Vapes

Review: SMOK Minos! (Is it really leak-proof?)

As an avid vapor, I’m always on the look out for any gems in the market, especially after my latest disappointment with the Altus Tank. If you had a chance to read that review, you’ll notice that my biggest complaint was how prone the tank was to leaking, so this time around, I decided to buy a tank that is acclaimed to be “leak-proof”. Now the question we have to ask ourselves, how leak-proof is the SMOK Minos really?

smok minos

Let’s first discuss the specs. This is a $25.95 tank that comes in Silver or Black. It holds 4.0ml of liquid with its 25mm diameter. It comes pre-built with NiChrome 0.3 Coil on its large velocity style build deck. Most importantly, it’s a top-fill with ample airflow.

Right off the bat, when I began unpacking the tank, the attention to detail to the packaging was impressive. It honestly felt as though I was unpacking aging a $500 electronic. As you can tell by the above image, the box design is attractive, and the tank is safely protected inside the foam.

Now let us look at the deck:

smok minos deck

What you’re looking at is a 0.3 dual coil setup. The deck is relatively large which is fantastic for playing around with different builds. I was also definitely thankful that SMOK provided a free build with the Minos since that allowed me to try it out right out of the box.

SO DID THE TANK LEAK?

 

Here’s the funny thing. I wicked the coils, primed the cotton, put everything together and then began filling up the tank with my e-liquid. What happened? Nearly ALL the liquid leaked out of the air flows. So I took it all apart again, cleaned all the parts up, verified that I’m not blocking any air flows, tightened up all the parts and I refilled the tank again. What happened? Everything leaked again….

Before jumping to conclusions, I decided to make sure that the SMOK Minos isn’t leaking due to user errors. I took it slower this time, did a bit of reading on SMOK’s website, and reviewed all parts of the Minos. Once I figured out what I was doing wrong, I made the right amendments and refilled the tank for the third time. So what happened this time? It didn’t leak, and hasn’t leaked since!

Allow me to explain what I did to ensure that the tank won’t leak:

CHECK YOUR JUICE CHAMBERS!

smok minos

Your deck has 4 entrances to the juice chamber. You MUST stuff the cotton down into those slots. Notice how the edges of my cotton are all stuffed downwards into the slots. There is a total of four slots as I mentioned, so all 4 edges need to be tucked into those slots. This was a very newbie error from my side, but I’m sure there is someone out there that also had this oversight.

CLOSE OFF YOUR LIQUID CHAMBER AND AIRFLOW BEFORE OPENING TOP

smok minos

Before you unscrew the tip so you can refill the tank, you need to make sure that your liquid chamber and airflows are set on close. Otherwise, when you open the top, the air pressure will push the liquid down to deck too quickly, and it will lead to leakage as you’re filling up. This tip comes directly from SMOK’s website, and it was truly a great tip. All you have to do is rotate the glass tank to close it off, and then simply rotate the air flow piece to close it off.

HOLD YOUR TANK AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE

smok minos

Quite simple, when you are pouring in your e-liquid, make sure to hold it at an angle. As pointed out on SMOK’s website, it is also in your best interest to complete the refilling process as fast as possible.


clouds

Those were the steps I took to ensure that the tank wouldn’t leak, and it hasn’t leaked since. Now that we have that out of the way, what do I think of the tank? Well, it produces great flavor (similar to the Aspire Cleito), so I have no complaints there. It isn’t big on vapor production, but at the same time, I’m not one who looks for that. The tank does get quite hot from active use, so keep that in mind.

Overall, it’s a great tank if you’re looking for a compact tank that simply doesn’t leak. I’m happy with my purchase and just for $26, it’s a fantastic deal. I do want to mention that I did try vaping using organic cotton, and also Japanese cotton, and I will say that Japanese cotton was superior to the organic cotton you may find at your local CVS store.

If you’re interested in buying the Japanese cotton that I am currently using and is pictured beside this post, then you can grab a pack of 20 pieces for $5.99 from Amazon. With proper measuring and use, this should last you nearly a whole year.

 

SMOK Minos 25mm

Flavor
Lack of leakage
Refilling ease
Airflow
Vapor production
Value

Great value for price!

BUY NOW!
User Rating: Be the first one !

Mark Ortiz

My name is Mark and I started ReviewingThis back in 2016 as an outlet for me to review products that I've personally tried! Throughout the years, I've also brought in several new writers that wanted to share their personal experiences as well. All the reviews you'll find here have been personally reviewed my someone on the team!

4 Comments

  1. THANK YOU. Holy hell after messing around, taking it apart, online research and checking build guides THIS is the one that finally helped me solve the major leakage issue I’ve been having. I can not thank you enough.

    1. Josh,

      That’s great to hear! As I said in the post, it was a complete failure the first two times I refilled the tank. Once I set it up properly, it’s been great ever.

      Thanks,
      Mark

  2. despite taking all precautions mentioned here and on smok website and around the web, my Minos leaks like a mofo every time i refill it. Up to the point that i have had to retire it. It is a shame because it produces the best flavor i have experienced. I am very disappointed how things turned out and feel like i lost my 30 bucks down the drain

    1. Sorry to hear that Zubair.

      Are you able to locate the spot from where it is leaking? One thing that I didn’t touch in the article is that sometimes if the O-rings move around a bit or tear up, it may lead to leaking. In the SMOK packaging you received, there should be additional O-rings you can use. I suggest switching them all out. One other thing, make sure that there is definite space between the your cotton/coils and the airflows.

      If you’ve tried all the following, then contact SMOK and have them initiate a return for you. If your tank is defective, you’re entitled to a refund or exchange.

      Thanks,
      Mark

      P.S – I suggest taking a look at the Kangertech Cupti if you want a device that is completely leak-proof without any modifications. I just recorded my review of the product: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRhjOo6mbhA

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