Your guide to mech mod vapes
Mech mod is simply a shortened term for ‘mechanical mod’. It is a type of homemade vape device that supplies pure battery power to an atomiser. A mech mod vape can seem complex and confusing at first glance, but they are actually the simplest vape mods in terms of mechanical design. Mech mods in the UK are quite popular, but they can be VERY dangerous in the wrong hands - so we do not recommend anyone trying to build one without doing extensive research first.
What are mech mods?
As we mentioned above, mech mods are a type of homemade vaping device. To build a mech mod, you have to buy the components - a mech mod tube, batteries, RDAs - and put it together yourself. Unlike normal vapes, there is no circuit inside. Rather, the device is a circuit in itself.
A mech mod is a basic design, with no tank, that provides high levels of power but not much else. The best mech mod build will be effective at providing clouds and flavour, however, it has to be built right.
Have you ever heard horror stories about vapes exploding in people’s hands? Well, that can happen with mechanical mods! Unless you’re an expert, you’re better off buying a vape device instead of trying to build your own mech mod as there is a risk of things going horribly wrong.
The top mechanical vape mods are built after years of research and perfecting. You need to understand resistance and other elements perfectly before building anything - but that’s a whole separate article!
Lastly, mech mods are not ideal for everyday vaping. They are more for those with a keen interest in the process of building and mechanics.
The components of a mech mod
Mech mods are made of 3 simple components - a mod, battery, and rebuildable atomiser.
The mod is the outer casing - the part that holds everything together. Some can look really cool in design while some will be a more simple mechanical tube mod. Mods are usually made from metal - copper is best - and will sometimes have a wood or plastic exterior. The best make-up for your mod is a copper tube with Delrin plastic on the inside where the batteries would go.
In terms of batteries, you can build mech mods for pretty much any type. The most common type is a 18650 vape battery. You need to pay close attention to the amperage and mooch rating of the batteries when building your mod to ensure you stay safe.
Lastly, you have the rebuildable atomiser or RDA. You must only ever use an RDA when building a mech mod. Refer to our other article here to find out more about RDAs.
The different types of mech mods
You can create different set-ups when building a mech mod which will lead to different types of vape. The top mech mods use certain types of set-up which can make them more effective.
Series vs Parallel Mech Mods
This first distinction applies to dual battery mech mods.
In a series circuit, all of the components carry the exact same current. The current passes through one battery, and then through the other, and then to the atomiser. With vaping, this means that each battery has the same amount of amp draw placed in it as it would with a single battery. This means that everything is doubled and way more power goes to the coil.
In a parallel circuit, the amp stays the same to keep the current consistent throughout the circuit. So the power runs through both batteries at the same time, equally. The best mechanical vape mods use a parallel circuit since this means that the lifespan of each battery is doubled. Plus, it’s a much safer option.
Hybrid vs Non-Hybrid Mech Mods
This second distinction is to do with the connection between the battery and the atomiser. In a hybrid mech mod, the 510 pin on the bottom of the atomiser is in direct contact with the battery. This provides a much harder and faster hit.
In a traditional, non-hybrid mech mod, the atomiser screws into a top cap which then has a pin that connects to the battery. This creates a sort of ‘buffer’ between the 2 components, creating a softer hit.
The best mechanical mods use a hybrid set-up, but it’s super important to do this properly and safely. You must ensure that the atomiser’s positive pin protrudes past its negative pin. This prevents the negative pin from contacting the battery’s positive side. If you don’t do this, your battery could explode.
Why are mech mods better?
Because good mech mods can give you thicker, bigger vape clouds and better flavour delivery than other vape devices. Again - only if they are built correctly! But the main reason it that some people just really enjoy the building process!
Are mech mods safe??
If we haven’t been clear enough, let’s say it again: YES! Mech mods can be extremely dangerous if not built with extreme care and attention. You need to ensure you fully understand the mechanics before building, and watch out for things like arc marks, overheating batteries, or discharged batteries.
Happy (and safe) building!
