Electronic-cigz.com m601, PCC, Atomizers, Cartridges & More.

[billybc96]

I started my e-cigarette PV journey with the xhale02 models commonly available at 7-11 stores, then tried both the manual and automatic versions of the KR808D-1 (wasn't so hot on them, but they were okay), and then ended up with an m402 setup that included a PCC that I eventually got some XL Pyramid Tea Bag modified cartridges for (enjoyed that a lot). I saw some reviews for the m601/2 series e-cigarette awhile back and thought I might like to try one of those one of these days. Well, eventually all three of my m402 atomizers died, so now I'm back to using my 7-11 purchased xhale02 gear, but at least with my choice in e-liquid refilled cartridges. While I'm stuck doing that (actually working out pretty well for a stop-gap measure), I went ahead and ordered an m601 setup (automatic) from electronic-cigz.com out of Canada, which has about a 2-3 week delivery wait time to the U.S. The wait time kind of sucks, as well as higher shipping costs, but they have a good selection of m601 goodies, including different atomizer, cartridge and cartomizer types, as well as a full selection of different chargers, etc.

I received my order the other day (finally, yahoo!), only to quickly realize that m601 XL cartridges apparently only fit an m601 XL atomizer, not the standard m601 atomizers I had ordered. (I think they need to clearly point that out a little better on their website, as there is no such unexpected issue between m401 XL and standard cartridges.) Oh well, we live and learn, eh? And I was so excited about posting a review too! (sigh) Anyway, I went ahead and ordered one of the right kind of m601 XL atomizers from electronic-cigz.com, but due to knowing how long they take to ship I also ordered a couple of regular m601 blank cartridges from vapesafe.com out of California. They are just standard fill material cartridges, unlike the PTB modified ones I prefer that electronic-cigz.com has available, but at least they will get here much sooner, so I can finally get on with my review! (Should probably get to me by Monday or so, I hope, so please be patient.)

In the meantime, I will at least for now make the observation that the green light up tips on the black m601 batteries I ordered are much more visible when lit up than the blue light up tips on my old m402 batteries. Yeah I know, not exactly earth shattering news, but I like being able to see the tip of my e-cigarette light up clearly in full daylight. I had problems with that on the blue tip models. The green light is even more brightly visible than the orange glow tip on my xhale02 batteries which I had previously preferred (brightness-wise at least) to that of the blue. It makes me wonder if that means the green light will tend to drain the battery more quickly or not, or is green just a more daytime visible color than blue or orange? (Weird the stuff I think about while I'm waiting for more e-cigarette goodies to arrive in the mail, eh?)

 

[billybc96]

I received my blank m601 cartridges today, and so I'm finally able to start trying out my m601 batteries and standard open bridge atomizers. Unfortunately I'm still getting over a cold, so my ability to taste is not in a condition to fairly judge the overall experience of using these components with any of my existing e-liquids. Opinions regarding flavor and throat hit impressions compared to my other e-cigarette models will still have to wait awhile. Very annoying.

At least I can comment on a few other things in relation to the relatively new m601 compared to my old favorite the m402, as well as the KR808D-1 and my 7-11 xhale02. A fully assembled m601 is only a few millimeters longer than an m402, which means it might be slightly closer to an m401 in length, but I've never used an m401 before so I cannot be sure about that. The length of the m601 is certainly not an issue. The battery itself is longer than an m402 battery, while the cartridge unit itself is almost more the same length as that of an m402, though the m601 gear is slightly fatter. Interestingly, though fatter than an m401 series mini e-cigarette, the m601 isn't quite as fat as a KR808D-1, which I kind of like. I still prefer the overall analog realistic size of an m402, but the m601 is not far off. An m601 weighs slightly more than an m402, but not significantly so. I can briefly hold an m601 unsupported between my lips without any problems. It feels fairly natural.

The m601 standard atomizer is very similar to an m401 series atomizer, but not entirely. Of course, the open bridge wick is wider on the m601, but it also doesn't appear to have as much ceramic type material underneath it, especially directly underneath the span of the bridge, which instead has some thin metallic supports just under either side of the bridge. They do not go all the way across under the wider wick, which appears to be unsupported in the middle. Though I cannot taste much at this time, I can visually see that this model e-cigarette definitely produces more vapor than an m401 series or KR808D-1 model e-cigarette, but not hugely so, at least not so far. That reason alone is probably not worth making a switch from one to the other. If you are into really huge vapor production you will probably want something else entirely.

I'd like to comment more on my findings, but it is just too soon to do so, especially considering the plugged up condition of my nasal passages and my current limited ability to taste much of anything. I'm not using e-cigarettes much right now anyway while I'm at the peak of being sick, so I can't even fairly judge how long an m601 refilled cartridge or charged battery lasts. My first initial impression is that the m601 provides a smoother experience than the other e-cigarette models I've mentioned having tried before. It also does not seem to run as "hot" either (at least compared to an m402 or an xhale02), but I might not be in the best condition to judge that right now. Perhaps by the time I'm feeling better I may then have also finally received an m601 XL atomizer and had a chance to try that out with the Pyramid Tea Bag modded XL cartridges I received earlier. I much prefer Pyramid Tea Bag modded refillable cartridges, and that is what I most recently used with my m402, so that would make for an even fairer comparison. The m601 cartridges seem to fit more tightly to their atomizer than did my m401 cartridges to an m401 atomizer. I like that, especially since I end up reusing my cartridges an awful lot. (I'm kind of cheap that way. LOL)

More on this when I'm feeling better. Thanks for your patience.

 

[billybc96]

While I'm still recovering from my cold, I am nonetheless using my m601 on the road with its PCC. I drive part time for a living, so I find these PCC boxes to be pretty handy devices. As far as I am concerned, a good PCC for your e-cigarettes is a must have accessory, unless you have one of those crazy models that can last all day on a single charge (in which case you still probably need something to at least carry some extra juice in). One thing I've noticed with the m601 PCC box, even though it is specifically for the XL atomizer/cartridge combo is that it is not big enough to allow storage of a fully assembled m601 e-cigarette in it's spare battery location, unlike as is the case with an m401 series PCC box. Disappointing, because that means the m601 PCC is a bit less useful than the ones for an m401 series e-cigarettes, but it certainly isn't a deal breaker. I usually don't carry the fully assembled e-cigarette I'm using in my PCC anyway. Typically it is just in a breast or pants pocket. Still, it is an important difference worth noting between the two model types for those that care about such things. The PCC box, other than having slightly larger diameter cartridge slots in it, and a male rather than female attachment point to charge a battery in, is otherwise pretty much the same as any similar type of PCC. That includes the box's external dimensions and its accompanying USB charger plug. All of which are black rubber coated (kind of like some cell phone cases are), which I like. As was the case with my m402 PCC, the flip-top lid for my m601 PCC is not super secure, but it works well enough.

I've also noticed that these m601 automatic batteries tend to run on their own occasionally, more so than I ever remember my m402 batteries doing, even when I first got them. How often the m601 batteries have done this is hard to tell. When I jostle them around loosely in my hand I can't seem to get them to run on their own very often (though it does happen sometimes), but occasionally when I pull a fully assembled unit out of my breast pocket I can feel that the atomizer is warm, even when I haven't used it for several minutes. It doesn't happen all the time, but it is a cause for some concern. The batteries and PCC seem to otherwise work well. Operation is quieter than with an m401 e-cigarette, though the difference is probably fairly marginal. I haven't noticed yet if there is an automatic shutoff feature, but I typically don't take long vapor drags on my e-cigarettes. No auto-shutoff could be an issue if these tend to run on their own sometimes. I've read and seen reports that there supposedly is an auto-shutoff feature on these, and that it doesn't cut-in for at least 7-10 seconds. I've yet to puff on one of these for that long yet. I guess I should try that at least once, just as a test, eh? (I don't like to overwork my atomizers unnecessarily.)

No other issues to report at this time. Vapor production is really, really nice. Combined with the handy size, these make for a pretty nice e-cigarette model, but they are far from perfect. It is possible one of my m601 automatic batteries is defective, but I'll give what I've got a little more time before I jump to any hard conclusions. For now I'm just breaking the gear in and enjoying the generous vapor clouds this thing makes.

 

[billybc96]

I'm getting over my cold, and as I do I am getting my sense of taste back. As I do, I find myself being somewhat disappointed, at least thus far, with the amount of e-liquid flavor I'm getting out of the m601 using standard atomizers and cartridges. My only other fully working e-cigarette, a 7-11 xhale02 (in my opinion very comparable to an m402), delivers more e-liquid flavor impact than the m601. Of course, I've barely broken-in the m601, and I'm only just getting over that cold, plus I still have an m601 XL atomizer on the way to try out, so the comparison isn't over yet. The m601 batteries and standard cartridges last for a very decent and competitive length of time, very comparable overall to an m402 or the xhale02. I have no complaints in that department. The m601 definitely produces more vapor, but not by enough leaps and bounds to compensate for less flavor delivery than the other models mentioned. I hope the XL atomizer combined with the PTB modded XL cartridges can deliver more flavor than the standard setup, otherwise the m601 seems like it might turn out to be something of an unexpected dead end. Time will tell. I'll report back when I come to a definitive conclusion.

 

[billybc96]

I'm doing better now with my m601. Flavor seems to be coming through more now, and my batteries seem to be less finicky as well. Not sure why they should be giving me less trouble than they did at first, other than my using them. I'm glad my experience with these has been improving. I was starting to get a little worried.

 

[Robin Macri]

I loved The M-601 till it started burning up while I was driving! The atomizer would not stop till it burned up. I only used it for about a week.I still have the kit but decided it wasn't worth putting money into it. I use the riva most of the time now. When it did work,it was a good little pv. Who knows maybe one day I will buy a couple attys for it.Good luck with yours!

 

[billybc96]

I thought maybe one of my m601 batteries had worked its way out of its tendency to run a lot all on its own, but I guess I was wrong. Most of the time, much like the other battery, it is fine, but for some strange mechanical defect reason it wants to run almost continuously by itself when I am driving on the highway. Weird, I know, but apparently it has something to do with engine vibration levels at a certain frequency, or something like that, because it doesn't normally happen much at other times (like when I'm just driving around on city streets). My one other m601 battery doesn't suffer from this quirk nearly so much. Unfortunately I drive on highways a lot for work, so that one battery is almost useless to me. Quite an annoyance. I will contact the battery supplier and see about getting a replacement. I wonder if a very similar problem happened to you?

Other than that one issue, which is no small issue, I've had no other significant problems with my m601 e-cigarette gear. I do like them when everything is working right with them, but because of that one issue (which seems to be a common problem as far as I've read) I cannot recommend an m601 at this time. A manual m602 might be okay for those that prefer manual batteries, but I have read of a few problems with some of those running when they shouldn't as well. I will post how well things go with my getting a replacement from electronic-cigz.com for my one faulty battery. Due to practical financial limitations (I can't keep buying new e-cigarettes all the time) my m601 gear is what have to use for now, so at some point down the road I would like to try out and review the cartomizers that are available for these things.

I'm still waiting on my XL atomizer, so any replacement m601 battery I receive from electronic-cigz.com will probably be a long time in coming. For those in the U.S. still interested in purchasing an m601, I would recommend buying from one of the very few available domestic distributors instead, just in case you end up having battery issues as well (sadly very possible with these). At least then your replacements won't take so long to arrive. Those long shipping time waits can be very unnerving when you really need the parts to keep vaping and not slip back into using anologs. (Not that I ever intend to, knock on wood.)

 

[billybc96]

I finally received my one (1) m601 XL atomizer and am only just now starting to use it, so I can't comment on it much other than to say it adds several millimeters of length to an m601 battery over a standard atomizer and cartridge setup. The XL PTB cartridges fit fine in an XL PCC box, but not when capped with an XL atomizer as a spare to carry around in case the primary XL atomizer goes out. I only bothered getting the one anyway, just so I could finally use the XL cartridges I had inadvertently gotten in the first place.

I received word back from electronic-cigz.com regarding my one overly sensitive m601 battery, the one I can't use in the car because it tends to run all the time due to apparently excessive vibration, or engine frequency noise, or whatever. According to them that is normal (though my other m601 battery works without this annoying problem), and they recommend I get an m602 manual battery or batteries instead, or get an m601 pass-through model. Oh, and the m602 batteries apparently need to a different charger than the PCC I already have, even though it has cutouts for manual batteries! Are these guys kidding me! Unbelievable.

Oh well, I suspected I might get an unsatisfactory answer from electronic-cigz.com (and their shipping times from Canada to the U.S. are ridiculous, though that probably isn't entirely their fault), so in the meantime I've ordered a new m402 battery from Intellicig U.S.A. (one of my older ones is scratched up, though they both still work fine), and also two (2) new silver m401 atomizers from Liberty Flights (my old atomizers having finally burnt themselves out after several months), both companies of which are having pretty good holiday season sales right now (10-20% off, free shipping from one of them, and very low shipping rates from the other).

I intend to eventually go back to using an m402 in my car, and I'll just use the m601 at home, or when I'm out with friends anywhere but in a car. Lame, but that's apparently what I'm left with as practical financial options for now. I like the m402, so that isn't a real problem for me. Too bad though, as I had higher hopes for the m601 series initially. (I'm not going to bother buying m602 manual batteries and a new charger right now. Heck, why should I?)

 

[PapaJoe8]

Thanks for doing this Billy!

I think what El-Cigs is calling an XL 601 atty is actually a diff #. 306 maybe? There was talk of this somewhere in the 401/2/3 forum section. Dose it have a non exposed bridge kinda like the 510?
Joe

 

[billybc96]

I'm not familiar with a 306 or 510 atomizer, but the bridge is unexposed - at least from the side, which I think is what you are referring to. It is the type of atomizer you would not normally want to drip with. (Videos of the XL atomizer are available on You-Tube.) The entire XL atomizer (with its bridge concealing thin metal wall) is nearly the length of a standard atomizer/cartridge unit, though the atomizer and bridge themselves sits at exactly the same level as a standard model. The XL atomizer/cartridge combo adds about 1/2 an inch in length to an assembled m601 e-cigarette. Vapor production remains good, and these XL cartridges definitely last longer. I use about 2-3 XL PTB cartridges compared to 4-5 standard size poly-filled m601 cartridges.

One of my shipped XL PTB cartridges turned out to be a poly-filled type, rather than BTP material (supplier error), but there doesn't seem to be much difference between the two in this model of cartridge. It is a well cut and shaped piece of poly-fill material, but it does have a tiny bit of funnier taste when compared to the PTB material filled cartridges. I find that that bit of funny taste typically goes away over time, especially if you just wash the fill material out under running water. The big difference between the two materials is that when your cartridge is getting close to empty it doesn't start tasting strange as quickly with the PTB material as it does with the poly-fill. It is a minor thing, but since the PTB filled cartridges cost very little more than poly-filled, and since I re-use my cartridges a lot, why not get the PTB filled? (The answer is limited supplier availability, higher shipping costs, and longer shipping wait time from said suppliers, which is an annoyance.)

Other than the extra length, which obviously some people may not like, and the fact that you really can't drip with the atomizer (I kind of like to do that sometimes), the only problem with this XL atomizer/cartridge combo is that getting the last bits of e-juice out of your e-cigarette requires more draw toward the end, and flavor delivery starts to drop off as well as vapor production in the process. More so than with a standard sized m601 cartridge. There are cartomizers for the m601 (which may also be originally for some other model), and those are more of a standard cartridge/atomizer combo length, plus they should be able to hold plenty of e-juice. Unfortunately I'm pretty much giving up on further exploring the m601 at this point, so I don't think I'll ever bother getting cartomizers for this model. I have read there have been minor issues with the fill material eventually burning in those cartomizers, but that might have more to do with the switch over-sensitivity problems that the automatic m601s and even the manual m602s seem to both still be having. (Yes, I've read about complaints with the manual model as well, but have had no direct experience with an m602 myself.)

It really is a shame the technical issues that these m601/2 e-cigarettes have been having, as they would otherwise be a really nice setup in any configuration. Maybe there is a different m601 manufacturer that does a better job with them? I doubt it, but if there were it might be worth checking out. It is just one manufacturer as best I can tell, and will probably stay that way. Oh well, maybe if enough people start avoiding this e-cigarette like the plague, then maybe they will improve it? Or do you think they would just stop making it instead?

 

[billybc96]

Wow, I got my replacement m402 gear today (two atomizers and an extra battery) from Liberty Flights and Itellicig U.S.A. Shipping time seems to have been extraordinarily fast, and so far everything seems to be working okay. There is quite a size difference between my m402 and my m601 when comparing the two side by side, especially while the m601 has an XL atomizer/cartridge attached. The m402 almost seems like a toy. The vapor production difference between the two is noticeable, with the m601 winning out, of course. The m601 seems to have better flavor presence impact as well, though that is probably a natural result of the extra vapor it produces. I still think subtle flavoring components seem to come through slightly better on the m402, perhaps simply because it is less overwhelming vapor-wise, though it still produces decent amounts of vapor. Taking big vapor hits on the m601 is easier. It almost feels like a monster by comparison.


On the other hand, my m601 XL PTB cartridges seem to leak a bit more than the one poly-filled cartridge I have. Leakage was not a problem with my m401 series XL PTB cartridges, but I've noticed the quality of folding on the m601 PTB cartridge filler is less consistent and just not as good a job, even though the parts supplier is the same for both. The PTB filled cartridges definitely taste a bit cleaner than the poly-filled ones though.

Something very unusual I've noticed, probably in relation to the larger than usual amount of leakage I've experienced with these m601 XL PTB cartridges, is that both my automatic m601 batteries don't seem to have as much of a problem running on their own in a moving car as they used to. That is both good and bad. E-liquid getting into the automatic mechanism of an automatic battery is usually bad, but so far it has actually improved the batteries, at least in the short term. Long term that could end up killing the batteries outright, but I don't know yet. We'll see. I'm now finally really liking the m601 with this arrangement, using either the standard atomizer/cartridge combo or the XL one. Quite a difference from the other day, but as I said before - we'll see how long it lasts. At least I've got a working set of m402 gear if the m601 stuff fails me down the road. If it does, I'll let you know.

Now I'm starting to run low on e-juice again. Again? Already? Really? Jeez, how the time flies when you're vaping away, eh? : )

 

[PapaJoe8]

Billy, I read somewhere around here that the 60x is very popular in Japan. I think Smoore is the only manufacturer. I bet they now have the E2 catromizers for these.
Joe