I received this Mech Mod free of charge directly from the manufacturer Vape Mechanic for the purpose of this review. Regardless of this, it will not color my opinion on this review in any way, shape or form.
Packaging
It comes in a tube filled with foam that has a cut out in the middle where the mod itself sits. It only holds the mod, nothing else. Inside the tube however, you will find a paper that has a picture which clearly shows how this mod in particular is made, and what the button with all its parts looks like. It also gives you safety precautions on using a mech mod and at the end it states what serial number it has, together with the production date.
You will also find a goodie bag with 2 extra springs and 2 extra Delrin contact pins, in case the one already installed wears out.
The Tube
The one I received is painted in Graphite and has the text Russian Mechanic etched into the side of it. This one does look as good as the two Spanner tubes I reviewed earlier, but this is different in comparison as it doesn’t have a switch at the bottom - instead it has the button at the side, on the upper part of the tube. Yeah I knew you would be intrigued by that…
It is still a 24mm hybrid tube with the hybrid connection milled out at the top with the engraving Vape Mechanic sitting there. The machining on it is flawless and the threads both in the hybrid connection on the bottom (where the switch normally goes) and also on the battery cap are just buttery smooth.
This switch (or should we call it button?) is absolutely an innovative solution, and as far as I can tell from the time I have used it - which is a lot - it has been working without any issues whatsoever. I also have to say that it hits just as hard as the Spanner mod.
If you look at the picture you can see the parts that go into this switch/button - it contains 6 parts if I include the plastic housing that holds the contact parts.
It is the button contact that is separated with a spring and a Delrin pin from the other contact part, which always has a contact with the battery. This is isolated from leading any current due to it being made out of 2 copper parts sitting at both ends of a Delrin piece. By pressing the button the two contact parts connect and it fires. As with the Spanner, I can’t really say that I detect any voltage drop in this construction, nor have I seen any marks from arcing on any of the contact points inside the switch/button.
As with the other mech mods from Vape Mechanic this mod also has venting through the bottom battery cap, and since the venting is downwards I have used it with the positive side down on the batteries.
There is no way to lock the button on this and so it might be an issue if you pocket this mod, since it doesn’t take much effort to push the button in order to fire it. I can see this one auto-firing in people’s pockets and that could be an issue for sure.
Assessment
I have really enjoyed using this, and after trying numerous times to fire it by pressing at the usual place on the bottom (because I’d forgotten it had the button on the side ) I got the hang of it.
It does hit really well, and the switch/button has performed flawlessly for me. This does have the same con as the painted Spanner and that is a deliberate slightly elevated centre, in order to avoid scratching the paint. However, as I explained in the Spanner review, after talking to Vape Mechanic this is no longer an issue as they now make every one flush in the production.
As previously stated, a company that listens to their customers and adapts in order to make their product even better is a good company. Clearly really good customer service in my opinion.
I, for one, am really curious about what the people at Vape Mechanic will bring us in the future and what the next generation or next model will look like/what innovation it will have.
Can I recommend it to others?
I absolutely can, providing you don’t mind having the fire-button on the side of the tube. For me that hasn’t been a problem at all, and for people with arthritis problems this could be the mech mod they have been seeking.
Pros
Build quality
Machining
The hit it provides
Appearance
Threading
Vape Mechanic don’t have the gap between the rda and the tube in their current production line
Cons
You can’t lock the button
The tiny gap on the painted mod between the rda and the tube (but as stated in the pros, this is no longer an issue)
Parameters
Length - 96mm
Diameter - 24mm
Weight - 167gr
Material - Brass
You can get your hands on one of these here:
Vape Mechanic Priced between $99 - $119 depending on model
Before ending this review I want to point out a few things of importance to those new to mech mods and also the seasoned user. Remember to always pay attention to…
Battery safety.
Ohms law.
Having a hybrid connection, you must make sure to have a protruding enough 510 pin on the atomizer.
Keeping your mech mod clean at all times. Meaning the connections, switch, threading and internally.
As always if you would like to see how the Russian Mechanic v3 scored against other pieces of awesome vapeology then feel free to hop on over to Steampugs, and while you are there come and meet the new, ever-growing Steam Team!
Thanks for reading this far and Vape on!
Norseman
