Augvape VX217 Kit
8.8
PROS
- Can takes dual 21700 batteries
- Consistent and reliable draw
- Can fire up to 12V
- Atomizers up to 30mm won't overhang
- Gorgeous, hi-def screen
- Nice fire button
- Adjustment dial works well
CONS
- Heavy & bulky
- Battery door feels flimsy
- Kit does not include clapton mesh coils
Dual 18650 battery mods are everywhere you turn, but one thing there aren’t enough of are dual 21700 battery mods. These are useful because 21700 batteries usually pack higher mAh capacities than 18650 batteries, allowing you to get more battery life out of a single charge.
Imagine my pleasant surprise when Augvape sent in the VX217 mod for review. It’s a mod that takes two 21700 batteries and it can fire at up to 217W. It also has a very high maximum output voltage of 12V — not something that just any mod can do. The VX217 kit comes with the excellent Intake sub-ohm tank.
This mod is the follow-up to the Augvape VX200 mod which was compact, made of plastic, and very lightweight. The VX217 goes in the opposite direction with its zinc-alloy construction and large, imposing size.
Box Contents
- 1 x VX217 Mod
- 1 x Intake Subohm Tank
- 1 x Type-C Cable
- 1 x 18650 Battery Adaptor
- 1 x Bubble Glass
- 2 x 0.2ohm SS890L Mesh Coils
- 1 x Extra O-Rings
- 1 x User Manual
- 1 x Warranty Card
Specifications
VX217 Mod
- H:80mm x W:49mm x D:42mm
- Takes Dual 21700/20700/18650 Batteries
- 217W Max Output
- 12V Max Voltage Output
- Power, Voltage, Bypass Modes
- Adjustable Wattage
- 1.3” Hi-Res Color Display
- Type-C Port
Intake Subohm Tank
- 25mm Diameter
- 50mm Height
- Innovative Clapton Mesh coils
- Top to Bottom Airflow
- Leak Proof Design
- Easy Top Fill
Design & Build Quality
Although this mod is the follow-up to the Augvape VX200 mod, the VX217 is nothing like its predecessor. The VX200 was a compact mod made out of plastic, so it was very lightweight and portable. The VX217 however, is made out of zinc alloy and it’s quite chunky to allow it to fit two 21700 batteries.
Augvape claims that this is the shortest dual 21700 battery mod at 80mm tall, and they might be right. But this is still quite a substantial mod that can in no way be classified as light or stealthy. Even without batteries it’s quite a heavy mod. Insert the batteries and there’s no way you’ll forget that you put this mod in your pocket.
The short and chunky design of the VX217 is not my favorite look for a mod, but I will admit that the shape is comfortable to hold. From a top-down view, the VX217 has a triangular shape with rounded edges that my hand naturally conforms to when holding it. Regardless of if you fire with your thumb or your index, your finger will rest naturally on the fire button too.
The 510 connector is spring loaded and off-center, located more towards the front of the mod. Because the VX217 is so wide in order to fit 21700 batteries, the room you have for atomizers is crazy. You can fit up to a 30mm atomizer on the VX217 without any overhang. Big tank users, rejoice!
The screen is a highlight of this mod. It’s in full color and very high-definition. You can change the screen theme color to exactly the color you like using the color picker in the settings menu. All of the text on the screen is crystal-clear — it’s a real pleasure to use. The screen is protected by lips that stick out at the top and bottom of the mod so even if you drop it screen-side first, it should survive the fall.
Above and below the screen is a fire button and an adjustment dial. They are made out of plastic but feel really solid and nice. The fire button is huge and impossible to miss, even in the dark. It has horizontal lines that add extra grip and overall, it’s just a really nice button.
The adjustment dial is something different but I like it alot. You rotate the dial left or right in order to adjust the wattage or scroll through the settings. There’s a definite and satisfying ‘stop’ for each click so you know exactly how many notches you’re turning it. Before using this dial I wasn’t sure if I would like it but it works just fine. It’s easy to do fine-tuned wattage adjustment of just a few watts, but it’s just as easy to spin the dial fast to drastically change the wattage.
The overall construction of the VX217 feels solid and properly built but the battery door is a weak point. It’s a hinged door that you have to slide forward to unlock before you open it. It’s fine when it’s closed and won’t open, but when it’s open it feels flimsy. It sort of swings about and which makes me doubt its longevity.
The battery compartment is nice and neat. It’s labeled on the inside with + and – but also labeled on the battery door. You can use 18650 batteries with the VX217 by using the included battery adaptor sleeve.
Features & Functions
The Augvape VX217 has a few noteworthy features to mention. The first, of course, is that it can take dual 21700 batteries. The second is that it can fire at a 12V output. Not many mods can do this and most max out at 9V, if that. This 12V output comes in handy for those using extremely low resistance builds. It’s impressive that Augvape managed to make the VX217 powerful enough to output this kind of voltage.
The VX217 can fire up to 217W. It doesn’t have temperature control mode or anything fancy, just a basic set of modes: Power mode with 3 preheat options (soft, normal, hard), Variable Voltage mode, and Bypass modes.
The settings menu is quite detailed. Three clicks on the fire button will bring up the menu. You can select your mode from here and also lock or unlock the adjustment dial. Clicking on settings allows you to adjust a few things like auto power, how long you can draw before it cuts off power, standby timeout, and changing the color of the theme.
I want to go into the theme color changer a bit more because I think it’s neat. In this menu you can pick from a couple of preset colors, but you can also change the theme to exactly the color you want with the ‘User Defined’ option. This allows you to set the levels of red, green, and blue to get whatever color you like.
The LCD color option is also where you can adjust the brightness of the display.
Augvape VX217 Button Combinations
- Turn the device on or off by pressing the fire button 5 times.
- Enter the mode menu by pressing the fire button 3 times. Use the adjustment dial to select your option and the fire button to confirm.
- Lock the adjustment dial by pressing the fire button 3 times to enter the menu, then navigating to “Spin Button Lock” and confirming with the fire button.
- Adjust other settings by pressing the fire button 3 times to enter the menu and navigating to “settings”. Press the fire button to confirm. Here you can change various settings.
Intake Subohm Tank
Daniel previously reviewed the Intake Subohm tank and I would suggest giving that a read for the full, in-depth run down on this tank. However, I will briefly go over the Intake subohm tank in this review and talk a little about the coils that come with the kit.
The Intake is a sleek, 25mm diameter subohm tank. If you’ve seen or used any of the other tanks in Augvape’s Intake line, like the Intake RTA or Intake Dual RTA, then this design will be very familiar. The Intake Subohm has a design that just looks good.
This is a top-filled tank and the top cap unscrews with a quarter turn to reveal two large kidney fill holes. The top of the tank has a rubber gasket to minimize and prevent leaking.
Like the rest of the Intake family, the Intake Subohm tank is a top-airflow tank. There are two fully adjustable airflow slots that can be set to deliver anything from a loose direct lung draw to a restricted direct lung draw, so it’s very versatile.
Two glass sections come in the kit: a 3.5ml capacity straight glass that comes preinstalled on the tank and a 5ml capacity bubble glass. With the bubble glass attached 5ml is a good capacity for a subohm tank and the Intake Subohm tank needs it — it’s quite a thirsty tank as I’ll get into in the Performance section next.
Just like the VX217, the Intake Subohm tank is very nice and made well. It looks right at home on top of the VX217 and together they look great as a whole.
Performance
The VX217 kit comes with 2 coils for the Intake Subohm tank, although they are both the same coil: 0.2ohm SS890L mesh coils. There’s a bit of a mixup between what the packaging says and what you actually get though as on the box it says that this kit comes with two clapton mesh coils.
You do not, in fact, get clapton mesh coils and that’s disappointing to say the least, especially because those clapton mesh coils are extremely flavorful. These 0.2ohm SS890L mesh coils have a lot to live up to being included in place of the clapton mesh coils.
These coils are rated for 50-70W so I loaded up the tank with some ejuice and set the tank to 50W. Warm vapor and a good amount of clouds, but the flavor is lacking. At 60W the flavor gets better and the vapor is even warmer but it’s still not quite up to my liking. At 70-75W is where the flavor really comes through and although it’s not near as good as the clapton mesh coils, it’s definitely decent. I don’t mind using this coil at all.
The VX217 is powerful and consistent. I found that using the normal wattage modes was best with the Intake Subohm tank and included coils as the ‘Hard’ setting led to a burning taste that was not pleasant at all. On the normal wattage mode the VX217 is very consistent and works effortlessly. Using a good pair of high mAh 21700 batteries you can expect to get close to 2 days of heavy vaping out of this mod and that’s at mid-high wattages of 70-100W.
I also tested the VX217 with a few RDAs and RTAs with lower resistance builds of .10ohm to 0.12ohm. The VX217 doesn’t struggle to output high wattages, nor does it struggle to output high voltages. Really a great mod all around by Augvape.
Verdict
Although it’s bulky and heavy, the VX217 accomplishes what it set out to do: be a good, reliable dual 21700 mod. I like this kit and the coils that come with it are pretty good, but it would be better if it came with the clapton mesh coils instead. Still, you get a solid mod and a solid tank in this kit and they work together seamlessly.
If you’re a wattage mode or variable voltage mode vaper who needs a solid dual 21700 battery mod, the VX217 is worth checking out. But if you’re looking for a dual 21700 mod that can do TC, you’ll have to keep waiting.
Overall, good job by Augvape on the VX217 kit.
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