Hi Vaping Community, In this review i look at both the Pioneer MTL RTA and the DL Kit which is available for it. The Pioneer MTL RTA and DL KIt was supplied free of charge for the purpose of this review by BP Mods and Dovpo.
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Introduction
When does an high end RTA in regard both build quality and performance become available to the masses rather than those who have a much bigger budget than most? When BP Mods design the Pioneer MTL RTA and make the great decision of getting Dovpo to manufacture it, this is hitting the hype train at some speed and i don’t see it slowing down!
Only a couple of weeks ago the Pioneer MTL RTA i could only find available on a few mainland European sites but as i write this review i am now seeing it in China (even seeing a 2ml TPD version), the UK and US and it doesn’t surprise me after using it this has taken off and with Dovpo manufacturing it the demand will be met rather than going down the make in small numbers so the price is artificially high route!
The Pioneer offers an high end feel and uses 510 pins with different diameter hollows as the main airflow while also having bottom adjustable airflow to fine tune. What’s included is impressive and rather than offering a couple of wider airflow diameter pins to also allow for a RDL vape along with the included MTL pins there is a DL Kit available with extra pins, Chamber and chimney section and Ultem drip tip more suited to a RDL draw. I am still enjoying this and can see me having it in my rotation for the foreseeable future so let’s check it out!
In The Box
Contents:
1 x Pioneer RTA 3.7ml/2ml
1 x ULTEM Drip Tip
1 x Clear Drip Tip
1 x PCTG Tank Tube
1 x ULTEM Tank Tube
3 x Airflow 510 Pins
1 x Accessories Pack (loads of o-rings, screws, 2 coils etc)
1 x User Manual
DL KIt Contents:
1 x Pioneer RTA atomizer Chimney
1 x 2 mm air pin
1 x 2.9 mm air pin
1 x Ultem drip-tip
1 x Spare O-rings
Aesthetics
The presentation of the RTA oozes quality with every item having it’s own compartment all on one level and the minimalistic outer packaging aesthetically is quite classy. I received the Stainless Steel version, it’s also available with a “Diamond Look Coating (DLC)” which on some sites is described as Black but looking at pictures i would say more a media blasted Dark Grey. My Stainless Steel version does look very nice but the more i see pictures of the DLC version the more i would say that’s the pick!
Like the outer packaging the RTA has quite a classy minimalistic look with it’s most noticeable feature being the multiple heat-sink fins of the top-cap and two piece 510 MTL drip tip with a stainless steel bottom section which allows various tips to be screwed into it, pre-installed is what actually looks to be a Peek tip which looks the business. On the top of the top-cap we have “Designed by” and a little logo but both are lightly etched so not intrusive on the eye. We have a wide metal band underneath the top-cap which is part of the fill plate, chimney, chamber section and then we have a light frosted PCTG tube before the Silver base section. The pioneer does have bottom adjustable airflow but for the purpose of aesthetics it’s that narrow it can barely be seen.
All the machining, threading and tolerances are spot on with just that narrow AFC being quite tight out the box and even after loosening up slightly through use i found the RTA needed removing from my device to adjust it!
Finally looking at the base we have branding and safety marks, the pre-installed 510 (which has the 0.8mm airflow hollow) is Gold plated and protrudes.
Pioneer MTL RTA Specs and Features:
• 22 mm diameter
• 3.7ml filling volume (2ml TPD Option)
• Threaded Top Fill System
• Dual Post Build Deck - 1 Open Terminal Per Post
• Single Coil Configuration
• Conical Flavor Chamber
• Heat Sink Style Top Cap
• Single Deck Vent - Underneath Coil
• Adjustable Bottom Airflow
• 510 Airflow Pin - 3 MTL / Restricted DL Options
Colours: Stainless Steel, Black (DLC)
What You Receive?
As already mentioned everything is very well presented but what do you actually receive? You get the complete Pioneer RTA with pre-installed lightly frosted PCTG 3.7ml capacity tube (i’m guessing for TPD regions this will have a removable reducing bung) and two piece 510 MTL drip tip.
I particularly like the drip tip, the base is Stainless Steel and a standard 510 fit so you can use your own and then different tips can be screwed into the base section. Entirely subjective but the pre-installed tip is gorgeous, i have no idea of the material used but it has a “Peek” look to it but i’m not sure! Also included is a frosted PCTG tip and an Ultem tip so you can match up with the supplied tank tubes or do a bit of funky mix and matching if you prefer, just to note the drip tip fits perfectly being a nice tight fit without causing any hassles when removing!
As i hinted at when explaining the drip tips you also get multiple tank tube sections, all with a 3.7ml capacity. Pre-installed is a lightly frosted PCTG tube but you also receive a frosted smoked PCTG tube and an Ultem tube.
You then also get an accessories box that actually just contains a bag of spares which includes a couple of MTL fused claptons (no wire material or specs given). In the bag as well as the coils you get absolutely loads of O-rings, 2 sets of flathead grub screws and 2 extra 510 airflow pins with different size hollows!
Filling
The Pioneer RTA employs what must be my favourite method of removing the top-cap, the bayonet design. Seen on many recent RTA’s including the Zeus range it takes just quarter of a turn and it’s off. When fitting the top-cap back in place it again just needs turning slightly and it’s secured. Obviously with the bayonet method we have no threading but even here it goes on and off just so much more smoothly than other RTA’s that use this method. That’s not a dig at the precision of the machining on other RTA’s but pointing out just how exceptional the machining is on the Pioneer, it’s a silky smooth movement both on and off!
With top-cap removed two massive kidney shaped fill ports are revealed so you can fill absolutely mess free with any nozzle i have come across on a bottle of e-liquid including glass droppers!
The Airflow
As seems to be the norm of late with MTL RTA’s we have airflow entering the deck from directly underneath where you will have your coil positioned and on the Pioneer it is done via different sized airflow pins which make use of a standard 510 which allows air to enter from the side and then we have different size hollows that allows the air to travel up inside the pin and out the top directly underneath your coil.
The pre-installed 510 pin has a 0.8mm hollow but you also receive 2 more pins one with a 1.2mm hollow and the other with a 1.5mm hollow. Of course a lot of RTA’s instead will have a 2mm hole fed by an air inlet and then different inserts to reduce it to various sizes and usually come with 5 or 6 inserts but the Pioneer works great in conjunction with it’s adjustable airflow to give just as much if not more draw variations.
The adjustable airflow is that narrow you only know it’s there once you have been told and i must admit on mine it was so stiff out the box i didn’t think initially it was adjustable, it was set at six almost pin prick holes and going nowhere. Once you get it moving it’s much better but remains quite stiff and is that low forget trying to alter it when fitted to a mod but no big deal, once you have the airflow how you like it why would you want to move it anyway? The airflow comprises of a very narrow slot just one side and can be lined up with a series of 6 of the smallest airflow holes you are likely to see or can be moved to become an open slot, of course the slot can be partially open and you can also have however many of the holes open as you prefer.
If careful you can change the pins on the fly which i did initially but noticed after doing that for the next couple of days i would get slight moisture under the atty (small amount) which i assume gets into the threading while swapping the pins out and eventually find it’s way out, once i just decided choosing the pin i wanted when doing the build and sticking with it i never got a drop of leakage from the RTA whatsoever which also confirmed previously it hadn’t been condensation. I don’t know if i just got lucky and nailed the wicking first time but i have had zero issues with it wicking or dry hits and wicked it a few times although i have stuck with the same 70VG e-liquid in both MTL and RDL set-ups and when in RDL mode didn’t throw wattage at it.
This gives the absolute full MTL spectrum from tighter than anyone would actually vape at to a loose MTL but any RDL even with the largest diameter hollow airflow pin and slot wide open is too manufactured to really say you can enjoy a RDL draw. It’s not rocket science the 0.8mm pin gives a tight draw, the 1.2mm a medium tight MTL and the 1.5mm a loose MTL and then you can use the adjustable airflow to micromanage around those settings, i just preferred it simple with the 0.8mm airflow pin and the slot fully open which gave a tight enough MTL for me!
I will include the bell chamber in this section as it also just like airflow plays a big part in flavour and flavour is what the Pioneer has been designed for. The chamber is extremely short and has an almost flat ceiling making the chamber as reduced as it possibly can be, the condensed vape then travels up the narrow chimney and through your drip tip for a smooth flavoursome vape.
The Build
The deck has two posts with one terminal in each which are side by side and opposite is a wall which outside edge is curved to match the contour of the bell chamber, this helps with where to place your coil along with the airflow outlet it’self but is mainly there for chamber reduction but is an obstacle when trying to feed your coil leads into the terminals.
I found the easiest way is to have your leads quite long which is why the included coils probably have long leads and slightly bend the ends upwards, you can then slide the leads into the gap between posts and opposite wall and that bend allows them to get fed through the open terminals and your coil will slide over the chamber reducing wall and slot into place. Hold the coil the best you can evenly over the airflow outlet and fasten your screws down to fix the leads in place. The screws are tiny and flatheads which are my least favourite, i really wish these were hex which always seem less fiddly and more durable.
The supplied coils are 2.5ID fused claptons which is the perfect ID for this RTA, you can use 3.0ID but will in MTL mode need to almost be touching the airflow outlet as the coil can’t come above the posts else it will be touching the bell chamber ceiling and shorting out, it’s that reduced. Now you can manipulate your coil into the perfect position using a coiling rod or fit for purpose tool and then recheck the screws are tightened down before snipping your access leads.
The cotton gets wicked from the channel it’self rather than from underneath and either side we have a small inlet for the juice which you need to make sure you don’t block off with compacted cotton. I found the best way was to run my cotton through the coil so just the slightest friction could be felt, then i cut my cotton ends bow-tie length at a 45 degree angle and then just place my bottom ends into the channels and let gravity and the build settling down take care of the rest and i have had zero issues!
The DL Conversion Kit
First thing to point out is once again how well presented this is, it comes in the same style of packaging just smaller. The second thing is you are obviously not going to be able to convert an RTA which covers the full MTL spectrum into a DL tank with a couple of parts or you would just have a “Jack of all trades, master of none” situation and this should of been marketed as a RDL Conversion Kit for accuracy.
So what do you get? First you get 2 more airflow pins (510’s), one has a 2.0mm hollow and the other a 2.9mm hollow. You also get a different bell chamber section with attached chimney and fill port plate. The bell chamber is taller and has a more rounded ceiling and the chimney has a wider bore. Finally as well as some spare O-rings we have an Ultem tipped 2 piece 510 drip tip which has an inner bore much more suited for a RDL draw!
The Difference When Using DL Conversion Kit
Firstly it is much easier to fit a 3.0ID coil but don’t think you can put anything too fancy in here as you have the same build deck and the terminals will not allow thick wire but then even in DL mode this is not suited for high wattage.
Because the airflow outlets are bigger and bell ceiling higher you can lift your coil slightly to give the air chance to spread out to give full coverage but other than that it can be treated the same as when in MTL mode, just now with more airflow. With the 2.0mm pin you get a very restricted direct lung and a looser but still restricted direct lung draw with the 2.9mm airflow pin and once again i just had the small narrow slot fully open and reducing the adjustable airflow in this mode i find quite pointless!
How It Vapes And Thoughts!
I have sort of covered most of it as i have waffled on but i’m sure you can tell i’m seriously impressed by both the build quality and vape quality of this RTA, in either mode the vape quality i get is as good as anything i have used! The biggest compliment i can give it is the few high end RTA’s i have that cost a mini fortune i keep together and although i will be using this for a long while yet before giving it a rest when it does get a rest it will be kept with them where it won’t be out of place with the only difference being i am typically seeing this at just $48 and just under $20 for the DL conversion kit which is a steal!
After saying that i might be slightly biased as i both MTL and also enjoy a smooth RDL vape so this covers both ways i vape and does so in quite some style. With the supplied coils no specs are given but as mentioned are 2.5ID fused claptons 0.8ohm which i vaped after testing all sorts of configurations with the 0.8mm air pin and slot fully open at just 12w for a semi tight flavoursome condensed smooth vape, it’s a flavour banger!
In DL (RDL) set-up it’s that grey area between very loose MTL and very restricted direct lung with the 2.0mm airflow pin which is actually the draw many like and you would be surprised unless you are one of those vapers how many like to switch between the two styles with the same set-up and this allows that. I settled for the 2.9mm air pin which gave a much more restricted direct lung (no grey area here) but a full on direct lung is not possible the outer airflow slot is just far too small to make this a DL RTA. I used a 0.48ohm fused clapton with 3.0ID although i need to get some 2.5ID fused claptons with similar ohms as i still think 2.5ID is best in either mode. I was at 22w and just as impressed with the restricted direct lung vape as i was when using it in MTL mode, it’s a winner!
The one thing i didn’t mention is when upping the wattage the RTA does get very toasty or chain vaping even in MTL mode, not a major issue but needs to be mentioned and at least it gives me a con because i am struggling. Another thing also worth mentioning is when doing a build using the Conversion kit aim for builds you will be vaping at between 20 to 25w, this really doesn’t like much more wattage than that maybe 30w at an absolute push. I love this in both modes so going to get a DLC one so i can have that has a MTL RTA and refit the DL conversion kit to the one i have, i might even fit the DL Conversion Kit to the DLC tank, the Silver between the DLC top-cap and tube might look kind of cool!
Last Minute Edit
It has literally just come to my attention BP Mods are releasing an alternative top-cap called the Blade top-cap. It will be available in Stainless Steel at $8.99 and DLC at $9.99!
(Just spotted on their Social Media)
Likes
High end build quality
High end performance
Extremely good value for money
Full MTL draw spectrum
Airflow pins work in conjunction with adjustable airflow
Full marks for presentation (Both RTA and DL Kit)
Smooth airflow
Flavour banger
very quiet (silent with the airflow set-up i had in MTL mode)
When converted gives a smooth flavoursome restricted direct lung vape (just as smooth but just slight noise but definitely not turbulence)
3.7ml Capacity (Standard version)
Includes 3 airflow Pins
Includes 3 different drip tip tips
Includes 3 different tank tubes
Includes 2 MTL fused claptons
Standard 510 fitting (can use your own drip tip)
Apart from AFC which is a bit stiff all machining, threading and tolerances i just can’t fault
Smooth bayonet top-fill
Use any size nozzle to fill
2 Extra pins with conversion kit
DL Kit also includes RDL drip tip, bigger domed chamber and wider bore chimney
When not swapping pins on the fly i experienced no leaking whatsoever
Experienced no dry hits or flooding
Cons
Adjustable airflow tight and can’t be altered when on device
Tank can get toasty above 20w or if chain vaping
I am use to wicking this style but some might go through a bit of trial and error (don’t overthink it)
It can be done but not ideal to change pins on the fly
Flathead screws, i find fiddly and not as durable as hex
No specs given for coils
I would once again like to thank both Dovpo and especially BP Mods for supplying the Pioneer MTL RTA and DL Conversion Kit for the purpose of this review, thanks for reading and stay safe!
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