E-Cigarette Reviews and Rankings

4stars

Augvape Druga 2 RDA Review

The original Druga RDA came out over three years ago, and even though it got a lot of attention back then, three years is a long time in the vaping industry, so I’m not sure how many people even remember it. I do, though; I never used it, but I remember hearing a lot of talk about it. It was actually the first time I ever heard the Druga brand name, so I was very excited when Augvape sent me the Druga 2 for review, because of how popular the iteration was.

Druga 2 Packaging and Presentation

Augvape, the company behind the Druga brand, usually went for this cylindrical cardboard boxes for its atomizers, but the Druga 2 packaging marks a change in direction. The newest iteration of the iconic RDA comes in a colorful square cardboard box with the Druga logo and a big ‘2’ on the front, and a list of contents, a scratch-and-check authenticity sticker and the usual nicotine and age warnings, on the back.

Inside the small box we only have the Druga 2 RDA and a small bag of accessories, which only includes three silicone o-rings and a hollow 510 pin for squonking. Usually, similar kits include spare grub screws as well, but they are not necessary in this case. I would have liked to see some pre-made coils thrown in, though…

Druga 2 Design and Build Quality

The Druga 2 is a 24mm RDA made almost exclusively of stainless steel. For this review, I received the stainless steel version, but you can also get it in black, red and gunmetal.

At first glance, the new Druga 2 doesn’t really stand out from other drippers. It does have this very low profile 810 drip tip that fits snug into a razed platform that makes it look like the drip tip is half Delrin half metal,, but other than that, nothing really draws you in. There is a Druga logo etched into the barrel, the side airflow slots on opposite sides, and more branding on the bottom, but that’s about it.

Things are a bit different on the inside, as the Druga 2 not only has the beefiest posts I have ever seen on a dripper, but also a black deck which goes quite well with the golden posts. That’s not just color, as Augvape claims that both the two posts and the 510 pin are plated with 24 karat gold for improved conductivity.

The juice wells are deep enough to hold a respectable amount of e-liquid and cotton, but you need to make sure you don’t tilt your device for too long, as that can cause juice to leak through those side airflow slots.

The design of the Druga 2 build deck is certainly reminiscent of the original Druga RDA, but there are a few notable differences. The posts of the first Druga were pretty massive in their day, but the ones of the Druga 2 are even bigger, as are the slots for the coil leads.

To prepare the posts for coil installation, you first have to unscrew the clamp-like posts, which you can easily do with your fingers, thanks to the knurling on them. They have Phillips heads, so you can just use a screwdriver as well. As you unscrew them, the clamps open and the large coil slots are revealed. Interestingly, the screws don’t come off as they did on the original Druga, so you don’t have to worry about losing them.

While the Druga 2 build deck looks pretty straightforward, which it is, installing a pair of coils on it is no walk in the park. There is no single coil airflow option, so you basically have to use this in dual coil mode for optimal performance, which means you need to fit four coil leads through only two post slots. If you’ve ever had to do this before, you know how tricky it can be.

My advice would be to get both coils in position, fasten the screws tight enough to leave marks on the leads, then take them out, clip the leads at the marked length, and then get them in position again and tighten down the clamp screws. You need to do this last part with a screwdriver, as no matter how strong you think you are, you are clamping on metal and the leads need to be tight for optimal conductivity.

Once you have the coils in place, make sure they have no hot spots before you put in the cotton wicks. Wicking should be a breeze, really, since you just have to make sure there is enough cotton in the juice well, while making sure to leave some free real-estate under the coils.

As a 24mm dripper, the Druga 2 should fit reasonably large coils, but super large exotics, like 3mm staggerds could pose a problem, especially if you don’t position them closer to the posts. Still, unless you plan on going for any unusually large builds you should be fine.

The airflow system of the Druga 2 reminds me of the Digiflavor Drop, with its honeycomb-style air slots and stepped top cap, which allowed you to block the slots one at a time. Apart from the design of the holes on the barrel, the Druga pretty much does the exact same thing, only it does it better.

Rotating the top cap allows you to close off individual air slots on both sides, but what if you’re left with just one hole, the last one on the bottom row? You’re going to have air hitting just the side of the coils, which isn’t ideal. Only Augvape designers were smart enough to implement an improvement that allows you to rotate the barrel ever so slightly, and position that airflow slot so that it hits the middle of the coils. Pretty smart design, I must say.

How Does the Druga 2 Vape?

To be perfectly honest, it’s been a while since I last used a dripper, so the Druga 2 was a nice change of pace for me. I had jumped on the pod mod bandwagon a few months back, and this RDA proved a nice distraction. Making the coils, installing and wicking them, everything went pretty smoothly, so I guess in that sense using a dripper is like riding a bicycle, once you learn it, you never really forget it.

With a couple of fused Clapton coils properly installed, the Druga 2 proved a joy to use, and while I don’t see myself going back to dripping anytime soon – too much work too little time to do it – it remind me that dripping is the best way to enjoy a good e-juice. You just don’t get the same flavor out of any pod pod or tank, so if you want to truly experience great flavor, invest in a good RDA.

I had no problems using the Druga 2, the airflow system allowed me to fine tune the draw and really get the best vaping experience possible, and I honestly can’t think of anything negative to say about it. If I were to really nitpick, I would mention the lack of a 510 drip-tip adapter for old school vapers, and the fact that the included 810 is extremely short. That means that your lips almost always touch the metal as well, which can get pretty hot when using ultra-low resistance coils.

Conclusion

I never got the chance to use the original Druga RDA, but I remember people raving about it, and I think the new Druga 2 only improves on it. You now have even larger clamp slots for beefier wires, it comes with a squonk pin, and the airflow is greatly improved. So if you liked the first Druga dripper, but though it could have been even better, you were right, and the Druga 2 will convince you of it.

The Druga 2 RDA was sent to me directly by Augvape, for the purpose of this review.

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