Let me start by saying - I, in no way, am a materials expert. So with that being said, do not ask me the entire makeup of these materials - as I will redirect you to the manufacturers site for that information. What you read here is from personal experience only - and I, in no way, benefit from giving my opinions and observations in using this stuff. Read at your own risk - everything is subjective - and whatever works for you, use it.
Just recently switched from kanthal (KA1) to nichrome 80 (N80) and loving it. As most of us know, nichrome is becoming increasingly popular among vapers all over my area, and now I know why.
Is it better than kanthal? In my opinion, no. They're about even as far as I can see with the exception of a few things:
Cost-per-Foot - It's anywhere from 50 cents to 2 dollars cheaper per foot than kanthal.
Flexibility - It's a lot easier to bend, fold, pinch, etc than kanthal because it's a lot less springy.
Resistance - Comparing 2 of the same wire gauge - it's a bit lower in resistance than kanthal.
Heating Time - Possibly due to alloy composition.
Other than that, as far as flavor is concerned, heat, vapor production, and throat hit is about the same. At least that's what I've noticed. Some have reported a metal taste in both kanthal and nichrome. I haven't experienced that. I do feel that both wires produce a great flavor, with little to no nuances here and there. I think - and this is my opinion of course - that citrus based juices have a sharper flavor on kanthal than on nichrome. Whereas nichrome does a better job on creamy flavors like custards, vanillas, and chocolate based vapes. Of course, you could do a crazy build like alien wire, fused claptons, etc and maybe get something different, but comparatively speaking, I notice no real difference between them. I also feel as if heat dissipation is a little better on nichrome than on kanthal, but again - minimal to say the least. I notice on my nichrome setups, that they tend to cool down faster, but not by much. Vapor production - I don't know why we even care - on average, I will hand it to the nichrome for sure. As I tested 2 builds of the same type, wrap, and atomizer and the heating time of nichrome stomped the crap out of kanthal at lower power settings (10-30W on IPV3-LI). But as we brought the power up, the coils in both atty's heated almost instantly with the kanthal lagging behind by only a second or so. So what's better IMO? Neither. They both have their strengths and their weaknesses. I'm currently going to try nichrome out some more, as it suits the kind of vape I enjoy - custards, bubble gums, vanillas, and chocolates.
Nickel (Ni200) and titanium (Ti01) is a completely different story however. These wire types have been recently integrated into the vaping market for the temperature control systems and they both have very unique properties and produce almost completely different results and various settings. As far as my input is concerned they both have their perks, but at the same time, they both are flawed... heavily flawed. Here's what I found about them both from working with them:
Ni200:
Readily available - comes in 2 types ANNEALED and TEMPERED - from reading, either can be used.
Somewhat more expensive than the KA1 and N80 counterparts
EXTREMELY SOFT - may be problematic in most rebuildable atomizer systems due to screws cutting wires
Easier to mold than KA1 and Ti01
Flavor production - no contest
Vapor production - varies from build to build
Ti01:
Difficult to obtain (1 known manufacturer)
Cost-per-Foot is insane to some
Extremely springy
Difficult to mold
Flavor production - somewhat bitter / metallic taste - crisper flavors do well here (sour apples / tarts)
Vapor production - same as nickel
High maintenance wire - needs wiped or washed down before use - may have machine oil / preservative on it
Brittle - although harder to cut through than nickel, it is very brittle if not careful
Allows more power to be ran through it (up to 100J on IPV3-LI vs 50J in Ni200)
As you can see from my description the obvious winner here is the Ni200 - or at least you'd think so. As both temp control wires have their ups and downs - it's just a bit of insight as to expect in the near future. You are more than welcome to check out each of the different wire types mentioned in this post. I'll currently be using N80 and Ni200 for the foreseeable future. But I will always keep KA1 and Ti01 in my mind as alternatives in the event I decide to try moving away from my flavor profiles. Sorry for the long ... post, but I figured I'd put it out there for people who ask - "What should I use?" "Has anyone tried...?" You know, those questions will get asked a billion times... so hopefully I have some answers in here for them.
Prices are based on local B&M pricing / foot.
Just recently switched from kanthal (KA1) to nichrome 80 (N80) and loving it. As most of us know, nichrome is becoming increasingly popular among vapers all over my area, and now I know why.
Is it better than kanthal? In my opinion, no. They're about even as far as I can see with the exception of a few things:
Cost-per-Foot - It's anywhere from 50 cents to 2 dollars cheaper per foot than kanthal.
Flexibility - It's a lot easier to bend, fold, pinch, etc than kanthal because it's a lot less springy.
Resistance - Comparing 2 of the same wire gauge - it's a bit lower in resistance than kanthal.
Heating Time - Possibly due to alloy composition.
Other than that, as far as flavor is concerned, heat, vapor production, and throat hit is about the same. At least that's what I've noticed. Some have reported a metal taste in both kanthal and nichrome. I haven't experienced that. I do feel that both wires produce a great flavor, with little to no nuances here and there. I think - and this is my opinion of course - that citrus based juices have a sharper flavor on kanthal than on nichrome. Whereas nichrome does a better job on creamy flavors like custards, vanillas, and chocolate based vapes. Of course, you could do a crazy build like alien wire, fused claptons, etc and maybe get something different, but comparatively speaking, I notice no real difference between them. I also feel as if heat dissipation is a little better on nichrome than on kanthal, but again - minimal to say the least. I notice on my nichrome setups, that they tend to cool down faster, but not by much. Vapor production - I don't know why we even care - on average, I will hand it to the nichrome for sure. As I tested 2 builds of the same type, wrap, and atomizer and the heating time of nichrome stomped the crap out of kanthal at lower power settings (10-30W on IPV3-LI). But as we brought the power up, the coils in both atty's heated almost instantly with the kanthal lagging behind by only a second or so. So what's better IMO? Neither. They both have their strengths and their weaknesses. I'm currently going to try nichrome out some more, as it suits the kind of vape I enjoy - custards, bubble gums, vanillas, and chocolates.
Nickel (Ni200) and titanium (Ti01) is a completely different story however. These wire types have been recently integrated into the vaping market for the temperature control systems and they both have very unique properties and produce almost completely different results and various settings. As far as my input is concerned they both have their perks, but at the same time, they both are flawed... heavily flawed. Here's what I found about them both from working with them:
Ni200:
Readily available - comes in 2 types ANNEALED and TEMPERED - from reading, either can be used.
Somewhat more expensive than the KA1 and N80 counterparts
EXTREMELY SOFT - may be problematic in most rebuildable atomizer systems due to screws cutting wires
Easier to mold than KA1 and Ti01
Flavor production - no contest
Vapor production - varies from build to build
Ti01:
Difficult to obtain (1 known manufacturer)
Cost-per-Foot is insane to some
Extremely springy
Difficult to mold
Flavor production - somewhat bitter / metallic taste - crisper flavors do well here (sour apples / tarts)
Vapor production - same as nickel
High maintenance wire - needs wiped or washed down before use - may have machine oil / preservative on it
Brittle - although harder to cut through than nickel, it is very brittle if not careful
Allows more power to be ran through it (up to 100J on IPV3-LI vs 50J in Ni200)
As you can see from my description the obvious winner here is the Ni200 - or at least you'd think so. As both temp control wires have their ups and downs - it's just a bit of insight as to expect in the near future. You are more than welcome to check out each of the different wire types mentioned in this post. I'll currently be using N80 and Ni200 for the foreseeable future. But I will always keep KA1 and Ti01 in my mind as alternatives in the event I decide to try moving away from my flavor profiles. Sorry for the long ... post, but I figured I'd put it out there for people who ask - "What should I use?" "Has anyone tried...?" You know, those questions will get asked a billion times... so hopefully I have some answers in here for them.
Prices are based on local B&M pricing / foot.
