Mod Reviews

SD Mini 75 by Vapecige

by VapeMaster
Oct 24, 2016

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SD MINI 75 by Vapecige

SD Mini 75 is one of the smallest DNA 75 Box Mods on the market. It is constructed from the same grade of aluminium that is used in the aerospace industry and is a highly compact device. The genuine Evolv chipset offers a maximum output of 75W and has modes for both Variable Wattage and Temperature Control with support for all major wire types. By downloading the EScribe software users can customize the device heavily and tweak functions or set up specific profiles depending on their needs. The SD Mini 75 requires a single 18650 battery.

SD Mini 75 features

Genuine Evolv DNA 75 Chipset
Aluminium Construction
Variable Wattage: 1-75W
Temperature Control Range: 200-600F / 100-300C
Resistance Range: 0.1 – 3.0ohm (Power Mode), 0.08 – 1.0ohm (TC Mode)
0.91 inch OLED screen
Adjustable LED button light colour
Magnetic battery cover
Micro-USB charging port
Multiple Protection
Reverse battery protection
Low-voltage protection
Short circuit protection
Low resistance protection
High temperature protection

What’s in the box?

1x SD Mini 75
1x Micro USB Cable
User Manual

SD Mini 75 styling and build quality

The SD Mini 75 uses aluminium construction and as such it is reasonably light but still feels fairly durable. The overall size is excellent and according to Vapecige this is the smallest DNA 75 device currently available, at least for the time being since we all know how quickly this market progresses. The hard edges of the device have had some slight chamfering so while it still remains a boxy design it is reasonably comfortable to hold in the hand.

The 510 pin is spring-loaded and I had no problems getting any of my atomizers to sit flush on this device. The 0.91 inch OLED screen is bright and conveys all of the information clearly. All the usual things are clearly shown including Wattage, Resistance and Temperature (when using that mode). Resistance Lock is also shown as is battery life and Voltage. Providing you have access to a home computer you can further customize the display by downloading EScribe from Evolv’s website. In addition this software lets you tweak every single setting on this device providing that is something that interests you as well as set up presets for specific materials. The SD Mini does include several presets for all of the most common wire types so you won’t have to dive into EScribe right away if you don’t want to.

There are three buttons on this device and while they are responsive and have a good feel to them they do suffer from ever so minor rattle which is of course something you can live with.

One rather jazzy oddity of this device is that the fire button does light up and cycles through different colours as it powers down. To be fair while this "disco light" as I have chosen to name it isn’t necessarily something I would want from one of my devices, I did have a bit of fun vaping in the dark for a few minutes and I would speculate that it might even make a moderately useful psychedelic torch when you reach the door and drop your keys due to being heavily inebriated from the local landlord’s finest ale!

The battery compartment on this device is unfortunately less amusing. Firstly the magnets are not the strongest I have seen on a mod and the battery lid comes off just a little too easily, another issue is that the battery isn’t held as securely as I would like and tends to wobble a bit as does the lid itself. The real problem in my opinion is that the compartment is a little bit longer than typical 18650 batteries, the positive and negative contacts don’t extend particularly far either. Despite this being something of a flaw to me, the device certainly does work without issues and I only draw attention to it because in my opinion it could be much better. Ventilation for the battery is provided for by three small holes in the base of the device.

The Micro USB Port is located at the bottom front of the device and allows you to charge the battery via the included cable or connect the SD Mini 75 to your PC in order to make use of the EScribe software.

Ease of use

All of these devices operate exactly the same so if you’ve tried one, you’ve tried them all.

Five clicks of the main fire button locks/unlocks the device.
To lock the power make sure the device is unlocked and hold down the plus and minus adjustment buttons.
To lock and unlock the Resistance make sure the device is locked and hold down the fire button and the plus adjustment button simultaneously.
To put the device into Stealth Mode make sure the device is locked and hold down the fire button and the minus adjustment button simultaneously.
To change the temperature make sure the device is locked and then hold down the plus and minus buttons simultaneously. The temperature can be adjusted in the menu and you can have it display in either Celsius or Fahrenheit or switch it off completely.
To access the presets on the device make sure the device is unlocked then hold down the plus and minus buttons to access power mode and then click the plus button a couple of times.

SD Mini 75 performance

You know when it comes to reviewing devices that use Evolv DNA 75 chips I sometimes feel that I’m in danger of sounding like a broken record because they all work consistently well and perhaps just once for the sheer fun of it I would like to find something wrong with one of them just to create more of a juicy writing hook for myself (I’m joking). Thankfully for anyone who purchases one of these devices you will be pleased to know that it really does work extremely well and the chip gives consistently accurate readings in both Variable Wattage and Temperature Control Modes!

Temperature Control was an excellent vape when using my Herakles tank fitted with a Ni200 coil and having locked the Resistance and set my temperature accordingly I noticed absolutely no problems at all.

I even went so far as to fit my Achilles II RDA with a Titanium coil simply to test that mode and once again I had no issues at all. Let’s be honest here, you shouldn’t be encountering issues with these chips and if you have never tried one then rest assured that they are as good as people claim. For some reason that I have never quite put my finger on they result in a smoother vape probably due to the accuracy of the Resistance readings and in Temperature Control Mode there is a noticeable and very significant difference when using that on my IPV4S compared to a DNA 200 or DNA 75 device.

Battery life is pretty much what you would expect from a single 18650 device and it will obviously drain faster depending on how high you set the Wattage and how frequently you use it. I will say that Temperature Control Mode seems far more efficient and doesn’t seem to drain the battery as fast as some of my older devices.

Conclusion

In terms of its styling while still very presentable the SD Mini 75 is not going to win any awards for its aesthetics since it sticks to a very boxy design. However, what it lacks in looks it makes up for in functionality and offers a consistently good vape thanks to Evolv’s excellent chip. The small overall size and the fact that it is reasonably lightweight are also welcome features.

The disco style light while certainly amusing for the first few vapes may not be for everyone and can apparently be switched off. A more serious criticism is the rather wobbly battery door and often I could feel the battery shifting while I was vaping, given the fact that the lid creates a slightly sharp edge it tends to feel a bit uncomfortable depending on how you hold the device. These are of course very minor issues and I only point them out to you because it’s important that you know exactly what you are getting for your money both the good and the not so good!

If you find the looks and more importantly the price to be appealing then this device will certainly give you a very enjoyable and consistently good vape and in my opinion it does compare well with other DNA 75 devices currently on the market.