Cartomizer Woes...

[DerStadtschutz]

Okay, so I got my boge soft tip cartomizers yesterday, and they seemed to work well enough initially. I quickly noticed, however, that they seem to be VERY inconsistent and now annoying. Considering how large the cartomizer is, and assuming that the filler goes the whole length of the cartomizer, there's no way that I filled it completely. But somehow, the filler looks moist, the juice doesn't seem to be soaking in anymore, and if I try to add more juice, it pools. So I guess it's full, whatever, that's not the issue. So I go to vape on it, and I hear a gurgling noise and/or barely get any vapor. I just sucked juice into my mouth. I'll maybe get a few decent drags, which require priming this thing like crazy, and then it's like out of juice... This isn't any better than cartridges. I get about the same number of drags if not less than I would with dripping before I have to top it off, and I'm wasting battery power trying to get a decent hit off of this thing. I feel like I'm vaping on my blu... No, scratch that, my blu works better than this(at least when I drip with it)

I don't get it. At this point, the only advantage over carts with these things that I can see is that it's slightly less messy and tedious. What could I possibly doing wrong here? Is 100% VG juice(that's all I use) somehow not "compatible" with these things, or what?

It seems like the only way to go for me is either dripping or a wetbox at this point. I know I hate cartridges, and I'm starting to hate cartos already too.

Edited December 2, 2010 by DerStadtschutz

[Christopher]

VG juice really doesn't work to well with cartomizers to be honest, especially 100%. Cartomizers where designed to be used with PG. VG is just so thick.

One tip though, if you over fill your cartomizer, take a paper towel, fold it in two, place it over the cartomizer and tag a drag. If there is any excess liquid it will end up on the paper towel rather than your mouth. The point where there is no more excess should be when the cartomizer should start pumping out vapor. If it doesn't then the VG just might be to thick.

[DerStadtschutz]

Hmm... that might explain why cartridges don't work too well for me either...

But when I use PG, I tend to get this sort of sick feeling. It happened with my blu prefilled carts, and it's happening with this menthol juice that came with my Riva kit. I never get it with any of my vapor renu 100% VG. I don't know if I have an allergic reaction to PG or what it is, but it's not very pleasant to me.

[Burn]

I had to change my recipes to 20% VG from 80% for use in cartomizers as they do plug up the filler as Chris says. For Cartridges, when I rarely use them, I can use heavy VG only with the Lipton pyramid tea bag mod.

I find the 80% pg 20% VG mix to be the most versatile, which is probably why it is the "standard" base mix for most suppliers.

[DAYVAPE]

That would definitely be the problem! VG at any % just doesn't really work for me... way too thick.

[BEERCITYVAPRZ]

Yeah I'd have to agree VG mixed 50-50 or even 70-30 or straight 100% dosen't work well with cartomizers, and I never got sick off of 100% PG e-liquids maybe just a little head rush probably from to high of nic, Good luck with it tho.

[CASEACE79]

I just got my cartomizers in the mail and the first thing I loaded up was Bobas Bounty (100% VG) and have had no problem. Plumes of vapor. I do have to say that direct dripping does give better flavor. I do have to say that my PG liquids especially Atomic Cinnacide is that I get more flavor.

[lightbringer]

I have to agree with everybody here. I have used cartos with several different ratios of PG to VG and the more VG the more gurgling drowning sound ya tend to get and not great hits. The more PG the better but I do like VG. I think my best carto liquids are %70 PG, %30 VG.

Just play around. Buy samples from cheaper distributors to nail down the ratio you like. Madvapes or Viking Vapor both are really cheap and the liquid at Madvapes is awesome (mostly)but you get more control over the mix at VV. You could buy a bottle of all PG and a bottle of all VG and mix yer own.

I still use carts a lot and always will cause I like to DD and switch liquids often but don't give up on the cartos yet. They are awesome when they work right. I tell ya one more thing. The 1st time I bought cartos from MV they were not very good but then I got some from VT and they are killer!

[snubber]

Have to agree. 100%vg is just a little too thick to work well in cartomizers.

[DAYVAPE]

I'm really happy that we can all agree on something around here!

[haft2doit]

Could try ce2 cartos. They may need to have a thinner juice as well but they will last a whole lot longer on a refill and total life. you'll have to rinse and dry burn a few times a month but the flavors better. I use TV juice from madvapes which is cheap and works well with cartos. Filler cartos seem to dry up quickly and stop wicking a little more with each fill. I'm still using ce2's from over a month and a half ago. They still work near as well as they did originally. This is with probably a rinse and dry burn once a week. Gunk builds up on the coil and wick that needs to be burned off. I like the 2.5ohm XL E2's @ 3.7. Also the mess is further reduced and you won't get any liquid sucking through on you or leaking onto the battery.

[2bsmoke4ee]

Yeah my g/f noticed the same thing. She recently got juice that was 100% VG. Right away she complained that the filler in the cartos just weren't sucking up the juice... took forever to fill, seems to be the thickness of the juice. I had her try my 50/50 mix, all is good now.