Honest review time: Artery Nugget X from Artery Vapor

Here’s a handy little kit that was sent over from Buybest for the purpose of review. It’s made by the folks at Artery Vapor and is third in the line of Nuggets that the company has produced. It’s a super compact but full featured kit that comes packed with a subohm tank for a truly discreet on the go setup. Here are my honest thoughts on the Artery Nugget X kit care of Buybest.

Package contents:

ItemQuantity
Nugget X mod1
AT22 Tank1
Extra Coil1
Glass Tube replacement1
Pack of o-rings1
User manuals2
Warranty card1
USB Cable1

Specs and features:

  • Nugget X MOD Size: 36.6 x 23 x 58mm
  • Capacity: 2000mAh
  • Wattage range: 5-50W
  • Voltage range: 0.5-8V
  • Temp range: 200℉-600℉/100℃-315℃
  • Modes: VV/VW/TC(Ni/Ti/SS/TCR)/Bypass
  • Resistance range: 0.1-3ohm
  • Thread: 510
  • AT22 Tank Size: 22 x 39mm (w/o thread)
  • Capacity: 2ml
  • Coil: 0.3ohm (25-45W)
  • Thread: 510
  • Perfect size: Golden ratio for W x L x D
  • Improved Battery Capacity: 2000mAh
  • Larger screen: 0.96″
  • Easier to use: Streamlined menu system
  • Fast charge: 1.5A
  • Overcharge, overheat, 8 Second cut-off and short circuit protection

The Nugget X Mod:

The mod that comes with the kit is called the Nugget X. It’s one of the most compact devices I’ve come across measuring just 36.6 x 23 x 58mm or what Artery considers the Golden ratio. It’s got a max output of 50W and comes packed with nearly all of the features that other mods in it’s class support. It’s mostly made of aluminum with a big 0.96″ OLED screen that’s easy to read but can be a bit dim in direct sunlight. At the top it’s got a recessed 510 connection that looks to have stainless steel threads and a gold plated spring loaded 510 center pin. I’ve only tried a handful of tanks and drippers on it but so far everything I’ve tried has sat flush.

Traveling down the face of the device it’s got a round textured fire button that’s nice and clicky and doesn’t rattle when shaken. Just below that is the OLED screen I mentioned above and just below that are teh +/- adjustment buttons which are also textured like the fire button. On either side there’s a mirrored strip to add a bit of flair to a rather boxy looking device and on one side it’s got a big ‘N’ the Nugget X logo while on the other it’s plain with just a simple micro USB port for charging up the device. There’s a tiny LED next to the port to indicate when it’s charging. There’s no mention of any firmware updates so I believe the port is for charging only.

On the bottom of the device it’s got the usual CE markings as well as some holes drilled through for venting should anything go amiss with the 2000mAh internal battery. That’s 500mAh more then it’s predecessor and double the originals capacity. It also support 1.5A fast charging so topping up is relatively quick.

Operating the device is also quite simple with five clicks to turn the device on or lock the device and 3 clicks to enter the main menu. On the home screen from the top it shows the current mode, the wattage or temperature set, a battery bar, the fired voltage, current resistance and a puff timer at the very bottom. From the main screen pressing + or – will adjust the wattage or temp if in temp control mode. Pressing fire and – will clear the puff timer while fire and + will lock the adjustment buttons.

In the main menu you get options for Power, Temp Control, Voltage and Bypass, Power OFF and Exit. If you select Power you are presented with a number of option the first being basic PWR or power mode, below that you get options PMGA, PMGB, PMGC, back and Main. Back takes you to the previous menu while main take you to the home screen. PMGA-C refer to Power Multiplication Graphs A to C which allow you to set a sort of preheat except it doesn’t work like most preheat functions do. What it lets you do is adjust the power for the first 2 seconds I believe in 0.1 increments with each increment representing a multiplier that will be applied to your set wattage. So if you’re set to 20W and you have a multiplier of 2 you’ll fire at 40w for that 0.1 second increment. It’s a bit odd but once you wrap your head around it it kind of makes sense. It’s not something I use often but it’s nice to have options.

Again from the main menu if you select Temp you get options for Ni, Ti, SS and TCR. Selecting TCR asks you to enter the TCR value as there is only the one memory slot for it. I tested an SS coil in temp control mode and it seemed to do a decent job with it. Voltage mode is similar to wattage mode in that you set your desired voltage and it fires at what you’ve set. It used to be a common option back in the day but seems less common these days having been replaced by just wattage mode. Bypass mode lets you fire directly from the battery but would still incorporate the built-in protections.

Performance wise it works a treat. With the 2000mAh internal battery it tends to last me all day if vaping at lower wattages. Of course if I crank it up it I’ll need to top up but with 1.5A quick charging it’s not too big of a deal. All of the functions I tested out seemed to perform as expected and with the simple interface that it sports I found it an absolute pleasure to use.

The Tank:

The tank it comes with is called the Artery A-T22. It’s a pretty standard looking 22mm diameter tank with a 2ml capacity, a delrin 510 drip tip, top fill and bottom adjustable airflow. The airflow has stops at either end and is a bit on the tight side so it should stay in place. At full open it give a nice slightly restricted direct lung hit but even when it’s almost fully closed it’s not exactly meant for mouth to lung. It comes with two 0.3ohm coil heads that are rated at 25-45 watts which I found worked great around 30-35W. They look like they’ll be compatible with most BabyBeast style coils like most tanks these days.

The tank performs pretty well offering decent flavour and a good amount of vapour, sort of a mid range performer that can easily keep up with others in it’s class. The capacity is a bit restrictive and considering how quickly it can burn through a tank you’ll be filling it quite often. I would have liked to see a bigger tank option or a bubble tank to increase the capacity but other then that I don’t have any real complaints with it. The coils seem to last a decent while as well with the first coil lasting me about two weeks before I felt the need to change it.

Likes:

  • Super compact size
  • Build quality
  • Appearance
  • Ease of use
  • Good battery life for a compact mod
  • Good flavour and vapour from the included tank
  • Fast charging

Dislikes:

  • Small tank capacity
  • Odd implementation of power curves
  • Screen a bit dim

Overall:

The Artery Nugget X is a very neat little mod that’s absolutely ideal for situations where you need a compact device that’s still full featured and works well. Sure it’s limited to only 50w but that’s more then enough for the included tank and usually enough for most others. I personally love compact mods especially in the summer when the amount of gear I can comfortably carry shrinks and the Nugget X has already been coming with me nearly everywhere I go lately since it’s just so compact and convenient. I’d have no trouble recommending this little kit to anyone looking for just such a compact device that performs just as well a kits twice it’s size. All in all a solid update to the Artery Nugget lineup!!