Kamry K100 Mod Review

Let me preface this article by saying that this is my first mechanical mod review for CigBuyer.com, and besides experimenting with the mechanical devices of others, it’s the first mechanical mod I’ve used for an extended period of time on my own. Up until now I’ve always felt safer using regulated APV’s, but I learned really quickly while testing this device that mechanicals don’t need to be complicated or confusing. No need to worry about rebuilding coils or testing atomizers, a mechanical mod will work just fine with most standard clearomizers – my delivery option of choice in most situations. With a decent amount of experience with other vaping gear and accessories, here is my relatively “novice” review of the Kamry K100 mechanical mod:

The Kamry K100 is a Chinese-made “clone” designed to resemble the Empire PV Mod. This extremely popular replica is virtually identical to the original, other than a few stainless steel components (vs. brass) and the addition of a 510 connector. People have different opinions about clones, but being my first mechanical device I figured I should start out with something affordable and avoid an overly expensive “authentic” mod. The Kamry K100 costs over 1/3 less than the Empire PV Mod and is nearly identical! Seemed like a good place to start for a newbie like me.

Construction & Design

As mentioned, I don’t have a lot of experience with mechanical mods so I’ll do my best to convey the most important aspects of build quality and performance. Visually, the Kamry K100 mod is very sleek and appealing, which is one of the main reasons I chose this device for my first review. It’s simple, yet sort of edgy with it’s ridged aluminum body and matching cartomizer sleeve. It comes in several anodized colors, including black, blue, gold, green, pink, red and silver; although the authentic version has quite a few more variations. The black suited me just fine, and it was surprisingly small compared to some of my regulated APVs, especially with an 18350 battery installed (about 4 inches long).

With the 18350, about a half inch of the telescoping chrome tube protrudes above the body, providing a nice clean break between it and the matching cartomizer sleeve. With an 18650 inserted, the chrome tube extends about another inch, giving it the same chrome / anodized look.

Personally, I wasn’t a huge fan of the matching cartomizer sleeve, not necessarily because it didn’t function well, but because I prefer clearomizers and I think it looks much better with a tank. The sleeve worked well with the included cartomizer and most standard cartomizers should fit nicely, but anything larger and it’s likely to protrude from the top. Even with a cartomizer protruding from the sleeve, the chrome drip tip should cap it off nicely and still provide a clean, professional look. For the most part, I avoided the cartomizer and used my Protank II during most of this review, which butted-up tight and fit perfectly with the 510/eGo connector.

Compared to other mechanical mods I’ve played with, the Kamry K100 definitely had a nice feel, with plenty of weight that fit nicely in the palm of my hand. The parts threaded together without a problem, although there was a bit of “screeching” whenever I adjusted the telescoping battery tube. The firing button, located on the bottom, was a bit more rigid than I expected, but once I got used to holding it in my hand correctly I had no problem compressing it and puffing away. The locking ring is a nice feature to prevent accidental misfires, but the spring-loaded firing button was so stiff that it wasn’t really necessary unless I wanted to be extra precautious carrying it in my pocket.

Device Operation & Performance

Since the performance of a mechanical depends heavily on the accessories you use, and my experience is somewhat limited, this will probably be the weakest part of my review. I’m not using rebuildable atomizers (yet) or experimenting with batteries other than the standard 18350 or 18650s included with the K100 kit, so my feedback is based soley upon the standard components and several different clearomizers. Surprisingly, the Kamry K100 worked especially well with 1.8 ohm dual coils in my Protank II and EVOD tanks. It provided plenty of vapor and felt roughly equivalent to my Vamo V5 at 7-8 watts using the same coils. With higher resistance coils, on the other hand, it didn’t work quite as well since the device is unregulated and only puts out nominal battery voltage (≈ 3.7V). As long as you stick around 2.0 ohms or less, it seems to work nicely. I was under the assumption that I needed to “sub-ohm” with a mechanical to get decent performance, but I was definitely wrong.

This is where my inexperience shows! I wouldn’t have even wrote this review if I didn’t know there were plenty of other vapers who thought that “mechanical mod” meant complicated or confusing. They certainly can be, and I’m sure my reviews will become much more technical moving forward. The good news is, even a novice can use a mechanical mod with some basic skills and knowledge! This was a new experience for me, and my feedback should only get better…

My Opinion of the Kamry K100

With very little to compare to, I’ll try to keep my opinion of the Kamry K100 mod to a minimum. Visually, there isn’t much to complain about and I love the sleek, ridged aluminum design, a nearly identical copy of the original. Personally, I wasn’t a fan of the matching cartomizer sleeve, but since I prefer clearomizers anyways, this wasn’t really an issue for me. It had a great feel and I was pleasantly surprised by the ease-of-use and outstanding performance with standard 1.8 ohm dual coil clearomizers. I’m sure this device could be taken to the next level with a sub ohm RBA, but I wasn’t quite ready to go there yet. All in good time!

This is a clone, so I can only assume the quality isn’t quite as good as the original, but from what I can tell (and from what I’ve read elsewhere), the Kamry K100 is nicely-designed “replica” that’s very well-built for a Chinese-made clone. No problems for me! Other than the rigid firing switch, which took some getting used to as a newbie, I had no major problems or complaints.

Price-wise, you can pick these up for $40 or $50, so if you’re a new to mechanical mods like me, it won’t break the bank to test one out. If you’re an experience mechanical modder, the Kamry K100 should satisfy all of your desires, at a price that’s hard to beat.

Ecig Avenue offers the full Kamry K100 Mod Kit for just $40 (USA), but the individual mod can also be purchased separately if you choose. If you’re willing to wait several weeks for shipping from China, you’ll find the lowest prices on the Kamry K100 at Fast Tech.