Discontinued The RBT Milaana (unregulated single 18650)
- Thread starter RastaBuddhaTao
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BadDog No
Well-Known Member
I got Milaana from PV a few weeks ago and it has both the recessed glass and the mesh intake. There's a hefty amount of white epoxy sealing the glass although it only goes 2/3 around to allow room for the air intake. The bottom has a few slight burn marks, but nothing like the early ones. It came with the brown battery. I know, pictures would help...Oh I'm down from 2 washers to zero on the battery retention post. That "spring" loses its sproing very quickly if you drop it. Almost seems like it was designed that way. Seems to work fine now, but someone needs to invent a tool to pry the spring back up.
Vape Dr.
Well-Known Member
Either a dental pick or a paper clip pulled apart into a big U will reach under the spring clip and pull it up for more tension.
Since more people have paper clips than dental picks, here is a picture of how to stretch the bottom tab up with a paper clip.
Make sure not to be too aggressive pulling the tab up. As you can see I have a cut down piece of a business card in the battery slot to make it more snug as well.
I always tilt my Milanna sideways and insert the battery gently to avoid bending the clip with the weight of the battery dropping down.
Looping a piece of string down and gently pulling up should work as well.
Hope this helps you out, it is simple and everyone has a paper clip or a piece of string!
BadDog No
Well-Known Member
Definitely will steal your business card shim idea. And there must be a paperclip around here somewhere...For now though it works fine with zero washers so I'll probably go with that (at least until it doesn't) 
Little afraid of fatiguing the metal, but thank you very much for your response.
EDIT: Be a little careful when shimming your battery. Too much could lead to several frantic minutes of "stuckness".
Little afraid of fatiguing the metal, but thank you very much for your response.EDIT: Be a little careful when shimming your battery. Too much could lead to several frantic minutes of "stuckness".
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WakeAndVape
VapeLife X
I'll just throw this out there...on my milaana the screw that comes out the body to hold the copper battery door, kept getting seemingly shorter and shorter...
I even lost a washer because the battery door popped off.
Turning that screw the opposite way made it raise back up from the body, giving it the clearance needed to properly hold the battery cover on
(If that makes any sence?)
Could still be the clip inside...but it took me a while to figure that one out and I actually have to do it about once a week.
Thanks!!! (Says the guy who just woke up in the middle of the night and unplugged it, and for some strange reason decided to jump on FC
)Ignorance my man...ignorance. now I'll have to change my 18650 habits, since my old ones weren't so healthy.
Thanks @GTAVaper and @killick as well...hopefully someone else actually reads old posts around here and sees that info to help save some headaches and possibly money/possesions!
Knowing is half the battle!
bounce5
Well-Known Member
Noted build quality issues:
- battery slot is too wide (needs shim)
- battery spring easily pushed down (needs to be corrected, or you need to be careful)
- the screw that holds in the battery door is loose and needs to be corrected regularly.
- Bottom lid is at risk for coming unglued
- Female glass is at risk for coming unglued, falling, and breaking (Solution is an involved DIY project, or sending it in to RBT - potential lengthy wait)
- Button at risk for getting stuck
With all these issues, do you guys think this is still worth it?
- battery slot is too wide (needs shim)
- battery spring easily pushed down (needs to be corrected, or you need to be careful)
- the screw that holds in the battery door is loose and needs to be corrected regularly.
- Bottom lid is at risk for coming unglued
- Female glass is at risk for coming unglued, falling, and breaking (Solution is an involved DIY project, or sending it in to RBT - potential lengthy wait)
- Button at risk for getting stuck
With all these issues, do you guys think this is still worth it?
@WakeAndVape what did you have the Nitecore plugged into? PC USB, 110V surge protector with USB ports, Apple (iPhone/iPad) brick, Samsung (Galaxy) brick?
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Copacetic
Somewhere North of The Wall
All I can say is that I'm delighted with mine.
The only issues I have are with very minor cosmetic matters that are perfectly acceptable to me at the price I paid (pre-order), and that I believe that most of the issues listed don't appear (to me) to be that common.
I'm definitely in for another when Walnut become available, and probably a third when/if exotics appear.
I don't have the experience to say "this is the best vape ever", but I can say that this and the VC are leagues ahead of any others I've owned or tried (never tried evo, mighty or sub BTW).
If you're on the fence, my own personal opinion is that you should get one, I love mine.
KeroZen
Chronic vapaholic
Hell yeah! This thing beats everything I own or have tested, excepted the Zion.
By the way the three first in your list are non issues. The battery slot is wide on purpose because there is variation in cell diameters and/or wrappings and this is also to allow any possible swelling in case of failure. You don't want cells getting stuck and once secured by the door they don't move.
The spring is like in the Zion bendable at will. If by "being careful" you mean "not dropping the device" like that other member did, well then okay...
The screw that holds the door does come loose on purpose because that's how the door works. You unscrew to make it loose and screw to tighten it when the battery is in place. I didn't experience the "getting shorter" bit yet though, which could be annoying I imagine.
The bottom lid getting unglued was with excessive heat IIRC? I tried pulling on mine and I can't see how it could happen unless I deliberately wanted to destroy my device... or if I dropped it from a height... But early units had adhesive issues. I don't think it happened often though.
For the female GonG alright this is a major problem. But I wouldn't list "breaking" as an issue. It's glass, you gotta be careful that's the deal. I'm surprised that RBT is even willing to warranty replacements when it gets broken due to user error or abuse. I also suspect some users applied too much pressure on it (ex: bent water tools putting the device at an angle + hand pressure while hitting) and/or too much heat. And we all agree a glue-less solution would be better (now that the guts have been exposed, there's maybe no need to be secretive anymore....)
Then finally for the button getting stuck, we didn't get the end of the story but I suspect some intruder tried to sneak in, like a piece of grit, stem or any other crap that can live in your pocket. Those buttons are very high quality and rated for way many pushes than they will see during their Milaana service life.
WakeAndVape
VapeLife X
I'm still in the yes boat...I actually ordered a second milaana so....lol
Plus: nobody wants to part with their units long enough to go to RBT to be repaired...that should say a little.
I had it plugged into a wall outlet. I don't think it standardly comes with a USB power connection...at least mine didn't.
I told rbt about the issue...there is an extremely simple fix, plus I am the only one to date to have experienced this issue
It's not even THAT annoying, I just have to keep my eye on it.
That entire statement was well said by the way and I agree with everything you said except the bit on the female glass... the jury is still out on exact cause IMO, but it could also be the right questions aren't being asked?
EDIT: this is a picture of what I mean
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killick
But I like it!
@WakeAndVape a drop of loctite on the threads should fix the wandering post. Just make sure the height is correct beforehand, otherwise there will be swearing in your future.
I used to be quite cavalier with batteries, but spending a bit of time with the model airplane guys made me change my ways. That and a few vids of batteries smoking and popping.
I'm willing to bet my Milaana gets the most abuse of most anyones. It spends all day everyday in my shirt chest pocket with a short stem installed. When it's not there it's sometimes in a denim front pocket, with the stem in. I hit a huge log in the atv awhile back and she went flying out of my pocket, but I caught it before any damage was done. I'm finding the instant on aspect to be a real personal game changer, and just don't use the session vapes all that much. I think if you are into the whole ritual of filling and mindfully enjoying a session that will be different, but if you just want to tune and go this is great. As a med user I love it. And Zion, once I figure out a small wiring issue...
I used to be quite cavalier with batteries, but spending a bit of time with the model airplane guys made me change my ways. That and a few vids of batteries smoking and popping.
I'm willing to bet my Milaana gets the most abuse of most anyones. It spends all day everyday in my shirt chest pocket with a short stem installed. When it's not there it's sometimes in a denim front pocket, with the stem in. I hit a huge log in the atv awhile back and she went flying out of my pocket, but I caught it before any damage was done. I'm finding the instant on aspect to be a real personal game changer, and just don't use the session vapes all that much. I think if you are into the whole ritual of filling and mindfully enjoying a session that will be different, but if you just want to tune and go this is great. As a med user I love it. And Zion, once I figure out a small wiring issue...
DocGonzo
Well-Known Member
Probably a better fit for the Zion thread, but what happened to the wiring?
cybrguy
Putin is a War Criminal
Absofuckinglutely. Clear?
BadDog No
Well-Known Member
Yeah I've been whining about various issues ever since mine arrived but the only reason I haven't ordered another is the possibility of better wood in the future. OK, not the only reason; my SS 'hopper should be here oh, any day now and I'll need to do a bakeoff to decide my next purchase. So no, the problems are mostly minor or fixable. Maybe not the cat's meow, but damn close...
friedrich
Little-Known Member
Mine was one of the 4/20 deliveries and has had no problems so far. It was definitely worth it for the price I paid! …but I'm not sure about full retail. For that I'd like to see a little more refinement with some of those potential issues addressed.
Mine probably sees less use than most though too; usually one or two stems in the evenings and a few more on weekends. The vapor is superb, but the form factor and manual control hold it back for me.
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vapen00b
Many vapes & accessories. Always happy to help
Hi Mi bros&sis!
Guess what I had in my mailbox today... O M F G - my backup Mi
Have to be brief for now... but wanted to share the looks. She is a flush beauty in every perspective... damn!
About the "washer question" - just count and tilt the head, if you like!
Black, white, green, yellow, transparent... we're all sistaz!!
Aren't they beauties... I was so stunned, I got distracted and the new Mi fell aside, broke the white stem. lol... I felt lucky, rest is alright. Good that I ordered a spare white.
The global message is clear: ALWAYS have a BACKUP!
Have a great day everyone!!
Love&Peace
Guess what I had in my mailbox today... O M F G - my backup Mi
Have to be brief for now... but wanted to share the looks. She is a flush beauty in every perspective... damn!
About the "washer question" - just count and tilt the head, if you like!
Black, white, green, yellow, transparent... we're all sistaz!!
Aren't they beauties... I was so stunned, I got distracted and the new Mi fell aside, broke the white stem. lol... I felt lucky, rest is alright. Good that I ordered a spare white.
The global message is clear: ALWAYS have a BACKUP!
Have a great day everyone!!
Love&Peace
AJS
Calm Consistency
AAhhhhhhhh!!! So I'm not the only one!!! Too funny man, too too funny.
Very odd how that screw goes in there..really is. First time it happened to me, the pop topped off (oops...top popped off) as well as the washers and I sat there holding 4 parts in my hand thinking I clumsily broke my unit. Nope! Just a few twists every few weeks and she's good as new. Sorta like winding an old clock up at the beginning of the day to keep her running strong. No worries here
For reference, I've had my unit for a 50 days, and I've had to twist the screw 2-3 times. Pretty sure it's because when you screw your lid on, if the screw doesn't have enough friction in the body to catch, it'll just slowly spin it the other way as you continuously screw on that lid.Considering how I haven't had a single one of these issues, yes, it's totally worth it. (well, besides the screw, but if you think that's an issue, then, well...idk). And even if I had ALL these issues, I would still get this vape. It's the early stages, I have hope for improvement, and it's the best vape I've ever experienced.
Had more written, then saw that @KeroZen pretty much killed it already!
hippogriff
Well-Known Member
I don't like owning extra stuff, but I'm right there with you, waiting for production to smooth out so I can order another Milaana. Only unrecoverable issue I've personally experienced is on my second drop (w/ j-hook in! shit!) I cracked the female joint, but didn't lose much material and the glue held just fine so I'll happily use Pascal as-is until I have a backup and/or CS gets sorted. Oh, and my Grasshopper has been completely sidelined by the Milaana - hopper is certainly smaller and requires almost no technique, but Milaana wins on speed and effects, the rare times it's too indiscreet I just grab a concentrates pen (it's the size of a pencil, hopper can't compete w/ that, aaaand it's away on warranty #7, anyway).
Since I have one that is singing right now, my answer is yes, at this moment.
UPDATE: remember, I have a crazy powerful Apollo, a UD, and three Airs backing me up. I realize, as much as I love MiMi, I am kinda covered.
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HD Springer
Well-Known Member
Sweet wheels. Love the color and the chop and the mi.
Shit Snacks
Milaana. Lana. LANA. LANAAAA! (TM2/TP80/BAK/FW9)
FWIW pretty sure no model with latest full recessed glass has come unglued yet
I do not, but I'm sure there are more rolling upgrades. I have moved onto life now that my vapor journey is essentially complete. Need to sell some things here though...
I believe most users haven't experienced these issues, but you do see a lot that do like to post about it so imo that can skew impressions. Like me, a lot of satisfied Mi owners are just off enjoying them now instead of posting and that's that. I've been curbing my consumption lately and Milaana is almost all I'm using, great way to conserve and an ideal way to vape for me
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