VapersCanadaVapes By Enushi handled the North American release of the EVM by Estoque Mods. As promised, here’s my review of the EVM Ti Silver colored SS version:
Estoque Mods by ES is a Taiwan based company that first came to us in 2015. Back then, Estoque offered up a 26650 stabilized wood mod that was a highly coveted piece. More recently, Estoque Mods jumped into the squonk mod fray with the EVM.
EVM Specifications:
- Mod type: Bottom Feed “Squonk” Mod, powered by iVibe MOSFET
- Battery: 1x 18650 high drain IMR
- Dual MOSFET: RTA1.0 – Original Estoque design
- 510 Connector: Manual adjustment (reverse screw) via 2.0mm Allen key
- Height: 73.5mm (at the 510 base)
- Width: 45.5mm
- Thickness: 26mm
- Estoque SQ bottle: 10 mL capacity food grade silicon. Each mod comes with 1 standard clear bottle.
Packaging: The packaging is solid – no longer the wood box that the original mods came in, it’s a fairly solid cardboard version that holds the mod, a nifty neoprene EVM/Estoque branded protective bag, a bag of replacement o-rings and the card of authenticity – all in all, a nice presentation.
Fit and finish: It’s excellent! There are no rough edges and the inner workings fit snug inside the sleeve with no rattles. First thing you’ll notice is the EVM is tiny and light. Lightweight aluminum (note Ti colored, not made from Ti) houses an internal “all-in-one” Estoque branded ABS plastic sled. Push the clip on the back of the mod, and you can remove the inner assembly. Removing the internals, you’ll see the sled incorporates the battery holder, the bottle holder, the 510, the iVibe MOSFET and the switch. The MOSFET is neatly tucked into the sled, and it connects to the 510 via two solid clips that are directly attached to the 510. It makes for a very clean package with no extraneous internal wires. All the contacts are silver or gold plated for minimal voltage drop. Hard to believe, but this tiny package manages to cram a 10mL capacity bottle.
Usage: A tactile power button has been flawless for use. 3 clicks for on and off – it is also used to meter battery power by holding for 3 seconds to activate the indicator LED. 8 second cut-off is also one of the safety features. It may seem a couple of seconds short, but building low and generating heat quickly is not a problem for the chip that fires down to 0.075 ohms. The chip also features polarity protection and short circuit protection. You did read correctly above. The proprietary chip in the EVM features haptic feedback – vibration alert! You’ll get that feedback turning on and off, as well as when the battery drops or resistance is too low. It’s a really cool feature.
The bottle is also proprietary, with the feed tube being made of stainless steel. The diameter is just a tad small for my liking, but it’s still very usable – it just requires maybe an extra second of a squeeze to get the right amount of juice out into the Atty. Bottles fit snug and I haven’t experienced any seeping or leakage through the top. If you push from the bottom when replacing, there is a slight chance that you could puncture the soft bottom of the bottle. It just requires a gentle touch and grip by the bottle’s cap when removing or replacing the bottle in the mod. Replacements aren’t cheap – but that’s expected for the quality of this bottle. The 10mL bottle capacity was a nice surprise – and also means fewer fill-ups.
The 510 connector is a manual adjustment and looks to be directly connected to the circuit board – a great design move that eliminates internal wires. There is also an o-ring built around the 510 to prevent leaks. The EVM has a clean, classy look and overall feel.
The cutout for the squonk bottle has an odd shape. Instead of being centered and symmetrical, it favors the left side (when looking at it dead on). I didn’t find it to be an issue, just an oddity that has little bearing on usage for me. This may vary for you depending on the size of your fingers.
Performance: Silver plated electrical contacts, gold plated battery contacts, and what looks like a direct connection to the 510 – also ensures the EVM will hit hard and consistently. Remember the MOSFET only limits, it doesn’t control the voltage so there will be sag as the battery drains.
I currently have it paired with my NarCA and I am nothing less than impressed with the EVM. It has a really nice, comfortable hand feel. The EVM has been a daily driver and the aluminum body has held up well – I still don’t have an extra scratch on it and the body is proving itself to be fairly resilient to everyday usage. I did have some concern about the ABS sled, but because it’s fairly protected, it would take me doing something really abusive to damage it once housed in the body. For those not so careful, my EVM also came with a neoprene protective bag.
Verdict: The EVM was a nice surprise. The price tag may be high for some, but this is a mid-level priced mod with features and finish that match the pricing. The aesthetics and durability – plus the comfortable usage – make this a winner for those looking to break out of the injection molded or 3D printed squonk market.
Current retail price is CND $367 for the Ti colored SS and $383 for the Gunmetal version, but currently out of stock. There should be some coming in soon: https://www.vapesbyenushi.com/hardware/estoque-mods-evm-ti-silver/