New to vaping, need advice!

[PoPoPoP]

Hey all, I had smoked traditional cigarettes for many years. In the past 2 or so years, I've had switched to a cheaper route: hand rolled cigarettes (50 gram bag of Amber Leaf with 1.18% or almost 12mg nicotine strength). I think I consider myself a heavy smoker, since I usually buy a 50 gram bag in every 5-7 days.

Anyways, I'm really interested in vaping. I've done some research but I think I've made a mistake (not enough research) and for some reason, I feel like I'm having some doubt.

I've recently purchased a starter Apollo eGo superior kit. I don't know if I'm allowed to post the product's link here, but what I have is 2 lithium batteries (900mAh), 2 CE4 Clearomisers with a 1.6ml capability and 18mg e-liquids (doh!).

So, my questions:

1) Is vaping (e-cig) really cheaper than hand rolled cigarettes?

2) Feeling unsure about CE4 Clearomisers. Is it better to upgrade to a better tank with higher capability, plus replaceables that are cheaper? But I have no idea if [insert tank name here] is compatible with my battery.

3) Are the 2 batteries sufficient for my needs? I'd love to vape the same amount that I've done with hand rolled cigarettes.

4) How long do the replaceable parts typically last? How do you tell if they die / needs to be replaced?

5) I was ignorant to buy 18mg nic strength. I think it's too strong. If it's true that people vape more than smoking cigs, it'd be logically better to use 6mg or 11mg e-liquid?

6) Any other advice would be appericated. I just want to stick with vaping for good.

I'd buy a personal vapor plus mods but I cannot afford them at the moment (holiday soon...)

Thanks in advance!

 

[Harlen]

Hello and welcome
For me it was a great start , I needed a higher nicotine bace 36mg/ml
Then I got better tanks and better battery's as well as dropped my nicotine down .
With the Kanger 3 tanks my vaping is much more relaxed and I enjoy it much better.
The coils last two to three weeks , when they go bad I just replace them - I keep them on hand .
All in all yes it's cheeper and I like it much better then smoking .
Best wishes
H

 

[Elizabeth Baldwin]

Hi and Welcome.

1. It depends. Some save money, while others get sucked into making this a hobby. I make my own eliquid for pennies. After you are comfortable and have researched making your own juice then yeah you can save a lot of money if you want.

2. It's best to use what you have and then upgrade if and when its needed. CE4 tanks don't have replaceable coils so it would save money in the long run to upgrade to something that you can change the coil when it goes bad. There are many tanks to choose from. I'd suggest iclear 30s or Protanks for starters. These you can buy coil replacements. I'm unsure if it goes with your battery type, but am fairly certain if its ego style then it should fit fine. I know iclear 30s fit ego style batteries.

3. I'd say these are fine for what you need. You can always upgrade later if they don't do the job you need. You can Vape on 1 battery while the other charges so I would say it should meet your needs.

4. You'll know when the batteries die because it will stop working. The CE4s will start tasting nasty when they get bad.

5. I smoked a pack and a half a day. I started at a high nicotine strength but quickly lowered to 6mg so I could chain Vape all day. It works for me. You could keep some higher nic handy for times you need more nic. I do great with 6mg though.

6. I smoked for over 20 years and really had no plans to quit. I tried vaping just for fun. But after trying it, the first day I quit my beloved a marlboros for vaping. I really loved the different flavors you can get. I loved smoking but vaping is much better once you find a juice that you really enjoy. My advice is don't give up. If something isn't working just ask questions here. We are here to help.

When I first started vaping I thought I wanted/needed tobacco flavors. I realized very quickly that there are some delicious flavors out there that are much more satisfying than a tobacco flavor. I suggest you try some different flavors from a few different vendors. Eventually you'll hit on something that becomes your all day Vape.

Good luck.

 

[Baditude]

1) Is vaping (e-cig) really cheaper than hand rolled cigarettes?

I don't know how much you spent on hand-rolled cigs. Once you have two batteries, a reliable charger, and a few reliable juice attachments (tanks or clearomizers), recurrent costs should only be for more e-liquid and replacement coils for your clearomizers.

2) Feeling unsure about CE4 Clearomisers. Is it better to upgrade to a better tank with higher capability, plus replaceables that are cheaper? But I have no idea if [insert tank name here] is compatible with my battery.

The juice attachment is generally the "weak link" in any vaping setup. Clearomizers are fast & easy for a novice to learn how to fill & replace the coils, but they can be inconsistant and mute flavors. A step up the ladder might be a cartotank down the road.

The most advanced systems require building your own wire coils and making your own wicks in a rebuildable atomizer (RBA), but the benefit is more flavor, more vapor production, less need for nicotine, and even less cost in replacement parts. A years supply of wire is about $8 and a year supply of cotton is $4. Compare that to $3 for each replacement coil head or cartomizer every 10 - 20 days.

Is It a Carto, a Tank, or What - Juice Delivery Attachments

3) Are the 2 batteries sufficient for my needs? I'd love to vape the same amount that I've done with hand rolled cigarettes.

That depends on how frequently you use your e-cig. Time will tell. You always need more backups for your backups. Remember, you can't vape if you don't have a charged battery or a working tank.

4) How long do the replaceable parts typically last? How do you tell if they die / needs to be replaced?

Replacement coils generally last 10 - 20 days. You'll know when to replace them when you get a burnt taste or the vapor production falls off. Try to keep new spare coils on hand for when you need them.

5) I was ignorant to buy 18mg nic strength. I think it's too strong. If it's true that people vape more than smoking cigs, it'd be logically better to use 6mg or 11mg e-liquid?

Too high nicotine concentration usually results in harsh throat or coughing. The more nicotine in e-liquid the less of the original flavor you'll taste. Nicotine alone has a peppery taste, so it does affect the original flavor of the e-liquid. A general guideline follows:

10 cigs a day = 6 mg nicotine
20 cigs a day = 12 mg
30 cigs a day = 18 mg
40 cigs a day = 24 mg

6) Any other advice would be appericated. I just want to stick with vaping for good. I'd buy a personal vapor plus mods but I cannot afford them at the moment (holiday soon...)

Generally speaking, if what you have is working for you, great! However, the higher up the ladder you go with bigger & better gear, the better the vaping experience. Vaping is a journey into a brand new technology. For many of us, vaping becomes as much a hobby as a healthier lifestyle. If that helps keep you off of the smokes, what's to complain about?

Advancing up the vaping ladder to mods

Drink plenty of water. The base liquids used in e-cigs cause some dehydration.

 

[yimmy87]

ok so I don't know how much I can help you but here goes the 18mg juice should be just fine when I started vapeing I was smoking 2 packs of Marlboro reds a day I used a 24mg juice I think you should be ok with your clearos but you will learn as you go any thing to get off the cigarettes is good just take it one day at a time your battery should be ok I use a 650 evod and it last me 12 hours at work I keep a little mark ten set up that I got a coupon in the mail for with me just in case the 650 goes dead it hasn't yet as for cost you will save some money just put the saved money away some where and you will have a kick ... set up in no time I didn't answer all of your questions but I tried to help with the ones I can just take it a day at a time and enjoy the ride

 

[PoPoPoP]

Ok, thanks guys! I appericate it. But there's one thing I can afford for now, which is a tank. Which tank would you guys recommend?

According to the website of my starter kit, the technical specs are:

Model: TGO (threading is compatible with DSE901, DSE906)
Size: 14.0x143.5mm (0.55x5.6 inches)

Website says Kanger T3 Bottom Coil Clearmoiser is compatible. I'm not sure about Kanger Aerotank.

510 threading = the thing between battery and bottom of tank? So if they both match, any 510 threading tank should work, right?

If I get a tank like Kanger T3, all I need to do is to replace the bottom coil when it goes bad and that's it?

Thank very much again.

 

[Newportlocal]

If you can get the Kanger aerotank that would be a great one to start off. Yes, the 510 threading will be fine. Yes, replacing the coil on it will be super easy, and they are premade. They just twist right out and in.

 

[catchjeff]

For me hand rolled smokes cost around $.70 per pack. $3 for box of 200 menthol tubes and $13 for a pound of menthol tobacco per month. Smoked 200 cigs a week which is a carton. After the math it is somewhere around $6 to $7 a carton. I did not get into vaping to save money, I did it to live a healthier lifestyle and in just one month the changes to my health are amazing. After 2 months I am a new person.

If you want to vape and keep it at a reasonable cost I suggest looking into mods and rebuildable atomizers and drippers. The initial cost is your investment to better health and in the long run, if you keep with vaping, you will only be purchasing bottles of ejuice and building an occasional coil here and there.
Vaping can get expensive if you turn it into a hobby. If you like working with your hands you will get hooked on building coils but that again is not expensive. Wire and cotton and silica is not expensive. It's when you end up visiting your local vape shop 2 to 7 times a week just to see whats new and end up purchasing a new atty or latest mod. Now that is when it gets expensive. Sometimes the clones are better then the authentic mods and attys because there may be a problem that gets worked out with the clone development.

Sorry for the long post but that is my .02

 

[edyle]

Hey all, I had smoked traditional cigarettes for many years. In the past 2 or so years, I've had switched to a cheaper route: hand rolled cigarettes (50 gram bag of Amber Leaf with 1.18% or almost 12mg nicotine strength). I think I consider myself a heavy smoker, since I usually buy a 50 gram bag in every 5-7 days.

Anyways, I'm really interested in vaping. I've done some research but I think I've made a mistake (not enough research) and for some reason, I feel like I'm having some doubt.

I've recently purchased a starter Apollo eGo superior kit. I don't know if I'm allowed to post the product's link here, but what I have is 2 lithium batteries (900mAh), 2 CE4 Clearomisers with a 1.6ml capability and 18mg e-liquids (doh!).

So, my questions:

1) Is vaping (e-cig) really cheaper than hand rolled cigarettes?

2) Feeling unsure about CE4 Clearomisers. Is it better to upgrade to a better tank with higher capability, plus replaceables that are cheaper? But I have no idea if [insert tank name here] is compatible with my battery.

3) Are the 2 batteries sufficient for my needs? I'd love to vape the same amount that I've done with hand rolled cigarettes.

4) How long do the replaceable parts typically last? How do you tell if they die / needs to be replaced?

5) I was ignorant to buy 18mg nic strength. I think it's too strong. If it's true that people vape more than smoking cigs, it'd be logically better to use 6mg or 11mg e-liquid?

6) Any other advice would be appericated. I just want to stick with vaping for good.

I'd buy a personal vapor plus mods but I cannot afford them at the moment (holiday soon...)

Thanks in advance!

1:
You get a rebuildable like a kayfun, and a 100 ft roll of 28 or 30 gauge kanthal resistance wire, and use cotton from the pharmacy for wicking.
For eliquid you make your own. The bulk of it is glycerin which you can get from the pharmacy, and propylene glycol which if you can't get from the pharmacy can be gotton from farm supplies stores.
If you want nicotine you can buy that or buy high strengh eliquid from a vape store and use that to spike your base liquid.

2:
Lots of people started with the standard CE4 type clearos; you just have to remember it might need a twirl sometimes to wet the wick.
The battery interface you want is the 510/eGo interface.

3:
2 batteries is the standard startup kit.
To make a jump up the vape ladder, consider an MVP2.

4: -

5:
I buy 24mg PG only liquid and add it 1:3 to glycerin from the pharmacy.

6: -

My standard recommendation for new vapers is miniprotank2v2 and MVP2; theres also the miniaerotank to consider.
But for somebody who does rollyourown, you are heading towards rebuildables and DIY homemade eliquid.

 

[edyle]

As for nicotine strength, its usefull to keep a bottle of high strength available

and the better your vape gear is the lower the strength you need to mix.

Strength also depends on your PG/VG ratio.

 

[Rat2chat2]

You have already gotten some great help so I just wanted to

you to ecf PoPoPoP. So glad you are here and it is easy to see why ecf is such a wonderful place. I can't tell you how many times someone here has helped me. That is the best part of ecf.........the people. Good luck to you and I look forward to reading about how well you are doing. Have fun with it.

 

[Dadrun Kwan]

Pretty much just going to reiterate and hammer home what everyone else has already said (I need post count lol)...
After your initial investment of a quality tank, mod , battery/s, charger . The actual cost of consumables is literally next to nothing if you do it right.

Learn how to use and maintain Rebuild able atomizers, this will save you on buying replacement heads. You make your own coils:
100ft of Kanthal wire from amazon will last a lifetime

Make your own wicks:
One bag of organic cotton at $4 will last a long long long time

Make your own juice: this can be done rather cheap as well. Make sure to do your homework but you can buy extracts (or even make your own flavors) for very cheap. Wizard labs has a huge selection for as little as a $1.50 a flavor that can be mixed with pg or Vg for a fraction of the cost of retail ejuices.

Congratulations and safe vaping

 

[PoPoPoP]

Thanksssssssssss so much for all of your help. I love you guys

I definitely feel better now. I'm quite confident and willing to learn the art of re-building (making own wick/coil and e-liquid).

But for now tho, I might be able to afford the wick / coil. Just one question: I'm assuming not all tanks have coils or even both (coil and wick) ? The tank I plan on purchasing is Kanger Autotank but the tank just mentions the "coil" word. So, if it only have coil but not wick, I just need to re-build the coil?

And how would you maintain the atomizer header ? Do I need some kind of special cleaner to clean it? All I have is distilled water and isopropyl alcohol.

Regarding eliquid making, I read that after making own e-liquid, it's best to leave it somewhere (where air gets to it) for at least a week for the best results

 

[Limner]

One thing I'd mention for your question #5 (perhaps relevant, perhaps not) re: nicotine strength:

I used to be a 2+ pack per day cigarette smoker. I figured "I'm a chain smoker, so go for the high nic strengths." In the event, I found anything over 16 too strong for me. By contrast, my girlfriend was a 2-cigarette per day smoker of strong cigarettes, and needs a 24 or greater nic strength.

Now, whenever I advise a someone new to vaping about nic strength, I mention what I think are the two basic variables in the first experimentations. I gravitated to light cigarettes when I smoked. My girlfriend went for strong ones. When I was initially trying to figure nic strength out for myself and her, I thought of how many cigarettes per day -- raw quantity -- but neglected to consider the strength of those cigarettes. Over a period of a couple months, I settled to lower strengths, she to higher ones -- the opposite of what I initially thought it would be.

For me, I vape about as much as I smoked, but I'm a horrible measure on that. I used to chain-smoke; today I chain vape. I pretty much always have something dangling out of my mouth, just as I did as a smoker. That said, I find I can go much longer now -- as a vaper -- without inhaling nicotine, than I could when I smoked cigarettes. A year ago, 2 hours without a cigarette, and my arms would fall out of their sockets. Today, I barely notice 2 hours if I have to go without vaping. My girlfriend probably spends as much time vaping today as she did when she smoked cigarettes -- about 15 minutes per day.

 

[o0ohydr0o0o]

I spend way more money on vaping... lol But my health is much better. I have not touched a cigarette in almost a year.

 

[FundamentalForce]

Hey all, I had smoked traditional cigarettes for many years. In the past 2 or so years, I've had switched to a cheaper route: hand rolled cigarettes (50 gram bag of Amber Leaf with 1.18% or almost 12mg nicotine strength). I think I consider myself a heavy smoker, since I usually buy a 50 gram bag in every 5-7 days.

Anyways, I'm really interested in vaping. I've done some research but I think I've made a mistake (not enough research) and for some reason, I feel like I'm having some doubt.

I've recently purchased a starter Apollo eGo superior kit. I don't know if I'm allowed to post the product's link here, but what I have is 2 lithium batteries (900mAh), 2 CE4 Clearomisers with a 1.6ml capability and 18mg e-liquids (doh!).

So, my questions:

1) Is vaping (e-cig) really cheaper than hand rolled cigarettes?

2) Feeling unsure about CE4 Clearomisers. Is it better to upgrade to a better tank with higher capability, plus replaceables that are cheaper? But I have no idea if [insert tank name here] is compatible with my battery.

3) Are the 2 batteries sufficient for my needs? I'd love to vape the same amount that I've done with hand rolled cigarettes.

4) How long do the replaceable parts typically last? How do you tell if they die / needs to be replaced?

5) I was ignorant to buy 18mg nic strength. I think it's too strong. If it's true that people vape more than smoking cigs, it'd be logically better to use 6mg or 11mg e-liquid?

6) Any other advice would be appericated. I just want to stick with vaping for good.

I'd buy a personal vapor plus mods but I cannot afford them at the moment (holiday soon...)

Thanks in advance!

I found that starting cheap actually cost me more money. I began with a very inexpensive mod and a cheap wick tank. When this invariably failed, I bought a Protank 2 and an Itaste MVP. This was better, but I still had issues with vape consistency, burning coils, leakage and voltage adjustments. Finally I broke down and got an Aspire Nautilus and a Provari 2.5. Not cheap but works great! I smoked 2 packs of Marlboros a day, and find 24 mg juice to work well.

 

[roxynoodle]

You might be happier with a Protank 2 or other single coil tank with your batteries. The dual coil tanks seem to really suck the power out of the fixed voltage batteries.

 

[edyle]

Thanksssssssssss so much for all of your help. I love you guys

I definitely feel better now. I'm quite confident and willing to learn the art of re-building (making own wick/coil and e-liquid).

But for now tho, I might be able to afford the wick / coil. Just one question: I'm assuming not all tanks have coils or even both (coil and wick) ? The tank I plan on purchasing is Kanger Autotank but the tank just mentions the "coil" word. So, if it only have coil but not wick, I just need to re-build the coil?

And how would you maintain the atomizer header ? Do I need some kind of special cleaner to clean it? All I have is distilled water and isopropyl alcohol.

Regarding eliquid making, I read that after making own e-liquid, it's best to leave it somewhere (where air gets to it) for at least a week for the best results

Yes all tanks use a coil and wick system of some sort; the wicking material is in contact with the coil; the liquid has to move along the wick to get to the coil. In a carto system there is wad of filler material that acts as wick, although there might also be steel wool around the coil acting as wick as well.


The kanger aerotank (as well as the aspire nautilus) are the two hot tanks this year; they come with airflow bases. The aerotank base can be obtained separately and used on the older tanks. I recommend the mini aerotank because of the eGo threading instead of the 510 threading.

For coil rebuilding, these tanks are not proper rebuildables but the heads can be rebuilt; the older heads with just 1 coil is much easier to rebuild fully than the newer heads that come with 2 coils; many people just rebuild the new coils with 1 coil instead to keep it simple.

To clean the atomizer head, you can soak in vodka; dryburn the coil and rewick with cotton.
I usual soak mine in hot water.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/blogs/edyle/6350-faq-1-what-tank-new-user.html

 

[Scott]

The easiest way to maintain your aerotank is to just replace the heads whenever it starts to not perform very well... probably about once per week or so, depending on your juice and how much you vape. They come with one extra head, and you can buy blister packs of 5 for about $6. They just screw right in. Cheap and easy. Initially I was saving them to rebuild them, but it wasn't really worth my time, so I have a bunch of old heads laying around. Add some to your order when you order the tank(s). The Aerotank mini is what you want for your Ego batteries. The regular Aerotanks will work, but they'll look pretty strange on top of those thin batteries, and your batteries probably won't be able to go through the whole tank before they die, anyway.

Lately, I've been carrying around 2x650 mAh Kanger EVOD batteries (they're like standard EGO batteries, but they have a set voltage, so it doesn't drop off and get weaker throughout the day) with mini aerotanks on top and they've been lasting me the whole day, and perform pretty well.

I recently upgraded those batteries to the Innokin iTaste VV/VW 3.0, and it's a world of difference! They're really nice variable wattage batteries, and they're only slightly bigger than those 900 mAh Egos. I'd recommend that to be your next purchase, or at least some Ego Twists. The Innokins are much nicer IMO, though. I bought the first one at a local vape shop for $45, but bought just ordered a second one online for $26 shipped. The only problem is, at the higher wattage/voltage, it really goes through your juice quick, which is kind of a bummer with the smaller tanks in the Aero minis.

I have a few rebuildables and bigger mods, and for the most part, they're great. But I keep going back to the Kanger tanks as my all day vapes for their ease of use, and relatively low cost and decent performance. It's much easier to carry a few of the smaller Ego/iTaste batteries and mini tanks around than those big boys, IMO, and much more discrete. The Protanks are nice, but the Aerotanks, with their dual coils and adjustable airflow blow them away.

Of course, even though I'm pretty happy with the iTaste/Aerotank Mini combo, I still keep spending money on those rebuildables! Just ordered a Kayfun Lite, and I'm going to try it with cotton this time and see if I have more luck than I've had with Stainless steel and ceramic genesis style mods. To me, the rebuildables aren't about saving money... it really doesn't, when you include the initial cost of a nice rebuildable atty, because the Kanger heads are cheap. It's more about the promise of getting better flavor/vapor production than you get with those standard silica wicks. In the past, I've just found them too finicky and hard to maintain. We'll see if the KFL + cotton gives a better experience.

 

[PoPoPoP]

Hi, I have recently purchased Aeromini tank and 20 x single coils. I may be wrong but people claimed that single coil is better than dual because dual coil drain more battery power? Considering my 900mAh Apollo battery, even tho I have two but I don't know if that's enough. Any confirmation on this one ?

I purchase 20 x single coils (2.2oHm or something) from eBay (KANGER Coils Heads- Protank & Mini 1/2/3 - AEROTANK / MEGA & MINI - EVOD 2 -T3'D)

At first, I assumed that Aerotank mini supports Single coils, so I bought it. When they arrived here (both aerotank mini and 20 x single coils), I tried one of the single coils to ensure that it works. I put it in the aerotank mini. I've ensured that everything is fitted properly, but I noticed that the whole pen (tank and battery) is a bit misaligned. When trying to use it, I got much less vapor (almost zero) and e-liquid leakage... and then I've discovered that the e-liquid came out of the aerotank's air flow hole (the bottom base on the battery). Not good.

But when I replaced the single coil with a dual coil from the aerotank mini box, everything works perfectly. No misalignment and no leakage. Good vapor and the taste...

So I honestly don't know what to do now. Buy 20 x dual coils for aerotank mini? But I honestly don't know if that would be good for my batteries (only 2 x 900mah). Or should I buy a different tank that ACTUALLY supports single coil?

I don't have time to learn to how to build wick cause I gotta go to holiday. But when I was lurking around, I discovered that when you make your own wick, you must first test it with a mulimeter or whatever. But I found out that iTaste MVP V2.0 has its own multimeter. Is that true ?

So for battery issues, should I go for iTaste MVP V2.0 + aerotank mini dual coils? Should I switch aerotank mini with Mega ? But I honestly would like single coils that are actually comptiable...