Lotus LE80 Box Mod

Last Updated on March 29, 2016 by

Lotus LE80 Mod
Lotus Vaping Technologies
$59.99-$69.99
Lotus Vaping
Score: D-

Overview
A Variable Voltage Box Mod

The Lotus LE80 is a bare-bones variable voltage regulated box mod that offers high power (up 180w!) of power and basic built-in safety features. It is without a doubt the strangest box mod to come into Spinfuel HQ in 2015.

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While using this mod and researching the company words like “authentic”, “high quality”, “exclusive” and “superb” are found all over the Internet, in vendor product boxes and YouTube reviews. I cannot understand why these words are being bandied about for this elemental device.
In mid-2015 I’m reviewing a box mod that looks like it was either put together as a kit mod, or built in an industrial park rented space by serious hobbyists looking for make a better mousetrap on the cheap. It is by no means a quality device on par with anything coming from YiHi, HCigar, ProVape, Joyetech, Innokin, Kanger, or even Aspire. Maybe its not supposed to be. If there is anything unique or special about the Lotus LE80 I can’t imagine what it would be.

Function

First, this is a variable voltage regulated mod in a variable wattage world. It has a rotating knob (potentiometer) at the topside of the box that adjusts the wattage from 3.3 to 6.1 volts. That dial is reminiscent of a dial on a 1960’s portable radio, with nothing more than a Plus symbol at one end and a Minus symbol at the other. No incremental markings whatsoever.

The Off-On switch is from the same 1960’s era, made of a plastic slider that turns it on, off, and “current battery level”. Each position shows up in the 3-digit display directly under the slider. Said display looks like the LED lights on homemade electronics from the 1970’s.

The Firing button, behind the atomizer connector, (on a slanted part of the mod), is made up of a metal ‘nipple’ button that is extremely difficult to use. Firing it requires nimble fingers and awkward placement of those nimble fingers. There is no limitation on the firing button either; you can hold the button down until the batteries drain if you wanted to.

The LE80 mod requires two 30 amp or higher 18650 batteries, placed in a battery compartment that makes the Pioneer4you battery compartment of the IPV3 look sophisticated. It took a real close-up look in the compartment to find out which end was positive and which was negative. Worse still, you can place the batteries in the wrong position without any warning. And if you happen to do just that, put the batteries in the reverse position, you void the warranty. However, if you happen to reverse the batteries it won’t fire, so at least there is that.

The Lotus LE80 can fire atomizers as low as 0.2ohms. The simple 3-digit LED screen can display output voltage and battery voltage.

The Lotus LE80 has received a ton of great reviews including nine 5 star reviews at Vapor World.

If you can get past these rudimentary parts the Lotus LE80 does offer some modern vaporizer specs. For instance, the Lotus LE80 fires down to 0.2-ohms and up to 5.0-ohms. That old-fashioned dial “tuner knob” has a range of 3.3v to 6v. The battery compartment cover is magnetic and slides into channel grooves, so you simply slide the cover down to reveal the batteries. Oh, and the 510-connecter does have a floating Pin.

Safety Features

The LE80 offers overcharge/discharge protection, short circuit protection, low resistance and temperature control, but not in the same sense as the DNA chip or SX350J chip. Temperature Control in the LE80 means that if the core temperature of the unit exceeds 120 degrees it will shut down.

180watts?

The LE80 is, as I said above, a variable voltage device, however, when using a .2-ohm coil it has the capability of delivering 180 watts with high amp, fully charged batteries. As a bare-bones variable voltage device, wattage depends on other variables.

Lotus LE80 Box Mod Features In a Nutshell:

Spring loaded 510 connector
3 stage shifter LED control up: voltage output, middle device is off, bottom is battery life left
0.2-5.0 ohm Resistance
Twist style potentiometer – for increasing and decreasing operating voltage
Voltage range is 3.3V – 6.1V
Top style fire button
3 digit LED display – voltage & battery status
Magnetic battery cover
2 18650 batteries 30amp or higher. (Flat top batteries are recommended)
Batteries are series not parallel
LE80 will detect battery direction and will not operate if inserted incorrectly

What’s in the Box?

1x Lotus LE80
1x Quickstart/Instruction Card

Impressions

Well, I think I already covered my impressions above, but it is worth mentioning that there are many advanced vapers that love the Lotus LE80, for whatever reason. But, if my wife bought one home I am pretty sure I would toss it in the trash when she wasn’t looking. There may well be safety features, but the device looks nothing like “safe”.

Turning the knob to dial in a voltage setting is hit and a miss. In addition, it is difficult to grip the dial and hold on. There are no incremental clicks in turning the dial either, so I wouldn’t feel confident trying to set a certain voltage by twisting the dial.

I spent a total of just 2 days using the Lotus LE80, and I stuck with a Joyetech Delta 2 as my atomizer. I did this because turning the dial all the way to the maximum Plus position it provided enough power to produce a wonderful vape from the Delta 2. If you’re looking for a basic mod that can fire like a canon, well, this could be it, but don’t buy it based on anything I’ve said. Please.

Holding the LE80 with my thumb on the front side of the box and my index finger reaching around to the nipple-tipped firing button was the only position I could accomplish in order to fire it for any length of time. No matter how I tried to hold the mod it was uncomfortable.

The bottom line, for me, is that if the Lotus LE80 is truly a sought after box mod by advanced vapers those “sought after qualities” fly right right over my head. I don’t see anything in this mod to make it look like $60 well spent.

Nonetheless, there are two things about this box mod that I actually like; the finish of the exterior is a fine rubberized paint, but many people believe these finishes do not last. I like the feel of the finish quite a bit. The other is the indention around the atomizer connector. The connector is sunk down into the mod by about an eighth of an inch and the diameter is 22-23mm. The Delta 2 fit perfectly and looked snug.

Recommendations

What can I say? I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. I’m no big fan of Cloupor, but comparing the recently reviewed Cloupor GT, an 80w device under $50, I would happily recommend the Cloupor over the Lotus LE80 every time.

Score – D-

Why a D-? There are dozens of better devices on the market for the same money. The LE80 looks homemade, at best, or assembled from a kit at worst. The nipple firing button, the large 3-position switch, the 3 digit 1970’s LED panel, and the hard to grasp design all point to a major failed attempt at designing something on par with professional vaporizers.

But then again, the chance that I am missing the point entirely is very real. My gut tells me one thing, other reviews, including YouTube reviews, say something else altogether. If I have missed the point of the LE80 by Lotus, I invite any LE80 owners to leave a detailed comment below in order to educate me, and I suspect others, on this very strange entry in the vaporizer box mod industry.

John Manzione