Last week at VapeCon International Washington, RPadholic N8R posed an interesting question while a bunch of us were enjoying a Ciroc-fueled evening (morning, actually). He asked the group, “Do you think rebuildable atomizers will be dead in two or three years? Because the coils on tanks are getting so good!” (At least, that’s what he asked to the best of my memory. There was a lot of vodka.) It’s certainly an interesting question, but to me it has a clear answer — no.
While it’s true that vape tanks are better than ever, they’re still behind rebuildable atomizers in terms of flavor production and vapor production. Certainly the convenience of tanks with replaceable coils is tough to beat. For the majority of vapers, a good tank with a good coil is a more manageable vaping solution than a rebuildable atomizer. In the timeframe N8R mentioned, I don’t doubt that tanks with replaceable coils will greatly outsell rebuildable atomizers. Now having said all of that, I sincerely doubt that rebuildable atomizers will be dead in three years.
One of the cool things about vaping is all the experimentation that occurs. A lot of that experimentation leads to innovation. Much of the experimentation and innovation happens on rebuildable atomizers. Let’s look at exotic coil types, for example. Clapton coils are the rage these days, with vapers enjoying the enhanced flavor they offer. In the last few months, companies have been offering replacement coils that feature Clapton builds. The first time I saw a Clapton coil was in early 2014 on ECF. While the innovative build eventually hit the replaceable-coil space, it first happened on rebuildable atomizers.
The same holds true for the different metals used with temperature control mods. Yes, there are replaceable coils that use nickel or titanium. Coils with stainless steel wire have recently popped up too. Before these metals appeared in replaceable coils, vapers were using them on rebuildable atomizers.
Again, I don’t doubt that tanks with replaceable coils will eclipse rebuildable atomizers in the near future. That trend has already started. Replaceable coils are simply a superior solution for the majority of vapers. At the same time, I don’t doubt that rebuildable atomizers will still be a “thing” in three years. It’s a much better platform for experimentation. There will always be a segment of enthusiast vapers that like to tinker and push the envelope, and they’ll do so on rebuildable atomizers. These pioneers are the trendsetters and tastemakers that will help make vaping better for everyone.
So yeah, that’s my long answer to a question that I couldn’t adequately answer last week due to alcohol. Ha!
[Special thanks to Vaping Drew for the image above!]
I started off with an ego and quickly switched to a dripper in less than a week. It took me over a year to finally go back to a tank that suites my needs. Although I don’t use my drippers as often, I still find myself going back them on occasion but mostly just at home. It’s way too convenient to use a tank setup when I’m out and about everyday. At first when I reading I was thinking of rebuildables like filter less cigarettes and that eventually less and less people would be using them. As you said they still provide a different taste and more vapor than a tank. With that said, I completely agree with you.
I started off with an ego and quickly switched to a dripper in less than a week. It took me over a year to finally go back to a tank that suites my needs. Although I don’t use my drippers as often, I still find myself going back them on occasion but mostly just at home. It’s way too convenient to use a tank setup when I’m out and about everyday. At first when I reading I was thinking of rebuildables like filter less cigarettes and that eventually less and less people would be using them. As you said they still provide a different taste and more vapor than a tank. With that said, I completely agree with you.
You see it as tanks being convenient, I see them as two things. In my beginning’s tank’s were of low quality and poor workmanship and routinely problematic. But, they offerd many advantages over cartos. It also seemed like taking a RDA our off the house was considered to encompass leaking & poor battery life. But, as we all grew, learned, modified every piece of hardware under the sun, taking a RDA out is not an issue. Leaks are only user error, carrying a bottle ain’t a thang with hip holsters and alk types of bottle shape and size’s to choose from. How cool is the Easy Dripper! And batteries, we’ve come a long way baby, haha.
In my view, drippin is about the only way to go if your Lookin to maximize your vape. Plus, don’t we all tinker with our set ups more than we like to admit. Either you’ve become so bloody lazy to build, which comparing the two methods, you would be spending less time building then you would switching out them coils so often and refilling that tank. Or you never experienced the growing pains many of us went thru with cartos, Novas, shit tasting Chinese juice and trying to save a few bucks by rebuilding your Protank or CE’s and ego’s crap. Therefore you don’t know the quality of what a good vape is. What you think taste good is 3 years ago for . Don’t get me started on blowing clouds, I don’t need to impress the ladies like that I’m packing it deap till I reach her bellyside.
I agree with some of what you said, but maintain that drippers are for an enthusiast audience. Tanks are far more suitable for the mainstream. Most people that turn to vaping in order to quit smoking have no interest in building coils.
I love my drippers and I love the most recent wave of sub-ohm tanks. Each type of device has their own strengths and weaknesses. In terms of what more people are interested in, the vast majority of shop owners I know have been selling more tanks than drippers in the last year.
Oh please, the only people buying tanks are 20 year olds who feel the couple of packs of cigarettes they smoked in high school is validation to start Vaping because I make it look so damn glorious and James Dean. That be cool people. Smoke for 20 years kids then tell me you’ve tried everything to kick the habit, only then will you get a custom box mod made by me. Compare the two with food. Would you rather eat your food in a nice restaurant or get out from theMCDonalds drive thru. Don’t you see that tanks are onlya refection of this i crap generation. Quick, easy, and God forbid you don’t have the time to learn about Vaping, batterys & ohms law. Just sell me a complete kit so I can blow clouds and post a handcheck on Instagram. My meat is more satisfying than dose chicken nuggets, don’t believe, just ask you’re girl which on she would rather put in her mouth. Vape shops are just looking to cash in off these Chinese made kits. I’ve noticed a trend with a llot of shops lately who don’t inform customers people about basics, safety & ohms law. Just to way
Easy to sell a kit and not have to worry about that stiff, fill the tank and send the customer on it’s way. The Mcdonaldization off Vaping has started and you didn’t even know it.
You couldn’t be more wrong. Tanks with replaceable coils appeal to a significantly broader audience than drippers do. Disputing that is illogical. If you equate it with smoking, out of the millions of people that smoke, only a small percentage care to buy quality tobacco and roll their own cigarettes.
Your food analogy doesn’t work either. Whether it’s McDonalds or a nice restaurant, the user effort is the same — the consumer doesn’t have to do anything. A better example would be asking 100 people if they’d like to eat a nice steak at a restaurant. The majority would say yes. If you ask the same people if they’d like to cook a great steak at home, the numbers would plummet, either because they don’t want to put in the time or are incapable of cooking skillfully.
If you honestly think that the majority of vapers are inclined and have the skill to use drippers over tanks then you don’t understand the market. Again, I love my drippers, but they’re clearly enthusiast products and not mainstream ones.
I’m saying this audience you speak of is the same ones that didn’t take to vaping due to learning curve when starts to vape. Ask a smoker why they don’t vape. Cause they feel it’s damn hard and complicated. A kit with your tank solves that, and is a clear reflection of American society and the direction this new wave of vapers are going. It’s cheap, they bypass the learning curve, and they get now at the cost of a lower quality vape experience. Someone is trying to change vapers mind that vaping a tank or kit is a better experience. Why, so they can continue to shell out there kits and profit. That’s why you don’t see drippers as much. If you were to set up a smoker with hardware and all, you know what would provide them with the best tasting vape experience. But you would rather not take the time to teach them all that you should because a kit with tank is more convenient for the both of you. This is change in philosophy with in this industry and one that deviates from innovation and pushing technology forward. Try taking money out of the equation. If your goal is to make money then yeah make your mainstream products so they can get into the most hands as possible. You want the best vape experience, well maybe some people just forgot. I quit vaping its more profitable and convenient to be a shepherd. Look at all the bloody sheep.I do understand this market you say, and I rebel against it. This is a stagnant time for vaping, but a profitable and popular one for those into tanks.
That was…strange. Your perception of the market and what most people want is warped. I really have no idea what you’re rebelling against. I enjoy and appreciate what RDAs offer, but you fetishize it. Would you rather have someone use a tank or go back to smoking tobacco cigarettes?
Dude I just gave you my reasons on the original question. You’ve called me warped, illogical, strange,and flat out said my reasons are wrong. Who is the authority that states everything you post is the absolute, correct and definitive answer. You’ve only responded to what I have observed with points to support my opinion. You’ve added no facts to support your claims to your responses. This isn’t a discussion about “Do you think rebuildable atomizers will be dead in two or three years? Because the coils on tanks are getting so good!” You then followed up the group question with this first line and paragraph “While it’s true that vape tanks are better than ever, they’re still behind rebuildable atomizers in terms of flavor production and vapor production” If your going to just shoot everything down and criticize everything I say, simply because you don’t agree with it or is not in conjunction with your analogy. I stand by my claims which correspond with your own stated 3 lines above; “they’re still behind rebuildable atomizers in terms of flavor production….” You say “For the majority of vapers, a good tank with a good coil is a more manageable vaping solution than a rebuildable atomizer.” I’ll say the same thing manageable yes, I agree, but how you word this does not prove your point. Ask this question next. Which provides better flavor production or vapor between the two? Or better yet ask this question before your question. Which do you think most people will say? I ask myself this everyday before I leave. I own a tank or two, but I choose to leave the house with my copper mech mod and RDA. I agree with both our questions. Manageable, Tanks Yes, Best flavor RDA’s Yes, “Would you rather have someone use a tank or smoke tobacco cigarettes?” Really, For your sake of argument, I’ll say go smoke cigs. Rebellion isn’t as easy as you think you know.
Dude I just gave you my reasons on the original question. You’ve called me warped, illogical, strange,and flat out said my reasons are wrong. Who is the authority that states everything you post is the absolute, correct and definitive answer. You’ve only responded to what I have observed with points to support my opinion. You’ve added no facts to support your claims to your responses. This isn’t a discussion about “Do you think rebuildable atomizers will be dead in two or three years? Because the coils on tanks are getting so good!” You then followed up the group question with this first line and paragraph “While it’s true that vape tanks are better than ever, they’re still behind rebuildable atomizers in terms of flavor production and vapor production” If your going to just shoot everything down and criticize everything I say, simply because you don’t agree with it or is not in conjunction with your analogy. I stand by my claims which correspond with your own stated 3 lines above; “they’re still behind rebuildable atomizers in terms of flavor production….” You say “For the majority of vapers, a good tank with a good coil is a more manageable vaping solution than a rebuildable atomizer.” I’ll say the same thing manageable yes, I agree, but how you word this does not prove your point. Ask this question next. Which provides better flavor production or vapor between the two? Or better yet ask this question before your question. Which do you think most people will say? I ask myself this everyday before I leave. I own a tank or two, but I choose to leave the house with my copper mech mod and RDA. I agree with both our questions. Manageable, Tanks Yes, Best flavor RDA’s Yes, “Would you rather have someone use a tank or smoke tobacco cigarettes?” Really, For your sake of argument, I’ll say go smoke cigs. Rebellion isn’t as easy as you think you know.
I never called you warped, illogical, or strange. You don’t appear to understand the difference between criticizing an idea and criticizing a person.
Your opinion is fine, but somewhat irrational and backed by nothing. You understand what works for you, which is great, but you also dismiss vaping solutions that work great for other people, which is sad. (Note: I didn’t call you sad.)
That I wrote that RDAs offer better flavor and vapor is irrelevant. Vaping isn’t a binary system. Many vapers are quite satisfied with the experience tanks offer; it doesn’t matter if there’s something better available. Saying, “the only people buying tanks are 20 year olds who feel the couple of packs of cigarettes they smoked in high school is validation to start Vaping because I make it look so damn glorious and James Dean” is one of the dumbest statements I’ve read about vaping. (Note: I didn’t call you dumb.) Look at all the people you saw at last weekend’s LA Vapers Club using tanks. None of them fit your description. Then go ahead and extrapolate.
What you like and enjoy about vaping isn’t absolute. You need to think beyond your experiences. It’s limiting.
To be honest, when I raised the question, I didn’t know and still don’t. I had just noticed a serious dip in RDA sales at my shop and a spike in sub ohm tank sales that are only getting better. So, my argument towards them being around in 2 to 3 years are the same as Ray eloquently and professionally stated.
My argument towards them going the way of the dodo have some of the traits that Ray stated, but emphasize that the average consumer is not super in to vaping the way we and the “innovators” that Ray spoke of are. Sure, a lot like to do research on the products, but when it comes to “good enough” functionality and the convenience of not having to refill as often, that’s a huge selling point for the average buyer.
At the end of the day, it’s about income. Without the income, the stores can’t survive, manufacturers can’t manufacture (even in China), the innovators can’t innovate, and the distributors can’t distribute. All that said, they are going to follow the money.
So, I guess my point is… BUY MORE DRIPPERS!