Turtle Ship V2 Clone (Fasttech) Review!

So what’s a Turtle Ship?

I don’t know….but it’s good! It took a while to get in and after putting some miles on it, I can say that it really is a good mod. It’s no mystery that I am a huge Nemesis clone fan. Not even for the price but just in itself, it delivers well beyond expectations, when you factor the price in as well, you can forget about it. It is one of the most, if not the actual most versatile device out there. Anything will fit on it without a rattle. You can check out the overview on that here! That being said, when it came to the Ship I was curious how it was going to perform when compared to the Nemesis and while I haven’t spent  as much time with it as I have spent with the Nemesis, I can say that so far it’s not a bad one save for one quirk that can be easily fixed (and we’ll tell you how later). I find myself using it more than the Nemesis because it’s just something a little different and a break from the brass I’m so used to.

Looks wise, it’s stellar. Stainless construction with a nice brushed finish. Looks great with just about any atty on top and just feels nice to use. The engravings a deep and ridged and you can feel them in hand when you’re holding it. It give it the feel of a much more expensive device. Even though it is locked in this picture, it does not fire when set down unlocked. I usually lock it if I’m going to step away from it for a while or if it’s in my pocket but it is nice to not have to lock it if it’s just sitting on the table in front of you.

You get the standard fare 3 body tubes with this one. If you haven’t figured it out already, this a segmented mod and does not telescope. Some people prefer a telescoping device because you can unscrew it or screw it down to accommodate just about any combination of atomizers and batteries. It’s very versatile because you can change batteries without having to bring tubes with you. Personally, I don’t like that style of device and that’s partly because of the way I vape. I only use 18650 batteries and do not need to worry making my devices fit anything but that. I also just prefer the cleaner lines and designs of segmented mods. So with this mod, you get your main body tube which has the logo and a quote. There’s a few different renditions of what that quote actually is but the most common and my personal favorite is “Live to Die, Die to Live”. You also get two additional body tubes that will allow you to use 18490s’s and a kick although the kick ring is not pictured here. The threading on this is very good. That’s a common concern for people and a lot of the times will define how well the item is perceived in overall quality and this one has no issues in that department.

The top cap is very functional and looks good on its own. It has air paths on top which will allow you to use an atomizer that needs its airflow from the device. Most people will use this with a dripper or a Kayfun style atty which all get their airflow from themselves but it is nice to have that option if you should ever need to take advantage of it. The top pin is floating on this guy. The floating pin thing can be a little confusing sometimes and until you use one, you might not fully get how it works. It’s not threaded and it’s not spring loaded. What it is, is press fit into the Delrin insulator and can be moved up and down by pushing and pulling. To properly fit an atty flush, you push the pin all the way in and start screwing on your device. As you screw down your atty, it will simply push the pin down until it is  flush…now you’re ready to go.

If you look into this mod at all, you’ll more than likely see or hear something about the engravings and we touched on them a little before. They really are well done. Sure, they’re not as good as an original but for a clone they’re exceptional. They’re deep and they’re dark and you can feel them as you use the device.  The contrast between the dark engravings and the clean stainless is really what sets these mods off aesthetically. The button engravings are definitely the standouts. One of the best I have seen…

This is a tough one to do….the switch is bittersweet on this. It looks great and the action on it is very good. I like the external plunger design is nice and reminiscent of the Caravela design. If this switch could be adjusted like the Nemesis switch but look the way it does…if someone can make that design happen, I would be a buyer. For all I know, there may already be something like that out there that I’ve missed and if so, please let me know! The plunger and the contact pin screw together through the main body of the switch which allows the plunger to spin freely letting you turn it with the locking ring making it easier to operate. The locking ring is not reverse threaded on this guy.

The one and really the only issue with this device is that white Delrin insulator. That same piece is used to adjust for gaps. It screws up and down on a threaded lip that comes up from the main body. The problem is that it is threaded too loosely. So if you set up your Delrin to the the proper height to not have a battery gap, when you go to screw the rest of the device together the Delrin will spin with the battery that is sitting on top of it and your adjustment goes away resulting in a constant battery rattle. The device will still work with a rattle and some people really don’t mind. I’m not very particular myself. I don’t sweat the small stuff but I cannot stand a battery rattle. It will be a deal breaker.

So how do you fix it? Easily, and with something you probably already have laying around.

Grab an o-ring, I used one of the spares that came with my Igo-W. Take the Delrin off and double the o-ring over itself then stick in around the threaded lip on the switch body that you screw the Delrin on to. Screw the Delrin back on. You will have to use pliers to grab the Delrin and tighten it down. Careful when stretching the doubled up ring to not snap it. Once you’re done, the Delrin will no longer move with the battery and will sit high enough to kill the rattle. You can’t even tell it’s there. Turned this mod from meh to awesome.

So all in, it’s a killer device. If you’re considering it, you won’t be making a mistake. I almost forgot….the part that everyone wants to hear, how does it hit? It’s a strong hitter, no worries whatsoever in that department. Most people know how well the Nemesis fires and this is right up there with it. If you like the Nemesis, you’ll like this. It has just enough changes to differentiate itself as its own device but similar enough to where it’ll be familiar to enjoy.

You can pick it up from Fasttech here as well check out some other reviews from other owners.

No Hidden Agendas.

A little bit of a scuffle was raised up over the recent Fasttech article. We had someone comment about how it contradicted with the local B&M article. Essentially stating that if we are so about the local shop why would we send people to FT? We’ll, I’ll tell you this: We are not about the local shop. We are not about Fasttech. We are about what works for us and what we feel like doing. This whole movement was started because people chose to do something different from the norm. I think a lot of that gets lost over the circlejerking that takes places on some of the forums and other outlets. People will tend to dogpile on someone’s idea or one product and sometimes forget if it is worth it or just all a big hype.

The comments can be found on the Fasttech guide comment section and I do make sure to let the person know that I personally shop on price. Others may not agree with this or agree with it to please others. I have personally never liked to lie about my money. Between a mortgage, car, and etc…I find spending over $100 on a metal tube a little obscene and this may chap some assholes out there but it is what it is. I can just imagine the buyer’s remorse when opening up the box and taking out my $150 metal tube that is the same as the $30 clone. Again not everyone’s mentality but that’s how I see it personally. The interesting part of the comments is that the person did mention they own a store selling vape products and losing sales to places like FT.

I understand the frustration but it is ultimately survival of the fittest. Some people shop on price, others on service, others on whatever matters to them. Like I said, I shop on price personally. I do my own research on the item and vendor and when considering all factors, make what I feel is the best purchase for my interests. There are plenty of others out there who shop on those other factors…those should be the dollars you are trying to capture.

Fasttech is not killing local business and anyone who has any experience in commerce will be able to tell you that. The issue with some of the current small business owners is that they tend to not have any formal business training at all. While FT and similar sites do have dirt cheap prices, they are most certainly not gobbling up all the business. As mentioned before, each person shops based on what matters to them. Since we can’t have our cake and eat it too, we know it’s not all perfect. If you want to save money buying overseas, be prepared for a wait. Some people don’t mind this…..to many and I mean many, this is a complete deal breaker. The whole sentiment towards them just screams bitterness and immaturity. Certainly not the type of person I would like to purchase anything from.

The upsetting thing to me was the accusatory attitude of the comments and concern about this blog’s amount of followers. I make no money from this and never intended to. My intention is not to direct you in one place or another. It is to simply show what is going on in the vape world and all of its aspects. You can buy what you want and from where you want.

We’re not trying to sell you anything, we have no hidden agendas.

The Deal With Fasttech…A MyVape Guide.

Alright, so if you spend any amount of time on the forums or other eCig online communities, you will most certainly hear or read about Fasttech. Maybe you’ve even bought from there before…maybe you haven’t. If you haven’t you probably have some questions and concerns and you’re not sure which way you should go about your purchase. We’ll make it easy and show you some of the things to watch out for.

-So what is Fasttech?

FT is a online consumer electronics retailer based out of China.

-That’s great but why should I care?

Because they carry a boat ton of ecig/vape gear. You know all those clones you hear about? This is where they come from for the most part. When you hear of people getting high end mech clones for $30, this is where they bought it from. When you see vendors in the states selling clones for $59.99, this is where they bought them from. It doesn’t stop at clones though. They have a huge selection of legitimate products. Things like the Vamo, MVP2, K100, Kanger products, batteries, RDAs/RBAs, and much more and all at the LOWEST prices you will find and they ship everything free worldwide. Seriously, if you got it for cheaper….you probably stole it.

-Alright, alright, so they have a sh*t ton of vape gear…that’s cool and all but I’m sketched out about the whole “based in China” deal.

You know what, that’s normal. A lot of people are. It certainly is a little sketch to order something from another country where you can’t just call up and ask questions if you don’t feel something is right. What really makes people shy away in this case though is the fact that it’s China and well China is China….take that for what it’s worth. However, with FT the service is top notch. They have a great support ticket system and they answer all of your inquiries within 24 hours. Their responses are in English and yes every once in a while a word or two will be off or not in the correct tense but you can clearly understand what they are are telling you and you can hold a conversation. Their return policy is the same as you would expect from a reputable vendor here in the states and each item has a “review” section of its own where you can read others’ experiences with the item before you actually make the purchase.

-Yeah but it’s still coming from CHINA!

Where do you think 99% of this stuff is being made anyway? I can tell you right now that just about all of your vape gear is coming from China save for your high end mods and RBAs and things along those lines that are specifically known for being crafted elsewhere. What’s really going down is that the middleMEN are being cut out…most of them anyway. When you purchase a product that is made in China from a US vendor, there is a reason why the cost is more than on sites like FT. It’s mainly because they buy from FT and resale at an additional 40-50 points of margin to cover their operating costs and still turn a profit. In other cases, vendors are going though brokers or wholesalers who purchase directly from the manufacturer and then resell to them. Lots of people in the pipeline and everyone needs to get paid. Who’s going to do it?…..you are.

-Hmm….ok but how do I know they won’t just take my money and disappear?

Well, because if they did that they wouldn’t be in business anymore. As mentioned earlier, there is a reason why you see FT mentioned on just about every forum everywhere. It’s because people continue to use them and purchase their products. They offer good products at great prices. Check out any video reviewing a clone from them and comparing it to the real deal. Aside from maybe one or two exceptions, the knockoffs perform just as well and in some cases better than the original. Now, whatever your feelings are on clones are just that….your feelings. If you don’t agree then don’t buy. We’re not picking sides here or debating the morality of buying knock offs. We’re just laying down the facts about a particular vendor.

-Alright I’m starting to bite….reputable, dirt cheap, large selection, and good stuff. What’s the catch?

There’s always a catch isn’t there. You can’t just have your cake and eat it too and this is no exception. This is most likely the topic of the threads you’ve seen all over the place…the shipping is rough.

-What do you mean “rough”?

That really depends on how patient you are and how much you want to save money. Keep in mind that everything they sell ships for free anywhere and you do have the option to pay for expedited shipping. With that said, transit time averages a month to 5 weeks. That might be a deal breaker for some people. For others, it may not even matter. If you’re willing to wait a little while and save some money then it’s great. If you can plan ahead and anticipate the wait you will save yourself a lot of money. A lot of people tend to complain A LOT about the transit time. It really comes down to what’s more important to you. Do you want to save some money or do you want your stuff yesterday? If you’re the type of person who orders something and checks your tracking number 3 times a day, this might not be for you unless you can learn to just relax and let it flow. If you don’t mind placing an order and waiting a while then you’ll love the service offered. Keep in mind that the lionshare of the wait is not the vendor’s fault in many cases. Your order is coming from far away and there are strict guidelines when it comes to international shipping. Customs are strict and one package can slow down an entire lot.

-Cool, thanks for the heads up…got anymore tips?

Yeah, a couple…avoid ordering batteries from FT. They offer the same Efests, Sonys, Panasonics, and etc. that you find everywhere else so quality is not an issue. It’s that whole customs shenanigan that we talked about earlier. They’re kind of finnicky when it comes to shipping batteries. You know, because they can blow up and stuff.

If you’re looking to buy an RBA/RDA or other small item that is $15 or so from a stateside vendor but FT has it for $6.95, the wait is probably not worth it to save such a small amount.

…and speaking of RDAs and mechs and batteries. A lot of times new vapers avoid these items because they are more expensive and they don’t want to spend money on something they’re not sure they’re going to like. This works out well because it gives them a chance to hang out longer and learn more about the hobby before buying something without knowing what they’re doing. Don’t jump the gun and buy a device or accessories that you’re not ready for just because they’re cheap. Save it for next time…or whenever you’re ready.

This one was submitted by a Reddit user. Pay attention to the “in stock status of the item”. Most will say “ships next day” and if that’s the case, then it really does ship next day. Others will say “ships in X amount of days” meaning that the item is not in stock and FT has to get it back in or wait for a stock order to arrive. Now the expected shipping date can run longer but it can also run a lot quicker than the projected date. FT will not split  your order if you have multiple items on it. So say for instance you order three products. Two are ready for next day shipping and the third is going to take another week. They will hold the entire order back until all items are in stock….not the way we’d like to see it done. Good news is that there is a workaround. Place two separate orders. Now remember, shipping is free so you will not be charge anything extra you will just be placing two separate orders. Pay for one, then get right back in an place a new one. What you want to do is place your items that will ship immediately on one order and any of the ones that have a wait associated with them on their own order so your stuff that is in stock does not get held back. Make sense?

You can check out their ecig offerings HERE! The rest of the site has some pretty electronics as well. Worth a quick round.

So thanks for hanging out with us again and if you have some tips or a personal story you’d like to share, we’d love to hear it!

Fasttech Nemesis Gone Bad.

So you’ve heard about the Nemesis clone from Fasttech right? You’ve seen the reviews….and you know what? They’re good! Now we won’t get into a clone war here and we know everyone has their own stand on clones in general and we’ll touch on that later, that’s not what this is about.

While reviews tend to be pretty favorable for the Nemesis clone, that doesn’t mean they’re all perfect. One Reddit user’s (etchie) experience wasn’t so great. After waiting for weeks for his device to arrive, when it did it…was unusable. The threading on the top cap was so poor that it would not screw all the way down to allow for proper battery connection and thus the device wouldn’t fire. Yup….totally unusable. Given all the positive feedback out there, it sounds like this may have been a bad unit but that does not excuse the manufacturer from letting it roll like this. Clones already have a battle to fight and we get it but we also understand that they are an affordable avenue for many to enter the world of mechanicals.

What is crucial here is that the community does not let something like this slip by unnoticed. If you get a device like this be it a clone or original and regardless of where it comes from, contact the vendor or manufacturer to let them know and ask for a resolution. What we should be avoiding is getting complacent with sub par products. The reason clones have been performing almost as strong if not exactly the same as their original counterparts is because they are trying to establish their foothold. They have to deliver if they hope to remain desirable, if we let things slide so will quality control.

We’ve actually got the same exact device enroute from the same vendor. We’ll follow up with a full and unbiased overview once it arrives. Hopes are high for a good product despite being a clone and we’ll make sure to let you know exactly what we think as soon as it gets in.