What’s up vapers!
SirRisc here with another gear review!
These Smok TFV8 kits were sourced from Smok!
Premise.
Alright, I’ll admit it. I fudging love Smok products lately, and not just because I have so many of them in my vapechest.
The quality of Smok products has been going up with each one they put on the market, with products like the TF-RDTA, TF-RTA and the TFV4 and its respective Mini and Micro versions they provide a tank for pretty much everyones preference.
The TFV4 was in my rotation for a long time, and I loved it. Wether it was with a prebuilt coilhead or one of the RBA heads, it was a trustworthy tank.
But as with all good things, they must come to an end…
Which doesn’t mean I’m left in the dark, Smok just delivered on the promise for a bigger and better tank.
Enter the TFV8, the cloud beast.
So how much bigger and better is the TFV8?
Let’s have a look, shall we?!
Specifications.
- Stainless Steel and glass construction
- Not too heavy at 74g
- Between 5.5ml and 6ml capacity (depending on the coilhead)
- 24.5mm diameter
- Widebore driptip
- 510 driptip adapter included
- V8-RBA included (Velocity styled deck with plenty of room!)
- Available in stainless and black, with orange o-rings
Packaging.
The packaging for the TFV8 immediately makes you realise this isn’t your average tank.
A bright orange and black box with a background of streaming lava, and the tank in the respective color depicted on the front.
On the side you’ll find a scratch n’ check to check for authenticity (seriously; don’t buy the clone, it fucking sucks and will leak like a sieve.), and a serial number as well as a color indication.
On the other side you’ll see the “hyper engines”, essentially a nickname for the coilheads available for this tank.
Opening the box reveals a black foam insert with the tank sitting firmly in its spot.
The first thing you’ll notice are the bright orange o-rings, a change from the usual red/clear/black theme with Smok.
Underneath the foam insert, that lifts out with a handy ribbon, you’ll find the accessories.
And there are plenty of accessories, as always with Smok products.
There’s a usermanual with clear pictures and a short tutorial on changing the coilheads, a pair of vapebands in orange and black, a spare glass section, a set of spare o-rings and gaskets, a hex key for the RBA, the RBA itself, a bag of cotton, a 510 driptip adapter, and a spare coil additional to the one preinstalled in the tank.
Performance.
RIP TFV4. May she rest in peace and continue to chuck clouds for someone else.
Enter TFV8, turn on your searchlights and sound the foghorn because this tank will cloud up any room in a single toot.
I’m being theatrical but this tank isn’t called “cloud beast” without reason, it puts out like a promqueen after spiking the punch.
Let’s start with the obvious comparison, the TFV4 versus the TFV8.
The size is about the same but the TFV8 is shaped a bit more contemporary. The capacity is increased to 5.5ml (6ml depending on the coilhead).
The airflow has been improved on the TFV8, it’s now smoother and bigger. The driptip on the TFV4 was a dual layered one fitting the standard 510 size, the TFV8 utilizes a single layered delrin tip with a slightly bigger diameter than the 510.
The coilheads are bigger, contain more cotton, have better airflow, more flavor, and the RBA is bigger than some RTA decks.
The topfilling system is still the patented swiveltop which works perfectly, unless you’re in a hurry and using widetipped droppers.
With that out of the way, let’s have a closer look at the TFV8 on its own.
The airflow on this tank is absolutely insane, but this isn’t without reason.
The fact that one of the coilheads states that it works best between 120W and 180W and could even take a couple of hits on 260W, should tell you that this tank isn’t your average one.
It’s meant to be cloudy, it’s meant to be a beast, it needs the airflow to reach those kinds of power without dryhitting or burning.
And when Smok states that the 0.15ohm coilhead can take 260W, they aren’t lying. I tried it, I got teary eyed and didn’t need another toot for about an hour or so, but it was a flavorful, dense and warm toot.
Though I do prefer the coilhead at a bit more moderate 140W (moderate he says, anyone remember pushing 12W through a Nautilus?) where it feels dense but less warm.
The airflow has its work cut out for it with such high powers at work, and it’s barely enough to feed enough cooling to the heads at anything above 160W.
The coilheads are big. Very big. Enormous even.
But with that also comes a fun little titbit, they can take a punch and they contain a lot more wicking material without having to choke off the airflow.
In the package are three coilheads, one of which is the RBA, the other are prebuilt coils.
The first one is the V8-T8 octuple coilhead, at 0.15ohm it is rated from 50W to 260W and has a very large diameter airflow hole on the bottom.
This coilhead is the cloudier of the two, and despite being cloudy it does still retain the quality of flavor. It’s less pronounced in flavor but at those wattages I’m sure others won’t do much better.
The second one is the V8-Q4 quadruple coilhead, also at 0.15ohm and rated for a more “moderate” 50W to 180W. It has a slightly different base that provides a bit less airflow to the coil.
This change of base provides a bit more pronounced flavor, but doesn’t really hinder the vaporproduction of the coilhead. It’ll still cloud up a room within minutes.
The third one is the most interesting one of course, the V8 Exclusive Turbo RBA.
A rebuildable coilhead with a Velocity styled deck measuring in at 18mm diameter, which should provide you with ample room to build on.
In fact it comes with a dual fused clapton preinstalled, and it performs very well after pinching it a few times.
The slits on the side for the wick to go in are slightly obscured and can be hard to reach if you have a ticker wick going into it.
Wicking however hasn’t been an issue so far, even with max VG liquids the TFV8 just keeps on trucking.
Filling the TFV series has always been an easy thing to do, even on the go.
Thanks to the patented swivel topfill the tank is just a breeze to fill up.
The only downside to this is the fact that there’s only one hole, which can cause problems if the liquid pools up in the hole and chokes off the filling.
Other than that it works pretty well, it’s one of the easiest tanks to fill.
Aesthetics.
The TFV8 has a bit of an updated look to it compared to the TFV4.
Smok has updated the tank to look more contemporary by using a different kind of knurling, which also increases the grip on moving parts.
The most noticeable change is the color of the o-rings, which are now in a bright orange instead of the red, black or clear o-rings the TFV4 family uses.
The top has also changed in the sense that the TFV8 uses a different driptip, which now has a slightly larger base than the standard 510.
Smok does include a 510 adapter for those of you who want to use standard 510 driptips.
The widebore driptip is a huge improvement in comparison to the ones that came with the TFV4.
If you remember my review of the TFV4, you’ll know that I didn’t like the driptip on it because the liquid pooled up between the two layers of the driptip.
The TFV8 driptip won’t have this problem because it’s now a single layered driptip, and because it’s made from delrin it will also never heat up or collect lipgunk.
Pros and Cons.
Pro.
- CLOOOOOUUUUDS!
- Smooth and swooshy airflow
- Big coilheads means lots of wick
- Pronounced flavor
- RBA included with a huge deck
- Looks pretty awesome
- Topfill is easy
Con.
- Drinks liquid like Lemmy drank whisky (May he rock in peace. \m/)
- Topfill can clog up if you rush it
- O-rings are very sticky at first making it hard to take the tank apart
- Leaks slightly if you leave the tank sitting for a few days
In conclusion.
The TFV8 is essentially a matured version of the TFV4, with a slew of improvements it’s one of those tanks I would advise to anyone looking for a tank that has dripper-like performance.
The airflow is smooth and plentiful, the coilheads take upto 260W which is absolutely insane for a tank, and the flavor is actually surprisingly good.
While it may not be the cheapest or best out there, it surely is one of the better ones if you want performance. The nickname “cloud beast” isn’t just a marketing thing, it does clouds very well.
Would I buy another if these broke? Yes, absolutely. I loved the TFV4, and the TF-RTA, and I’m sure the TFV8 will stay in my rotation for quite some time.
Who knows, maybe there will be a TFV16 one day? 
In closing I would like to thank Smok for sending out the TFV8 kits!
Thanks for reading, join me next time as I take a look at yet another Smok product, the Quantum! A single 18650 device with OTA update functionality!
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 vanilla custard scented vapor
DISCLAIMER: This review is based on personal opinions and is not intended as a promotion, endorsement or advertisement.
The publisher is not sponsored, affiliated or compensated in any way.
