It seems as far as e-cigarette trends go, the dual coil carto tank is the latest big thing. That’s not to say tanks are necessarily new; they aren’t. CE2 based tank mods have been on the market for ages. The new twist on the tank trend is using cartomizers with filler, especially dual coil cartomizers. We’ll take a look at one example in the field, the Big Daddy tank from Big Daddy Vapor.
Design
Unlike CE2 tanks which disassemble the cartomizer and stick the guts in some kind of tube, the new generation of tanks leave the carto intact, save for holes or notches in the side of the cartomizer to allow liquid to flow from the tank into the cartomizer. The carto is then slid through gaskets in the opening of the end caps to create a water tight liquid compartment.
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| The Parts |
The Big Daddy is a 5ml polycarbonate clear tube with machined end caps. The end caps are made of either derlin, aluminum or stainless steel. Each option is more expensive than the previous. I went with the middle of the road aluminum model.
The machining on this tank’s end caps is fantastic. The finish is highly polished and smooth with no rough edges. The tank itself is sized to perfectly house XL sized (1.8ml) SmokTech dual coil cartomizers. Other cartomizers of the same size including the triple coil and the Resurrector also worked perfectly well after I punched holes in them.
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| Thick tube |
Cartomizer punching
The Big Daddy Tank comes with one pre-punched dual coil cartomizer (along with your choice of drip tips and a syringe for easy filling). Additional pre-punched cartomizers can be purchased from Big Daddy Vapor. If you’re particularly adventurous, or handy, you could also try your hand and punching your own cartos.
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| Stand back! I know what I’m doing! |
There are several methods of punching or slotting your cartomizers. If you have power tools, you can use a rotary tool to cut a notch into the side of the cartomizer. Others use a self-tapping screw or a nail to make the holes. One person even designed a clever and simple jig to simplify the process.
The method that worked for me was a combination of another tip on the message boards involving a wire stripper, along with the nail method. My wire strippers aren’t sharp enough to punch the cartomizer, so instead, I use the strippers to make small dents in the cartomizer where the holes should go. Then I put the carto in a bench vice and use a finishing nail to complete the holes.
The dents from the previous step keep the nail from sliding around when I try to hammer the nail into the carto. Be careful not to make your holes too big or the cartomizer will leak. I wrecked a few cartomizers figuring the process out. I’d recommend you practice with some old cartos before you start tearing up your shiny new models.
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| Pre-punched dual coil |
Performance
For the most part, the performance profile of the device is going to depend entirely on the cartomizer. The tank’s performance really comes down to two key jobs. The jobs are not leaking and keeping the cartomizer properly saturated.
The saturation part will likely come down to how well the carto itself has been punched. The pre-punched carto (which has only a single hole punched in it) had no problems staying nice and moist while I depleted the tank. My other cartomizers I punched also worked well with the small exception of the one where I punched the holes a little too low and they were blocked by the O-rings in the end cap.
Those O-rings do their job very well. I have not experienced any leaks with this device. The cartomizer fits snugly so there are also no problems with the tank accidentally sliding off the cartomizer.
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| You may feel a slight pinch |
Care and Filling
One potential concern with all polycarbonate tubes is the potential for cracking. While I don’t have issues with the e-liquid I use, some users have reported that these types of tanks (though not this tank specifically) can crack if filled with acidic juices. Certain types of mint, citrus and cinnamon flavors seem to be the main culprits.
Filling the Big Daddy is fairly simple. Unlike some tanks, which recommend you remove the end cap to fill, Big Daddy Vapor suggests leaving the cap on to fill. Instead, take the tank off your e-cigarette and then push the battery connector into the tank. This will expose a small gap between the cartomizer and the interior of the tank for the syringe to fit for filling.
Too Long; Didn’t Read
The Big Daddy tank is a 5ml tank designed for XL dual coil cartomizers (other cartomizers of the same size work equally well). The tank consists of a polycarbonate tube and two machined end caps available in 3 different materials. The tank does a great job of keeping the cartomizer filled up and I haven’t experienced any leaking issues with the device. You can purchase one for yourself at Big Daddy Vapor.
Pros:
- Excellently machined parts
- Very stylish
- Less expensive than many other tanks
- Drip tip and syringe included.
- Only dual coil cartos available pre-punched
- Some juices crack polycarbonate
