Review of eGo-C (Tornado-C)
By 8Ball (Nick)
I've been ask to review the eGo-C (Tornado-C) by Totally Wicked. I received one "C" battery, one USB charger, one cone assembly (cone and cone base), two atty coil assemblies, and three standard Tank carts that were pre-filled with tobacco flavored eliquid in various nicotine strengths, all for the purpose of this review. I can not comment on the packaging since I was shipped the parts loose in a padded mailer (it's my understanding that the TW branded kit was not yet available at the time of shipment).
The Battery: The eGo-C battery I received is approximately 1/8" longer than a standard Tornado battery. I assume this difference in length is due to the added functionality of the "C" battery. This battery has the new on/off function. Tap the battery button five times and it will toggle between the battery on and battery off modes. When the battery is off it can be safely placed in a convenient pocket (assuming one has a convenient pocket of course
) without fear of an accidental activation, and the resulting damage to the battery, your clothing, and pain that an overheated atty or venting battery could cause. I'm not in the habit of throwing my PVs in my pocket, but I do tend to throw them in an overcrowded case from time to time. While the on/off feature isn't a technological leap forward it is a feature that I appreciate. Now, if I can just remember to use it.....
This battery is also purported to have an LED that will change from white to blue to warn you when it's reaching the end of it's charge. Mine didn't.
I don't know if that function wasn't included in the battery I received, or if it just wasn't working. I think the protection circuits are supposed to be improved in this model, but I didn't short out the battery to test that as I'm leaning more towards non-destructive testing these days.
The battery didn't seem to last as long as my other Tornado batteries, but this could be down to a higher current draw from this new atty (more on that later).
The Atty: Here's where the rubber meets the road. This atty is a three part design. There's a base that fits onto the battery, a cone assembly that screws onto the base, and a coil/spike assembly that sits between the two. The coil assembly consists of a coil enclosed in a cylinder. One end of the cylinder sits on the atty base while the other end has a small spike plate on it. The coil/spike assembly is all that you replace when you want to change the atty, and I'm told they come in a strip of five, enclosed in plastic bubbles. I removed one of the two coils from it's package and assembled the atty by holding the cone upside down and setting the coil assembly into the cone, then screwing the base onto the cone. And that's all there is to it.
When fully assembled it's the same size as a regular tank atty and uses the regular Tank carts. One thing worth mentioning is the gap that's between the cone assembly and the base. Even though I snugged up the cone on the base there's still a small gap, and I think this may be where the air enters when you take a hit from the PV. I only have the one cone assembly and base, so I have no way of knowing if this is the way it is on all these attys, or if I just received a one-off.
Equipment used for Tornado-C review: I'm not all that fond of tobacco flavored juice, so for this review I set the provided pre-filled Tank carts aside and selected my favorite juice from my DIY arsenal and a clean, empty Tank cart. The mix I'm using was made with PI/VG base to a strength of about 6mg and contains about 20% Belgian Waffle flavoring. The balance is all AG. I selected this mix because it's a mix that I've vaped in everything I've ever owned, so I know how it should taste in a Tank. And as it happens I was already vaping some of the same batch in in a fairly fresh Mega Tank, so I had a good reference for comparison. As for the rest.... well.... it was the eGo-C kit that I'd just received, of course (I mean otherwise it wouldn't be much of a review of the eGo-C, now would it?).
So.... how does it perform?: Well, in a word "superfantastical"....
*ahem* what I mean to say is "gee gang, I think it's just swell".
There's no difference in battery performance that I can detect. But there is a marked improvement in both flavor and vapor from the "C" atty. I've been using the Tanks since they first appeared on the TW site, and I've vaped them all (standard, LR, and Mega). It will come as no surprise to anyone who's ever read any of my posts on the forum regarding the Tornado Tanks that I'm a big Tank fan. Until now, I considered the Mega to be the best vaping Tank of the lot. I think it gives better flavor than the standard Tank, and what's not to like about twice the juice capacity. I'll just add that I'm not a fan of the LRs, but that's probably because I go in more for flavor and vapor, and don't care that much about throat hit. I have to say the eGo-C is my new favorite Tank now, and I find myself regretting all the Mega Tank atty inventory I've stockpiled against the zombie apocalypse.
It's really that good! I should also mention that I didn't notice an appreciable break-in period with this atty. There was a flavor from the primer fluid, but it wasn't the nasty tasting flavor I'm used to, and the flavor of my juice came through immediately. All the primer taste had dissipated well before I finished vaping the first tank of juice.
Flavor: It delivers much more flavor than any of the other Tanks. Actually, I'd have to say I like the flavor of this mix in the eGo-C Tank as well as, if not better than the flavor I get from a CE3.
Draw: I don't like it if the draw is too loose, but I think the Mega Tanks are too tight. The draw on the "C"s hits me just about right.
Throat hit: I find the throat hit to be about the same as a Mega Tank.
Vapor: tons!
Well, with an all VG mix I do tend to get a lot of vapor anyway, but it seems that I may be getting a little more out of this than anything else I've ever vaped at standard Tornado voltages. And I think that may be down to the heat. I measured the resistance of the Mega Tank atty and the eGo-C and they were identical (2.3 ohms), yet the eGo-C seems to run hotter. In fact, if you're a chain vaper like me, you will probably need to keep something at hand to switch to from time to time to allow the "C" to rest and cool down.
And this is the only potential negative that I found about this new addition to the Tank family. I received my kit a bit late so I haven't had enough time to get a feel for the longevity of these attys, but as hot as it's running, I think it may have a shorter life-span than the other Tanks. That's just speculation though, and I've only used one of these attys, so I don't really have any data points to base this on. It's just a gut hunch. And when you considered the lower price per atty for the "C"s, it's less of a concern. To get this much flavor I'd happily change out the atty every week it that's what it took (and I don't mean to imply that I think they won't last longer than that!). But for those of us with a Booster there's another option isn't there?
I thought the performance was dropping off a bit, so I moved it to the Booster (well, you knew I was going to do that at some point anyway, right?
). And it works wonderfully on the booster. I had the dial cranked up all the way before I even got a hint of that burnt atty taste, and if throat hit is your thing and you don't over heat it, you could vape all day at the 9 o'clock position. And as an added bonus it looks great on the Booster. Almost like it was made for it. The chrome ring on the atty base (which is all that shows of the base when the "C" is fully assembled) is the exact same diameter as the chrome top (where the voltage adjust knob is located) on the Booster. It really makes for a sharp looking package with a black battery, black booster, and black "C" atty. And I've gone back to the regular Tornado batteries after having it on the booster, and it seems to be vaping as good as ever.
So I recommend the Tornado-C without hesitation. I'll be getting a kit when they go on sale, and once I've used and abused all the other Tank attys I have I'll be switching to the "C" exclusively (
if nothing better comes along in the mean time of course). If you already have a Tornado battery, why not pick up a "C" atty assembly and a strip of "C" coil/spike assemblies when the components are available and give the "C" a try for yourself. If you like the Tanks I think you're going to love the "C". And I just thought of something else! I've not had a single leak or flood with the "C". I know from past experience with the Tanks that the consistency of the attys varies widely, and therefor I know the performance I'm experiencing might not be typical behavior for a "C" atty. But if the rest of them are anywhere close to this one, then they're going to be good. Now, if they'd just make the Tornado-C in a Mega version.......
Nick (a.k.a. 8Ball)
