The design team over at Hellvape have given me the opportunity today to take a good look at their newly released Hellvape Drop Dead V2 RDA and what a beauty she is too!
Who remembers the original Drop Dead RDA (as pictured below)?
It was a collaboration between Hellvape and American YouTube Vape reviewers Heathen and TVC, combining both the Dead Rabbit and Drop RDAs.
The new Drop Dead V2 includes a much-improved airflow and a deeper juice well. The iconic bunny ear posts have been replaced with a simple-to-use postless deck!
Hellvape is a company that has been around the vape scene since 2016. They have their main offices and manufacturing plants based in China with sales outlets worldwide!
Hellvape’s most popular range of products is the Dead Rabbit series of RDA and RTAs.
What to Expect From the Hellvape Drop Dead V2 RDA?
It has been released in 8 colours – SS, Matte Black, Gold, Blue, Gunmetal, Matt Full Black, Rainbow and Bloody Mess.
The Drop Dead V2 is a 24mm diameter RDA and the postless build deck provides ample space for dual coil builds. The juice well depth has been increased to a staggering 6.2mm!
Hellvape has increased the airflow inlet holes, from the 28 holes of the original to a whopping 36 holes now. Giving you a fabulous 21 combinations for a great cloudy and flavourful vape.
The Drop Dead Version 2 RDA was sent directly to me for review by Hellvape!
As always my thoughts and views are my own, after considerably testing it.
Kit Contents
- Hellvape Drop Dead 2 RDA
- Extra colourful 810 drip tip
- 2x Shoelace Cotton
- 2x 0.37ohm Ni80 Clapton Coils
- Accessory Bag
- Coil Cutting Tool
- BF (squonk) pin
- User manual
Specifications
- Size: 24x27mm
- Weight: 42g
- Side honeycomb adjustable airflow
- Replaceable 810 drip tip
- Dual coil postless deck
- Includes optional hollow 510 pin for squonking
- 2mm e-juice well depth
Hellvape Drop Dead V2 RDA – Design and Build Quality
Each kit is well presented in a card box with a paper oversleeve and includes a host of extras. Including: 2x 810 drip tips, 2 pre-made DIY coils, a cutting tool, cotton, screws, O-rings, a bf pin, a screwdriver and 2 Allen keys.
Like all of Hellvape’s products, this one is of great quality and has excellent manufacture and design!
The construction materials of the Drop Dead V2 RDA include 304 Stainless Steel and Resin.
This RDA comes apart in 5 pieces: the mouthpiece, airflow cap, barrel, build deck and the positive and or BF (Squonk) connection pins!
Starting At the Top
The top of the Drop Dead V2 RDA is graced with a colourful stainless steel and resin 810 mouthpiece. A spare colourful resin mouthpiece can be found in the box.
Removing the mouthpiece, you will find an O-ring that stabilises the mouthpiece inside the cap. When in place the mouthpiece sits on the flat surface of the airflow cap!
The airflow cap is removable from the barrel and has staggered projections that block/uncover the airflow holes within the barrel.
There is an O-ring around the cap body to allow for smooth action when adjusting the airflow.
On the reverse side of the airflow cap there is a small amount of doming. This helps with any liquid splash or any condensation created to drip back down to the cotton and coils.
The barrel for this RDA I would say is pretty much standard, it does come with the Drop Dead logo on the front. The Matt Black version which is currently under review, has a Silver-coloured logo, while the rest of the range has logos that are the same colour as the barrel.
One big change from the original Drop Dead, the V2 has 18 airflow holes over 3 rows on each side of the barrel, the original had only 14 over 2 rows.
That’s 36 holes in total, which will allow for 21 airflow actions. This makes for a great customizable feature!
Hellvape Drop Dead V2 RDA – Build Deck
Removing the build deck from the barrel, you will see Hellvape have given us a postless design build deck for this RDA in which to place our DIY coils.
The juice well is nice and deep (6.2mm).
To insert your coils you will first need to undo the 4 flat–headed screws located on each side of the deck!
Below the screws are 2 O-rings that ensure a leak-proof seal when the build deck is in place within the barrel.
Engraved lightly on the bottom of the base are the normal safety marks, as well as Hellvape’s logo and the name of the RDA!
The base has a well-turned threaded 510 post which holds a gold-plated positive pin that can be replaced for the BF hollow pin for use with a squonk mod.
Hellvape Drop Dead V2 RDA – Quick Start Guide
Today, I will be using 2 KA1 20g DIY coils, they were made on a 4mm post and both together equal 0.16Ω.
For this review, I will use the RDA on my Voopoo Drag 2 Mod and for e-liquid I will be using my DIY Lemonade e-liquid made from a concentrate purchased at Darkstar.
Hellvape Drop Dead V2 RDA – Preparing the RDA for Use
Find the Ni80 coils that came with the kit or like me create your own DIY coils!
- Remove the barrel from the deck
- Install your coils in the build deck
BTW I trimmed my coil tails at 5mm using my Coily Tool
- Screw the Drop Dead V2 RDA deck onto a suitable device or Ohm meter.
- Pulse heat and scrape your coils, so they glow from the inside out
- Allow the coils to cool, then insert the cotton through the coils, cut and fluff then tuck the cotton tails into the RDA deck
- Thoroughly prime your cotton and coils with E-liquid
- Now, I like to test-fire the RDA on a low wattage!
- Drip some more liquid on the coils/cotton if needed and replace the cap and barrel
Enjoy some great vapour with the new Drop Dead V2 RDA!
How Does the Hellvape Drop Dead V2 RDA Perform?
I’ve said in other reviews, I prefer RDAs and RTAs over stock coil tanks. I find them more satisfying with a better production of flavour and vapour – and being the cheapskate I am, it’s often cheaper to create my coils.
Wattage/Airflow
I started using the Drop Dead V2 RDA at 35W for a few puffs, this helped to bed the coil in. I also set the cap airflow to its lowest setting, i.e. 3 holes open on the bottom row!
This setting gave me a decent fairly tight MTL draw!
After bedding in my coils, I opened the bottom row of airflow and took my wattage to 60W, for a few toots.
I next had the bottom and middle rows open and whacked the wattage up to 75W. I was more than satisfied with this setting for vapour production and flavour!
But you know I had to try the airflow fully open so I upped the wattage again in 5W increments this time to 100W.
I will admit to being a wuss here lol! As I experienced some splash back at 100W the vapour was too hot for my micro lungs, causing me to cough a bit!
My average setting for this RDA is between 60 and 80W with the airflow set with the 2 bottom airflow rows open.
Airflow
While my default setting is with the 2 bottom row open, I have played with the airflow, and the draw is fairly smooth overall.
With the airflow wide open the Drop Dead V2 RDA has the potential to be a hell of a cloud beast!
My Tests
The Drop Dead V2 RDA handles chain vaping well! However, the barrel does become quite hot after a while, but as the RDA is made of Stainless Steel it does cool fairly quickly!
In my testing, I swapped the positive pin for the BF (squonk) pin and used the RDA on my Vandy Vape Pulse 80w Box Mod.
I’ve got to say as a squonk RDA I was impressed with the liquid retention because of the 6.2mm deep juice well.
OK, the RDA did leak a little from the airflow in BF mode, this was due to my over squonking the bottle in my exuberance!
Pros
- Great quality and design
- Good flavour
- Great vapour production
- Simple easy to use airflow control
- BF (Squonk) pin option
Cons
I have no concerns with this RDA, but if I had to be a picky pain, I’d ask Hellvape to extend the gap between the posts a little wider so longer coils can be used!
Final Review Verdict
Another winner for Hellvape! This is a good-looking RDA, it functions exactly as it says on the tin.
A simple to build on and use RDA which I’d recommend to most levels of vaper!
I have found myself using this RDA almost every day using different regulated and mechanical devices.
Have you purchased the Hellvape Drop Dead V2 RDA?
Do you have any questions about it? Let us know in the comments below!
