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Vapefly Holic MTL RDA Review & Build Guide
Bought with my own money review.
On my quest to find a perfect MTL RDA for squonking Nic Salts, I came across this little fella. Knowing the key to a good RDA is the airflow path, the Holic grabbed my attention so I took a punt and bought one.
What does MTL mean?
MTL stands for Mouth To Lung which is a style of vaping similar to smoking, you draw the vapour into your mouth first, then inhale followed by exhaling. It typically uses higher Ohms and less power with less clouds, making it ideal for indoor or stealth vaping.
(DTL is Direct To Lung - inhale directly into the lungs and exhale = big clouds)
Vapefly seem to be establishing themselves very well in an overcrowded market, so have they delivered anything special with the Holic?
In A Nutshell:
The Holic is a truly fantastic Mouth To Lung RDA and also a decent restrictive DTL into the bargain, though to get the very best from it requires some fine tuning to meet your personal preference. Once you have it dialled in, you are in for a treat! – Best MTL BF RDA I have tried to date and I'm loving it, a high end RDA at an affordable price.
Score 9/10
What’s in the Box?
Unboxing really feels like you have bought a high end atty. The box design is very artistic with the contents well presented and packaged. The tiny user manual is informative with good, clear pictures, though I didn’t actually read it as the whole design is simple and very common sense friendly.
Contents:
- 1 x Vapefly Holic MTL RDA
- 1 x Beauty Ring
- 1 x Screwdrivers
- 1 x Allen Key
- 2 x Pre-Build 1.0ohm Ni80 26ga Coils
- 2 x Vapefly Firebolt Shoelace Cotton
- 1 x Airflow Control Set
- 1 x Spare Parts Bag
- 1 x BF Pin
- O-rings & Screws
- 1 x Manual
The actual RDA is simple, with three parts including the drip tip (four with optional beauty ring). The drip tip is very comfortable with a proper narrow bore for an MTL restrictive draw. The top section is one piece and beautifully machined to resemble a sort of ‘piston’ shape. The inside is domed nicely with a suitably small hole at the top, but the base is where things get very interesting, more on that below.
Parameters
- Diameter: 22.20mm
- Height with Drip Tip: 41.7mm
- Tank Material: SS
- Drip Tip Material: PMMA
- Coil Rebuildable: Single Coil Building
- Capacity: About 1ml
- Airflow Adjustable: Side and internal
- Fill Liquid: Top
- Thread: 510 thread
- BF Pin: Included
The base section is where the magic happens with its very clever and efficient design. The coil clamping is perfect via two grub screws, a little like the Oumier Wasp style. It has the option to be either a dripper with the standard 510 connection which is fitted as standard or as a bottom feeder with the 510 squonk pin which can be changed with the included tri tool.
The juice well is very deep and ideal for squonking. I tested how difficult it would be to over-squonk and it takes some doing so a big pro there.
Coil & Wicking
I used the included 26 AWG Ni80 coil which was rated as 1.0 Ohm though it came out closer to 0.9 on my first build. I found it better to add an extra wrap to increase the Ohms but that’s down to personal taste, I like to aim for 1.2 to 1.4 Ohms.
Fitting the coil was very easy using a coil rod, unscrew the post screws enough for the wire to slip in, pop one leg in with the coil rod held in the guided notches and tighten it up, follow the same procedure for the second leg. I had no issues with the coil slipping out during tightening and it was all very quick and easy. Give the coil a final tweak to centre it and maintain the proper height. I then popped it on a mod to check the resistance and give it a dry burn, strum out any hotspots or you can choose to space it slightly (though I wouldn’t space it too much as the ends will not get the intended airflow benefit).
Wicking
Wicking was also easy. I used the included the rather excellent Vapefly Firebolt pre-sized shoelace cotton for 2.5mm. If you are a tight-arse like me, you can get two wicks from one piece (see photo).
To get the length correct, you can gauge it by hanging it over the side and estimating enough to touch the base of the juice well. Do this on one side at first so you can adjust it if required and then copy the length for the opposite side. Then fluff the ends slightly, no need to thin them out, tuck the ends in and ensure all the cotton reaches the base, then simply prime the coil with your chosen liquid (I found Nic Salts perfect for this).
Pop the top cap on and you’re ready to go.
Performance
I chose to test it on the Vandy Vape Simple EX Squonker (tiny variable voltage squonker) as the RDA that comes with it was my all-time favourite MTL RDA due to its great flavour with airflow options that were superb. This was my benchmark.
I also chose the same Ohm Brew Rhubarb & Custard nic salts so I could directly compare.
At first it was about the same in airflow and flavour which left me a little perplexed as I had expected better than that, until I realised I had done nothing with the internal airflow adjustment, a bit more on that below, but after fine tuning I was over the moon with it!
On to its main innovative feature, the internal airflow adjustment, which makes it possible to fine tune the airflow from a restrictive DTL down to a really tight MTL draw. These two screws are the key to a perfect customised draw, as mentioned above I left it at default fully open and just used the top cap airflow and the draw wasn’t as good as I expected.
Though good, I was left a little disappointed so I went back to the deck airflow screws. I closed them until they were about a third open and popped the top cap on - WOW! It was like I had a totally different RDA, the draw was nice and warm with a cigarette like draw, and the flavour burst out on the inhale especially – this actually brought a smile to my face and I knew I had found something rather special!
Aside from the internal airflow, you can adjust the top cap airflow with either dual sided or single sided by rotating it one way or another. I didn’t enjoy the single airflow so stuck with dual and on the smallest hole and although I sometimes use the second largest.
For me, once I dialled in the internal airflow, I have found that I never need to adjust it. Yet you still have plenty of airflow options with the topcap.
Top Tip
Internal Airflow is the key!
Apologies if this is getting long winded BUT it gets even better…….
So already chuffed to bits with the Holic, I gave it my undivided attention over the next few days, tinkering with setups only to find it got even better. Instead of using the included Ni80 26 AWG coils, I made some Kanthal 28 AWG 1.4 Ohm coils spaced 2.5mm inner diameter. This improved it even more! Then I tried it on a fully regulated squonker; the Eleaf Pico Squeeze 2, I used the included beauty ring and replaced the drip tip with a stainless steel one.
Not only did it look great, it also performed far better with variable wattage where I could get my perfect desired warmth which also increased the flavour, and obviously with the benefit of a longer battery life, it soon became evident this RDA was my new favourite and Vapefly have done an amazing job designing this wonderful atty.
Compared To
I’m not even going to go there, trust me I have tried plenty of MTL RDA’s and only been satisfied with a couple (Salix & VV Simple EX).
As a wise woman once said “Nothing compares to you”
Conclusion
As you can probably tell by now I am loving this RDA. A few months back I had never heard of Vapefly and I still have no clue who ‘Horick TV’ is but after my experience with this quality RDA, and also currently testing their Jester RBA Pod system (which is also amazing – review following soon), this company are now firmly on my radar.
Their pricing is very competitive and good value for money. You genuinely feel like you have bought a high end product, the machining is superb and clean, the intuitive design provides flavour and airflow to rival high end atty’s.
Pros
- Sublime flavour.
- Innovative and efficient airflow.
- Uncomplicated assembly.
- Multiple airflow options for MTL and even restive DTL.
- Quality machining.
- Contemporary clean stylish design.
- Easy to build and wick
- Internal adjustable airflow.
- Well presented packaging.
- Includes everything required to build.
- Firebolt Cotton.
- Easy top cap removal for dripping and inspection.
- Small diameter with included beauty ring which suits most mods.
- Deep juice-well.
- Coil positioning notches.
- Value for money.
- Oh and did I mention the sublime FLAVOUR?
- PMM Drip Tip, though functional, would have been better in SS
- Included Ni80 coils were a little out in Ohms.
- Internal airflow adjustment can be tricky to see once built (I have older eyes).
- My VV Simple EX’s are lonely.
Scores
- Looks: 8/10
- Performance: 9/10
- Ease of build: 9/10
- Airflow adjustments: 10/10 (1st 10 out of 10 I have ever given)
- Value for money: 9/10
- Overall Score: 9/10 – Near perfection.
The Vapefly Holic is now my benchmark squonkable MTL RDA. Just when you think the market can’t evolve any further, along comes Vapefly with this offering. If you enjoy squonking MTL, this RDA is a no brainer.For DTL, however, there are better choices on the market with wider airflow, though this is clearly aimed at the MTL market.
Highly recommended - BUY IT!
