Author: geekayvapes

What can you expect from a $200 RDA? Some people will expect a lot, especially today when you have so many places where $200 can get you pretty good vape stuff.

In the build up to the ESG Skyfall release, I remember seeing a clip of the 5-axis CNC manufacturing process. It was impressive for sure, and at that point I knew the ESG Skyfall will not be cheap.

I already own the Skyline, and it has replaced many other tanks in my collection. In fact the Skyline is so versatile that I havent even fully used all the airflow options I have. When I saw that the Skyfall will share the concept with replaceable airflow inserts or “airdiscs”, I got pretty excited.

I had already reviewed the Gas Mods GR1, which also had replaceable airflow options. It was a pretty good RDA for the price. If the Skyfall could be as good in terms of flavor and airflow I thought, I would definitely keep it.

I have not been disappointed with the Skyfall to say the least.

ESG Skyfall: Pros

• Excellent build quality – No doubt, using the finest material from Europe gets you darn good quality. Everything from the packaging to the spares are prefectly machines, with the exception of one airflow port on mine which is a tad bit loose.
• Large space for coils – Even with the removeable airflow inserts, you have a lot of room for large exotic coils on the Skyfall. This is a pretty flexible RDA. You can pair larger coils with larger airfow, or small round wire with the MTL airflow for example.
• Smooth airflow and flavor – Becuase the airflow is 3x holes instead of one large hole, you can really fine tune your draw and get just the perfect amount of flavor. I would say that no matter how you vape, the conbination of airflow inserts and how high / low you place your coil will get you to that sweet spot.
• Good amount of spares – Unlike some high-end RDAs that come with a single o-ring as spare, you get a pretty good amount of o-rings and screws for this one. You can afford to be careless and still have a fully-functioning RDA months or years from now.
• Looks great as it is – Of course squonking is now about all the different topcaps you can buy, and I’m sure there will be a lot of options for the Skyfall. But for my taste, the default look is already pretty sweet.

ESG Skyfall: Cons

• Slight miss on build quality – For a $200 RDA I cannot let it slide. There should have been zero amount of play in one of my airflow slots.
• Most expensive RDA – Indeed the Skyfall is the most expensive RDA I own, at about $200 for the RDA and one set of additional airflow. The price could have been reduced by about $30 or so if they have chosen to source material from outside Europe and ditched the 5-axis CNC, but then again many people are willing to pay the extra just for those things.

As far as flavor-chasing single coil RDAs go, the Skyfall is up there with the Haku, Venna, KRMA and Basic RDA. It is everything you would expect from a high-end RDA, with emphasis on materials and build quality.

If you can afford one, the Skyfall will keep you squonking happily for months to come. Definitely recommended for any flavor-chaser. At the moment, the Skyfall is only available from the ESG group.

However, you should be able to find them in stock on the ESG website in time.

I’m still waiting for this to arrive, but I think LostVape has done a fantastic job with this. The Lostvape Furyan is their latest squonk mod, with the last mod they released, the Therion, now considered “old”.

Unlike the Therion BF which is a regulated DNA75C squonk mod, the Furyan is a pure mechanical mod. Here are the specs:

• Polycabonate / PEI body with carbon fiber tube
• Easy access to locking toggle switch at the front
• Compatible with 18650 / 20700 / 21700 high-drain batteries
• Supports minimum resistance of 0.1Ohm
• Spring-loaded 510 connector, stainless steel
• Silver-plated copper contacts for a better conductivity

First off, this is way better looking than the Therion. Sure, the Therion wasn’t ugly by any means but it is pretty large for a single 18650 mod. I have 20700 DNA75C mods that are more compact than the Therion, and 18650 ones that are smaller still.

With the Furyan, they decided to go a different route.

I’m sure some people in Lostvape have a keen eye for designs used in the high-end segment of squonking, because the Furyan could easily be mistaken for a high-end squonker.

At the moment, you can get it in either the PEI/ brass or black/ stainless steel setups. Although I am not a fan of Ultem, the combination of Ultem and brass actually works.

Plus, this mod can be disassembled pretty easily for cleaning the contacts. So far, from the reviews I have seen the Furyan looks to be pretty well thought-out. My only gripe is that the ultem is polished instead of amber, which I prefer.

I really hope to see more variations of the Lostvape Furyan in the near future. Gearbest is selling them at about $89 for the Ultem / PEI version, and you can occasionally find discounts on the website.

If you would like to see my review on the Lostvape Furyan, do let me know.

You can get the Lostvape Furyan from Gearbest here.

Li-Mo versions. I’ve seen the Li-Mo go through some practical changes, especially to the squonk door and bottle design.

I’ve also picked up another Li-Mo DNA60, but ended up selling both my Li-Mos when they announced a new DNA75C version.

The initial DNA75C versions were black Delrin and polished Ultem, both of which didn’t make me want to get one in a hurry. But this latest version you see in the video, made from black Ultem and sandblasted throughout, really caught my attention.

The sandblasted body and 510 / bottom plates really complement each other and make the mod look much higher quality. This is subjective I know, but I prefer matte-looking stuff over shiny stainless steel.

The one you see here has the carbon fiber upgrades for the faceplate and bottle door, and cost me a total of $350. That’s much higher than my first DNA75 Li-Mo, but Ultem is more expensive anyway. They have 18650 variants as well, but I wanted to go with the 20700 version as I felt it better complements the DNA75C.

So here’s the summary of my review for the DPM Li-Mo DNA75C.. but keep in mind there are different finishes and versions for it.

DPM Li-Mo DNA75C: Pros

• Great build quality – I’ve owned two Li-Mos before this, and I notice a significant improvement in overall quality. Compared to earlier versions where the bevelled edges seem like they were hand-made, all the lines on this Li-Mo were super smooth. The sandblasted finish was perfect, and even the carbon fiber panels were better finished.
• Fits 24mm RDAs – Another reason I wanted the 20700 version over the 18650 was the fact that the 20700 version fits a 24mm RDA nicely without overhang. With the 18650 you would get a slight overhang from the bevelled edge. Plus, taller RDAs would not look weird on this one like they do on so many of those tiny squonk mods.
• DNA75c board – It’s clearly better than the DNA75 in all areas. Plus, with the new “Replay” feature it makes it better than most other non-DNA boards as well.
• Lukkos Silk bottle – They come stock with the Li-Mo, and are a great finishing touch to make this a high-end mod. Although some people swap these out right away to the Lukkos square or other square bottles, I prefer round ones. I think square bottles work great when you press the flat sides, but not the edges like you would on the Li-Mo.

DPM Li-Mo DNA75C: Cons

• The “large” size – The size is not that big for a DNA75c/20700 combo – it’s about the same size as the Pulse 80. However, it feels larger. I think this is mainly due to the bevelled edges as opposed to rounded edges. But hey, the “boxy” look is what the Li-Mo’s are about. DPM makes other rounded mods like the Casper if you have boxy-looking stuff.
• The squonk hole – Due to the position and the sharpness of the squonk hole, it does take a bit getting used to. This was the same for the first Li-Mo I used, and I eventually got used to it.
• The price (subjective) – I paid $350 for this mod, but that’s because I took all the best options. For example, if you choose the Delrin version, 18650 and no sandblasting, the cost will be much lower.

Overall, I am 100% happy with the DPM Li-Mo DNA75c. If there was one thing I could change, would make it easier to replace the faceplate.

See, I also got the regular sandblasted and Ultem faceplate / squonk door combos. However, I cannot actually use them. According to DPM the faceplate is pressure-fitted. That means all you need to do is knock the mod firmly on a safe surface, and the faceplate should pop right out.

I tried knocking the shit out of it and the faceplate didn’t budge. I could knock harder but I’m afraid of damaging the mod.

Other than that, the DPM Li-Mo is a clear winner. It has a unique look, a great board and the improved squonk system makes it much easier to change bottles.

Highly recommended!

To pick up one of these, just join the DPM group and contact one of the admins. You can place your order right away with 50% upfront payment. Your mod should be completed in less than two weeks. Settle the balance and it will be shipped to you via DHL.

Join The DPM Mods Group

When it comes to good single-coil squonking RDAs, I always have better luck in the higher end of vaping. My favorites like the Basic RDA, KRMA, Haku and Venna are all from the higher end and cost upwards of $100.

Most of the single coil squonking RDAs from China have been disappointing in terms of design, flavor or both. That’s why I was a bit sceptical of the Wotofo Recurve RDA by Mike Vapes. I’ve reviewed Mike Vapes stuff before, and they are usually designed for cloud-chasers. I didn’t expect this to be any different.

I was wrong. Although it looks very much like a Chinese-designed RDA, and airflow is very unique. This RDA was definitely meant for flavor-chasing, the fact that it is 24mm is actually very misleading. The build deck itself is only about 20mm, but the thick topcap makes it 24mm in total overall diameter.

At about $25, the Recurve comes in many different colors and is made from 304 stainless steel. It has a single-coil postless deck with an “airflow wall” as I like to call it. The wall actually has six small airflow holes on either side. You control the side airflow by twisting the topcap.

The Wotofo Recurve comes pre-installed with the bottom-feeding pin, and you get a standard 510 pin as well. Plus, there’s almost no juice well on this RDA, which means it was designed first as a squonking RDA.

So here’s what I think about the Recurve…

Wotofo Recurve RDA: Pros

• Smooth airflow & great flavor – The flavor I was able to get from this is on par with a lot of the more expensive RDAs I have tried. The airflow is more open as well, perfect if you want bigger clouds.
• Easy to build – The post-less decks are straightforward and can accommodate larger diameter coils easily. The included Nichrome coils work perfectly and produce clean flavor.
• 810 & 510 compatible – You get an adapter for using regular sized 510 driptips, plus you get an additional 810 driptip in the kit.

Wotofo Recurve RDA: Cons

• Un-sexy design – I loved the one I reviewed because it is black and has that cool smoked 810 driptip. But when I take a look at the regular stainless steel version, it feels like just another Chinese product rehashing the same design elements I have seen before.
• 24mm diameter – I would not usually list it as a con, but this could be a 22mm RDA. The topcap is thicker than it needs to be, or maybe there’s a reason for that. In any case, there should be new PMMA topcaps out soon. These should be simplified and 22mm in diameter.
• Tiny juice well – No problem for squonking, but not meant for dripping.

Overall, I liked the Wotofo Recurve RDA. It didn’t blow my mind, and the flavor is not the best I’ve had.

But for the price, it’s a damn good single-coil squonking RDA. I’ve added it to my list of best squonking RDAs, although I think the upcoming new PMMA / PEI topcaps will take it to the next level in terms of sex appeal.

Click Here to Get The Wotofo Recurve RDA

I’ve reviewed the Hellvape Dead Rabbit RDA before, and I wasn’t too excited. Nothing wrong with the RDA, it’s just another cloud-chasing thing that I’m not into. I thought the same for the Hellvape Aequitas RDA, as they look pretty similar in many ways.

However, there’s more to the Aequitas (I sometimes say Aqueitas) than meets the eye. Designed by Ambitionz Vapers, a popular Youtube reviewer, it’s based off the best parts of the Drop and Dead Rabbit. Some would say it stole the best parts of them, but from what I understand Derek (Ambitionz Vapers) has the green light from Hellvape to do so.

The Hellvape Aequitas RDA is dual coil 24mm postless (or short posts?) RDA with “reversible airflow” This essentially means that you can flip with barrel of the RDA to have the airflow pointed upwards or downwards. Of course, you will need to adjust your coils accordingly.

Comes with an 810 driptips but compatible with 510 tips via an adapter provided. Building and wicking is very similar to the Drop / Dead Rabbit, although the airflow is channel inwards a little bit for more intense flavor.

Retailing at $25, the Aequitas RDA comes with both BF and regular 510 pins, and available in many different colors.

So here’s my review…

Hellvape Aequitas RDA: Pros

• Good build quality – Nothing to complain about the build quality, just like the other Hellvape products I have reviewed before. Arrived clean and oil-free, but I put it in the ultrasonic cleaner just in case.
• Good airflow & flavor – This is going to be subjective. It really depends how you position the coils and the airflow. I preferred to point the airflow downwards, and pull my coils closer for more intense flavor. This gives me the best results.
• Clean design – Not too loud with the logo, and the driptip is my favorite color! I cannot speak about other variations, but I do like the subdued design elements.
• Easy to build – Again, this is no surprise to people who loved the Drop and Dead Rabbit.

Hellvape Aequitas RDA: Cons

• Pretty tall (subjective) – For using on a squonk mod, it looks too large on most of my tiny squonk mod setups. but with larger mods (dual battery) it looks right in place.
• No single-coil reducer (subjective) – I know I have a lot of single coil RDAs, so there’s no big deal with a dual coil RDA that doesn’t have a single coil reducer. But bear with me, I;m running out of cons to suggest.

Overall, I definitely like this more than the Dead Rabbit. However, I’m still not a fan of dual coil RDAs with the exception of my Hobo Drifter.

I’m still going to list this on my best squonk RDAs list though, as there aren’t that many good 24mm squonk RDAs around still.

Click Here to Get The Hellvape Aequitas RDA