Which vape?

[scooby]

To this day I cannot put my finger on why I found it relatively easy to stop smoking, but perhaps my brain was simply in the right place at the right time for me to succeed. In truth, I can't really say I feel any healthier, except I may have a bit more puff when riding up hills, I can smell things a bit more acutely, although taste doesn't seem to be any better, but the finances have taken a boost, which is the most obvious benefit I notice.

As to the question "Which vape?" Not a clue, I'm afraid. Never tried one. Sorry. Slainte.

I quit after 20 years in 2010 and found it relatively easy. I think I'd really got to the point where the enjoyment had gone. The first cig after waking up, which used to be bliss, had turned into making feel nauseous. From what I remember, I think used easily available nicotine mint lozenges (Nicorette?) for a few weeks and a bit of cold turkey.
Whilst being 'easy', not something I'd like to go through again. Cycling is my replacement addiction, and whilst struggling up the hills round here I curse the day I started smoking..so I think the chance of me starting again is very low.

 

[McAldo]

I stopped smoking cigarettes about 20 years ago, but have recently been on the vapes. Using the pods costs a fortune, so I want to get one of the devices that you can refill with e-liquid. I just did some searches on which one is best to get but all the sites that come up are trying to sell their stock, rather than advise what's best.

Can anyone recommend what device to get? Ideally something that works with commonly available liquids.

Thanks, C

I have been using vaporisers for 13 year, and I have tried all kinds of things, including fashioning my own heating coils and devices, making my own liquid and so forth.

Over the last 6 years or so I settled in a simple setup, which is what I suggest you could try.
You need a solid device which is durable, and can take bring dropped accidentally too, because it happens.
Most commercial mods will fail within 6 months because of a failing switch or internal battery depletion.
And you need a solid atomizer tank with affordable replacement coils, easy to refill with no leakage.

This is the vaporizer model I use, it is solid and waterproof, which allows to clean it easily. I had two, it should last in excess of two years.
https://amzn.eu/d/63B8ScH

This is the only atomizer I used since 5 years. No leaks, regulable airflow, it can be refilled in a second, the coil can be swapped without emptying it.
https://amzn.eu/d/bIPkgMj

The coils last me on average one week, so a pack is good for 5 weeks or so.
https://amzn.eu/d/b9gUyF9

If you went for this setup, you would also need a couple of 18750 batteries, of good quality, high drain, or more, and a charger.
For instance
https://amzn.eu/d/8H5IJye

As for the eliquid, I make my own, buying flavours occasionally from abroad. This is very cheap, and safer because I know quite exactly what is going in it, but it is more involved.
Currently it is hard to buy good quality eliquid for decent prices though, and next year government taxes will add to that very significantly.

The gear I am suggesting will probably cost you 100 per year, including coils, admiring to have to replace half of the items every year, which in my experience is a slightly pessimistic forecast, but not far off.

The mod goes up to 100w, but the attire is designed for 10 to 20 watts, and you should stay in that range.
Also, change the coil as soon as the taste change. Not doing so means to be breathing in crap which makes it not better than smoking. When changing a coil saturate the new one with liquid and leave it resting at least 6 hours, ideally in a full tank. My suggestion is essentially to have a spare atomizer, and alternate between them. When you first power a new one, start at under 10w, and keep it there for the first day.
This will help make sure you only inhale eliquid, not other vapours from overheating, which are most definitely very unhealthy.

 

[McAldo]

Any thoughts on how the budget hits the Vapers on here? The way I see it, we just got bent over big time

The incoming tax on eliquid is quite high, at around 25p per ml.
It was to be expected though. For decades the tax on tobacco products paid in full not only for smoking related treatments, but also for a bunch of other stuff. It was a net source of revenue which has been dwindling, so any government would have sought to replace it, eventually, it was just a matter of time.

It does not effect me, because I mix my own liquid, but it will make a difference for most people.

They are keeping the incoming ban on disposable devices which objectively is a good thing. Even financially for vapers, there is no reason to waste that much money.

 

[JSW]

The incoming tax on eliquid is quite high, at around 25p per ml.

Yep, and given a standard 10ml bottle is C. £2.50, the budget has doubled the current price

 

[McAldo]

Thanks. Is there a generic term for the kind of device that uses liquids rather than pods?

There have been many names, because refillable solutions have been around for longer that pods.

Initially it was cartomizers, which had filler and a coil in it.
And atomizers, which had just a coil you dripped regularly on.
Then came a ton of different solutions.

The standard right now are tanks with replaceable atomizers.
They are not the same thing as a device.
The device powers the tank, it has the battery and all the electronics.
The tank screws into it.

In general I would suggest staying clear of any integrated solution, it is better to have a separated device, and a separated tank, which connect through standard connectors.
That way you can substitute whatever fails first. For the same reason, removable batteries are preferable to integrated ones.

 

[McAldo]

The company I use - and would highly recommend - is called "Totally Wicked" They have a range of e-cigs, they are really strict on safety of batteries and liquid, make their own liquid in the UK with a massive range of flavours, have v good customer services (people actually answer the phone and talk to you!) and .... they're v reasonable priced.

To each their own, but I am really not a fan of Totally Wicked.
For the longest years they ran a curated forum which portrayed itself as an impartial forum while deleting any comments mentioning issues or alternatives.
Their products are pretty standard stuff, not particularly well priced.
And they caused a defenceless non commercial forum to close, which was very much the equivalent of this forum, in terms of usefulness to most people in the UK.

Their business model is, or was at least, to create and insulate a fan base, and then policing it very strictly. But their products are just standard stuff, in my experience, and one is better off shopping around.

 

[McAldo]

Yep, and given a standard 10ml bottle is C. £2.50, the budget has doubled the current price

Very true.
My suggestion would be to find flavours which are strong, and dilute them with pharmaceutical grade PG and VG.
Also, personally I do not use atomizers which produce clouds. That limits the amount of liquid consumed daily. Which frankly is also good for health reasons.

 

[ey_tony]

I did do it again before I became ill, but in a limited way - since diagnosed with melanoma, I figure it's a pleasure I don't want to fight. Coffee and a cigarette (well, a vape), and imagine myself sat on the left bank reading Sartre...

I get where you're coming from. I used to smoke but had to give it up due heart failure in 2014 thought to be caused by a virus. In September 2014 the physicians didn't give me longer than Christmas to live but I've proved them wrong and still here. I now enjoy my life as much as my health will allow but smoking or vaping isn't something that features in my life today.
On top of heart failure I have COPD but not because of smoking, but because of lung damage I acquired through contracting the SARS virus in 2003 whilst out in Hong Kong. It seriously damaged my lungs, took over a year from which to recover but my lungs were never the same after that as the damage was already done.

When I gave up smoking I too continued my habit by vaping which is definitely less harmful than smoking tobacco. However, I graduated from regular nicotine content down to zero nicotine content and continued that for a couple of years and now I've been vape free for maybe 5 years. I still keep an almost unused 100 ml bottle of the zero nicotine liquid in front of me to remind me of my past but it's never tempted me to pick up the habit again.

If vaping gives you pleasure then go for it but my advice would be to transition onto zero nicotine liquid to reduce any of the harmful effects of nicotine. I found that menthol flavoured non-nicotine liquid was most appealing for me and I got to the stage where I didn't miss the nicotine content whatsoever. I could still emulate smoking but without the harmful effects that go with it.

 

[Chris152]

I get where you're coming from. I used to smoke but had to give it up due heart failure in 2014 thought to be caused by a virus. In September 2014 the physicians didn't give me longer than Christmas to live but I've proved them wrong and still here. I now enjoy my life as much as my health will allow but smoking or vaping isn't something that features in my life today.
On top of heart failure I have COPD but not because of smoking, but because of lung damage I acquired through contracting the SARS virus in 2003 whilst out in Hong Kong. It seriously damaged my lungs, took over a year from which to recover but my lungs were never the same after that as the damage was already done.

When I gave up smoking I too continued my habit by vaping which is definitely less harmful than smoking tobacco. However, I graduated from regular nicotine content down to zero nicotine content and continued that for a couple of years and now I've been vape free for maybe 5 years. I still keep an almost unused 100 ml bottle of the zero nicotine liquid in front of me to remind me of my past but it's never tempted me to pick up the habit again.

If vaping gives you pleasure then go for it but my advice would be to transition onto zero nicotine liquid to reduce any of the harmful effects of nicotine. I found that menthol flavoured non-nicotine liquid was most appealing for me and I got to the stage where I didn't miss the nicotine content whatsoever. I could still emulate smoking but without the harmful effects that go with it.

Thanks Tony - I'm on 18mg at the moment, I'll try 12 next, see how it goes. I get very tired with the treatment and I guess anything that creates an extra challenge for my body is bad. Currently on a tea break from building an outdoor work area for the workshop, 10.15am and I'm knackered already! Every good day is a bonus, if the treatment hadn't worked I'd have been gone 1.5 years ago. We all know to make the most of every day, but it's not til you hit something so threatening that you really understand - as you clearly do. Keep going!

 

[ey_tony]

Thanks Tony - I'm on 18mg at the moment, I'll try 12 next, see how it goes. I get very tired with the treatment and I guess anything that creates an extra challenge for my body is bad. Currently on a tea break from building an outdoor work area for the workshop, 10.15am and I'm knackered already! Every good day is a bonus, if the treatment hadn't worked I'd have been gone 1.5 years ago. We all know to make the most of every day, but it's not til you hit something so threatening that you really understand - as you clearly do. Keep going!

Chris: Try a bottle of nicotine-free liquid for a few weeks to see how you get on. It doesn't cost a fortune so give it a whirl to see if you could cope without the nicotine.
Also try one or two flavours to see how you get one with those. It took me a while to transition from nicotine to non- nicotine but it's doable and once you've got your body used to not having the nicotine you won't notice it missing from your vaping.

 

[Chris152]

Chris: Try a bottle of nicotine-free liquid for a few weeks to see how you get on. It doesn't cost a fortune so give it a whirl to see if you could cope without the nicotine.
Also try one or two flavours to see how you get one with those. It took me a while to transition from nicotine to non- nicotine but it's doable and once you've got your body used to not having the nicotine you won't notice it missing from your vaping.

OK, here's the plan - I'll get a 12 and a 0 - I'm not ready for cold turkey, so I'll try to use the zero normally, and use the 12 when I'm in need (I'll load separate pods with each). Really appreciate your advice - I'll report back in due course.

 

[ey_tony]

OK, here's the plan - I'll get a 12 and a 0 - I'm not ready for cold turkey, so I'll try to use the zero normally, and use the 12 when I'm in need (I'll load separate pods with each). Really appreciate your advice - I'll report back in due course.

Just do what you feel is best for you. After a few days to a week of zero you will find that the craving gradually subsides but you may be reaching for your vape more often. That too will fade, just persevere.. Toward the latter stages I found that I infrequently used my vape until reached a point where I just didn't bother with it.
But you're talking maybe 12 months or more before you can safely say you don't crave it any more.