Mod Reviews

VOOPOO Drag Mini Platinum PnP Refresh Kit

Voopoo have given the Drag mini a spit and polish and have released the new VOOPOO Drag Mini Platinum Refresh Kit. We take a close look to see what has changed

by Si Davies
Oct 20, 2020

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Supplied by Source More for review purposes
https://www.sourcemore.com/voopoo-drag-mini-platinum-refresh-kit.html
$31.49 VOOPOO Drag Mini Platinum Refresh Kit
Code: DRAGMI

After being very impressed with the VooPoo ARGUS GT Kit, I was very keen to review the Drag Mini Platinum Refresh Kit and Sourcemore kindly obliged.

VOOPOO Drag Mini Platinum Refresh Kit box fresh

Without giving too much away, I already knew what to expect with the Refresh Kit as it has the same PnP Tank and coils that the Argus had, so only the mod was different and it would take a major cock-up for this kit not to impress me. Thankfully this kit met my high expectations and some.

VOOPOO Drag Mini Platinum Refresh Starter Kit Details:

Transformable PnP Pod Tank
Innovative GENE.FIT Chip
4400mAh built-in battery
Multiple colour schemes
Compatible with all PnP Coils
5-117W adjustable wattage range
4.5ml magnetic suction pod
Safety protections: Overtime/Short-circuit/Overcharge/Max Power/Output Over-current/Over Discharge/Over-temperature Protection

One of the main pros for me was the inbuilt 4400mAh battery which offers plenty of power and a long battery life. The ‘Refresh’ edition is the same Drag Mini but with the PnP tank instead, so the chipset is the older GENE series but has more than enough features to use with the PnP tank.

Unboxing

The kit comes in quite a large box with an outer sleeve detailing the contents and verification code. The sturdy and classy inner box holds two layers, the top layer holds the mod and the bottom later holds the PnP tank, charging cable, coils and documentation.

The package of Drag Mini Platinum Refresh Edition Comes With:

1* Drag Mini Platinum Device
1* PnP Pod Tank (4.5ml)
1* PnP-VM5 0.2ohm
1* PnP-VM6 0.15ohm
1* USB Cable
1* User Manual

VOOPOO Drag Mini Platinum Refresh Kit contents

First Impression

I checked out the mod on its own first. I was actually delighted with it as soon as I held it, this thing looks and feels superb. I had an original Drag but I wasn’t a fan of the huge "DRAG" logo on one side but I really like it on the Mini, it has been smooth coated and has a nice shine to it which looks really good and suits it. The opposite side has a resin effect matt coating which also looks and feels nice, but the overall styling is what caught my attention the most. The chassis styling is so good looking and feels great in the hand, every face, angle and feature is interesting and refined. I often find myself admiring it between vapes. The size makes this kit ideal for your pocket or bag.

The PnP tank on top looked pretty good and proportionate, my overall impressions as a kit were already good, and that was before firing it up.

Mod

As mentioned above, I simply love the styling of the mod, the weight is nowhere near as light as the Argus GT but the construction is far more robust with a heavier, all metal body and built in battery. I suspect it has 2 x 18650 inside but without ruining the resin panel, I cannot strip it down to check.

VOOPOO Drag Mini Platinum Refresh Kit mod close ups

The fire and adjustment buttons are metal with a nice click to them, and they protrude just enough to make accidental adjustments more difficult. I like how the fire button is concave and feels comfortable to operate.

As it is a refresh edition, then there’s nothing innovative about it and it still has a micro usb charging port. The Gene Chipset is pretty basic and the screen isn’t colour. That said, it does function well and the screen is easy to read without useless info or logos on it.

The spring loaded 510 connector is dual screwed down and is solid, it’s only 20mm diameter but can accommodate up to 24mm without overhang, 25mm at a push.

VOOPOO Drag Mini Platinum Refresh Kit montage

There’s some battery ventilation holes at the base along with a CE mark and Gene Chip etching. It also has ‘Designed by Voopoo in California – made in China’ etched underneath.

The finish is really glossy so I was expecting it to be a fingerprint magnet, but it’s not too bad at all. I don’t know what it has been coated with but it feels so smooth and the shine really highlights all the intricate features.

PnP Tank

If you have read my previous review of the Argus GT Kit, you will have seen just how much I ended up loving this innovative tank, despite my really negative pre-conceptions. I will copy over my thoughts into this review as everything is the same.

VOOPOO Drag Mini Platinum Refresh Kit Pnp tank

VooPoo have dared to be different, the tank is traditional in the sense that it has a 510 threaded connection with interchangeable coils. Where it differs is in the construction, it almost has a pod design to it by adopting the least amount of parts used and the magnetic tank/coil connection. This has been done really well and is one of the easiest tanks out there. The coil fitting is super easy, PnP – Plug & Play really works well and it has no fiddly edges to line up, you simply push it into the tank and pop it onto the base. It’s a little difficult to describe unless you get one in your hands, the whole thing assembles perfectly and I couldn’t help but to be impressed with it.

VooPoo describe it as a PnP pod styled tank, perhaps that’s true in the way the top section fits which is very pod-like, but for me I would say it’s more like a normal tank than a pod, top section, changeable coils, base 510 threaded connection with adjustable airflow, just a different take on it with the assembly of it, a refreshing take on it in fact.

I primed up one of the coils with some eliquid and popped in a coil ready to fill the tank. Filling was easy and mess free. There’s a silicone bung on the base of the plastic tank section which revealed a decent size juice port. With the tank being clear, I found it very easy to top up the juice without overfilling, and the bung fits back into the port with ease. The 4.5ml (standard edition) capacity is decent, and I chose one of my favourite juices, Prime Vapes Apple Crumble Custard, as I knew how the flavour should be in a decent tank.

So where have all my negative thoughts gone?
My main one was the bulging look to the plastic tank, I didn’t like the way it flared out from the base. My perception changed once I saw it in real life, it actually doesn’t stick out that much at all, and no less than a typical bubble glass section does. Looks are deceptive as when it’s on the mod and you use it, then it really doesn’t look or feel wrong at all. I thought I wouldn’t like the mouthpiece and prefer the option of adding your own 810 drip tip, but for me the mouthpiece is one of the most comfortable DTL I have tried, being moulded to a curve feels far more natural. The quirky magnetic assembly works well, and I found myself liking this method a lot. The fit was firm and there was no way I could shake it loose.

There’s only one slight niggle I have, and that’s not actually anything to do with the tank itself, it’s more with VooPoo’s claim “Adopts innovative infinite airflow system” eeeerm…. Just no! There is nothing innovative or infinite about it, basically the airflow ring doesn’t have any stops on it and there are two air slots as we’ve seen on hundreds of previous tanks. Niggle over, the airflow does work really well and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it for DTL vaping. If someone wants to be pedantic about it then yes, sure you can sit there turning the airflow ring around infinitely – go for it if that’s your thing (but your airflow option won’t change any after one rotation).

Menu and Navigation

The functions are a bit odd and you need to read the manual to understand what they are and what they do, FIT1 and FIT2? Buggered if I know what they stand for, so reluctantly I resorted to RTFM (Read The F**king Manual) ……

So I’ve fully read the manual and I can now tell you that I am still none the wiser! I have read it all and it mentions FIT, but it doesn’t tell you what it stands for or does.

So I’m left to make up what it stands for:

FIT1 = Fried Iguana Tampon
FIT2 = F**king Idiot Trump

So that’s cleared things up nicely, now onto the functions that make some sense:

Wattage S = smart wattage mode
Wattage R = RBA wattage mode (manual adjustments allowed beyond the Smart restrictions)
SS – TI – NI = temperature control mode for three different wire specs
M1 = custom temperature control
M2 = custom temperature control

To navigate the menus:

5 x FIRE = Turns mod On/Off
3 x FIRE = Cycles Functions (3 x Fire for next etc.)
Hold FIRE & UP = Locks/Unlocks mod (including fire)
Hold FIRE & Down = flips screen
In TC Mode Hold Up/Down for temp control sub menu (TCR/Wattage/Ohms)
In M1 or M2 Hold Up/Down for custom sub menu (power curves for custom VW or TC)

Navigation is a bit of a pain in the ass as you have to 3 x Fire to cycle through and you can only go forward. Generally this won’t be too much of a problem if you only intend to use one mode, most new vapers won’t stray beyond Smart Variable Wattage. The custom power curves in the M1 and M2 are handy for DIY round wire coils as they benefit from a preheat, Mesh less so.

For all that, I found variable wattage in Smart mode was all I needed for the PnP tank, the rest of the options will suit RTAs more and there are enough options to suit most DIY users.

VOOPOO Drag Mini Platinum Refresh Kit from all sides

Performance

So with the coil primed up and left to saturate in a full tank, it’s time for the first vape, no surprises at all as the Drag Mini performed exactly as it should. With the 0.15Ω coil, the smart wattage set itself to 65 Watts and it pretty much dialled it into what I would have chosen. You can bump up or reduce the wattage but the Smart function will limit the max to 80 watts which is more than enough, 65 watts is ideal for coil life. For those that dislike being restricted, you can select the R (RBA) Wattage which will allow you to go up to the maximum 117 Watts, though I wouldn’t recommend it.

I’ve tried a few RTAs using Ni80 round wire and the smart wattage was pretty close for those too. Mesh RTAs were set very accurately. Apart from the lack of preheat, I would be happy to stay in Smart mode most of the time.

The flavour from the PnP coils is the best I have experienced from VooPoo and both the 0.15 & 0.20 Ohms coil lifespan have been pretty good, not the longest lifespan, but not too short either, average sums it up. I feel the narrowed off wicking channels are too tight compared to other manufacturers, mesh needs larger wicking ports to keep up and saturate between vaping, just my opinion but I would have liked to see the coils last a little longer.

Overall I was really pleased with the Drag Mini & PnP Tank’s performance, despite the menu I enjoyed using this kit a lot, proof of the pudding is in the eating and once I finished the review I am still using it and I have really fallen for this kit.

Compared to the Argus GT Kit

Though I wouldn’t usually compare a fixed battery to a dual 18650 mod, it’s worth seeing the two side by side as they vape pretty much the same because they both come with the PnP tank.

VOOPOO Drag Mini Platinum Refresh Kit vs Voopoo Argus

The Drag Mini is a little smaller but not by much, the height is more noticeable as the Argus GT has a bottom battery door. In theory the Argus GT will provide a much higher wattage but people have complained the GT doesn’t come close to the high wattage it claims. This is not an issue for all the PnP coils or if you vape sub 90 watts. The colour screen on the Argus GT is much nicer but the Drag Mini monochrome screen is more efficient by using less power. They both fire as fast as each other, and I cannot detect any difference in the power delivery, neither dropped off (that I could notice).

Essentially they both do exactly the same job, so it’s down to your preference which one suits you. The Argus GT is a lot lighter than the Drag Mini and they feel so much different in the hand, both are comfortable and feel good. I’m lucky enough to have both and I’m torn to choose which I prefer, if one had to go I would need to toss a coin.

Conclusion

There’s so much to like about the Drag Mini Platinum Refresh PnP Tank Kit. I already loved the tank and it is one of the few I buy stock coils for, but it’s the mod that really won me over. There’s nothing ground breaking or innovative about it, but it looks gorgeous and feels great in the hand. Part of the pleasure in vaping is the enjoyment of the equipment you use, and the Drag Mini is one of those special mods that looks as good as it performs.

The navigation isn’t perfect but is functional enough not to be a deal breaker, and it would have been better with usb-C charging, but you soon forget about these minor flaws. The PnP tank makes it a good combination and worth the ‘Refresh Edition’ release by VooPoo and you can’t blame them for giving the Drag Mini another push in the market, it would be a shame not to.

VooPoo are really going from strength to strength recently, and I really hope they continue in this direction.

This Voo isn’t Poo!

Pros

Looks simply gorgeous.
Compact and ergonomic.
Pocket friendly.
Glossy coating feels great in the hand.
Smart Wattage is effective.
Innovative PnP tank.
4400mAh internal battery
Great price.

Cons

Still micro usb.
FIT1 and FIT2 – WTF VOO POO?
Long winded navigation.
Coils don’t last as long as some other brands.

Final Thoughts and Ratings

The Drag Mini Platinum is simply a special mod. VooPoo have really done a cracking job with this kit, the PnP tank ‘refresh-es’ this kit to still be very current in today’s market, sure there’s room for improvement but I’m more than happy with what I have got. If you don’t like the tank, I would still advise you to get the mod but for the few quid extra then you should at least try the tank, it may surprise you as it did me.

Finally, the price is an absolute steal; I had to look twice when I was inserting it!

Score: 8.5/10
A Special One

A genuine thank you to Source More for providing the Drag Mini PnP kit to review, it was a real pleasure 

https://www.sourcemore.com/voopoo-drag-mini-platinum-refresh-kit.html
$31.49 VOOPOO Drag Mini Platinum Refresh Kit
Code: DRAGMI

Si Davies

Reviewer at POTV

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My background is Engineering and Professional Photography. Mostly from POTV users knowledge I learned so much about pretty much all styles of vaping and equipment, Cloud Chasing, Squonking, Mouth To Lung, Direct To Lung, Pods, Mechs, Rebuild-able tanks and atomisers etc, and have experience with many many devices and atomisers, it's become a hobby and enjoy trying out the latest gear. I like to think my reviews are plain speaking and informative without getting too technical, if I have to resort to reading the manual then I don't consider it user friendly!