Notes for a Review from 2 Years Ago

Http://www.electronic-cigz.com M601/602 Review Notes:

Cart: Pyramid Teabag Mod

Juices: Totally Wicked w/ LorAnn flavors (Chocolate, Cinnamon Bun, Bavarian crème, Orange crème, Coffee) of various concentrations 12 mg/mL – 35 mg/mL.  Johnson Creek Smoke Juice (Original, Original Low PG, Tennessee Cured, more to come) 18 mg/mL (Tennessee Cured, Original and others from sampler), 24 mg/mL (Original and Original Low PG)

Function:

·        Push Button – slightly tighter than on 510, extends farther out so it's easier to get to it with gloves on.

◦     Time – 8 second cutoff.  I can't draw continuously for longer than six seconds, anyhow.  This allows a good amount of time to prime and fully draw.  Average draw for me is three-ish seconds.

◦     Batt Life – approximately 2 or 2.5 hours.  I vape quite heavily. Charge time 1 to 1.5 hours.  Charge time is good for using one batt and then swapping when ready.

◦     I seem to get slightly less vapor from this battery than from the autobattery.  Although, I may draw shorter on push button than on Auto (especially with primer draw on auto)

·        Auto Battery – responsive to first draw.  Slightly slower responding (on draw and release) when cold.  Mechanism must be microphone, because loud noises, talking while cig is in mouth and even setting it down (sometimes)will activate the unit.  It has an autocleaning cycle which seems to happen when battery is fresh charged a couple of draws in.  This process does burn off quite a lot of juice if cart is attached.  I will often disconnect when I notice (by sound, because no LED activates during this process) the process kicking in.  I clean atomizers using hydrogen peroxide and then a water bath, weekly.

Device Observations:

·        Aesthetics: The aesthetics are fantastic. I own stainless/chrome look auto batts with blue LEDs and the black manual with green LED.  The green LED has a great glow.  The blue LED now looks standard by virtue of all devices, which don't look like cigarettes, use a blue LED.  But it still looks great.

·        Constructon: Solid construction, though slightly plastic-feeling (may be a result of the lighter weight compared to other devices such as Luci or 510).  I like robust over-engineered devices, and this is a personal bias.  Though the device seems to have good wear and tear.  I do not notice a lot of scratching or deterioration of finishes after two months of ownership. To be updated later in the year for follow-up.

·        When refilling (remove juice cup from mouth piece), quite a lot of condensation of juice builds up inside the mouthpiece and outside of juice cup.  This could be a slight flaw in design due to reduced airflow within the mouthpiece.  Possibly kind of mouthpiece mod might fix this (larger hole for draw, more aerodynamic inner cart design, etc.). 

·        There seems to be slightly more force required to draw than regular cigarette or even on Luci, 103 or 510.  This appears to be a function of the atomizer (larger openings required or more openings?).  Though, pyramid teabag mod improves this some.  It is possible that if the atomizer bridge were taller, and cup rested lower in cart this might improve the situation as well.  Worthy of exploration.

·        Upon draw after cart is freshly filled (or atomizer is freshly dripped), some sound of fluid can be heard.  Though there is no whistling sound.  This reduces as fluid levels regulate in device. Though I've found when the sound goes away, there is not much more time before cart refill is required.

Vaping:

·        Device vapes really well.  Good vapor production.

·        Flavor is released very nicely.  No noticeable ill-taste (except when running low on juice – time for refill).  The flavor profile seems to rest farther back on the tongue than on 510.  It gives a more hearty character to the flavors.

·        Throat hit: Solid throat hit.  It can be harsh on higher concentration nic-juice.  Quite smooth overall.

·        Excellent “reference” device, to compare others' performance.

Other observations:

·        Portable design.  It fits nicely in change pocket of jeans with extra battery (though not recommended, because of the microphone function, and the manual battery button can be depressed while sitting, activating the device with or without atty).

·        Elegant design, though refinements in the Cart/atomizer design, making refill easier might improve device.

·        Available PowerPal PCC.  Will hopefully review soon.

·        Balance is good (for two finger operation) though it is still a little forward heavy.  This device is better than some, which use heavier brass cylinder construction on the battery case.  Still, I would prefer the device to be more balanced toward the back of the device to help it feel more like a regular cigarette.

·        Weight is good, actually.  It's light and easy to hold between two fingers (except push button is too heavy to press while attempting two finger operation).

·        The instructions included indicate the charge light will change from red to green when device is fully charged.  However, my device came with a blue LED, which blinks when the battery is fully charged.  I would prefer multi-colored LED option, but the device functions fine, so this is a nit pick and nothing more.

Company:

·        SonHing Sean runs an excellent company.  Pricing is reasonable, especially when devices go on sale.

·        Customer service response is outstanding.  Each time I needed information or had a customer service issue I received a response same day (initial response usually happened within a couple of hours).  It is possible that as order volumes grow, this may change.  However, it is clear to me the owner is very devoted to keeping his customers happy.  I had some bad luck with atomizers, initially.  My first atomizer died within a couple of days of vaping (I do not know if it was user error, or just bad luck).  He immediately sent out a new one and I received the replacement 10 days later.  The replacement atomizer died a week later.  He responded immediately, and shipped the atomizer.  However, rather than including one replacement, he included two.  I am guessing he did so, because I had purchased a second atomizer and decided to hedge his bets.  Still, I now have two fully functioning atomizers, and a spare in case one dies.  He ships from Canada, and US customs seems to be the major delay. 

·        Orders were processed same-day.

·        Shipping options: Standard offering does not come with tracking numbers and are shipped US mail.  If you feel the need to follow orders, upgrade to the priority mail option.  He does not currently offer in-US distribution, so expect slightly delayed shipping, and gauge accordingly. So far 12 days is the longest I have had to wait for items from this company.

Conclusion:

I highly recommend ordering a M601/602 from electronic-cigz.com.  The device is a delight to use, producing excellent vapor, flavor and performance.  I recommend purchasing the pyramid teabag mod because the regular Ultra cartridges hold on to a little too much juice, and do not wick quite as well as they could.  If for no other reason than excellent customer service, you will not regret your purchase.