Product intro
Mike Vapes and Wotofo have teamed up again to bring us another Recurve RDA called the Recurve V2. It can handle single and dual-coil builds and has the same curvy appeal as the original. This is actually the third Recurve RDA Wotofo has released with Mike Vapes.
The original Recurve was a single-coil-only RDA, and in my opinion, a good performer. The Recurve Dual was the dual-coil version and did not have the curvy design of the original or the V2. I found it to have a slightly restricted airflow for a dual-coil atomizer, and though you can put a single coil in it, you can’t reduce the chamber.
That’s where the Recurve V2 comes in. It has two PEEK airflow adapters, one with a wider chamber for dual coils, and one with a reduced chamber for single builds. It’s like having two Recurves in one. Will the super deep juice well and airflow adapters of the Recurve V2 make it the best Recurve to date? That’s what I’m going to explore in this review.
Build quality and design
The Recurve V2 has the same curvy appeal as the original as well as the same style 810 curvy drip tip, but it’s a little bit shorter overall. It also has a two-piece barrel and top cap instead of a one-piece cap like the previous versions, which they probably had to do to have adjustable airflow using the PEEK airflow inserts. It comes in six colors, of which I received the gunmetal, gold, and rainbow. The finishes look really good. There’s also some branding on one side at the bottom that simply says “Recurve”, similar to the Recurve Dual.
The RTA measures 24.6 mm in diameter, which is a strange size considering a lot of tube mechs are either 24 mm or 25 mm in diameter. Why they did it like this I don’t know, but it’s not a dealbreaker for me. I currently have mine on the Recurve squonk mod (seemed appropriate,) and since the mod is 27 mm, the RDA doesn’t go all the way to the edge. It still looks good though. If you’re going to use the included coils, don’t use a mech mod as the resistance is too high—you will want to use a regulated mod. I only have it on the semi-mech Recurve because I’m on the third set of coils and I built lower just for the purpose of using this mod.
When you get to the build deck, you’ll notice the first big change. It has a postless-style build deck similar to the Pulse 24, only it’s slightly concave to allow liquid to flow back down to your cotton. The juice well is pretty deep on this RDA, it holds 2 mL of e-liquid. A lot of RTAs have 2 mL tanks, so it’s really like an RTA in that aspect. It is well machined, as I would expect from Wotofo, but there was a faint smell of machine oil on the deck so I would recommend a good cleaning before using it.
While the RDA itself is built very well, when removing the barrel from the deck, I noticed that the O-rings were pretty loose. In fact, the entire barrel section is practically falling off now that it’s lubed up. Thicker O-rings should have been used because the snug fit gets compromised by juice build-up coming from the airflow inserts. Also, once the barrel is locked into place, it still moves back and forth a little. That small amount of play doesn’t bother me, but there may be some who don’t like it.
The most significant change to this RDA is the addition of PEEK airflow inserts. You don’t technically have to use them, but you’re gonna have a bad vape if you don’t. You have one for dual-coil builds with a chamber size of 15 mm x 19 mm, and one with a reduced chamber that’s 10 mm x 19 mm for single-coil builds. They have two pins that stick out of the bottom that fit into corresponding holes on the deck. One thing I noticed is that you want to hold the inserts straight when removing them. If you try to remove them at an angle, you may actually break the pins. I don’t know how hard it is to break PEEK, but I pulled mine off at an angle and I could feel the pins bending so I immediately stopped and pulled it out straight. If something happens to your inserts, I don’t know if you’re able to get replacements.
The Recurve V2 comes with a lot of accessories, which is a plus. There are a set of 3 mm coils for a dual build and a 5 mm coil for a single build. The coil size and resistance are indicated, but the coil type is not. There’s also some shoelace cotton, extra post screws, a bf pin, and a nice Wotofo coiling rod, along with your screwdriver and hex key. There’s only one drip tip though, and there’s no 510 drip tip adapter or coil-cutting guide.
Build deck and wicking
The Recurve V2 has a post-less style build deck with Phillips head grub screws at the sides. It’s a pretty spacious build deck that looks like it will accommodate big builds, but you have to take into consideration the PEEK airflow inserts that will be sitting over your coils. I wouldn’t go any bigger than the coils they included, which are 3 mm for dual and 5 mm for single.
Building
The RDA has a stainless-steel build deck that is 22.2 mm in diameter. It is slightly concave to allow the juice to flow back down to your cotton, which also helps with over-dripping and over-squonking. It reminds me of the Pulse 24 deck, which is a breeze to build on, and this one is just as easy.
The post holes on the deck are small, around 1.5 mm by 2 mm, but given the size of the airflow inserts, you won’t be able to fit really big coils in there anyway. The holes are also only 6.5 mm across, so the included coils were just the right length. It doesn’t tell you where to cut the leads, but I cut mine at 7.5 mm for dual coil and 7 mm for single. I noticed when tightening the leads on the included single coil, it pulled the coil apart and gave me a perfectly spaced coil. I left it that way so there was no need to dry fire, and it worked out great.
If you cut your leads at the lengths I recommend, you’ll notice that they’re a little high off the deck and come close to touching the PEEK airflow insert—especially the single coil. If you cut your coils lower, they’ll be sitting close to the deck, and with the concave deck shape you may end up with your coils sitting in a bowl of e-liquid, and that’s not good. You can get close to the insert as long as you’re not dry firing it with the insert-on. If you’re using the included single-coil, or one with a similar diameter, make sure you center it as well as you can. That’s where the Wotofo coiling rod comes in handy, it’s 3 mm on one side and 5 mm on the other.
Wicking
Wicking with the included shoelace cotton was a breeze. If you’ve wicked an RDA before then you’ll have no trouble.
The wicking holes are around 6.5 mm by 4 mm, so there’s plenty of room for cotton for both single and dual coil. There’s no need to comb out your cotton unless you’re going to squonk, in which case it may help to thin it out a little. Like Mike Vapes says, don’t forget to give it a little under-under action!
If you’ve combed out your cotton and you notice it’s not squonking well, you may want to stick a little screwdriver into the juice well and push the cotton away from the squonk hole, or if you’re using dual coils, separate the wicks a little. That way you’re not restricting the squonk hole and the juice will flow better.
Airflow
The airflow for the Recurve V2 is provided by three slots on each side of the outer barrel that are 1 mm X 10 mm long. Air flows into these slots and then goes through the PEEK airflow inserts. The inserts have 1 mm round holes in three rows of five on each side, and the holes are angled downwards. This is the same for both inserts. Because of the downward angle of the holes, you’d think it would be better to cut your leads short and get the coils close to the deck, but don’t do this (trust me).
The airflow is really smooth and there’s plenty of it, especially in dual-coil mode. In single mode, it’s got a slightly tighter draw, but not by much. If you’re like me and you like a lot of airflows, then you won’t be disappointed. I was a little worried that it would be restricted like the Recurve Dual, but I was pleasantly surprised. In dual-mode, I found that the sweet spot for me is almost wide open but with the top row closed halfway, and in single mode, wide open is just right. At least that was my experience, and your mileage may vary.
To adjust the airflow simply turn the top cap. You can cut it down one hole at a time starting with the top row, and if you keep turning it will start closing off the second row one hole at a time. But you can’t cut off the bottom row, only the top two. I noticed the O-ring tolerance here was actually just right.
Recurve V2 performance
I think the Recurve V2 performs really good considering it actually has two Recurve RDAs packed into one. It’s a good vape in both single and dual-coil configuration with good airflow and equally good flavor.
Since the coil length wasn’t indicated anywhere, I had to use trial and error. And I usually like to run my coils low, so I did this first—especially since I didn’t want them too close to the PEEK airflow inserts. The problem I ran into with this, especially in single-coil mode, was that if you drip too much or over-squonk, your coils will essentially be sitting in a bowl of e-liquid. The result is gurgling hot juice spitting up into your mouth. Cut the leads at 7.5 mm for dual and 7 mm for single and you will resolve this problem.
As far as leaking goes, the RDA doesn’t leak under normal use. I did accidentally get it to leak from the airflow once, but I wasn’t paying attention and was absent-mindedly just pressing the squonk bottle over and over again. The next thing I know, there was liquid running down the mod. This was made worse by the fact that the top of the Recurve mod slopes down, but I can confidently say that it’s not going to leak if you vape like a normal person.
I didn’t compare the RDA back-to-back with either of the previous versions. I can tell you that the flavor is on-point in both dual and single-mode, (especially in single-mode,) and the airflow is something that most users will be able to tailor to their style of vaping, unlike the limited airflow options of the Recurve Dual. On the V2, if it’s too much you can cut it down, and if it’s not enough you can open it up.
Pros&Cons
+ Good build quality
+ Deep 2 mL capacity juice well
+ Easy to build on
+ Good airflow
+ Good flavor
+ Does dual and single-coil well
+ No leaking
+ Coils and cotton included
+ Coiling rod included
+ Coil size & ohms indicated
- Slack O-ring tolerance on the deck
- Barrel lock has some play
- PEEK pins could break on inserts
- Only one drip tip
- No coil-cutting guide
- Length to cut leads not mentioned
- Coil type not indicated
Verdict
The Recurve V2 RDA definitely performs well. The flavor is really good, and the airflow is fantastic. The fact that there’s more than enough airflow to satisfy just about everyone makes this a versatile RDA.
My biggest con is the O-ring tolerance on the deck. Even dry right out of the box I felt that it could have been tighter, and now that it’s lubed up it’s practically falling off. As I said, e-liquid builds upon the airflow inserts and runs down onto the O-rings. I tried the other two RDAs I received, and the results were the same. If you’re like me and you have a box of spare O-rings, it’s an easy fix, but it’s something Wotofo and Mike Vapes might want to address. Other than that, it’s a great RDA, and I would still recommend it for anyone who wants to add another Recurve to their collection or wants a good RDA for single or dual-coil use.
