Table of Contents
Vaporesso Tarot Pro 160W TC Box Mod
If you’ve read any of my previous reviews, you know I’ve been diagnosed with OVD also known as Obsessive Vaping Disorder. Those nit-picky things that must be perfect on my day to day setup are a priority. For example, when I attach a tank to a mod, if there’s the slightest wiggle or doesn’t sit flush, it just ruins it for me. But the biggest negative in my book is dealing with overhang. Now that 24/25mm is becoming the standard, if a box mod doesn’t accommodate up to a 25mm atomizer, it leaves me no other choice but choose a mod that will. While this OVD problem might not make sense now, I will explain myself shortly, as I get into this review for the Vaporesso Tarot Pro 160W TC Box Mod.
Vaporesso released the Tarot 200VTC Box Mod earlier this year. While it introduced a beautiful frame and was powerful with up to 200W of power, some features were lacking including no USB port. For the Tarot Pro, Vaporesso continued with the original Tarot design structure but spicing up the color options with eye-catching visuals making the Vaporesso Tarot Pro 160W TC Box Mod ($59.95 at Element Vape) excel to the highest degree! I received the Metallic Gray with the marble effect on the sides but it’s also available in Yellow with an abstract triangle pattern and my personal favorite the Stainless Steel with Carbon Fiber side panels. CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE
The Vaporesso Tarot Pro Box Mod is crafted out of Zinc and Aluminum Alloy (and Carbon Fiber depending on the model you choose). It has a slightly curved chassis along with slanted corners providing a refined appearance while remaining sleek and ergonomic. The side panels are coated to a glossy finish are smooth to the touch and has held up to over a month of use; it won’t scratch easily. Although, it will attract oily fingerprints making it much more slippery but a quick wipe down fixes that in no time. The Tarot Pro is form fitting to the hand and is comfortable to hold all day long thanks to its lightweight 162g (257g with dual batteries installed). It feels well put together with premium materials and doesn’t give off a cheap vibe at all.
Besides the stunning design elements the Vaporesso Tarot Pro is blessed with, the innovative feature is the OMNI operating chipset designed specifically for the Tarot Pro! Vaporesso guarantees reliable performance, accurate, updateable and fully customizable firmware. While I don’t ever believe the word guarantee, this board is very impressive. Even though it produces 40W less than the original Tarot, 160W and a maximum voltage output of 8.5V give the Tarot Pro a wide potential user base from beginner to seasoned veteran. With Variable Wattage and Bypass Mode covering the direct power end of things while the Nickel 200, Stainless Steel 316, Titanium and the M1-M2 TCR profiles round out the Temperature Control aspects. The ability to read resistances from 0.05Ω all the way to 5.0Ω, accurately by the way, Vaporesso truly built solid performing internals.
Side Note: After trying to install a firmware update from the Vaporesso website, I couldn’t get it to open on my PC no matter what I did. They state the firmware is customizable but after doing plenty of site searching, I found nothing or no one that has successfully accomplished it let alone knew about it. Leave a comment down below if you’re able to download and properly install it.
While in VW Mode, click the fourth action button (the small hexagon button towards the bottom of the front face) three times in quick cession, revealing a VW or CCW option. CCW is short for Customized Curve for Wattage which lets you input wattages every half second for up to 5 seconds. Adjusting the wattage curve with a specialized mode is becoming much more common and the Tarot Pro’s CCW works like a charm. Setting the modes up are not complicated whatsoever and the manual does a good job explaining the exact steps needed to get it done properly. If you scroll to any of the three TC Modes, you also have the option of a CCT Mode, or Customizable Curve for Temperature. Operating similar to CCW, rather than adjusting wattage you select the temperature you want (between 280°-600°F) every half second for up to five seconds. I find myself not using these modes as often but having them available is always a benefit and allows for constant personalization.
Along with every safety feature you can imagine, Vaporesso implemented something called Smart VW which recommends an ideal power output depending on the resistance of the coil attached. For example, the recommendation I got for my Aspire Cleito 120 with the 0.17Ω coil head (rated from 100-120W) was 55W. Its estimates are almost always on the lower end of the spectrum but for a beginner, this could be a helpful tool. If you adjust the wattage setting it automatically saves the change so it’s not like you’re forced to use their recommended guess. The only annoying flaw (which is subjective) I found was every time you power the device on, it will ask if you attached a new coil or if it the same. If you click new, you’ll get another random power setting but clicking yes brings you to the saved wattage. I turn my devices off when I’m not using them or when traveling so it gets repetitive having to constantly worry about selecting one before I can fire my mod.
The Vaporesso Tarot Pro 160W TC Box Mod runs on dual high-amp 18650 batteries that are not included with your purchase. I used a pair of new Sony VTC6 batteries and battery life was unbelievably good! By finding the small notch cutout under the battery door, simply pulling it off is quick and easy to do. The battery tray is really clean with the door held on by four strong magnets; you’re not going to hear any unnecessary movement or battery rattle. There is some board venting inside the battery compartment area which is always good to see. Installing your batteries is straightforward but even without a battery removal tab the batteries protrude high enough so removal is easy as well.
Two separate battery indicators on the display screen monitor your batteries independently. One thing I noticed was after a full day of use, one of the battery icons showed one of the batteries discharging much faster than the other. But after double checking the voltages, they were draining evenly. The Tarot Pro held its cooling ground and never got hot (even when consistently over 100W) thanks to the multiple hexagon cutouts underneath for plenty of battery venting. You have the option of charging your Tarot Pro through the micro USB port (using the nicest most rugged USB cable I’ve ever seen that’s included) on the side panel but I always recommend charging your batteries externally.
Now back to my OVD issue. The way the Tarot Pro is designed with drop off angles on each corner of the device, every size atomizer including a 22mm hangs off the backside. Because the 510 connection is off to one side, there’s always going to be overhang no matter what size tank you put on it. Why not move it to the middle which would fix any potential overhang issue; drives me nuts to see this. The 510 threads are decent but I do feel some hesitation with a few of the tanks I installed. Some of the smaller Sub-Ohm Tanks didn’t seat and left a small gap since the 510 connection protrudes rather than sitting flush with the top of the mod. Again, this is a visual thing that I can’t stand and wanted to share my thoughts just in case someone else feels the same way I do.
The 0.91inch OLED screen maintains the sharp clean lines sporting a hexagon shape to match the buttons but unfortunately is dimly lit. I’d recommend flipping the screen orientation since the default option causes the regulatory buttons to be opposite (up button is decrease and bottom is increase) what they should be. The 9.6mm fire button and both 4.6mm up/down buttons share the same hexagon shape (even the Gold-plated 510 pin is a hexagon). The fire button location is well thought out and is where my finger naturally ends up in a trigger fire position. The firing delay is minimal and at higher wattages the instant power delivery is definitely a bonus. There’s some play with the fire button but when I shook the device it didn’t rattle or make noise. The fourth button is located under the regulatory buttons and allows you to change between modes. Having the fourth button is helpful which makes navigating through the menus and different modes simple and effortless.
Available at Element Vape for just $56.95!
Final Grade – B
“Despite the serious overhang I experienced with the variety of tanks I attached, the Vaporesso Tarot Pro executed the type of vape I’ve grown to expect from Vaporesso. With a ton of customizable options, the Tarot Pro can be utilized by a beginning vaper with no experience or advanced user with years under their belt. For a reliable and powerful device in an ocean full of competition, this could be a great option for your vape collection.”
Team Spinfuel
