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Ok lets give this another try, a lot of new mods have been announced/released in the past two weeks which will probably be widely available for purchase during Feb. 2016, many people here at VU have received their first samples of these devices and have been playing with them for a few hours to few days, many threads have been created each for a single mod of these,
This thread is meant to combine all the conclusions and impressions about these mods in a comparative format, the purpose is not to come up with a one mod fits all sizes conclusion, but to get an idea of best in class, price, value, functionality, build quality, and overall experience. to aid the purchasing decision of those planning to buy a new mod in February 2016.
I will get this started by posting an initial list along with my own impressions about them from what i gather from the many threads posted about them here in VU
Credit: This list is based on a modified commented version of @vuJim list of mods to consider:
1- Wismec Reuleaux RX200 200W (3 x 18650)
The old and time tested RX200, this does not fit in the original description of this thread because it was released a few months ago but is good to use as a benchmark in performance, battery life, and value upon which the newly released mods can be compared.
Cons for me are size, weight (not pocket friendly) and build quality, despite being the top performer it is, it looks like a cheap Chinese toy and less elegant than most of the other mods in this list.
2- VaporFlask Stout 100W (1 x 26650)
Looks nice and neat, uses the RX chip (probably), have all the functions a mod can have these days, reaches 100W on a single battery.
Cons: much more expensive than the other mods, sells for more than double the price, despite being manufactured by Wismec in China and not directly in the USA, OCD small and not bright enough, reports of battery cover catching the battery wrapping and tearing it, some quality control issues reported in some Youtube video reviews although VapeForward is standing behind it strongly and making things right, could require an investment in a new high drain 26650 for those who have a bunch of 18650s (although it comes with an 18650 adapter don't expect to reach 100W with that inside)
3- Vaporesso Tarot 200W TC Mod (2 x 18650)
This one is not all that popular at the moment not a lot of people are talking about or have reviews for, i in turn do not have a lot of information about it, it looks nice though if someone who have more knowledge about it could share with us their pros and cons would be nice.
4- Joyetech eVic-VTC Mini 75W (1 x 18650)
Still a preferred choice for many until this point which only shows how ahead of its time this mod was at its release, the value proposition of it is slightly diminished currently because there are a bunch of comparatively priced, similar in size two battery mods with the same features and higher power output.
This mod led the way and created a market standard for firmware upgradable devices and native Stainless Steel wire support
5- Kanger KBox 120W or 200W TC Box Mod (2 x 18650)
This will probably have the best manufacturing, assembly and packaging quality of all mods in this list, apart from that its value and usefulness to an advanced vaper is highly questionable.
Cons: biggest con is that its software and OCD functions are worst of all the mods in this list, battery door non-magnetic and have a worrisome design, 510 sunken down and does not function like any other "Normal" 510 in any other device, of course as all Kanger products its finish will get chipped off after short use.
6- Wismec Classic 150W (2 x 18650)
Looks absolutely beautiful with highly elegant ergonomic design, especially to the old school VaporFlask users, probably has the RX chip with all its robust functions, upgradeability and native SS316 support, uses standard 18650s in series, with an easy to remove magnetic door.
Cons: biggest con is price, almost triple the cost of other comparable RX devices solely for being designed in the USA and having what appears to be more careful quality control despite being manufactured by Chinese Wismec, quality issues were still reported by reviewers in Youtube, the positive side is that VapeForward stands 100% behind the product and rights the wrong, display reported to be not as bright as the other mods, which could be problematic when used outdoors. could have a 25A OUTPUT limit.
7- Pioneer4you IPV5 200W (2 x 18650)
Uses the YiHi SX330-200 chip, tons of design goodies, best 510 in the list all flush all stainless steel design with gold plated positive pin, sturdy clicky low profile buttons, OCD sunken inside the case to protect it from accidents, aluminum casing makes this potentially lighter than others, inside the battery doors there are lips to hold the batteries firmly in place, ergonomic and comfy to hold, and has a massive 45A Max Output, supports all wire types with 5 memory slots for custom TCR, different vaping modes .. the list goes on...
Cons: looks (in my own eyes which is highly subjective) the device looks ugly, too many decorative grooves, expensive compared to the RX based devices, it holds a middle ground between RX and DNA200 when it comes to prices, personally, instead of paying $99 for a YiHi SX330 device i would pay some more for an all featured DNA200 device, software/OCD navigation is complicated and unintuitive, screen, fonts and scrolling do not look the best despite the screen reported to be brighter than most other devices in this list, limited to only 7V output which is the lowest on the list, could limit its power output with higher resistance builds despite its 45A Max Output.
8- Eleaf iStick TC100W (2 x 18650)
Best new innovations in the list, hidden lockable fire button, squeeze to fire, dedicated menu key, the only parallel regulated device in the list, has bypass mode for parallel builds, can work on one or two batteries for up to 100W (firmware upgrade could increase the power limit), neat looks and finish, highest quality manufacturing of all eleaf devices so far, small, pocket friendly and not as heavy as the Cuboid for example, all colors look great on this design, has changeable covers for color/looks customization, has the RX chip (probably) with all its functionality, custom TCR and native SS316 support and firmware upgradable, should be safe to charge with USB given the parallel setup. and price is comparable to other RX devices. should not have the same 25A output limit with its parallel battery config, plenty of current available to the chip.
Cons: do not find a lot of cons with this particular device apart from being limited to 100W when it can obviously do 150W easily, and in a video review the reviewer had a wiggly 510, if the 510 turns out to be "glued" in place like with some other devices this would be a definite deal breaker.
9- Joyetech Cuboid (2 x 18650)
an all round great mod at its price level, shape, size, design, concept, and features are second to non, best OCD screen in any mod so far, easiest and most intuitive navigation and interaction, fits great in the hand, stands firmly on desks for charging, coil building or tank filling, a battery door design that is hidden and gets out of the way in normal handling and operation, what more to say? it is one of the best mods concepts so far.
Cons: QUALITY QUALITY QUALITY, despite this mod being the great concept it is, some suffer from various quality control issues, ranging from slight negligible ones, to some extreme cases (mine ), the most frequently reported issues are the loose rattly button which appears to be this way by design, a scratched screen film protector which can be solved by removing the protector, some complain about the battery door's usability or stability, and a few have operation problems like fluctuating resistance reading or Atomizer short problems, the highest quality of all colors seems to be the Grey, followed by the Silver and the lowest quality seems to appear more in the Black version, Limited to 25A output which could be problematic if you build below 0.3 Ohms.
Pheew, that was long...
Now my best in class categorization:
Best Value for Performance Mod: Wismec Reuleaux RX200 200W
Best Light, Pocket Friendly Average-Power Mod: Joyetech eVic-VTC Mini 75W
Best Production Quality: Kanger KBox 120W or 200W TC Box Mod
Best Features and Reliability Design: Pioneer4you IPV5 200W
Best AMPs Output for Low Builds: Pioneer4you IPV5 200W
Best Innovations: Eleaf iStick TC100W
Best ALL ROUND Concept: Joyetech Cuboid
So here you have it folks, i think this thread will help a lot of people myself included so lets get this started.
Cheers
This thread is meant to combine all the conclusions and impressions about these mods in a comparative format, the purpose is not to come up with a one mod fits all sizes conclusion, but to get an idea of best in class, price, value, functionality, build quality, and overall experience. to aid the purchasing decision of those planning to buy a new mod in February 2016.
I will get this started by posting an initial list along with my own impressions about them from what i gather from the many threads posted about them here in VU
Credit: This list is based on a modified commented version of @vuJim list of mods to consider:
1- Wismec Reuleaux RX200 200W (3 x 18650)
The old and time tested RX200, this does not fit in the original description of this thread because it was released a few months ago but is good to use as a benchmark in performance, battery life, and value upon which the newly released mods can be compared.
Cons for me are size, weight (not pocket friendly) and build quality, despite being the top performer it is, it looks like a cheap Chinese toy and less elegant than most of the other mods in this list.
2- VaporFlask Stout 100W (1 x 26650)
Looks nice and neat, uses the RX chip (probably), have all the functions a mod can have these days, reaches 100W on a single battery.
Cons: much more expensive than the other mods, sells for more than double the price, despite being manufactured by Wismec in China and not directly in the USA, OCD small and not bright enough, reports of battery cover catching the battery wrapping and tearing it, some quality control issues reported in some Youtube video reviews although VapeForward is standing behind it strongly and making things right, could require an investment in a new high drain 26650 for those who have a bunch of 18650s (although it comes with an 18650 adapter don't expect to reach 100W with that inside)
3- Vaporesso Tarot 200W TC Mod (2 x 18650)
This one is not all that popular at the moment not a lot of people are talking about or have reviews for, i in turn do not have a lot of information about it, it looks nice though if someone who have more knowledge about it could share with us their pros and cons would be nice.
4- Joyetech eVic-VTC Mini 75W (1 x 18650)
Still a preferred choice for many until this point which only shows how ahead of its time this mod was at its release, the value proposition of it is slightly diminished currently because there are a bunch of comparatively priced, similar in size two battery mods with the same features and higher power output.
This mod led the way and created a market standard for firmware upgradable devices and native Stainless Steel wire support
5- Kanger KBox 120W or 200W TC Box Mod (2 x 18650)
This will probably have the best manufacturing, assembly and packaging quality of all mods in this list, apart from that its value and usefulness to an advanced vaper is highly questionable.
Cons: biggest con is that its software and OCD functions are worst of all the mods in this list, battery door non-magnetic and have a worrisome design, 510 sunken down and does not function like any other "Normal" 510 in any other device, of course as all Kanger products its finish will get chipped off after short use.
6- Wismec Classic 150W (2 x 18650)
Looks absolutely beautiful with highly elegant ergonomic design, especially to the old school VaporFlask users, probably has the RX chip with all its robust functions, upgradeability and native SS316 support, uses standard 18650s in series, with an easy to remove magnetic door.
Cons: biggest con is price, almost triple the cost of other comparable RX devices solely for being designed in the USA and having what appears to be more careful quality control despite being manufactured by Chinese Wismec, quality issues were still reported by reviewers in Youtube, the positive side is that VapeForward stands 100% behind the product and rights the wrong, display reported to be not as bright as the other mods, which could be problematic when used outdoors. could have a 25A OUTPUT limit.
7- Pioneer4you IPV5 200W (2 x 18650)
Uses the YiHi SX330-200 chip, tons of design goodies, best 510 in the list all flush all stainless steel design with gold plated positive pin, sturdy clicky low profile buttons, OCD sunken inside the case to protect it from accidents, aluminum casing makes this potentially lighter than others, inside the battery doors there are lips to hold the batteries firmly in place, ergonomic and comfy to hold, and has a massive 45A Max Output, supports all wire types with 5 memory slots for custom TCR, different vaping modes .. the list goes on...
Cons: looks (in my own eyes which is highly subjective) the device looks ugly, too many decorative grooves, expensive compared to the RX based devices, it holds a middle ground between RX and DNA200 when it comes to prices, personally, instead of paying $99 for a YiHi SX330 device i would pay some more for an all featured DNA200 device, software/OCD navigation is complicated and unintuitive, screen, fonts and scrolling do not look the best despite the screen reported to be brighter than most other devices in this list, limited to only 7V output which is the lowest on the list, could limit its power output with higher resistance builds despite its 45A Max Output.
8- Eleaf iStick TC100W (2 x 18650)
Best new innovations in the list, hidden lockable fire button, squeeze to fire, dedicated menu key, the only parallel regulated device in the list, has bypass mode for parallel builds, can work on one or two batteries for up to 100W (firmware upgrade could increase the power limit), neat looks and finish, highest quality manufacturing of all eleaf devices so far, small, pocket friendly and not as heavy as the Cuboid for example, all colors look great on this design, has changeable covers for color/looks customization, has the RX chip (probably) with all its functionality, custom TCR and native SS316 support and firmware upgradable, should be safe to charge with USB given the parallel setup. and price is comparable to other RX devices. should not have the same 25A output limit with its parallel battery config, plenty of current available to the chip.
Cons: do not find a lot of cons with this particular device apart from being limited to 100W when it can obviously do 150W easily, and in a video review the reviewer had a wiggly 510, if the 510 turns out to be "glued" in place like with some other devices this would be a definite deal breaker.
9- Joyetech Cuboid (2 x 18650)
an all round great mod at its price level, shape, size, design, concept, and features are second to non, best OCD screen in any mod so far, easiest and most intuitive navigation and interaction, fits great in the hand, stands firmly on desks for charging, coil building or tank filling, a battery door design that is hidden and gets out of the way in normal handling and operation, what more to say? it is one of the best mods concepts so far.
Cons: QUALITY QUALITY QUALITY, despite this mod being the great concept it is, some suffer from various quality control issues, ranging from slight negligible ones, to some extreme cases (mine ), the most frequently reported issues are the loose rattly button which appears to be this way by design, a scratched screen film protector which can be solved by removing the protector, some complain about the battery door's usability or stability, and a few have operation problems like fluctuating resistance reading or Atomizer short problems, the highest quality of all colors seems to be the Grey, followed by the Silver and the lowest quality seems to appear more in the Black version, Limited to 25A output which could be problematic if you build below 0.3 Ohms.
Pheew, that was long...
Now my best in class categorization:
Best Value for Performance Mod: Wismec Reuleaux RX200 200W
Best Light, Pocket Friendly Average-Power Mod: Joyetech eVic-VTC Mini 75W
Best Production Quality: Kanger KBox 120W or 200W TC Box Mod
Best Features and Reliability Design: Pioneer4you IPV5 200W
Best AMPs Output for Low Builds: Pioneer4you IPV5 200W
Best Innovations: Eleaf iStick TC100W
Best ALL ROUND Concept: Joyetech Cuboid
So here you have it folks, i think this thread will help a lot of people myself included so lets get this started.
Cheers