It does come in a nice box ...

Falconeer

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Winter in Scotland brings in short dismal, wet, cold days, storms one after the other, and unless they have to go to work, folk spend a lot of time in their houses - and of course we long for traditional comfort foods such as rich stews, steak pies, mince ‘n tatties with dough balls, and stovies.

These notions led me, vaping wise, to dig out my old familiar favourites once again - so you all can guess what they are - yes you’ve got it, my collection of original Nautilus Minis topping iStick 30ws, using 1.6 ohm coils and running around 8 watts.

Two of these Nautis I've had since I took up vaping in October 2015 ( they are the ones with the silicon seals permanently discoloured by some evil “tobacco” or synthetic ”fruit” flavoured concoctions, which I tried back then when I didn’t know any better).

Howandever, I’d read a bit about how there was a new version of the old soldiers, called the Nautilus 3 running the old Nautilus coils and took the notion to try one.

So how did it go? Well, rather like the proverbial Curate’s Egg - good in parts.

The, imho, good bits …

It has a more modern styling compared to the original Nautilus Mini.

Lookswise it gives the impression of a well built high quality tank.

It uses the normal Nautilus coils which are readily available.

It is top rather than bottom fill.

You simply drop the coils in rather than screwing them home, so there should be no chance of them jamming.

You can change the coils with the tank full without getting covered in vape liquid, as there is a valve system which really does work.

It comes in a nice box with spare bits and two drip tips.

The not so good bits, again IMHO, …

It is very heavy, and while it will fit on an iStick 30w, it throws the rig out of balance, and I wouldn’t recommend leaving it standing upright anywhere where it might get knocked over.

I cannot work out if the “glass” is actually glass or plastic (I suspect the latter). Either way it is very exposed - it would benefit from some protective metal or latticing, given its tendency to overbalance readily.

If you get, or have to get, the TPD version, I am not convinced it holds anything near the 2 mls; by the fourth draw you are well down the tank. With an old style Nautilus Mini, filling it in the morning I get to mid afternoon before reloading; on the Nautilus 3 I filled it 5 times between waking up and dinner time ( 12 midday in Scotland ).

It’s not at all a Flavour Monster - I found it very bland. Thinking it might be because the coil was new, I took a coil out of one of my old ones, fitted it, tried again and found the flavour weak to non existent - that vaping 16 strength Menthol Chill liquid. On both devices I had the air inlet on the second smallest hole, and was using the same wattage. I got plenty of vape but little taste.

As a final comparison I tried it against a Mark 1 Innokin Zlide, again with a 1.6 ohm coil running at 8 watts and loaded with 16 strength Menthol Chill. To my mind the Zlide won hands down on every front.

Sadly my personal verdict is that the Nautilus 3 is good looking but overweight, over engineered, and that it underperforms as an MTL tank despite using the tried and trusted Nautilus Coils … but it does come in a nice strong box

Picture 1 - the Winner - Innokin Zlide
Picture 2 - the Also Ran - Nautilus 3

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UncLeJunkLe

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    It’s not at all a Flavour Monster - I found it very bland.

    My guess is, like a lot of MTL attys, they made the chimney too wide. That's what was so great about reviewers like PBusardo - he would show or even measure things like that on video.

    There is a possible solution for problems like this: make a reducer.

    - Measure the chimney inner diameter
    - Buy a foot of red silicone oring cord with an outer diameter that will fit very snug into the chimney, but not so snug that you have to deform the shape of the oring cord to fit it in.
    - Cut a little length off (whatever isn't too long for the length of chimney) and not too long to complete the next step. Cut it as straight as possible with a razor blade.
    - Use a hollow punch to punch a hole in the peice of oring cord you just cut off to whatever diameter you want the ID of the chimney to actually be.
    - You just made a reducer...now push it into the chimney

    Of course, if your chimney is too thin such that making a reducer would be too hard, then your SOL.

    Eleaf did the same for the Ello tank. While not an MTL tank, the chimney ID is too wide for flavorful RDL at lower wattage vaping so it's bland at 25-ish watts (at least with minimally flavored juice like mine). Gotta crank up the wattage to taste the juice or make a reducer.

    Example of a reducer I made from red silicone oring cord:

    gesXhyw.jpg
     

    Falconeer

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    Update 29/01/24 - the replacement glasses for my Nautilus 3 arrived this morning and I fitted one.

    As I suspected the model sold in TPDdom is fitted with an extra thick plastic "glass" and the chimney sheath is oversized to limit the tank's capacity.

    The replacement is glass, sold by some sites as "The Fat Boy."

    The tank now holds significantly more liquid and so does not need constant refilling.

    I really dislike plastic on tanks believing that it dulls down flavour. Whether I am right or wrong about this, the quality of the vape and its taste has improved no end.

    I will however buy a couple of vape bands to protect this glass.

    The Nautilus 3 has been granted a reprieve!

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    Falconeer

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    Oh aye and for you Young Uns across the Pond - that is indeed a piece of history in the background - it's a British thing, a "Teasmade" - the alarm goes off as the water stills over into the teapot and you get two mugs of strong tea by the time you switch it off. I've used one since 1974 and wouldn't be without one on my bedside cabinet!
     

    UncLeJunkLe

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    I will however buy a couple of vape bands to protect this glass.

    If you don't like the normal vape bands with designs and silly phrases, measure the OD of the bubble and find a silicone ring on Amazon (or wherever) that has an ID 1mm or so smaller. They're more durable and do a better job because of their shape. However they don't stretch as much so I'd say no more than 2mm smaller ID than glass OD.

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    DPLongo22

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    I'm a BIG fan of the Nauti 3s, and also of the GT Mini (Nauti coils), but the 3-22 (22mm vs. 25mm) has become my favorite of this genre. I still REALLY like the Nautilus coils, and the 3-22 hits on all cylinders for me. A bit smaller and lighter than the 3s, and fits pretty much everything I own.

    Great airflow so my coils last decent lengths, and I haven't had one leak yet (knock/touch wood). It looks like I've been running them for about 14 months now (since early Dec-2022).

    I don't know if this info is of any value, but I thought it might be worth sharing, since you seem to like the coils too. :)

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    Falconeer

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    I'm a BIG fan of the Nauti 3s, and also of the GT Mini (Nauti coils), but the 3-22 (22mm vs. 25mm) has become my favorite of this genre. I still REALLY like the Nautilus coils, and the 3-22 hits on all cylinders for me. A bit smaller and lighter than the 3s, and fits pretty much everything I own.

    Great airflow so my coils last decent lengths, and I haven't had one leak yet (knock/touch wood). It looks like I've been running them for about 14 months now (since early Dec-2022).

    I don't know if this info is of any value, but I thought it might be worth sharing, since you seem to like the coils too. :)

    View attachment 1007473
    Seriously - most interesting points you raise - I'm tied up with car problems just now ( the penalty of living a ferry trip off the mainland ) I'll come back to you when I can as I'd love to discuss this further.
     

    Falconeer

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    I'm a BIG fan of the Nauti 3s, and also of the GT Mini (Nauti coils), but the 3-22 (22mm vs. 25mm) has become my favorite of this genre. I still REALLY like the Nautilus coils, and the 3-22 hits on all cylinders for me. A bit smaller and lighter than the 3s, and fits pretty much everything I own.

    Great airflow so my coils last decent lengths, and I haven't had one leak yet (knock/touch wood). It looks like I've been running them for about 14 months now (since early Dec-2022).

    I don't know if this info is of any value, but I thought it might be worth sharing, since you seem to like the coils too. :)

    View attachment 1007473

    While not a sesquipedalian myself, I do tend to ramble on a bit - so my apologies if this post comes out a bit long. If I think it’s a bit much, I’ll split it up.

    Your comments on the smaller Nautilus 3 rang bells with me, as when I experimented with Zenith tanks a few years ago, I wasn’t over impressed. until by accident. I found the D22 model which, to me anyway, offered more flavour.

    In those pre TPD/pre Brexit days I was spending half the year in Spain, making my own juice and used unflavoured liquid, but I found if I bought the right kind of PG, VG and Nicotine sourced from Greece it could mimic the mild taste of unfiltered British “Virginia” cigarettes ( Senior Service, Player’s, Kensitas, Gold Flake, Churchmans, 3 Castles, Passing Clouds etc etc )

    Like many longer standing members here, I started vaping using those little Ego batteries and the plastic bodied tanks running silica cord wicks. Then I knew nothing much about vaping, but I did really really want to stop being “an Old Smokin’ Man,” so inadequate though that kit was, I persevered with it.

    Then along came Nautilus Minis, GS Air tanks, both using Pyrex bodies, and iStick 30Ws. These tanks with their replaceable coils, variable airflow and glass bodies worked for me superbly, as did the iSticks with their variable wattage/voltage and all day battery life.

    Over the years I have experimented with other devices as they came out, but few lasted … and of course I developed my own notions of what a tank should have to provide me with the vape I wanted.

    For me ( and of course, others mileage will vary ) that was that, narrow, taller, tanks with longer mouthpieces were the way to go. Glass not plastic was essential. The ability to adjust the airflow to a fairly tight draw was another key feature. In what became a fast moving vaping world, I wanted coils that lasted a long time in use, and more importantly, stayed in production and were readily sourced.

    In the UK both original Nautilus Minis and GS Airs ( which I still have a soft spot for ) are still big sellers, as are coils for them.

    I do believe you have a point that the smaller Nautilus will probably work better for me and I do thank you for telling me about it.
     
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    DPLongo22

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    I'm intrigued by the Mods you have there. 18650, 21700, or the ability to utilize both? I'm hoping the latter. What are they?

    Mine are the 18650 versions, which I prefer for pocket-carry. They are the TEK Endurance, and there is a 21700 version also. I believe that the larger ones don't have the cage, if that matters to you.
     
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    DPLongo22

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    I'm intrigued by the Mods you have there. 18650, 21700, or the ability to utilize both? I'm hoping the latter. What are they?

    Mine are the 18650 versions, which I prefer for pocket-carry. They are the TEK Endurance, and there is a 21700 version also. I believe that the larger ones don't have the cage, if that matters to you.

    They ARE caged, but no battery cover. I knew it was SOMETHING different...

     

    Real-ist

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    Mine are the 18650 versions, which I prefer for pocket-carry. They are the TEK Endurance, and there is a 21700 version also. I believe that the larger ones don't have the cage, if that matters to you.
    Interesting. Another Rabbit hole. Here's a rope~~~~~~Pull me in if I'm gone long!! I'm a bad influence to myself.

    I like the cage around the Atty. Why it's not there on a heavier series is.....a WTH were they thinking by removing it? I'll check them out. Thanks for the info.

    Edit- The price has got me staying away from them.
     

    DPLongo22

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    Interesting. Another Rabbit hole. Here's a rope~~~~~~Pull me in if I'm gone long!! I'm a bad influence to myself.

    I like the cage around the Atty. Why it's not there on a heavier series is.....a WTH were they thinking by removing it? I'll check them out. Thanks for the info.

    It's there! No battery cover. I gave you the wrong differentiator earlier.

    Bad influenes? Vapers? I beg to... (yeah, nevermind). ;) :lol:



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    Falconeer

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    I have five Nautilus 3's, if that says anything. I think they're a great design. I would like them a lot more, if Aspire made rebuild kits (seals) available for them. The 5ml bubble glass is a plus. Bigger would be better.
    View attachment 1007562
    Glad they work for you. The court's still out for me with them, but we can't all like the same things or the world would be a dull place.
     

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