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Spinfuel Written Review – IPV4 100w
Without question, Pioneer4You’s IPV4 has a built in audience of fervent vapers that cannot wait to get their hands on one, and in a matter of days (May 12th 2015) they will have that opportunity. Will it be worth the wait? Is there more to the IPV4 then its reputation for high wattage vaping? Will the IPV4 become one of, if not ‘the’ best-selling box mods yet?
I don’t know. Maybe. Probably.
I can’t see into the future, but I can tell you what it is like to own one, to use one, to learn all the intricacies that lay there to be discovered. You, and other high-wattage vapers will either make it a hit or a miss. Although, at $88 (or so), you sure do get a helluva lot of power in the IPV4 100w for so very little money.
The IPV4 – General Information
The new IPV4 100W (large) Box Mod is a regulated vaporizer by Pioneer4You. You
could say that the IPV4 is a culmination of all the features that went ‘lacking’ in earlier versions, the IPV2 & IPV3, with some well thought out design aesthetics and some much needed spit and polish.
The IPV series has been totally revamped for version 4, and it is a powerful vaporizer on the inside than any IPV that came before it. And, despite some vapers distain over box mods in this class, it deserves a lot of respect. Having used the IPV3 for a short time I can tell you that version 4 is improved in so many ways that the only recognizable element is the IPV moniker.
The IPV4 internals begin with an upgraded Yihi chip with a respectable 100w limit. It is powered by two 18650 flat top batteries (at least 30amps) and its new, and inspired, removable magnetic cover plate makes it easy to switch out those batteries. The battery plate/cover doubles as the ‘grip’ section of the device and to remove it all one needs to do is pull it away from the body. No more screws securing the battery cover; just pull the cover off and it’s done. Amazingly clever, in form and function, I actually heard a tiny gasp leave my lips as the cover released with a firm, but gentle pull.
The new YiHi chip in the IPV4 will fire down to resistances of 0.1-ohms, and will calculate the voltage as we adjust the wattage. From all early indications the chip seems to function reliably.
The most talked about and anticipated aspect is of course the temperature control feature. Like a handful of other temperature control boards in use it will not allow e-liquid to heat higher than the temperature the user sets. This important feature regulates the temperature in the Mod and makes sure the e-liquid heats at a safe and appropriate temperature even if the user vapes at the full 100w setting. This time around ‘safety’ is the word that best describes the thinking behind this vastly superior (over the IPV3) vaporizer.
The IPV4 100W includes features that make it the best IPV in the series, as one would expect, as well as a few ‘mistaken’ features that didn’t make it out in the initial shipment, and might never will, but somehow made it into the promotional materials. For instance, it was supposed to offer USB charging and it does not. I’ll discuss a few other disappoints further down.
The IPV4 100W is both powerful enough to vape up to 100 watts and fire off coils down to.1 ohms. While vaping with power like this is certainly enjoyable for some, but not necessary for other vapers. That said, it will be enjoyed by many thousand advanced vapers whose desire to chase clouds knows no boundaries. With the right RDA and the right e-eliquid I imagine the IPV4 100w will be the mod of choice in many cloud competitions.
Needless to say the IPV 100w is a 510-threaded mod (are there mods made today that are not?) with its connector point set on top of the mod where any 22mm diameter tank will sit flush with its edge. Without wanting to beat a dead horse, I know of no subohm tank that will not work with it, even the Starre tank with its notoriously short 510 connector. The adjustable pin makes sure that any tank or RBA/RDA is well connected and secure.
I’ve added a full feature and spec list below, I encourage you to read through them to see just how much Pioneer4You put into the successor of the much misaligned IPV3.
Disappoints are few, but once again Pioneer4You is using that damned mirror/metal cover over its OLED display, making it difficult to read outside and a pain in the butt inside. A glass cover over the OLED’s would have made a huge difference for me. However, there is a non-authorized workaround to remove that mirrored finish. Full instructions can be found by watching VapnFagan’s IPV4 Screen Fix
Another disappointment is the lack of allowing users to charge the device through the USB cable, after having put out the word that it would. Like the IPV3 you’ll need a 3mm-pin charger in order to charge your batteries inside the device. Pioneer4You does not include that charger…again.
There are many vapers that absolutely love their IPV4, and many more that are patiently waiting for their pre-order to arrive, and more still who anxiously await reviews by their favorite reviewers before making the plunge. And, it would be dishonest of me not to mention that there are some vapers who do have the IPV4 and are, again, complaining about its lack of polish. Some are saying that, like the previous model, the IPV4 100w looks and feels like a homebrew box mod. While I can understand that, to a degree, you should know that the ‘look and feel’ is vastly improved over the IPV3. Yes, the exterior metal lacks luster, and may even feel like inferior grade stainless steel, but pound for pound, feature for feature, the IPV4 is so much more than the IPV3 could dream to be, yet is still less than $90 retail.
What It Was Like To Use
For several days during the review period I used the IPV4 nearly exclusively. I must admit that I did not use an RDA with it, but I did use every subohm tank I had at the time, which included tanks with coil heads down to 0.2 and the Ni200 Kanger Subtank OCC’s. I was able to put it through the paces.
You can watch actual vaping footage by watching my IPV4 video.
Vaping with the IPV4 is akin to flying down the road on a powerful, bass-filled-rumble-machine of a motorcycle. I felt like I could vape any tank with any e-liquid with vigor, easily maximizing the flavor and vapor production that each were capable of without a whole lot of effort.
Joules? – I think that if I try to describe how Joules work and how it compares to wattage you won’t get anything from it because I do not have a firm understanding of it myself. Instead, I recommend listening to, and watching, the Smokenjoey review. Smokenjoey goes through the Joules temperature operation with a decent explanation. I’m a huge fan of temperature control and it won’t be long before you begin seeing this feature is many mainstream devices. Remember, you heard it here first. But, Joules? Really? What’s the point? Would it have been impossible to set up temperature control in wattage?
Physically the IPV4 is considered a large box mod, as it should be. Both the IPV4 and the Vapor Flask use dual-18650’s but the size of the IPV4 is considerably larger. That said, the battery cover handgrip is exceedingly comfortable, so using it for extended periods caused no discomfort.
Battery life was better than I thought it would be. However, if you want to vape down in the low subohm’s at very high wattage you can expect the battery life to reflect that type of usage. You’ll get a small handful of hours from the dual batteries when pushed to extremes, but because it is so easy to change out the batteries it won’t matter much, if at all. Keep a spare set of batteries fully charged and you’ll never be left without an imposing vaporizer.
Pioneer4You IPV 4 Features:
- Dual Mode Capability – Power Mode and Joule Mode
- Temperature Control System
- Variable Wattage
- Uses Yihi SX330-V4S Chip
- Fully Magnetic Battery Door
- Pass-through Capability
- Battery Level Indicator
- OLED Screen
- Spring-Loaded 510 Connector
- Aluminum Casing
- Takes Two External 18650 FLAT TOP Batteries
- Mini USB Charging Port
- Reverse Polarity Protection
- Low Resistance Protection
- Battery Low Voltage Protection
- Temperature Overheat Protection
- Short Circuit Protection
- On/Off Capability
Pioneer4You IPV 4 Specifications:
- Casing Material: Aluminum Alloy
- Threading: 510
- Battery Compatibility: Takes Two 18650 Batteries (Must Be 35A or Higher)
- Output Wattage: 5W – 100W
- Output Voltage: 1V – 7.5V
- Output Temperature: 5J – 50J
- Temperature Limit: 200 Degrees – 580 Degrees Fahrenheit
- Joules Mode Resistance Compatibility: 0.12 Ohms – 1.0 Ohm
- Power Mode Resistance Compatibility: 0.1 Ohms – 3.0 Ohms
- Output Current: 35A
- Input Current: 1.3A – 25A
- Product Weight: 0.27 Pounds (4.4 Ounces)
- Height: 4.24 Inches (107.7 mm)
- Length: 2.75 Inches (69.9 mm)
- Width: 1.02 Inches (25.9 mm)
Should You Buy The IPV4?
Well, let me put it this way; if you want to vape in the very high wattage realm, if you want to use coils in the 0.1 and 0.2-ohm range, and you want temperature control in Joules, the IPV4 is no-brainer. $88 for the IPV4 is a great price. As a matter of fact, because of the plethora of safety features in the IPV4 100w the fact is, this vaporizer wouldn’t be a bad choice for any level of vaping. Even if you never vape in the sub ohm territory, or go beyond 30w, the selling price is such that you’ll have options that you wouldn’t have elsewhere, should the mood strike to venture beyond your comfort zone.
The IPV4 is not for everybody, and it is not the right device to buy for some fake status. This is a very serious vaporizer and while it is the safest and most reliable IPV yet, it’s still not infallible. Whether the IPV4 100w is your prime mod or not, learn to use it properly, used matched batteries, and keep an extra set around and you’ll do fine.
Visit Vaporizer Chief Today for your Pioneer4You IPV4 100w
John Manzione
