Review: The Fogger V4

As a huge fan of the Aqua RBA I couldn’t resist taking a look at Yi Loong’s newest rendition of the Fogger. Back in the early days of the Kayfun atomizer the original Fogger hit the market and it was a big hit. It certainly wasn’t the best atomizer in any category, but it was cheap and accommodated cotton wicks, so I was intrigued. I used the Fogger v1 for a few weeks, and it was far from perfect. The insulator was junk, the deck was hard to build on, and the pin was difficult to use with many of my mods. Eventually the insulator failed on me and the mod shorted and the heat shattered the glass. Foolishly I saw a Fogger v2 and and was hoping the issues were resolved, but they remained. I think I made a smart move shelving that atomizer and switching over to a Kayfun. Since then the Fogger v3 had come out without much positive press which helped me resist purchasing one. I figured this was the end of the Fogger and the Kayfun/Aqua clones came to rule the inexpensive cotton RBA world. Then came the Fogger v4 and once again I was lured in. I searched around and the fastest way for me to get one was Ebay, and $35 and 3 days later, I received mine.

Sitting pretty on the Stingray clone

First Impressions

I will admit, this RBA showed up with better attention to detail than some other atomizers I have purchased. Most notably it came in a box. I did not expect much, and that is what I got. The atomizer was packaged in a simple cardboard box along with a keychain screwdriver and some spare o-rings and screws. Since I ordered the black model I inspected the “Paint” job. This atomizer uses a PVD coating (Physical Vapor Deposition) to paint this atomizer black, and I gotta say, they did a great job. The atomizer has a very even and spotless black coating. There is a noticeable brushed finish and this stuff feels tough. I would say I received this atomizer in mint condition and there were no apparent flaws upon my initial inspection. To be a stickler for details, I did notice the rim of the (thick) glass tank is a bit coarse, but that is just me looking for something to complain about. 

The barely used Fogger v4 and its nicely brushed black finish

I give it a 9/10, there was nothing wrong, but I can’t say I was surprised.

Build Quality

Build quality is always very important with atomizers. RBA’s are devices that we constantly disassemble, tweak, modify, and rebuild. By definition the build quality determines the product life of a rebuildable atomizer. One of my initial concerns is the amount of o-rings in this atomizer and their tendency to fall out of place. They managed to jam an o-ring in every connection within the atomizer. In some places like around the copper 510 pin I wish they opted for a plastic insulator, because the o-ring doesn’t seem to stay put like some other atomizers. Besides the obnoxious amount of o-rings, this atomizer has an excellent build quality. It is very heavy, I tried this on my Nemesis clone with the black aluminum tube and it was very top heavy. I think the weight of this atomizer and the glass tank might guarantee the tank will shatter on a significant drop. Since I can’t help but wonder, I decided to put the PVD coating to an abrasion test. I started with a screwdriver and scratched around the base… nothing. I moved on and grabbed my dremel. First came the cotton polishing tip which did nothing but leave a shiny spot. I then grabbed a brush tip to achieve the same result. It took the stone wheel to leave a mark on this bad boy.

The chip was created by my grinding stone

The build materials are very high quality. The copper 510 pin feels solid and has a nice flat top. The chamber fits together almost seamlessly. The top cap securely screws down to make a reliable seal with no leaks. I’ve heard complaints that the AFC ring tends to unwind, but I must have a second-batch unit here, because that is a non issue. The knurling on the AFC makes it very easy to grip and adjust. Much like the previous Fogger v2, the AFC ring is limited and can not fully open and remain at about 50%, but even with the air holes partially obstructed the hit is very airy. The o-ring on the fill hole broke the first time I took it out, but I replaced that with one of the spares. My biggest complaint is the size of the post screws. They are simply too narrow and make gripping a 28awg dual coil difficult. I took the suggestion of a Reddit user and assembled my coil from a single strand of kanthal to overcome the posts from “dropping” the leads when tightened down.

Dual micro coils right around my ideal .5 ohm. Notice the coil is a single strand.

I give it a 7.5/10, the o-rings, and AFC aren’t perfect, but the posts bother me the most.

Performance

This atomizer took me a few tries to get a good vape. It does not work exactly like either the Aqua nor the Kayfun. Once I got over the difficult posts and put a wick in this atomizer my first few attempts were awful. Initially I took the Aqua approach and ran my wicks through the juice channels into the tank, and I would not recommend it. The corners of the juice channels were choking the juice flow and drying out the wick. The next attempt I went the Kayfun route and laid the wicks across the decks, but this gave me an equally bad result. I finally settled on placing a small pointed lead into the channels, but not all way through, just so they barely reached the bottom, and this made all the difference. The positive post insulator has been excellent. Usually when I dry burn my Aqua I have to take it easy so the insulator won’t melt, but that is not an issue with the Fogger. I’ve been vaping at least 15ml on the same wicks and haven’t noticed any flavor loss, it is working great.

Excellent juice flow with the wicks as shown

The fill hole is a little difficult to deal with. The fill screw has an o-ring around it that will fall off the screw every time you fill it. It is also too narrow. I can not manage to fill the tank without an excessive amount of liquid pouring back out of the fill hole or drip tip. This atomizer requires a whole paper towel for clean up if you plan on using a dropper. On a positive note, the juice capacity is very high, it holds a questionable amount of liquid between 5 and 6ml. I tried to get a clear measurement, but the fill hole failed me and I lost track. I make a mess every time I fill this atomizer, I really wish it had a top fill option, but the unthreaded tank makes this near impossible. It is nice to have such a big tank. With the Sony VTC4 battery I simply replace the battery at each juice refill and enjoy a nice and cloudy vape all day.

I give it an 7.5/10 considering the fill and coiling difficulty

Aesthetics

On a black mod this is a great looking atomizer. I was very excited to see which of my mods the paint job would best accommodate. I ended up settling on the Copper Stingray clone. The weight of the copper tubes helps make the mod more stable, the Nemesis was a bit top-heavy in 18650 mode.

The Fogger with a hybrid adapter on the Nemesis clone, Hybrid Aqua for scale

I think the atomizer looks great. The drip tip that was included turned out to be rather lackluster, and I prefer a shorter drip tip so I shelved that right off the bat. The paint job was done very well and there are no spots or discoloration. No complaints here.

I give it a 9/10.

Overall Value

I would say overall value is where this mod really shines. For $35 I got one of the best atomizers I have used to date and it isn’t a clone. I wouldn’t suggest this for a first timer who is trying to get a dual coil tank atomizer, it is a little difficult and finicky on the deck. The filling can also be a slight pain, but I think I will get better with practice.

• 22mm Diameter, slightly wider at the AFC ring
• Dual air flow channels, plenty of flow
• Nice rugged black PVD coating
• Excellent adjustable copper 510 pin
• Glass tank is nice and thick
• The drip tip well is a very appropriate size and it doesn’t drop drip tips
• Excellent vape, nice thick clouds
• All day capacity of at least 5ml
• Easy to clean
• Compatible with hybrid adapter kits
• The Bottom fill hole can be difficult
• A very heavy RBA, it feels tough

This atomizer gets a 8.5/10 overall. I am very satisfied with the purchase and it works just like the extra large Aqua I hoped it would be.

I got mine off of Ebay, but there are many stores that have this atomizer in stock right now. The cheapest I’ve seen is just under $30 after coupon code “reddit10” here: http://www.eciggity.com/fogger-v4/