Geek Vape Medusa Reborn RDTA is a new release and truth be told apart from the snazzy engraving on the barrel it certainly is reborn – apparently into a completely different tank!
Gone is the locking device on the top cap – it’s taller and therefore holds more e-liquid – 3.5mls unless you get the TPD compliant 2ml version – and gone is the old deck replaced with a dual terminal design.
I didn’t have the pleasure of using the first Medusa so I shall not bother with too many comparisons and judge this as what it pretty much is – a whole new RDTA and Medusa in name only.
As always my thoughts are my own.
So has the Medusa Reborn been given a stony stare?
Let’s take a closer look.
Inside the Box
Your standard functional if a little boring Geek Vape box – not sure what the retail version will look like as the one I received has Free Sample on the front.
Inside you’ll find:
- 1 x GeekVape Medusa Reborn RDTA
- 1 x Alley Key
- 1 x Spare parts bag
- 1 x Squonk pin
- 1 x User Manual
Geek Vape Medusa Reborn Specs
- Drip tip height: 7mm
- Height of tank: 40mm
- Diameter: 25mm
- Capacity of tank: 3.5ml – 2ml TPD compliant version for EU countries
Key Features
It’s a 25mm RDTA with a deep 3.5ml or 2ml juice well that has a nifty juice shelf inside the barrel and above the deck to stop any leaking – and yes it seems to work.
It has dual airflow and the deck and post holes are certainly large enough for decent sized coils.
Whilst there’s no specific single coil set-up you can use a good single coil [mine was a Geek Vape 2:1 Clapton] and get a decent enough vape out of it.
It comes with a ULTUM drip tip and does indeed take those Goon styles that folks seem to like these days.
There’s also a 510 adaptor in the goody bag which means you can technically fit any drip tip you choose.
Speaking of the goody bag and the inclusion of the squonk pin will please the squonkers out there – and again given I’m currently ‘squonkless’ [I lead a quiet life lol] I haven’t been able to test it out.
A squonker by the way is on my ‘to buy list’ 😉
There’s a gold plated 510 contact pin and the medusa Reborn is available in stainless steel – black – blue and a jazzy rainbow effect where the colours are in the snake like etchings.
So that’s it’s features – now how is to build on and vape?
Design and Build Quality
It’s certainly built well and trust me you will need to juice it up a bit to get it apart the first few times – those ‘O’ rings are stiff!
Threading is good and I have to say in my limited building experience the deck is a pleasure to work on.
The posts seem solid and the flat head screws are of good quality that took a bit of a hammering without splitting given my clumsy DIY skills.
I received the stainless steel version and it’s certainly pleasant on the eye however I really don’t like ULTUM drip tips – they do look like frozen piddle to put it bluntly lol.
The one supplied is extremely low profile too and I was able to pop on a cheap ‘n nasty Goon style drip tip I’d picked up from somewhere along my travels – however I found a happy medium using a drip tip from my Smok Baby Beast.
I guess those of you who had the original Medusa might have found the locking design feature a bit annoying well that’s gone now to be replaced with what Geek Vape grandly call a ‘Quick Access System’ – which in real terms simply means you can whip the top off!
So build wise and design wise it certainly ticks all the right boxes – but does it?
For me there’s a serious design flaw that turns this into a bit of a head scratcher.
Let’s look at how it performs and you’ll see what I mean.
How Does the Medusa Reborn Perform?
OK so when is an RDTA just an RDA with a big deep well?
Answers on a postcard please lol.
In all seriousness there’s a significant issue with the filling of the Medusa Reborn – and that is there’s nowhere to fill it that is if you like signposted!
You’re probably assuming that this bumbling old fool has missed the obvious – however as a dripper it works beautifully.
But giving this a 3.5ml [or 2ml] juice well – calling it a RDTA and then having nowhere obvious to fill is a little strange if you ask me.
I did have a look at the relatively few reviews out there to see if I was indeed being my usual simple self – but most have picked up on the obvious too!
However, on their schematics [I love that word makes me sound like Jack Bauer lol] they do helpfully point out what they call an ‘optimized fill port’ – yeah right it’s a very thin gap between the deck and the sides nothing more nothing less and you will need a very thin needle point to get in there!
As you can see from the filling photo above the gap to fill is pretty much the same wherever you choose to fill!
Anyway enough moaning and as I’ve said building and wicking this is an absolute cinch however once you are wicked up and then think about filling it up you have to move aside your carefully laid cotton and squeeze blindly into the abyss!
[oops moaning again]
Like I said as a dripper it works like a charm but as an RDTA whilst it works very well once you’ve rearranged everything – a simple thing such as a more ‘obvious’ fill port would have taken this to the next level!
It’s the simple things that makes a vapers life so much easier!
OK so enough moaning about that let’s look at how it vapes.
I originally began with two of my Geek Vape 2:1 clapton coils however I was getting a ridiculously low reading and scrapped them for a couple of simple Tiger coils.
I began at 47 watts on a 0.4 ohm build and wow was I impressed!
Stupendous clouds even at that wattage and the e-liquid I used is one I know well and knew more power was required to get the complete flavour profile.
I took it to 75watts and the cloud production was absolutely incredible whilst the flavour matched – this is a great vape – and one I found extremely quiet and clean too.
So if you don’t mind rearranging your cotton if you want to fill this bad baby up then you have a great little RDTA on your hands – whilst as a common or garden dripper this is superb.
What I Like
I have to say I love the design of the Geekvape Medusa Reborn – very simple yet elegant [apart from that bloody drip tip lol].
Whilst I didn’t use the original I can imagine the lock thingy could become annoying so the fact this has that ‘Quick Access System’ [that most others have lol] then that has to be a good thing.
I love the deck – for a relative newcomer to building I found it an absolute pleasure to work with and of course the strong screws and generous post holes.
Wicking is a doddle too – I used both long genesis style wicking – dropping the tails into the well – and also slightly shorter finding both wicked equally well.
It’s good that you can top what is a lovely clean design with your own Goon style drip tip and of course there’s the addition of the 510 adaptor too.
And it goes without saying despite being a ‘squonk virgin’ lol that the squonker pin will please many of you.
What I Don’t Like
The lack of an obvious way of filling this is just plain daft really.
Here’s a great RDTA that performs well giving great flavour and clouds and you have to literally bugger about filling it.
Shame because this is a great piece of kit.
Final Review Verdict
It’s been hard for me to draw comparisons with the original having never used one lol – but from what I can gather the Geek Vape Medusa Reborn is better in many if not all aspects and actually pretty different!
As a Medusa newbie I am extremely impressed with the deck and very impressed with the flavour and vapour production – this thing chucks like a dragon with heart burn!
As a dripper it works like a charm – if you keep well away from the airflow holes when dripping down the spout – and as an RDTA it works very well indeed.
However you are filling this blind so to speak and you might have to move your carefully wicked cotton to one side to gain entry [yeah I stopped an innuendo there…it was hard so hard lol].
It’s not going to be my go to RDTA – that’s still the Augvape Merlin – but it’s certainly one that I’ve enjoyed and am enjoying using and certainly one that I’d recommend even with its hiccups.
Pros
- Generous juice well
- Sturdy posts
- Wide post holes for larger coils
- Good build deck
- Well made
- Quick Access System 😉
- Internal anti leak shelf works even turned upside down
- Great Flavour
- Amazing clouds
Cons
- Filling can be a pain
