Need advice on best vape pens for new-ish (& broke) vapers

[GabyKate]

So I stopped smoking recently, and I used to smoke 2 packs a day for 7 years. (That's a lot for a 4'11 little chick like me, whew). Finally quit after a rehab stint where they didn't allow cigarettes. I started on a Kanger E-smart which was awesome for like 2 weeks. Then one day it tasted like burning roasted marshmallows and I could hardly get a puff out. I bought new cartomizers, new juice, and after that didnt work even a new e-smart all together. The new one worked for a week and then got gross. I bought an eVod set after that and from the start it tasted gross. Like a chemical/plastic-y/alcohol taste that's really hard to explain. I hoped it would go away but it didnt. Both evods had it. I changed coils, changed juice, all to no avail. Bought an egoTwist as recommended by my local vape shop, and it worked fine and then just died and quit working one day. I was so annoyed I just bought a new eSmart all over again and it it worked great for 3 weeks until a few days ago when I took a puff and it tasted like the burning chemical/alcohol taste the eVod had. It's like smoking vodka, it's just GROSS. I can't even taste the flavors in it. It's just a chemical-y taste and then afterwards I have an over-the-top artificial sweetness taste in my mouth that I can't get rid of. I tried every cartomizer I had. All tasted like it. I bought new ones, and it STILL tastes gross. I tried every juice, then gave up and ordered all NEW juices. Still gross. I give up on the e-smart. I don't know what's wrong, whether i'm doing something wrong or whether the vapes I got just suck. I don't hold down the button too long, I take short drags, I regularly change carto's, I use Zeus Juice which is really yummy and good, I always charge it until its full, I keep wicks wet and don't let the carto get dry or empty. I don't know what the issue is.
All I know is I desperately need a new vape pen before I give up and light up a cig. I know very little about vapes and which are best but I really need a good one and I don't have the funds to buy a really pricey one either (which is why those kanger $30 vape pen kits appeal so much to me lol). So I really need a yummy, reliable, quality vape pen that is affordable. If anybody has any advice or insight, I would reaaally appreciate it.

 

[Cool-breeze]

The battery has very little impact on the taste of the vape. The alcohol/ chemical taste is typically because the juice is fresh made and needs to breathe ( cap off). Many flavors use alcohol in the flavoring which will evaporate with a little time. Also the tank/ topper you are using has a much bigger impact on flavor than the mod/ battery part. If you want a new battery the MVP is the most recommended ppl learning but if money is tight a good tank would be a better choice. Rda are the cheapest long term but involve more learning and need something to test the build. A pro tank or t3s are fairly common and easy to find coils for but buying coils can add up on the expense side. I'm not familiar with the liquids you mentioned first hand but I'd look into those more than anything else. Good luck

 

[Redwizard000]

My first vape pen was an eGo. It worked alright. Went from that to this digital variable voltage thing. I don't remember what it was called but it was expensive and it burned through coils like crazy regardless of the voltage settings. It would work fine for a while and then all the juice in my tank would turn brown and taste like burned crap until I changed the coil. Got tired of that and went full mechanical\RBA and never looked back.

If you aren't afraid of a bit of a learning curve and have a bit of patience a rebuildable is, in my opinion the way to go. Building your own coils out of cotton balls and kanthal is way cheaper than buying new ones all the time... Around here kanthal sells for around one dollar a foot (you can bulk buy on the net cheaper) and cotton balls are about 3 dollars for a box of one hundred (I use sterile 100% cotton from the pharmacy section of the local grocery store) and I use less than one cotton ball to build dual coils.

The tools you need are basically some wire cutters, a little screw driver, some drill bits (for sizing coils) and something to check the resistance of your coil. (be safe, use ohms law to figure out how strong your battery needs to be for the resistance of your coil. Free apps and browser based calculators are available)

If you don't want to go through all that, and you are on a low budget, I was pretty satisfied with my eGo. It was pretty cheap, came in a cool little case, had a USB charger and the battery lasted quite a while. Didn't burn through my coils all the time.

 

[crxess]

Coils/wicks in Clearomizer tanks are Disposable -i.e. they wear out/clog up/die.
How long this takes depends on the type of eliquid being used and the amount of heat being applied.

Cartomizers may be filled a few times then wear out and need replacement.
Clearomizer coils last 2-10 tank fills or more but eventually need replacing.
Weaker batteries make coils/wicks fail faster - not enough power to work properly

Throwing away equipment because you do not understand how to maintain it is a bit silly and wasteful.

 

[GabyKate]

Throwing away equipment because you do not understand how to maintain it is a bit silly and wasteful.

I agree, I tried pretty darn hard each time but had no choice but to give up after multiple weeks feeling completely unsatisfied. I must've bought 6 sets of new clearo's for my e-smart and got new coils multiple times for the eVod. The guy at my vape shop told me the taste in the eVod is from whatever preservative things they use straight out of the factory and that it'll go away.. Never did though. Even after 3 weeks of use. The best vape i've had luck with is the e-smart but it seems like within a few weeks I start tasting it differently and weirdly (despite regularly getting new clearo's). I've tried everything I can think of. Bought new jucie from different venders, used fresh juice, used steeped juice, cleaned out the clearo, switched to a new clearo, etc etc. I can't tell if it's just my taste being weird or if i'm just using crappy equipment. I'm leaning more towards the equipment just not being right for me specifically considering I've tried the same juice in a friends vape and didn't have the taste issues i've been having with my current e-smart.

 

[Justjames75]

Welcome. I understand how you feel. I went thru something similar, not being very happy with my vaping. I like you am on a limited budget. I used a Smok brand tank and coils with my battery's and overall, they never got a horrible funky taste. The problem I had was being satisfied. I think I was paying $6 at the b&m for a complete setup. I have several for different juices. Fortunately I was able to get a small upgrade this week, but I still use those cheap tanks and coils on my new battery setup. Maybe something to look into...
Just keep at it and don't smoke. It gets better

 

[pcporter827]

Ego pen style batteries have always given me issues. For that matter, vvvw devices just don't cut it for me, if money is tight I would recommend a clone mechanical, with a clone rda, kanthal 26 or 28 gauge cotton and an ohm reader and a multi meter, yeah it sounds like a lot but in the long run youre going to save a killing. What I would do is buy a good tank (aspire, kanger, ect) , another ego style battery just to get you by, smaller eliquid bottles as it seems you don't like when your eliquid steeps for to long ( it can change the taste) . And while you are fighting the good fight with that setup, buy a dripper rig (mod rda wire) in increments if you have to. If you look into it dripping can be pretty amazing, wether it's taste or the cloud size.