Alright all?
So, I’m green as grass with all this vaping lark and have a few questions.
Currently using a CE4 and ego batteries but as I look around the place I see cartomisers, clearomisers, rebuildables, throw aways, atomisers, dripping things, top coils, bottom coils.
So, is there somewhere that explains the difference? Is there a difference? Or is it all personal preference?
Thanks
There's 3 basic elements to any vaping set up.. a battery to provide the power, a coil to take that power and use it produce vapour and the eliquid that gets vapourised by the coil.
There are many possible combinations of these 3 elements and they'll all produce a slightly different end result. The trick is finding a combination that works well for you.
The second of these 2 elements, the coil, is where a lot of confusion can come with newer users. Basically, all atomisers, clearomisers and cartomisers are doing the same job... getting eliquid onto the coil so that it will vapourise. This is done by using a wick that absorbs the eliquid and has the actual coil wrapped around it. If the wick doesn't feed enough eliquid to the coil, it will produce a 'dry hit' (which isn't very nice) and if the wick is overfed it will flood and not produce much vapour.
Atomisers tend to be used for 'dripping' mainly these days and dripping is exactly what it sounds like : you drip a few drops of eliquid directly into the atomiser.
Pros - dripping atomisers tend to produce good flavour (as long as you don't flood the coil by dripping too much eliquid in at a time).
Cons - you need to keep dripping eliquid into the atomiser (not convenient unless you have the time and free hands to do it).
Cartomisers use a combination of wick and wadding to soak up eliquid and keep the coil constantly fed (in theory). These tend to work better when used inside a cartomiser tank, as the tank keeps the cartomiser fed with eliquid, which in turn keeps the coil fed.
Pros - more convenient to use than dripping atomisers if 'on the go' (a full carto tank will last a lot of vapers for a full day, perhaps more depending on usage)
Cons - flavour tends to start to mute after a while (I find my eliquids start to mute after about 6-8mls of eliquid has been put through it).
Clearomisers are an 'all in one' system, combining a tank to hold and supply the wick and feed the coil. Unlike cartomisers, most clearomisers don't use wadding and rely on the wick by itself to keep the coil fed. These come in 'top coil' and 'bottom coil' varieties and these are pretty self explanatory... top coils have the coil positioned near the top of the clearomisers, bottom coils have the coil positioned near the bottom.
Pros - convenient and easy to use.
Cons - when using top coils, they have to be tipped upside down occasionally to ensure the wicks are properly fed, especially as the tank gets emptier. Bottom coils feed better but can sometimes have a tendency to overfeed the wicks and flood sometimes.
Rebuildables are the pinnacle of vaping (in that they can be wonderful and exasperating in the same measure, depending on how you set them up). They allow the user to build their own wick and coil assemblies and experiment with different wicks, wires and resistance set ups.
Pros - can work out much cheaper than buying atties, cartos or clearos in the long run. They allow easy experimentation.
Cons - can be tricky to set up and take some experience to 'master'.
The above points are what I've found through my own experience, other people's experiences might differ in some respects (as might yours). That's the main point really... because there is so much choice available these days, it can be advisable to try a few different combinations (finances permitting) to find a combination that works best for you personally.
This can sometimes take a bit of time and money but it's also one of the 'best' bits about vaping, hobby wise. You probably come across all kinds of weird and wonderful set ups, some of which will work well, some which don't suit you so well and some that will leave you wondering why you even bothered to buy them.
When you find a combination that works well for you though, it will be worth all the time, effort and cash invested, so experiment, have fun and happy vaping.
Good luck.
