightly. Pre-installed is another peak insert which gives 3 airflow holes rather than the slot, these are 1.5mm in diameter. As mentioned the airflow is angled through the metal so the outside slot is as high as it can possibly be but much lower on the inside as it enters your deck and directed downwards to hit the bottom of your coil. When you put the top section over the bottom to complete the RDA you turn the top to adjust airflow, it has a slot the same size has the slot on the underneath section that you line up and for me it's a choice between which insert to use the slot wide open or 3 holes i wouldn't be adjusting the airflow to have only 2 or 1 of the holes open or even closing down the slot but that's me. Being Vapefly though the Pixie does have another trick up it's sleeve, as well as the slot on the top section we also have a airflow hole approx 2mm in diameter. If you are using the slot insert line this hole up with the centre of the slot for a very restricted hit or even a MTL vape of sorts or if you have the insert with the 1.5mm holes line it up with the centre one for a loose MTL vape.
Changing The Inserts
Once fitted the insert stays in place very securely but are easy enough to take out and put in. Inside the sleeve there is a little notch that allows a bit of the insert to protrude, it's purpose is that it allows you to push the insert outwards. Once done the insert has been pushed far enough out to be able to get your nails either side and pull completely out. To put in just press into place, it's a perfect fit and the fact it's angled downwards means it's not going anywhere. The only issue is they are tiny and whichever one isn't being used could easily get lost and once lost very unlikely you will find it again so a couple of spares in my opinion should of been included.
Going For Flavour
The Pixie only has airflow one side because like the Horus RTA the opposite side of the deck has the velocity style posts set in from the side and it's such a low chamber the posts almost touch the ceiling effectively blocking off a third of the chamber (its a very reduced chamber), to boost flavour further the central section of the ceiling is domed.
Preventing E-Juice Spitting
So Vapefly or Ferdinand might be able to cure the common cold now that they have eradicated spitting. I really don't think that's what's being claimed and the Pixie does spit, these Tiny RDA's are like Yorkshire Terriers yapping for it. The coil is positioned offset to the centre of the RDA (there is 2 grooves in the side of the deck where you can place a coiling rod for guidance), the position of the coil should be positioned centrally but central between the posts and the edge of the deck (not the centre of the deck itself), this means the coil is not lined up directly underneath the drip-tip. When the Pixie spits this means for the most part the inside wall and ceiling gets bombarded but every now and then one is still going to hit bullseye. I really do believe that what they are claiming is that most spitting isn't going to hit your lips rather than it doesn't spit and for the most part they have done a reasonable job.
The Deck and Build
The deck is 22mm in diameter with velocity style posts that are set in from the side which when i read back what i have just written sounds like it's cramped for room but the Pixie must be a Tardis because there seems more space than on most 24mm single decks. The posts have very generous post holes and you can fit a chuncky coil in the Pixie if you wish, the post holes are big enough and surprisingly there's plenty of space. If you are more interested in a build that is going to make this little RDA tick a more modest build is what you should go for so you can keep the wattage down and although i didn't try i would think it will even shine with a MTL micro coil using the centre 1.5mm airflow hole for a loose MTL draw. The build is a piece of cake, feed your legs through the post holes and position the coil in the position already explained (you can place the coil using a coiling rod or just do it by eye). Once you have tightened your legs down because the posts are set in from the side of the deck there is plenty of room to snip your legs and as long as you get them snipped fairly close to the posts you won't get a short. I didn't suffocate the well but i did leave my cotton ends a bit longer than usual as the Pixie has a very generous juice well it looks about 8mm to me. For this reason i swapped for the BF pin, the centre positive section is raised and the BF pin raised further still so when squonking the juice squirts to the sides and flows inwards (ideal). When putting the bottom section of the sleeve over the deck (secured by 2 o-rings) there is two notches on the inside of the sleeve and 2 cutouts that accommodate them on the wall of the deck so it fixes in place with the airflow in the perfect position.
Reducing Heat
The other feature of the Pixie is the effort made to keep the heat down so you don't burn your lips. There is a generous amount of peak insulator surrounding the positive area to try and stop heat transfer to the rest of the deck and up top we have a delrin section on top of the sleeve followed by a heat sink fin. It's a tiny metal RDA so it's still going to get quite warm and at higher wattage hot but Vapefly have at least took steps to keep the heat down although with the drip tip supplied and despite the delrin top section your lips are going to occasionally touch the metal. I did actually use the supplied drip tip and it's ok but when i use the Pixie in future i will be looking through all my 510's for something a bit more substantial between my lips (if you read that a certain way i am straight and happily married).
Using The Pixie
I used the Pixie with the BF pin and with that deep juice well and angled airflow it's ideal for squonking and a lot more forgiving than most RDA's. The sleeve fits flush secured by 2 o-rings so doesn't sit on a shelf so a bit of escaping liquid is always possible but i didn't experience any it squonked like a good un. The top section of the sleeve pulls off without threatening to budge the bottom section so it would also be a good dripper but i really didn't think it would be possible to have such a short RDA so squonk friendly. I did try both inserts, the open slot insert is a restrictive lung hit and reasonably smooth, the one i decided to use after trying both was the insert with 3 airflow holes which was slightly more restrictive and silky smooth. The Pixie is a mini RDA that packs some flavour, very impressed. As for the spitting i did get a bit of friendly fire but for the most part most of the spitting didn't go through the drip tip.
Likes
Smart looking little RDA
Good build quality
Good machining
Very good flavour
Excellent using with BF pin
No reason not to work well as a dripper
Deep juice well
Airflow options
Restricted lung hit
Smooth airflow (especially with insert with 3 airflow holes)
Loose MTL possible using with airflow hole
Good o-ring resistances
Plenty of space and large post holes.
Very easy build.
Cons
With supplied drip tip will find it hard not to touch metal of RDA with lips sometimes
Sleeve not sitting on shelf so potential for escaping liquid from time to time (i said potential because i experienced no leaking whatsoever so it doesn't have leaking issues)
Fancy printed "PIXIE" will not be to everyone's liking (subjective)
Although good job reducing escaping spits through drip tip i did get a few war wounds
Insert not in use can be easily lost (spares would of been nice)
I would once again like to thank Flora from Vapefly for supplying the Pixie RDA for the purpose of this review.
http://www.vapefly.net/vapefly-pixie-rda/
http://www.vapefly.net/vapefly-pixie-rda/
Introduction
Vapefly have been very busy of late and just don't seem to run out of new ideas especially when it comes to new airflow designs, no different with the Pixie RDA this time helped by a collaboration with the Filipino Ferdinand Factor. The Pixie is a single coil 22mm RDA that looks tiny due to it's height being not much more than it's diameter. It uses a off centre coil placement to control spitting and also has a very deep juice well considering it's size. The Pixie has an angled airflow which allows for different inserts and a very reduced chamber with domed central ceiling for flavour. As with all Vapefly's products it's well worth a look!
In the Box
Contents:
1 x Pixie RDA
1 x BF squonk pin
2 x Hex screws
1 x T-piece tool
2 x Vapefly firebolt cotton
2 x 0.35ohm 26ga*2(KA1)+36ga(NI80) coils
O-rings
Aesthetics
The Pixie came in the usual Light Blue simple cardboard box packaging that all Vapefly samples come in, once i opened the Box despite knowing it was a 22mm RDA and it had the giveaway name "PIXIE" i was still stunned just how tiny it was. I received the Black version and to be honest their isn't a lot to describe as it's all Black, it's also available in Gold, Rainbow, Stainless Steel and Gunmetal. Where the two sections of the sleeve join the seam is visible and it is positioned exactly halfway up the height of the RDA, on the front underneath this seam we have "PIXIE" printed in fancy font and both the look and where it is positioned on the RDA won't appeal to everyone but those into their fancy fonts will like it. The airflow is a small slot and you can clearly see the peak material with three airflow holes through it, to one side of the sleeve we also have a small airflow hole that can be used instead of the slot. Moving to the top we have a delrin piece with heat sink fin followed by a 510 delrin drip tip. The base of the Pixie has etched branding and safety stamps, it's comes with a protruding, standard, Gold plated 510 pin which is hybrid safe. The overall quality and finish is typical Vapefly (very good).
Pixie RDA Specs and Features:
Diameter: 22mm
Height: 24mm
Tank Material: SS/Delrin
Drip Material: Delrin
Coil Building: Single Coil
Super easy building deck for single coil
Interchangeable airflow set
Heat-resistance design
Side coil design to prevent juice spit
BF(Bottom Feeder) pin for squonker MODs
Thread: 510
Colours: Gold, Rainbow, Stainless Steel, Gunmetal, Black
The Airflow
As usual a lot of thought has been put into the airflow so not too sure who designed this part of the RDA as it's just very Vapefly. The sleeve is in two parts with the seam exactly halfway up the height of the Pixie. The bottom section of the sleeve is all in one but has two parts to it the bottom part is a simple round wall that fits over the o-rings on the deck, the upper half the metal thickens out and steps in so the top section of the RDA can fit over the top of it so the top part of the bottom section extends all the way to the top of the RDA. This part of the bottom sleeve that is underneath the top section is where the airflow inlet is which is a slot (7.5mm x 2.5mm), of course you can just use this instead of using an insert as the airflow slot is machined through the metal at an angle so you will still get the same bottom airflow but the Pixie comes with a peak insert that just reduces the slot slightly. Pre-installed is another peak insert which gives 3 airflow holes rather than the slot, these are 1.5mm in diameter. As mentioned the airflow is angled through the metal so the outside slot is as high as it can possibly be but much lower on the inside as it enters your deck and directed downwards to hit the bottom of your coil. When you put the top section over the bottom to complete the RDA you turn the top to adjust airflow, it has a slot the same size has the slot on the underneath section that you line up and for me it's a choice between which insert to use the slot wide open or 3 holes i wouldn't be adjusting the airflow to have only 2 or 1 of the holes open or even closing down the slot but that's me. Being Vapefly though the Pixie does have another trick up it's sleeve, as well as the slot on the top section we also have a airflow hole approx 2mm in diameter. If you are using the slot insert line this hole up with the centre of the slot for a very restricted hit or even a MTL vape of sorts or if you have the insert with the 1.5mm holes line it up with the centre one for a loose MTL vape.
Changing The Inserts
Once fitted the insert stays in place very securely but are easy enough to take out and put in. Inside the sleeve there is a little notch that allows a bit of the insert to protrude, it's purpose is that it allows you to push the insert outwards. Once done the insert has been pushed far enough out to be able to get your nails either side and pull completely out. To put in just press into place, it's a perfect fit and the fact it's angled downwards means it's not going anywhere. The only issue is they are tiny and whichever one isn't being used could easily get lost and once lost very unlikely you will find it again so a couple of spares in my opinion should of been included.
Going For Flavour
The Pixie only has airflow one side because like the Horus RTA the opposite side of the deck has the velocity style posts set in from the side and it's such a low chamber the posts almost touch the ceiling effectively blocking off a third of the chamber (its a very reduced chamber), to boost flavour further the central section of the ceiling is domed.
Preventing E-Juice Spitting
So Vapefly or Ferdinand might be able to cure the common cold now that they have eradicated spitting. I really don't think that's what's being claimed and the Pixie does spit, these Tiny RDA's are like Yorkshire Terriers yapping for it. The coil is positioned offset to the centre of the RDA (there is 2 grooves in the side of the deck where you can place a coiling rod for guidance), the position of the coil should be positioned centrally but central between the posts and the edge of the deck (not the centre of the deck itself), this means the coil is not lined up directly underneath the drip-tip. When the Pixie spits this means for the most part the inside wall and ceiling gets bombarded but every now and then one is still going to hit bullseye. I really do believe that what they are claiming is that most spitting isn't going to hit your lips rather than it doesn't spit and for the most part they have done a reasonable job.
The Deck and Build
The deck is 22mm in diameter with velocity style posts that are set in from the side which when i read back what i have just written sounds like it's cramped for room but the Pixie must be a Tardis because there seems more space than on most 24mm single decks. The posts have very generous post holes and you can fit a chuncky coil in the Pixie if you wish, the post holes are big enough and surprisingly there's plenty of space. If you are more interested in a build that is going to make this little RDA tick a more modest build is what you should go for so you can keep the wattage down and although i didn't try i would think it will even shine with a MTL micro coil using the centre 1.5mm airflow hole for a loose MTL draw. The build is a piece of cake, feed your legs through the post holes and position the coil in the position already explained (you can place the coil using a coiling rod or just do it by eye). Once you have tightened your legs down because the posts are set in from the side of the deck there is plenty of room to snip your legs and as long as you get them snipped fairly close to the posts you won't get a short. I didn't suffocate the well but i did leave my cotton ends a bit longer than usual as the Pixie has a very generous juice well it looks about 8mm to me. For this reason i swapped for the BF pin, the centre positive section is raised and the BF pin raised further still so when squonking the juice squirts to the sides and flows inwards (ideal). When putting the bottom section of the sleeve over the deck (secured by 2 o-rings) there is two notches on the inside of the sleeve and 2 cutouts that accommodate them on the wall of the deck so it fixes in place with the airflow in the perfect position.
Reducing Heat
The other feature of the Pixie is the effort made to keep the heat down so you don't burn your lips. There is a generous amount of peak insulator surrounding the positive area to try and stop heat transfer to the rest of the deck and up top we have a delrin section on top of the sleeve followed by a heat sink fin. It's a tiny metal RDA so it's still going to get quite warm and at higher wattage hot but Vapefly have at least took steps to keep the heat down although with the drip tip supplied and despite the delrin top section your lips are going to occasionally touch the metal. I did actually use the supplied drip tip and it's ok but when i use the Pixie in future i will be looking through all my 510's for something a bit more substantial between my lips (if you read that a certain way i am straight and happily married).
Using The Pixie
I used the Pixie with the BF pin and with that deep juice well and angled airflow it's ideal for squonking and a lot more forgiving than most RDA's. The sleeve fits flush secured by 2 o-rings so doesn't sit on a shelf so a bit of escaping liquid is always possible but i didn't experience any it squonked like a good un. The top section of the sleeve pulls off without threatening to budge the bottom section so it would also be a good dripper but i really didn't think it would be possible to have such a short RDA so squonk friendly. I did try both inserts, the open slot insert is a restrictive lung hit and reasonably smooth, the one i decided to use after trying both was the insert with 3 airflow holes which was slightly more restrictive and silky smooth. The Pixie is a mini RDA that packs some flavour, very impressed. As for the spitting i did get a bit of friendly fire but for the most part most of the spitting didn't go through the drip tip.
Likes
Smart looking little RDA
Good build quality
Good machining
Very good flavour
Excellent using with BF pin
No reason not to work well as a dripper
Deep juice well
Airflow options
Restricted lung hit
Smooth airflow (especially with insert with 3 airflow holes)
Loose MTL possible using with airflow hole
Good o-ring resistances
Plenty of space and large post holes.
Very easy build.
Cons
With supplied drip tip will find it hard not to touch metal of RDA with lips sometimes
Sleeve not sitting on shelf so potential for escaping liquid from time to time (i said potential because i experienced no leaking whatsoever so it doesn't have leaking issues)
Fancy printed "PIXIE" will not be to everyone's liking (subjective)
Although good job reducing escaping spits through drip tip i did get a few war wounds
Insert not in use can be easily lost (spares would of been nice)
I would once again like to thank Flora from Vapefly for supplying the Pixie RDA for the purpose of this review.
http://www.vapefly.net/vapefly-pixie-rda/
