Digiflavor Drop RDA V2
Drip or squonk? The Digiflavor Drop V2 RDA by GeekVape is a great choice for either styles
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by Si Davies
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Supplied by GeekVape for review
http://www.digiflavor.com/product/DROP-RDA-V2.html
https://store.geekvape.com/products/digiflavor-drop-rda-v2
$16.99 GeekVape Direct
It has been a few years since the original Drop RDA dropped in on us and it was a very popular RDA at the time, it had a couple of minor subjective flaws though, spoiler alert: they have been eliminated in this all new V2 revamp.
- Size 35.2* 24.4mm
- Space-capsule design
- Dual-coil DIY deck
- Multi-air-inlet airflow adjustments
- DL and RDL experience
- 24mm coil deck
- BF pin included
Some of you will have noticed something rather different with the front of the box; it has ‘GEEKVAPE’ on it and is a new one on me. I’m assuming that GeekVape are now (or already had been?) the parent company for DigiFlavor, this can only be a good thing as it will raise DigiFlavor to the heights it deserves with the vast resources of the giant GeekVape brand can deliver.
Unboxing
I’m not sure whether it is just for this release of the DROP V2 or whether it will apply to all of the DigiFlavor releases, but there is a huge ‘drop’ in the packaging quality, the DROP RDA V2 comes in a rather simple retail package.
The outer box is a carton style and once open, there is a pull out blown plastic tray containing the RDA and an additional accessories box.
Thankfully the kit has the generous bundle we are used to with DigiFlavor kits as it includes all you need to do a couple of builds; you get the Drop V2 RDA, a DigiFlavor Tri-Tool, spare seals and screws, a BF pin, the manual, and two bags containing two coils and two ‘Feather Shoelace Wicks’ which is GeekVapes' own brand cotton which I am keen to try.
Here’s the thing; I’m a bit of a sucker for a nice box (who isn’t?) and I’m used to DigiFlavor’s posh and high quality packaging, I tend to keep all of my boxes in case I pass along my stuff to someone else, but mostly they sit in storage and are never looked at again, so…. (I’m getting to my point) although I wasn’t impressed with the packaging, I do see the rational reasoning behind it, especially when you see what GeekVape have done with the pricing and passing along the saving to the buyer. It is also better for the planet by using less resources, another spoiler alert; the DROP V2 won’t be going anywhere and I’m happy to pop the packaging into the recycle bin.
Overview
The original DROP RDA was very plain looking, the DROP V2 has a more interesting look to it but is simple enough to match most mods if you know what I mean? They describe it as ‘Space Capsule’ shaped and I can see that.
This RDA is very simple to take apart, essentially there are only three pull off components: the 810 drip-tip, the main top chamber, and the build deck. The top chamber is all in one with the airflow adjuster press fitted so you cannot remove it, this is a good thing once you get to actually using it.
By default the DROP V2 RDA is in Dripper configuration with a solid 510 connection pin. If, like me, you intend to use it with a squonk mod then you will need to swap over the pin to the BF (bottom feed) pin included.
The pin also secures the positive posts of the build deck and pops out easily for when you need to deep clean it, everything screws together nicely with clean machining.
The coils included are exactly what I like, Ni80 Fused Clapton in flat configuration, and 0.4ohms x 2 should ohm out at around 0.2ohms once fitted. The ‘Feather’ cotton felt a bit different to me in a good way as it felt quite firm, the wick would impress me even more later on.
You will need to trim the coil legs prior to fitting them into the deck posts, unfortunately you are left to guessing as there’s no trim tool included and the manual doesn’t suggest a leg length. I used an educated guess at 4mm which turned out just right for me, a bit longer won’t hurt though as there’s spare room in the posts.
Contact or Spaced
The included coils are intended to be contact but I prefer to space mine as I feel I get a more saturated vape from it and my cotton lasts a bit longer, if you choose a spaced coil, then you will need to unwrap one turn of the coil leg but you can expect the ohms to ‘drop’ a little (two x spaced came out around 0.17ohms).
One of the quirks with the original Drop was the coil positioning and the V2 is no different, the easiest way I can describe it is ‘up a bit and in a bit’ if that makes sense? It does feel intuitive when you look at it as there’s a bit of symmetry to it, don’t get too hung up on this part as it will still work if you are a bit off and you will learn for the next time to find your own sweet spot.
I pulsed my coils at 30 watts to gently dry burn and strum out any hot spots.
Wicking felt a whole lot easier on this V2. The included shoe lace wicks are the perfect size to just use one to do both coils by doubling back, as in the photo. You can estimate the length by tucking over and trimming to the second O-ring which is level with the RDAs juice well base, a little longer won’t hurt but too much will over-stuff the base.
Tucking the wick into the base is a lot better than the original, the new base is a lot deeper and has a generous wick channel. It all tucked in with ease, but you do need to make sure your cotton is long enough to reach the base though.
As mentioned earlier, the Feather cotton from GeekVape was a pleasure to work with, I was especially pleased with how it kept its shape after wicking without having to fluff it out, I’ve tried many cotton brands and this is one of the best to work with.
It felt like no time at all and I was ready to prime the wick with one of my favourite e-liquids, ‘PEAKED Tropical Ice’. I go to town on this part as a rule and fully soak the entire cotton, I also pulse the wattage around 30 watts which pulls the e-liquid in, soak and repeat until it all draws down the wick legs.
Drop-testing (Performance)
I was looking forward to this, the build was already better than the V1 and the new airflow looked much better, so I drop-ped the DROP onto my Pico Squeeze 2 (which pleased me with the matchy-matchy knurling) and paid attention to the airflow.
The airflow is in another league compared to the original, the adjustment is a dream with the knurled top-cap which is buttery smooth but firm enough to stay where you set it, and the airflow range is extensive and provides a very airy draw when fully open, and as claimed; it will close off for a tight RDL draw. The original was a pain in the arse to adjust and a little bit on the tight side, DigiFlavor have nailed it on the new V2.
Drip or Squonk?
For those that don’t know, RDA stands for Rebuildable Dripper Atomiser which goes back to pre-squonking days where you simply drip your e-liquid on top of the coils between every few draws, the term ‘drip-tip’ comes from this as the mouthpiece needed to be wide enough so you had room to drip your e-liquid in. The DROP V2 has an 810 drip-tip which is wide enough and easy to pop out if you want more room, as a dripper, it is just right.
Squonking is a newer way (around 2016) to use an RDA where your e-liquid is fed upwards from a bottle underneath and ‘squonked’ up into the RDA, and capillary action saturates your wick and coil, which is for you is down to taste. Dripping is probably the ultimate way as a fresh dripped draw is sublime, but squonking is more consistent and a lot easier, I tend to squonk but you can also drip at the same time if you want to.
Back to the actual performance, simply put; the DROP V2 is one of the best standard dual coil RDAs I own. Get the coils in the sweet spot and using the feather cotton leaves me wanting nothing more when it comes to flavour and airflow quality, it puts the original DROP to shame and immediately makes it redundant.
I just don’t have a single niggle with it and definitely no cons, although the box can deffo go into the recycle bin. I tried the DROP V2 on quite a few of my squonk mods and it suited the majority of them, it also looked good on many of my regular mods for dripping.
A couple of things I appreciated the most were the deep e-liquid well that meant I could deliberately over squonk when I wanted to (dripper-like hit), and the improved wick path meant my wick lasted longer and saturated better.
Drop the Drop
It pisses all over the original DROP in almost every way, simpler, easier to build, more intuitive, easier to wick, deeper e-liquid well, vastly better airflow and adjustment, the only thing some folks might miss over the original is the posts used to have holes for the coil legs to go through so you could trim the legs after fitting, I prefer trimming in a coil jig as there’s less risk of debris in your build deck.
I tended to use the RDA on my single 21700 squonk mods around 66 watts, but as with the original, it did kick ass at higher wattage, it handled up to 100 watts as long as you made sure it was fully saturated. Dripping suited this more, and the Drone BF dual 18650 suited this better.
Conclusion
If you like RDAs and traditional wire coils, then the DROP V2 is a bit of a no-brainer. It all looks quite simple, and it actually is, there’s a bit of a knack with coil positioning but it is varied enough to tailor it to suit your style (height and coil distance).
When you consider the price, it becomes quite the billy bargain which is especially welcome in the current economy, under 18 quid for one of the very best RDAs gives me a dilemma as to how many more I buy to replace my old RDAs!
Pros
- Superb flavour using the supplied coils and wick
- Superb airflow system
- Easy to build and wick
- Deep e-liquid well
- Equally as good in dripper or squonk configuration
- Stylish but not overwhelming
- Affordable
- Pisses all over V1
Cons
- Difficult to resist getting more of 'em
Final Thoughts and Score
I’m a fussy tw@ when it comes to squonk RDAs, I can’t think of many in the past couple of years where I ‘need’ to buy multiples to replace older RDAs. The low price make it an easier decision. The original had a couple of subjective flaws, the V2 has none that I can think of. The airflow adjuster is quirky but excellent and though I see little in the way of innovation, it proves that you don’t need it if you can refine an RDA this much.
Score: 9.5/10 – The best RDA in years – Mic DROP
Si Davies
Reviewer at POTVMy 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!
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