Comparing Regulated Mods Vs Mech Mods

Vaping devices have come a long way, and now both advanced as well as novice vapers can enjoy a huge variety of vape mods. Whether you are an amateur vaper or a cloud chaser, there are options available that satisfy all of your expectations.

With time, vape devices have been categorized according to their functionality and two of the most popular categories of vape devices are mechanical mods and regulated mods. You may be asking yourself, which one is better? The answer depends entirely on your preference but before you make up your mind, let’s take a moment to review the the pros and cons of each device.

It’s important to make it clear from the start that regulated and unregulated mods have nothing to do with any government regulation or local ordinance. You definitely won’t be put behind bars for vaping with unregulated mech mods…

When referring to mech mods, the word unregulated refers to its functionality. Unregulated mods fire based on the voltage of your coils. The lower the voltage, the higher the output of wattage and the more amount of battery being used to heat the coil.

Regulated mods, on the other hand, can be manually adjusted to your desired wattage. That’s why it’s important to always have your wattage set within the coil’s recommended limits.

You can use our free ohms law calculator to know the correct the wattage.

The mech mod is a housing for batteries connecting to an atomizer for vaping. There is no circuitry in the transaction between the batteries and the atomizer.

There are some downsides to vaping with the mech mod. For example, it is easy to burn the cotton wick and end up with an unpleasant vaping experience we all want to avoid.

The coils you make probably will not last long (as) compared to using them on regulated mods. There are other risks of using unregulated mods that are much more serious.

Using mech mods requires great care and attention in order to vape safely. Most regulated mech mods have a 10- second cut-off time. The cut off-feature stops your coil from heating after 10 seconds even if you continue pressing the fire button. This safety feature prevents thermal runaway, which is the greatest danger when you are using an unregulated vape device.

Most of the scary vape device stories the media loves so much are referring to battery thermal runaway. Most often it is the result of a battery carried unprotected in a purse or pocket coming in contact with other metals like keys and coins. If there is one single rule to remember it’s to not carry batteries in a purse or pocket with a battery case. Keep it stored safely and never in high temperature areas to avoid a potential discharge.

With all the dangers, why vape with a mech mod? If you are not a devout vaper why would you even use an unregulated mod? That’s a good question.

Mech mods were popular when the available technology didn’t meet the endless demands of more vapor. The mech mod allowed vapers to draw more power from the batteries and produce huge clouds.

There were no 200-watt mods early on when vape was still in its first stages. Now there are too many to count. You can even find 350-watt mods that exceed all expectations. Cloud chasers don’t need mech mods anymore. Now you can enjoy precision control of huge power output to make bigger clouds than ever before with regulated devices.

There are advantages of using mech mods. First, the lack of circuitry means that there isn’t anything that will break while you are vaping. Second, these mods symbolize simplicity which means you don’t need to navigate any menu system to make them function properly.

Mech mods have been manufactured in various sizes and shapes and the first ever mech mods were actually modified flashlights!

The only types of e-cigarettes available were cigalikes. Earlier, vapers removed the atomizers from the cigalike and connected it to a powerful battery. The flashlight often served the purpose. Connecting to powerful batteries on a modified device enabled early vapers to get more vapor. Thus, came the mod.

Let’s check out the different types of mech mods.

Tube style mech mods are just that, true to its name. These are tubes holding one or two batteries. The professionally designed mech mods brought innovation that became the industry standard.

A 510 connection linked the vape device to the atomizer base. Today, the 510 connection is the industry standard.

Box style mech mods, as the name suggests, are mods shaped like a little box. Inside the box, you’ll need to install the recommended batteries..

This opens new possibilities. With a box mod, you can run the battery either in parallel or in series. The mech mod using batteries in series will have these installed side by side in a similar configuration. The end result will be two batteries operating as one that doubles the potential power output.

Two batteries in series with the top end output of 3.7 volts will increase the potential output to 7.4 volts. In series vaping when you double the power, you don’t get longer battery life.

Mech mods operating with a parallel battery configuration means a battery is installed with the positive end up and the other with the positive end down. This is the battery configuration that you are quite familiar with. In parallel, two 3.7-volt batteries will not deliver more than 3.7 volts, but they will increase the battery capacity.

A mechanical mod is attractive to someone who knows about vape devices and wants a hard-hitting mod. These mods are also easy to repair if something goes wrong and you have any malfunctions.

There are “multiple-battery” and “single battery mods”. You can add extra batteries using stacked sections but make sure you do your homework and know exactly what you’re doing.

When you have more than one battery, you get into the territory of Parallel or Series circuits, these perform differently. Generally, when you are buying a mech mod, don’t forget to check the quality of the connections and the switch type.

You must make sure the battery is well insulated inside the mod. Check if there’s a lot of wiring or excessive separation from the battery connection, this can increase internal resistance making your mod less efficient.

Many vapers build or modify their mech mods by adding chips, boost devices, regulators and other parts which can be bought separately.

Some mods include a fuse to cover up if there’s a large power surge. However, this increases the internal resistance which is something you usually avoid with a mechanical mod.

Regulated mods have an internal circuit board regulating electricity flow, thus the name. These mods connect the battery to the coils and that prevents the battery from overheating.

These mods often have digital screens where you can control the settings to optimize the hit that you want. These features make regulated mods safer than unregulated mods.

New vapers must start with regulated mods, so they don’t risk overheating or overloading the batteries as that can have dangerous results.

When batteries overheat it increases the possibility of small fires or a discharge that can cause serious injuries.

Safety when using mods is a very important thing to consider. Since the voltage is regulated, the battery life is typically longer than unregulated mods.

Not only does the battery life last longer, but regulated devices are also easier to charge. Most regulated mods have a charging port right on the device. Usually, the devices that have direct charging ports allow you to use it mid charge, also known as pass-through, so you don’t miss out on any vaping.

Most vape devices available nowadays are regulated mods. Advanced processors allow users to select the vaping style. Regulated mods read the atomizer resistance so you can determine which power output you actually want to use. Further, many regulated mods will accept future software upgrades.

For example, if a new technology for temperature control is available, you can download it in your existing mod and not have to buy a new one.

A regulated mod often features an OLED screen providing you with several readings. At any time, you will be able to see how much juice is left and when you need to refill. You will also be able to see what temperature and wattage you have set along with tracking your puffs, controlling screen brightness and lots more.

Most vapers don’t want to adjust power settings or mess around with the menu. They just want the vapor, not the bother. In such cases, manufacturers offer mods that can automatically read the atomizer resistance so that it determines a power output matching your atomizer resistance. Although you don’t see the wattage displayed on the screen, behind the scene regulation is still happening.

There are regulated mods operating on a fixed wattage or fixed voltage. For example, a regulated sub-ohm mod may operate on a fixed wattage of 30 watts. This means every time you hit the fire button, the output will be 30 watts. Any fixed voltage mod will do the same. Often fixed voltage mods will deliver in the range of 3.7 volts per puff.

These easy to use regulated mods are ideal for people who want to enjoy sub-ohm vaping but don’t want to make power adjustment settings.

You can distinguish among several types of regulated mods based on their design. Although not technically mods, vape pens and cigarlike are regulated, thus containing electronic circuitry that helps supply a constant charge.

There are functionally different regulated vape mods. Depending on how the power is regulated you have fixed voltage mods, temperature control mods, and variable mods.

These types of vape mods don’t offer you the opportunity to change the output voltage. The voltage is fixed as part of the factory setting. These mods are ideal for beginners who don’t want to explore the intricacies of vaping.

Variable voltage mods are slightly different and feature an LED screen. Pressing the button, you can increase or decrease the wattage/voltage to suit your needs. This is a good option since several e-juices are not made for high wattage vaping, and being able to scale it back provides you better experience.

Vape mods allow you to set temperature limitations for the coil. You can choose a temperature, and the mod automatically adjusts the wattage and voltage to generate the right heat for your coil. This differs from the variable voltage/variable wattage mods, where the temperature is determined by the exact wattage and voltage you set.

Most vapers are attracted to regulated mods as they are easier to use and there is a small margin for error. However, make sure you aren’t overstressing the batteries as malfunctions in the chip or board can often occur.

Ask yourself why do you need a regulated mod? 

Below 70-80W the internal battery or a single battery mod can do all the average vaper needs. However, if you want to go beyond these levels, find a mod that uses two or more removable batteries.

For some vapers, the size of the mod is very important. Generally, internal battery or single battery mods are very portable and easy to carry around. For vapers who don’t have enough technical prowess, or want a “pick up and use device”, the regulated mod is the right option.

Some vapers claim that the difference between a regulated mod and a mech mod is like the difference between an automatic and manual transmission.

This analogy is not bad except that with the mech mod there are no gears to shift. There is just one gear. With the mech mod, the laws of ohms will dictate the action between your atomizer and batteries. With the regulated mod, technology steps in to manage the action.

If you are looking for stronger flavor and increased vapor production, you must have knowledge of ohm’s law and battery ampere limits. If you don’t, but still want to vape with a mech mod, make sure that you do your research beforehand.

If you are a cloud chaser, a mech mod with a rebuildable atomizer is the right way to get massive clouds. These are cost-effective and produce great results. In other words, you need to have proper knowledge and understanding of how the mech mods work in order to use one.

While it is up to you to decide the type of mod that suits your needs, a number of points can be used to compare regulated and mech mods.

Regulated mods are often more expensive than mechanical mods. The mech mods are not so cheap themselves. It is your call whether the features are worth the higher price point.

One of the biggest selling points of a regulated mod is safety. Regulated mods have integrated circuits allowing you to adjust the power and ensure this adjustment is safe.

Regulated mods are capable of changing the power to the coil with the touch of a button, while mech mods have to be disassembled to do anything other than turning the device on/off. Changing power requires that the coil be swapped. In other words, using mech mods depend on how involved you want to be in vaping

Mod enthusiasts prefer mech mods because the vapor production is higher than a regulated mod. In other words, without anything else to power, more of the electrical power of the battery is free to go to the atomizer.

Regulated mods are more complex and require you to have good knowledge of device maintenance beyond liquid and battery replacement. Apart from that, the parts are also complex and often aren’t available. Mech mods are easy to maintain as replacement parts are widely available.

If you have vaping knowledge or experience and want to go beyond the limits you must choose a mech mod. For beginners and moderately experienced vapers, mech mods are just too much to handle.

It may sound annoying that regulated mods turn off or give error messages at lower resistances, however, this ensures your safety. When batteries get too hot, they can explode causing property damage and injuries.

Unlike mechanical mods, regulated mods come with circuitry and different built-in protection mechanisms. Regulated mods offer a constant voltage or wattage supply, however, due to limitations of technology, these mods don’t offer as much power or customization as mech mods.

Regulated mods with temperature control settings that allow you to vape at low resistance levels offer somewhat the same experience as a mech mod. Temperature control mods work like your car’s cruise control, allowing you to pre-set values in Fahrenheit/ Celsius so that your coil won’t exceed the limit even if you take long drags.

Hopefully, this refreshing post has put you a step closer to figuring out what everyone is talking about when it comes to mods. Now that you know the basics, you can be part of those discussions. Don’t forget to share your valuable feedback as it will help us improve and serve you better.