The OUMIER Rudder 200W Box Mod Revisited

Intro and Specs for the OUMIER Rudder

Please allow me to pull back the curtain on vape product reviewing – we get a LOT of angry emails. And we expect it, because everyone wants to believe their favorite product is perfect and ideal. But we weren’t expecting such a response for a mod that earned a respectable “B” on our grading scale.

Yet that’s exactly what happened when we published the OUMIER Rudder 200W mod review a few weeks ago. For some reason, people got upset with our score, even though we said things like the following:

“ I grew to enjoy the Rudder more than those first impressions would have had me believe.”

…and…

“…there’s a hell of a lot more ‘good- than-bad’ going on here.”

So, we spent some more time with the OUMIER Rudder. And maybe – just maybe– some of our critics had a point or two. We’re not improving the score, nor has our overarching opinion of the device changed much, but we’ve decided to update our analysis to reflect more than a month’s worth of time using the Rudder. Here’s the official line, one more time for good measure:

Powered by a pair of 18650 batteries that are sold separately, they can be installed within the durable chassis via magnetic battery doors. Achieving wattages between 5-200W is easy for the OUMIER Rudder, while resistances can run between 0.05-3.0ohm depending on the attached atomizer and coil configuration. In addition, the Rudder box mod features a large OLED display screen with changeable options and themes to further suit the user.

Let’s spend some time revisiting the dial that controls the mod – the Rudder’s rudder, if you will. After some extra time with the device, we still came away amazed that the jutting wheel/dial didn’t get caught on things more often than it did. BUT, that doesn’t mean we didn’t experience some trouble with the oddball appendage.

As we warned, if you wear jeans with tighter pockets, or are notoriously clumsy with your mods, that dial IS susceptible to damage under the right conditions. We didn’t get to the point where the wheel was coming off the main body of the Rudder, but a few sharp drops led to a loose dial getting even looser, making wattage adjustments even tougher to nail down.

Why? Because the wheel was already jittery under normal circumstances. Now? Even the slightest touches or stiff breezes can make a huge difference in power output. These sudden jolts weren’t fun when the wheel “accidentally” raised the wattage 20 points… I fried a coil or two simply by having the mod slip in my palm.

BUT, despite this, I learned to appreciate the Rudder’s slender, ergonomic build even more the second time around.

Vaping the OUMIER Rudder Mod (Again)

While the Rudder definitely gets to a legitimate 200 watts without an ounce of heat or trouble, it’s still not a SMOOTH experience – the constant sense of pulsing above 100 watts remained, even after some healthy break-in time. A hundred watts is just 50% of the mod’s stated capabilities, so this was an ongoing concern. The vape quality was still pretty good at these levels, but you get the sense that the mod is thrusting power to you, rather than delivering a steady flow of energy. Still not a deal-breaker, but not something we enjoyed, either.

Despite this, the various modes and features of the Rudder all work well. TC adjustments are pretty smooth, given the dial/fire key interface, and I never had much jumpiness when setting my coils (not counting when I accidentally jarred the dial). Bypass is similarly effective, though it did seem to drain battery a little faster than the other modes – odd, because battery life is pretty good on the mod, otherwise.

But still, holding and firing the Rudder remained a pleasure. The clicky aluminum fire key is responsive, even when pulsing at higher wattage outputs. The Rudder ramps quickly, even when used in low-wattage, mouth-to-lung setups, and doesn’t misfire at any level.

Overall, this is a pretty solid mod, and if you like the interface and ergonomics, you’ll probably like the Rudder a lot – maybe more than we did, even after a month.

The Pro’s and Con’s of the OUMIER Rudder

Pros:

– Slender, comfortable design

– Unique wheel operation

– Excellent venting throughout

Cons:

– Wheel is prone to damage

– Battery door can come loose easier than expected

– Noticeable pulsing at higher wattages

Spinfuel VAPE Second Opinion (Which is a LOT Like the Original)

The OUMIER Rudder is a weirdly cool, quirky mod. It shouldn’t be pocket-friendly but is. It looks really durable, but kind of isn’t. There are some seriously questionable design choices – the wheel showed its true nature after a few drops – but the slender feel and comfortable ergonomics outweigh the negatives brought on by the wheel. Could the OUMIER Rudder 200W Box Mod make it into a Best Mid-Wattage Mod list? Probably not.

A month later, our biggest concern remains the pulsing. While you can still vape comfortably above 100 watts (and it never gives out or drops suddenly), experienced vapers will notice the thrusts of power. I wish this dual-18650 device was a little steadier and more consistent, but it’s still worth investigating if you’re seeking something a little different for your next vape device.