Oh my God, finally got my m401 XL PTB cartridges from electronic-cigz.com! Yes, checking them out right now. It's probably too soon to give them a complete and fair review, but I'll make a few comments about them anyway. For starters, they just barely fit in my m402 PCC, so that the lid doesn't quite fully close completely, but a bit of trimming will solve that. A completely assembled m402 using the XL cartridges doesn't quite fit in my m402 PCC, but that was to be expected. I don't usually store the e-cigarette I'm actively using in the PCC box anyway, but just keep it in a shirt or pants pocket. If I had the PCC model specifically sized for m401 model e-cigs instead, none of that would be an issue, but I'm not planning on spending the extra $25 for one right now. If I had all this to do all over again, I would definitely go that route. Delivery time from this company kind of pretty much sucked, took a couple of weeks, maybe even a bit longer, but at least nothing was damaged, and for some reason (probably just a mistake) they threw in an extra syringe (I had ordered one just to try it out for refilling cartridges.)
I didn't really need the syringe for filling these new cartridges anyway, and that method doesn't work well with Backwoods Brew's little dropper type bottles in any case. Using those types of bottles, I can get about 15-16 drops of e-liquid in the new cartridges without any problem, and don't even need to take the PTB filler material out to do so, which is very convenient. Normally I can only get about 10 or so drops (maybe as many as 12, just depending) in my standard size m401 cartridges, so that is a decent little improvement in capacity for very little extra length. (Number of drops really isn't a very good guide post, as each drop is never exactly the same. Another same type XL cartridge I just filled took about 22 drops, but from a different supplier's differently made dropper bottle.) The extra length is very little, only a few millimeters, but that is all extra cartridge capacity. The new cartridges also fit nice and tight on my atomizers, which I am happy about. My older standard length cartridges never did fit very tight, though it never turned out to be an issue, just a moderate annoyance. The cartridges are nice and straight, which some of my older cartridges were not, but that's not a big deal. For all I know, a different shipment of the newer cartridges could have ended up having a few slightly less than straight ones in it.
I'm trying out several of my old BWB e-liquids I received a few weeks ago., though I've been vaping them off and on ever since, often times mixed up to try helping use up less than satisfactory flavors. I was kind of hoping, but not expecting, that after sitting around a few weeks these e-liquids might improve in flavor strength. BWB flavors are still good, but still just plain too weak for me. Another forum member just let me know that his recent double flavor e-liquid order came through from BWB without any problems, without any additional charge. He too thought that BWB flavors are good, though rather weak, but he is now very happy. I'll now have to give BWB a try again with a double flavor strength order, maybe just of RY4 at first. (I've got plenty enough little half used e-liquid bottles lying around as it is.)
Draw seems to be a little easier on an m402 automatic using the Pyramid Tea Bag modified XL cartridges, but that is difficult to judge while I'm sitting here in front of the computer. If it is better, it is so far not a significant difference. I can't really say for sure if vapor production is any different. It probably shouldn't be any different, but it does actually seem like a bit more vapor is being produced. If it is, it's not enough of a difference to be significant, much as with the draw. I'm still vaping my first cartridge after an hour, pretty much continuously, so I'm not sure yet how much more vaping time I'll get out of one of these things compared to standard. With my only other atomizer, I'm switching out and also trying one of my recently received (less than a week ago) Freedom Smoke USA e-liquids, 12mg Wyatt Earp. I don't find the FSUSA e-liquids to be any much more flavorful than the BWB ones, though they are still generally quite smooth. If anything, FSUSA flavors stand out just a bit more, but tend to be ever so slightly harsher (not as refined tasting) in comparison.
I think maybe a bit more flavor comes through with the PTB modified XL cartridges, but my old cartridges are old. They are cleaned out regularly, especially for taste testing, but old all the same. I've even recently discovered that some of those older cartridges now have cracked inner fill cartridges, so their days are definitely numbered anyway. The only real significant difference between the XL PTB cartridges and the standard ones is the extra length and extra e-liquid capacity. So far they don't seem to have any problems at all with leaking, but I only sometimes get that with the older cartridges, so it is probably too soon to tell with the new cartridges. Typically leaks are due to my overfilling a cartridge, and sometimes to taking too strong a drag, all of which can happen with any cartridge.
Anyway, I'm glad I finally got my new cartridges. Sadly, I'm not sure if I want to ever order from electronic-cigz.com again, just because of the very long shipping and receiving time. Other than that, their products seem to be pretty good. I like the longer lasting XL cartridges, though I'm not sure the Pyramid Tea Bag modification makes a difference in the vaping experience at, other than their being somewhat easier to refill in my opinion. Standard fill material XL cartridges would probably be fine, but as far as I recall there was no actual price difference in the two from the same supplier. I know of no other supplier that ships pre-PTB modified cartridges (they have them in regular length as well, for several different model e-cig cartridge types), at least for now (they came sealed in plastic just like any other new blank cartridges). Since their shipping takes so long (at least to the U.S.), I wouldn't bother ordering these from electronic-cigz.com if I were you. Just stick with the more locally available standard fill XL cartridges if you're interested in the extra capacity length, though the PTB modification might allow a few more drops of e-liquid than that...maybe.