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darksun773

Arco Sub-Ohm Tank Review! Flax Paper: Success or Flop? - Darksun Vapes

Review

Good day fellow vapers, today I’m going to be reviewing the Arco Sub-Ohm tank by Horizon.

Disclaimer: I was provided this product for the purpose of this review by VapeSourcing.com. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and are not influenced in any way.

INTRO

The Arco Sub-Ohm tank by Horizon has done something that is quite unique in the vaping world. While the refilling, airflow, and other aspects of the tank are similar to others; the coils are the kicker. Instead of the normal kanthal/SS coil(s) plus organic cotton, Horizon has added a thin layer of flax paper to act as a barrier between the coil and the organic cotton. More analysis on this below!

The Arco is a sizeable sub-ohm tank with bottom airflow with coils that are designed for vaping under 100 watts.

SPECIFICATIONS

  • Size: 55mm x 25mm (including drip tip)

  • Capacity: 4.7ml

  • Material: stainless steel, glass

  • Colors: Silver, Black, Blue, Rainbow

PACKAGING

OVERVIEW

The Arco is a beefy sub-ohm tank. With a 25mm base and 4.7ml of capacity it is in the medium-sized range of most of the new sub-ohm tanks. The only difference is that the Arco has a tinted tank section and that its coils utilize flax paper in addition to standard cotton/wire. Ever since I started using the “cloudy” glass tank with my Avocado 24, I thought that every tank should have some sort of light/heat protection. Plus I have to say that Horizon did a good job with the overall design. If the user is concerned, regarding the less than 100w output, the Arco is compatible with other coils (such as the TFV8, Melo 300, Sense Blazer 200) to vape above 100w. That being said, I do not see a point in using other coils as the whole purpose of the Arco is to maximize the flavor of the flax paper coils.

What is Flax Paper and why is it Good/Bad?

Flax paper has been around for years and is still sold in the combustible cigarette industry as rolling papers. Its use there is the same in the vape industry as it has a higher burning point. In the Arco coils, Horizon has strategically placed thin pieces of flax paper between the cotton and the coil. While the cotton is the main material to absorb the eJuice, the flax paper acts as a shield to the cotton. Where as in normal cases the cotton would be damaged through prolonged use and the accidental dry hit, the flax paper will take the brunt of the heat and spare the cotton.

So what is the outcome of adding flax paper to the mix? Simply put: a better bang-for-the-buck coil. Due to the flax paper, the cotton in the coil will last much longer thus allowing the user to use the coil for a longer period of time. In addition, less damaged cotton will equate to still getting good flavor even after a week of heavy use. The only downside is the flax paper’s break-in period. For about a full tank (4.7ml), the flavor will have an earthy touch to it. It is not terrible by any means and is similar to using hemp wicks. After going through a tank, the flavor will subside and the regular flavors in the eJuice will be more prominent.

Disassembly

Normally the disassembly process is fairly straight forward. With the Arco it pretty much is except for one detail. The pin that holds the top of the refill cap has a trick to open. While I’m positive a pair of plyers will work (at the expense of damaging the pin), Horizon includes a thick guitar pick to help screw it off. By inserting it top down and into the cutout channels, the pin can be screwed off easily. When the tank is reassembled, be sure to put a couple of drops of eJuice between the top cap and the top base of the refill section. While Horizon says it is to prevent damage, it will greatly increase the ease to refill.

The Arco tank has a unique drip tip to it where it is basically a “glove” to the 510 opening. Thus no 510 drip dips will fit into the pin when the unique cover is on. However any 510 drip tip can be fitted into the base and the exposed silver section of the can be covered up with the 510 cover that is provided.

Refilling and Coil Install

To install the coil, take off the tank/top section and screw it into the base. Once the coil is good and snug, prime the coil, and then the tank and top section is screwed onto the top of the coil’s threaded segment. To refill, twist the top of the tank in the direction of the arrows to find the refill ports. The openings are large enough to handle drippers and plastic bottles with ease.

CONCLUSION

The maximum wattages (80w and 90w) are perfect for me and only on rare occasions do I venture above 100w. At this range the juice consumption is kept low and I get longer battery life from my devices. Personally, I enjoyed 85w with the airflow 2/3 open on the A6 and 72w with the airflow half open with the A4. The 25mm size is right on the verge of being too big for most devices but still works, and the 4.7ml tank is ample enough for the A4 and A6 coils. The tinted tank is a nice touch to the eyes but also slightly protects the juice. While it is nothing groundbreaking, every little bit helps in my book. The clear ox/bull section on the tank is large enough to accurately see the amount of juice that is remaining.

The Arco provides on-point flavor after the flax paper has broken in. With the flax paper I was also able to use some very sweet eJuice with little issues. Not only does the flax paper protect the cotton from the heat of the coil, but it also partially protects the coil from gunking up. I was quite surprised at how well the coils held up. For using the same sweet eJuice that I needed to dryburn and rewick every 2-3 days in an RDA, the coils were still giving good flavor with almost a week of use.

The only issue I have noticed is that the top cap, right below the drip cover, will get fairly hot when chain vaping. Other than that, the tank and the coils are solid.

PROS

  • Flax-paper coils for longer life and better flavor over time.

  • Good flavor and capacity

  • Spare parts included

  • 510 drip tip compatible

  • No leaking - left on its side for 30m with no leaks.

CONS

  • Minor - Flax-paper break in. I’ve used flax paper in the past so it didn’t bother me too much but others may not be as reasonable.

  • Subjective - No RBA deck included. Yet other RBA decks are compatible.

WOULD I RECOMMEND?

The tank itself gets a thumbs up for good flavor, capacity, and overall looks. However, the A4 and the A6 flax paper coils gets two thumbs up for their robustness and long life. One of my major reasons for switching to a predominately rebuild vaping style, was the short life of the prebuilt sub-ohm coils (especially with sweet/gunky eJuice). The flax paper “barrier” is a revolutionary idea and I hope to see it in the future with other tanks/coils.

Make sure to follow me on Facebook or Twitter for upcoming reviews and more! Also check out my last review on the Solo 2 if you missed it!

Let me know if there is additional information that you would like to see and/or your thoughts on the product and the review. Thanks for reading!

Posted Jul 26, 2017, 2:36 PM UTC

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