Eleaf targets a wide audience and offers a kit at home anywhere that should come seriously compete with the Joyetech VTC Mini and other boxes by Kangertech or Joyetech, for the best known brands.
One must recognize that the material offered by Chinese manufacturers has taken a step forwards both in terms of technology and design. Today it is more and more complicated, in my opinion, to make the difference between average range and top-end equipment.
This iStick blurs even more the cards by offering a leading product, full and good almost everywhere in what vape may propose in this April 2016.
Like the other versions, this iStick Pico offers temperature control. It controls and limits the heat of resistance coils so as to protect you and to protect your health. This function requires the use of a compatible coil manufactured in Ni200, stainless steel, titanium, an equivalent NiFe or others, but all can operate by simply modulating power.
This Pico offers much of the technical progress made to date with the power and autonomy of an interchangeable battery in 18,650. And no, you’re not dreaming, this tiny Pico hosts an interchangeable 18,650 battery.
It is sold as a kit, so buying a clearomizer is unnecessary since it comes with the new Melo III mini. However, you will need to purchase separately a good quality battery.
Pico, or the unit of measurement very small things, incredibly tiny and of compact size, a stroke of genius signed by Eleaf
The name chosen by Eleaf is in perfect agreement with the product. Indeed, the picometer is a unit of measurement of very small in the order of the size of atoms. This reference is not misused, especially with a 18,650 battery. This is certainly the most compact to date with this format.
“Compact” is without hesitation the term of reference for this really small iSick Pico. Eleaf has succeeded the seamless integration of 18,650 batteries, and has the luxury of offering a more ergonomic design than Pipeline with its recent Eight. Of course the quality is not comparable to Dicode but the design is quite comparable with the battery on one side and the chip and spray on the other.
The stroke of genius (or bluff) is to leave the battery out of the chassis and to cover it with a cap that will serve as closure. The greatest things are astonishingly often the simplest.
A perfect design for a finish coherent with its median price
Packaging is usual and always more than adequate with Eleaf, and this does not change with this Pico and Melo III mini.
The device renders a quality feeling but also some approximations in the mounting frame and the finishing the top cap’ s screw. Approximation that is however easily forgiven when one relates to the quality of use and price.
The Pico has everything to make you a satisfied vaper and I guess that’s a real concern for competitors. The Pico is good everywhere.
Its design can equally carry the favors of both genders. Its power may satisfy most vapers including the most frantic of us. Certainly, it does not offer 1000 W of power but, between us, this race for power, who cares? Beyond a certain value is not vaping for fun but only for the performance.
Next, you have a USB cable, a mini Melo III, a spare coil of 0.5 Ω and a 0.3 Ω in the Clearomizer, and two manuals.
In summary, it lacks a good quality 18,650 battery to start without delay provided that you carefully read the manual for settings and calibration of the coil if you want to use temperature control, but that is not an obligation.
With 185 grams, all-inclusive, it weighs 40-60 grams less than its direct competitors. It is a true performance with a 18,650 battery.
The screen is the same as that of other iSticks, small but informative enough. Useful information is clearly presented. However, the brightness is not adjustable and it is though perfect indoors but almost unreadable in sunlight. On my specimen, the screen is slightly offset to the left, it is convenient for use by a right-handed but not for a left-handed. I can not tell you if it is wanted or not.
Ease of use, all options, and smart controls
As for controls, everything in this Pico is controlled by the fire and two small buttons cleverly hidden under the bottom of the box. These metal buttons do not cause noise which is a success for Eleaf, compared to the first iStick.
The Fire comes naturally under the fingers and its finish and use seem better than on previous models. Its operation is quiet and more pleasant.
Regulars users will find the same settings and chipset as the latest models which therefore offer temperature control, the bypass, the temperature and the TCR modes. The update of the chipset is of course of the game.
This iStick Pico is a small modern bomb, ultra compact and sexy that will shake the little world of the boxes. Its ergonomics and design are just perfect for an everyday vape.
Technical features
The main features of the iStick Pico are:
- Ovoid Fire in metal
- Dimensions (L/l/h): 45/23/70.5 mm
- Weight: 130 g with battery, 185 g with battery + Melo III Mini
- Melo III Mini: 55 mmx 22 mm, 2 ml
- Connectors: 510 on spring
- Material: Aluminium/Steel
- Battery type: 1×18,650 Not included
- Compatible coils: 0.05 Ω to 1.5 Ω for TC-Ni/TC-Ti/TC-SS/TCR modes and 0.1 Ω to 3.5 Ω for the VW mode,
- Temperature Control Mode TC-Ni/TC-Ti/TC-SS/TCR
- Temperature range: 100-315°C / 200-600°F
- Power: 1-75 W
- Screen: white OLED
- Information on screen: selected output power (in W) and/or selected temperature, coil temperature, resistance in use (in Ω), battery level (gauge) and actual level of output power.
- Colors: Black, steel, flashy pink and white
- Manual short but comprehensive
- Upgradeable firmware
Box content:
- 1 Box Mod
- 1 Melo III mini
- 2 coils
- Spare O-rings
- 1 USB cable
- 2 User Manuals
An irreproachable standard quality of vape, a chip without surprise, already well known and all the setting modes you need, and more…
Your iStick Pico will comply with nickel, titanium and stainless steel (SS) but also comply with other materials with different heating coefficients that can be set in menus M1 to M3.
Like the other iSticks using this chipset, the Pico is fairly simple and intuitive, in particular for the use of temperature control.
The preliminary calibration is obviously present and is easy to access but still not enough emphasized. You have to press 3 times on the Fire to get to this selection menu for vape modes, temperature NI, TI, SS, temperature M1 to M3, bypass and finally wattage.
Then, you select your option with a click on the fire. To calibrate the resistance in the temperature control mode, you must press the + button and the Fire for 2 seconds until you see the locker. The manual is clear and focused.
On a daily use the possible settings of this iStick is simple and fairly intuitive. You can easily set your power and/or temperature with the + or – buttons located under the bottom.
You will also notice that you can adjust the maximum power delivered when using the temperature control mode by pressing 4 times the Fire to enter the setting of this power from 1 to 75 W.
The battery gauge is relatively reliable, but not accurate enough in graphics. It would be better to inform on the remainder autonomy via a percentage.
Finally, to reassure the stunned and the worried, Pico automatically returns to the watt mode if it detects a classic resistance when it was set temperature mode and often with a higher power. This is to avoid burning your resistance classic. It is good, especially if you have not touched the 75°C preset in the temperature mode.
Finally, I must report that I found this iStick Pico quickly consumed the battery that was not old, yet. With the same atomizer and the same battery, the autonomy is almost an hour less than with my Pipeline Pro 2, for example, which makes me say that the battery cutoff is high or that this chipset consumes a lot of energy. I confess to not having found the battery cutoff level in the technical part of the manual.
An upgrade of the iStick that perfectly makes between all uses and all users, the effort is commendable
As for the last iSticks, Pico has both mode, classic and Bypass, to turn your box into a Mech mod. This iStick Pico is not limited to the temperature control and the titanium or nickel resistances, you can also use it like any box by choosing the “Wattage” mode for modulating the power between 1 and 75 W. The settings are extremely simple as to increase or decrease the power, just use the + or – buttons.
The Bypass Mode turns your box into the Mech mode with the assurance that the box continues to control most of the security measures and protects you in case of surge related to a defective battery or a faulty contact. Personally, I never use it but some are fond of this more direct vape.
A Melo III Mini too small for these coils that are very effective but require to refill too often
Just a few word about the Melo III mini with its top re-fill system and an efficient airflow hidden in the bottom ring. This Melo uses the huge proprietary coils, they are common with the brand Aspire so there is no problem to purchase spare parts.
Even if fully I understand the manufacturer’s desire to prepare for this small capacity of 2 ml, I question the fact of using such resistance that certainly work very well but consume far too much liquid. The autonomy of these 2 ml is much too small, you will be forced to constantly re-fill the clearomizer. It is true that you can also opt for a Lemo 3 that contains 4 ml, but in this kit I had no choice.
I would add for those, like me, who vape with bigger clearomizers, the Flash e-vapor v4 fits flush despite its 23 mm. I nevertheless had to remove the Taifun’s airflow ring to screw it. So, be careful if you want to mount an atomizer in 23 mm. For the 22 mm and less is simply happiness.
Melo III mini is ideal to vape discreetly. In stealth mode, without lit screen, it allows vaping in the palm of a hand.
In summary
The “+”:
- remarkably compact
- 18,650 rechargeable battery
- Successful design
- Three possible uses: Mech in bypass mode, regular in watt mode or expert via temperature control
- Light weight
- A complete temperature control
- USB charging at the bottom of the box, away from of fluid leaks
- 510 Connectivity allows the use of other atomizers
The “-“:
- Prefer it naked, without clearomizer
- Brittle paint coating
- Battery gauge
- Average finish of the battery top screw cap
- Calibration of the coils in temperature mode not enough highlighted
Conclusions
Rating 5/5 for the box alone and 4.3/5 for the kit with this Melo III mini. This iStick Pico is the worthy successor of the first iStick 20 W that attracted many vapers upon its release thanks to its usability and its low price. Everything is there to make a big hit with this iStick Pico. The only restriction, and this really takes the biscuit, is that it is too small for big hands, making the use of the Fire a little less natural. But for those looking for a small box, it is the best of the time, no doubt.
hello.. i have istick pick 75w. whenever i sm using it its heating inside.. pleas tell me what temprature should i keep.. temprature Ti? ss? wattage please tell me one by one what to set..