Hi Vaping Community, In this review I take a look at the Engine 100W Box Mod from OBS. The OBS Engine 100W Box Mod was supplied for the purpose of this review by Sourcemore.
OBS Engine Mod 100W Box Mod single 18650/20700/21700
Introduction
My introduction to OBS was the original Engine RTA and more recently they have had great success with the Cube series of space saving, compact, power only devices. Here I take a look at the Engine 100w Mod which has so much operationally in common with the Cube but takes the Engine name as with the kit version it’s paired with the Engine sub-ohm tank!
The top power of the Engine is 100w when in 21700 mode and 80w when in 18650 mode, it has the Auto wattage adjust lock which is common with other OBS mods and is a simple select your wattage and vape device!
The Zinc Alloy constructed device comes with either a Resin or Metal replaceable battery tube giving multiple aesthetic options so less of my waffle and let’s take a closer look!
In The Box
Contents:
1* Engine 100W Mod
1* 18650 Battery Adaptor
1* USB Type-C Cable
1* Warranty Card
1* User Manual
Aesthetics and Ergonomics
The Engine 100w Mod came in simple cardboard box packaging with a picture of the device on the front and contents etc on the reverse. The device comes in 2 different frame colours, SS or Gunmetal and as well as Carbon Fiber and 5 different Resin battery tube options they have now released 5 all metal versions, I was sent the Stainless Steel framed Puzzle Purple version.
The Zinc Alloy chassis is narrow at the front and then has a top and bottom battery tube frame to the rear allowing replaceable tubes to slide in place. The face has a tinted plastic panel with plastic protruding round fire button top and vertically lined up navigational buttons bottom with the screen between!
To one side of the chassis towards the bottom we have a vertically positioned Type C USB port and on the opposite side in the same position “OBS” etched on the metal. The top rear frame section for the battery tube within an indented rectangular section has “ENGINE” in raised lettering with metallic finish to the face of the lettering and the bottom battery cap has printed safety stamps!
Moving up top we have a 25mm Stainless Steel plate screwed directly to the frame with spring loaded 510 pin. The device with battery tube at the rear and narrow front is one of the smallest 21700 devices I have used with a nice ergonomic shape, size and weight! Lastly when shaking the device I got no button rattle whatsoever!
Size comparison, Engine 100 between 2 other 21700 devices the Mirage and Captain Link!
Engine 100w Mod Specs and Features:
Size: 903727mm
Material: Zinc Alloy + Resin
Battery Capacity: Single 18650/20700/21700 battery (not included)
Power Range: 5-100W
Output Voltage: 1.0-8.4V
Charging Current: Type-C, 5V/2A
Coil Resistance: 0.1-3.0ohm
Screen: 0.96 inch LED Screen
Colour: Gunmetal/SS Frame with Forest Green, Peacock Blue, Puzzle Purple, Ruby Red, Ink Black, Resin tube or Carbon Fiber
New colours: Metal tube with SS or Gunmetal Frame, Stainless Steel, Rainbow, Blue, Black, Gunmetal.
Fitting The Battery
The Engine 100W accommodates either a 21700, 20700 or 18650 with the supplied adaptor. We have a bottom battery cap that screws on not just to secure and complete the circuit for the battery but also to secure the battery sleeve into position because with the battery cap removed the tube freely slides out of the frame. In my opinion it slides out too easily without any resistance so even when secured in place with the battery cap it can still be easily turned but the trade off is the sleeves can be bought separately so you can give your device many different aesthetic looks as there is 11 different tubes available, the Resin options will all be unique!
Orientation is well marked and once secured (I tried an 18650 and 21700) I got no battery rattle whatsoever, the threading on the cap isn’t the smoothest but it gets the job done!
The Display
The screen has a tinted cover and although sharp, colourful and quite bright in indoor conditions I found I couldn’t see the display outdoors very easily at all.
Top left we have “OBS” and then to the right the battery life as a percentage followed by a status bar. Underneath we have “POWER” (the only mode) followed by the wattage, to the right of the wattage we have a padlock in either a locked or open position depending on the status of the navigational buttons!
Underneath the wattage we first have voltage followed by resistance and then the duration of your vape. Next we have the four digit puff counter followed right at the bottom by the colour palette for choosing the colour of the accents on the display!
Between the puff counter and colour options we have one of those graphic equalizer style graphics that is animated while vaping but doesn’t actually refer to anything, just an aesthetic feature!
Navigating The Engine 100
This is a less detailed review than I usually write but that’s because it’s a simple power only device and no real issues to report, the device does what it say’s and does it very well. When first installing the battery it asks if it’s an 18650 or 21700 because if you choose 18650 it limits the device to 80w rather than 100w which is the maximum power in 21700 mode!
It’s the usual 5 clicks of the fire button to turn on and 5 clicks to turn off and once on simply adjust the wattage and vape. The wattage adjusts in 1w increments from 5w all the way up to 80w in 18650 mode or 100w in 21700 mode at a nice speed and round robins. Whenever the fire button is pressed the navigational buttons Auto Lock which I think is a great feature, to unlock so the wattage can be adjusted is 3 quick clicks of either the up or down buttons.
Pressing the fire button 3 times quickly changes the colour of the accents on the display, the options are Red, Purple, Slate (Pacific) Blue, French Blue, Yellow or White! Fire and down together resets the puff counter and pressing all 3 buttons at the same time displays a device information screen.
Protections:
Short Circuit Protection
High Temperature Protection
Low Battery Protection
Over Vape 10s Protection
Open Circuit Protection
Charging
As always I recommend charging your battery externally if at all possible but if you do need to charge in the device the Engine has a Type C connection and 2A charge rate. While charging the screen displays both a progress status bar and the charge as a percentage, the Engine also supports pass-through vaping and upgrades.
My Thoughts
I really liked using the Engine 100 Mod for both it’s unfussy simple navigation and it’s very small size and ergonomics, a nice device for when out and about! I have always liked the way the navigational buttons auto lock on OBS devices and with the Engine 100 we see the addition of a puff counter and being able to customise the colour of the display. The display is bright and colourful but the tinted screen means it’s not easy to see in outdoor conditions which is a con!
I also like that it asks for which battery is being installed and that it limits the device to a realistic 80w if using an 18650 and that it also does not reset the puff count when swapping batteries. However my biggest issue is that every time a new battery is installed it doesn’t remember your last wattage setting and defaults to 40w (In either 18650 or 21700 mode) which I found very annoying and I can see a few low wattage MTL vapers frying their coil accidently forgetting that the wattage needs resetting!
I also really like that the battery sleeves can be bought separately so you can customise the look of the device but just wish they fitted with more resistance so once secured with the battery cap they couldn’t turn although this is far from a deal breaker and wont bother everyone, the sleeve does need turning on purpose, it’s not like it moves on it’s own just I personally found it a little annoying just knowing it can turn!
When testing i had no issues whatsoever with performance and like with most modern devices it fired without delay and hit set wattage instantly! The buttons are nice and clicky with average travel but quite a quiet click so not going to annoy those around you! It can also accommodate up to a 27mm atomiser without overhang which is impressive for such a small device and for those that need to charge in the device we have Type C and a 2A charge rate, it also supports both pass-through vaping and upgrades!
My last con is the manual which is poorly translated into English so makes little sense plus many things like how to set the puff counter isn’t even mentioned!
Likes
Nicely made good looking device
Very small ergonomic 21700 device
22 total colour options
Accommodates either 21700, 20700 or 18650 battery
18650 battery adaptor included
Asks if using 18650 or 21700 (limits the device to 80w if choosing 18650)
Puff counter with manual reset
Customise display colour
Auto lock (just navigational buttons)
Nice quiet but clicky buttons
No rattles when shaking, buttons or battery
Fires without delay with instant ramp up
Simple power only device (no extra settings or TC)
Accommodates up to a 27mm atomiser without overhang
Buy battery sleeves separately to customise (11 available)
510 plate secured to main frame
Type C USB, 2A charge rate
Supports Pass-through
Supports Upgrades
Cons
Every time a new battery is installed defaults to 40W
Can’t read display in sunlight
Battery sleeve turns when secured
Threading on battery cap a little crunchy
Manual, barely fit for purpose
No TC or extra settings (con to some, pro for others)
I would once again like to thank Sourcemore for supplying the OBS Engine 100W Box Mod for the purpose of this review, thanks for reading and stay safe!
OBS Engine Mod 100W Box Mod single 18650/20700/21700
Coupon Code for Kit Version which includes Engine Subohm Tank!
$40.60 - OBS Engine 100W Kit
Code: OE1K
Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Sourcemore or benefit in any way from the use of the above code but was asked if i would include it in my content!
