The SCAR-18 vape kit from SMOK may not redefine high-wattage vaping, but it’s arguably the best vape kit SMOK has produced in years, serving as a new flagship for the venerable vape company. Let’s see why, starting with the impressive specs.

SMOK SCAR-18 230W Vape Kit Review

The SMOK SCAR 18 Outputs up to 230W.   Accommodating two high-amp 18650 batteries in a zinc-alloy chassis, the SCAR 18 is equipped with a IP67 (waterproof) rating.  Its ‘body’ is shockproof and is protected from water and/or dust.  SMOK Mods and tanks have a rather long lifespan, unlike many other brands. Being a genuine investment in the world of vaping, the SMOK SCAR 18 vape kit is one of the top 10 vape mod kits in all of 2021.

 One of SCAR 18’s best feature is the rapid IQ-X Chipset.  This 230W mod can deliver outstanding vapor when paired with the right tank or atomizer, which is, 99% of the time, a SMOK Sub-Ohm Tank. My personal fav this year, and last, is the SMOK TFV18. Our Review

 SMOK SCAR-18 230W Starter Kit Features:

IQ-X Chipset
Dimensions – 88mm by 54mm by 30.6mm
Dual High-Amp 18650 Batteries – Not Included
Wattage Output Range – VW Mode: 1-230W
Wattage Output Range – TC Mode: 10-230W
Voltage Output Range: 0.5-8.0V
Resistance Range – VW Mode: 0.10-2.5ohm
Resistance Range- TC Mode: 0.05-2.00ohm
Temperature Range: 200°F-600°F / 100°-315°C
VW Mode
TC Mode
Bypass Mode
Zinc-Alloy Chassis Construction
IP67 Rating – Shock, Dust, Waterproofing
Single Firing Button
0.96″ TFT Display Screen
Two Adjustment Buttons
Intelligent Atomizer Recognition
Puff Monitoring System
8 Seconds Cut-off
Short Circuit Protection
Over-Heating Protection
Low-Battery Warning
MicroUSB Port
Available in Fluid 7-Color, Fluid Red, Fluid Blue, Fluid Gold, Fluid Black White, Red Stabilizing Wood, Green Stabilizing Wood, Black

SMOK TFV9 Sub-Ohm Tank Features:

28mm Diameter
6.5mL Tank Capacity
Pyrex Glass Reinforcement
Superior 304 Stainless Steel Tank Chassis
Sliding Top Fill System
SMOK TFV9 Coil Series
0.15ohm V9 Meshed Coil Series
Press Fit Coil Installation
Dual Slotted Airflow Control Ring
510 Connection
Available Rainbow and Black

SMOK TFV18 Sub-Ohm Tank Features:

32mm Diameter
7.5mL Max Capacity
Optional 6.5mL Capacity
Pyrex Glass Construction
Superior 304 Stainless Steel Tank Construction
Top Filling System – Press and Slide
TFV18 Mesh Coil Series
0.33ohm TFV18 Meshed Coils
0.15ohm TFV18 Dual Meshed Coils
Press-Fit Coil Installation
Dual Slotted Bottom Airflow Control Ring
Threaded 510 Connection

Standard TFV9 Package Includes:

 SCAR-18 Mod
5mL TFV9 Tank
0.15ohm V9 Meshed Coil
Replacement Glass
USB Cable
User Manual

TFV18 Package Includes:

1x SCAR-18 Mod
1x TFV18 Tank
The 0.33ohm TFV18 Meshed Coil
A 0.15ohm TFV18 Dual Meshed Coil
Extra Bulb Glass Tube
The MicroUSB Cable
A User Manual

Aesthetics of the SMOK SCAR-18 230W Vape Kit

SMOK isn’t known for its subtlety in the field of mod design. That said, the SCAR 18 does a nice job balancing bright colors with more advanced design choices.

Fluid Red

I was sent the “Fluid Red” vape kit a few weeks ago to prepare an honest review. Good, bad, or indifferent, the company that sent me the kit wanted my honest opinion on the looks, power, sustainability, and performance.  Dave warned them that we can be fairly ‘vicious’ in our reviews, but that’s what they wanted.

One of the mod’s weakest features is also one of its best (to me anyway), and that’s the bright demonic-looking grip section.  Take the SCAR 18 in public and people will notice.

SMOK’s SCAR 18 is then offset with a black, rubberized frame coating. Some of the vaping friends prefer a boring grey or black design in their mods and tanks, but I’ve always enjoyed a brighter bold body design, with a matching Sub-Ohm.

The SCAR-18 is also nicely framed. It can accommodate up to 30mm (width) tanks without overhang or looking unbalanced.

The full-color display is among the best the company has made to date, rivaling the awesome ProColor and X-Priv screens. The display also lays out more information on screen rather than in the menus. Even with less available real estate on the side of the mod, it achieves and surpasses expectations.

My only complaint? The SCAR 18 vape kit comes equipped with the SMOK TFV 9 Sub-Ohm. The TFV 9 is a good tank with spectacular performance, but the TFV 18 has a larger tank and a bit more choices in vape coils.

The SMOK TFV-9 Tank

Before the US’s fascist move against citizens who wish to leave tobacco products behind them, SMOK would design, develop, and ship a new Sub-Ohm tank several times during the year. The TFV 9 was developed before the “shipping and flavor” bans put in place in the US in 2021.

Performance – SMOK TFV 9 Sub-Ohm

The performance is strong and gets stronger as the coil break in and settles in. The new Mesh V9 Coils offer great flavor and big clouds of vapor. While SMOK hasn’t ‘redefined the sub-ohm market’ with the TFV-9, it’s an excellent tank. However, the SMOK TFV 18 should be your next purpose. You’ll need a backup Sub-Ohm anyway.

Vaping with the SMOK Scar-18 Vape Kit

The Scar-18 vaped like I was reconnecting with an old friend. Not because the design or function is antiquated, but rather because SMOK seemingly took everything that worked on previous devices and melded them into a fantastic whole.

All year, because getting new vape products (in the US) to review is nearly impossible. For all of 2021, and half of 2020, I’ve vaped with the SMOK Morph 2 and a TFV18 Sub-Ohm.

Vape Kits and Benevolent Fascism

It has been proven in scientific studies time and time again that vaping is at least 95% SAFER than smoking. Smoking, snorting, or chewing any type of tobacco product will damage your heart and lungs beyond repair. Tobacco kills, you’ve heard the science. Hell, it says so on every pack of cigarettes sold.

Millions of US citizens began to abandon the tobacco death race and instead take up vaping instead. The hundreds of flavors of e-liquid offered vapers a wonderous selection of glorious flavor to choose from, so the success of vaping saved lives, a lot of lives.

However, because of the success of vaping the US tobacco companies made less money. Oh, they tried to get in the vaping game with stick-like devices that tasted awful and cost a small fortune. The vaping public didn’t want them, and instead wanted devices like the SMOK SCAR 18.

Big Tobacco greases the pockets of just about every politician, right or left. Once Big Tobacco believed that vaping would cause irreparable harm to their bottom line, they called on their “bought off” politicians to kill the vape industry. And they US government, corrupt as all hell, did just that.

Some day someone will write a book on how the US federal and state governments killed the biggest and safest alternative to tobacco products. Though we live in a country where most citizens don’t much care about anything the government does, at least the rest of the world will learn that the US government is as corrupt and criminal as some of the worst third-world countries.

More On the SMOK SCAR 18 Vape Kit

I never bothered taking the SCAR-18 to its 230-watt limit (because that’s a ridiculous wattage level) I can say it seamlessly climbed to 150 watts on very low-resistance coils without faltering. It was always smooth, never got overly warm, and never misfired. It was everything we want from a modern vape mod.

The IQ-X chipset minimized the menu trees to a simple, linear format that makes navigation easy. SMOK really nailed down the classic menu format here.

Really Waterproof?

We’ve seen vape mods claim waterproofing and shock protection before. Some fail, others do not.  I had the chance to test that claim with SCAR 18. An accident that caused my SCAR-18 to fall into our outdoor pool, I was very happy to see that my vape mod survived the fall and being under water for more than a couple of minutes.

Lastly, the dual-18650 Hi-Amp battery performance was well above average. A pair of fresh batteries gives me about six hours of steady use before tapping out. Of course, the age of the batteries, the wattage used and the number of pulls off the tank will affect overall battery life, the SCAR 18 delivered better than most.

Pros:

  • Durable, high-end look and feel
  • Can accommodate almost every coil
  • A lot of power for such a compact device

Cons:

  • Included tank isn’t very innovative
  • Grip section gets a little slick
  • Display could be a little larger

The SCAR 18 Vape Kit – In Conclusion

SMOK has had a productive year, even when the rest of the industry slowed things a bit. But, even better, the products have been excellent. The SCAR-18 may have felt a little like a throwback device, but it was a welcome trip down memory lane with smooth high-wattage performance and a pleasingly simple interface. Highly recommended.

Score: A