To start this review, we will state that this product was bought with our own funds, and that this review is not coordinated with GotVapes.com in any way other than the purpose of sharing a product we feel will have an impact on the vaping community.
On to the review!
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Currently priced at $12.95 for a box of 5 Fluxomizers (prices subject to change on any company's website), we couldn't pass up the chance to see what the hype was about, or if these were claims that were not as honest as they seemed.
When the Fluxomizers arrived on the doorstep, the 2.4ohm versions, we tested the first Fluxomizer out using GotVapes' own Berry Blue Bacco E-Juice. It was noted that the Fluxomizers are extremely easy to fill, having a drip tip that is secured through suction rather than being screwed in, and it was noted that the sealed 510 connector would help prevent leaking in excess. We also noted that the wicking material in the Fluxomizers seems extremely fluffy and soft, much like Ekowool - the wicks found here have a very different appearance than most Silica products. We also noted that a large amount of "silica dust" was present inside the new Fluxomizers, noted by a "sparkly" appearance and large shards collected throughout the plastic chamber. Finally, we noted how the coil chamber (the non-replaceable "head") did not have a silicone grommet acting as a "cap", and that no silicone was placing pressure on the wicks; instead, a small "flavor wick" prevented flooding much like the design of a Kanger-brand head. Overall, this is a very unique design for a top-coil device, and already, we assumed this could indeed bring on signs of improvement.
We then fired up the Fluxomizer at 3.3 volts on a MVP2 battery by Innokin. The ohm ranges were checked and we found that the Fluxomizer was reading around 4.6ohms. GotVapes was contacted and we were told that after the initial puff, the ohm range should go down to the intended number, and sure enough, after the initial puff, it did go down to the intended 2.3-2.5ohm range.
Upon the very first hit, however, we noted a strong taste of something smokey and quite mechanical in flavor - it was strongly felt that this was not an intended flavor of the Berry Blue Bacco, as the flavor was quite dirty and did not taste safe or professional - very dry textures were also noted in the vapor. The Fluxomizer was held "Cigarette Style" - horizontally - to allow for best wicking, as one would expect to do with any CE2-CE5 device. We did note, even at 3.3 volts, a tremendous amount of vapor, and slight elevations in voltage only tripled this effect. At this point, we believe the Fluxomizers produce more vapor than almost any pre-built single-coil product on the market (no lie - this thing produces plumes!), but at a cost of producing a very negative flavor.
After a series of tests, it was concluded that there may be something faulty with a component in the first Fluxomizer, or a contaminant that may have been in the juice - the vapor simply tasted unhealthy upon testing - and we tossed the first Fluxomizer. This was our first time dealing with both the Fluxomizer and a juice from GotVapes, so it was hard for us to pinpoint where the problem may exist. The Berry Blue Bacco is a higher-PG blend, therefor no wicking issues should have been present.
We test a second Fluxomizer using a %100VG + Distilled Water, 0mg blend of juice from Velvet Cloud Vapors, a juice we know for sure to taste clean, albeit being quite thick in viscosity. To our surprise, as long as the Fluxomizer was held horizontally, the juice vaped very clean (though with little to no flavor); however, if the Fluxomizer was barely tilted downward, even during a puff, a sharp taste of mechanical smoke or "wicky flavor" would be present, much like on the Berry Blue Bacco, leading us to believe that either the coil, the wick, or a component in the Fluxomizer was creating a fumed taste that could not be pinpointed to PG or Nicotine, specifically.
We also concluded this was the fault of the Fluxomizer as the VG juice vaped clean when horizontally vaped, yet vaped very dirty if tilted downward - this would signal that something is being "burned" or "exposed" when the wick isn't as absolutely wet as can be. Many vapers believe this should not happen unless the wick is bone dry or used improperly - in our tests, the wick was still extremely wet enough that any heat from the coil should have continued to draw liquid from the wick, even if the liquid was not continuously "flooding" the coil.
(We do not intend to comment on the chemical properties of what this "fume" flavor may be, nor do we intend to say that this is an unsafe effect, however, we have the right to question why we are perceiving this effect and to use caution when this flavor is not perceived as pleasant or organic in nature.)
Even on the "clean puffs", however, we noted a severely muted taste. We were able to taste the flavor of the juice for the first puff, and none after about three puffs.
We sit the 2nd Fluxomizer aside and test a 3rd with a Cinnamon Bun flavored E-Liquid, brewed locally, by a manufacturer we will not name at this time for location and privacy concerns. The liquid was 60/40 PG/VG in blend, with 12mg in Nicotine. We had particular success with this juice seeming to work pleasantly even on devices that we could not recommend to any vapers, so we wanted to see how it interacted with the Fluxomizer.
To our astonishment, this particular E-Liquid seemed to wick very well in the Fluxomizer, creating a solid, clean flavor of Cinnamon (without all the complexities this juice may offer in an RDA), with no contaminant tastes. The test was continued for several hours, with this E-Liquid, and absolutely no diminishing performance was noted. However, if the device was not held horizontally, the vapor would give off the same "mechanical" taste after about 2 or 3 puffs - by now, we feel confident that this flavor is happening because of a component that may be getting too hot, or burning, when the coil components are rather dry. Heat-resistant components, in all reality, would not be believed to have a negative flavor even if vaped while rather hot or dry. Our motto at Good News! Vapor Reviews is that if you can taste it, then you can taste it.
This flavor may be something as inert as PG, VG, or Nicotine residue, or something rather alarming such as fumes from the metal coil, the wick, or surrounding components. At this time, we simply still could not pinpoint what it may be.
Having discovered a working combination, however, we test this particular Fluxomizer for weeks to come, getting used to the personality of the Fluxomizer, and noting that as long as the device is held horizontally, that it seemed to wick fantastically with this Cinnamon Bun juice, and became addicting very fast. This particular Fluxomizer and juice combination proved to "hold up" for approximately 2 weeks of on and off vaping - we received a longer life out of this atomizer than virtually any product we have ever tested in the field.
After this period, we had two remaining Fluxomizers, and we chose one to be used for our "rough testing", using juices that we knew to be problematic in other atomizers as well. We tested two Chocolate juices, one by Rejuve and another by VaporX. With the Rejuve juice, we noted a very chemically-syrupy type of flavor that was opposite to the creamy chocolate we perceived when using this juice on a Fin cartomizer, and the VaporX chocolate juice tasted burnt and scorched. We also tested a couple of Naturally Extracted Tobacco juices, which did not give off any professional flavor in the least (also tasting like scorched, chemical syrup, opposite to the wonderful flavor perceived on a Cisco HH.357 atomizer). Various other juices were also tested, such as additional juices by Mountain Oak Vapors, Rejuve, GoodEJuice, Rejuve, GotVapes (Flux Nectar), and others, though we don't claim that each juice may or may not have been a "bad batch", we simply believe at this point that the Cinnamon Bun juice matches whichever characteristics the internal coil seems good at vaporizing.
We eventually find that Halo's Mystic, a peppermint-inspired menthol juice, also works well with the Fluxomizer, and we use this juice in the 5th Fluxomizer, enjoying as long-lasting results and even more improvement in terms of not receiving the dry, mechanical flavor.
At this point, we contact GotVapes to review our results, and while we are not able to pinpoint the source of the negative flavor or skewed flavor that seems to happen, we eagerly inquire about the clean taste that we did receive with certain juices - we were very happy with the the fact that the Fluxomizer did not taste like "burnt rubber" (a totally different flavor that has happened in extensive tests with Kanger products) or "scorching metal" (a flavor that seems to happen in our tests with Innokin products), and we learned that in the Fluxomizer, that a ceramic cup is used inside the coil chamber as a way to separate the coil leads, as opposed to any silicone or rubber grommets that most atomizers use. We were very impressed with this advancement in technology, and found that it indeed improved the flavor where other atomizers would taste like burnt rubber or such only after an hour of vaping.
Throughout the tests, we also experienced very little leaking with the Fluxomizers - we did experience a few minor happenings, but it was extremely conservative (nothing that would flood a 510 connection) and a simple, horizontal vape would always fix this in just one puff. We did note that flooding happened with storing these Fluxomizers on their side, as opposed to upright, and we note that these devices are not good to be stored in purses or pockets - the suctioned drip tip, which is also responsible for sealing the Fluxomizer, can become dislodged quite easily. It does not present a problem when vaping, but comes off with only a little force.
For voltage specifics, we found that this device tolerates ranges from 3.3 volts to approximately 3.8 volts, and begins to give off the mechanical, hashy flavor we noted if vaped at a higher power than this, though it causes the flavor to happen with each puff instead of just when the wick is slightly dry.
As of right now, we couldn't be more pleased with the clean vapor we did experience with certain juices on the Fluxomizer. With the juices that work with these CE2's, we vaped them for over a week and went through probably 15+ full refills, if not more. They produced absolute dreamy clouds, producing extremely thick vapor unlike anything one could get on a Kanger Evod or such - in texture, it was even thicker than results on an iClear 30. We would actually call these Fluxomizers "Mini Aspires" because the vapor is so closely related, and because both devices are extremely temperamental about which juices seem to taste clean and pure on them. We're very happy with how easy these are to fill, and once we found out which juices "get along" with them, we noted the very positive effect of being able to add a new flavor here and there with no "flavor bleeding", these Fluxomizers would seem to bounce right back to whichever flavor you put in, no real cleaning required... at least in our tests.
For anyone who has followed the user GoodNews! on various online forums, it is known that there's the constant perceived experience of a "nasty flavor" in many atomizers, and because these Fluxomizers present an extremely clean vapor with certain juices, the atomizers themselves lasting for weeks with the right juice, we're extremely happy with what unique results these atomizers have presented so far. The result is far from optimal and far from what we believe is required for the array of juices created today, but this is a product that keeps one vaping, and the unique build of ceramic cups and the lack of silicone is a tremendous improvement over other products in the field.
The one last thing we should mention is that we did inspect the coils by popping off a small metal cap on top of the non-replaceable "head", and we noted that the coil builds were characterized by a coil that looked like a curved Slinky - one side of the coil had the wraps compressed together, while the other side had them flared apart. The wraps were close, and very loose on the wick - a toothpick could have been fed through the coil, with the additional space seen, with no harm done. We feel strongly that this is not a precise build and that this may contribute to a dry taste and much, much less complexity in the juice flavor, to the point that some juices don't vaporize correctly.
Overall, this product is a league above most products such as products by Kanger, Innokin, Aspire, and others, but only a minor league. It accomplishes the aspect of being able to get a clean vapor out of at least some types of juices (unlike most atomizers, which never taste good to us), and seems to wick extremely well when held horizontally. They seem to last for weeks on end, and in addition, are able to be chain-vaped like something unreal. We recommend these to any vapor who is having extremely problems with getting a "good" taste out of other atomizers, but we do warn that many juices are incompatible - it may take some testing to see which juices work on your Fluxomizer!
To be honest, we're so happy that a product at least gave a clean flavor with some sort of juice out there that we give this product the 2014 Good News! Award, however, we do have to also add a rating of only 3 out of 5 Stars - this is a product that has achieved a very professional standard in the vaping world, and now may need additional research, study, and manufacturing techniques to achieve one of the best atomizers on the market today!
(Actually, as an additional note, we're so happy with these little Fluxomizers that we're buying a couple more packs of them. Despite some drawbacks and some odd experiences, these are presenting one of the best vapes we've had to date, as long as the kinks are worked out, and we'd honestly say that even the most experienced of vapers would find a place for these in their gear box. We expected these to be absolute hogwash, to be honest, and we're pretty blown away by just how much better they do work than virtually any pre-built device on the market!)
Summary:
Pros:
- Vapes extremely clean using certain juice flavors or mixes, and when held horizontally. We recommend using Menthols, Cinnamons (Plastic-safe), and Soft Tobaccos, and blends at least as thin as 60/40.
- Absolutely stunning vapor production, in terms of thickness.
- Virtually flood-proof.
- Extremely easy to fill.
- Small form factor.
- Great price.
Cons:
- Does not seem to vaporize most E-Liquids in any manner resembling "proper flavor".
- Does not seem to handle dark juices well.
- Can tend to "spit" - we recommend the use of a juice condum!
- Can bring about a mechanical or hashy flavor in many instances - be cautious of which juices you may use, and a horizontal vape is required.
- Should not be stored on its side nor should be carried in a pocket or purse - drip tip seal cap is easily "popped off."
- Seems to bring on the mechanical or hashy flavor above 3.8 volts.
Overall, we really recommend this one, and while the list of negatives seems quite fussy, we're recommending this product not so much as a replacement for popular devices such as the iClear models or Aspire products, but for users who experience bad flavors from those products and need a vape that truly can taste clean depending on the juice.
We'll be testing the 2.0ohm version soon, so stay tuned!
Buy Here!:
http://www.gotvapes.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=365
(Update: We've tested some additional Fluxomizers, and while the Cinnamon Bun juice vaped slightly less pleasantly in the second pack, this pack seems to be excellent for tobacco juices - we're currently vaping two tobacco juices from a local vendor, two juices that have quite a dark tone and color, and they're holding up fantastically. We're getting outstanding life out of these suckers, and again, if held horizontally to allow the juice to flow to the atomizer, these things absolutely rock. Tremendous amounts of vapor [think Aspire or iClear], quite strong flavor [2x an Evod], and tremendously clean vapor. No wicky flavor to be found!)
Overall, these little devices are pretty revolutional in our opinion - we'd be confident in saying that if any RDA'er was in a fix, that this is the product they'd vape. It's simply so much of a cleaner taste compared to any other product!
We're also slowly learning that the E-Liquid makes a big difference - we've pretty much discovered that if it doesn't work on the Fluxomizer, it's not going to work on anything else, so some negative attributes we placed on the Fluxomizers, above, may truly be down to E-Liquid. We currently use them for all our E-Liquid reviews, and we get better performance out of these things than literally anything else on the market!)