Today we are reviewing a clone of the miniature mechanical box mod Dos Equis with two 18650 batteries.
I won’t hide the fact that I have always been attracted to the iStick 50W, released by Eleaf about six months ago. They managed to elegantly fit two batteries into a small case, and that’s with the board! But I never considered this small but powerful box as a purchase for myself. Firstly, because of the built-in batteries (it’s simple: with my vaping mode, I would need two such iSticks per day), and secondly, because of the problems with it that are often found online and even on our forum. Either liquid that gets through the connector completely kills the electronics, or the built-in batteries quickly lose their capacity, or there are periodically arising problems with the buttons. I still adhere to the opinion that the simpler the device, the more reliable it is. And in this case, a mechanical mod would be the best choice for me. I have long had a clone of the acrylic Beast Box Mod in my arsenal, into which I even soldered a transistor so as not to ruin the button with low windings. I really like the “Beast”, but its dimensions (compared to the same iStick 50W) can confuse not so much the owner of the device, but people on the street who see a vaper with such a colossus in his hands. Therefore, it was used mostly only at home and in the office. I always wanted something as compact and powerful as the product from Eleaf.
And a couple of months ago, the first swallows began to appear that completely fit into the specified requirements. These were Dos Equis from JD TECH (, Castigador Box Mod from Emperor Vap’east and Abaddon Box Mod from El Diablo Philippines. The first two have a side button, the last one has a top button. australian vape shop melbourne But, unfortunately, buying original devices does not fit into my budget and my vaping ideology in general (“quit smoking, start vaping and save”), so all I could do was wait until our enterprising colleagues from China set up production of high-quality copies of these mods. To their credit, I must say, they mastered the production of all these devices quite quickly.
The first one that fell into my hands was a Dos Equis clone from the 3FVape online store. Therefore, everything that will be discussed further will concern this particular model. Knowing about the countless clone manufacturers, it is difficult to be sure that you will buy this particular model. I would like to mention right away that my copy does not have a serial number on the body, and is supplied not in a bag or a plastic box, but in cardboard.
Here are the characteristics of the Dos Equis clone:
Dimensions: 47mm x 77mm x 25mm;
Weight: 150g;
510 floating connector;
Silver-plated contacts and pin;
Materials: Phantom Brass and Full Coat Delrin (in other words, brass and delrin, i.e. polyformaldehyde);
Works on 2×18650 batteries;
Top side button;
Very low drawdowns;
Full mechanics.
This description does not include the size of batteries that you can use with this box. On one of the resources I came across the figure “up to 66mm”, but I think if the size is half a millimeter larger, this will not be a big problem. Another thing is that you are unlikely to be able to charge batteries with a protruding pin in this box and leave a reserve for the connector travel (more on that below). Thus, batteries for Dos Equis are of the 18650 form factor with a flat plus. The design allows using both one and two batteries in parallel.
First impressions
Packaging. In a black box with the Dos Equis logo there is only the box itself, wrapped in bubble wrap. If you have problems with a newly purchased box, you can always restore your peace of mind with a piece of this film. Otherwise, the packaging is not even worth paying attention to.
How small it is! Behind the dry numbers of dimensions there is a real baby, which, when compared with the SMPL clone, a long-standing and well-deserved favorite of fans of miniature devices, turns out to be even smaller in height. My measurements of the dimensions with a caliper gave the following results: height: 76.8 mm (even less than promised!), thickness: 24.3 mm, width 48.0-48.2 mm (the Delrin part is slightly wider due to the protruding seams). Due to the brass used in the design, the weight without batteries reaches a solid 150 g. It must be said that this heaviness is pleasant, you can believe that the device is reliable.
Conclusion
This is just one of several “babies” that can be found on the market today. But today it is the smallest mechanical mod for two 18650 batteries with a side button. Moreover, a real mechanical mod, without wires, soldering and any protection “from a fool”. Yes, this imposes its own restrictions on the curvature of the user’s hands and dramatically increases the potential danger, but, as they say, beauty requires sacrifice. In fact, despite the lack of any protection, the device is quite safe: the battery compartment cover opens quickly, and the button for closing the circuit is difficult to press accidentally.
Pros of Dos Equis:
Size
Appearance
Spring-loaded pin in the connector
Solid assembly
Quick battery change
Cons:
Easily soiled delrin case
Small and tight button
Visible seams at the junction of delrin parts
Sharp edges
I did not include brass in either the pros or cons. The metal of the box is not covered with any protective varnish and quickly darkens and gets covered with shallow scratches. But this can always be fixed with a “zero” or a soft cloth with GOI paste. Polished, it just starts to shine. The situation is worse with scratches on Delrin, many of which “please” already out of the box. For those who do not like the gloss of plastic, self-matting of the surface will help.
In addition, on the very first day, “something went wrong” and I took a hot atomizer out of my bag. Later, when disassembling, it turned out that the atomizer leaked and liquid got inside the box. And the problem turned out to be that if you short-circuit the upper and lower metal parts (which, in theory, are shorted by the copper plate when you press the button), the current will simply flow to the atomizer. Apparently, this is what happened in my case: a bunch of keys was in the bag with the box. Therefore, be careful, do not allow such situations. In my case, everything worked out.
It is definitely worth recommending for purchase. First of all, for those who like small setups. Then for those who like “long-playing” mechs with minimal drawdowns, two batteries that completely hide in the palm of your hand, it’s still great! But only for those who are confident in their hands and what they do. And of course, for those who like to disassemble and tinker with their devices. Otherwise, it’s better to take a closer look at the iStick 50. The Des Equis clone does not require any modifications after purchase, but I couldn’t resist and rounded off all the sharp metal corners with sandpaper, they turned out to be painfully sharp.
