Chieftain 80W by Wotofo

Commercial characteristics

• Sponsor who has loaned the product for the magazine: Do not wish to be named.
• Price of the tested product: 58.90 Euros
• Product category according to its selling price: Mid-range (from 41 to 80 euros)
• Mod type: Variable power electronics and temperature control
• Is the mod telescopic? No
• Maximum power: 80 watts
• Maximum voltage: Not applicable
• Minimum value in Ohms resistance for a start: Less than 0.1

Reviewer comments on business characteristics

We know Wotofo, a relatively recent Chinese brand, by its best-sellers in terms of drippers like the Freakshow, the Sapor or other Troll and especially recently with RTAs like the Conqueror or the Serpent. The manufacturer has been able to invest the entry level of atomizers by offering reliable and very correctly finished steam machines. 

We know less about Wotofo as a manufacturer of boxes, which he has also been for some time. This is the opportunity to drive the point home today with the Chieftain 80W which arrives with good intentions and some interesting innovations on paper. 

Positioned at less than 59 €, the Chieftain therefore taps directly into the niche of mid-range boxes, a location already well occupied by essential references such as the Evic Vtwo Mini and other products very well made and having a side of love not negligible among vapers.

Offering 80W, a variable power mode, a full temperature control mode and the possibility of using a 26650 battery or an 18650 battery with adapter provided, the Chieftain does not let itself be impressed by the competition and intends to reiterate here also the magnificently successful hold-up on the world of atomizers.

Physical characteristics and felt quality

• Width or Diameter of the product in mm: 28.5
• Product Length or Height in mm: 92.5
• Product weight in grams: 197
• Material composing the product: Aluminum alloy
• Form Factor Type: Classic Box - VaporShark type
• Decorative style: Classic
• Quality of decoration: Good
• Is the coating of the mod sensitive to fingerprints? No
• All components of this mod seem well assembled? Yes
• Fire button position: Lateral near the top cap
• Fire button type: Mechanical metal on contact rubber
• Number of buttons making up the interface, including touch zones if they are present: 2
• Type of user interface buttons: Mechanical metal on rubber contact
• Quality of the interface button (s): Good, not the button is very responsive
• Number of parts in the product: 2
• Number of threads: 1
• Quality of the threads: Good
• Overall, do you appreciate the quality of manufacture of this product with regard to its price? Yes

Rating of the vapelier as to feelings quality: 3.6 / 5

Reviewer's comments on physical characteristics and perceived quality

However, it is not aesthetic side that the Chieftain will stand out in the first place. Indeed, the manufacturer must have estimated that the classic was timeless and the box therefore does not take on particular adornments to seduce us. Without being ugly however, it seems quite common, not to say bland and is content with a completely conventional form that does not make it stand out from the crowd. This may appeal to some, I do not denigrate it but the initial seduction suffers a little. Let's be frank, we're all drawn to pretty, unusual bodies.

On the other hand, a good effort was made on the quality of construction which imposes some for the segment. Perfect machining and molding, fit and finishes of a very good level including on the interior parts, Wotofo played the big game to provide a box whose perceived quality is positioned largely at the level of the competitors. This also concerns the installation of paint which seems to be of quality even if this particular point is often verified over time. The box is also available in six colors: gray, blue, black, red, green and orange red.

The grip is natural even if the dimensions are far from negligible, in particular the height. The width, on the other hand, is contained if we consider the possibility of using a 26650 battery: 28.5mm, it is not much for this exercise and it will also be used to seat many atomizers on the box. 

The weight is quite high for the category, 197gr 18650 battery included to compare with the 163gr of the Evic in the same power configuration. But it's not really a problem, we are still quite far from the heavyweights in this area. 

The buttons are made of aluminum and are impeccably set in their respective housings. Working perfectly, however, they require a strong enough pressure to be activated, which may inconvenience those who prefer very direct and flexible switches. A defect, objectively, if we consider that the force to be printed for firing is much greater than that which must be printed on a Hexohm for example. We will be consoled by noting that the buttons are judiciously placed in cavities of the chassis, which protects against involuntary pressure. Moreover, even placed on a table on the control panel side, no untimely press is triggered.

In the category of faults, we also note the difficulty in replacing the battery cover, which is held by two magnets, but which needs to be positioned directly opposite in order to reach its housing. Any attempt to let magnetism act on its own will inevitably result in a crooked hood. 

The 510 connection, whose pin is mounted on a spring, is effective even if it remains devoid of air intakes to feed your ato from below. Considering the constant depletion of the offer on this type of material, this no longer seems to me to be a real pitfall.

No visible vent, but marketing explains that there is one hidden to avoid explosions. I confirm…. that it is very well hidden. Moreover, I am launching a competition game: “Find the vent!”. To be won: my eternal gratitude.

The screen is clear and very readable. It is flush with the control panel and is therefore fairly directly exposed in the event of a fall. But, as any vaper knows, a box is not made to fall. Point. 😉

Functional features

• Type of chipset used: Owner
• Connection type: 510, Ego - via adapter
• Adjustable positive stud? Yes, through a spring.
• Lock system ? Electronic
• Quality of the locking system: Good, the function does what it is for
• Features offered by the mod: Display of the charge of the batteries, Display of the resistance value, Protection against short circuits from the atomizer, Protection against reverse polarity of the batteries, Display of the current vape voltage , Display of the power of the current vape, Temperature control of the atomizer resistors, Support the update of its firmware, Clear diagnostic messages
• Accusability: 18650, 26650
• Does the mod support stacking? No
• Number of batteries supported: 1
• Does the mod retain its configuration without batteries? Yes
• Does the mod offer a recharge feature? No recharge function offered by the mod
• Is the recharge function pass-through? No recharge function offered by the mod
• Does the mode offer a Power Bank function? No power bank function offered by the mod
• Does the mode offer other functions? No other function offered by the mod
• Presence of air flow regulation? No, nothing is planned to feed an atomizer from the bottom
• Maximum diameter in mm of compatibility with an atomizer: 25
• Accuracy of the output power at full charge of the battery: Good, there is a tiny difference between the requested power and the real power
• Accuracy of the output voltage at full charge of the battery: Good, there is a tiny difference between the requested voltage and the actual voltage

Vapelier's note regarding functional characteristics: 3.3 / 5

Reviewer's comments on functional features

Let's talk about what is annoying first, then we will have the leisure to relax with the good points of the Chieftain.

There is a micro-USB port at the bottom of the control panel. It is not used to recharge the batteries. Well, this is already a shame, especially if you have to travel, even if it is true that an external charger guarantees increased durability of the batteries. But anyway, it sometimes helps out… So, we can deduce that the micro-USB port is then used to update the firmware. Bingo, that's it! As soon as a USB cable (supplied) points the tip of its nose, the mod comes to attention by displaying UPDATE as well as the url of the chipset manufacturer or you must connect to do this: www.reekbox.com.

Perfect. So I connect to a site as deserted as a movie theater during a retrospective on Max Pecas and I download the application necessary to update the firmware and even change the welcome logo. Awesome !

I'll pass you the details. You just have to understand that: first, there is no update (yet?) And secondly, the application does not recognize the box. Which therefore drastically limits the interest of this possibility and consequently the interest of the presence of a micro-USB socket… Unless it is about the famous “hidden” vent?

For the rest, the Chiefain arrives with beautiful ambitions and a slew of different modes:

• POWER mode: Traditional variable power, ranging from 5 to 80W on a resistance scale between 0.09 and 3Ω.
• The OUT DIY mode: which allows you to influence the rise curve of the signal by setting a different power in half-second steps. Useful to boost a clapton or to calm dry-hits on an ordinary resistive.
• Mode C: temperature control in degrees Celsius, between 100 and 300 ° on a scale of 0.03 to 1Ω which then gives access to the choice of resistive: Ni200, titanium or SS316 and even a TCR mode allowing you to implement your own vote resistive.
• Mode F: the same but in Fahrenheit.
• Joule mode: an automatic mode which determines the power and the temperature according to different parameters: your way of vaping and the value of the resistance ...

Suffice to say that we therefore have a fairly wide choice. Likewise, the ergonomics are fairly well thought out and Sundeu's Reekbox V1.2 chipset is likely to fall short in the near future. Small non-exhaustive overview of the manipulations:

• Pressing [+] and [-] simultaneously: locks / unlocks the [+] and [-] buttons.
• Press [+] and switch: enter the mode selection menu. Once arrived, we pass the various modes by the buttons [+] and [-] and we validate by the switch. Then, you automatically go to the submenu corresponding to the mode. Here, it is always so simple, one increments / decrements the values ​​by [+] and [-] and one validates by the switch.
• Press [-] and switch: inversion of the screen direction.

Note that all the conventional protections have been implemented: battery polarity reversal and all but also, and this is fairly new and inflated, detection of dry-hits which causes the power to drop from the moment or the system considers that the coil is no longer sufficiently supplied by the liquid. Astonishing principle that I cannot explain but which works in practice. I used an atomizer whose high power limit of the assembly is around 38W, I tested it at 60W and I did not have a dry-hit !!!? !! Even if this principle has repercussions that we will see below, it is something interesting that should encourage builders to work on it. Be careful, however, this does not prevent a taste of hot from a certain amplitude of power but not a dry-hit.

Evaluation of the packaging

• Presence of a box accompanying the product: Yes
• Would you say that the packaging is up to the price of the product? Yes
• Presence of a user manual? Yes
• Is the manual understandable for a non-English speaker? No
• Does the manual explain ALL features? No

Vapelier's note on packaging: 3 / 5

Reviewer's comments on conditioning

The packaging is amazing in that it is very large for a box of this size.

The oversized hard cardboard accommodates the box, a flat section USB cable unusable for the moment and a rather summary English manual on which I would have liked to find explanations on the firmware update rather than a whole page on the precautions for use and the guarantee which could have taken five lines at the bottom of the page rather than investing half of the instructions ...

Appreciations in use

• Transport facilities with the test atomizer: Ok for a Jean side pocket (no discomfort)
• Disassembly and cleaning facilities: Easy, even standing on the street, with a simple Kleenex
• Easy to change the batteries: Easy, even standing in the street
• Did the mod heat up? No
• Has there been any erratic behavior after a day of use? No
• Description of situations in which the product has experienced erratic behavior

Vapelier's rating in terms of ease of use: 5/5

Reviewer's comments on the use of the product

Hell is paved, it seems, with good intentions… Without going that far, the Chieftain, by wishing to offer numerous and / or new features, sometimes blows hot and sometimes cold in use.

The temperature control mode behaves nicely. Without going so far as to compete with Yihie or even Joyetech in the field, the mode is quite efficient and allows fans to vape safe without any disappointment.

The automatic Joule mode is well thought out. The temperature sent will be a little hot for some liquids but the automation is at this price and works correctly, without any particular reproach. We can always find this mode a little gadget or not very geeky. It's not false. But it has the merit of existing and functioning.

The Out Diy mode also works. Even if it is a little tedious to program, but no more than other boxes equipped with the same device, it makes it possible to better manage the rise in the signal. Too bad all the same that only the first three seconds are configurable because then, the programming loops and it becomes less interesting.

The variable power mode is, unfortunately, the poor relation of the functional configuration. And when we know that it is currently the most used mode, it's a shame. Exaggerated latency between firing and heating of the coil, impression of a lower power than that requested (in actual comparison with other mods), impression of instability of the signal on long puffs ... the faults are quite obvious and the rendering of vape in this mode suffers. 

It seems to me that the protection against the dry-hits, even if that does not call into question the concept, is the cause of all these evils and that a better adjustment would be necessary in the future. Or, at least, the possibility for the user to disengage it in order to enjoy an unblemished vape in variable power mode. For this, it would be good for the manufacturer to communicate more on this technology and especially on the possibilities of upgrading the chipset which will be, in my opinion, necessary, even if it means redesigning the application made for which, for the moment, does not not even allow to play Pong.

It is often said that “who can do more can do less” and sometimes it just isn't possible.

Recommendations for use

• Type of batteries used during the tests: 18650
• Number of batteries used during the tests: The batteries are proprietary / Not applicable
• With what type of atomizer is it advisable to use this product? Dripper, Classic fiber, Sub-ohm assembly, Genesis-type rebuildable
• With which model of atomizer is it advisable to use this product? Any atomizer with a diameter less than or equal to 25mm
• Description of the test configuration used: Taïgun GT3, Vapor Giant Mini V3, Psywar Beast
• Description of the ideal configuration with this product: A Serpent from Wotofo

was the product liked by the reviewer: Bof, it's not the craze

Overall average of the Vapelier for this product: 3.6 / 5

Link to a video review or blog maintained by the reviewer author of the review

The mood ticket of the reviewer

The final balance is therefore rather mixed. 

If we can only welcome Wotofo's risk-taking by offering equipment, in an already crowded segment, distinguished by promising innovations, it is unfortunately necessary to temper this enthusiasm by the simple observation that reality is not in terms of stated ambitions. 

All the concepts developed by the manufacturer in the Chieftain will certainly be technologies that will make the vape evolve in the right direction, I have no doubt about it. But they are not yet fully completed and will require additional development to convince beyond the theory, rather tempting.

The temperature control mode is complete and works well. Joule mode is interesting and deserves to be perfected a bit to be completely believable. The Out Diy module, more conventional today, is not developed because it does not extend over the length of the 12-second cut-off and therefore loops back, which reduces its interest. The principle of anti-dry-hits protection is extremely promising in the sense of a healthy vape and we can only hope that the founder will achieve his goals in a future version.

But, there is the ultimate test of daily use, which is the only one that can convince the user and the variable power vape rendering is too upset by the different protections to convince. This does not however in any way affect the chances of Wotofo and Sundeu to surprise us with an update or a different completely successful version which could well change the rules of the game if it sees the light of day.

(c) Copyright Le Vapelier SAS 2014 - Only full reproduction of this article is authorized - Any modification of any kind is totally prohibited and infringes the rights of this copyright.