What are they?
Mechanical Mods, also known as Mech Mods or Unregulated Mods, are for vapers who want to take complete control of their vaping experience. And, despite their reputation as a complex piece of kit, mech mods are actually the most basic form of machinery out there.
The first thing to note is that these are not for beginners. Mech mods allow you to customise the amount of power that passes through your mod, giving users bigger clouds and a more intense flavour. However they have no built-in safety features, meaning safe usage is entirely down to the user.
Mech mods consist of just three parts:
- The Casing – this houses the battery, and is often made of low resistance materials. Some of the most popular mech mod cases are made out of stabilised wood or metal, but as long as it safely houses your battery the sky’s the limit.
- The Battery – The electrical current available to the atomizer is based on the voltage the battery has available at the time.
- Atomizer – also known as the vape coil, this is the part of the mod that turns your e-liquid into vapour, allowing you to inhale it. At its most basic, an atomizer is a piece of wire that heats up when you press the button on your mod, converting your liquid into vapour.
How do they work?
Mech mods are extremely basic in the way they function. There are no internal circuits, meaning there is no obstruction to the battery’s performance. It also means there are no safety features, such as preventing short-circuits and automatic cut-offs if the button is pressed for too long.
The battery is placed to connect with both the top and bottom caps of the mod. When the button is pressed, the bottom of the cap makes contact with the battery, allowing a current to be released into the coil.
The level of resistance in a mechanical mod depends on the coil used. Generally speaking, the lower the resistance of the coil, the more power is allowed to flow from the battery, creating bigger clouds and a more enhanced flavour. This can, however, create safety issues for the user.
Why use a Mech Mod?
While it can be time-consuming to build your own coils, it works out as a far more cost-effective solution in the long run than purchasing pre-built coils from a vape shop. And because there’s no real limit to the power flowing through your device, they deliver a far stronger flavour and bigger clouds.
Rebuildable Dripping Atomizers, or RDAs, are one of the most popular choices among mech mod enthusiasts. These devices come in many different styles, allowing the user to drip e-liquid directly onto their own customised coil. This allows for a more intense flavour and improved air-flow when compared to standard tanks.
Perhaps the biggest advantage of using a mech mod, though, is the ability to create your own customised vaping experience from scratch. The basic nature of the device allows people to cater to their own specific needs, whether that be through a more powerful battery, a one-of-a-kind coil or an out of this world case design. The possibilities are endless.
Are they safe?
There’s no reason that a mech mod can’t be used as safely as a regulated mod. The big difference between the two is that, with a mech mod, your safety is entirely in your own hands.
While you should ensure to read up on all the dos and don’ts of using mech mods, here are our top three rules for staying safe:
- Always make sure your battery is fully wrapped, with no tears or splits in the wrapping. An unwrapped battery could cause a dangerous short-circuit in your device.
- Check that your battery is facing the right way before trying to use your mod. Generally speaking, the positive pin on the battery should be facing toward the atomizer, with the negative pin at the opposite end. However, some mech mods have venting holes at the bottom of the mod so in this case the positive end of the battery should face the bottom of the mech mod. This to ensure that if your battery vents in the rare case that it shorts, it will not pressurize the mod.
- Don’t build your vape coil at too low a resistance. In the majority of cases, the safest resistance is 0.2 ohms or higher. Don’t know what an ohm is? Then make sure you fully understand ohm’s law before experimenting with building coils. If you’re unsure of where to start, your local vape shop will be the perfect place.
These are just some of the key things to consider, but make sure you do plenty of research before purchasing your first mech.
If you’re new to vaping and would prefer to use a regulated piece of kit that requires little maintenance, see our vaping for beginners guide and our wide range of Accessories and kits.
