If you’ve been vaping for less than two years, you might not know a lot about mechanical mods. And perhaps you have no clue as to why they could be interesting. A mechanical mod is, most of the time, a metallic tube that is used to host a battery to vape directly, namely on a circuit « battery > atomizer > battery ». There are neither settings nor information available.

A mechanical mod has many drawbacks: first, since there is no electronics included, there are no features that could compensate the battery voltage drop that takes place when the battery discharges (during use). Therefore, each vapor puff will be slightly less important than the previous one.

You also don’t know if / when your battery runs flat, but it is actually quite easy to notice the battery drop when the vapor puff dramatically decreases. It is even dangerous for the battery’s lifetime to go under 3.7V.

We must also take into account the conductivity: without any compensation, the resistance of the mod is also the cause of a power loss, hence the use of extremely conductive material, such as copper, silver plated (the best option) or gold. It can therefore be really expensive.

Finally, if there is a short-circuit, there is no protection. You have to remain cautious and respect basic rules, such as always unscrew the negative electrode of the mod before unscrewing the atomizer. This is especially true on hybrid mechanical mods, where the atomizer is in direct contact with the positive electrode of the battery. You should also always check with an ohmmeter or an electronic box the resistance’s value and the absence of a short-circuit before using it on a mechanical mod.

But why would mechanical mods be interesting then?

If we go back in time a few years ago, vapers could choose from 3 main product families: the ready-to-use batteries that delivered no more than 10 watts (more or less), the mechanical mods and the first electronic box and mods that didn’t go higher tha 30 – 40 watts.

If you wanted to vape with high power settings, your only option was the mechanical mod. When equipped with an adapted coil, this product could make the most out of the batteries, which could send 35A, or a up to 140w in terms of power (4,2 volts -voltage of a charged battery- times 35 amperes). Of course, it didn’t last long, but people were quite happy at the time.

The run for conductivity led to the birth of extremely competitive mods, but the arrival of high power boxes on the market really shaked things up, even though some small craftsmen still make amazing products. 

If mechanical mods don’t have a monopoly on high power vaping, they still seduce vapers thanks to their pure lines and design.