Eleaf iStick QC 200W TC Starter Kit

The Eleaf iStick QC 200W TC Starter Kit $59.99 at Vapor Authority, has been in the marketplace for several weeks already. At first glance, this was an impressive box mod and sub-ohm tank, and it didn’t feel like we would need more than a week to ten days before a review could be written. Then, we began to consider the 5000mAh internal battery and how it would figure in with performance, and most importantly, battery life between charges.

After two months of use and an extra pack of replacement coils for the tank, we’re now ready to offer up our assessment of the Eleaf QC with the MELO 300 Sub-Ohm tank. By the way, in early March we reviewed the MELO 300 and found it to be an A+ sub-ohm.

About the Eleaf QC TC Box Mod & MELO 300

The Eleaf ‘iStick’ QC 200W Melo 300 Starter Kit can be a powerful combination for advanced, intermediate, and even new Vapers looking for their first chance for some Cloud Chasing. While the MELO 300 is considered an excellent accompaniment to the Eleaf QC, new Vapers might want to keep in mind that the QC can be purchased without the MELO 300 since the box mod itself can power just about any atomizer on the market.

If new Vapers, or simply fans of other sub-ohm tanks, would rather forego the MELO 300 experience, the mod itself is available as a standalone box mod.

That 5000mAh Internal Battery

The Eleaf iStick QC 200W Box Mod is equipped with a new tri-cell integrated internal battery. 5,000 mAh capacity should provide several hours of moderate vaping before needing a recharge, and in some situations that is certainly true. In other situations, not so much. But I’ll get to that.

The Eleaf iStick QC’s 5000mAh built-in battery has a powerful 50A maximum output, as well as the 200W of output. The Eleaf iStick QC 200W also features a fast 1.5A quick-charge capability. Unfortunately, to get that 1.5A charging ability you’ll need to use a charge system that can get you there. Eleaf, Joyetech, and WISMEC has adopted the technology of the Avatar Quick Charger and are offering these chargers as standalone battery chargers and as a ‘wall plugin’ for the included USB cable that can match the 1.5A charge for internal batteries.

Eleaf QC and Reverse Charge

Also like WISMEC and Joyetech, Eleaf has begun offering Reverse Charge technology for their mods. Reverse Charge means that with an adapter that screws into the 510-connector the user can power other electronic devices, or recharge these same devices. Spinfuel VAPE is convinced that this technology would be helpful when used with a device like the four-cell WISMEC Reuleaux RX300, we’re just not sure how helpful it would be with dual 18650 devices or internal batteries like the ones used in the Eleaf QC. I suppose in a pinch, if the user needs access to a cell phone that had depleted its battery then yea, it makes sense. The Reverse Charge Adapter is also made by Avatar, pricing varies.

The usual suspects found in all modern mods, low-voltage protection, over-charge protection, and so on are found in the Eleaf QC, as well as the Eleaf, WISMEC, and Joyetech features like Dual Circuit Protection & Reverse Polarity Protection.  Reverse polarity protection is achieved by using a special battery anti-reverse circuit in the devices circuit board. The dual circuit protection system helps make the Eleaf QC safer and more reliable.

For a list of the temperature control capabilities and other specs of the Eleaf QC, see the list below.

The Eleaf Melo 300 Tank

The Eleaf iStick QC 200W Starter Kit includes the Melo 300 Tank. I know many advanced, or experienced Vapers that have adopted the MELO 300 as their everyday Sub-Ohm tank. We gave it the maximum score in our review back in early March. It is, truly, a spectacular sub-ohm tank. However, for myself, it isn’t my everyday tank.

The Eleaf Melo 300 Sub-Ohm Tank is the most powerful version of the MELO tank series. Built with a high-performance chassis and capable of firing up to 300W using the ES Sextuple Coil Structure, this tank is one mean machine.

The Melo 300 measures 26mm in diameter and uses a very cool retractable and sliding top-fill method. Of all the ways tank manufacturers have been playing with various top-fill methods, this retractable/sliding top fill is my favorite, surpassing the hinge-door method found in my favorite sub-ohm tanks, the SMOK TFV8/TFV12 series. Retracting the top cap reveals a fill slot that has plenty of room for even the dumbest eliquid bottle drippers and unicorn tips. (Ever try to fill a TFV8/TFV12 tank with a bottle of Crispy Treats by Ethos? Frustrating!)

The Melo 300 is available as a 3.5mL or a 6.5mL capacity tank. The core of the tank uses the ES Sextuple Coil Structure developed by Eleaf. The ES Sextuple has a triple coil design with parallel vertical coils for a wattage range of 100W to 300W. While I’ve not yet broached that 300W limit, I have had it past 200W for a short time. When vaping a High or MAX VG eliquid the 6.5mL tank will come in handy.

The Airflow on the MELO 300 enters the tank through a pair of vast airflow slots located at the base of the tank. These airflow slots measure 13mm by 3mm for maximum airflow and to provide added cooling properties when vaping at high wattage.

The MELO 300 was built to compete against all the modern high performance Sub-Ohm Tank tanks in the market, and in some ways, it surpasses every tank I’ve vaped with. However, that’s the not the reason I do not use the MELO 300 every day. The MELO 300 and the 0.17Ω ES Sextuple coils have one problem that I find a little too annoying; the 1-2 second delay in vapor production.

I’ve used the MELO 300 on the new WISMEC Predator, the SMOK GX350, and several more, and each time there is this delay between pressing the fire button and inhaling the magnificent flavorful vapor that the MELO 300 excels at. I’ve ran the test many times between the MELO 300 and the SMOK TFV12 Cloud Beast King and the results are always the same. As soon as I press the fire button of the SMOK GX350 or the Eleaf QC, or any other mod, the vapor production begins instantly. Using the same mods at the same wattage settings, the MELO 300 takes a seemingly long time to get where the TFV12 is instantly. Well, why not let the video show you what I mean.

Designed to deliver truly intense flavor and thick, rich clouds of vapor, the MELO 300 is a true performer. Available in black and stainless steel, depending on the which kit you choose or as a standalone tank purchase, the Melo 300 complements the aesthetics of any box mod you choose.

If you are in search of an aesthetically beautiful, well-performing, and solidly-build vaping setup, the Eleaf iStick QC 200W Melo 300 Starter Kit is a great choice.

Bottom Line

I like everything about the Eleaf QC Starter Kit except the 5000mAh internal battery. The SMOK Alien 220W Box Mod can output 220W with dual 18650’s, so the QC could as well, and that’s the direction I think they should have gone. But who knows, the way WISMEC, Joyetech and Eleaf can whip up a new version (witness, eVic Primo and eVic Primo 2 in a matter of 3 months), perhaps it won’t be long before we see a dual battery version of the QC. One can hope.

Pick your Eleaf iStick QC Starter Kit up today at Vapor Authority for just $59.99.

Final Grade: B+

“While Spinfuel VAPE gives the MELO 300 an A+, combined with the 200W QC and its internal battery, we feel that, for the money and performance, this Starter Kit is a solid B+”

John Manzione

Eleaf iStick QC 200W TC Box Mod Features:

• Triple Series 5000mAh Rechargeable Battery
• Dimensions: 83mm by 52mm by 25mm
• Wattage Output Range: 1-200W
• Minimum Atomizer Resistance: 0.05ohm
• Temperature Control Range: 200-600F
• Ni200, Titanium, and 316 Stainless Steel Compatibility
• Ergonomic Rounded Contour
• Optional Power Bank Capability – Requires Reverse Charging (RC) Adapter
• Preheat Functionality
• Intuitive OLED Display
• Switchable Interface
• Oversized Firing Mechanism
• Cell Balancing Trickle Charge System
• Innovative Buck-Boost Technology
• Dual Circuit Protection
• Reverse Polarity Protection
• MicroUSB Port – 1.5A Maximum Current
• Stainless Steel 510 Connection

Eleaf Melo 300 Sub-Ohm Tank Features:

• 3.5mL Juice Reservoir
• 26mm Diameter
• Superior Stainless Steel Construction
• Pyrex Glass Reinforcement
• Eleaf’s ES Sextuple Coil System
• 0.17ohm ES Sextuple Coil – rated for 100-300W
• Convenient Retractable Top-Fill Design
• Dual Bottom Airflow Control
• Delrin Widebore Drip Tip
• 510 Connection

Starter Kit Includes:

• 1 iStick QC 200W Mod
• 1 Melo 300 Sub-Ohm Tank
• 2 0.17ohm ES Sextuple Coil Heads
• 1 MicroUSB Cable
• Instructional Manual