A mech mod, short for mechanical mod, is a vape battery device with no circuit board. Press the fire button and the battery connects straight to the atomizer, so there's no wattage setting, no screen and no built-in protection. Some people call it a mech vape. It's a tool for experienced vapers who build their own coils and understand Ohm's law and battery safety; most people are better served by a regulated mod.
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In the world of vaping, some terms can get confusing; there are so many types of devices that it's easy to get lost in the technicalities. Broadly, there are five general types of vaping devices: pod, stick/pen, box, squonk and mech mods. This article covers mech mods.
What Is a Mech Mod?
A mech mod is short for a mechanical mod. You'll find them sold on their own or as a kit with an atomizer. (VAPORESSO's own mod kits are regulated mods, not mechanical ones.)
Mech mods are made of a housing that holds a battery and an attachable atomizer, usually a rebuildable drip atomizer (RDAs). The battery connects with the top cap (the positive side) and the bottom cap (the negative side). The mech mod is fired with a single button, usually on the bottom or the side.
Vapers who like mech mods value the direct power and the hands-on experience. They're usually for advanced vapers, as they can be intimidating for newcomers, and they're popular with cloud chasers. Mods in general fall into two camps: regulated and unregulated (mechanical).
Mech Mods vs. Regulated Mods
A mech mod is unregulated. It's a tube or box powered by a battery with no circuit board or chipset. All of the battery's power goes straight to the coil, which is why mech mods can produce dense clouds, but there are no safety features built in.
Not having a chipset does have some advantages besides vapor production:
- Mech mods keep firing regardless of coil resistance, even at very low sub-ohm builds.
- There's no wattage or other setting to change.
- You simply press the fire button.
The disadvantages are why mech mods aren't popular outside of advanced and classic-minded vapers:
- Because there's no circuit board, beginners can mistake mech mods for being easy. They're still complex, because you have to understand how they work.
- It's easy to burn coils, because you can't control the power or read the resistance of your coils.
- A low-resistance build can draw more current than your battery is rated for and overheat the coil and battery.
- There's no 10-second cut-off, so a mech mod keeps firing as long as the button is held, which can lead to battery thermal runaway.
Regulated mods are the kind of mod most vapers use and the usual recommendation for beginners. The other device types mentioned earlier fall under the regulated category.
- Box mods, pod systems, pen styles and so on are generally controlled by a circuit board or chipset.
- They have built-in protections and more settings to customize.
- The circuit board keeps regulated devices from overheating and cuts the current after about 10 seconds of continuous firing, so you don't run into thermal runaway.
- You can choose the wattage you vape at and adjust other settings.
- Some let you upgrade the firmware.
A screen is usually built in so you can see your battery level, your coil's resistance, the wattage you're vaping at and more.
Types of Mech Mods
Mech mods come in an assortment of shapes and sizes, and you may have seen some very large ones at vape expos.
- The first mech mods were tube mods: tubes that held a battery or batteries. 18650s are the most common battery in these mods, and sometimes two batteries are stacked on top of each other in what's known as a stacked mech mod.
- Box-style mech mods are also common. These can hold two batteries to increase the power output.
- Box mech mods come in two forms. In a series setup, the batteries' voltages add together: you get more power but not more battery life. In a parallel setup, you get the battery life of both cells at the voltage of one.
Are Mech Mods for Me?
Mech mods are a personal choice. Most people won't recommend one, even to an advanced vaper, unless you have a strong understanding of how they work. You'll need to know about current, Ohm's law and battery safety, to name a few.
Here are some things you'll need to know if you're seriously considering a mech mod:
- Using the right batteries is very important. Check the battery's current rating against the resistance of your build.
- Use a dedicated external charger that stops charging when the battery is full. Overcharged batteries can be dangerous.
- Check your circuits. Measure the resistance of your atomizer to make sure it's suitable for your battery.
- Misfiring can be dangerous, so store your mech mod safely: never in a pocket or purse unless it's locked or the atomizer is removed. Keep spare batteries in a case so the terminals can't touch metal, which is also what the FAA requires for spare lithium batteries when you fly.
- Quality is key. A well-made mech mod costs more, but build quality affects how safely the device performs.
- Buy authentic devices from trusted brands and avoid knock-offs.
Some advanced vapers and trick vapers enjoy mech mods because, even without a regulating chipset, they're still versatile. People who build their own RDAs can also enjoy the direct power of a mech mod.
Unless you're keen to learn all the technical details, regulated mods are a great option. They're user-friendly and easy to find. One big advantage is that you can see and adjust your settings on screen, instead of having to work out how your coil will react to the battery's raw power.
If you do decide to try a mech mod, learn the details before you buy one. When you shop, look at the body material (copper, brass, stainless steel and aluminum are common), which battery sizes it takes (18650, 20700 or 21700) and whether the top cap is a hybrid design, where the atomizer's pin sits directly on the battery.
