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Vandy Vape Berserker V2 MTL RTA Review
Supplied by Source More for review purposes
https://www.sourcemore.com/vandy-vape-bskr-v2-mtl-rta.html
Offer price using discount code:
$19.64 - code: VVBS
With most successful vape products it’s inevitable that a Version 2 will come along, many of them are often just minor tweaks to keep their identity, the Berserker V2 looks similar to the original but the internals have had a major overhaul and the assembly is very different, for the better as it turned out.
Unboxing
It's hard to get excited about a box for me and the Berserker V2 is pretty standard, the now traditional authenticity scratch code etc. it does have some nice artwork and the packaging is very sturdy, the only thing I would say that it lacks are the main specs such as the size which could catch some people out in a shop, mainly the diameter; most MTL tanks are 22mm but the Berserker is 24mm which is something I would want to know before buying, that said if you buy online as I do then you should see the specs listed.
That aside; once opening the box the first impressions are quite pleasing, the presentation is nice but it's the extras that impress, 3 different 510 drip tips are very welcome and an optional piss coloured PEI tube for those that have a urine fetish.
Underneath the foam top layer are the accessories.
Contents
· Berserker V2 MTL RTA
· Accessory Bag
· User Manual
· PEI Tube
· 3 x Drip Tip
· 5 Additional Airflow tube (inserts)
· 2 x Superfine MTL Fused Clapton Coil 0.74ohm
The main thing that stood out at this stage was the baggie of inserts, since I hadn't checked out the Berserker V2 prior to receiving it to review these really grabbed my attention and the first inkling that the V2 was indeed something different.
There's a generous baggie of spare seals and screws, the included coils are very well labelled though I was a little unsure about the 0.74 ohms rating as I tend to prefer building over 1.0 ohms for MTL but I'm always up for trying something different.
Construction
The tank strips down into 5 components and once stripped it all seems rather odd, Vandyvape have come up with a rather quirky fill cap idea as it is a sleeve which fits over the chimney section and screws on anticlockwise, a blind Rudolf moment (no eye deer) as I can't see the benefit of this design, perhaps it will come to me later?
The build deck is the most interesting part, a raised deck which is better for juice flow in my experience and the coil posts are also my favourite style with the clamping method making it faff free.
Then there's the airflow inserts, they are really well marked and easy to see the differences, better still; the design allows you to swap them over without removing your coil which is an instant pro for me and it proved to be very useful when I tested the various sizes, the other pro was just how easy they were to replace, the fit was near perfection, not too loose but tight enough to stay in place, Vandyvape have done a great job with the deck.
One thing that became apparent was the range in sizes that indicated that the Berserker V2 wasn't just for MTL as it offers a selection to suit a restricted DL draw.
Coil fitting & wicking
This is one of the easiest MTL RTA's I've tried for building, everything was intuitive and faff free, the coil clamp screws had plenty of thread on them and felt sturdy, the coils were pre bent to indicate roughly where your coil should sit, the build area is generous and makes it easy to work on, it took very little time to fit, trim and dry burn the hotspots out.
Wicking was also simple enough, I took an educated guess of trimming the legs to the outer diameter of the base and it turned out to be spot on, using Muji cotton I didn't need to thin out the ends as they tucked into the juice ports just right.
Prime up your juice by squeezing a few drops of your eliquid and pulse the coil, repeat until the legs are saturated and screw everything back together.
Filling
Up to this point I had nothing but respect for the Berserker's design but the filling left me a little bemused, you need to unscrew the top cap clockwise to reveal the fill port which has a silicone bladder which prevents juice spilling out (which is very effective) but n squeezing your eliquid in you are left unsure as to when it is full, you can see when you fill the glass section but it seems like there is more capacity in the covered metal part.
I ended up squeezing the juice in until I saw it trying to come out of the slot (that's what she said), this is by no means a deal breaker, I can't even say it irritated me but I was left a little bemused.
Replacing the top cap raised my next niggle, you have to turn it anti-clockwise to tighten it, this led me to unscrewing the tank from my mod a little, I was like 'oh for f**ks sake!' at this point, once I had sussed this out I was more aware of it I held the glass section whenever I had to refill in future and getting into this habit removed any irritation.
Vape Time!
I chose the tightest airflow insert 0.8mm at 18 watts and my initial reaction was to how damn tight the airflow was, seriously tight which did somewhat impress me as one of my bugbears of many MTL tanks is too loose airflow, as much as I prefer a tight draw I found the 0.8mm a little too tight in the end so I swapped it out with the 1mm insert which was just right for me.
The draw was really smooth and the flavour was spot on though I did find that the 0.7ohm coil a bit too intense for my MTL preferences so before I swapped the coil out I decided to try a restrictive DL insert, I went straight up to the 2mm insert and the vape was superb, not too loose to make it a full DL draw but just about right and restrictive enough without too loose, this 0.7ohm coil also suited restrictive DL more for me.
I tested the other 2 DL inserts and you can tighten it up but I preferred the 2mm, the best part is that you should be able to find the right insert for you whether you prefer MTL or restricted DL or somewhere in between.
I ended up popping in a Vandyvape 1.2ohm Ni80 fused Clapton at 12 watts which suited my tastes far more, even swapping between the drip tips refined the vape as I preferred the taller one, I had found my sweet spot and the sheer versatility of the Berserker V2 hit home.
V1 to V2
Though I really like the name 'Berserker' I think the differences are enough for it to warrant as a whole new tank, there's very little that remains from the V1, perhaps the 24mm diameter size is all, the fiddly build deck of the V1 has totally changed for the better, the raised deck is a big improvement, the looks are different and the airflow method is also different, the overall height is a few mm shorter too but without putting too much on it; I didn't like the V1 much at all but I really like the V2 and it will stay in my rotation.
Is 24mm too big?
I really thought this would be the case, in fact the last 24mm MTL RTA I bought was the Berserker V1 and it failed to impress me, 22mm RTA's just seemed right for MTL setups and suited my lower power hungry smaller mods, at first I struggled to find a mod in my collection to suit it as the 24mm would overhang the majority of them.
The overall height was also an issue as it looked too tall for many of my mods but i eventually settled on the Vaporesso GEN Nano and the Innokin Z50, since then I have embraced the size and found a perfect match, my VooPoo Argus dual 18650 mod, it just looks made to measure yet compact and light enough still to fit nicely into my pocket.
I also think that it would sit nicely on a 24/25mm side-by-side mod such as the Aspire MIXX but I don't own one to try, once I embraced the 24mm the possibilities opened up and goes well on most of my single 18650 mods.
Conclusion
I thought I was done with 24mm MTL RTA's until the Berserker V2 came along, this tank is so impressive in many ways but the versatility to find your perfect draw is one of its main strengths, with its ease of building and generous build deck I also think that it is a good choice for new MTL users and won't look out of place on most DL mods, better still; it doubles up as a good restrictive DL tank.
The minor niggle of the top cap is a thing of the past after using it, it feels natural now and just one of those things you get used to, the rest of the tank is so good without any cons.
Pros
Final thoughts
Vandyvape have improved on pretty much everything from the V1, to the point that the V2 puts it's predecessor to shame, there's been some superb developments with MTL RTA's and I think Vandyvape have caught up nicely with the Berserker V2 and the pricing should make this a wise choice.
Score: 8.5/10
A solid 9/10 if the top cap had been better.
Thanks again to Source More for providing this RTA.
https://www.sourcemore.com/vandy-vape-bskr-v2-mtl-rta.html
Supplied by Source More for review purposes
https://www.sourcemore.com/vandy-vape-bskr-v2-mtl-rta.html
Offer price using discount code:
$19.64 - code: VVBS
With most successful vape products it’s inevitable that a Version 2 will come along, many of them are often just minor tweaks to keep their identity, the Berserker V2 looks similar to the original but the internals have had a major overhaul and the assembly is very different, for the better as it turned out.
Unboxing
It's hard to get excited about a box for me and the Berserker V2 is pretty standard, the now traditional authenticity scratch code etc. it does have some nice artwork and the packaging is very sturdy, the only thing I would say that it lacks are the main specs such as the size which could catch some people out in a shop, mainly the diameter; most MTL tanks are 22mm but the Berserker is 24mm which is something I would want to know before buying, that said if you buy online as I do then you should see the specs listed.
That aside; once opening the box the first impressions are quite pleasing, the presentation is nice but it's the extras that impress, 3 different 510 drip tips are very welcome and an optional piss coloured PEI tube for those that have a urine fetish.
Underneath the foam top layer are the accessories.
Contents
· Berserker V2 MTL RTA
· Accessory Bag
· User Manual
· PEI Tube
· 3 x Drip Tip
· 5 Additional Airflow tube (inserts)
· 2 x Superfine MTL Fused Clapton Coil 0.74ohm
The main thing that stood out at this stage was the baggie of inserts, since I hadn't checked out the Berserker V2 prior to receiving it to review these really grabbed my attention and the first inkling that the V2 was indeed something different.
There's a generous baggie of spare seals and screws, the included coils are very well labelled though I was a little unsure about the 0.74 ohms rating as I tend to prefer building over 1.0 ohms for MTL but I'm always up for trying something different.
Construction
The tank strips down into 5 components and once stripped it all seems rather odd, Vandyvape have come up with a rather quirky fill cap idea as it is a sleeve which fits over the chimney section and screws on anticlockwise, a blind Rudolf moment (no eye deer) as I can't see the benefit of this design, perhaps it will come to me later?
The build deck is the most interesting part, a raised deck which is better for juice flow in my experience and the coil posts are also my favourite style with the clamping method making it faff free.
Then there's the airflow inserts, they are really well marked and easy to see the differences, better still; the design allows you to swap them over without removing your coil which is an instant pro for me and it proved to be very useful when I tested the various sizes, the other pro was just how easy they were to replace, the fit was near perfection, not too loose but tight enough to stay in place, Vandyvape have done a great job with the deck.
One thing that became apparent was the range in sizes that indicated that the Berserker V2 wasn't just for MTL as it offers a selection to suit a restricted DL draw.
Coil fitting & wicking
This is one of the easiest MTL RTA's I've tried for building, everything was intuitive and faff free, the coil clamp screws had plenty of thread on them and felt sturdy, the coils were pre bent to indicate roughly where your coil should sit, the build area is generous and makes it easy to work on, it took very little time to fit, trim and dry burn the hotspots out.
Wicking was also simple enough, I took an educated guess of trimming the legs to the outer diameter of the base and it turned out to be spot on, using Muji cotton I didn't need to thin out the ends as they tucked into the juice ports just right.
Prime up your juice by squeezing a few drops of your eliquid and pulse the coil, repeat until the legs are saturated and screw everything back together.
Filling
Up to this point I had nothing but respect for the Berserker's design but the filling left me a little bemused, you need to unscrew the top cap clockwise to reveal the fill port which has a silicone bladder which prevents juice spilling out (which is very effective) but n squeezing your eliquid in you are left unsure as to when it is full, you can see when you fill the glass section but it seems like there is more capacity in the covered metal part.
I ended up squeezing the juice in until I saw it trying to come out of the slot (that's what she said), this is by no means a deal breaker, I can't even say it irritated me but I was left a little bemused.
Replacing the top cap raised my next niggle, you have to turn it anti-clockwise to tighten it, this led me to unscrewing the tank from my mod a little, I was like 'oh for f**ks sake!' at this point, once I had sussed this out I was more aware of it I held the glass section whenever I had to refill in future and getting into this habit removed any irritation.
Vape Time!
I chose the tightest airflow insert 0.8mm at 18 watts and my initial reaction was to how damn tight the airflow was, seriously tight which did somewhat impress me as one of my bugbears of many MTL tanks is too loose airflow, as much as I prefer a tight draw I found the 0.8mm a little too tight in the end so I swapped it out with the 1mm insert which was just right for me.
The draw was really smooth and the flavour was spot on though I did find that the 0.7ohm coil a bit too intense for my MTL preferences so before I swapped the coil out I decided to try a restrictive DL insert, I went straight up to the 2mm insert and the vape was superb, not too loose to make it a full DL draw but just about right and restrictive enough without too loose, this 0.7ohm coil also suited restrictive DL more for me.
I tested the other 2 DL inserts and you can tighten it up but I preferred the 2mm, the best part is that you should be able to find the right insert for you whether you prefer MTL or restricted DL or somewhere in between.
I ended up popping in a Vandyvape 1.2ohm Ni80 fused Clapton at 12 watts which suited my tastes far more, even swapping between the drip tips refined the vape as I preferred the taller one, I had found my sweet spot and the sheer versatility of the Berserker V2 hit home.
V1 to V2
Though I really like the name 'Berserker' I think the differences are enough for it to warrant as a whole new tank, there's very little that remains from the V1, perhaps the 24mm diameter size is all, the fiddly build deck of the V1 has totally changed for the better, the raised deck is a big improvement, the looks are different and the airflow method is also different, the overall height is a few mm shorter too but without putting too much on it; I didn't like the V1 much at all but I really like the V2 and it will stay in my rotation.
Is 24mm too big?
I really thought this would be the case, in fact the last 24mm MTL RTA I bought was the Berserker V1 and it failed to impress me, 22mm RTA's just seemed right for MTL setups and suited my lower power hungry smaller mods, at first I struggled to find a mod in my collection to suit it as the 24mm would overhang the majority of them.
The overall height was also an issue as it looked too tall for many of my mods but i eventually settled on the Vaporesso GEN Nano and the Innokin Z50, since then I have embraced the size and found a perfect match, my VooPoo Argus dual 18650 mod, it just looks made to measure yet compact and light enough still to fit nicely into my pocket.
I also think that it would sit nicely on a 24/25mm side-by-side mod such as the Aspire MIXX but I don't own one to try, once I embraced the 24mm the possibilities opened up and goes well on most of my single 18650 mods.
Conclusion
I thought I was done with 24mm MTL RTA's until the Berserker V2 came along, this tank is so impressive in many ways but the versatility to find your perfect draw is one of its main strengths, with its ease of building and generous build deck I also think that it is a good choice for new MTL users and won't look out of place on most DL mods, better still; it doubles up as a good restrictive DL tank.
The minor niggle of the top cap is a thing of the past after using it, it feels natural now and just one of those things you get used to, the rest of the tank is so good without any cons.
Pros
- Raised build deck juice flow.
- One of the easiest build decks I own.
- Airflow inserts are easy to swap on a build.
- Airflow inserts to suit tight MTL up to restrictive DL.
- 3 x 510 drip tips.
- A worthy upgrade to the V1.
- Odd fill cap design.
- 24mm diameter might be off putting to some.
Final thoughts
Vandyvape have improved on pretty much everything from the V1, to the point that the V2 puts it's predecessor to shame, there's been some superb developments with MTL RTA's and I think Vandyvape have caught up nicely with the Berserker V2 and the pricing should make this a wise choice.
Score: 8.5/10
A solid 9/10 if the top cap had been better.
Thanks again to Source More for providing this RTA.
https://www.sourcemore.com/vandy-vape-bskr-v2-mtl-rta.html
