Purchased from Ecigone for £24.99, which was a bargain, but it is also available from Vapesourcing for a crazy price of $15.99 plus extra off with discount codes!
https://vapesourcing.com/smok-mag-m270-kit.html
Have a quick read of the review, and grab one fast if it appeals to you before stock vanishes.
IMPORTANT
So this is a bit of an odd Smok release. Every site, at the date of writing this review, has the wrong specs and info. It is NOT as advertised and I ordered mine expecting a fully regulated mod and tank kit. They seem to have copied and pasted the Smok Mag Grip kit and I could not find any accurate descriptions or specs for the M270 at all.
The Mag M270 is a semi regulated mech style mod, no screen and no adjustments at all so be aware that you will not get what is advertised.
BUT please don’t let this put you off as this turned out to be an absolutely superb kit. No need for any knowledge of mech devices is required as long as you stick to the included coils which work perfectly on it. Simply put, it’s a ‘fire & forget’ device, and the easiest sub ohm device I own.
In A Nutshell
The Smok Mag M270 Kit looks and feels fantastic in the hand. It is a simple to use, semi regulated mech/bypass mod (similar to non-adjustable pods and pens) and, with the S1 & S2 coils in the Baby V2 tank, it performs perfectly. I am struggling to think of a single con with it. I am over the moon with this kit and it’s in my top 3 purchases of 2019!
Unboxing & Contents
This kit comes in the traditional Smok packaging with the mod on top and the tank packaged underneath with the spares and bits of paper that I never read. The moment I grabbed hold of the mod, it brought a smile to my face, it felt close to perfection in the hand. I popped a Molicell 21700 42a battery in it and also loved its weighty feel. I then got down to the tank and selected the S2 coil, primed it up with juice and left it for fifteen minutes to saturate.
For shizz and giggles, I decided to RTFM (read the f**king manual) which had no surprises, and you could speed read the lot in a minute. The spares offered optional colour seals if you don’t like the fitted matchey matchey ones. I liked the blue so left mine as is.
So on to looking at the mod………..
Mag M270 Mod
The mod comes with a battery adaptor to take an 18650, but by default it takes either a 20700 or 21700. I recommend using a Molicell 30amp 4200mAh 21700 to get the best from this kit, better battery life and higher amperage will provide a better overall experience.
https://www.fogstar.co.uk/products/molicel-p42a
The battery holder is the traditional Mag style loading system which is released by a press button on the side of the mod letting the battery ‘mag’ drop out (be sure you are ready to catch it!). If you are using a 20700 or 21700 battery there is no adaptor needed, if you are using an 18650 (which I do not recommend) then there is a plastic adaptor provided. Once you insert your battery into the holder, simply slide it into the mod until it clicks fully into place. I have to admit I enjoy this style of gun magazine loading, being ex Army there’s something strangely pleasing fitting a new magazine, so I have no problem with this controversial ‘gun’ style battery loading system, it's efficient and fast.
Once the battery is inserted, then you’re ready to operate this complex machine. Are you ready for a complete list of operations?
- Click the fire buttons to turn the mod on/off.
Phew that was exhausting!
Seriously that is it, no setting to faff around with. Once the tank is fitted, it’s ready to vape. The semi regulated mod has the protections of a regulated mod and automatically selects the power required to the coils based on the Ohms, the mod does it all for you so it really is the simplest way to vape.
If mechs (mechanical, as in no wiring or electronics) or semi regulated mechs (mechanical style, but with protective electronics) confuse you, this kit is perfect as long as you stick to the recommended coils. If you have a mod that has ‘bypass’ mode, you can try that as it is the same experience. The only thing you need to understand is that performance starts to dip as your battery drains so the vape will be weaker the lower your battery level is. I recommend you always have a spare battery for when this happens rather than waiting to recharge.
If you are intending to use this mod for RTAs or RDAs I suggest you do your research first.
Though the mod has a micro USB port, I don’t recommend you use it. Always charge in a dedicated separate charger and only charge in the mod if you have no other option.
Styling of the Mag M270 is what appealed to me with this kit, it is beautifully sculpted with its curvaceous form which not only looks slick, it is VERY ergonomic and feels so comfortable in your hand. The fire trigger feels natural as your index finger is guided into place by its shape, and the metallic paint finish is flawless with the shiny blue accents finishing it off nicely. I don’t feel that anything is too loud or blingy on this mod, branding is subtle and limited. Venting is provided at the top which also houses a single LED to let you know if your mod is on or off.
Size wise, due to its curvy ergonomics and being able to take a 21700 means it is not a small mod, in fact it’s not much smaller than the original dual 18650 Mag. A good portion of its bulk is purely aesthetics and I love it for that. The original Mag felt great in the hand but the M270 feels in another league.
TF V8 Baby V2 Tank
I have covered the superb upgrade of the TFV8 Baby V2 earlier this year on the Smok Species kit, and I rate it as the best tank Smok have ever released. It is right up there with the best mesh tanks, and Smok have finally produced reliable and long lasting coils which should convert the Smok haters if they try it.
I bought the TPD kit and the 2ml was just ridiculous. Fortunately, I had a spare 5ml bubble glass, which not only increased the capacity but also improved the looks in my opinion. I’m not a fan of bubble glass on the whole and see them as a necessary evil but, like on the Species, the bubble glass just looks right.
The drip tip is a proprietary slip over style so you can’t use other drip tips, though Smok do have resin styled ones available. The three sided airflow control ring is spot on, fully open gives a really loose draw. I closed it off to two thirds open for my ideal draw and there are no annoying whistles. It’s not silent, but pretty much the standard air noise you get from larger subohm tanks.
Filling is simple with its flip open swivel top which reveals a large kidney shaped fill port. Most bottles fit without the need to remove the drip tip. The seal is good and I have experienced no leaking at all.
The S1 and S2 coils are new to me and I wondered how they would perform on a bypass single battery mod. I am pleased to say both coils performed perfectly, the flavour is even better, the airflow and draw also seem to be a lot smoother with no spit-back. If you like your clouds, then these will keep you happy, but if you are a flavour chaser like myself then you will really enjoy the S2 coils even though they are not Mesh. This was a surprise to me as I had always opted for mesh coils since their release.
The S1 coil does give that typical mesh instant hit, and the flavour is also superb. I would be happy with either coil, but really enjoyed the S1 more. With its large wicking ports, I think this is why it is delivering such good flavour and lasting longer.
Performance
There’s not a lot to say other than this kit simply performs perfectly on a full charged battery. Battery life is pretty good for a single battery, high power mod, especially with a 21700, however with an 18650 the experience was a little muted and battery life was way too short. I have also tried a Molicell 20700A (3000mAh) which performed well though, again, battery life was shorter. It’s clear this kit was designed for a 21700 with higher amps and it excels with this option, the vape is spot on, not too hot or cool, just a smooth warm vape to the point that if it had power settings, this would be what I would have selected.
Simply get this battery from Fogstar (the only trusted place I buy my batteries from) to get the best from the Mag M270:
https://www.fogstar.co.uk/products/molicel-p42a
(Best to get at least a couple)
As mentioned earlier, the downside (also an upside) with bypass/mech vaping is that the vape will become weaker as the battery drains. On the plus side, you can carry on using it though avoid vaping until the battery is fully drained as this will affect your batteries lifespan. You just get used to it. I have no exact vaping time figures as there is no puff counter, but it was lasting me a few hours of moderate use before I noticed any drop off in flavour.
Conclusion
As you can probably tell by the amount of reviews I have done, I have far too many mods and I am very picky about what I choose. I don’t mind mechs or semi mechs though I tend to use smaller MTL devices or squonk mods, but I am blown away by how good this kit is. I am going to struggle to find any cons for it, at this point I can’t come up with a single thing I would want to change on it.
This kit is ideal for new and experienced users. New users should stick with the S1 & S2 coils as they are optimised for this kit, this will take other tanks and coils but best you understand Ohm’s safety before you try a rebuildable tank. Experience users won’t have any issues. I have tried a few other tanks from DTL to MTL and they all perform as expected.
My rating is based on what it is, a simple no adjustment semi regulated mech style kit. I simply cannot fault it and have another one from Vapesourcing on the way.
In the unlikely event you don’t get on with the mod, it is worth the money for the Baby V2 tank alone.
Pros
- Simple safe ‘Fire & Forget’ mod
- The most ergonomic mod I have ever owned
- Takes 18650, 20700 & 21700 batteries
- Magazine style battery loading
- Beautiful styling
- Superb performance and flavour S1 & S2 coils
- TFV8 Baby V2 tank is the best Smok have produced
- Nice weighty mod
- Quality paint finish
- No knowledge required with included coils
- Value for money
Cons
- Proprietary drip tip
- 2ml TPD glass is a deal breaker – get a 5ml Bubble Glass
- 18650 option should have been omitted
Final Thoughts & Scores
I managed to scrape up a few cons but none of them are an issue for me. This kit is possibly the most pleasing I have bought in 2019 and it is my go to DTL device at the moment, especially for its current bargain price making it cheap just for the tank.
I appreciate the style and looks are subjective, some will hate it but if you like the look of it then I highly recommend it.
Ergonomics: 9/10
Ease of use: 9.5/10
Value for money: 9/10
Performance: 8/10
Styling: 9/10
Battery life: 8/10
Total Score: 9/10 – fire and forget with perfect ergonomics
Si Davies
Reviewer at POTVMy background is Engineering and Professional Photography. Mostly from POTV users knowledge I learned so much about pretty much all styles of vaping and equipment, Cloud Chasing, Squonking, Mouth To Lung, Direct To Lung, Pods, Mechs, Rebuild-able tanks and atomisers etc, and have experience with many many devices and atomisers, it's become a hobby and enjoy trying out the latest gear. I like to think my reviews are plain speaking and informative without getting too technical, if I have to resort to reading the manual then I don't consider it user friendly!
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