Sunday, March 17, 2013

The Killer 705 by Leo

Very few rebuildable atomizers as small as the Killer 705 by Leo have been put on the market, and perhaps there are good reasons for that. The small size can make them difficult to work with, and the applications they’re useful for are somewhat limited.  While the can be used in a standard cartomizer tank, there’s a little dance that needs to be done to keep them wicked and to avoid flooding that many people just aren’t going to want to deal with. Still, despite the complexity, the Killer 705 has seemingly become a very hot commodity. Some of the demand, we’re sure, is coming from people who are expecting something that works like a cartomizer, but performs better.  In a sense, that describes the Killer, but this is definitely an advanced device capable of very high performance, but it’s not for those looking for s simple, hassle-free vape.


Killer 705At first glance, the Killer looks a bit like a pregnant cartomizer. It is a bit longer than a standard carto when fully assembled, with a bulge near the bottom in the section containing the coil. The coil itself is contained in a removable ceramic cup, and if you’re familiar with the internals of the GG Odysseus or Penelope, or the Terminator atomizer, the Killer’s rebuildable part looks much like a miniature version of the internals of those atomizers.


Instead of the typical hole punched in a cartomizer before using it in a tank, the Killer has a 510 adapter that attaches to its bottom, which provides variable juice control when turned.  Screwing and unscrewing the Killer from this adapter either lessens or increases the opening into which the juice flows. In a typical cartomizer tank, this is done by turning the tank so it moves up or down on the 510 adapter.


Where things can get a little tricky is in finding the right amount of juice control for the juice in the tank, and the amount of silica wicking material in the Killer — which is very little, compared to a cartomizer.  Too little juice can lead to dry hits, while too much can flood the atomizer. Figuring out the sweet spot can occasionally be difficult, though when dialed in properly we found that the vapor production and flavor of the Killer 705 can far surpass that of a cartomizer.


The Killer 705 uses the same wick and coil inserts as Leo’s dripping atomizers, the eBaron and Spiral. These are available pre-built in low resistance (1.8 to 2.0 ohms) and high resistance (2.3 to 2.5 ohms) versions.  The coils can also be custom-built in the ceramic by the user, to the user’s specifications, with a little silica wick and a combination of resistance and no-resistance wire.


Build Quality: 9/10


The Killer 705 is very well-built. The threading is very smooth, and the parts fit together extremely well.  This is particularly impressive considering the Killer’s very small size, which requires some fairly tight tolerances.


Looks: 9/10


The Killer may be small, but it looks great.  With its stainless steel finish and gold-toned Gothic engraving, it’s bound to be a conversation piece in any tank.


Flexibility: 9/10


The beauty of the Killer 705, other than it’s performance, is that its form factor allows it to be used in virtually any standard-sized cartomizer tank, or any other device capable of using a standard-length 510 cartomizer or atomizer.


The use of resistance and non-resistance wire does somewhat complicate the process of building a coil for this atomizer, as does the small size, but the use of a snap-in positive connection, and a very simple method for grounding the coil, help keep things manageable.


Performance: 8/10


For a small atomizer, the Killer 705 can really pack a punch if used properly. The silica wick is certainly capable of providing ample juice to the coil, and the configurability of the coil itself allows the user to fine-tune performance to fit his or her wattage preferences, and the capabilities of the mod on which the Killer is used.  Vapor production has been very good on both variable mods (where we got the best performance from the high-resistance coil), and on unregulated mods (where low-resistance performed better).


Price: 7/10


We found the Killer 705 selling for $71.99 at 405 Vaperz, €55,00 ($71.80 at today’s exchange rate) at GreekVapes, and £49.95 ($75.31) at House of Mods.  While this is obviously significantly higher than other atomizers, the ability to rebuild the Killer, and the option to use it in a wide variety of tanks, really do set it apart and would seem to justify the price tag.


Overall Score: 8.4



The Killer 705 by Leo

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