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What are everyone's favorite RDAs?


RunsWithOtter

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Reviews only tell me so much, so I'd love to have a few more first hand impressions of RDAs you guys are using everyday. I'll throw some of mine out there too, along with other RDA's I've had experiences with.

Velocity clone by Tobecco - I know this one is probably going to be most peoples top list, but here's my impression.
the 2 post design with 4 separate holes makes it incredibly easy to build on and get that 5th wrap that previously I couldn't get on 3/4 post RDAs. The well is a perfect size for holding a good bit of juice. 
The post holes aren't quite big enough to fit some of my wider builds. I tend to have a lot of snagging issues when trying to fit stapled helix coils in. The airflow adjustment cap tends to have a ton of condensation build up. I find myself turning the airflow completely down and drawling hard on it to suck the buildup back inside. From all the Tobecco clones I've played with, none of the O'rings fit the same. Some are incredibly stiff and start tearing, some slide the cap off very easily, and some are perfect. Definitely not the best flavor atty, but I'd still rate it higher than a lot of others on the market for flavor.

Royal Hunter Authentic - Absolutely love the look of the limited edition green and brass version. I call it my Green Ranger. The airflow was slightly more restrictive than I thought it would be wide open. Because of this, my builds don't dip below .2ohms. The airflow can't keep up. I tend to use it more on my mech mods more than anything. The juice well does not take kindly to over dripping. the coils sit too close to the well and there seems to be more spit back than I thought it would have had. The spit back guard catches it, but the holes will start to hold juice. I can't seem to look past it and find myself constantly cleaning the guard. the base has 2 O'rings that work nicely, but the brass cap only has one O'ring and is too loose imo. Flavor is decent, but nothing to rave about.

Stillare V2 clone - Nice little 3 post. It was what I built some of my first coils on and found my love of 24g Nichrome on. The well leaves a bit to be desired, and the 2 part barrel tends to hold some condensation, but never got too messy unless you pulled the 2 apart. If someone is looking for a first time RDA, There's better out there than this, but there's also worse. The O'ring around the base was small, but worked well. Airflow wasn't great, but 24 gauge gave a good hit. There's no option for anything other than drip tips. The end of the chimney flattened out, which was my biggest gripe about this RDA. It would tend to have a lot of standing juice between the drip tip and base of metal. I would occasionally suck up juice. The standing juice also made it so that any drip tip I used would loosen up with over saturation, so nothing felt as though it fit right. Unless you can get one cheap, pass on this one.

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Agree 100% with you about velocity, great Rda, flavor a bit meh. I have revisited a few Rda that I've not used in ages, the Marquis, great flavour good Rda IMO, old trusty plume veil, would love if it had a deeper juice well. Veritas, another great flavour Rda. I am going to keep digging through all my Rda, of the past as I have no doubt there will be a few gems in the pile that I have not used in a wee while

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Got a brass monkey that may as well be welded to the top of a wooden box, cigreen tank crossing , its not much moor than a bottle cap, very good with mini and nano coils and am currently toying with mini tiger coils, it realy produces clouds for what it is and very good flavours when using higher end juice, i think people can over look that cheep juice means cheep juice. And they aint going to get a fantastick full bodied massive hit of flavoursome vapor. Other than that 2 times mutation x , nice and simple probly mark 2 versions . I did have the mark four but threw it at a wall after about five minutes. I connect thoes to all manner of devices depending on what coils im giving myself a headach over. Dripper good word for it, a friend gave me a black cotton bandana head scarf with sculs printed on it, its nothing to cary tucked in a sleave or pocket and its eadily swilled under a tap and dry by next morning, a lot better than nits of tissue everywhere.

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I was curious of the Marquis for a while. It seemed awesome for flavor, but I assumed the giant block in it would hold heat. I definitely agree about the deck on the plume veil. I love the design they put over the airflow. The post holes aren't the largest either. It's a good simple RDA, but I wouldn't try anything crazy in it. The airflow adjust O'rings also tend to be extremely stiff from the ones I've played with. 

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I also have the Tobeco clone of the Velocity, both regular and mini versions, and I agree with the OP's comments. Still, it's probably my all around favorite for its versatility. One RDA that doesn't seem to get a lot of attention is the Vector. It's a standard 3-post deck but has top airflow. Only supports dual coil unfortunately. But l have found that the flavor is top notch, owing probably to the top airflow design. It's not the most flexible design. No interchangeable drip tip, as you have to use the integrated top cap because the airflow control is built into it. Still, it's hard to argue with the results. It's probably my most consistent atty from a flavor standpoint, and I have quite a few.

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+1 for the Velocity as well-it's the one RDA that is truly a hybrid, in the sense that it caters to both the flavor chasers and the cloud chasers. I love them clouds brah, but I am definitely a flavor chaser too. Regardless, when it comes down to everyday functionality, especially when I am mobile/on-the-go, I prefer a top airflow RDA over a bottom airflow RDA, simply, because it's less messy. With that said, I still enjoy using my bottom airflow RDAs, such as my STRO Mini v1&2 when I am at home-definitely worth a gander if you're in the market for a cloud chasing RDA. Currently, other than the Velocity, The RDA I use mostly is the Sapor (by Youde/UD), which is not only a beast, but also very affordable. I was definitely surprised at how well it performed. It is a very simplistic top airflow design and very easy to build on. II also have the Aeolus V1, which my girlfriend has become attached to, and for good reason. It's been out for a while, but I think it still is a contender. Lastly, the Hobo V3.1, which I just got and haven't used, so I will have to update you guys at a later date. I enjoy my RTAs too! Maybe we should start a thread called "what are everyone's favorite RTAs?" too...

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@bmclauren - How is the Velocity Mini? I've been contemplating picking one up. I never use the indirect airflow on my mutation and it looks as though all they did was shrink the barrel. Is the juice well or length of the post legs much different?
I still am absolutly not a fan of top airflow. I've never actually hit a vector to know how it hits, but most times top airflow to me is a turbulent draw that I feel doesn't hit the coils right. There's probably never going to be a top airflow design I'll ever like. I wish the Indestructible didn't have it, I hate the Aeolus, etc. I was to see a compact atty with top airflow and a tapered in chuff cap with no spit back guard. It would keep the small well from leaking out the sides and allow me to drip straight in without removing the cap.

@digatel - The only reason I really use the velocity is for the deck. I'm hoping something more attractive comes out with a 2 post deck with 4 lead holes again. I want to try the phenotype L/Anomolie clone, but I'd want to run it with a massive single coil. The only issue is there's no option for that due to its airflow size. I'd considered using a vape band to choke off one side the airflow on one side, but that would get old real fast.
The STRO actually looks really nice. I'm going to look deeper into that one in a minute. I've still never tried the Sapor either. There has been a ton of hype around that one though. It may be worth looking into. I played with my friends Hobo V2? clone I think it was. I felt the inner barrel that screwed on was a little too thick. It held too much head, restricted builds with its size, and the O'rings were almost impossible to get the cap back on. surprisingly, it wasn't a bad RDA with all that said.
Go ahead and start the topic. Haha. as soon as I got my first Stingray mod and Stillare V2, I knew I'd never go back to a tank.

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RunsWithOtter said:

How is the Velocity Mini? I've been contemplating picking one up. I never use the indirect airflow on my mutation and it looks as though all they did was shrink the barrel. Is the juice well or length of the post legs much different?

I actually like the flavor better on the mini. I guess the shorter barrel reduces the chamber and thus concentrates the vapor more than the regular version. Juice well is shallower but still usable and posts are very slightly shorter. But there is still plenty of room for large builds. For all practical purposes, it is every bit as flexible as the regular Velocity in terms of build capability.
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right now for around the house i use the velocity. that condensation leaking out through airholes gets annoying. great build deck though. for when im out and about the sapor is 10/10. the flavor is similar to the velocity but with the top down airflow you can fill it with so much juice and have no issues at all. that thing refuses to leak at all. 

what i really want to see is a RDA thats a big brother hybrid of the velocity and sapor. something with a 24mm deck (after all, DNA200 mode have the space), the top down airflow from the sapor, with the deck from the velocity. one other change i would make is giving it a little more of a domed top to improve flavor. please someone produce this. i would drop $100+ on an authentic in a heartbeat. 

one thing which has interested me a bit is the archon with the 2 post base. there are just so few reviews on it that i cant make a decision on whether i want to buy it or now. if the condensation leaks through the airholes it would be a deal breaker. 
base RDA ($39.99) - http://www.cloudycollabs.com/cci-archon-rda/
2 post deck ($19.99) - http://www.cloudycollabs.com/cci-archon-two-post-rda-deck/

there is also the glacier 2 RDA 2 post ($50) - http://www.cloudycollabs.com/glacier-ii-rda-by-vaperz-cloud/

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@Bmcaurin - Not sure why I said mutation in that quote. I was throwing a TI build in my mutation yesterday, so I probably wasn't thinking.
The posts on the regular velocity already leave a good bit of room to be shortened, so I bet the mini wouldn't be bad if they're only slightly shorter. Possibly bending my coils up a little but, but I'm sure it wouldn't be a complaint. I'm definitely going to put this on my list of RDAs to pick up.

@Margucci - Looking at the 2 post deck of the Archon, the post holes don't look too promising. They seem a little bit too small to put anything other than basic builds in. I'm not sure if you mess with larger builds, but I'd keep an eye out to see what people are fitting in them.
The Glacier looks a lot nicer, and even comes with extra posts from the looks of it. The copper cap looks gorgeous. I'll keep you in mind if I find anyone who has either of these.

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@RunsWithOtter- I didn't mention it in my first post about the Stro, but both the Version 1 & 2 have a 2 post design same as the Velocity and the holes are definitely big enough to build massive coils, such as any variation of the Clapton and so on... The only difference between the V1&2 is that only the V2 has bottom airflow coming from underneath the coils, as well as side airflow slots...It is a beautiful looking RDA all around. It comes with 2 different chuff caps-1 that has a spit-back screen (made of plastic built right into the cap to prevent juice from spitting into your mouth) and the other just wide open, and then of course it comes with the normal 510 adapter cap-all 3 caps have notches on them, so you can close off the side airflow and just use bottom airflow if you wish. I find myself using the Stro V1 much more often than the V2, only because I always worry about juice leaking on my mods and making a mess, but in all honesty, it is a work of art. If you are looking for a cloud chasing RDA that has a Velocity style posts, the Stro V2 is a beast. Sorry for the long message...I got carried away. Lol.

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The flavor is great. In all honesty, I can't tell a difference between the V1 & V2. One other thing I didn't mention, is that the V1 is shorter as well. I'm not much of a cloud chaser, like I said before, but I enjoy using it if I am at home relaxing. As long as I don't tip it, it won't leak and I can drip right onto the coils without removing the drip tip or top cap. Here's some pics of the V2 deck and then a height comparison...I would've showed the V1 deck, but I have juiced up coils in it, but it looks exactly the same, except take away the airflow holes-the V1 definitely has a bigger juice well for that reason

image.jpg

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@digatel - I like the tl;dr posts. It shows how much you like the RDA. When I use an RDA, I always look for the negatives. The positives most times are apparent, but no one ever talks about the cap on the velocity having buildup, or the post holes being average size. That would have been something I would have liked to have known even though it isn't that big of a deal overall.
There's always the worry of over drip with any bottom airflow, but the added flavor makes it worth the pain. It's just not a drip and drive RDA. Haha. I'm definitely looking into the STRO now.

Anthony - I've been hearing a lot of good about the snub nose RDA for flavor. I can't remember who it's by, but I've heard just as much good from the clones as I have the authentic. That would be my recommendation.

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Some of my top rdas are the Glacier v1- because of the airflow and super deep juice well. Velocity-by Avid I personally enjoy the flavor off this rda...i usually close the top airflow halfway and side a little over half(nice short drip tip makes it even better) . The Buddha 23 is my newest and a very durable rda with no limit to builds or airflow. Kennedy comp authentic - pretty good flavor. 13 Heavens by compvape is a builders dream and a very versatile rda. This is my opinion on this because I enjoy a combo of flavor, clouds and I love to build! Last but not least the Phenotype L by Anarchist mfg and Aria just because it's ridiculous.

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  • 5 months later...
  • 1 year later...
On 12/10/2015 at 1:10 AM, Margucci said:

right now for around the house i use the velocity. that condensation leaking out through airholes gets annoying. great build deck though. for when im out and about the sapor is 10/10. the flavor is similar to the velocity but with the top down airflow you can fill it with so much juice and have no issues at all. that thing refuses to leak at all. 

what i really want to see is a RDA thats a big brother hybrid of the velocity and sapor. something with a 24mm deck (after all, DNA200 mode have the space), the top down airflow from the sapor, with the deck from the velocity. one other change i would make is giving it a little more of a domed top to improve flavor. please someone produce this. i would drop $100+ on an authentic in a heartbeat. 

one thing which has interested me a bit is the archon with the 2 post base. there are just so few reviews on it that i cant make a decision on whether i want to buy it or now. if the condensation leaks through the airholes it would be a deal breaker. 
base RDA ($39.99) - http://www.cloudycollabs.com/cci-archon-rda/
2 post deck ($19.99) - http://www.cloudycollabs.com/cci-archon-two-post-rda-deck/

there is also the best RDA Vapes 2017-2018 glacier 2 RDA 2 post ($50) - https://vapingbase.com/best-rda/

And why such a difference in price? Sorry, if you find my question trivial, I just recently switched to vape.

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