Today in the review we will consider the successor of the box mod with the appearance of the legendary “red-headed” Honda engine B18C-R, the updated VTEC1.8 from the famous company Augvape.
Apparently, the Chinese manufacturer Augvape has long been hatching a new version of this device, since VTEC 1.5 was announced back in May. But apparently having decided that there were many more changes, in August the manufacturer presented VTEC 1.8. True, right down to the smallest detail, suspiciously repeating the V200 we saw a year and a half ago. canadian vaping And in fact, the box can only be considered new conditionally, since in fact it is only a slightly redesigned device released on the vaping market at the end of the year before last. According to the manufacturer, “due to the success of the V200 box mod and the fact that interest in this mod does not fade, we present an updated version of VTEC 1.8.” In today’s review, we will take a closer look at the device and try to figure out what has changed in it.
Augvape VTEC 1.8 packaging
VTEC 1.8 comes to the buyer no longer in a transparent display box made of thin plastic, but in a red package made of thick cardboard, on the front side of which a red mod flaunts, nestled on the engine cover. The real color of the device is indicated at the top right by a small sticker (I received Red again), on the back of the box you can read fairly typical warnings and see only a list of the contents.
Augvape VTEC 1.8 Kit:
Augvape VTEC 1.8 Mod Manual
Augvape VTEC 1.8 Box Mod
Micro USB Cable
Manual
Warranty Card
Inside, you won’t find anything interesting except the mod itself, even the charging cord has fallen victim to the cheapening of the upgrade, now instead of a nice one in a red fabric braid, there is a rather dull black micro USB cable in the kit, which has become even shorter – only 30 cm. The manual with illustrations is simple and clear, but is available only in one language – English.
Appearance and design of the Augvape VTEC 1.8
Designers from Augvape, creating both the previous and the new box mod, were inspired by the legendary B18C Type-R engine of the Japanese automobile company Honda; it is the cylinder block cover that “cosplays” the device. In addition, the new version even received the name of the proprietary Honda electronic system VTEC – Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control, which in translation means “electronic control system for the opening time and valve lift height”, which gives the engine excellent economy at low revs and high power when spinning (c). What the abbreviation means in relation to the mod, history is silent. And, by the way, it would be curious to know what the Japanese think about such shameless plagiarism of both the name and the design.
Augvape VTEC 1.8 Specifications
Materials: zinc alloy
Dimensions: 87.5 * 45 * 29.2 mm
Weight: 166g (with batteries: 262g)
Works with two 18650
Operating modes: variable wattage, variable voltage, Auto, bypass
Resistance support: 0.05 – 3 Ohm
Output power: 5 – 200W
Output voltage: 0.5 – 7.2V
Charging current: 1.2A
Standby current consumption: <500 μA
Protection types:
10 s cutoff
short circuit protection
low and high resistance protection
low voltage protection
overheating protection (80 ° C)
overcharge protection
Colors: Blue, Black, Red
Augvape connector VTEC 1.8 Mod
Another noticeable difference is found on top. In place of the connector, which was in the V200 and with its pattern resembled a cast wheel disk, now there is just a flat black area with a diameter of 25 mm. True, the width of the case will allow you to screw some unimaginable atomizer up to 29 mm onto the mod, it will still not protrude beyond the dimensions. The positive pin is spring-loaded, has a travel reserve of a couple of millimeters, there are no problems with it. But it is with the connector and the landing of the atomizers that my greatest disappointment is connected, which I will talk about in the conclusions.
Impressions, conclusions and thoughts
The main feature of VTEC 1.8 is “power, simplicity and performance”. You will not find here some crazy variety of settings or functions, there is only a choice of variable wattage, variable voltage, protected mechanical mod mode and even automatic power adjustment. Undoubtedly, such an idea deserves attention, but only if you forget that Augvape themselves once released (after the V200) the Druga Foxy mod, which adheres to exactly the same concept, where everything is simplified almost to the extreme. Moreover, the device in the form of a cylinder block cover, although it looks unusual and even attractive, is primarily aimed at car enthusiasts. Or rather, it is generally addressed to fans of the products of the Japanese concern Honda. I do not think that there are many of them among vapers, although their presence should not be denied. However, the Chinese in the press release assure that they released the new product “due to the success and ongoing demand” for the previous model. Well, they know better.
But in my purely subjective opinion (IMHO, in short), the guys from Augvape should have spent their efforts on some truly new device, and not try to revive the V200, and in absolutely the same case. There is absolutely nothing new here, and it is unlikely that cosmetic changes (slightly changed cover, leather insert on the back of the case, different appearance of the 510 connector) and the two new modes of varivolt and Auto that appeared can be called serious improvements, they could easily be added by updating the firmware. If the mod supported it. Another thing is that if the company’s previous mod, as they say, “didn’t work”, then the appearance of VTEC1.8 is easily explained and even justified: there are probably a lot of cases and boards somewhere that needed to be trivially gotten rid of. The manufacturer could at least install a USB Type-C connector, but it looks like even the board has remained the same. Of course, this is just guesswork. I liked the previous device (though it died happily in the hands of the next owner a couple of months later, I don’t know whose fault it was), and overall, the new one left quite a positive impression. If only I hadn’t received a defective copy.
In my box, either the threads were cut crookedly, or the connector was installed unevenly, but from the photos above, it’s clear that the atomizers sit on the mod with an obvious skew. And it was impossible to screw the Reload X RDA dripper onto the device more than a couple of turns, which is clearly visible in the third photo. To be honest, I didn’t expect such a catch from Augvape. I can’t say that I was pissed off, but the aftertaste certainly remained. If you buy the device in the manufacturer’s brand store, then in case of any jambs, you can safely count on a replacement. I didn’t bother too much, since I coped with my task – telling you about the new product – and with this drawback.