IPV MINI 2 70W

Hello everybody! Today, I'll be reviewing the IPV Mini 2 70w box mod by Pioneer4you. The box was provided to me by my good friend Jonathan over at www.alluringvapors.com. Make sure you stop by, take a look around - his prices are competitive, and he has a wide selection of premium juice, the latest and greatest box mods, and plenty of other things. Let's get cracking

Features and Specs:

• 510 Threaded
• Loading resistance: 0.2 ohm - 3.0 ohm
• Output Voltage range: 3.6 V – 8.5 V
• Output Wattage range: 5.0 w – 70 w
• YiHi SX330V2C chip
• Floating top pin
• Visual operating system
• Low voltage protection
• Low resistance protection
• High input voltage warning
• Output short circuit protection
• Reverse battery protection
• Dimensions: 3-3/4"L x 1-9/16"W x 7/8"
• Utilizes one 18650 battery (removable and sold separately)

Okay, so. At this point in the game, the market is becoming saturated with box mods. You have your Sigelei 100, 100+, 150, mini versions, the IPV 2, 2S, mini, 3, 4,....I could go on and on. It's a safe bet to say that the community is gravitating towards these devices; forgoing the now seemingly ancient tubular mechanical mods in favor of sleek, chip powered, variable voltage/wattage devices. I'm going to just say it, I think this is a move in the right direction. With chip controlled devices, we're able to utilize a wider range of builds, chase clouds without getting into low ohms (not that their is anything against this, those devices/users will always have a place in this community) and offer a reasonable amount of safety (in comparison to mechanicals, at least.)

With that said, I've covered the Sigelei 150w, Cana DNA 30, have the iStick 30w coming up, and I found myself holding the Mini in my hand, vaping away, asking myself.....is this outdated already? I mean, I've got 150w of power right across the room, and various 30w devices...my answer is no. Devices like the IPV Mini 2, hell even any device under ~70w, will always have a place in the market. I know quite a few people who rarely exceed 50 watts, some even 20 - personally I hover between 70-120 myself, but it's all subjective. In my opinion, the IPV Mini 2 is a decent enough device; with it's limitations. Let's break it down now.

The first thing I thought of when I had this device in my hands was, "Huh...it's like the VTR, but smaller." Though the form and certainly function are considerably different, it has a certain heft to it like the VTR, before it inevitably became a ghost on the market. I, for one, was actually quite impressed. I compared it to the larger, decidedly bulkier Sigelei 150w, and it is considerably heavier, and feels a bit more...premium. This is largely due to the all aluminum construction and space saving in the Sigelei, but regardless, the heft definitely reinforced my opinion on the build quality. To some, it may be a touch heavy, but I think this is mitigated with the sleeker, smaller design. It can weigh down a bit, but it's small enough that as the day progresses, I tend to not notice.

The 510 threading is...decent, and that's being modest at best. I found it a bit of a chore to get atomizers to thread, and fear the threads may weaken, even cross thread, at some point. The diameter is equal to 510 devices, however it feels slightly narrow, requiring precision placement and threading in order to get your atomizer to catch. Speaking of the 510, the floating top pin is a bit finnicky...some atomizers thread flush, but still require a few more turns to get nice and snug. I think that this could eventually lead to a mishap, potentially damaging the floating pin. I, personally, recommend that you try and avoid swapping atomizers consistently - not because it can't handle it, but due to the wear I can envision down the line. I myself paired it with a Mutation v2, and their it will stay...not everybody can do that, but I personally do.

The LED screen is functional, as expected, featuring the simplistic affair we've come to expect from the IPV series. It displays the resistance of your atomizer, your wattage, the voltage, and your battery level. If you have a short, or you've built to low, it'll flash check atomizer. Simple, functional, nothing more to it really.

The buttons on the device are rock solid...Responsive, tactile, and delightfully clicky. I used this mod extensively for three days, and have yet to have an auto fire, or any unresponsiveness.  The power button is larger enough to compliment the slim profile, allowing you to always access it with a firm press. One thing I noticed is that the buttons to adjust the wattage up and down are extremely close to each other, so if you're trying to adjust the wattage with your thumb, you may have to take a closer look - the second nature you're accustomed to may fool you, and you just may raise/lower the power in error.

The innards of the device are perhaps my biggest gripe with the device. Their is little in the way of protection - perhaps I am used to the insulation on the Sigelei, or even the Cana, but this has everything exposed - the chip, all the wiring, everything. Upon further inspection, everything seems to be soldered and glued properly, but one wrong move with a leaky atomizer and you run a huge chance of frying the device. Thankfully, you rarely, if ever, have to access the inside of the device - instead of removing the back plate to install your battery, the IPV 2 Mini has a small aluminum switch that is removable, similar to a mechanical mod. It's a catch 22 (I'll get to it briefly) because on one hand, you don't have to deal with the awkward screws (not to mention on tool is included...seriously Pioneer, let's get with the program. MAGNETS.)

If you can get the damn thing in there. The battery housing is a touch narrow, so most batteries do not "fall into place" and require a gentle nudge to get in. I could definitely live with that, if it weren't for the horrible threading on the cap. The threads are small, and not well machined, making it difficult to screw on. The switch requires precision accuracy, and don't be surprised if you're fumbling with it, trying to get it into place. Due to this, I've got to say, I would've really preferred a battery door, because this cap will cross thread very, very easily if you are not careful. Outside of the somewhat sloppy inner components, this is by and large the biggest fault I can give the device. 

The device can be charged via USB, which largely eliminates a lot of the problems I've mentioned. Simply marrying a battery to the device and charging via USB seems the smartest choice, but it does come with a few limitations, one being that it charges a bit slower. I'd also like to point out that you technically can use it as a pass through, Pioneer4You recommends against it, as it can damage the chip. You also never, ever want to leave it unattended on the charger after complete, as it can catastrophically damage the device and battery.

The battery life is what you'd expect out of a single 18650 - if you're running this at full power and vape consistently, expect to go through two batteries a day. If you're comfortable around 20-40w, one battery should last most, if not a whole day. With my subtank at 1.2 ohm, I vape pretty heavily throughout an entire 8 hour shift at 23w, and it was a little less than halfway when I got home. Dual batteries in, but people like me will never forget the single 18650 devices - especially at those crucial moments when I'm charging two batteries!

At this point, you're probably asking yourself if it's worth it. While you can find similar devices offering higher wattage for pennies more, let me tell you, I think it's a decent backup box mod to have around. At around 69.99, it's a great device to have on hand as a backup. I personally have a charged battery in it at all times, in case my Sigelei dies on me. It also doubles as a great device to have in the car, in case I forget my main carry for the day. 70 watts is an ample amount of power, even for the most serious cloud chaser. I was skeptical as I have fallen in love with 120w+, but with a nice twisted build sitting at 0.5 ohms, full power, I get a warm, dense, flavorful vape. I was actually a bit surprised, and could potentially rely on this as an every day device.

With all that said, it is what you'd expect from a sub 70 dollar device. You aren't going to get the latest and greatest chip, updates, precision machining etc, but rest assured that if you can ignore the quirks and some stupid design choices, the IPV Mini 2 remains a reasonably solid device. It boasts a tried and true chip, USB charger, the ability to fire down to 0.2, a very sleek profile, a solid amount of power, decent battery life, and remains affordable. If you're looking to stay under 100 but want to get past 30, even 50, I'd definitely recommend picking up the device. If all else, it doubles as a solid backup.

Mutation V3

This will be brief, because Indulgence did not make any astromical changes, and you can get most of the information from my review on the v2.

The Mutation v3 is the latest iteration of the ultra popular Mutation RDA, and thankfully, the concerns voiced over the v3 were addressed, notably with phillips head screws. The v2 featured these odd triangle screws, which stripped, (and so did the cheap tool provided), not to mention making the device extremely hard to build on. The biggest (and most welcomed) changed is the old faithful phillips head screws. Now, building on the device is easier than ever.

Let's get some quick specifications.

Features:

• HUGE Adjustable Airflow - 18 holes!
• New insulator (rated to 280 degrees C)
• Dual negative poles - built into base
• Central positive post block
• Heat sink top cap
• Large Juice Well
• Silver coated contact pin
• 22mm Diameter
• Wide-bore Drip Tip
• Single-airflow option

Essentially, it is the same dripper, with phillips head screws, a higher rated insulator, and a removable adapter than can accomdate standard sized drip tips. I personally didn't think this was an issue until I used a a regular sized drip tip. The larger bore may have chucked an ample amount of clouds, but offered very little in the way of flavor. I was blown away by just how good the flavor out of this thing is - the air holes have been slightly altered, angled, in order to create a vortex of vapor. This swirling of vapor and air creates sizable clouds and ridiculous amounts of vapor.

To be brief, the v3 is built incredibly well. The top cap sits perfectly on the base, which sports one of the easiest to build on decks. Instead of three posts, the V3 features dual negative poles, and a positive block. This allows much more access, not to mention it's easier to clip leads, and get those rockin and rollin sexy center builds without any frustration. The negative posts are milled and rigid, with the positive block sitting comfortably, not budging an inch. The post holes are slightly larger than the v2, which makes lower gauge wire builds a breeze. The one thing I liked about the v2 was the screws never backed out (until they got stripped), and surprisingly, these are some beefy phillips. Three days later and I have not had to adjust the screws once, and my build has remained perfectly seated still.

The V3 is by no means an innovation, more-so a much needed correction, but if you're a fan of the line, it's worth upgrading. If you can live with the awkward screws, you may not need it, but if yours are worn and stripped, or you're tired of wishing for more hands, pick this up. It is everything you love about the V2, with all that you wanted to begin with. If you're looking for some serious cloud chasing ability AND even better flavor, it's hard to deny the V3.   What more could you want?

Serious airflow? Check.

Kickass deck?  Check.

Deep juice well? Check.

Wide bore drip tip? Check.

510 drip tip compatible? Check.

Authentic AND affordable? You bet your ass.

At 24.99, it's a steal, remaining at the top of the list when it comes to affordable, reliable atomizers. Hell, for under a hundred bucks you can get the IPV2 and the v3...an absolute kickass combination, by the way.

Thanks for reading guys, hope you enjoyed. You can find everything listed and more over at www.alluringvapors.com. Jonathan carries a wide assortment of products and is a straight shooting, stand up guy. Thanks again for the opportunity, and thank YOU for reading!

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