Chris 'majorvapes' SissonHere’s a look at something a bit different. It’s a combination protected mech mod with a disposable tank. Yup, you read that right, a disposable tank. It’s actually available as a kit, or with either the tank or the mech mod on their own. I got them separately but I’d imagine the kit would just be the two combined. I picked mine up from Heavengifts.com. Here are my honest thoughts on the Kizoku Kirin mod and tank.
Package contents:
| 1 x | 18350 Battery tube |
|---|---|
| 1 x | Extended tube for 18650 |
| 1 x | Warranty Card |
| 1 x | Manual |
| 1 x | KIZOKU Kirin MTL Disposable Tank 2ml |
Listed features and specs:
| Size: | 24 x 50mm |
|---|---|
| Support resistance: | 0.2-3Ohm |
| Output voltage: | 3.5V |
| Applicable battery: | 18350/18650 |
| Atomizer interface: | 510 |
| Material: | Stainless steel |
| Size: | 21.5 x 41.6mm |
|---|---|
| Capacity: | 2ml |
| Material: | Stainless steel/PCTG |
| Resistance: | 0.5/1.2ohm |
| Quantity: | 1pc/pack |
Packaging and contents:
The Kizoku Kirin mech mod is very simply packaged and comes with just the mech mod, an 18650 extension tube, a manual and a warranty card. The Kizoku tank comes with even less and just includes the tank in the kit. I’m all for minimal packaging and getting rid of unnecessary junk so no complaints here.
The Kizoku Kirin mod:
A Kirin if you’re not familiar with it is a Japanese mythical hooved chimerical creature but also the name of one of Japans most beloved beer brands. In this case it refers to the mythical beast but there’s nothing mythical about this little protected mech mod. Last year we saw a slew of mini protected mechs hit the market with the resurgence of mtl vaping thanks mostly in part to the popularity of salt based nicotine. Kizoku who are somewhat lesser know recently released their take on the veneral 18350 mech mod but also were kind enough to include an 18650 adapter in case you aren’t much one for small form factor and small capacity.
At the top the Kirin looks to be mainly made of stainless steel and it’s got some integrated SS threads which so far have been nice and smooth. Like other protected mechs in it’s class it uses a small regulatory chip which sits under the threaded top. If you look in the 510 connection you can see it uses a bent metal prong to make the positive connection much like the others out there which if you’re familiar with you know they’re prone to breaking with regular use. Some companies retrofitted or offered little silicone blocks to pop under your positive pin and I’m happy to say Kizoku includes one already installed which should help with both the life of the pin but also a more solid connection. I’d still like to see these things with a proper 510 pin but I’ve yet to see it out there. While the Kirin is 24mm overall the top of the device is slightly tapered down to about 23mm so somethings will match up better than others but even with a 24mm tank on it still looks pretty good.
Just down from the top is the fire button which is flush with the device and only recognizable by the logo on it as well as the cutout around it. I’ll admit it’s a pain in the butt trying to find it without looking at the device but that’s a minor complain. On either side of the fire button are some angled cutouts which look like they would be for venting or airflow but they serve a dual purpose and allow a light to shine through whenever you turn the device on and off with five clicks or by simply firing the device.
About halfway down the device you’ll see another threaded section, it’s to accommodate the 18650 adapter should you choose to use it. I personally flip flop between using and not depending on the tank I’ve got attached. For high ohm small capacity tanks I tend to use it in 18350 mode but for lower resistance subohm type of tanks I like to attached the 18650 adapter. On the very bottom it’s got a threaded battery cap with what looks like a gold plated threaded adjustment dial which is used to tighten things up and remove any battery rattle you might have. It’s one of the nicer looking features of the mod but if you ask me the whole thing looks rather slick.
As I’ve already alluded to the Kirin is a protected mech meaning it has a regulatory chip in it to prevent a variety of issues such as short circuit and over-discharge but I couldn’t find the list of protections listed but I’ll assume it’ll be the same as other protected mechs in it’s class. Also unlike many others I couldn’t seem to access the chip by unscrewing the 510 portion of the device so repairing or replacing the chip may also be an issue.
The Kizoku Kirin tank:
Now the really different part of this kit/combination is the Kirin disposable tank that comes with it. While it’s not the first disposable tank we’ve seen it’s one of the first that I’ve gotten my hands on. There are two different versions available, one has a mesh coil in it that’s rated 0.5ohm with a recommended wattage range of 16-22W while the other is more of a standard mouth to lung style coil with a rating of 1.2ohm and a recommended range of 8-12W. One thing to note about these tanks is when you purchase the tank on it’s own or the kit it comes with an airflow control base which I believe is made of stainless steel. If you need to replace the coil, the replacement ‘tubes’ don’t come with the base so you’re not wasting a bunch metal just the plastic tank and coil within it. Admittedly I’m generally not a fan of anything disposable but the way they do it at least minimizes some of the waste.
To fill the tank you unscrew it from the airflow control base and on the bottom is a little silicone tank that you can pop open and fill your tank. The hole is a bit on the small side but so far I haven’t had any real issues topping it up. The airflow control base has two options, either dual cyclops style open slots or a series of five holes which you can open or close to your liking. Basically it can handle both direct lung and mouth to lung vaping but with direct lung it is a bit on the tight side. The tanks also come with user replaceable 510 drip tips that again seem a bit more geared towards mtl vaping.
Performance from these disposable tanks is actually pretty decent. I started with the 0.5ohm mesh coil and found it puts out a decent amount of vapour. The flavour it produces is ok but feels a little bit muted depending on the juice I’ve got loaded. With the 1.2ohm MTL coil vapour production was obviously much less but the flavour felt a bit more concentrated for some reason. Of course I only had the two ‘tanks’ to test with but performance overall was I’d say was fairly decent. As for longevity, that will always depend on what you are vaping, how much and your personal vaping habits but I’ve been switching between the two tanks for nearly two weeks with multiple refills and so far only the 0.5ohm mesh coil is starting to show a bit of wear.
Overall:
While I’m not exactly in love with the idea of disposable tanks, I can appreciate that some folks out there will. I also appreciate that the metal base doesn’t need to be replaced every time which will save on waste. The Kirin mech mod on the other hand is exactly my kind of jam and I’ve been using it a lot since it arrived. It pairs really well with a lot of my small MTL style RTAs and it just looks incredibly sexy at that. I love the fact that I can switch between 18350 or 18650 depending on the mood or power requirements and the overall fit and finish on it are impeccable. If you’re into protected mechs, especially 18350 sized ones, the Kirin is easily one of my favorites to come out yet.
