Screwdriver-4 months with various attys

[prof beard]

I've been vaping since the beginning of February 2009. I started out with 901 starter kits from e-cigs.co.uk (a good company with excellent service by the way) and other accessories from the same company and Titally Wicked UK (also have given excellent service). However by around April I had tired of the constant charging of batteries and having to carry extra e-cigs and batteries around all the time.


That led me to look into what people call “mods” or “big battery devices”. At that time the only device of that type which was sold as a clearly commercial product AND had a track record of any length was the Screwdriver by trog. So, I bought my first Screwdriver, a silver 901 model.


The device was delivered within two days and came with some carts, two atomisers, two batteries, a charger, a bottle of flu cured juice, and a lanyard. I also ordered an additional Nano charger and 8 Spiderfire batteries from DX as recommended by trog.


The Screwdriver was much smaller than I expected, and felt good in the hand. I like the look of the device, but this is clearly an entirely personal thing.


The button - many people have very strong views about the Screwdriver button and its positioning. Again this is a very personal thing. For me the button is very “ergonomically placed” and I operate it with the middle finger of my right hand. (See below, please excuse guitarists fingernails) I have very small hands for a fair-sized man (5' 11”) but the device still looks fairly small in them:





Oddly, when using the SD in my left hand I use my little finger to press the button.


I had no problems adjusting to the manual operation of the device, and, apart from that, it was just like having a 901 with a big battery on it (which is what it is of course).


The SD performs better than a normal 901 (even if the 901 is fully charged). I suspect this is because it is actually being powered at 4+ volts rather than the 3.7v (at best) from a normal 901 battery. I discuss the performance and characteristics later. I was a heavy (30 cigs a day) smoker but find that two Spiderfire batteries cover a full morning to night day.


I have had no problems whatsoever with the SD, it has been faultlessly reliable, despite having been dropped a few times (including onto hard services – luckily I didn't suffer a button fracture which is a risk!). Atomisers have lasted around three weeks of constant use – I buy 5-packs from TW. In June I bought a second 901 SD as a spare/security blanket.


Although I switched from the 901 to a 901enabled Screwdriver because I wanted "batteries with testicles" (That took more than a few hours to drop off ), I became very interested in the Titan and the Penstyle and their obvious popularity.


As a result of a pm interchange Garry "e-cigcity" Dibley sent me a 901 battery to Titan atomiser adapter in silver he had made (with a view to selling them in the future), so I bought a nice new black Titan atomiser and posted my findings on a few forums. Garry then offered to make me a 901 battery to 801 atomiser adapter.


Below is a picture of my two Screwdrivers - one with a 901 atomiser and a Titan cart, and one with Garry's adaptor and a Titan atomiser and cart:





And here are the same two SDs with one equipped with Garry's other adaptor and a TW 801 atomiser and cart:





It has been my view for some time the the "characteristics" of an e-cig reside in its atomiser (often let down by its batteries) so what follows is my review of the 901 vs the Titan vs the 801 using the same super-size manual battery.


The comparison was done with run-in atomisers of all types with new carts of the matching type (ie 901/510/801) freshly filled with a mix of 18mg TW Virginia and 24mg EcoPure Rich Tobacco. The same SD was used with each atomiser type (I keep one "uncorrupted") with a freshly charged Spiderfire battery to give a 4+ volt vape


The 901 Screwdriver


Lots of warm vapour, smooth draw (but not loose), lots of flavour, good hit - lovely all day use....


The Titan Screwdriver:


Lots of vapour (but to my surprise, no more than with the 901), smooth draw like the 901, noticeably less flavour, MASSIVE hit - provides the TRUE "first ciggie of the day effect" that so many of us strive for!


The 801 Screwdriver


Very light draw, LOTS of rather cool vapour, good flavour, but less hit than the 901 - very long lasting with the huge 801 cart


Conclusion:


Firstly - the Screwdriver brings out the best from any atomiser!


Secondly - I'm keeping the adapters (really well made and tested by Garry before he sent them to me) and I've ordered more atomisers of all types


Third - for taste the 901 atomiser wins hands down


Fourth - when properly "batteried up" all atomisers give excellent vapour but the 801 produces CLOUDS


Fifth - for real throat hit and that first fag of the day feeling, a Titan atomiser on a Screwdriver delivers BIG TIME


I make no claim the the SD is any better as a vapour deliverer than any other big battery device with the same/similar voltage. It has worked for me and I'm very happy with it. (I'm not driven to try others out - I don't have a “hobbyist” view of vaping – having found something I like, I tend to stick to it).




The Screwdriver forum ECigScrewdriver - Powered by vBulletin is very useful and supportive – it is very much a “Screwdriver users group” and trog posts regularly on it.


The Screwdriver is what it is, trog has very strong views on its development and use. Warranty seems very flexible and trog will repair broken SDs (either under warranty or for a charge) and service “tired” Sds. Note that using adapters with an SD invalidates the warranty. (I can live with that – I only use new atomisers with the SD, Garry tests his adapters, and I keep one SD “adapter free”).


Do I recommend the SD? Yes – for me it works, and is nice to use. I carry the SD in my jacket “top pocket” and have had no “button getting pressed” problems – I can see this happeniung if it is carried in other ways without a cover or without unscrewing the atomiser.


(Massive thanks to Garry and http://www.e-cigcity.co.uk for the adapters reviewed here)