Hi Ecigssa members, In this review i take a look at the Hive 200 TC Kit from Artery. The Artery Hive 200 TC Kit was supplied for the purpose of this review by Evan from Heaven Gifts.
https://www.heavengifts.com/product/Arte...0-Kit.html
Introduction
In the past devices i have reviewed from Artery have been pocket friendly mods powered by an internal battery. The Hive 200 TC Mod is a high powered device powered by dual 18650's which is a departure from there usual products. In this Kit the Hive 200W TC Mod is paired with the simple but perfectly adequate Hive Sub ohm Tank. The Hive is powered by the Aero Chip and features Flavour Mode, It was only going to be a matter of time before Artery entered the 200W club with the use of external batteries but it's a section of the market which is swamped by so many device's so does the Hive hold it's own? Let's have a look!
In the Box
Contents:
1x Hive 200 MOD
1x Hive Tank
1x Replacement Coil
1x Replacement Glass Tube
1x A Pack of O-rings
1x USB Cable
2x User Manual
1x Chipset Card
1x Warranty Card
1x Certification Card
Aesthetics and Ergonomics
The Hive Kit comes in cardboard packaging with hexagon shaped viewing window so i knew i had received the Resin version before opening, the other version available is Carbon Fiber but from looking at the pics i'm pretty certain it's Carbon Fiber effect rather than real. The Mod came with a Black Hive tank which has a Resin drip tip to match the Resin panel on the front of the device. The measurements of the device is pretty much bang on average for a dual 18650 device and pretty much seems an average weight, it's a very old school boxed shape so not super ergonomic but it's size and nice side large hexagon fire button makes it comfortable enough to use. The front of the device has the already mentioned Resin Panel, above the panel we have "ARTERY" in White. The screen is an hexagon shape and further down on the Resin panel we have the - and + buttons which are Black but labelled in White. On the back of the device in the position we found the screen on the front we have the same sized hexagon shape but this time it is a metallic badge with Bee design, the rest of the back panel (which is removable to fit the batteries) has a very fine lined design which i like. One side is featureless, the other has the already mentioned hexagon fire button which protrudes and is very well machined, further down positioned vertically we have the micro USB port with indicator light. The base has plenty of both printed safety stamps and venting, up top to one side we have a slightly raised 510 plate with Gold plated, spring loaded 510. The device is solid, although made of aluminium the metal is thick and there are no rattles from the device whatsoever.
Hive Tank Specs and Features:
Size: 43.8 x 24mm
Material: Stainless steel
E-juice capacity: 4ml
Coil Resistance: Mesh coil 0.14ohm±0.03(50-90W)
Filling way: Top fill
4ml bulb tube and regular 3ml tube
Mesh coil for high wattage and rich flavor
Easy top refill design
Adjustable bottom airflow system
Thread: 510
Colours: Stainless Steel, Black, Blue
Hive Tank Overview
The Hive tank like most Sub ohm tanks is simple in design with nothing new going on but is very well made and looks very nice with excellent machining. The tank comprises of 810 drip tip, top-cap, fill port ring, glass and base section. The glass (the installed bubble glass is 4ml capacity, also included is a straight glass with 3ml capacity) can easily be removed when the base has been unscrewed, the coil screws straight into the base and then onto the centre of the underneath of the juice fill ring when the tank is screwed back together. The Resin version device i received comes with a Black Hive tank with Resin 810 drip tip, the fitting is a standard 810 but is quite shallow so some 810's will fit fine others won't fully go in. To fill simply unscrew the top-cap (the threading is superb) which reveals 2 generous fill ports. You get two coils included which are identical, they are mesh with a resistance of 0.14ohm with a +/- variant of 0.03ohms which are rated between 50w and 90w. The Hive tank has large dual cyclops airflow slots and the base has a Gold plated protruding 510.
Hive 200W Specs and Features:
Size: 90 x 49 x 28m
Material: Aluminum Alloy & Resin
Wattage Range: 5-200W
Voltage Range: 0.5-8V
Resistance Range: 0.08-3ohm
Working Modes: VW/VV/TC(Ni200,Ti.SS316)/TCR
TC Range: 200-600℉/100-300℃
Dual 18650 Batteries with 200W Max Output
1.3inch Colorful TFT Display Screen for Easy Operation
Advanced AERO Chip with Multiple Protections
Innovative "Flavor Mode" Function
Brand-new Hive Style Menu System
Thread: 510
Colours: Blue Resin, Carbon Fiber
Fitting the Batteries
The dual 18650 batteries are fitted by removing the back panel of the device which can be easily done with the help of a notch at the bottom of the device. The battery compartment is very neat and tidy and is fitted with a battery strap to help with removal of the batteries. This is where i normally moan because orientation isn't marked in White and although that is the case the compartment is that well lit when open to either daylight or artificial light the orientation can easily be seen. The panel secures in place by 4 magnets (one in each corner) and although you can manufacture up and down movement with the hand you need to use a bit of force, during use or even shaking the device there is no movement.
The Display
The Hive has an hexagonal colour screen which is colourful, bright and very sharp. There is two lined designs top and bottom and each follow the contours of 3 of the sides of the hexagon shape, the bottom line is grey while the top one is multicoloured and very bright. Above the top line central we have "ARTERY" displayed, where the top and bottom lines meet on the left we have seconds vaped and on the right we have a padlock icon greyed out to show it is not active. Below the bottom line we have the two battery status bars, inside the two lined design that together make up the shape of an hexagon we have the mode right at the top, underneath this is the wattage (temperature when in temp control). Further down still inside the lined design we have the resistance on the left and voltage on the right, when in temperature control between the temperature and where the resistance and voltage is displayed we now have your wattage for temp control displayed.
Using the Hive
The hive is the usual 5 clicks to turn on and 5 clicks to turn off, when turning off you get a waving hand to say goodbye which i like (simple things please simple minds). When the device first comes on if you have a tank installed or when you install a tank the device will automatically set a recommended wattage (in 99% of cases you will end up needing to alter it) which it will determine by the resistance of the coil. There are a few shortcuts and combination key press features on the device including 2 different ways of changing the colour of the font and accents on the screen. Pressing the fire button 4 times brings up your colour option screen which is a bunch of hexagons interlocked together, in each of these hexagons is a colour the options are White, Green, Yellow, Orange, Purple, Blue and Exit. Whichever hexagon you scroll to it will increase in size in comparison to the other hexagons making it stand out, this is how the entire menu is displayed and on every screen you will have a hexagon that says Exit which takes you to the main screen or will have hexagons that will say Exit and another one that say's Back which takes you to the previous screen. The other way you can change the colour is by simply pressing the fire button 2 times however this doesn't bring up colour options it just changes the display to the next colour. Pressing the + and - together highlights the padlock and the rest of the display goes grey, this feature completely locks the device and it won't fire, pressing the + and fire together for 2 secs locks the + and - buttons but the device will fire. To enter the main menu is 3 clicks that takes you to the Workmode screen, on this screen the hexagons say Power, Temperature, Flavour (i will cover this in the next section), Voltage (the device also has variable voltage mode), Brightness (adjust brightness), Power off (another way of turning the device off) and Exit. When you pick Power it allows you to set a power curve, when picking a temp control material it allows you to set wattage for temp control and when selecting TCR again it allows you to set wattage and then you can enter your TCR value. I love this menu especially how the hexagon currently selected grows in size to come to the fore, my only petty issue with the menu is Artery have misspelled many words throughout.
Flavour Mode
This mode is great for a talking point if trying to get a smoker interested in vaping but in reality it's 100% a gimmick. When you have set your wattage and then go into flavour mode and pick your flavour it does alter the wattage which made me smile because people will know there is no way a device can change settings to suit a flavour. But i was intrigued to why it altered wattage and how is it trying to fool people into thinking the device is actually doing which lets face it would be the smartest technology yet in vaping. On further investigation i noticed it doesn't matter which flavour profile you pick it gives the exact same wattage, so i changed tanks which now changed the wattage it was giving but again was giving the same wattage for every flavour. I then realised what the device is really doing, if you remember when you first attach a tank the device gives a recommended wattage (smart mode) and when you pick a flavour profile in flavour mode it is simply secretly going back into smart mode to make you think it is reacting to the flavour you have picked, so it's actually responding to resistance and not flavour at all, it's 100% a gimmick but when you actually find out what's actually happening if it wasn't for me LMAO i would be annoyed because in any other type of industry outside of vaping it would be looked at with disgrace because it is selling people a big lie.
My Experience Using the Hive Kit
I need to start by stating i do not vape in temp control and do not have equipment to get access to data so my reviews are simply based on my own personal experience. Using the device in power mode i came to the conclusion the Hive is an excellent device, it's not super ergonomic and the 510 plate is just slightly raised so tanks do have the slightest of gaps. Also the device would look better in my opinion with a centre 510 and has already mentioned in depth the whole flavour mode is a big fat 100% gimmick. After that little list of i think petty cons it's pros all the way, the device fires instantly and the fire button is both easily found and nice and clicky, all wattage's i vaped at seemed accurate, as well as the Hive tank i also used a new RTA i'm testing and the Etna at just 12w and the device was impressively silent. The menu system using the interlocking hexagons with the selected hexagon growing in size is very well done and aesthetically pleasing, the display in general is bright and sharp with customizable colour. The device has so many features, as well as all the features you would expect from a TC device the Hive also has power curves and variable voltage. I also like the shortcuts and how certain things like powering the device down can be done in a couple of different ways, having the option to only lock the navigational buttons or the entire device is another big pro. The loving doesn't stop there, the Hive tank is very nice looking with very good threading and machining, the supplied 0.14 mesh coils are up there with the best mesh coils for flavour, mine actually came out to 0.15ohms and i settled for a sweet spot at 70W. Back to the Hive device, any tank up to 28mm will look good and the device is firmware upgradeable and supports on-board charging.
Pros
Very Good build quality
No rattles whatsoever
Resin version very aesthetically pleasing
Large colourful sharp display
Hexagonal screen
Hexagonal based menu system
Menu system aesthetically pleasing
Menu system easy to navigate
Customizable
Lock navigational buttons or complete device
Colour shortcut
Temp control (not tested)
Variable wattage
Variable voltage
Power curves
Nice machined hexagonal fire button
Fires instantly
Impressed with performance
Battery panel fits well
Hive tank nice aesthetically
Hive tank good threading and machining
Supplied coils gave great flavour
On-board charging
Firmware upgradeable
Cons
Flavour mode just a gimmick
Centre 510 would look better
Not the most ergonomic
Very slight gap between tank and device
Words not spelt correctly in menu (very petty doesn't effect how the device works)
Shallow drip tip fitting so some 810's won't fully fit
I would once again like to thank Evan from Heaven Gifts for supplying the Artery Hive 200 TC Kit for the purpose of this review.
https://www.heavengifts.com/product/Arte...0-Kit.html
https://www.heavengifts.com/product/Arte...0-Kit.html
Introduction
In the past devices i have reviewed from Artery have been pocket friendly mods powered by an internal battery. The Hive 200 TC Mod is a high powered device powered by dual 18650's which is a departure from there usual products. In this Kit the Hive 200W TC Mod is paired with the simple but perfectly adequate Hive Sub ohm Tank. The Hive is powered by the Aero Chip and features Flavour Mode, It was only going to be a matter of time before Artery entered the 200W club with the use of external batteries but it's a section of the market which is swamped by so many device's so does the Hive hold it's own? Let's have a look!
In the Box
Contents:
1x Hive 200 MOD
1x Hive Tank
1x Replacement Coil
1x Replacement Glass Tube
1x A Pack of O-rings
1x USB Cable
2x User Manual
1x Chipset Card
1x Warranty Card
1x Certification Card
Aesthetics and Ergonomics
The Hive Kit comes in cardboard packaging with hexagon shaped viewing window so i knew i had received the Resin version before opening, the other version available is Carbon Fiber but from looking at the pics i'm pretty certain it's Carbon Fiber effect rather than real. The Mod came with a Black Hive tank which has a Resin drip tip to match the Resin panel on the front of the device. The measurements of the device is pretty much bang on average for a dual 18650 device and pretty much seems an average weight, it's a very old school boxed shape so not super ergonomic but it's size and nice side large hexagon fire button makes it comfortable enough to use. The front of the device has the already mentioned Resin Panel, above the panel we have "ARTERY" in White. The screen is an hexagon shape and further down on the Resin panel we have the - and + buttons which are Black but labelled in White. On the back of the device in the position we found the screen on the front we have the same sized hexagon shape but this time it is a metallic badge with Bee design, the rest of the back panel (which is removable to fit the batteries) has a very fine lined design which i like. One side is featureless, the other has the already mentioned hexagon fire button which protrudes and is very well machined, further down positioned vertically we have the micro USB port with indicator light. The base has plenty of both printed safety stamps and venting, up top to one side we have a slightly raised 510 plate with Gold plated, spring loaded 510. The device is solid, although made of aluminium the metal is thick and there are no rattles from the device whatsoever.
Hive Tank Specs and Features:
Size: 43.8 x 24mm
Material: Stainless steel
E-juice capacity: 4ml
Coil Resistance: Mesh coil 0.14ohm±0.03(50-90W)
Filling way: Top fill
4ml bulb tube and regular 3ml tube
Mesh coil for high wattage and rich flavor
Easy top refill design
Adjustable bottom airflow system
Thread: 510
Colours: Stainless Steel, Black, Blue
Hive Tank Overview
The Hive tank like most Sub ohm tanks is simple in design with nothing new going on but is very well made and looks very nice with excellent machining. The tank comprises of 810 drip tip, top-cap, fill port ring, glass and base section. The glass (the installed bubble glass is 4ml capacity, also included is a straight glass with 3ml capacity) can easily be removed when the base has been unscrewed, the coil screws straight into the base and then onto the centre of the underneath of the juice fill ring when the tank is screwed back together. The Resin version device i received comes with a Black Hive tank with Resin 810 drip tip, the fitting is a standard 810 but is quite shallow so some 810's will fit fine others won't fully go in. To fill simply unscrew the top-cap (the threading is superb) which reveals 2 generous fill ports. You get two coils included which are identical, they are mesh with a resistance of 0.14ohm with a +/- variant of 0.03ohms which are rated between 50w and 90w. The Hive tank has large dual cyclops airflow slots and the base has a Gold plated protruding 510.
Hive 200W Specs and Features:
Size: 90 x 49 x 28m
Material: Aluminum Alloy & Resin
Wattage Range: 5-200W
Voltage Range: 0.5-8V
Resistance Range: 0.08-3ohm
Working Modes: VW/VV/TC(Ni200,Ti.SS316)/TCR
TC Range: 200-600℉/100-300℃
Dual 18650 Batteries with 200W Max Output
1.3inch Colorful TFT Display Screen for Easy Operation
Advanced AERO Chip with Multiple Protections
Innovative "Flavor Mode" Function
Brand-new Hive Style Menu System
Thread: 510
Colours: Blue Resin, Carbon Fiber
Fitting the Batteries
The dual 18650 batteries are fitted by removing the back panel of the device which can be easily done with the help of a notch at the bottom of the device. The battery compartment is very neat and tidy and is fitted with a battery strap to help with removal of the batteries. This is where i normally moan because orientation isn't marked in White and although that is the case the compartment is that well lit when open to either daylight or artificial light the orientation can easily be seen. The panel secures in place by 4 magnets (one in each corner) and although you can manufacture up and down movement with the hand you need to use a bit of force, during use or even shaking the device there is no movement.
The Display
The Hive has an hexagonal colour screen which is colourful, bright and very sharp. There is two lined designs top and bottom and each follow the contours of 3 of the sides of the hexagon shape, the bottom line is grey while the top one is multicoloured and very bright. Above the top line central we have "ARTERY" displayed, where the top and bottom lines meet on the left we have seconds vaped and on the right we have a padlock icon greyed out to show it is not active. Below the bottom line we have the two battery status bars, inside the two lined design that together make up the shape of an hexagon we have the mode right at the top, underneath this is the wattage (temperature when in temp control). Further down still inside the lined design we have the resistance on the left and voltage on the right, when in temperature control between the temperature and where the resistance and voltage is displayed we now have your wattage for temp control displayed.
Using the Hive
The hive is the usual 5 clicks to turn on and 5 clicks to turn off, when turning off you get a waving hand to say goodbye which i like (simple things please simple minds). When the device first comes on if you have a tank installed or when you install a tank the device will automatically set a recommended wattage (in 99% of cases you will end up needing to alter it) which it will determine by the resistance of the coil. There are a few shortcuts and combination key press features on the device including 2 different ways of changing the colour of the font and accents on the screen. Pressing the fire button 4 times brings up your colour option screen which is a bunch of hexagons interlocked together, in each of these hexagons is a colour the options are White, Green, Yellow, Orange, Purple, Blue and Exit. Whichever hexagon you scroll to it will increase in size in comparison to the other hexagons making it stand out, this is how the entire menu is displayed and on every screen you will have a hexagon that says Exit which takes you to the main screen or will have hexagons that will say Exit and another one that say's Back which takes you to the previous screen. The other way you can change the colour is by simply pressing the fire button 2 times however this doesn't bring up colour options it just changes the display to the next colour. Pressing the + and - together highlights the padlock and the rest of the display goes grey, this feature completely locks the device and it won't fire, pressing the + and fire together for 2 secs locks the + and - buttons but the device will fire. To enter the main menu is 3 clicks that takes you to the Workmode screen, on this screen the hexagons say Power, Temperature, Flavour (i will cover this in the next section), Voltage (the device also has variable voltage mode), Brightness (adjust brightness), Power off (another way of turning the device off) and Exit. When you pick Power it allows you to set a power curve, when picking a temp control material it allows you to set wattage for temp control and when selecting TCR again it allows you to set wattage and then you can enter your TCR value. I love this menu especially how the hexagon currently selected grows in size to come to the fore, my only petty issue with the menu is Artery have misspelled many words throughout.
Flavour Mode
This mode is great for a talking point if trying to get a smoker interested in vaping but in reality it's 100% a gimmick. When you have set your wattage and then go into flavour mode and pick your flavour it does alter the wattage which made me smile because people will know there is no way a device can change settings to suit a flavour. But i was intrigued to why it altered wattage and how is it trying to fool people into thinking the device is actually doing which lets face it would be the smartest technology yet in vaping. On further investigation i noticed it doesn't matter which flavour profile you pick it gives the exact same wattage, so i changed tanks which now changed the wattage it was giving but again was giving the same wattage for every flavour. I then realised what the device is really doing, if you remember when you first attach a tank the device gives a recommended wattage (smart mode) and when you pick a flavour profile in flavour mode it is simply secretly going back into smart mode to make you think it is reacting to the flavour you have picked, so it's actually responding to resistance and not flavour at all, it's 100% a gimmick but when you actually find out what's actually happening if it wasn't for me LMAO i would be annoyed because in any other type of industry outside of vaping it would be looked at with disgrace because it is selling people a big lie.
My Experience Using the Hive Kit
I need to start by stating i do not vape in temp control and do not have equipment to get access to data so my reviews are simply based on my own personal experience. Using the device in power mode i came to the conclusion the Hive is an excellent device, it's not super ergonomic and the 510 plate is just slightly raised so tanks do have the slightest of gaps. Also the device would look better in my opinion with a centre 510 and has already mentioned in depth the whole flavour mode is a big fat 100% gimmick. After that little list of i think petty cons it's pros all the way, the device fires instantly and the fire button is both easily found and nice and clicky, all wattage's i vaped at seemed accurate, as well as the Hive tank i also used a new RTA i'm testing and the Etna at just 12w and the device was impressively silent. The menu system using the interlocking hexagons with the selected hexagon growing in size is very well done and aesthetically pleasing, the display in general is bright and sharp with customizable colour. The device has so many features, as well as all the features you would expect from a TC device the Hive also has power curves and variable voltage. I also like the shortcuts and how certain things like powering the device down can be done in a couple of different ways, having the option to only lock the navigational buttons or the entire device is another big pro. The loving doesn't stop there, the Hive tank is very nice looking with very good threading and machining, the supplied 0.14 mesh coils are up there with the best mesh coils for flavour, mine actually came out to 0.15ohms and i settled for a sweet spot at 70W. Back to the Hive device, any tank up to 28mm will look good and the device is firmware upgradeable and supports on-board charging.
Pros
Very Good build quality
No rattles whatsoever
Resin version very aesthetically pleasing
Large colourful sharp display
Hexagonal screen
Hexagonal based menu system
Menu system aesthetically pleasing
Menu system easy to navigate
Customizable
Lock navigational buttons or complete device
Colour shortcut
Temp control (not tested)
Variable wattage
Variable voltage
Power curves
Nice machined hexagonal fire button
Fires instantly
Impressed with performance
Battery panel fits well
Hive tank nice aesthetically
Hive tank good threading and machining
Supplied coils gave great flavour
On-board charging
Firmware upgradeable
Cons
Flavour mode just a gimmick
Centre 510 would look better
Not the most ergonomic
Very slight gap between tank and device
Words not spelt correctly in menu (very petty doesn't effect how the device works)
Shallow drip tip fitting so some 810's won't fully fit
I would once again like to thank Evan from Heaven Gifts for supplying the Artery Hive 200 TC Kit for the purpose of this review.
https://www.heavengifts.com/product/Arte...0-Kit.html
