Commercial characteristics
- Sponsor who loaned the product for the magazine: Acquired on our own funds
- Price of the tested product: 79 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: 75W
- Maximum voltage: 6V
- Minimum resistance value for a start: 0.15Ω
Reviewer comments on business characteristics
We can be a geek vapoteur and love the beautiful, we all know, we who share an immoderate passion for the demolding of clouds.
Square, tubular, futuristic, tactile, classic, plump or even in the shape of a penguin, the mods attract us like honey attracts bears and as I exert an embarrassing fascination on my next door neighbor who is as bearded as me. Of course, all this obeys rational parameters, at least it is that we believe ourselves obliged to explain to our half at the time of the purchase: it vapes better, it is more reliable, there is more autonomy… in short, all the usual salamalecs to justify the fact that, for the second time this month, it will be necessary to strain the restaurant item of the family budget.
But, since we are among ourselves, the real reasons, primal, instinctive and compulsive lie in this quasi-Newtonian gravitation that we undergo when faced with the novelty or the look… Will the iPhone 8 be better than the 7? Will he phone better? Will he take better photos? Will it allow us to connect to Facebook faster? What does it matter! In the trash on the 7th, I need the 8th! And that's it! It is the same ? I don't give a damn about it, the 8 is necessarily better since it's the 8!
It is with this in mind that I am going to tell you about my last purchase. I will not insult you to tell you that it is better than the previous one or that it is revolutionary and I will therefore spare you, my reader friend, the usual salads that I sell to my other half to justify that I am buying a new mod shelf above the desk because the previous one is full.
Vapeman is a brand of 5Makers, a Chinese company based in Shenzen since 2014 whose catalog has as many references as a supermarket from the Soviet era. Two mods fight a duel, no atomizer, an international reputation close to that of the Undersecretary of State for Okapi Rights in Botswana, this is not really a brand that inspires confidence and whose name throws itself in the face of your best competitor in the branchouille vaporizer where it is good to show that we passed the Joyetech stage a long time ago.
And yet, as a beautiful flower sometimes grows on an incongruous path of sand and pebbles, from this brand came out the Steam Engine, box-mod that we will talk about today. A sort of gold nugget in the middle of a pond. A UFO…
Presenting a very particular style which we will take a look at a little further down, the Steam Engine, or the steam locomotive in French in the text, is powered by a DNA75, a powerful chipset, well-established and well known to all. It is offered at a price of 79 €, corresponding to a meal with the children at the local McDonald's, counting the ice creams, my third sandwich and the trip to the zoo where the youngest put you to shame by screaming with fear in front of the giraffe. Seen from this angle, I feel you are interested ...
But its supreme particularity is that it is beautiful! Rather Captain Nemo than Captain Marvel, a wonder directly from the wreck of the Nautilus and I'm not talking about the atomizer ...
Physical characteristics and felt quality
- Width or Diameter of the product in mm: 28
- Product Length or Height in mm: 85
- Product weight in grams: 355
- Materials composing the product: Zinc Alloy, Leather
- Form Factor Type: Classic Box - VaporShark type
- Decorative Style: Steam Punk Universe
- Quality of decoration: Excellent, it is a work of art
- 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: Metal mechanics on contact caouctoucouc
- Number of buttons making up the interface, including touch zones if they are present: 2
- Type of user interface buttons: Mechanical metal on contact rubber
- Quality of the interface button (s): Good, the button is very responsive
- Number of parts in the product: 2
- Number of threads: 1
- Quality of the threads: Excellent
- 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: 4.3 / 5 
Reviewer's comments on physical characteristics and perceived quality
Taratata… I see you coming. You are imagining that the Steam Engine is a Pico-style micro box that goes everywhere and fits in the palm of your hand, ato included. Nay! It is a beautiful baby of more than 350gr once the batteries are in, which also contains two and whose dimensions, without being exaggerated, position it as a mod of an average size in the category.
Aesthetically, I let you admire the photos taken with my Aphone 8, I think they speak for themselves. We have here a mod quite in the so-called Steampunk or Neo-Vintage movement, not very well represented in the current panorama if we except the hexagonal productions of Pro-MS and some mods here and there which are inspired by it. Here it is in the same vein, but rather with that rare elegance of a small pirate box or hides a gold compass.
Built around a zinc alloy architecture, a material widely used in the vast majority of industrial production because of its ability to be molded and a fairly high impact resistance, the Steam Engine is covered in leather for a sensual pleasure, both in the hands and in the pupils. This is real leather, I want to clarify, and not yet another petrochemical imitation. I won't go so far as to point out the animal that supplies this material, perhaps the giraffe from the zoo?
The leather is piped as it should with a thread of the same color which adds a touch of classy authenticity to the box and the manufacturer's “Vapeman” logo has been stamped on the edge opposite the screen. Elegant down to the attention to detail, the leather supports bronze and copper-style metal bands, which appear as riveted in the leather (but this is only an illusion) and which add the famous Steampunk aspect which I told you more about. high.
The switch and interface buttons, metallic, naturally take their place and stand out by borrowing the copper color of the rivets. It is totally successful from a strict design point of view. From an ergonomic point of view, we can blame that the three buttons move in their respective locations and that they click a little when we move the box. Not having Parkinson's disease yet, that doesn't bother me too much, but more attention could have been paid to this point. On the other hand, the buttons are responsive and pleasant to use.
The OLED screen is typical of the productions of Evolv, the creator of the DNA75, and will not change your habits in any way. It is classic, clear, very informative and seems to be surmounted by a rounded glass which sometimes makes a rather curious magnifying effect but very in the optics of the general design.
The top-cap has a now classic plate equipped with a spring-loaded 510 connection whose positive pin is made of brass. This plate is large and will allow you to accommodate, without making your set-up misshapen, an atomizer with a diameter of up to 27mm, which opens up a host of possibilities. A golden and short atomizer would be a plus, to complete the whole well and stay in the aesthetic spirit. I stuck a Saturn on it and I must admit that I remained in self-admiration for a few minutes ...
The bottom-cap traditionally accommodates a battery hatch on a slide, which can be removed and put back easily once the handling is well integrated, nothing rocket science. The batteries can be inserted there without problem, even when they have been “skinned”. Both should be installed with the negative pole facing the bottom of the device. No head to tail here. Finally, there are three vents of modest dimensions which seem to be there only to ensure a possible degassing and not to provide the cooling of the chipset, given their position. But, since the Steam Engine doesn't have any characteristics that predestine it for an overpowering vape, it seems consistent.
To finish with this physical overview, it remains for me to tell you that after three weeks of use, the box smells of leather and metal and that the bottom-cap is patinaing a little in the places where it is contact with the surfaces where it arises. The leather ages a little bit but is resistant to liquid splashes and the whole seems to follow a rather nice aging process. I can't wait for the leather to crack a little! And yes, we are in Nemo's world here, not at Ikea ...
Functional features
- Type of chipset used: DNA
- Connection type: 510, Ego - via adapter
- Adjustable positive stud? Yes, through a spring.
- Lock system ? Electronic
- Quality of the locking system: Excellent, the chosen approach is very practical
- 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 coils, Support the update of its firmware, Support the customization of its behavior by external software, Adjustment of the display brightness, Messages of clear diagnosis
- Accusability: 18650
- Does the mod support stacking? No
- Number of batteries supported: 2
- Does the mod retain its configuration without batteries? Yes
- Does the mod offer a recharge feature? Charging function possible via Micro-USB
- Is the recharge function pass-through? Yes
- 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 mms of compatibility with an atomizer: 27
- Accuracy of the output power at full charge of the battery: Excellent, there is no difference between the requested power and the real power
- Accuracy of the output voltage at full charge of the battery: Excellent, there is no difference between the requested voltage and the actual voltage
Vapelier's note regarding functional characteristics: 4 / 5 
Reviewer's comments on functional features
The Steam Engine being powered by a DNA75, you will not have any surprises if you know this chipset well. Reliable in variable power and temperature control, it is an attentive traveling companion to provide you with a precise vape, full of sensations, which allow you a rendering very focused on the detail of the flavors.
Customizable in very large proportions using the software Write and by training yourself a little, you can then adapt the behavior of the box to your slightest wishes, both graphics by modifying logos and texts, and electronics by influencing the various possibilities of signal curvature or wire implementation resistive.
For the rest, there are no novelties, we are on a well-known and reliable engine. Your box will vapor as well as a Therion or a Jac Vapor, an Elfin, an HCigar, in short, all the boxes which already use, to the delight of their users, one of the most widespread chipsets in the world. . I won't get into the sterile fight over who, Yihi, Evolv, or whatever, makes the best chipsets. I leave that to your appreciation. Personally, I try to move forward without preconceptions and, being a regular user of DNA, I must admit that I have never been held back in my vape. This does not prevent me from appreciating the other chip card manufacturers!
We find the ergonomics and the now classic gestures that allow working on the mod itself. 5 clicks offer you the engagement or disengagement of the stand-by. Simultaneous pressing of the [+] and [-] buttons blocks and unlocks the power or the programmed temperature. In stand-by mode, pressing the switch and the [-] button enables or disables the screen (normal or stealth) during firing. In the same mode, pressing the switch and the [+] button blocks the resistance taken into account. Still in stand-by, a long press on the [+] and [-] buttons activates the temperature control mode.
As usual, there is a usable power scale between 1 and 75W, an output voltage between 0.2 and 6.2V, a maximum possible current of 40A and your mod will start to operate from 0.15Ω. Take care to avoid damaged batteries, those whose name ends in “fire” which immediately announce the color and to choose batteries delivering a peak intensity around 30A to be comfortable and without risk.
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? Yes
Vapelier's note on packaging: 4 / 5
Reviewer's comments on conditioning
Yes, a packaging that lives up to the situation!
A good rigid card blooming good the beginning of 20rd century welcomes your box in a very resistant thermoformed foam that will absorb all shocks, a USB / Micro USB cable that I would have liked less anonymous and a small burlap bag which completes the endowment quite a bit.
A notice in English is provided and details with sufficient precision the first aid actions to use your box quickly. To go further, it will be necessary to refer to the specific Evolv literature for the control of the chipset and the customization software. The forums can also help you in your quest for the absolute vape by demystifying a little the methodology of the many and varied actions.
Appreciations in use
- Transport facilities with the test atomizer: Ok for Jean's back pocket (no discomfort)
- Disassembly and cleaning facilities: Super simple, even blind in the dark!
- Easy to change the batteries: Super simple, even blind in the dark!
- 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: 4.5/5 
Reviewer's comments on the use of the product
With a mod of this type, it is still difficult not to be on a cloud, if I may put it that way, when using it.
First of all, the look reveals the passions and inevitably, the eyes of other vapers linger on the Steam Engine. Then, no electronic anomaly disturbs your peace of mind, the engine is extremely reliable and perfectly assumes its role of coal in the hold to make your coils red.
The Steam Engine is an easy-to-use box with good autonomy. By lowering the cut-off voltage to around 2.7V (by Escribe), which remains correct for IMR batteries, we benefit from great peace of mind and enough energy to turn a day around 40W.
The rendering lives up to the reputation of the chipset, precise in the transcription of the aromas and providing a signal quite capable of providing at the same time the necessary density and the desirable precision. A perfect balance for lovers of taste above all.
The micro USB socket will allow you to charge your batteries in situ nomad mode even if I advise you, for everyday use, a traditional charger, more able to spare the life of your batteries along the length.
The handling comfort is appreciable and the massive presence of leather is an essential asset for unparalleled visual and tactile sensuality. It may be said, but the nobility of certain materials, whether metallic, mineral or organic, is more evident in the user experience.
Recommendations for use
- Type of batteries used during the tests: 18650
- Number of batteries used during the tests: 2
- 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 device less than 27mm in diameter, which doesn't hurt ...
- Description of the test configuration used: The Flave, Tsunami 24, Kayfun V5, Taifun GT3
- Description of the ideal configuration with this product: A good golden RTA
was the product liked by the reviewer: Yes
Overall average of the Vapelier for this product: 4.5 / 5 
Link to a video review or blog maintained by the reviewer author of the review
The mood ticket of the reviewer
Astronaut friends, Méliès fans, Jules Vernes aficionados, Sons Of Anarchy survivor bikers, I urge you to look into the subject if you are considering the purchase of an original box by its sober class and its outdated but timeless vintage appearance .
Of course, such an object deserves and it will be necessary identify to find your beautiful one because, to my surprise and unless I am mistaken, the European wholesalers have apparently ignored the importation of the Steam Engine in our chilly regions. If you do not find, however, I invite you to put on your best diving suit and try to search the wreck of the Titanic, there must be some left ...
A beautiful personal meeting with this box who became my companion everyday (yes, I am a guedin, I tell my life, it's swag!) and that I can only advise you if you are lovers of beautiful objects in addition to being a vaper. These two qualities will probably not assure you of a win in the next lottery, but they command my respect ;-).
To close the chapter in beauty, I draw an indisputable Top Mod for an incomparable object.
(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.
