Vandy Vape Pyro V2 RDTA Review

One of the reasons I love rebuildable tanks is customization. Of course, any tank is going to have its limitations – deck space, width, capacity, etc. Now that postless decks are the standard, you’d think that these limitations would go away. But the truth is, posts and real estate aren’t the problems with lesser RTAs and RDTAs – it’s the airflow. If the airflow isn’t driving through the coil and up the chimney, things tend to go awry.

Which sadly leads us to the VandyVape Pyro V2 RDTA – a perfectly serviceable, squonk-ready RDTA that looks like it should be the best thing in the market yet. Except that no matter how I configured the thing, I could never get the flavor to a point where the Pyro V2 became a “must-have” device. But before we start, let’s see the official line.

The VandyVape Pyro 24mm RDTA is the latest high-performance rebuildable system to enter the market, deploying a Mixed Airflow Intake system with two different side airflow channels along with an elevated postless build deck design. The Pyro 24 RDTA measures 24mm in diameter, with one of the most sophisticated structure created by Vandy Vape.

Let’s see if the above “official” description is accurate…

Initial Impressions and Aesthetics

On the surface, the Pyro V2 RDTA is standard fare for this type of tank. Stainless frame, short glass section, side airflow, and a 24mm width tell most of the visual story here. It’s a tough looking, but still sophisticated atomizer that should nicely complement most any mod it encounters. And with a rock-solid, gold-plated 510, there aren’t too many mods that won’t work with the Pyro V2 RDTA.

The real excitement comes when you open the tank to reveal the tremendous postless build deck. Not tremendous in that it’s the widest arrangement we’ve seen. But tremendous in how well-positioned and user-friendly the postless format is. From the idiot-proof coil slots, to the massive gold-plated screws, building on the Pyro V2 RDTA proved to be pretty easy.

For thinner wire, you’ll need to be a little more precise, of course, since you’ll need to really clamp and secure that wire in the massive terminals, otherwise it will come loose – something that happened to me more than once while building on the Pyro V2 RDTA.

Standout Features

For build enthusiasts, the dual-coil Pyro V2 RDTA deck is a veritable playground. Though it’s not quite as geared toward single-coil setups, I’m not sure the target audience would want that, anyway.

As mentioned, the coil terminals on the Pyro V2 RDTA build deck are larger than normal, so thicker, larger builds will do extremely well. There’s plenty of space for complicated wire types, and fatter gauges “catch” better on the large screws.

Thinner builds were a little trickier. Though the massive screws have no problem staying in place, higher gauge wires can be a little finicky to place and seat. It wasn’t a tremendous problem, but fans of thinner wire might want to test a few coils before taking the Pyro V2 RDTA home from the shop.

Wicking the Pyro V2 RDTA was a pleasure. Like most RDTAs, the Pyro V2 gives users a lot of leeway in cotton use. I tend to use longer wick tails with these devices, simply because I can. But those concerned about dry hits or proper wetting of the coils, a shorter wick will do just as well. Because of the nature of the vacuum-wicking setup, juice naturally flows to the coil, and I never experienced any dry hits.

But the flavor and airflow? Well, let’s dive into that in the next section.

Vaping the VandyVape Pyro V2 RDTA

VandyVape claims the Pyro V2’s “Mixed” airflow system drives it down, through and under the coils when built correctly. But all I could gather was a lot of noise and some seriously muted flavor. No matter how I built, positioned or adjusted this thing, I was left with a lot of crackly, spitting draws. Sure, I could taste the juice, and the vapor production was suitably massive, based on my builds. But the flavor never got out of first gear – not something I want from a rebuildable tank atomizer.

Even when using the included BF pin to put the Pyro to use as a squonk RDTA, the fresh influx of liquid did nothing to improve the situation. Occasional bursts of richness were usually canceled by warmth and limp taste profiles. Sad, really… I expected more.

But I have to say, vapor production was outstanding. Though I don’t know what qualifies as a “competition” atomizer anymore, the room-filling fog that came from the Pyro V2 RDTA cannot be denied. Even on higher-resistance builds, at lower wattages, the vapor was suitably thick and abundant.

I tested some temperature control builds on the Pyro V2 and they all worked well. There was no noticeable improvement in flavor as a result, but TC fans will be satisfied that the performance didn’t change or diminish, either.

One TC item of note – thinner titanium coils were especially finicky in those large deck ports. Be very careful when seating and securing titanium coils, or face an eternity of jumping resistances.

But, let’s get back to my primary concern of the Pyro V2 RDTA is the oddly warm mouthpiece. The combination of wide open airflow slots, and a Ultem widebore mouthpiece, makes for an airy, power-hungry draw – and that means a lot of juice coming from your mod batteries and through your tank.

Pros:

• • – Tremendous build deck
  • – Gold-plated deck screws
  • – BF pin for squonk capability

Cons:

– Flavor is limp and lifeless

– Mixed Airflow is difficult to understand

– Awfully thirsty, considering the lack of flavor

Spinfuel VAPE Recommendation and Score

What a disappointment. VandyVape has made some of my favorite products of late, and have always delivered top-quality products. Now, the Pyro V2 is definitely well made from quality materials, but whatever the designers did with the airflow positioning inside the tank body really underwhelmed me.

At no point during testing, with either single- or dual-coil builds, did the Pyro V2 ever once give me a memorable draw. Sure, the vapor production was tremendous, but the muted flavor and disproportionate juice consumption made the experience completely forgettable. Let’s call it a momentary misstep for VandyVape…