Volcano Lavabox M DNA75 - Quick Review

Raindance

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Allow me to start off this review by stating that it is more of a confession that a review. See, I made the mistake of thinking that a below R1k DNA mod simply can not be decently made and put together. I mean, the chip alone is worth that after taxes etc.

So here goes:
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The Volcano Lavabox M DNA75 is a single replaceable 18650 battery Mod utilizing a DNA75 board and chip-set. As the DNA75 boards are widely used and recognized as among the best available out there, I am not going to explore on its functions and bells and whistles. There is plenty of information on this out there.
I will just state that this is a fully functioned DNA75 mod and although not "fine tuned" as shipped, it is perfectly usable out of the box. It comes with Nickel 200, Titanium and SS316 Temperature control presents installed as well as power mode. So if you are not inclined to, there is no reason to ever plug this unit into your PC and use any of the wonderful stuff you can do in Escribe.

About the box:
Damn! what a surprise. As stated I was not expecting much for R850. I did the normal research and was willing to take a chance, heck even if it was total crap, i could always keep it as a replacement board for one of the Lost Vape units.

Made from lightweight aluminium it is truly a very light mod. Despite this, it feels very solid. Absolutely no rattles or sounds and the battery door is the most solid and perfectly snug fitting of any mod I have ever held. Surely has no plastic feel to it at all. Adding to battery safety is the fact that the magnets holding the door do such a great job that I doubt a toddler would be able to remove it.
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It looks very angular. Despite this, each edge is slightly beveled and there are no uncomfortable sharp edges. In fact a very nice fit and feel in hand.

The checkered rubberized grip which doubles as battery cover is comfortable to hold and actually contributes to the quality feel of this product.

The paintwork is something to behold. A type of matte textured hard wearing black finish with a satin feel to the touch. This mod has no little feet or protrusions on its base so the total base comes into contact with the surface its placed upon. Despite this, after two days there is not a single sign of wear on this surface. I know its a short time but I state again, none, nothing, nada.
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Buttons are also painted metal and feel and function the same as they do on my Therion and Skar. No difference there.
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The screen is hidden behind a tinted plastic face plate and therefore somewhat less bright than the normal DNA screens. Seriously not a problem as everything is clear and bright enough.

The base has 12 vent holes to aid cooling the board and the case being aluminium which conducts heat well, there should be no problems in this regard.

The 510 connection seems to be made from Stainless Steel with a gold plated positive pin. Properly string loaded (Not spring-loaded by blob of silicone as so many mods in this price bracket are.) with plenty of travel.
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One design feature that boggles me are the channels machined into the top surface of the Mod. Why would I want channels directing juice spills into my 510 connection? I guess its a trademark thing but I would have preferred not having them extend all the way into the 510.
Tanks sit flush and the connection is solid.

22mm tanks have no overhang with up to 25mm tanks overhanging on the front lip only. Moving the 510 back 1.5mm would have averted this but all in all its not a deal breaker.
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Conclusion:
This is a well made single battery 18650 mod which stands head and shoulders above other mods in the same price class. Lets face it, a single 18650 75W mod will never be ideal for driving a cloud chucking monster build atty but its lightweight and compact design make it very pocket friendly (Fully loaded weight feels the same as my smartphone) which makes it an ideal all day companion. Especially with a small compact MTL jobby on top, which is as I indent using this one.

In terms of where to buy, have a look here.

Regards
 
As luck would have it, now the top magnet in the door/battery cover just popped out. Same thing happened to one of the reviewers on YouTube. Not the first of my mods this happens with and I have superglue in the fridge.

I'm still chuffed.

Regards
 
Great review @Raindance
Thanks for taking the time to share it

Looks great!
 
As luck would have it, now the top magnet in the door/battery cover just popped out. Same thing happened to one of the reviewers on YouTube. Not the first of my mods this happens with and I have superglue in the fridge.

I'm still chuffed.

Regards

Funnily enough this just happened to me too just yesterday. My LavaBox is about 4 months old now and besides the magnet popping out it's not given me a single issue.
As for the paint underneath @Raindance rest assured mine still looks as good as the day I bought it :inlove:
 
This is exactly what I was looking for, thank you for the thumbs up. Just hope I can purchase one while there is still stock.
 
This is a really impressive mod at the price point. So much so, I bought a second one for my daughter this time round. Looking for an excuse now to buy a third...

Regards
 
As luck would have it, now the top magnet in the door/battery cover just popped out. Same thing happened to one of the reviewers on YouTube. Not the first of my mods this happens with and I have superglue in the fridge.

I'm still chuffed.

Regards
Same happend to mine but super glue works wonders lol one of the best mods i ever got.
 
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