If you’re intrigued by vaping or, having taken the first few steps and now dipped your toe in, are beginning on your road into the wonderful world of all things e-cig, then you may feel you have a lot to learn and discover (you do!) and you may have a few questions you wouldn’t mind getting answered. For instance, why when you look at videos of experienced vapers online do the mods – or ‘– their e-cigs feature look different and, well, in many cases cooler than those you can buy in a high-street vape store? Well, no doubt, these are ‘mechanical mods’ (or ‘mech mods’); they’re rather special and, therefore, quite an involved piece of vaping kit.
What do they do?
Although you might say there’s something of an enigma to them, the function of mech mods is, at least, easy to explain. Quite simply, they’re arguably the most perfunctory of all ecig mods, as they basically supply power from the battery to the atomiser (the part of the ecig responsible for heating the e-juice and creating vapour). So, yes, there’s little complexity to what they’re put together to do; they house one or more batteries, which connecting to both a top and bottom cap in the mod (positive and negative, respectively), can power a current to the coil and create vapour at the push of a button.
Who uses them?
As hinted at above, owing to the fact they lend themselves to and essentially rely on an e-cig user’s interest in not just experimentation but also customisation, mech mods are really best suited and targeted at advanced vapers; those who are more than open to their vaping experience being thoroughly, if not wholly, customised and therefore are more than up for and used to paying extra for the privilege.
Are we talking about the sort of vapers who are show-offs; those who like blowing big billowing clouds of mist as they inhale? In part, yes; but they’re also for those looking for something a little extra, a little more involved from their vaping – as it moves beyond being an activity and becomes a hobby. If that doesn’t explain the sort of vaper you are (if you’re more the type who wants to continue with a smooth, uncomplicated vaping experience), then regulated, not mech, mods are the way to keep going.
What do they contain?
A mech mod comprises the following components:
- Housing – effectively the mech mod’s casing, its housing can come in a large number of different looks (for instance, it can be both tube- and box-shaped), as well as manufactured from materials ranging from metal to wood; you’ll find that a fair degree of delicate and impressive artistry can go into many a housing too
- Battery – mech mods can contain more than just one battery, according to the requirements of the vaper and what they wish the mod to do for their e-cig (e.g. how much power they want it to provide to the device); many commercial mech mod kits’ll ensure the housing can contain up to two batteries, but some very advanced vapers may like the idea of getting as much bang (or, rather, puff) for their buck by installing more, or even as many as they can
- Atomisers – owing to their unconventional nature, mech mods are particularly flexible when it comes to atomisers and coils, meaning they tend to have the capacity to power any kind irrespective of the coil’s resistance; most of all, mech mod fans like to put rebuildable dripping atomisers (RDAs) in their devices, which enable them to drip the e-liquid directly on to the coil (indeed, a coil that they’ve likely constructed themselves and want to experiment with as much as possible to experience a wide variety of vape experiences).
Are they genuinely safe?
Unlike many an electronic device, mech mods don’t contain circuit boards (they’re too simple for that), which means should one malfunction it’s unlikely to keep trying to operate and potentially become hazardous in doing so; it’ll merely cease working and that’ll be that. In which case, even if a mech mod becomes defective – often due to the battery; for instance, it may over-discharge, overheat or even burst – it’s unlikely to become dangerously unsafe, so long as the user’s sensible and doesn’t take risks.