GotVapes Pump Cart: Impressions

If you’re the type who laments not being able to drip eliquid directly into your electronic cigarette while you drive, the Got Vapes Pump Cart might just be up your alley.  The Pump Cart is essentially a tank cartridge with a mechanical push button used to force juice out the opening and into the atomizer on demand.

Design
Unlike traditional tank setups, the Pump Cart can be used on just about any 510 atomizer.  The Pump replicates the action of dripping by dropping eliquid into the atomizer one drop at a time.  This also means that unlike many tanks, there is no muting of flavor in the vapor the experience is very close to traditional dripping.

The button

When I initially saw the Pump Cart online, I had some reservations about the quality of the push button.  Once I got the unit in my hands, my concerns were alleviated.  While the top of the button is plastic, the whole assembly is very solid, I don’t feel like the button will break or fall off.

Size-wise, the pump cart is definitely longer than a drip tip, and slightly longer than a common atomizer cartridge.  If you are sensitive to the length of your e-cigarette this might be a consideration (although the existence of the button would likely also be a concern because it throws off the cigarette look considerably)

The cartridge itself is a smokey grey color which allows you to see how much juice you have in there (if you hold it up to the light, the cartridge is fairly dark).  The rated capacity of the Pump Cart is 1.5ml.  The atomizer end of the cart has a silicone cap with a hole in the middle.  Inside the hole is a small piece of polyfill batting to keep the liquid from free flowing out the cartridge.  To fill, simply remove the silicone cap and add your juice.

How it works
So the idea is this:  You prime the Pump Cart to get the batting wet and drip your first initial drops into the atomizer.  Then you merrily vape away, pausing every once in a while to press the button a few times to drip some more juice into the atomizer just like you would when using a bottle.  The GotVapes site offers the following instructions for use:

The PumpCart employs the use of a small plastic and easy to press button on the side which accelerates the eJuice through the batting that feeds your atomizer. Simply remove the top cap and fill with up to 1.5ml of eJuice then, primer pump the button 8-10 times or until you see a droplet or two of juice escaping the batting filler at the bottom. Insert the PumpCart on your atomizer and vape! When you start to sense any dry hits simply press the botton on the side a few more times (holding down for a second each time) to help re-feed fluid into your atomizer. Another user adds (see video below) that he has had success priming the atomizer with doing a button press a few times while doign [sic] a dry draw. —Video mentioned in the quote is not on this site, watch it here -Steve K

My Experience
First of all, I’m not a consistant dripper, so I was never good at judging at when and how much to drip. That being said, I had a bit of a struggle trying to find my groove with this little device.  I tested it with both regular 510 atomizers and de-bridged models (a generic 510 and the Dripping Atomizer from SmartVapes). One issue I kept running into was when doing the dry draw method, I would occasionally knock that little ball of polyfill loose.  When that happens, juice just free flows into the atomizer, which is not a good thing.

End cap and polyfill removed

I posted on the Got Vapes subforum on ECF about the issue, and it seems nobody has that issue, or really many other issues at all.  I’m not sure if I’m just uncoordinated, got a bad couple of carts or what.  About the third try I got them to work better.  I still found myself way over dripping and blowing through juice quite quickly.  This subsides with time, and once I got the coordination down, the experience really was analog to dropping juice down a drip tip with a bottle.

There are a couple of things adding this cart to your atomizer will do that may or may not matter.  First, the cart’s length means that the vapor is going to be slightly cooler than if you were using a drip tip.  Second, adding a second button to your electronic cigarette could feel a little bit strange (that feeling subsides quickly). The cart also is a tight fit in some atomizers, there were a couple I could not get the Pump to fit completely flush.  At least it won’t fall off accidentally.

Too Long; Didn’t Read
The Got Vapes Pump Cart solution is a cartridge that fits in standard 510 atomizers and drip feeds juice directly to the atomizer.  If you are a regular dripper who is looking for a little more convenience in your life, this may be a great solution.  Adding the cart does add a slight bit of complexity to the routine, though no more so than having to fiddle with a juice bottle to drip.  For me, personally, I don’t think this device will singlehandedly convert me to an atomizer guy.

Pros:

• Provides a hands-free way to direct drip
• Holds 1.5ml of eliquid
• Solid construction
• Semi-transparent for juice level viewing