What up, Tugboat!! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist saying that at least once.)
SirRisc here with another gear review!
Today I’ll be looking in the ever so popular Tuglyfe unregulated boxmod.
But let’s not kid ourselves here, this review is about a clone and as such I’ll point you to my previous review of the Hexohm clone where I ranted about branding.
The response on that review was overall very positive and people seemed to agree on the fact that the authentics are too pricey.
Does that mean the mod I’m reviewing is bad? It isn’t. In fact, I quite like it and I wouldn’t mind comparing it to the authentic Tuglyfe mod if I had one.
This Tuglyfe unregulated boxmod clone was sent to me for the purpose of this review by FocalEcig.com!
Premise.
It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed something for FocalEcig, but they’re still one of my go to vendors, and one of the very few that run groupbuys every now and then.
Their customerservice is second to none, and they’re very actively following the community to ensure having the newest stuff in stock.
In terms of clones they try to get the better ones out there but as with all Chinese vendors, it can sometimes be a bit… disappointing.
Don’t let that scare you, they have some really good deals going and they often have groupbuys for authentics and clones alike.
The clone I’m reviewing today is the odd one out in my collection. I’ve never really liked mechanical mods or unregulated mods, with a few exceptions.
The Tuglyfe unregulated boxmod is one of those exceptions, and not just because it’s lime green and has blood splatters all over it (though that makes it the odd one out).
It’s because it’s such a basic mod, that performs as it should perform.
With a mosfet protecting the batteries, which are wired in parallel, I can run anything within the limits of my batteries and toot away like a real Tugboat.
Tugboat 18650 Mechanical Mod - Green
Specifications.
- Aluminium body
- Springloaded brass plated 510 pin
- Powered by 2*18650 wired in parallel
- Magnetic batterydoor
- GREEEEEEN!
- Available in a myriad of colors
- Mosfet IRF IRLB3034 protected circuit
Packaging.
If there’s one thing I like when I unpack a mod, it’s finding an extra gadget in the package.
The Tuglyfe clone came in a sturdy black carrying pouch which sports the Tugboat logo in white embroidery, and has place for the mod and two 30ml bottles (or 5 10ml bottles).
It also sports a carabiner hook so you can attach it to your backpack, or even your belt (which I might add, looks terribly silly).
That’s the basic package you get, which is plenty for the price you’ll pay.
The packaging…
Performance.
As I stated in the specifications above, the mod is wired in parallel which means you’ll be getting double the batterylife and at most 4.2V from your batteries.
This means you’ll be able to build as low as you like within your batteries amperage limits.
If you have a fresh pair of VTC4 batteries with an amp limit of 30A you should be safe down to 0.14ohm, which should give you the theoretical equivalent of 126W.
However, due to the fact that the batteries are working in parallel, the amperage limit also theoretically doubles which should then bring the amperage limit to 60A.
Due to the nature of the circuit and the internal resistance, it won’t get to that point though. We’ll be able to reach around 85% of the maximum amperage limit.
That’s quite a powerful vape and let’s be honest here, if you buy a mod called Tugboat you’re not looking for little clouds. You’re looking to become a Tugboat.
You could build even lower but at the risk of burning the mosfet or even worse, venting your batteries.
Considering this is an unregulated mod, there’s really not that much to say about the performance either.
It does what it’s supposed to do, output the batterypower to the 510. Nothing else.
It doesn’t have flashy LEDs, it doesn’t have menus, it doesn’t have any adjustments.
In that regard it’s different from regulated mods, in that you have to build to your batteries specification and not vice versa.
The rather big firebutton has a fairly strong spring to it, which makes the button rather pleasant to the touch.
It is a plastic button so there’s no heat coming through either.
The battery cover is held on by strong magnets, but unlike the Hexohm clone there is no indentation to pull off the cover.
On the inside of the batterycover are ridges that keep it in place so the batterydoor sits very snug and secure.
Considering the strength of the magnets it can be hard sometimes to get the cover off, but that also means it won’t move around when you’re using the mod.
The batterysled is very clean and doesn’t grab batterywraps, it’s clearly labeled with + and - signs, and just above that are the rest of the internals.
That’s where the difference with the authentic Tugboat becomes more apparent…
There’s some hotglue protecting the solderpoints though it is still an acceptable amount.
Removing the hotglue is an option and will not break the solderpoints, though I would advise on completely resoldering and using insulation if you do so.
The mosfet is protected with a silicone sleeve, and sits pretty snug behind the wiring.
Aesthetics.
Yes, it’s green. Very green. Yes, it has red splatters.
It might not be for everyone to love this kind of paintjob, but I think it’s quite nice. It’s different from all the boring black boxes, you know?
The special kind of paint job aside; it feels velvetlike and has a very nice grip to it.
The red splatters are not printed on but actual splatters of a few microns thick, there’s a very slight embossing feel to them.
The Tugboat logo and the Tuglyfe branding on the side are painted over the splatters in white paint and feel a little thicker.
Beneath the Tuglyfe branding is a silvercolored button of sorts which has the Flawless logo painted on.
A bit of a useless addition that was cloned over from the original, which was a leftover from the version with the Raptor chip that had a potentiometer on that spot.
I wish they hadn’t cloned that over, because the housing is a fairly standard Hammond enclosure.
So how does it look?
Pros and Cons.
Pro.
- Looks great
- Feels great
- Mosfet protected
- Fairly clean internals
- Strong springed button
- Springloaded 510
- Strong magnets on the batterydoor
- Available in a myriad of colors and colorcombinations
- Mine’s green. Very green.
- Comes with a handy carrying pouch
- Cheap
Con.
- Hotglue
- No locking mechanism or killswitch
- “Flawless” button
In conclusion.
For such a low price this is probably one of the best unregulated boxmod clones out there, the internals are clean though the hotglue should be replaced with insulation in production.
The mod hits very well, there’s no loss of power and you can build to the specifications of your batteries. While the lime green might not be everyones favorite, I quite like it.
The lack of a killswitch is a bit of a negative for me, but I haven’t had it autofire while it’s in the carrying pouch. The carrying pouch is definitely a nice addition!
Overall I think it’s one of the better unregulated mods I’ve used so far, I’d definitely buy another one if this one were to break.
In closing I would like to thank FocalEcig.com for sending me the unregulated Tugboat for review!
And all of you who read my reviews, thank you very much for the support!
Join me next time as I explore the Wotofo Sapor, a top airflow RDA.
I’m always looking for more opportunities to review! Do you think your stuff has what it takes? Get in touch!
I can be reached on my website, via DM on Instagram, on the Facebook page, via DM on Reddit, or via DM on ELR.
#staycloudy !
SirRisc disappears in a cloud of Unicorn Milk scented vapor
