Thunderhead Creations Blaze Solo rta ~A review by AngeNZ
Introduction:
The Blaze Solo rta was sent to me from Sourcemore for the purposes of an unpaid, neutral review.
Thunderhead Creations have teamed up with Mike Vapes to bring out this single coil, top-air RTA, the Blaze Solo. After the very well-received dual-coil Blaze RTA and Blaze Solo RDA, I was glad to see this edition come out. Thunderhead Creations have concentrated mainly on the rebuildable tank/RDA/RTDA market with their products. And have had a lot of well-deserved success doing so.
As my favourite RTA just happens to be a top-air single coil, I was very interested to see how the Blaze Solo RTA stacked up against it. And the result? Read on and find out!
Thunderhead Creations have teamed up with Mike Vapes to bring out this single coil, top-air RTA, the Blaze Solo. After the very well-received dual-coil Blaze RTA and Blaze Solo RDA, I was glad to see this edition come out. Thunderhead Creations have concentrated mainly on the rebuildable tank/RDA/RTDA market with their products. And have had a lot of well-deserved success doing so.
As my favourite RTA just happens to be a top-air single coil, I was very interested to see how the Blaze Solo RTA stacked up against it. And the result? Read on and find out!
Kit Contents:
1 x Blaze SOLO RTA
1 x 5.5ml Bubble Glass
1 x Coil Leg Trimmer
2 x 4 Core Fused Clapton Coil (0.28Ω 3.5mm id 28g*4/38g Ni80)
2 x Allen Keys
Spare Screws
Spare O-rings
User Manual
QC Card
Warranty Card
The Blaze Solo RTA comes in 6 colours, including the gunmetal version I received. It has a 25mm diameter and the capacity with the straight glass is 3.5ml or 5.5ml with the bubble glass. I love how they've given you such a decent capacity both ways. I usually go straight for the bubble (no pun intended), but I like having the 3.5ml option. Especially for a SBS mod, like the Abyss.
Thunderhead Creations have used an 810 drip tip for this RTA. The included resin 810 drip tip has a rounded tip and looks stunning with the tank. A standard 510 drip tip adaptor fits perfectly if that's your preference.
Design & First Impressions:
When I opened up the box, I loved what I saw. The design aspects all work together flawlessly from the simple but effective knurling, down to the W-shaped honeycomb deck. I also really like how the RTA looks. There's no excessive company branding, just a simple Blaze logo and title on the chamber. Considering its large capacity, I'm impressed how compact and streamlined the Blaze Solo is.
The Gunmetal version I received looks fantastic. Its shade blends in nicely with all my gunmetal mods.
The Gunmetal version I received looks fantastic. Its shade blends in nicely with all my gunmetal mods.
Filling:
To access the fill ports, it's a simple anticlockwise twist of the top cap. Due to the top-air channels, the large fill ports are deep. However I had no trouble filling, even with a larger nozzle bottle.
Airflow:
The Blaze Solo RTA is a top-air RTA. What this means is that the air comes in from the top inlets and is funneled down to the deck between the inner and outer chamber. It then moves through the deck's airflow and onto your coil. The top to bottom air design makes this a more leak-resistant RTA. It has a chimney internal diameter of 7mm, which gives you plenty of vapour with little restriction.
The dual-sided top airflow inlets of the Blaze Solo are slotted diagonally, and provide really smooth airflow. Wide open, there's very little restriction and I'd easily call it a DL (direct lung). It's so refreshing to have a single coil RTA with so much airflow. You can easily make it more restricted by twisting the airflow ring. And thanks to the diagonal slots, you can fine tune your airflow down to millimetres. With the airflow barely open, I'd call it a tight restricted DL. But by no stretch would I ever call this RTA, a traditional MTL tank! My personal preference is with 3 slots closed.
The Deck:
One of the things I've always loved about Thunderhead Creations' products are their decks. And the Blaze Solo RTA's deck is fantastic. The standout feature for me, is the combination of honeycomb and slotted airflow in a W shaped deck. These provide you with both bottom and side airflow to your coil. The resulting airflow is absolutely super-smooth.
It's a postless deck, which simply means you precut your coil's legs before installing the coil. And it's a roomy deck. You'll easily fit any coil up to 4mm, and possibly larger depending on your wire specs.
The wicking ports are a decent size and because only the tips of your tails sit in them, they work just as well with both a smaller or larger coil.
Building:
This is a great deck for beginners to RTAs. And as a slightly seasoned builder, I love it. The screws grab nicely onto your coil's legs, and don't twist the coil. I played around with various coil leg heights and found the recommended 6mm length works best for me. However don't be afraid to go longer, it really depends on your coil and personal preference. A higher coil will give you more of the honeycomb as bottom air, instead of the slotted.
Beginners:
Loosen the hex screws each side with the allen key. Using the coil trimming tool provided, cut your coil legs to 6mm.
Hold your coil in the centre of the deck and tighten up the screws each side.
Use a coil jig to straighten and centre the coil, Work out any hotspots by dry-burning your coil at a low wattage, Let your coil cool down before wicking (ask me how I learnt that step!).
Beginners:
Loosen the hex screws each side with the allen key. Using the coil trimming tool provided, cut your coil legs to 6mm.
Hold your coil in the centre of the deck and tighten up the screws each side.
Use a coil jig to straighten and centre the coil, Work out any hotspots by dry-burning your coil at a low wattage, Let your coil cool down before wicking (ask me how I learnt that step!).
3.5mm id:
Since Thunderhead Creations have provided two 3.5mm id 28*4/38 ni80 0.28Ω coils I'll start with this size. The coils are ever so slightly spaced, which meant I had no hotspots after installation. With 6mm legs, my coil actually read 0.28Ω.
This size and coil takes it down a notch in airyness. And takes it up a few notches in flavour. This coil very pleasantly surprised me, as I usually run smaller coils. I ran it anywhere between 35 watts and 55 watts. My personal preference is 42 watts. It ramps fast and pumps out the flavour and vapour. In the 35-45 watts range it produces slightly cool to warm vapour. Run it above 45 watts if you prefer a warmer vape.
This size and coil takes it down a notch in airyness. And takes it up a few notches in flavour. This coil very pleasantly surprised me, as I usually run smaller coils. I ran it anywhere between 35 watts and 55 watts. My personal preference is 42 watts. It ramps fast and pumps out the flavour and vapour. In the 35-45 watts range it produces slightly cool to warm vapour. Run it above 45 watts if you prefer a warmer vape.
3mm id:
For this size I used the 30*3/38 ni80 wire that I run in all my RTAs.
A 3mm id coil worked extremely well in this deck. It highlights the airyness and produces a ton of flavour and vapour. I ran this coil at 30 watts and loved the results. This size would also work brilliantly with a chunkier fused clapton, an alien or an exotic. It's a deck that's made for any coil you want to throw at it.
A 3mm id coil worked extremely well in this deck. It highlights the airyness and produces a ton of flavour and vapour. I ran this coil at 30 watts and loved the results. This size would also work brilliantly with a chunkier fused clapton, an alien or an exotic. It's a deck that's made for any coil you want to throw at it.
Wicking:
I don't like saying a deck is simple to wick, as Murphy's Law will guarantee I mess it up at my next attempt! That said, if you start with really long tails you will do fine - beginner or expert. There's a deceptively long drop from your coil to the wicking ports. Your coil's length really determines where to cut - my suggestion is to start long and cut off when needed.
This is a deck that doesn't need it wicked really tightly in the coil. If your flavour is muted, try wicking it a bit looser in the coil. With the included coils, I found that if I could slightly move the cotton back and forth, without the coil moving - I had the right amount of cotton. If I could easily pull the cotton out, then I needed a bit more.
I fold my tails down and use the outer edge of the deck as my rough cutting guide. I found that I only needed the tails to sit a mm or so into the wicking ports. Sitting on top, as opposed to reaching the very bottom of the deck. You also don't need to fluff the living daylights out of your tails. Just loosen up the ends after you've cut them to size.
Your coil's size also determines how much thinning of the tails you need to do. For a 3mm I only slightly thin the tips, and it's more about clearing out any clutter than actual thinning. For a 3.5mm I thin the ends a bit more. If you have to shove the tips into the wicking ports, then thin more. With them loosely sitting into the ports, it seemed to wick the best. And I had no problems with flooding.
This is a deck that doesn't need it wicked really tightly in the coil. If your flavour is muted, try wicking it a bit looser in the coil. With the included coils, I found that if I could slightly move the cotton back and forth, without the coil moving - I had the right amount of cotton. If I could easily pull the cotton out, then I needed a bit more.
I fold my tails down and use the outer edge of the deck as my rough cutting guide. I found that I only needed the tails to sit a mm or so into the wicking ports. Sitting on top, as opposed to reaching the very bottom of the deck. You also don't need to fluff the living daylights out of your tails. Just loosen up the ends after you've cut them to size.
Your coil's size also determines how much thinning of the tails you need to do. For a 3mm I only slightly thin the tips, and it's more about clearing out any clutter than actual thinning. For a 3.5mm I thin the ends a bit more. If you have to shove the tips into the wicking ports, then thin more. With them loosely sitting into the ports, it seemed to wick the best. And I had no problems with flooding.
Performance & My Thoughts:
I'll start with the flavour as that's key for most of us when looking at an RTA. On a flavour-rating of 1 -10 out of all my RTAs, bottom and top-air - the Blaze Solo is a 9. The flavour is absolutely superb. It matches my favourite top-air RTA the Juggerknot MR, and beats a lot of my bottom-air RTAs with a matching coil. It is a serious flavour-banger.
Have I mentioned how super-smooth the airflow is lately? No?! It is brilliant, as smooth as silk. No turbulence whatsoever. I've been a fan of honeycomb for a while now, and smoother airflow is the main reason why. I absolutely love the airflow and airyness of this RTA. The deck design and top airflow slots combine so well to give you extremely smooth airflow.
The airflow range is also impressive. It's not often that a single coil RTA can give you wide open direct lung airflow. But the Blaze Solo does. And you can fine tune the airflow right down to a tight RDL. Another advantage of the airflow was how much it cooled down the coil. I found I could vape at higher wattages, and not have the hot vapour I'd expect.
When I saw the long drop from my coil to the wicking ports, I was worried about dry hits. However it has wicked beautifully. And some of my wicks weren't that pretty. It's almost an RDTA length wick if you have a shorter coil, but it easily keeps up. I think this is the biggest surprise for me with this RTA. It not only wicks so well, but it's also a saturated vape. As for chain-vaping? No problem, that's how I vape half the time anyway.
The deck is just fabulous. It's easy to build and not difficult to wick. It is also such a versatile deck. I still can't decide if I prefer the included 3,5mm 28*4/38 coil, or my usual smaller 3mm 30*3/38 coil. They both provide such different but amazing results. The fact it can run both smaller and larger coils, and still pump out the flavour says it all. I based my flavour comparisons on the smaller 3mm id coil. With a chunkier coil in that size, expect even more flavour and vapour.
And on that subject, the vapour production is fantastic. There's nothing worse than having a chunky coil in an RTA that only produces wispy vapour. Rest assured, the Blaze Solo produces plenty of dense vapour. I also found that it's not an overly thirsty RTA, which was a bonus.
In terms of quality, I've had zero problems. I found all the threads were smooth and no part was stiff or hard to turn. The included coils were of a decent quality, and I have no qualms recommending them. This is the first time I've used an included coil, and actually kept it in!
From top to bottom, Thunderhead Creations and Mike Vapes have produced an outstanding single-coil RTA. The design elements combined with its superb flavour, smooth airflow and versatility, make the Blaze Solo RTA a winner.
Have I mentioned how super-smooth the airflow is lately? No?! It is brilliant, as smooth as silk. No turbulence whatsoever. I've been a fan of honeycomb for a while now, and smoother airflow is the main reason why. I absolutely love the airflow and airyness of this RTA. The deck design and top airflow slots combine so well to give you extremely smooth airflow.
The airflow range is also impressive. It's not often that a single coil RTA can give you wide open direct lung airflow. But the Blaze Solo does. And you can fine tune the airflow right down to a tight RDL. Another advantage of the airflow was how much it cooled down the coil. I found I could vape at higher wattages, and not have the hot vapour I'd expect.
When I saw the long drop from my coil to the wicking ports, I was worried about dry hits. However it has wicked beautifully. And some of my wicks weren't that pretty. It's almost an RDTA length wick if you have a shorter coil, but it easily keeps up. I think this is the biggest surprise for me with this RTA. It not only wicks so well, but it's also a saturated vape. As for chain-vaping? No problem, that's how I vape half the time anyway.
The deck is just fabulous. It's easy to build and not difficult to wick. It is also such a versatile deck. I still can't decide if I prefer the included 3,5mm 28*4/38 coil, or my usual smaller 3mm 30*3/38 coil. They both provide such different but amazing results. The fact it can run both smaller and larger coils, and still pump out the flavour says it all. I based my flavour comparisons on the smaller 3mm id coil. With a chunkier coil in that size, expect even more flavour and vapour.
And on that subject, the vapour production is fantastic. There's nothing worse than having a chunky coil in an RTA that only produces wispy vapour. Rest assured, the Blaze Solo produces plenty of dense vapour. I also found that it's not an overly thirsty RTA, which was a bonus.
In terms of quality, I've had zero problems. I found all the threads were smooth and no part was stiff or hard to turn. The included coils were of a decent quality, and I have no qualms recommending them. This is the first time I've used an included coil, and actually kept it in!
From top to bottom, Thunderhead Creations and Mike Vapes have produced an outstanding single-coil RTA. The design elements combined with its superb flavour, smooth airflow and versatility, make the Blaze Solo RTA a winner.
The Bottom Line:
Am I still using this Blaze Solo RTA after testing? Hell yes!! I love it so much, I've already ordered a second.
Why? Super-smooth airflow that ranges from an RDL through to a wide open DL, a versatile deck that works with nearly any coil and it's easy to wick. No leaking, no flooding, no dry hits - it wicks beautifully. But above all else, it produces absolutely exceptional flavour.
Take a bow, Thunderhead Creations and Mike Vapes. From top to bottom, you have produced an outstanding single-coil RTA.
Thank you to @Ema from Sourcemore, I've really enjoyed showing off this RTA.
It's available for $24.79: Thunderhead Creations Blaze Solo RTA
Why? Super-smooth airflow that ranges from an RDL through to a wide open DL, a versatile deck that works with nearly any coil and it's easy to wick. No leaking, no flooding, no dry hits - it wicks beautifully. But above all else, it produces absolutely exceptional flavour.
Take a bow, Thunderhead Creations and Mike Vapes. From top to bottom, you have produced an outstanding single-coil RTA.
Thank you to @Ema from Sourcemore, I've really enjoyed showing off this RTA.
It's available for $24.79: Thunderhead Creations Blaze Solo RTA
