What’s up vapefam!
SirRisc here with another gear review!
Today I’ll be telling you a bit about the Encom Snow Leopard, a lightweight 150W box mod powered by two 18650 batteries.
This Encom Snow Leopard was sent to me for the purpose of this review by Heavengifts.com!
Premise.
Encom is a company that has been around since 2006 but never really got in to the spotlight until recently.
They’re doing things a bit different from most companies in the sense that they use very different materials, some of which are 3D printed.
If the name rings a bell, it might not be because of their mods though…
Encom was also the name of the tech company of Flynn in the TRON universe.
The same company that developed The Grid. cue the Daft Punk soundtrack
That little nerdgasm aside we move to another little titbit that will sound more familiar to Mac users.
Snow Leopard is also the name of Apple’s OS X 10.6, the one that made every audio interface crash in despair when it was first released.
Trust me when I say I fucking hated that OS at first. Actually I still do, but I will refrain from angering the inevitable Mac fanatics among you.
Anyway, the real question is… how does the Encom Snow Leopard perform?
Let’s have a look, shall we?
Specifications.
- Zinc alloy and ABS body
- Power mode / TC mode for Ni200 only
- Dual 18650 powered
- Wattage range: 5W to 150W
- Resistance range: 0.05ohm to 2.5ohm
- Temperature range: 212°F to 662°F or 100°C to 350°C
- Plastic battery cover with integrated magnets
- Big vapeband included
- Lightweight due to the materials used
Packaging.
The Snow Leopard comes in a rather modest white box.
On the top of the box you’ll see SNOW LEOPARD in silver lettering, and just below 150W in grey lettering.
On the side of the box is a sticker with a scratch-and-check code to ensure it’s an authentic product.
The bottom of the box is silver and depicts a black outline of the mod itself, the bottom also slides out revealing the mod.
Inside of the box you’ll find a no frills plastic casing with the mod and the vapeband sitting pretty sturdy.
The user manual lies atop the mod and is beautifully illustrated with high quality photos.
Performance.
The Snow Leopard is powered by two 18650 batteries, making it fairly safe to reach the full 150W.
I wasn’t able to measure the full output under load because my multimeter went boom last week, but it does feel close to being accurate.
For comparison I used the same RDA with the same coil on the Sigelei 150TC and got similar hot vape.
I know, I know… not the most accurate way of measurement but there you go.
In terms of batterylife the mod performs very well at average wattages (40W-90W range), but it does suffer a bit when using higher wattages (90W-150W).
Logically speaking the higher the wattage, the more a mod suffers and the Snow Leopard is no different in that regard.
Overall the batterylife is pretty good, better than the Sigelei 150TC.
Setting the mod up is very easy and it really doesn’t have much frills to it.
Once you pop the batteries in and press the fire button five times in quick succession, the screen will light up and show you the Encom logo.
The mod will start up in power mode by default, at which point you’ll be able to set the wattage by using the plus and minus buttons.
Holding down both buttons will allow you to select either power mode or temp mode.
That brings me to one of the unfortunate flaws on this device, despite the fact that I really like using it.
It only does temperature control for Ni200 alloy, which means the TC mode is a bit dated at this point.
It’s basically the same functionality you’d get from a Sigelei 150TC, except in a different package and with a different board.
Comparing the two I have to admit the Snow Leopard is actually slightly more to my liking.
But considering we can get similar mods for similar prices with native support for Ti01 and SS like the RX200 or the Joyetech Cuboid, this one does feel a bit lacking.
Despite this the TC mode does work as it should, and the mod passed a dryfire test with only mild browning of the cotton.
Overall I think the performance of this mod is more than adequate if you’re not looking to use the TC mode often.
Much like I did with the Sigelei 150TC, I will be using the mod mostly in power mode and that’s where it does seem to perform best.
Aesthetics.
The Snow Leopard is a colorful mod, more so than most of the other mods I have in my collection.
The body made from zinc alloy is a matte silver and seems to be quite prone to scratching, though it does look quite nice.
Where the buttons sit, the body is rounded making it all very comfortable to the touch.
The buttons are made from plastic but have a very smooth feel to them, excellent tactile feedback and absolutely no rattle.
While this may not be to everyones liking, the 510 sits raised around 1.5mm above the mod.
It’s a bit of an odd choice but considering the 510 is 22mm in diameter and has a springloaded pin, everything I’ve attached to it has sat flush.
The display is bright, and very easy to read. Even in direct bright lighting the bigger lettering is clearly visible, though the smaller letters may be harder to read.
The batterydoor which is made from a rather strong plastic is colored red, but is also available in different colors.
Pros and Cons.
Pro.
- Easy to use
- Lightweight
- 150W feels like 150W
- Very clear display
- Excellent feedback from the buttons
- Excellent batterylife
Con.
- No native support for Ti01, SS alloy
- Batteries need to be inserted precisely right
- Zinc alloy body is prone to scratching
- No button lock
- No USB and thus no firmware upgrades
In conclusion.
I know some of you will immediately consider that there are mods on the market that can do more for less money, and I agree.
With mods like the Cuboid or the Reuleaux RX200 on the market the lack of support for Ti and SS wire is hard to justify in this day and age.
But the Encom Snow Leopard does what it does very well in its own right, and I’m surprised to find myself preffering it over the Sigelei 150TC.
Would I recommend the mod to someone who is interested in a TC mod? Probably not, it lacks too much finctionality for that.
Would I recommend it to someone looking for a simple +100W mod? Sure, it’s a nice daily carry or even as a backup it’ll serve you well.
The mod is well designed and feels comfortable in the hand, and the use of alternative materials is a nice change of pace.
Would I buy another one if this one broke? Probably not. Would I miss it? Probably, because I do like it.
In closing I would like to thank Heavengifts.com! for sending me the Encom Snow Leopard for review!
Thanks for reading, next time I’ll be looking at the Smok Nano One kit! Has the Evic VTC Mini gotten a lil’ bro?
Need to reach me? Head over to my website.
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Want to know more about DIY? Head over to ELR.
#staycloudy !
SirRisc disappears in a cloud of Tigers Blood scented vapor