MistressNomad

Hey everyone! I'm a newbie looking to buy my first e-cig in the near future.

I'm a fairly heavy smoker who rolls my own cigarettes (part money, part taste, part to cut down on additives), and my favorite tailors are Lucky Strikes. I am also known to trim the filters to get more of a hit. So, as you can imagine, I like to be punched in the face when I take a drag.

This in mind, I'm looking for an e-cigarette that will give me that "punch." I'm also looking for reliability in as low of a price bracket as possible. I'm not rolling in money, so no fancy stuff.

I've taken drags on a couple e-cigarettes before, but I only know what one of them was.

The one I know the brand of was a Blu e-cig in black. Fairly short, and replicated after a real cigarette (I think that's called a mini? - I'm sorry, I don't know the exact model). I believe it had a menthol juice in it. I didn't care for it. It left a chalky taste behind and there wasn't much vapor.

I tried one other one that I liked ok, but sadly I have no idea what brand it was!

I've been looking at the M401 starter kit on Absolutely E-Cigs after hearing a rave review from a friend. I really like the idea of a PCC. And I was also wondering if anyone has any opinions on the Manual Switch model? Does it help save battery power? Any other benefits?

Here's a linkie to the kit I'm eye-balling:
Starter Kits - FULLY CUSTOMISABLE M40x STARTER KITS (PLUS ACCESSORIES) - Electronic Cigarette | Electronic Cigarettes | E-Cigarettes | E-Cigs from Smoore

Thanks everyone!

Sincerely,
Cassie

Rocketman

Cassie,
The 401 kit would be a good starting point. (I'll explain starting point later)
The manual version dosn't have the automatic parts in it to fail. Some like the auto for hands free vaping though. You might like a KR808D-1 style or a 510 style for a wider range of suppliers for replacement parts. You will need replacement parts.
Another thing to consider would be compatibility with cartomizers which would be easier with the 808D-1 and 510.

Starting point: You will spend money keeping a vaping habit going. Juice, carts, cartos, replacement attys, batteries. Parts fail. The trick is to keep track of what you spend and for it to amount to less money than you spent on tobacco, and lighters
Some people complain about buying a $7 atty once a week, or a $15 battery only lasting two to three weeks. Just what were they spending on cigarettes? Did they really think they could buy one kit and it would last forever? After initial purchase, set aside a dollar a day for parts.

Taste: If you take off on a quest to find an e-liquid (juice) that tastes just like the tobacco you where smoking, we will miss you. Have a nice trip E-juice comes in many many flavors, some are yuk, some are not quite yuk. Once you get used to them they taste pretty good. A lot is mental. After vaping for a while, your favorite brand of tobacco will taste like yuk.

Juice: If you are concerned about cost, you will HAVE TO BUY JUICE. Keep track of your juice costs, hopefully about a dollar a day.

It might take up to $100 to really get started in e-cigs, a kit, a spare this, a spare that, a few carts or cartos, some juice, some more parts, a little more juice. But this $100 will get you started, give you about a months initial supply of stuff, and a base to continue at about $2 a day ($1 a day for parts, $1 a day for juice). People that run down to the 7Eleven to buy a pack every day may find this initial purchase hard to justify. THose that buy 2 cartons at a time at the local smoke shop could easily justify this type of purchase. Just remember you will need to spend some every so often.

Just don't do off the deep end like some of us

Good luck,

Rocket

firhill

If you're set on an M401, this site has automatic sets for $23 and manual kits for $25

MistressNomad

Hey Rocketman!

I've been doing more hunting, and I'm really entrigued by the KR808D-1... but the cartomizer seems like a big drawback to me. I know they can be refilled, but they don't last as long as a separated cartridge and atomizer, from what I've been reading.

I am more than happy to do some fiddling and tinkering to keep stuff working as long as possible. I'm broke enough to sacrifice some amount of convenience for cost. That's why I roll cigs free-hand.

Are their any separated cartridge and atomizers that will work with a KR808D-1 battery?

Hachiroku

But the cartomizers are only about $1.75 each, as opposed to $8-10 for an atomizer.
I was dead set against them (I don't know why), and if you follow my antics since November you'll see I have burned up more atomizers than all the other posters here put together! The cartomizers are really pretty good. My first e cig was an 084 (a "freebie" with $70 "subscription" for $15 worth of carts...) which I messed up in 3 days. I dropped the 'scrip and got a 510, which I really like because of the massive vapor and taste, but burning up attys in 3-12 days was driving me crazy and into the poor house. I got some 808 carts from LeCig and some 510 carts from LiteCig, and they gum up in about 7-10 days, but when they work they WORK!!! Blowing off ~$1.75 every 8 days beats blowing off $9 every 7. I still keep some 501 attys around for when I play out or go to parties for the throat hit and the flavor, but I keep the cartomizers at my workstation and in the car for day-to-day use. And I vape even more than I smoked.
If I can get a cartomizer to last that long, a NORMAL person should go a few days more!

I think a real 510 atty delivers more of the juice flavor than any other I've tried except the "Mini-cig" types like the 084 (for some reason you can REALLY taste the flavor from those, but the vapor is a might weak), but more than the 801 or 901, and they put out some good vapor, also.

MistressNomad

Wow, I've read that some people are getting the attys to work for several months!

Rocketman

Yup.
901 works directly with the 808D-1 (not D-2).

the cartomizers last me between 2 and 5 days. Two days off a $2 cartomizer and I'm upset. 5 Days and I'm happy.

Atomizers can last for a month or more. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't.

What if you had a battery that could take either?
or a little adapter?
Remember, $1 a day for hardware, $1 a day for software.
Rocky

MistressNomad

Thanks Rocketman!

So I suppose I could get a couple atty's and carts for the 901 to use with the 808D-1, and then get some cartos too, and see what I like better?

Rocketman

That would also be a good "starting point"

and juice, don't forget the juice.

MistressNomad

Lots of it! I think I might get a mixing kit and go all mad scientist.

Hachiroku

Mostly with me, they don't...

serialvapist

My wife and I both mainly vape KR808D-1s and just blew through 4 packs of D1 cartomizers in less than a week and a half. Some of them started burning polyfill the first day, a couple of them vaped okay for 2 days and then started burning. A couple vaped for a day then kaput. One of them got really hot on the exterior and was somewhat painful (didn't taste burning). Regardless to say I won't be buying any amount of cartomizers there anymore. I think that they were rebranded Boge carts. Anyway we ripped through all four boxes before it hit me to order more so I learned my lesson. Now I keep a couple of 901 attys handy in my kit box as a back up and go back and forth between them and the D1 cartomizers. I think the 901 atty really accentuates the flavor of the liquid where as the D1 provides a nice hit. So now my favorite is vaping a D1 megabattery with a 901 atty. My wife says it's too long. 15 years and I still can't figure out what pleases that woman!

For suppliers:
E-Cigarette & E-Liquid Suppliers & Manufacturers

Hachiroku

LOL! Never had a woman complain about "too long" before!

I wonder what she'd say to my rig: a $1 flashlight with an $8 TI chip, a 901 connector with a blown 901 atty with a 510 connector installed for my 510's, and a 3 ft cord that plugs into the cig lighter!

What's this "battery" you keep talking about?

And remember, you're talking to ME! I haven't blown a D1, D2 or 510 carto yet! They gum up after about a week, but I haven't totally fried one like the desk drawer full of 510 attys (yet).

serialvapist

She'd say she married a nerd!

firhill

If you're looking for a spare/back-up D1 kit, Vapor Junction still has their manual black or white 808 full kits on for under $25.

Stehle

I've had a few 510's & 084's over a year that are still vaping away.

(Not typical, but the truth!)

I totally agree with Rocket, Hachiroku, firhill & serialvapist.

(For those that know me I'm still alive, just got out of the hospital again, typing with one hand at present, but just had to reply to anyone that had a first name of... "Mistress".)

Still hooked on Cartos and loving it!!!

Cartomizers Rule!

Hachiroku

Good to see you again.

We all know what "typing with one hand" means...

Seriously. Good to see you!

And, you were right about the cartomizers, but for some reason they all taste like corn syrup to me, no matter what juice I fill them with...

Rocketman

Sog lad tos eey ouba ckand Stehle vaping

We missed you.

Rocket

VapingVictoria

Hi Stehle, was wondering what happened to you. Hope your feeling better.

Hachiroku---I was just about to type something extremely similar but looked down and saw your post...

VapingVictoria

Vaping takes some getting used to it but as soon as you get your sense of smell back you wont go back to reg. cigs. I use a 510 and some different mods, Always go back to the 510 tho.

If your a heavy smoker do yourself a favor and get extra batteries and a charger that charges 5 of them at once. I always felt chained to the chargers until I got one. And it looks a lot neater then a bunch of single chargers plugged in all over the place.

Might be just me but the PCC don't work on all my batteries and they seem to die on me. I just keep a stash of batteries with me at all times.

I'll repeat...spare parts are a must.

H3VAPER

The best part is when you start to feel like a 20 year old again.. And your heart will stop raceing.. your blood presure goes back to normal.. Thats what its all about.. [ sex is better to]

CartHeadMod

to the guy who burns out cartomizers, I suggest you give them another try, but this time don't let them dry out......I've been sitting here at my computer for about two hours now, I bet I have rejuiced my carto at least four times.....it is a rare situation for a carto not to last me two weeks, and since I strip them all out and use them for dripping for a bit after that I have examined all my fillings....I haven't seen a burned one in months and months....

to the guy starting out I recommend one of the new Sit n Go 510 passthroughs that are out now, you can use them either as a passthrough or a mobile battery, charges while you use it....get some 510 cartomizers and some American made juice.....for less than $25 you can see if you like it.......from there I would suggest trying everything, but end up with at least one mod that uses readily available batteries in case the laws change and it gets hard to get replacement parts....

Hachiroku

Great minds...
...always end up in the gutter...?

Hachiroku

I have one of those, and it's pretty good but I run the battery down on it...when it's plugged in!!! I am a serial vapist (wink to...Serialvapist...) and it seems that any time it's plugged in all it's doing is charging the battery!

But for $12, who's complaining? I have a USB adapter for the car; I plug in a USB passthru and the Sit n Go so I always have something to puff on.

VapingVictoria

Does seem that way...lol