3 Reasons Why I Kept MY SMOK TFV12 Tank

Hey everyone! Welcome to my crazy world of vaping, where I’m constantly trying new things and seeing what works best for my cloud chasing habits. Today, I’m going to talk about my favorite tank that I’ve ever used, and still use even while writing this. Here’s three reasons why I can’t justify upgrading to the new models that Smok released. 

HIGHEST WATTAGE OF ANY SMOK ATOMIZER EVER PRODUCED

 In 2017, Smok rocked the vaping world by producing an enormous tank called the TFV12. Touted as the Cloud Beast King, Smok bragged about a whopping 6mL e-liquid capacity, huge flavorful clouds, coils that could fire as high as 200W, and a revolutionary tank design that would eliminate e-liquid from leaking out. It sounded incredible and promised to be everything cloud chasers were looking for. 

And it was for several years; Smok produced several other tanks like the TFV12 Prince, the TFV12 Cobra, and the TFV12 Baby Tank, but none of these could ever hope to compare to the legacy of the TFV12. I tried all of these tanks, curious to see the difference but was disappointed with the low ohm resistance of each tank’s coils. I’d always end up going back to my TFV12 and continue to buy coils to keep up with my lust for high wattage and huge clouds. 

Earlier this year, Smok released the G-Priv 3 (which I’ll share my review in a few days). I immediately fell in love with the deep magenta color option and glass screen. Forgoing all the previous Smok tank disappointments, I decided I’d give the TFV16 Lite a try. I was stunned to learn that the wattage on this tank’s coils were extremely low (60-90W range), but the excitement of having a bright color and a new mod were too much to resist. After a few short days of using it, I ran into my first problem: the new and improved o-ring. The o-ring actually got stuck on a sharp point of the swivel top and was pulled from the top, stretching it to the point where it wouldn’t go back into its designed location. I eventually used the spare o-ring that came with the kit, but a mere three hours later, the same thing happened! I was beyond frustrated and ended up returning the tank to Smok and went back to my original TFV12. 

NEW AND IMPROVED ISN’T ALWAYS BETTER

With every new tank created, Smok listened to the feedback that vapers provided. Previously, all Smok tanks came designed with all those o-rings right atop the e-liquid refill slot, creating an alleged “leak-proof” tight seal that would keep your liquid in the tank. Unfortunately, heavy all-day vapers (myself included) would constantly refill their tanks and would end up tugging, nudging, or moving the o-ring with the tip of the e-liquid bottles. So much strain on that o-ring would eventually cause it to tear or pop out entirely. Once the o-ring was out, there would be a lot of wrestling to put it back exactly how it was before. If the o-ring broke, there was a spare o-ring included with all Smok’s tanks, but it would never fit as perfectly as it did fresh out of the box. 

Smok attempted to solve this problem when they created an entirely new tank called the Baby V2. While it was only a “baby” version, Smok designed this tank to be superior to all other tanks for two reasons: a new locking mechanism that prevented the tank from swiveling open accidentally and an airtight o-ring seal placed on the underside of the swivel top, effectively preventing bottle tips or careless fingertips from dislodging it. 

I was delighted to learn that Smok had done something new after so many years of producing tanks that were bulky and tedious to refill. I bought the TFV8 Baby V2 and filled up my tank right away. While it was a lot easier to fill with o-ring being on the bottom, I noticed that the tank capacity was slightly smaller (5mL compared to the TFV12’s 6 mL), albeit better designed. My biggest disappointment, however, was the wattage capacity. I was accustomed to vaping at 150+ watts, but I had to adjust to the V2’s range of 60-130 watts max, a far cry from the TFV12’s powerful 200 watts maximum. I did my best to get used to the Baby V2, but eventually I went back to the Cloud Beast King. Even though it wasn’t the newest tank, it satisfied my craving for huge clouds and strong flavor. 

BIGGER CLOUDS, BETTER FLAVOR, & ATOMIZER LONGEVITY

The TFV12 was certainly an impressive tank when it was first released, but Smok seems to be going down the route of more flavor and less bulkiness. In order to do that, tank sizes were compressed and the wattages were lowered. You might assume I’m just stubbornly resisting change, but time and time again, I found that the other tanks couldn’t compare to the appropriately named Cloud Beast King. Coils on the TFV12 lasted sometimes a month or more, and I vape A LOT (about 2-3 tanks a day). 

Although there’s no easy way to measure how big clouds are, I felt like my clouds were bigger and puffier. Many of the newer tanks boast coils that offer stronger and purer flavor, but to me, the TFV12 delivers a lot more flavor than the current ones. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying the TFV12 was perfect. I’ve had a weird o-ring issue where the e-liquid fill-slot got squished every time I closed the tank. Miraculously, it doesn’t leak or have any other issues aside from being annoying. Also, I have to be careful if I put the device in my purse or pocket because it could be popped open. The new ones now have an ingenious locking device that prevents this from happening, so that’s definitely an improvement that I wish my TFV12 had. 

CONCLUSION

Again, all of these are my own opinions. I realize that some vapers may absolutely adore the new tanks from Smok, and I’m happy for you! But for me, the TFV12 is my go-to. I’ve experimented with many other tanks and find myself always returning to the Cloud Beast King. For coils to last me a month, deliver a better throat hit of flavor, and not have to wrestle with replacement parts, I have no reason to upgrade. But if Smok ever re-released the TFV12 with a locking mechanism and o-ring on the top, you know I’m going to be their first customer! If you have a tank that you feel is better than the TFV12 or if you feel the same way I do about my TFV12 tank, let me know in the comments below! I love hearing about other vapers and their daily cloud-chasing experiences. Check out some of our most popular flavors and browse the site for your next all-day favorite. We’ll see you on Wednesday for my next article, “States That Banned The Sale Of Flavored eLiquids.” Until then, vape happy fellow vapers. May your tank always be full of delicious eJuice and your clouds full of flavor!