Using a pod system as main vape device?

[RayofLight62]

Since the wide diffusion of pod systems (by some, referred to as the fourth generation of vape devices) I have attempted to replace a mod / clearo setup with a suitable pod.
Hasn't been possible so far.

Main limitations have been the proprietary pod, fixed output, limited runtime, approximate electronics inside, general flimsiness, singularly or in combination.

Replaceable coils have proven to be a "conditio sine qua non" for a main device; as proper and precise airflow and adjustable power level.

I posted this to ask your opinion and your experience.

I understand that the pod systems are a class of devices that are here to stay, but the devices themselves are a "far cry" from a classical mod / tank combo that can last for a decade; because the rapid market turnover, internal small batteries and the lack of ruggedness of current pod systems make them more of a transient experience.

Over to you...

 

[Figs]

Pods are maturing, and getting close. For me the only one that can be used along with my Simple EX all day is the Frenzy. I went to Squonks some time ago because of leaking and the overall size, tallness and glass in tanks. Plus flavor is just better to me. Even though I may try a pod, hate it and throw it in the trash, I have yet to have one leak. I get a good MTL vape on the Frenzy, and the size is just right. The issue that keeps it from completely replacing one of my EX’s is the 2ml capacity.

Even my little EX’s are 4ml, and most Squonks are 6-10ml. I will say this, after Squonks and now the Frenzy I am never going back to the old mod+tank style.

 

[smoked25years]

Since the wide diffusion of pod systems (by some, referred to as the fourth generation of vape devices) I have attempted to replace a mod / clearo setup with a suitable pod.
Hasn't been possible so far.

For YOU. I used a pod as my only vape for about 1 year out of my 1 1/2 years vaping.

Main limitations have been the proprietary pod

Try sticking a Aspire Nautilus coil in a Innokin Zenith. Clearos are proprietary too.

fixed output

Some are. Some aren't... some have several options. As one example, the Orion has 3 levels and TC.

limited runtime

Capacity varies with different devices. Big ones have bigger batteries. I prefer the small ones-- I usually rotated 2.

approximate electronics inside

huh?

general flimsiness singularly or in combination.

Depends on the device. I wouldn't describe the Juul as flimsy. Some pods are flimsy. Some box mods are flimsy too.

Replaceable coils have proven to be a "conditio sine qua non" for a main device; as proper and precise airflow and adjustable power level.

There are pods with drop in coils just like your clearo. There are also pods that can be rebuilt though it requires more effort to rebuilt them than to build an RBA.

I posted this to ask your opinion and your experience.

Okay.

I understand that the pod systems are a class of devices that are here to stay, but the devices themselves are a "far cry" from a classical mod / tank combo that can last for a decade

How many mods have you been using for a decade? Post some photos.

because the rapid market turnover

Why are new products a problem? The successful ones are still available. Juul has been around for as long as you've been a member of the forum.

internal small batteries

So buy a bigger pod mod. Or buy several to rotate. Some pod mods cost only a few bucks more than an 18650 battery... and 18650 batteries don't last forever.

and the lack of ruggedness

Again it depends on the device. Same goes for box mods.

of current pod systems make them more of a transient experience.

It depends. Some might last as long as an internal battery box mod. The tiny internal battery box mods like the Vaporesso Target Mini also have limited capacity. But they are liked because their small size is convenient.

Also, how long do you want to keep using the same mod? I've had box mods that looked pretty rough at 6 months of pocket wear. I have no intention of using them for 10 years. And I'll probably want one of the newer mods long before I get to the 10 year mark.

 

[GOMuniEsq]

There are some devices out there that stretch the concept of pod with features such being refillable, 1000+mAh battery, manual fire button, TC, and adjustable wattage and airflow. About the only thing that makes them pods is the proprietary disposable tank/coil system.

If I was to use a pod as a main vaping device I'd need to have at least two of them so I'd have something to vape while the other was recharging.

But other than that I'd say there's no question that pods are capable of delivering the nicotine required. If you were stuck on a desert island with only a pod and a powered USB port it'd be good enough for you too. There are some vapers who have never used anything else, and for them pods are already main devices.

I guess you're asking whether there are any vapers who made the switch from traditional mod + tank systems and whether they've been able to overcome the subjective differences. I haven't—my pod is just a backup device.

 

[jdy]

I understand that the pod systems are a class of devices that are here to stay, but the devices themselves are a "far cry" from a classical mod / tank combo that can last for a decade; because the rapid market turnover, internal small batteries and the lack of ruggedness of current pod systems make them more of a transient experience....

I totally agree, I enjoy the control we have with the classical mod with tank of my choice! Pod's just will never be a full day vape for me. It may have it's place for many others as it does take 100's of choices to make the world go round.

 

[United States]

My first device was a cig-a-like in about 2009. It was horrible but without wanting to stop smoking it nearly replaced my cigarettes. I started using it as a novelty and soon found it was capable of being a replacement (someday, but not in 2009). Fast forward nearly a decade and I decided to take another stab at vaping.

Not knowing much about vaping, I was talked into a few things at first. To me the Joyetech Penguin was a winner. Winner except the fire button. For some the fire button means a good thing. I tried a number of modular setups and some were good at providing a good experience. But they all leaked. Sometimes a tank would empty over night. Other times it was only an annoying spit back amount. I quickly grew tired of having a nearly constant sticky device. And the fire button still plucked my nerves.

ENOUGH!!!

One Sunday I found my old Fuma and puffed a few times since it not only held a charge but the cartridge was not empty. Yuck! I had experienced much better taste through refillable tanks but....

Tired of leaks, tired of fire button miscues I was done with modular setups. I went to a local vape chain and requested a cig-a-like device that was refillable. I had never considered anything but round would do. I wanted something auto draw that every puff meant consistant output with no need for primer puffs like the Sourin Air. That dude was close but no cigars.

The proprietor kinda shrugged his shoulders wondering what I was even asking. He was the giant clouds or you aint vaping type. Another fellow pops out the back room and puffed on a rainbow colored flash drive thingy. Same guy who had talked me into a Yihi SL Class that I was very fond of with a Zenith tank.

I asked him what he had there. He told me Vaporesso had just introduced a temperature controlled number with a ceramic wick system. 9. 11, or 13 watts. 11 was my magic number anyway so $35 was plunked down for a Zero and refills. I popped some juice in the tank and unlike normally waiting for it to soak I took a drag in less than a minute.
That was it for me. Vape Nirvanna!!!

I found that like my big stuff, a really sweet juice lessened the length a wick could provide nuances of at the beginning. Soon after my larger gear was being used less and less. Heck, I don't even know where they are now.

Being a low watt, small drag vaper I never even considered the need for salt nic. Later I tried some but the result was athsma like symptoms and the urge to smoke was increased. 24/25, 35, 50... various flavors and it was still the same. So pods with 3 to 6 ml juice is fine. I do vape a 12 in one device but when that juice is gone I'll go back to a 6.

My brother used to prefer an Aegis Legend with a big ole airflow and subohm coil. He used to build too. A Vape Ants E8 is now his daily. He gave a coworker a Vaporesso Play and now that sub-ohm guy is a pod user too. Several sub-ohmers I work with now use pods or mod pods. They started out with tiny stuff to stealth vape and soon realized it wasn't torture to use them. Day by day they ended up preferring portability, juice mileage and that the modern pod system is actually pretty good.

 

[United States]

I'd say starting a thread in the vape pod section to state how pods are not the way to go is probably not going to go over any better than a baby ruth bar floating in a swimming pool.

But good place to discuss the pros and cons without the pod fans being shouted down for not being "true vapers".

 

[SP013]

I prefer the vape on my drag mini mod with a rta much more than the pods I have tried, I tried the drag nano and vladdin re. Main reason for me is flavor, RTA's/tanks seem to deliver that much better than the pods I have tried, but I do believe that pods were invented for the ease of taking it with you, a mod is heavy and big to carry in your pocket. But I think pods will eventually take over as they are very quickly evolving and getting better each release, also with rebuidable pod systems being brought out now it will speed up the popularity.

 

[vimagreg]

Well, for me pods are really good devices to use outside. At work, at parties, with friends... Nothing is better. But, in home I still prefer the big mods and tanks experience, and I think I'll.never change that. My Aspire Breeze has a wonderful flavor... But my Voluna 2 RTA is better, for me. My Orion is capable to deliver a very decent cloud. But my Brunhilde RTA is better, also. So, in an equation that considers portability a key factor, I think the new pods are unbeatable. But in a scenario where flavour, big clouds and some style are mandatory, like in home, I still prefer so much my regular kits.

Now, to say pod users aren't true vapers... I think we need to define "vapers" prior. For me, sincerely, a LostVape Paranormal DNA250C with an Aromamizer Plus RDTA are a completely different animal than a Juul. That's the same to compare cigarettes with narguilé, for example, imho.

 

[gpjoe]

I have reached a point that I grab a pod more often than my squonkers or other mods/rdas. My main devices are three Nautilus AIO kits, a Vandy Vape AP kit, and a Geekvape Frenzy - listed in order of preference. I also have a few Juuls, and some other smaller stick mods.

My vaping journey has been a six-year trial and error, costing thousands of dollars, during which time I was also exposed to a bunch of the latest equipment while writing reviews, but I have come to a place now where just staying away from cigarettes is my focus, and pods seem to work best.

Do I still fog the basement with one of my regulated squonkers and an RDA stuffed with clapton coils and rayon? You bet, just not nearly as often.

 

[Vicman]

A few years back I started with a cig a like, didn't like it, got a couple egos and some C4's (or were they C5's, not sure, it sucked nonetheless). Then got the MVP2 with some Davidi, Nautilus, evods and protanks and was set. Vaped that way for about a year and then went into a mod a month and as many new tanks as I could afford phase. That lasted until last year about this time. Since then been vaping pods exclusively. I have between 8-12 set up with different liquids for different types of vapes set up everyday. When I was with mods, I had about 8 going at tall times so not really much different with pods compared to mods for me.

In that time I've purchased many pod/AIO systems and went through phases with each new style. I still use a a Breeze 2 which is the first pod I purchased and still like the vape it provides. That said, I am more into the new Orion style pods. I've not had any issues with bad coils; had a much worse experience with drop in coils for tanks to be honest.

It does seem like the market is being saturated with pods but as new systems come out, newer technology is being put into them. They now do TC, constant output, adjustable wattage, some have screens, and now rebuildable coils are coming out.

I guess my long winded post is meant to say using pods exclusively can be done. To be honest, I enjoy vaping more now with pods than I did with the large cloud producing mods. One mans hell is another mans heaven I guess.

 

[GOMuniEsq]

Come to think of it, the eGo cartridge device that I used to quit smoking in 2012 was similar to a pod system, except inferior in pretty much every way.

 

[Rossum]

Over to you...

I used some pod-like devices exclusively for about ten days on a trip to Europe last year. I suppose I was being paranoid, but I didn't wish to risk losing any of my good mods / atties to an overzealous customs agent because none of them are anywhere close to TPD-compliant. So I picked up a couple of Aspire Breeze devices. The Breeze II was already out at that point, so there were dirt cheap; I think I paid $15 each for them. I bought some spare coils too, and some nic-salt juice because I knew I'd be stuck in a trade-show booth for 5 days straight with limited ability to vape.

Bottom line: I was never tempted to bum a smoke, so they were entirely adequate for the purpose at hand. But when I got back, I was very happy to be using my regular devices again.

2ml of capacity and a relatively small, internal battery are indeed limiting. I depleted the battery on one of the units during an off day, and that was despite having two in rotation. By contrast, one of my normal, single-18650 squonks will last me all day if I need it to. Then there's the fact that I know these devices will be junk some day when the internal batteries wear out, and the cost and potential hassles with availability of replacement coils. So for me, switching to pods full-time is not gonna happen.

 

[RayofLight62]

These are some of the pod devices that I have tested before.
The Qbox/Tinis is not sold as a pod system - but it beats them all.

The only two mod from the halcyon days which have survived:

They still work fine.

Above, there are the devices which have proved hard to beat with a pod...

 

[mountainbikermark]

I rarely use my big stuff anymore. I'm plenty cool with pods as my daily ADVs.
I guess it's up to the user as to what works best for them and why.
A Vapeants e8, Sigelei Odo II, a Vaporesso Arora Play are my rotation now vs Legend 200,Legend 100 and Legend Mini each topped with a big tank as my previous rotation.
I'll be honest I'm less paranoid of my battery not lasting now than when I used to carry the mega battery devices. If a battery konks, 45 minutes max on a micro usb cord/wall wart and I'm back in business. No more carrying extra lipos to work, no more taking funky looking chargers on vacation and no more lunch cooler needed to carry all the necessities to get through a weekend away from home.
I'm ok sacrificing a little flavor and a room full of cloud in order to gain so much convenience and simplicity.
But to each their own. Any of it is better than smoking.

Sent from my KFDOWI using Tapatalk

 

[proax9]

For me- pods have a time and place. At work where stealth vaping is a must- a small discrete unit that easily slips in and out of a pocket, without cirrus clouds as a give away- they are perfect. Taste is off 'a bit'. The 1000 mah gets the job done with some to spare. At the end of use there is some minor leakage / condensate under the pod- but nothing that is problematic. The 2ml lasts for that period and replaceable coils helps keep the taste fresh.
But at home, I do change over to a more standard tank/mod or squonk device.
As said by another- it's all good with no cigs.

 

[thatvapedude]

Tinis

Any compatible coils for that Tinis atty? I like that setup haha

 

[smoked25years]

Don't think any of those are 10 years old. The important thing is that you have something that you like to vape. I wouldn't want to use that MVP or Apollo and I don't use clearomizers (I prefer RBAs)... but I wouldn't start a topic about how I don't like your vapes (except the Mirage and Dicodes).

Stick the Dicodes in your pocket and go for a 5 mile run.

 

[DeloresRose]

I’m no pod snob, but the mostly mtl factor doesn’t work as well for me. That said, I am watching as new pods roll out. I only have the Yihi right now, and it’s likely not the best of pods, but it’s very convenient for certain things, like when I’m already lugging 30-40lbs or dog walking. Nice to not have a heavy mod to worry about.

I have a Flint and a Biip, technically they’re AIOs, but nice smaller devices good for a shorter outing. I don’t think they could be my all day vapes, but I bet others would say the same about some of the stuff in my collection too.

 

[MetalSteve]

I've heard a ton of praise for the Caliburn lately. I doubt it can compete with flavor -chasing devices, or even my Nautilus 2, but I kind of want one.

The only accounts of people switching from rebuildables to pods I've come across are those who prioritize convenience or stealth.