Thanks, means a lot! Can't see rules for any recommendation/comparison issue, as long as it is not in a commercial manner. Technology-wise there are independent workshops creating good quality, but bad value vapes, like the Cloud EVO, or Crafty/Mighty etc. If you are a bit technical, and want to build yourself, get on
Hippie Dickie's thread, its a miracle thing, he also not shy to say, how cheap parts are!
What I would suggest, just to
be patient for a short while.
I have a feeling, that this new patent for a convection method, with an attached, closed airpath will soon be a new standard of Chinese products. They work fast, believe me. I actually have a first-hand information of a development, from a totally different company, which will probably beat the FENIX in many terms, but thats next year (if all well).
Otherwise many China-cheapo conduction device out there, most implements the same exact stuff inside - so it really is your call. I am pretty much done with these "first-gen" vapes, though they certainly do the job, and fairly safe after many, many, many burnoffs, (or one proper, opened "sweatout" as I call it, when you open the device to do the burn off.)
As per your question, I am about to rip apart a new piece of conduction device, which will -hopefully- tick many of the boxes (
cheap, metallic mouthpiece with ceramic alumina filter in it, fused quartz chamber, isolated airpath, changeable battery, e-cig like, waterpiece-friendly etc.) for a good quality portable. Not naming it just yet, as I do not want to get associated with it, if I don't conclude to like it for any reason.
As per Fenix battery. Only after a few months, I do notice significant increase in charge time, and decrease in capacity, even though I am a very careful "charger" - never charge anything to 100%, aim the 70-80% range, also never discharge full. I think I am safe to state, that the battery is real crap, must be one of those "fold-up" technologies, which is the cheapest to produce, unfortunately not much to comment on its safety also, if it is - no scaremongering though, as it performs flawless for ALL who bought it, not one problem reported. But I am in the process of changing the accumulator to a proper HQ 18650, however this might alter the whole performance, so still learning beforehand.
Sorry if I didn't quite answer your question, but currently I am not comfortable to recommend anything else, than FENIX, for the RIGHT price (which it does not sell for ATM...) Maybe others can chime in, but both
here and
here you find lots of good read