Steve K's Vaping World

Perhaps no e-cigarette cartomizer is more loved, hated, copied and improved upon than the CE2.  The CE2 cartomizer was groundbreaking when it came out and continues to show a lot of potential.  The Vision clearomizer is one of the derivatives that has been on the market for a while. MadVapes seems to like the Vision clearomizers enough to stock them instead of the original CE2s (or CE3s). Since there’s been quite a few improvements to the design, I figure it’s time to take another look at the devices in this Vision clearomizer review.

Design

The basic design of the Vision clearomizer is familiar to fans of the CE2 style cartomizer, particularly in the engine department.  Much like everything else in the genre,  a single (sometimes dual) heating coil perched atop a tube powers the vision.  There is a long wick extending from the coils that runs down into either side of the cartomizer’s tube.

The Vision is a large capacity cartomizer, holding 3.5ml of e-liquid.  This makes the tube (without the tip) about as tall as an XL CE2 and considerably fatter. The plastic tubes rock the new syringe-style plastic which should make stress cracks a thing of the past. The new tubes are also not susceptible from discoloration or cracking from acidic e-liquids.

A wider tube also means standard drip tips aren’t going to fit.  The Vision sports a whistle-style tip designed specifically for the clearomizer. The spacious tube also means there aren’t issues with the wicks getting pinched between the tube and the heating element that is commonplace in standard CE2 devices. However, it is the gasket system that truly sets the Vision and a pedestrian CE2 apart.

Technically, the gasket design is still a two-piece affair.  The second gasket, mounted in the cartomizer’s tip instead of uselessly sitting atop the inner

gasket.  This placement allows the device to keep e-liquid from condensing on top of the gasket and making a beeline straight into your mouth.  The second part of that technique surrounds the bottom gasket.

The bottom gasket is a serious departure from the design of the original CE2 design.  The most noticeable thing is that instead of a hole in the center, there is a stem.  This stem fits into the hole inside the mouthpiece, minimizing condensation forming in the space between the two gaskets. The second thing the tube allows is in the place of tiny pin holes for syringe filling are wide openings.

Using the Vision Cartomizer

Throw your syringes away, you aren’t going to need them to fill the Vision cartomizer.  The recommended method to fill these big boys is to use a pipette or an e-liquid bottle with a fine tip placed between the tube wall and the gasket opening.  As it happens, it’s even easier than that.

Simply tilt the Vision cartomizer at an angle and let your liquid drip down the inside wall.  The liquid will naturally flow through the openings and into

the bottom portion of the cartomizer where it belongs. The trick is to go slow, you want to avoid getting liquid into that stem in the middle, lest your cartomizer gurgle and juice leaks from the battery connector.

Visions come in a variety of resistances to accommodate whatever your roll happens to be.  I went with the higher resistance 3Ω versions.  I generally go with the middle of the road on these devices since I find the wicks struggle at higher voltages.

I found that the Vision kept up fairly well up to around 4.5v in its out of the box configuration.  As I started creeping the voltage in my ProVari (and Lavatube) up towards the 5 volt neighborhood, the device struggled to keep up with my frenzied vaping style. Like a lot of the other CE2s, wicking became a little less efficient the last 1/8th or so of the way through the fill-up.

Adjusting and Cleaning the Vision Cartomizer

4.5v isn’t actually a bad place to be, but I was curious to see if that could be improved with a little persuasion.  CE2s are notorious for not working their best until you fidget with them. The Visions seem to do alright out of the box, and it’s easier to mess with them if you have the desire.  I simply used a paperclip and lifted up the bottom gasket slightly.

Giving the wicks a little more breathing room did the trick.  Not only was I able to run at 5v without toasting anything, but I found an increase in vapor production all around as well.  I did notice my little experiment had one slight drawback.

With the gasket not quite firmly seated, I found that the Vision was more susceptible to gurgling. Liquid has an easier time sneaking into the heating assembly and flooding the device slightly.  It’s not a huge deal, simply do a stiff draw without pressing the fire button (dry pull) to clear the air tube.  This also led to a slight amount of liquid seeping from the battery connector.

This little experiment also leads into the subject of cleaning the device.  One of the best parts of the CE2 line is the fact they’re fairly easy to clean.  Simply pull the tube apart, clean the various parts, dry it out and you’re back in business.  The Vision cartomizer carries on this tradition, with one noticeable exception.

Pulling the device apart is somewhat optional.  If you prefer to leave the tube in-tact, simply pull out the gasket.  There’s enough room to (carefully) pull the wicks so they protrude outside the tube (be very careful not to damage the wicks or dislodge them from the coil).  With the wicks sitting outside the tube, you can accomplish a fairly decent cleaning session.

Performance

So far the Vision has a higher capacity and much easier filling going for it.  Let’s take a look of how the clearomizer checks out in the performance department.

For starters, as I mentioned earlier, this is a 3Ω device.  For argument sake, we’ll keep the voltage dial at 4.5v. Even that the Vision seems to work out

better than CE2s I’ve used in the same range.  Even at higher resistances, I’ve found the original devices struggle to keep enough juice flowing to the coils without major surgery on the gasket.  The Vision can handle 4.5v pretty much out of the box.

Running unmodified at 4.5v on the 3Ω Visions is a very pleasurable vape.  You get a pretty solid cloud of warm-ish vapor.  Throat hit is spot on, and I found the flavor reproduction to be outstanding on these devices.

If you do adjust the gasket slightly and put up with the extra gurgling, the Vision turns into a fog machine even at 4.5 volts.  At 5 volts, you get even more vapor and a couple of degrees added to the temperature. When talking about voltages around 5v, I begin comparing things to dual coil cartomizers.

I find the vapor is different coming out of the vision than from a dual coil carto.  The Vision has more of a creamy consistency and a little less throat hit.  Dual coils tend to provide a hotter vapor that hits harder.  It’s more of an analog experience with dual coils.  I wouldn’t say one is better than the other, just different experiences.

Too Long; Didn’t Read

The Vision Clear Cartomizer is a 3.5ml CE2 style cartomizer that has a lot to offer over the original CE2.  Beyond the extra room, filling is no longer an unpleasant chore.  While modding the Vision isn’t strictly necessary, it does seem to provide better performance.  There are a few issues, particularly with gurgling due to condensation, but they are outweighed by the easy filling and performance of the Vision clearomizer

Performance:

• Vapor production: excellent
• Throat hit: good
• Flavor reproduction: excellent
• Vapor temperature: moderately warm

Pros:

• High capacity
• Great performance
• Easy to fill
• Durable

Cons:

• Pricier than CE2s
• Small adjustment needed for best performance
• Subject to gurgling and flooding in some scenarios
• Proprietary tip

Details:

• Product: Vision 3.5ml Clear Cartomizer (3 ohm)
• Buy it from: MadVapes
• Capacity: 3.5ml (also available in 2.5ml)
• Resistance: 3Ω (also available in 2.0-2.2Ω)
• Threading: 510
• Coil Configuration: Single, horizontal, top

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