thinking about buying a smoktech bolt

[ad356]

i would like to get my wife a fairly inexpensive mod. she's not concerned about VV. she wants something thats sturdy, will use durable batteries and doesnt cost $20 to replace batteries when they do fail. she is tired of the typical one piece battery and their failure rates. we have a toddler in the house and those batteries keep breaking. while i have a provari and it has been good to me, she doesnt need all of the features of such a device. looking on gotvapes a smoktech bolt can be had for less then $40. i already own a battery charger that i use with my provari.

i have multiple 18490 batteries for my provari. what is the difference between an 18490 and an 18500? also does the bolt use button top or flat-top. is gotvapes the best place to go or can i get it cheaper elsewhere. im looking for a basic but reliable unit that will last and not these cheap throw-away batteries. seems like those IMR 18490's i use with my provari last as long as a cell phone battery if not longer. i have had several of them for a year. they are awesome.

do i have to use protected batteries in a bolt or can i use regular IMR's

 

[chemsoldier83]

Ive had my bolt forp a few months now. Its been good so far. And being a mechanic ive dropped it on concrete many times. Havent had an issue yet. It uses the button top batteries. U can run it with 18500's or 18650's with the extension. Madvapes has a kit for a black bolt with extension, 2 18650 batteries and a charger for about 65 bucks right now. Definitly worth it. Plus if she ever wants an up grade u could always get her a kick instead of a new mod.

 

[Unforeseen]

Moved to APV Discussion

 

[Amish Ed]

Great device. I used button top AW IMR 18490s in mine, no problems. I was going to Kick it, but ended up with a Provari instead. Bolt got passed on to my brother and he's loving it. Extension with a Kick will give consistent output through out the charge of the battery which is why I wanted one. But, if you have enough batteries she could just switch out when it got below 3.7v.

 

[Whodoo]

I just received a new Bolt yesterday. For the $ it's great. I like the button & ordered a bundle w/an extension & use an IMR 18650.

I do plan on using the kick with it, but will need another extension sleeve.

 

[A.Jay]

Speaking from personal experience, the horn button they use on the bolt (and a few other mods as well) isn't the most durable. That being said, I have heard from a lot of people that have never had an issue with one. Maybe it just comes down to the wonderful QC in China. Some are good, some not so much. If you don't run into any issues with the button it should be a good mod that'll last a long time.

As far as the upgrade options go, being able to add the sleeve for an 18650 or even a kick is a great feature. I even saw they are selling different top sections now which look pretty cool. It has an eGo connector and a tapered end (instead of flat).

One of the things you asked was about 18490 vs 18500. The difference is negligible, and any mod that uses one should be able to use both. I say should because there are some mods out there that are very finicky about batteries. With those mods, even the brand of battery you use can be the difference between it working and it not working. Fortunately the Bolt is not one of those mods. As to why they're labeled differently? Typically the 18490's are IMR (high drain) batteries, and the 18500's are Li-ION (protected). The protection circuit adds a noticeable amount of length, and for what ever reason they decided to label them differently for the 18500, but not the 18650. Even tho the size difference is just as great with the longer battery. Either will work fine for you, and unless you are pulling very high amps off of them, they will preform pretty much the same.

 

[b0redagain]

18500 and 18490 IMRs will work the same and will not notice any difference in fitment in the device.

 

[tc1]

Might want to look into the boss mod from smartvapes as well.

Its basically a bolt with built in protection and 5 click on/off. I've seen them go on sale for under $25.

 

[b0redagain]

That boss mod looks decent.

 

[fourthrok]

The Bolt is a good mod...I really like mine a lot! You might find the best deal (that includes the extension tube at no extra charge) at Hoosier's E-cig Supply. That is where I got mine.

I use all sorts of batteries in mine...both protected and the IMR type...no problem. I've even used a 18350 with a couple of Xtar spacers in a pinch. Good solid APV.

 

[young gotti]

i enjoyed my bolt....i gotta say i ruined my first one when i ran it with a kick, the bolt and the kick both stopped working

i got a chrome bolt and never had a problem with it, it worked well, it just got to the point where i didn't like carrying it with me, it was a bit thick for me, but if i had no choice i'd have really no problems still carrying it around with me

much cheaper places than madvapes, i think i paid $25-$30 for my chrome bolt....i could be wrong

 

[y cherry y]

Yeah, Ivape.net has them for $30 WITH the extension right now. If you don't use a Kick or a safety fuse like the Shortstop, you really should use protected batteries though.

 

[2nd chance]

I love my bolts, I have one in just about every color available, durable buddies too

 

[Rickajho]

This is one you really gotta shop around for regarding price & color choice. You did mention to DW she has color choices? Right? Don't wanna see you end up in the dog house when you get her a black one and then she finds out she coulda had red one. Or gold. Or magenta even. lol

SmokTek has 'em too. The base price there is $35.95 for the metal body version. The plastic body bolts are on sale right now for only $16.95. SmokBox Custom Mods - 3.7v, 5v, Linear and Switching Variable Voltage

 

[Fatboy 589]

I've gotten to mess around with one, running a 1.7 cardi with two 18350's was funny. Running 7.4 volts (at least) was kinda goofy to hear how hard it was firing. Haven't had a whole LOT of experience with it, but I'm overall not superimpressed. But I've run variable voltage batteries since Septemberish and nothing really seems to be the same after that. So maybe that's my issue. I'm gonna play around with one tomorrow at work, I'll definitely try it out again. Although durability seems good and she doesn't mind not having a VV, you can't go wrong with it.

 

[Tibby]

Sounds like the bolt fits the bill. The Bolt - Chrome
Sure vapes has em for $29.99 with free and speedy shipping. They also sell the matching extender rings to allow for an 18650 battery. I got the chrome one and it is a fingerprint magnet but you can wipe em off with any cloth. Good luck.

 

[Cjax]

It was my first mod. I hated selling it, but I've got an EA mod coming in the mail today to replace it as my mech. Tough little buggers, though, besides the fact that if you use it with a kick (or stacked batts with low res) the amps may fry the wiring or the switch. Very easy to replace, though. All in all a great starter mod for the price.

Edit: Also if you get 2 extensions you can run a kick with 18650's.

 

[eHuman]

IBTanked has a Bolt Kit that comes with a custom glass tank. Add up the individual prices vs other vendors and it is a good price.

 

[nelsonm64]

im about to buy a Black Bolt and kick it with one extender and 18500's. now, the question i have is with the kick would i be better off using flat top or button top batteries?

SMOKtech Oxidized Aluminum BOLT Anodized w/ Extension - BLACK [gv-SMOKOxidizedBOLT-BLACK] - $38.95 : GotVapes.com, E-cigarette Supplies - Atomizers Cartomizers Mods Juice and more
The KICK by Evolv - Power Regulated E-cigarette Module [gv-KICKbyEvolv] - $47.95 : GotVapes.com, E-cigarette Supplies - Atomizers Cartomizers Mods Juice and more
eFest IMR 18500 1100mah ButtonTop 3.7v Rechargeable LiMn Battery [gv-EFEST-IMR18500Button-1100mah] - $8.65 : GotVapes.com, E-cigarette Supplies - Atomizers Cartomizers Mods Juice and more

this seems to be the best deal i can find that sells everything i need...?