Pugsley tiptoes out of the comfort zone with the Ehpro Armor Prime Mech Mod & Panther RDA

Embrace indeed, in almost 2 years as a reviewer…only once have I ever reviewed a tube of any description, mech or otherwise, I haven’t even used a mech tube regularly in about 4 years, let alone given my opinion on another one…

That nagging voice in the back of my head…

Dare I?..Dare I give my opinions on something that has an almost religious following without having the prior credentials or knowledge on such a thing…? Does one time…actually count for anything?..

No…don’t be a dick…

Or at least that’s what I thought at first, I am after all, a middle-aged, cantankerous, stubborn, old fuck weasel…alas…I am also a sucker for a sad face…and although my mind had already been made up at this point, when I opened this particular piece of surprise vape mail…a sad face…is what I saw…

And the feeling…was almost maternal…had it been that long since I put a tube to my mouth (watch it now…) …did I miss this…this way of vaping?..

So I turned to my other half, tube in hand, and asked her opinion…“I think I like this…should I review it?”…

I can’t remember the exact words she used…but it definitely translated to “you should totally suck that pipe my love”…

Sometimes…I really don’t know where I’d be without her unyielding love and support…

Welcome back my pipe puffing fog posse…(?). Back once again with the ill behaviour…whatever that means…and you’ll be overly excited to know (??) …that unlike last week… when I reviewed a device that was practically released in the 70’s…this week…we are getting BANG up to date…so up to date in fact, that one of the things I have today was only released to the public less than 24hrs ago…and from a company that up until recently, I have had very little to do with, that was…until I managed to buy one of the best (and 1 of only 200 ever made) single battery squonkers from them, the Iguana 20700 kit…man that thing is something else…I only wish I’d had that kit for the huge squonk review I did last year, because that would have won hands down…Anyway… the company is of course Ehpro, more renowned for their ‘Billow’ series of tanks than anything else, but these guys have been on the vaping scene for around 7 years, which compared to 90% of the manufacturers out there…practically makes them pioneers, so…let’s crack on…because I’m kinda excited about it…which is as much of a surprise to me as anyone…

May I present to you with childlike enthusiasm, the Ehpro Armor Prime Mod & Panther RDA…

Sooo…couldn’t have sent me the black RDA then eh…awks…

Not a kit…let me just get that out there…but me being the Cupid that I am (fat fairy more like) once I introduced these love birds to each other…they have been inseparable ever since…and I wouldn’t have it any other way…so buckle in, because me saying ‘I got a bit snap happy’ with these two…is the understatement of the year…

And as an added bonus…we even have a special guest liquid line thrown in to boot…oh it’s all goin on…and on…and on…you’re gonna be so bored of me today…(just today huh?)…FU voice in my head…if long reviews aren’t for you…let me stop you right now…don’t say I didn’t warn you…

The Lowdown (Armor Prime Mod)

Yes!..I’m reviewing a mech tube!..I am so uncomfortable right now I can’t even begin to tell you, however…how can I put this?..It’s not really a mech tube…I mean it is, but it isn’t…for all you swathe of vapers out there that are well versed in the ways of polishing your pipes…this probably wouldn’t interest you in the slightest…but for me?..With my limited experience on the subject…it’s kinda perfect…see it as a mech tube with training wheels if you will…

Doesn’t mean you can’t go wrong…but if you do…you’ll have a nice soft landing…instead of giving yourself another mouth where your cheek used to be…

Yes, you should absolutely still know your Ohm’s law when dealing with anything even remotely like this, but at least if a mistake is made…it just won’t work. You see, the Armor Prime has safety measures in place, yes it’s still a mech mod which takes a 20700 (or 18650 with the included sleeve) battery shoved up it’s wrong ‘n’ just like any other mech tube…

But at least with the Armor you get short-circuit protection, over-heat protection, reverse battery protection and a 10 second cut off protection…and instead of getting a bottom fire push button like on most mech tubes…you get a standard side fire button, which acts in the same way as any regulated fire button…5 clicks on…5 clicks off…and even indicates your battery life via 2 little coloured LED’s…which by the way…is surprisingly accurate…

And as far as fire buttons go, yes it’s small…but it’s solid and perfectly ‘clicky’…and we like clicky.

In terms of controls…that’s pretty much all you need to know, the power is all down toyour build and battery, same as any mech tube…but it’s the fit and finish on the Armor…that I was particularly impressed with.

From the top you have a 24mm 510 with a brass spring loaded pin, and the serial number…

The threads feel silky smooth here, as well as on the battery cap underneath, and the whole brass body is covered with a satin black paint that has been ‘splattered’ with a glossier black, giving it an appearance akin to someone sneezing on it…or…‘sprayed effect’…if you like, and I do like it as it goes, I like it quite a lot.

Then you have the very deeply engraved ‘Armor’ down one side…

And what I can only describe as a ‘Gladiator’ helmet on the other…

Oooooh…intimidating…

Both are flawless…and really give the Armor a striking look…unless of course over-branding offends you, which let’s be honest…to some it does. Me?..I don’t mind it, and with the bright colour of the brass coming through as it does, I think it looks rather good…it also feels really nice in hand, reassuringly heavy and the finish gives it a nice grippiness.

The Lowdown (Panther RDA)

Yes, I know…the logo is kinda similar to the Goon 1.5…only…better (IMO) …and seeing as it’s called the Panther…they really didn’t have much else to work with…so I’ll overlook it…because I’m kind like that…

In a nutshell the Panther is a 24mm, dual coil, bottom airflow RDA…

I know, I know…bottom airflow RDA’s…not everyone’s cup of tea, visions of airflow vents spewing out rivers of molten liquid all over your prize toys, hands and clothes spring to mind…but that being said, it is the best way to get flavour from an RDA…it really is that simple…so get it right…and you get it really right…

And the secret to getting this right?..a deep juice well and a high air vent…hardly a secret really… and the Panther’s juice well is super deep - deep enough for a smidge of liquid to sit in the bottom without the risk of it making it’s way over the top of the internal air scoop…couple that with the included BF pin…and you have a formidable, bottom airflow, squonkable RDA…there may not be a lot of room in there for juice due to the real estate taken up by the airflow vent but…it’s enough to do the job intended.

The build deck is about as straightforward as build deck’s come…

It has dual gold-plated posts, with 2 holes in each post. The post holes are big enough for chunky builds, but… are staggered the wrong way (rolls eyes) - still the same way as 95% of RDA’s out there though…so it shouldn’t be too frightening for most people. But, as I said, the outer holes are lower, meaning your bottom leads do get in the way of your cotton tails…though we’re all used to that by now, and it’s a mild annoyance at worst…

Building on the Panther holds no surprises, and seeing as Ehpro were kind enough to supply a nice pair of triple core fused claptons with the package…I obviously obliged…

The slot-head grub screws are nicely threaded and clamped down super firmly with no drama…and wicking was…well…do I really need to explain?..Instead, I’m going to show you something that took me completely by surprise…it’s guest liquid time…

Big thanks and slightly uncomfortable…borderline inappropriate…man hugs to Mike Green from nic legends DarkStar. The man with the plan sent me a rather large care package containing no less than 7…of their new 250ml bottle shot flavours, from their latest ‘Cosmix’ line…they even sent enough premixed 70/30 base to mix them up…what a legend that man really is…I like Mike…

You’re basically looking at my luggage for the upcoming family vaycay…

Now if you don’t understand the concept…it’s real easy. Basically, you get a 250ml bottle containing enough flavouring to mix 250ml of juice, all you need to do is add your PG, VG and Nic…and you have 250ml of liquid costing a fraction of the price B&M’s ask for over-the-counter e-liquid…just less than £15 for the flavour bottle. If you’d prefer, you can also buy certain flavours in dual packs, with included base mix and nic shots - that’s everything you need to make 500ml of e-liquid…for 30 quid…the average price for 60ml of shop-bought liquids. For vapers on a budget?..Perfect! And this time around the flavours are way stronger…even though I really enjoyed the last lot they sent me…this lot are next level. The Cosmic Caramel Coffee and Lunar Lemon Swirl are just sensational…even their infamous ‘Game of Scones’ flavour has had an upgrade with a much tastier new recipe. I highly recommend you give these liquids a shot…the desserts are gorgeous and the fruity flavours are impressively…erm…fruity…and perfect for the upcoming British 3 day Summer…can’t wait…any day now…seriously…I can feel it…

Find the full available range over at DarkStar here…(and more besides)

Darkstar Cosmix Bottle Shots

For test purposes I chose the Caramel Coffee…I seriously cannot get enough of this flavour…On with the sploodge…time to give those lovely coils a damn good lickin…

The Vape

Now, here…is where everything came together…and truth be told, it was at this point I knew I had to write this review. I mean, I kinda knew it would be good - if you know how to behave with a bottom airflow RDA, you will more often than not be rewarded with at least above average flavour…but this was way…way more than above average, the airflow is silky smooth and that single O ring around the base is sized absolutely perfect for adjusting it, not too tight…not too loose…‘Goldilocks’ perfect…I sit there adjusting the airflow…even when I don’t need to…because I’m weird. And then there’s the flavour - the internal dome is machined to perfection, allowing the vapour to slip right up into your pie hole, unhindered, on the crest of that vertical torrent of air from the bottom vent, giving you as near to perfect flavour… as you’re ever likely to get…To say I am impressed with the performance from the Panther RDA…is something of an understatement, and if blowing huge weather systems is your thing?..Open this thing to full bore and you will find yourself within zero visibility in minutes…fucking…love this thing.

The Specs

[color=#FF0000]Armor Prime Mod[/color]

Parameters

Size: 24.7 x 90.5mm
Battery type: Single 20700/18650 cell(not included)
Material: Brass
Battery cover: Bottom screw cap
Resistance range: 0.1-1.2ohm
Threading: Spring-loaded 510 threading

It comes with

1x Ehpro Armor Prime MOD
1x Battery Adapter
1x Battery Safety Card
1x User manual

[color=#FF0000]Panther RDA[/color]

Parameters

Size: 24 x 30mm(with thread)
Material: Stainless Steel
Thread: 510 thread

Gold-plated deck for perfect conductivity
Bottom-up direct airflow for flawless flavor
Regular 510 pin and BF pin included
Adjustable bottom airflow

It comes with

1 x Panther RDA
1 x Squonk pin
2 x Pre-made coils
1 x Screwdriver
2 x Flat head screws
O-rings
Cottons

Final Thoughts

Single battery mods…absolutely not my thing IN THE SLIGHTEST…I mean, I only bought the rare Iguana 20700 Squonk mod because it’s just too beautiful not to own. The reason I stopped using tubes all those years ago was because I like more power…simple as, but I wasn’t prepared for the unrelenting amount of chufties I was getting using this set up…

Firstly, there’s the appearance and build quality…granted…if they’d known I was going to review them together they probably would have sent me the black Panther RDA…but I really dig these two together…

The contrast in colour between the rainbow top cap and the black splatter design on the Armor Prime, which is then crowned with that gorgeous 810 push fit, honeycomb, black, wide-bore drip tip…

Doesn’t offend my eyes in the slightest.

Then there’s the hit…

Brutal, angry and instant…Of course, it’s all in the build, and building as low as I did at 0.15ohms, means you aren’t taking this rig out and about with you without at least a couple of spare batteries…but man…this packs a real punch…for a few short hours at least.

Then…there’s the flavour from that outstanding Panther RDA. The bottom airflow does it’s job perfectly and yes…if you get overzealous when painting your coils through the drip tip - you may pour some straight down the airflow vent, but…don’t over-drip or over-squonk…and you are rewarded greatly with flavour production that puts the Panther right up there with the best RDA’s on the market.

I’m not a mech tube vaper, or at least I haven’t been for a very long time, yet this rig has had me hooked since I first tried it. I much prefer the fire button, I much prefer the ability to switch it off, I very much like the fact that I have a battery life indicator, and I really like the peace of mind that everything is being safely monitored. Honestly…I don’t know who I wouldn’t recommend this to, sure…hardcore mech vapers would see it as a backward step, but…for someone thinking of making the leap into unregulated mech territory?..This is made for them - and regulated vapers like me…will just dig the simplicity and beauty of the thing…

And finally…the cherry on this over-sized muffin of a review…is the price…I mean come on…

Currently, Heavengifts have the Armor Prime Mod (allegedly) on pre-order, if it is on pre-order…it’s merely days, stocks are most certainly inbound…and with their current special pre-order offer of 34% off the full price…it makes it a mere £19.96 / $27.00 …Wanna add a few sprinkles to that cherry?..Simply input my discount code, ‘APUGS15’, when you check-out…and you get it for £16.96 / $22.95 …ludicrous…

And it’s a similar story with that epic Panther RDA…special pre-order price with 31% off, making it only £16.85 / $22.80 …use the code again…and it’s £14.32 / $19.37

Full rig can then be yours for…

£31.28 / $42.32

Find those deals here…

Ehpro Panther RDA - Special offer

Ehpro Armor Prime Mech Mod - Special Offer

I can’t not be impressed with the quality of gear that Ehpro are churning out right now. They also sent me the Billow X RTA, which looks equally as impressive - review to follow shortly on that, definitely a company to keep an eye on for sure.

Cheeky man-love bro hugs to Bruce from Ehpro and Mike from DarkStar for supplying the items in today’s review, you are both indeed… bonafide legends.

As always, if you would like to see how this magnificent pair scored against other pieces of awesome (and some not so awesome) vapeology, then head on over to Steampugs where not only will you find a wealth of brilliant reviews from the steam team, but also a shop packed to the rafters with highly discounted vape gear…the welcome is warm…and dare I say even moist.

Until next time.

Pugs

12 Likes

Is this the future of mechs? Would certainly help cut down on some of the stupidity we see with people not knowing what they’re doing and blasting their teeth out.

The tube looks awesome and the RDA looks pretty smart too, yet to try some of that eliquid from darkstar, great review as always cheers :beers:

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Thanks brother, yeah big helping hand for those tempted to get into mechs, its a great piece of kit, I don’t worry using it either, specially with kids in the house, love this thing :wink:

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Nice pieces!! Never had a tube in my mouth😉 or owned one. But if I ever do, this would probably be the one. That thing is sweet!! Another great review from the Pug of the steam!! Thanks brotha🍻

EDIT:Just to be clear… I was referring to this😂…

Not that it makes it any less uncomfortable

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And a huge slightly uncomfortable man hug to you too brother :wink: :kissing_heart: lol

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Nice one @Steampugs I have had my eyes on the Panther since i saw it - thanks for sealing the deal. :+1:

Ehpro make some awesome kit.

5 Likes

Great read and interesting direction for the tube mod. So many wonderful toys. So little room left in the DogHouse.

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they most certainly do sir, id ne interested to know your thoughts on it too brother :wink:🖒 cheers man

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lmao…thanks brother Ogre :wink:🖒

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Based on your review I went out and bought the RDA. You might already know that I very rarely even use RDA’s so this could be a new experience for me. Good work mate.

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always a pleasure Dr thanks bud :wink:🖒

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