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Reflections On Atomisers And Cartomisers I've Written About - January 2012
Posted by
prof beard
,
02 January 2012
·
1,164 views
This article is the third and last of my “reflections” on things I’ve previously written about. This time I’m reflecting on atomisers, cartomisers etc”.
Part 1 – Repairable Atomisers
The Mark T Infinity Atomiser
Purchased – November 2011
Related article:
http://ukvapers.com/...x-and-dripping/
I have to confess that I STILL haven't the tank set-up of this. Given all the criticism that has attracted - plus my dislike of tank atomisers (I hardly ever use my Bulli A2t) - I've stuck with dripping. I really like the Mark T as a dripping atomiser - I've not had any serious leak issues (mine must have its hole in a "good place") - it provides a very good vape in all respects and looks very neat on some of my devices (eg the Touchwood Mini) which would look "overwhelmed" by the Bulli A2. The coil it came with lasted weeks and weeks - it failed last week. I've recoiled it with the "supplied" coil and it seems to be working fine - but I've not used it much yet as I'm giving some other atomisers a work-out.
Frankly, if I was the manufacturer of this, I'd sell a dripping only version of the kit at a reduced price...
The Bulli-Smoker A2 "repairable" atomiser
Purchased – January 2011
Related Articles:
http://ukvapers.com/...out-of-the-box/
http://ukvapers.com/...out-of-the-box/
http://ukvapers.com/...y-first-repair/
I love this! I like it so much I have enough wick and wire to last me years. I also bought two - an aluminium 901 version and a stainless 510 version. I find it works really well, is easy to re-coil and re-wick and you can easily play with different coil and wick configurations. I remain amazed how well the 701 cartridges wick in the Bulli and have recently started "feeding" the Bulli using a Super T VapeMate coupled with a 701-510 drip-tip adapter and Flow-Tip adjustable draw tip.
Criticisms - none really, other than it looks a big "big" on some devices. (I've taken to using the Mark T as a dripping atomiser on my smaller devices)
I'm very happy in continuing to recommend the Bulli A2 as a great repairable atomiser.
The Bulli-Smoker A2-T "repairable" tank atomiser
Purchased – July 2011
Related article:
http://ukvapers.com/...-tank-atomiser/
In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have bought this, but I was hoping it would be an improvement on regular tank atomisers. Well - it is an improvement, but not enough of one... It just doesn't give the depth of flavour that the regular A2 does. It gets an occasional outing for driving and works well, but will stay the A2's "poor relation".
Part 2 – “Special” Atomisers
Cisco LR901 Atomiser
First purchased – December 2010
Related article:
http://ukvapers.com/...lr901-atomiser/
My experiences with these have been at 1.5ohm. They are MUCH fiercer than standard SLB 1.7ohm LR901 atomisers and best at around 3.7v (ish). Like all 901 atomisers they are better on flavour than 510 equivalents but still give massive hit. They last a big longer than the SLBs but I've tended not buy too many of these given the price differential and the fact that I have other "big hitter" atomisers I use on some of my e-cigs. However Cisco atomisers come in 1.5, 1.8, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0ohm choices so I'd urge 901 lovers to try some of the other ohmages if 1.5ohm is too much.
Cisco LR 306 Atomiser
First purchased – November 2010
Related article:
http://ukvapers.com/...r-306-atomiser/
Again - my experiences with these are at 1.5ohm. These are a great atomiser in the right e-cig. They are particularly good in the Apex Ultra RES, where they feed from the RES far better than any other atomiser I've tried in that. They give good flavour and excellent hit. (It may be why I seem to like my Ultra more than others). These atomisers seem to last really well (that might be because the RES keeps them cooler - I've no used them a lot on other devices). Again they are available in a range of ohmage. I've kept restocking with these...
Cisco Aero and HH.357 Atomisers
First Purchased – October and November 2011
Related article:
http://ukvapers.com/...rom-the-packet/
The biggest surprise for me in this group was the Cisco Aero bridgeless 510. (Much cheaper than the HH.357s). I'm NOT a 510 fan, but the Aero was very good indeed (better flavour than a stock LR510) and lasted ages - I think I put something like 80ml of juice through it before it died.
The HH.357 range are beasts of atomisers with huge vapour and hit (they come in 1.5. 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0 ohm varieties - mine are/were 1.ohm). They all give very good flavour too. I've tried the short and long barrel 306/510 hybrids and the 306/901 hybrid. The HH.357 atomisers take care breaking in and must NOT be allowed to run dry (it will kill them - I accidently killed my long barrel 306/510 this way). My favourite has been the 306/901 version - cooler than the short barrel 306/510 (which I find "spitty" and a bit hot) and hotter than the long barrel 306/510 (which I really like but not as much). I found the short barrel 510 is much improved by using an Empire Drip Shield and DOES become less spitty as time goes on - a Flow Tip overcomes the spitting problem anyway.
These atomisers are VERY expensive and until I have more experience, I'm loath to comment of value for money... The 901/306 I used to "full term" lasted very well indeed - nearly 100ml - but that is just one atomiser.
So excellent atomisers - at a price...
Part 3 – Mainstream Atomisers
This section is just a bit of a general reflection the "generic" atomiser types... I've written articles (NOT reviews) about each of the following types:
"Penstyle" and "Classic" atomisers
First purchased – spring 2009
Related article:
http://ukvapers.com/...sers-and-carts/
My absolute favourite of the "Classic"/Penstyle/801/112/302 type atomisers is the LR version of the BE112. All penstyle atomisers give good vapour and flavour and relatively gentle hit. The LR versions give much better hit (obviously) and my personal favourite is the LR BE112 based on price/performance/longevity balance. I use the LRBE112 o my old Super T Super Six as one of its atomiser fittings is an 801 version with adjustable airflow - they are good atomisers on that and I've kept buying a few from time to time.
"Mini" Atomisers
First purchased – February 2009
Related article:
http://ukvapers.com/...sers-and-carts/
The 901 is another of the "big three" (801/901/510) standard atomisers. I started out on RN4075 atomisers (as opposed to the SLB 901 version) as they had better hit, but once the newer SLB LR901 atomisers appeared they became my mainstream choice of atomiser and I use these more than anyone other atomiser. Why? The SLB LR901 (I use 1.7oh versions) atomiser has, for me, the best combination of flavour/hit/vapour of any mainstream atomiser. The current ones have a good lifespan (I get over 40ml through each one on average). The 901 atomiser's Achilles heel used to be leaks through the side breather hole, but now we have Drip Shields available... In my view, these have made the LR01 the best choice of mainstream atomiser.
510 Atomisers and 510 Mega Atomisers
First purchased – Spring 2009
Related articles:
http://ukvapers.com/...omisers-part-1/
http://ukvapers.com/...omisers-part-2/
When it first appeared in 2009, the 510 provide what other atomisers didn't - good hit. Sadly it did this at the expense of flavour... The other thing the 510 did was to give rise to the advent of direct dripping - partially because this improved flavour, and partially because the 510 was and still is absolutely rubbish at wicking fro a cartridge when compared to the 801 and 901 (and 701 come to that). Before you say "nothing wicks well" let me tell you that current 1.7ohm 901 atomisers are completely usable with old-fashioned cartridges and I still use them quite a lot. However the huge initial success of the 510 has resulted in nearly all new e-cigs being made with 510 fittings (or eGo fittings in 510 version).
The arrival of low resistance atomisers now means that other atomisers can provide the same hit as the 510 (even in LR510 form) and frankly these are now, in my opinion, a better choice. I will admit tough that bridgeless 510s seem pretty damn good, so if you are fix on 510s, that's probably the way to go. Personally, I hardly ever buy 510s anymore
Minority Atomisers - The 401, 4801 and 601 Atomisers
First purchased – 2009 and 2010
Related article:
http://ukvapers.com/...-601-atomisers/
Other than to say that these are all decent atomisers giving good flavour that desperately need someone to make drip tips for, nothing to add to what the linked article says
Low Resistance Tornado/eGo "Tank" Atomisers
Purchased – March 2011
Related article:
http://ukvapers.com/...tank-atomisers/
Hmmmm "tanks"... When the Tornado/ego tank appeared, people jumped up and down and posted messages on forums about how they were selling all their mods and would never need anything else again...
However, they were all standard resistance, so I waited for the arrival of a low resistance version. Meh! They worked ok: reasonable hit and good vapour, but the flavour was "muted" and had a "cast" to it - overall, the flavour was "one dimensional". Not for me - plus the size of tanks meant I still needed to carry either a bottle of juice or spare tanks. I've not bought more... (I tried other tank atomisers including the eGo Megatank, the Bulli A2t, the Rok Star and the BE112 tank, but have yet to find a tank atomiser that satisfies me on the flavour front - if I need "juice volume" I'll stick to feeders)
BE112 Tank Atomisers
Free gift - September 2011
Related article:
http://ukvapers.com/...tank-atomisers/
I'll stick to my original conclusions:
My findings - better flavour than I've had from 510 and eGo standard resistance tank atomisers (I'm not a fan of tanks for that reason normally) and very good vapour. The hit was "mild" but not non-existent and was noticeably better on the S6's 801 fitting with a "tighter draw" set. I'd say the overall effect is very similar to my Bulli A2-T with a fairly "gentle" coil winding...
But still not good enough flavour...
Part 4 – A Few Cartomisers
I'll start by saying that I'm not a carto fan, but I prefer them to tank atomisers... I've tried quite a few cartos, but not written about many. Overall there are some very good cartos available, but I'd stick with an LR901, LR306 or Bulli A2 from preference. The reason is two-fold: firstly although the flavour from a freshly filled good carto is fine, as they empty the flavour deteriorates gradually (as opposed to quickly with an atomiser) and I always seem to end up taking more "not good enough" draws than I should - my fault of course, but I'm me... secondly, filling a carto is more faff than filling a small cartridge or dripping an atomiser and dripping cartos requires more care (to avoid dripping down the hole) than dripping an atomiser. I don't claim expertise on cartos though, so please take what I say in that light.
Smok Tech 510 Dual Coil 1.5ohm Cartomisers
First Purchased – May 2011
Related article:
http://ukvapers.com/...hm-cartomisers/
These are the best cartomisers I've tried, and the only ones I've re-ordered - "nuff said" (I never did get them work well in my Ultra's RES though)
310 XL Cartomiser
Received for review – March 2011
Related article:
http://ukvapers.com/...tomiser-part-2/
These standard resistance"XL" cartos came with a VGO I was sent to review. My conclusion was:
The cartomisers have impressed me (and I'm not a carto fan) - they take (guess) around 2ml of liquid, last very well, and deliver decent flavour and hit. I've been using the same one for a few days now and it is still delivering... Sadly though, when I asked Frances at Hangsen she said they had no UK stockists of the 310 XL.
So, good, but not good enough to make me hunt down more..
ECHOmiser
Received for review – May 2011
Related article:
http://ukvapers.com/...-and-echomiser/
Cartomisers with very large capacity. The hit is good and flavour very good (much better than a tank in my view) - the ones I tried were standard resistance but LR ones are available now. I consider the ECHOmiser a very valid alternative to a tank atomiser. Whilst I though they were good, they weren't quite good enough to make me buy more but I wouldn't rule out doing so in the future
Part 1 – Repairable Atomisers
The Mark T Infinity Atomiser
Purchased – November 2011
Related article:
http://ukvapers.com/...x-and-dripping/
I have to confess that I STILL haven't the tank set-up of this. Given all the criticism that has attracted - plus my dislike of tank atomisers (I hardly ever use my Bulli A2t) - I've stuck with dripping. I really like the Mark T as a dripping atomiser - I've not had any serious leak issues (mine must have its hole in a "good place") - it provides a very good vape in all respects and looks very neat on some of my devices (eg the Touchwood Mini) which would look "overwhelmed" by the Bulli A2. The coil it came with lasted weeks and weeks - it failed last week. I've recoiled it with the "supplied" coil and it seems to be working fine - but I've not used it much yet as I'm giving some other atomisers a work-out.
Frankly, if I was the manufacturer of this, I'd sell a dripping only version of the kit at a reduced price...
The Bulli-Smoker A2 "repairable" atomiser
Purchased – January 2011
Related Articles:
http://ukvapers.com/...out-of-the-box/
http://ukvapers.com/...out-of-the-box/
http://ukvapers.com/...y-first-repair/
I love this! I like it so much I have enough wick and wire to last me years. I also bought two - an aluminium 901 version and a stainless 510 version. I find it works really well, is easy to re-coil and re-wick and you can easily play with different coil and wick configurations. I remain amazed how well the 701 cartridges wick in the Bulli and have recently started "feeding" the Bulli using a Super T VapeMate coupled with a 701-510 drip-tip adapter and Flow-Tip adjustable draw tip.
Criticisms - none really, other than it looks a big "big" on some devices. (I've taken to using the Mark T as a dripping atomiser on my smaller devices)
I'm very happy in continuing to recommend the Bulli A2 as a great repairable atomiser.
The Bulli-Smoker A2-T "repairable" tank atomiser
Purchased – July 2011
Related article:
http://ukvapers.com/...-tank-atomiser/
In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have bought this, but I was hoping it would be an improvement on regular tank atomisers. Well - it is an improvement, but not enough of one... It just doesn't give the depth of flavour that the regular A2 does. It gets an occasional outing for driving and works well, but will stay the A2's "poor relation".
Part 2 – “Special” Atomisers
Cisco LR901 Atomiser
First purchased – December 2010
Related article:
http://ukvapers.com/...lr901-atomiser/
My experiences with these have been at 1.5ohm. They are MUCH fiercer than standard SLB 1.7ohm LR901 atomisers and best at around 3.7v (ish). Like all 901 atomisers they are better on flavour than 510 equivalents but still give massive hit. They last a big longer than the SLBs but I've tended not buy too many of these given the price differential and the fact that I have other "big hitter" atomisers I use on some of my e-cigs. However Cisco atomisers come in 1.5, 1.8, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0ohm choices so I'd urge 901 lovers to try some of the other ohmages if 1.5ohm is too much.
Cisco LR 306 Atomiser
First purchased – November 2010
Related article:
http://ukvapers.com/...r-306-atomiser/
Again - my experiences with these are at 1.5ohm. These are a great atomiser in the right e-cig. They are particularly good in the Apex Ultra RES, where they feed from the RES far better than any other atomiser I've tried in that. They give good flavour and excellent hit. (It may be why I seem to like my Ultra more than others). These atomisers seem to last really well (that might be because the RES keeps them cooler - I've no used them a lot on other devices). Again they are available in a range of ohmage. I've kept restocking with these...
Cisco Aero and HH.357 Atomisers
First Purchased – October and November 2011
Related article:
http://ukvapers.com/...rom-the-packet/
The biggest surprise for me in this group was the Cisco Aero bridgeless 510. (Much cheaper than the HH.357s). I'm NOT a 510 fan, but the Aero was very good indeed (better flavour than a stock LR510) and lasted ages - I think I put something like 80ml of juice through it before it died.
The HH.357 range are beasts of atomisers with huge vapour and hit (they come in 1.5. 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0 ohm varieties - mine are/were 1.ohm). They all give very good flavour too. I've tried the short and long barrel 306/510 hybrids and the 306/901 hybrid. The HH.357 atomisers take care breaking in and must NOT be allowed to run dry (it will kill them - I accidently killed my long barrel 306/510 this way). My favourite has been the 306/901 version - cooler than the short barrel 306/510 (which I find "spitty" and a bit hot) and hotter than the long barrel 306/510 (which I really like but not as much). I found the short barrel 510 is much improved by using an Empire Drip Shield and DOES become less spitty as time goes on - a Flow Tip overcomes the spitting problem anyway.
These atomisers are VERY expensive and until I have more experience, I'm loath to comment of value for money... The 901/306 I used to "full term" lasted very well indeed - nearly 100ml - but that is just one atomiser.
So excellent atomisers - at a price...
Part 3 – Mainstream Atomisers
This section is just a bit of a general reflection the "generic" atomiser types... I've written articles (NOT reviews) about each of the following types:
"Penstyle" and "Classic" atomisers
First purchased – spring 2009
Related article:
http://ukvapers.com/...sers-and-carts/
My absolute favourite of the "Classic"/Penstyle/801/112/302 type atomisers is the LR version of the BE112. All penstyle atomisers give good vapour and flavour and relatively gentle hit. The LR versions give much better hit (obviously) and my personal favourite is the LR BE112 based on price/performance/longevity balance. I use the LRBE112 o my old Super T Super Six as one of its atomiser fittings is an 801 version with adjustable airflow - they are good atomisers on that and I've kept buying a few from time to time.
"Mini" Atomisers
First purchased – February 2009
Related article:
http://ukvapers.com/...sers-and-carts/
The 901 is another of the "big three" (801/901/510) standard atomisers. I started out on RN4075 atomisers (as opposed to the SLB 901 version) as they had better hit, but once the newer SLB LR901 atomisers appeared they became my mainstream choice of atomiser and I use these more than anyone other atomiser. Why? The SLB LR901 (I use 1.7oh versions) atomiser has, for me, the best combination of flavour/hit/vapour of any mainstream atomiser. The current ones have a good lifespan (I get over 40ml through each one on average). The 901 atomiser's Achilles heel used to be leaks through the side breather hole, but now we have Drip Shields available... In my view, these have made the LR01 the best choice of mainstream atomiser.
510 Atomisers and 510 Mega Atomisers
First purchased – Spring 2009
Related articles:
http://ukvapers.com/...omisers-part-1/
http://ukvapers.com/...omisers-part-2/
When it first appeared in 2009, the 510 provide what other atomisers didn't - good hit. Sadly it did this at the expense of flavour... The other thing the 510 did was to give rise to the advent of direct dripping - partially because this improved flavour, and partially because the 510 was and still is absolutely rubbish at wicking fro a cartridge when compared to the 801 and 901 (and 701 come to that). Before you say "nothing wicks well" let me tell you that current 1.7ohm 901 atomisers are completely usable with old-fashioned cartridges and I still use them quite a lot. However the huge initial success of the 510 has resulted in nearly all new e-cigs being made with 510 fittings (or eGo fittings in 510 version).
The arrival of low resistance atomisers now means that other atomisers can provide the same hit as the 510 (even in LR510 form) and frankly these are now, in my opinion, a better choice. I will admit tough that bridgeless 510s seem pretty damn good, so if you are fix on 510s, that's probably the way to go. Personally, I hardly ever buy 510s anymore
Minority Atomisers - The 401, 4801 and 601 Atomisers
First purchased – 2009 and 2010
Related article:
http://ukvapers.com/...-601-atomisers/
Other than to say that these are all decent atomisers giving good flavour that desperately need someone to make drip tips for, nothing to add to what the linked article says
Low Resistance Tornado/eGo "Tank" Atomisers
Purchased – March 2011
Related article:
http://ukvapers.com/...tank-atomisers/
Hmmmm "tanks"... When the Tornado/ego tank appeared, people jumped up and down and posted messages on forums about how they were selling all their mods and would never need anything else again...
However, they were all standard resistance, so I waited for the arrival of a low resistance version. Meh! They worked ok: reasonable hit and good vapour, but the flavour was "muted" and had a "cast" to it - overall, the flavour was "one dimensional". Not for me - plus the size of tanks meant I still needed to carry either a bottle of juice or spare tanks. I've not bought more... (I tried other tank atomisers including the eGo Megatank, the Bulli A2t, the Rok Star and the BE112 tank, but have yet to find a tank atomiser that satisfies me on the flavour front - if I need "juice volume" I'll stick to feeders)
BE112 Tank Atomisers
Free gift - September 2011
Related article:
http://ukvapers.com/...tank-atomisers/
I'll stick to my original conclusions:
My findings - better flavour than I've had from 510 and eGo standard resistance tank atomisers (I'm not a fan of tanks for that reason normally) and very good vapour. The hit was "mild" but not non-existent and was noticeably better on the S6's 801 fitting with a "tighter draw" set. I'd say the overall effect is very similar to my Bulli A2-T with a fairly "gentle" coil winding...
But still not good enough flavour...
Part 4 – A Few Cartomisers
I'll start by saying that I'm not a carto fan, but I prefer them to tank atomisers... I've tried quite a few cartos, but not written about many. Overall there are some very good cartos available, but I'd stick with an LR901, LR306 or Bulli A2 from preference. The reason is two-fold: firstly although the flavour from a freshly filled good carto is fine, as they empty the flavour deteriorates gradually (as opposed to quickly with an atomiser) and I always seem to end up taking more "not good enough" draws than I should - my fault of course, but I'm me... secondly, filling a carto is more faff than filling a small cartridge or dripping an atomiser and dripping cartos requires more care (to avoid dripping down the hole) than dripping an atomiser. I don't claim expertise on cartos though, so please take what I say in that light.
Smok Tech 510 Dual Coil 1.5ohm Cartomisers
First Purchased – May 2011
Related article:
http://ukvapers.com/...hm-cartomisers/
These are the best cartomisers I've tried, and the only ones I've re-ordered - "nuff said" (I never did get them work well in my Ultra's RES though)
310 XL Cartomiser
Received for review – March 2011
Related article:
http://ukvapers.com/...tomiser-part-2/
These standard resistance"XL" cartos came with a VGO I was sent to review. My conclusion was:
The cartomisers have impressed me (and I'm not a carto fan) - they take (guess) around 2ml of liquid, last very well, and deliver decent flavour and hit. I've been using the same one for a few days now and it is still delivering... Sadly though, when I asked Frances at Hangsen she said they had no UK stockists of the 310 XL.
So, good, but not good enough to make me hunt down more..
ECHOmiser
Received for review – May 2011
Related article:
http://ukvapers.com/...-and-echomiser/
Cartomisers with very large capacity. The hit is good and flavour very good (much better than a tank in my view) - the ones I tried were standard resistance but LR ones are available now. I consider the ECHOmiser a very valid alternative to a tank atomiser. Whilst I though they were good, they weren't quite good enough to make me buy more but I wouldn't rule out doing so in the future
