What’s up vapers!
SirRisc here with another gear review!
On todays menu is a new beast from the kind folks of Smoktech, the TF-RDTA!
These TF-RDTAs were sent to me for the purpose of this review by Smoktech.com!
Premise.
A few weeks ago I reviewed the TF-RTA and I was happy with the performance.
The two post (Velocity styled) deck was a joy to build on, wicking the G2 deck was easy, and the vape was great.
But then Smok decided it was time to turn the dial to eleven and release the TF-RDTA.
A tank with a similar deck, but different in the way it wicks and the way the airflow works.
Essentially this is a dripper with a tank slapped on top of it.
So how does it perform?
Let’s find out, shall we!
Specifications.
- 24.5mm diameter
- 16mm S2 Deck with dual fused claptons preinstalled
- Stainless steel body with glass tank
- Removable S2 deck
- 5ml capacity
- 4 large airflow holes
- Juiceflow control
- Swivel topfill system
- Available in black and stainless steel
Packaging.
The TF-RDTA comes in the standard packaging we’re used to seeing from Smok.
A black box with silver lettering, wrapped in a white and grey cover with the tank depicted in black on the front.
On the back is a bunch of information about the tank, including a scratch&check sticker to confirm authenticity.
The side has the specifications of the tank listed.
Taking the wrap off and opening the black box reveals the RDTA and a spare glass section sitting in a black foam insert.
The insert can be lifted out with the ribbon at the bottom, which then reveals the usermanual, a QC card, an allenkey, and a plastic bag containing spare o-rings, screws and seals.
Performance.
The TF-RDTA may look similar to the TF-RTA, but they’re very different beasts.
Where the TF-RTA requires a more conventional tank build on the G2 deck, the TF-RDTA will require you to build more as if you were building on a dripper.
Hence the name of the tank, RDTA. Rebuildable Dripping Tank Atomizer.
So what does this mean for your builds? Well, it won’t be much different from building on the RTA but the wicking will be a bit different.
The RTA has the 4 juiceflow channels on the side of the deck where you tuck your wicks on top of.
The RDTA doesn’t have juiceflow channels, it has 4 holes underneath the coils where the wick needs to run through.
In that regard the RDTA can be a bit challenging at first because it’s very easy to get the wicking wrong.
Put too much wick through the holes and you get a choking effect which causes the juice not to reach the coils in time, causing dry hits.
But put too little and the channels won’t be closed off enough and it will flood the chamber, resulting in the TF-RDTA dumping its load on your mod.
It’s a bit of hit and miss with wicking, but once you get it right… it’s a delicious reminder that it was worth it.
The S2 deck is a two post deck in the same style as the Velocity deck, which means it’s very easy to build on.
With its 16mm diameter it will also house the bigger inner diameter of coils, I’ve had no problem fitting coils with a 3mm diameter.
The postholes are big enough to accomodate some beefy builds, and it does come with a 0.2ohm dual fused clapton preinstalled.
Smok claims that these coils can safely be turned up to 140W, given that you got your wicking right and have the airflow wide open.
I’ve been running them comfortably at 100W, and I’ve gone as high as 125W before I felt the vape was getting too warm for my liking.
But given that this is still a tank, 100W is an achievement in itself. Do you remember the days where we ran tanks at 10W and complained that it was too warm? I do…
Filling the tank is also made easy by the patented swivel topfill we love on the Smok tanks, though there is one catch on this one.
If you don’t close off the juiceflow, the tank may dump its contents on your hands or mod.
The juiceflow is simple to close by twisting the glass to the left or to the right respectively, but you’ll have to hold the airflow ring if you don’t want the entire deck to twist.
A small inconvenience, but an inconvenience none the less.
So how does it do in daily life?
A lot better than I expected!
The vapor production is thick and comes very close to dripper territory, though it doesn’t quite catch up yet.
In terms of flavor though, it’s pretty clean and very intense. The fused claptons it came with had a bit of a break-in time, but once passed that the RDTA performed like a champ!
One thing I would advise if you’re after a good flavor from the TF-RDTA is to replace the standard driptip by a delrin or acryl one with a wide bore.
The standard driptip isn’t bad, but it does have the tendency to gather condensation in between the two layers, which in turn ends up on your lips or in your mouth.
Aesthetics.
The TF-RDTA is a pretty tank, both in the stainless and black version.
It’s 24.5mm across which means it will need a bit of a wider mod, but it doesn’t look really bulky or big.
In fact it’s about 2mm shorter than the TF-RTA, not that you’d notice much difference.
On the top part, just below the swiveled topfill, is the Smok logo etched in the tank without coloring.
Just underneath the glass part the TF-RDTA logo is laseretched into the tank, this does have the stainless markings you’ll find in uncolored laseretches.
And that’s it for branding on the tank, which is more than enough. It’s done in good taste!
The black vesion is my personal favorite because it will simply look better on most of my mods, but the stainless version is very pretty in itself.
Both the versions are practically the same, and both come with a stainless deck.
This means the decks are not colored, which was an odd question I got on my TF-RTA review.
Pros and Cons.
Pro.
- Clouds bro!
- Easy to coil, lots of room on the deck
- Removeable/replaceable deck
- 5ml capacity
- Subtle branding
- Excellent flavor
Con.
- Wicking has a slight learningcurve
- Filling without closing juiceflow causes leaking
- Included coils have a long break-in time
- Opening/closing juiceflow can twist the deck sometimes
In conclusion.
The TF-RTA was a hit in my book, and the TF-RDTA is also a hit. Smok has been putting out some very good gear lately, and with these two tanks they’re thinking of the builders among us.
Whether you prefer clouds or flavor, the TF-RDTA is an excellent choice for both. While the TF-RDTA might not be a dripper quite yet, it comes extremely close to giving you the same experience.
The removeable deck is easy to build on, the airflow is nice and swooshy, the tank looks good and performs great.
Overall I think the TF-RDTA is one of the best RDTAs out there at the moment because of its versatility.
In closing I would like to thank Smoktech.com for sending me the Smok TF-RDTA for review!
Thanks for reading, join me next time as I’ll (finally) take a look at the Smok Stick One series!
Need to reach me? Head over to my website.
Interested in what I vape daily? Check out my Instagram.
Want to know more about DIY? Head over to ELR.
#staycloudy !
SirRisc disappears in a cloud of fruit loops scented vapor
