Merlin RDTA By Augvape

daniel craig

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After having great success with previous Augvape products, I was excited to get my hands on the Merlin RDTA by Augvape. I have been using this RDTA for a week now and decided to post my thoughts on it.

If you’ve used an RDTA before, you would know that RDTA’s are preferred by many as they have the combined function of an RDA and RTA. It’s the best of both worlds giving you the flavor of an RDA with the ease of a tank. The Augvape Merlin RDTA is a new addition to Augvape’s Merlin Series which proved to be a massive success. Their Merlin Mini is known for its excellent flavor production and ease of use. To continue with this series, Augvape has come up with the Merlin RDTA which is a 24mm device and features an innovative centre filling method never seen before. This RDTA was clearly developed with builders in mind due to its massive post holes. Let’s take a deeper look into it and see if this is another winner from Augvape.

merlinrdta (1).jpg

Here are the specs of it:
  • 24mm Diameter
  • Two Post Build Deck
  • Massive post holes for massive coils
  • 4mm by 4mm Terminals
  • Top Mounted Phillips Grub Screws
  • Dual Bottom Airflow Slots
  • 8mm by 2.5mm Each
  • Wide Area Wicking Slots for easy wicking
  • Easy Chassis Disassembly
  • 24K Gold Plated Positive Post
  • Superior Conductivity
  • PEEK Insulation
  • Convenient, easy and mess free Centre Filling method
  • Self-Sealing Top Fill System
  • Sealed when Assembled to prevent leaking
  • Spit-back Prevention System
  • Threaded to Knurled Top Cap
  • 3.5ml Maximum Capacity
  • 24K Gold Plated Solid 510 Contact
  • 304 Stainless Steel and Borosilicate Glass Tank Section
  • CNC Engraved
What’s in the box:
  • One Merlin RDTA
  • One Additional Glass Tank Section
  • Extra O-Ring and Screw Pack
  • Phillips Driver
merlinrdta.jpg

Design:
This RDTA really is a beauty, especially in black. It has a 24mm diameter and holds up to 3.5ml of juice. As soon as you pull up the top cap, you see the beautiful gold build deck staring at you. Most people would have preferred a velocity deck but for coil builders, this deck is a dream due to its huge post holes. Another great thing about this build deck design is that it doesn’t smash you coils like a velocity deck would. Between the posts you’ll see a massive fill port which measures 5mm. The build quality of this RDTA is impeccable! The engraving of their logo is a nice touch and definitely stands out when you look at it. The overall machining is excellent and the threading is nice and smooth all around.

Building and wicking:

If you are a new builder moving from a velocity deck to this, you may not be successful straight away and will take some practice to get used to. That said, if you’ve built on any 2 post build deck, you’ll have no problem here. It’s the easiest 2 post build deck you’ll ever use due to its massive post holes which also ensures that you will never have a problem with coils not fitting into the posts. Once your coils are in, you just position it above the airflow and you tighten up the Philips screws. Not bad.

Wicking this RDTA is as easy as wicking an RDA due to the large cutouts on each side. It’s the easiest and most efficient system I’ve ever come across. . There are no holes to thread the cotton through, so tucking the tails down into the tank is quick and simple. This thing can be wicked by a newbie without any problems. You just thread your cotton through the coil, thin out the ends a bit and push it down the sides. This RDTA wicks very efficiently even at high wattages and juice flows easily to the cotton and the coils eliminating dry hits.

Refilling:
The unique centre-filling method is what makes this RDTA stand out from every other RDTA. It is extremely easy to refill this RDTA. The centre refilling method makes it a breeze to refill and is easier than any other system you’ve used before. The 5mm refill port allows you to dump juice into the reservoir with ease. You can use your dropper bottles or unicorn bottles and refill without any mess. Attached to the drip tip, you’ll notice a ‘sealer’ which is there to close/seal the fill port after refilling. If you have watched @BigGuy video on Facebook last week Wednesday, you would have seen him hold this RDTA upside down without having any leaking. This ‘stick/sealer’ also has the function of acting as a spit back preventer.
merlinrdt.jpg

Performance:
Just like previous Augvape products, I think this RDTA is a clear winner. Everything about this RDTA is great. The drip tip, like all Augvape drip tips, is comfortable and can also be used as a drip tip adapter if you wish to use your own drip tip. I threw in a dual twisted Clapton build in mine and it’s been performing excellent. Prior to this RDTA, I was using the Merlin Mini RTA almost exclusively since its release. After testing out this Merlin RDTA, it is now in my daily rotation and will be for a while. The flavor it produces is excellent and the vapour production is great as well. I have tried many other RDTA’s and in my opinion, this RDTA is the best I have ever used in both, flavor and ease of use. It has plenty airflow so you won’t have a problem with that. The threads on this thing are smooth and adjusting the airflow is easy. Like I have said above, wicking this RDTA is extremely easy due to the big cut outs. I have had zero issues with mine and zero leaking. Refilling this RDTA is such an easy task, no messing or juice all over your hands.

Pro’s:
  • Excellent Build Quality
  • Excellent price
  • Looks great
  • Easy to wick and build
  • Excellent flavor
  • Easy refilling method
  • Allows for all sorts of coils
  • Excellent vapour production
Cons:
  • Building on a 2 post deck may be a bit difficult for those who have never built on one before (Subjective)
The only vendor to have stock of this is Sir Vape at an excellent price!!
 
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I haven't tried the Limitless RDTA but I highly doubt the Limitless will beat this RDTA. I would think that this RDTA compares to the Alpine RDTA. They do look a bit similar.
How does flavor compare to something like the Avo?
 
How does flavor compare to something like the Avo?
Good question. It would be hard for me to make a decision unless I'm using them side by side. I haven't used my Avo long enough and sold it within 2 weeks. The wicking on the Avo is a nightmare because of how small the wicking holes are and you are restricted with the builds it can handle.

With the Merlin RDTA, I'm pretty confident that it's gonna stay in my rotation for a very long time. The ease of use and wicking is just so simple and easy. The post holes, like you see in the picture above is big enough for any build. I used to use the Merlin mini, Serpent 25 and engine nano daily but in the past 2 weeks using this RDTA, I've never touched those tanks. The flavor off this is just excellent and since it works like an RDA, that is expected.

This thing wicks like a champ. I haven't had a dry it since I got it. I've been chain Vaping Phat Fizz which is an 80/20 juice at 65w and not had anything close to a dry hit.

With the Avo, due to its small wicking holes, I'm pretty sure I would've gotten a dry hit trying this out.

I hope this answers your question.
 
Nice review @daniel craig how does this RDTA compare to the limitless rdta?

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I agree with the sentiments @daniel craig expressed on this device - I have the Limitless RDTA, and also bought the Merlin RDTA, this device is FAR superior. Will also be discussing this item in my next vlog video! This is the top fill RDTA to get IMO.
 
100% agreed. How was your experience with this RDTA so far?

Brilliant to be honest - the airflow is not too noisy, the draw is smooth. The build deck is MASSIVE - and solid. There is no way that this tank will give dry hits hahaha - I dont even "fluff" my wicks, just snip and tuck. Bottom airflow helps the flavour on this Atty - and its simply just a beautiful piece of craftsmanship.
 
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Taste is subjective but I think one thing almost everybody is agreed on is that Augvape's machining and general craftsmanship is top notch for such reasonably priced atties. And I concur with the view on the Augvape drip tips. I use my Merlin conical drip tip in every atty that will take a standard 510. If Augvape sold those drip tips as standalone accessories, I'd buy a few.
 
Taste is subjective but I think one thing almost everybody is agreed on is that Augvape's machining and general craftsmanship is top notch for such reasonably priced atties. And I concur with the view on the Augvape drip tips. I use my Merlin conical drip tip in every atty that will take a standard 510. If Augvape sold those drip tips as standalone accessories, I'd buy a few.
The Merlin RDTA has a slightly different drip tip compared to the Merlin and Merlin Mini but its still very comfortable. If I'm not mistaken, they do sell their drip tips which are available in different colours.
 
Brilliant to be honest - the airflow is not too noisy, the draw is smooth. The build deck is MASSIVE - and solid. There is no way that this tank will give dry hits hahaha - I dont even "fluff" my wicks, just snip and tuck. Bottom airflow helps the flavour on this Atty - and its simply just a beautiful piece of craftsmanship.
My experience has been the same. I love mine. I am extremely happy with the craftsmanship and ease of use. I wick mine anyhow and it works well my cotton tails are trimmed short. You won't see it in the tank and yet I still don't get dry hits. The other thing that I liked was that it doesn't leak. One of the main pros of the Engine RTA was that it doesn't leak and with the Merlin RDTA I get the benefit of that with better flavor.
 
I saw on another review that the sealer collects juice that gets in your mouth very often.
Have you notice any thing like this
Not at all. The sealer basically closed off the juice port. I would assume that you are talking about the spit back preventer. It does its job at doing preventing spit back. I have just checked now with mine and it's dry. I've done roughly 3 tanks on it without cleaning and this is how mine looks right now.
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Not at all. The sealer basically closed off the juice port. I would assume that you are talking about the spit back preventer. It does its job at doing preventing spit back. I have just checked now with mine and it's dry. I've done roughly 3 tanks on it without cleaning and this is how mine looks right now.
Yes, that is what I was taking about. Thanks for the confirmation .
 
Thanks for the review @daniel craig it spurred me on to buy this.
Any build recommendations for this one?
Those post holes look yuuuge and seems I might need to get some bigger wire as I only have 24/26/28 ga at the moment.
Have you tried building on there with any standard round wire?
 
Thanks for the review @daniel craig it spurred me on to buy this.
Any build recommendations for this one?
Those post holes look yuuuge and seems I might need to get some bigger wire as I only have 24/26/28 ga at the moment.
Have you tried building on there with any standard round wire?
You could use 24g but use a lot of wraps to get surface area. As soon as I got mine, I've used big builds as that is exactly what this Merlin RDTA wants. A 24g 11 wrap dual should work well but I think it will need some wattages (60-70w). I've got a dual 11 wrap 22g Ni80 build on my Druga which works well so I'm sure a 24g 11 wrap dual should be good. I will say It, this RDTA does get hot but you wouldn't even know it because the drip tip doesn't retain any heat. I have chain vaped my RDTA at 75w using my dual fused Claptons and the Vape was excellent. Not once did I get even a sign of a dry hit.

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Aaaahhhh waiting for vape mail!!!
Quick tip. Position your coils above the airflow like in these pics. You would want the air to go into those airflow holes and hit the coil from the bottom. Also, you don't want the coils covering the whole airflow, you want it a bit more forward like in the top view pic.

Another tip for building on a 2 post atomizer is that first open up the post screws, insert both your coils, roughly position the coils in the first post hole (The 2 leads going through the same hole) and tighten it. Thereafter, do the same on the next post (position the coil ie: move it more forward or backwards). After getting the same lead length (coils are position the same distance from the post) you can then insert a drill bit and align them up nearly or straighten them up.
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You could use 24g but use a lot of wraps to get surface area. As soon as I got mine, I've used big builds as that is exactly what this Merlin RDTA wants. A 24g 11 wrap dual should work well but I think it will need some wattages (60-70w). I've got a dual 11 wrap 22g Ni80 build on my Druga which works well so I'm sure a 24g 11 wrap dual should be good. I will say It, this RDTA does get hot but you wouldn't even know it because the drip tip doesn't retain any heat. I have chain vaped my RDTA at 75w using my dual fused Claptons and the Vape was excellent. Not once did I get even a sign of a dry hit.

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Thanks! Will give a dual parallel or twisted build a try in there and report back before getting some flatwire and claptons.
 
Damn guys, now you've all convinced me to get one. Just placed an order, I hope it's worth it :D
 
Damn guys, now you've all convinced me to get one. Just placed an order, I hope it's worth it :D
You won't be disappointed with this RDTA. The wicking is unbelievably easy and the flavor flavour is excellent. Better than the RTA's. @BigGuy also had it on his weekly vlog on Facebook and was happy with it. I'm looking forward to hearing your opinion on it when you get it.
 
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