Vaporesso Forz TX80 Kit Review: Test Results Are In
November 14, 2020Product intro and specs
This kit includes the Forz TX80 mod, which is a single-18650 rugged and water-resistant box mod rated at 80 watts, and the Forz 25 sub ohm tank. They also have a version that comes with an RDA, but we won’t be going over that today.
Vaporesso sent me this kit free of charge for the purposes of this review.
Specifications
- Dimensions (with tank on): 133.1 mm x 30.1 mm x 41.7 mm
- Display: 0.69-inch OLED screen
- Resistance: 0.03-5.0 ohm
- Coil: GTR 0.4-ohm mesh (40-60 watts) GTR 0.15-ohm mesh (60-80 watts)
- Output power: 5-80 watts
- Chipset: AXON Chip 2.0
- Tank capacity: 4.5 mL / 2 mL (TPD)
- Charging current: DC 5V/2A Type-C
- Battery: Single 18650
Kit contents
- 1 x FORZ TX80 mod
- 1 x FORZ tank 25 (4.5 mL)
- 1 x GTR 0.15-ohm MESH Coil (pre-installed)
- 1 x GTR 0.4-ohm MESH Coil (in box)
- 1 x Screwdriver
- 1 x USB silicone plug
- 1 x Silicone drip tip cover
- 1 x FORZ badge
- 4 x O-ring
- 1 x Glass tube
- 1 x Type-C USB cable
- 1 x User manual
- 1 x Warranty card
First impressions
When this mod arrived and I opened it up, it was pretty clear what it was aiming to be. It’s Vaporesso’s version of the Aegis Solo. That’s not a bad thing by any means—more options and competition are always good and Vaporesso makes great mods. The Forz is a rugged and water-resistant single-18650 mod with all the features of the Axon chipset.
The one thing that did stand out though is that the included tank is actually surrounded in a coating that they list as fiberglass, plastic, and soft rubber. If you drop your mod a lot, a rugged tank is great news. The glass is protected very well and the tank itself is also durable. Overall, I was pretty happy with the design from the start.
Build quality and design
The Forz TX80 is a lightweight and compact but nicely built mod. It takes a lot of cues from the Geekvape Aegis line of mods, and like them, it’s water resistant and rugged. But unlike the Aegis line, I didn’t see it actually listed as IP67-rated anywhere. In the hand, it feels solid and not cheap or flimsy while not being too heavy. The fire button is a basic rectangle on the front of the mod above the screen. The up and down buttons are placed right below the screen and above the menu button. On the side behind a rubber plug is the USB-C port. It features a 0.69-inch black and white screen that’s easy to see, clear, and very bright. A color screen would have been nice, but they seem to be shying away from color screens lately. The screen is very similar to that of the Gen S that I recently reviewed.
The 510 pin is great and gave me no issues with any atomizer. The mod is listed at 30.1 mm wide, but with the 510 being off-centered and towards the front, the 25mm included tank sits pretty much flush with the sides and front of the mod.
I was sent the Steel Blue and Leather Brown editions. All available color options are mostly black covered in silicon for durability, with a gunmetal frame color. The only color difference comes with the leather backing, which feels great in the hand. The included tank is always black and covered for durability. It matches all the mods nicely. Branding was kept nice and simple. There is just a “FORZ” logo on the back etched into the leather. The battery compartment has a similar threaded cap like the Aegis Solo. It worked great with no issues and I had no problem getting batteries in and out. There is no button rattle on this mod at all either. Overall, it’s a great looking and well-built mod.
While I couldn’t find it being listed as IP67 rated, they do say it’s water and shock-resistant, so I tested it like I do with the Aegis mods. I had no issues leaving it under water for 30 mins and no issues dropping it. Very happy with its durability and it should survive everyday accidents easily.
Features and functions
The Forz TX80 is packed with features and modes like most of Vaporesso’s mods. You have Pulse Mode, Power Eco, Smart TC, and DIY Mode which is where you can pick the standard modes of Power (with normal, hard and soft preheats), Temp Control (SS, Ni200, Ti, and one TCR memory slot), Voltage Mode, Bypass Mode, Super Player Mode and their new “F(t)” mode. In the settings menu, there is also their Smart and Auto modes. Sadly, no watt curve mode anymore, which is one of the best modes on mods and much better than some of the newer ones they added. I hope they bring it back for their next mod.
Their new F(t) mode is supposed to adjust the output as you vape but using it at 50 watts and compared to 50 watts in power mode, it didn’t feel any different. I appreciate their attempts at innovation, but most of their modes don’t really serve a purpose and it’s almost becoming overbearing. I feel they would be better off sticking to the basics of power (with preheats and curves) Temp mode, Voltage mode, and Bypass. TC mode uses a standard TCR as well which is fully adjustable across all modes. It’s cool to have the features, but everything you need is in the DIY mode menu. So that’s where I stick around personally. Not sure what the point of a Pulse mode is, and the Super Player mode is just power mode with a lower minimum resistance.
Using the Forz TX80
As far as the menu goes, it’s the typical Vaporesso menu with a dedicated menu button underneath the plus and minus buttons. It’s very simple and easy to navigate. Here is a quick rundown:
- Five clicks of the fire button to turn on and off
- Three clicks of mode to enter the menu
- Use up and down to scroll the menu and mode to accept.
- Use fire to exit menu
- Three clicks of fire to lock adjustment buttons (can still fire)
- TCR and power adjustments are made after selecting the mode
Power mode performance
Testing on this mod was done with Sony VTC5A batteries. For listed specs, I could only find max watts which was 80. I wish they would list all three (watts, volts, and amps). Just listing watts is kind of short-selling themselves, as their specs are great.
During my testing, the max achieved wattage was 83, so a good rating at 80 watts on this device. The amp limit I got was 29, which is average for a single-battery mod these days. The average is around 30 give or take a couple of amps. The volt limit I got with a 0.62-ohm coil was 7.153 volts, which is great and shows it has a boost circuit like all single battery mods should. The mod adjusts in 0.5-watt increments which is great. Glad they did away with the 0.1 increments.
Accuracy wise, it’s a mostly accurate mod. Typically within a watt or two of the setting. Overall, a really good performer. You can see the full results in the chart above.
They list 2-amp charging on this mod and while I don’t recommend charging mods internally, I did test that just for informational purposes. I found the max charge rate to be 1.83 amps, so good rating there and close enough for a 2-amp rating.
Temperature control performance
Using SS316L wire and in SS mode after setting the TCR to 92 (default is 105 but should be 92), I tested three builds:
- One simple round single coil
- One simple round dual coil
- One fancy wire single coil
The power is fully adjustable in TC mode. I was able to get a warm vape around the 440F range, so it is pretty accurate and you can adjust for taste with plenty of wiggle room. It throttles smoothly and has good dry hit protection. I get a consistent vape every time and the power lets you adjust the ramp up.
I had no issues powering any build under 80 watts. I tried the auto TC but it was too inconsistent—you’re better off using the DIY mode and setting up your TC that way. Overall, it’s a very good performer in TC mode as I’ve come to expect from Vaporesso.
Forz 25 tank rundown
Ok, so let’s do a quick rundown of the Forz 25 tank. Coils for this are the brand new GTR coils which are not compatible with other devices. There are two coils compatible with this tank and it comes with one of each.
- The GTR 0.15-ohm mesh coil (rated 60-80 watts)
- The GTR 0.4-ohm mesh coil (rated 40-60 watts)
Vaporesso coils (outside of really low watt pod coils) have been so-so for me. Well, these new coils are the best ones I’ve had from them so far. Starting off with the 0.15-ohm GTR mesh coil I found it best around 70 watts. Flavor was really good, and I vaped 80 mL of juice and it was still going. My only complaint is that vaping on this mod at 70 watts will drain your battery pretty fast. Then onto the 0.4-ohm GTR mesh coil which I found best at around 50 watts. Flavor was good and coil life was just as good as the 0.15-ohm version—but you’ll get better battery life out of it and use a little less juice. Overall, both the coils are really good and worth using. Really good improvements on the coils from Vaporesso.
The tank comes with a straight glass (4.5 mL standard, 2 mL TPD) and a replacement glass as well, which likely won’t be needed due to the coating around it that makes it really hard to break. I do like the rugged tank design a lot. The coil system is your standard plug and play coil system like the Crown 3. The coils are not so easy to remove though, with not much to grip. Thankfully, the included tool to take apart the part works great at popping out the coil and putting them in is very easy. To replace them, you unscrew the base and then pop them out from the tank. You can’t do it with a full tank, it needs to be pretty much empty. My only complaint on the tank is that the threading on the base isn’t great. It’s not awful, but it is crunchy and typically not as good as other tanks on the market—including older Vaporesso ones. Not a major deal, and could be because mine is an early sample, but it’s worth mentioning for sure.
To disassemble the tank, you have to unscrew the top cap then use the tool to unscrew the lock nut. This only has to be done to replace the glass though, so I doubt you’ll ever have to do it. It uses a standard wide bore 810 O-ring fitted black Delrin drip tip which has some texture on it, and a metal ring on the bottom for looks. Normally I’d say it’s pretty plain, but in this case, it matches really well with the mod and the tank and fits very nicely. The fill method is a screw off the top cap style—kind of old school, but works great. It has two large fill holes and it’s easy to fill with any bottle. The airflow control ring is smooth and easy to adjust. It’s on a stopper and has some nice knurling on it for looks and grip. Overall, the tank itself is very well done and its rugged coating is something new in vaping.
Pros / Cons
- (+) Good build quality
- (+) Leather backing (nice soft feel in the hand)
- (+) Five color options
- (+) Very lightweight
- (+) Rugged and water resistant
- (+) Handles 25 mm atomizers without overhang
- (+) Practical battery cap
- (+) Screen is bright and easy to read
- (+) Easy to use menu system
- (+) Good power mode performance
- (+) Voltage mode available
- (+) Accurately rated for watts
- (+) High amp and volt limit
- (-) No color screen
- (-) No listing for amp and volt limits on site or manual
- (-) No Watt Curve mode like previous mods
- (-) Threading on the tank base could be better
- (-) Too many new modes that don’t add much functionality
Gallery
Verdict
Overall, Vaporesso did a great job with this kit. The cons are all pretty minor and it really is just a great starter kit for sub ohm vaping. It’s small, rugged, works great, and the included tank works well and will survive a fall here and there. No real complaints on this at all. If you are in the market for a new kit, the Forz TX80 is an excellent choice and a solid competitor to the Aegis line of mods.
Let me know what you think in the comments and thanks for reading!
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Article Author: Anthony Victor