The HellVape HellBeast RDA review – so let’s see if I had a helluva time with this one…
Do I really need to introduce Hellvape brand?
Okay… but how am I supposed to introduce one of the most well known RBA company’s out there?
Hellvape is pretty much a 100% sub ohm brand, in fact the only item that isn’t really a sub-ohm device is the Grimm Kit, which is Hellvape’s only pod system.
Hellvape has 3 mods, all of which are mechanical, and the rest of its catalogue is RBAs. To be precise 15 RDAs, 6 RTAs, 1 RDTA, 2 sub ohm tanks and also a variety of drip tips and DIY coils.
Hellvape introduce themselves as a ‘DIY atomizer brand‘ and since its launch in 2016 have become a major player in the DIY side of the industry.
The most popular Hellvape Products are the Dead Rabbit products (RDA, RTA, V2 RDA and V2 RTA), Drop Dead RDA, Passage RDA and Rebirth RTA.
I haven’t used the Hellbeast sub ohm tank, but I’ve heard good things. Let’s hope we can say great things about the RDA version.
What Can We Expect From The HellVape Hellbeast RDA?
Let’s face it the name has the words Hellvape and RDA… we are expecting greatness.
As always with a Hellbeast every part of it is very specifically designed especially in regards to measurements, let’s take a look a some of it’s many features.
It has a 24mm diameter and comes with a squonk pin and an Allen Key, so if you prefer to Squonk, rather than drip, you can easily, switch the pin over.
The bottom feed pin diverts the e-liquid through the 45° liquid inlets in the juice well to give a better liquid distribution.
The deck is designed for dual coils and the posts are placed to make it super easy to install counter clock wise wrapped coils, seriously, with the right amount of wraps they just slip in perfectly. Although, with a slight twist the HellBeast can be used with anti-clockwise coils.
The Hellvape Hellbeast also give you a huge variety of airflow options, with a total of 72 internal holes to choose from.
Inside The Box
- Hellbeast RDA
- 1 x BF (Squonk) Pin
- 2 x 0.37ohm Ni80 Fused Clapton Coil
- 2 x cotton laces
- 1 x Screwdriver (Flathead)
- 1 x Coily gauge Tool
- 1 x Bag of Spares
- 1 x User manual
- 2 x Hellbeast Stickers
Specs
- Outer Diameter: 24mm
- Height: 32mm (25mm without driptip)
- Recommended Resistance: 0.2ohm
- Airflow: Trinity Stepped Stepped Honeycomb (Adjustable)
- Driptip: 810
- Connection: Gold plated 510 & BF / Squonk Pin
- Juice Well: 5mm Deep
Other Features
- 45degree direction BF holes
- Plug and Play Dislocated Posts
- 72 x 1.2mm airholes with 15degree dip
- Knurled AFC Grip
Design And Build Quality
It has to be said, when it comes to design quality, Hellvape hit it out of the park every time.
I’m not saying they get it right every time, but they certainly put their whole in every time, they’re very specific.
The Hellvape Hellbeast currently comes in 7 different colours.
I was lucky enough to receive the “Matte Full Black”, I have always been a fan of Hellvape’s black and red look.
You may notice there is also a “Matte Black” which differs only by the logo being highlighted.
Assembly Of The HellVape Hellbeast RDA
Without the specifics of the parts, the HellVape Hellbeast RDA is pretty similar to any other dripper, it has the deck, airflow control tube, top cap and drip tip.
With that being said, let’s take a closer look at the specific parts.
The Hellvape Hellbeast RDA Drip Tip
Hellvape dub the 810 drip tip as ‘ergonomic‘… As a reviewer I come across the word a ‘hell’ of a lot when looking at vape descriptions.
The actual definition of ergonomic is, “relating to or designed for efficiency and comfort in the working environment.”
When it comes to drip tips, ‘comfort‘ is something that is very subject to opinion. Some people like thin, thick, straight, curved, conical and I’m sure the list goes on.
The drip tip that comes with the Hellvape Hellbeast only stands 7mm above the top cap, I think that’s a little bit low for a lot of people.
It’s also curved and conical with a rim in the middle, it’s certainly not your standard drip tip.
However, that being said, I do like it, I think it’s fairly comfortable, my only reservation is my lips touch the top cap but that might not be as much of an issue, let’s see why.
The HellVape Hellbeast RDA Top Cap
The first thing I’d like to point out is how thick the top cap is.
The walls measure at 2.5mm thick and that thinnest part of the top is 5mm thick.
That’s why it might not be a real issue if out lips are touching the top cap, it’s super thick, so therefore it won’t get hot as easily as other top caps.
The roof of the top cap has rounded edges, although that might sound like it just looks better, but over the years, the industry has learned that a nice smooth arch at the top can make a huge difference when it comes to flavour production.
The is one O-ring on the out side of the top cap to hold it into the airflow tube, it holds it well enough, it’s actually nice to have a top cap that isn’t too tight.
Finally, around the bottom is the 72 x 1.2mm airflow holes which step up and down to allow for a wide variety of adjustments.
In case you was wondering, the drip tips O-ring is attached to inside of the topcap, instead of the driptip itself, which I’ve found is usually the most common method.
The HellVape Hellbeast RDA Airflow Tube
Standing at 20mm tall and 1mm thick, the airflow tube goes all the way to the bottom of the deck.
It’s quite a simple design with Hellvape logo embossed onto the front and the airflow hole on either side. In total there is 14 airflow slits: 10 which are quite tall and 2 which are smaller.
There is 1 small bump inside the tube which creates the anti-rotation system.
However there are 2 notches on the deck (one on either side), so the airflow tube can fit onto the deck in 1 or two directions but it will always face the airflow at the coils.
HellVape Hellbeast RDA Adjustable Airflow
When the top cap and the airflow tube are put together, the minimum airflow holes that can be used are 12 of the 1.2mm holes (6 on each side) which creates a restrictive DTL draw.
You can then turn the airflow up by 2 holes (one at either side) at a time, until you get the maximum airflow setting, which is 38 x 1.2mm holes and that creates an almost restriction free draw.
The Hellvape Hellbeast RDA Deck
Finally we get to the deck, and where do we start!
I’ll start with the basic, the wall of the deck, from the bottom to the top measures at about 7.25mm and has 2 O-rings to latch on to the airflow tube.
That’s not what we need to be looking at though, is it?
The posts are staggered, or ‘dislocated‘ as Hellvape says.
The negative posts are attached to the outer wall of the deck and the positive post’s are a fair bit closer to the center of the deck. That can look a bit confusing at first glance but it is actually super simple.
Thanks to the location of the posts, when the coil is wrapped counter clockwise the legs fall straight into the posts, it’s beautiful, simple and elegant.
The RDA comes with a coily type coil gauge with 2 measurements (5mm or 7mm), if like above the coil is wrapped counter clockwise, the legs can be cut at 5mm.
However if the coils is wrapped clockwise then it needs to be cut at 7mm, then when the coil is clamped down, it needs to be twisted.
Even better, unlike the dead rabbit RDAs the post holes have a bottom, so the coil legs stay at the correct height and don’t have to be cut after installation.
Hellvape Hellbeast RDA Squonking Hole
If you want to use the Hellvape Hellbeast RDA for squonking, you need to change the pin.
Most commonly squonking devices take the liquid directly up and saturate the bottom of the wicks.
However that’s not what happens here, with the Hellvape Hellbeast RDA, the positive posts are connected by a bar, and in the side of that bar is a hole which comes up from the pin at a 45degree angle to push the squonked liquid into the wicks rather than just up into the deck.
Hellvape Hellbeast RDA Design & Build Summary
I am a massive fan of matte in general and I’ve already said I love the black / red combination that Hellvape do, so I love that aspect to it.
I don’t even know why I am summarizing, in regards to the design and build quality there is absolutely nothing I can complain about, in my opinion.
Building On The HellVape Hellbeast RDA
If you thought building on the other Hellvape RBAs were easy, you’re going to be in for a shock.
With a little help from the coily gauge, the Hellbeast is literally the easiest RDA to build.
Building the HellVape Hellbeast RDA – Step By Step Guide
With this RDA being so easy to build on, I imagine it will be attractive to a lot of first timers.
So I decided to do a simple step by step walk through on how to build an RDA, in which the principle is the same for most RBAs.
- Remove the deck from the rest of the RDA
- Using the Screw driver provided, unscrew all 4 post screws
- Get the little black gauge and cut the legs to 5mm (7 is the coil is wrapped clockwise)
- Place one leg into the a silver post, and one leg into a golden post. If the coil is wrapped counter clockwise they should fit perfectly
- Prime / pre burn the coils, starting at a fairly low power and turn the power up gradually.
- When the coils glow equally, allow them to cool
- When cool, wick the coils and cut the wicks to a length that they just touch the bottom
- fully saturate the wick and enjoy
If you have no exposure to using an RBA, I suggest you look up coil priming and other basic rules like not allowing your coils to touch the edges. Although the latter shouldn’t really be an issue with the RDA because there is plenty of space.
Pros
- Super easy To build
- Super Adjustable airflow
- Replaceable 810 driptip
- Good Flavour
- Good Vapour
- Squonkable (optional)
Cons
- Can be awkward to drip directly onto coils
- Original Drip Time is low profile
- Dual Coil Only
Review Final Verdict
Well Hellvape has made building even easier and I didn’t think building could get any easier than the other RBAs (like the Dead Rabbit range).
No only is it easy to build on but it is easy to get great flavour from, the airflow is super adjustable I’m sure it will satisfy all DTL’ers.
The top cap is knurled and has the right amount of resistance, making the airflow easy to adjust but not too loose that it moves on it’s own accord.
So who is it for?
Well dare I say everybody?
It really is super easy to build on and easy to use.
I don’t this it’s the best flavour producer out there but it is certainly good.
I know a lot of people that have been using RBAs for a long while that would be happy with this beauty.
So have you got your hands on the HellVape Hellbeast RDA?
How are you finding it?
Is this one on your must buy list?
Any thoughts or opinions, let me know in the comments below…
