Hugo Vapor Boxer Rader Reviewed! – Overheat Issues Make This A No For Now

Special Note: 

Please be advised that shortly after writing the following review, the product in question (which was my second device) also exhibited overheating symptoms, lost it’s screen display and was no longer safe to use.

I’ve yet to receive a third replacement and, as it stands, this review really just covers my thoughts on a ‘working’ product…before the incident. Only time will tell if I can lay hands on one that’s willing to keep working for longer than a week.

For now, I’d steer clear if I were you.

The Boxer Rader 211W TC Mod By Hugo Vapor

Usually, before I write a review, I like to make sure that I’ve visited the brand’s product page but on scanning their site I found that Hugo Vaper offers no product page for this mod and I’m not sure why.

Why is their latest box mod not on their site? Rather odd. Well, my experience with this cool, bright, super lightweight mod has been colorful to say the least.

The brand, responsible for a string of very chunky looking, very simplistic and very popular mods (including the Boxer TC range and the Hugo 133) seems to have had some problems with this release, if forums and customer feedback on the new mod are to be believed. I’m inclined to believe it, since he first example of this product which arrived in my mail for review was an epic fail.

I enjoyed the mod for about 24 hours before the screen heated up and packed in.

After that, the mod would switch on without the screen following suit and I decided not to chance it, since the screen still felt very hot to the touch. This kind of overheating can cause batteries to vent and I’ve read numerous tales of batteries suddenly loosing charge so watch out! These things happen and, sadly, sometimes a bad batch gets sent out.

My research revealed a string of similar reports by customers who’d purchased the same mod so I can say without a doubt that the release of the Boxer Rader 211W TC mod by Hugo Vapor was not without incident.

Nevertheless, I got my second chance after a week and this particular mod has given no problems…in other words, I’m ready to give my review and yes, apologies for starting off on a negative because there are actually a lot of pros to this mod.

What’s In The Box

• 1 X Rader Mod
• 1 X USB Charger
• 1 X User Manual

Features

• Super lightweight Nylon Shell with Silicon Sleeve
• Dual Core GT211 Chip
• Maximum Output 211 W
• Resistance 0.06 Ohm to 3 Ohm
• Dual 18650 Powered
• Dimensions 84*42*40mm
• 2 A Charge
• TC for Ti, Ni and SS
• Puff counter, preheat and curve plus bypass/mechanical mode
• Max Voltage Output 8.4
• Various protections, short, reverse polarity, overheat etc.

Build Quality & Design

Well, the cylindrical cardboard box, in bright red, with the rugged white branding, is a welcome splash of difference among a sea of box shaped vape packages. However, the words ‘Mod Killer, Material Killer’ underneath the logo made me wonder what I was missing. I mean, it’s cool but it doesn’t necessarily make sense.

Before even opening the package, I grew concerned that the distributer had actually left the gear out of the box, since there was almost no weight to the thing.

So I was definitely surprised to find my bright yellow, silicon sleeve covered, Boxer designed, Hugo Manufactured Rader mod safe and sound inside the box. It also comes in blue, red, black and I’m not sure what other colors, as product information is hard to come by, I’ve definitely seen a camo version too.

So, the body of his thing is actually 3D printed in a special, flame retardant PC and Nylon mix that provides a unique, slightly rough finish that looks (not feels) like fibre glass. You’ll only discover this once you remove the silicon sleeve… which does such a good job of covering the battery vents that I’m concerned about using it, given the fact that my first sample of the mod overheated. The sleeve can be tricky to remove, my tip is: use force.

The Rader is shaped exactly like the Boxer V2, only smaller and lighter… it also looks a lot like the Asmodus Minikin V2. That is, dead simple, with a magnetic battery door on the one side with cutouts along the edges that make 2 big battery vents. The silicon sleeve covering makes it look even more minimalist but going without the sleeve somehow makes the mod feel naked, which likely has something to do with those very exposing battery vents.

One side bares a massive Rader sign that was obviously programmed into the print, as were all embellishments.

Ergonomics are incredible and the base shape and size means that just about any sub-ohm tank, dripper or RDTA will look top dollar on this mod.

The 510 connection is surrounded by a target practice design and while I’ve found most of my tanks sit flush and look good on this mod, fitting can be a little scratchy. To be true, I’ve read multiple reports of this 510 housing completely separating from the mod when users tried to unscrew a tight atty but I’ve not experienced this issue.

I’m thinking that’s got something to do with the rough Nylon case material not being able to form a really tight, clean bond….Let’s just say this mod has potential issues but until or unless they occur, it’s a sweet piece of gear, hmmm.

The narrower side of the mod features a big, round Fire button with a power symbol emblazoned (printed, actually) on it. Below that there’s a small rectangular screen and bellow that, conjoined adjustment buttons. Under that is your USB port for charging and firmware upgrades.

Accessories

The silicon sleeve is a great accessory that really finishes off the look and protects the mod, I just wish that the battery vents had been left exposed.

Also, the USB cable is a very snazzy one, silver with a woven cord covering…

How Does The Boxer Rader 211W Perform?

Using such a light mod is quite strange, you hardly know that it’s in your hand…thank goodness mine is BRIGHT yellow. Now, as far as preheat functions go, you can’t customize your preheat setting, it’s a preset preheat that just gets toggled on and off. That said, it seems to do the trick of shortening an already very good ramp time.

Ramp time is excellent from this Dual Core GT211 chip and while resistance readings and TC seem to be very accurate, some things are a little strange. I found it odd that when I first fitted an atomizer on the mod and it asked if it was a new coil, the device proceeded to set itself to a full 211 wattage.

This seems to happen sometimes and sometimes not, so there are inconsistencies, it would seem. Indeed, there’s a tendency to set wattage far to high for the atomizers concerned so beware.

I can’t say that I’m feeling the best power I’ve felt from a dual 18650 mod, let’s say it feels about 10W below but preheat takes care of that feeling. I did find that it operated best at lower wattages, under 100W so it work’s great with a mini sub ohm tank like the WOTOFO Flow, which seemed to purr on it rather more than usual.

That said, controls are very easy to navigate, even though the manual is useless and there’s absolutely no info online. The main thing is the vape and I find it to be a smooth hitting little mod with a quick fire and a wattage that seems true, for all intents and purposes.

Also, when I’m firing at high wattages and I feel my tank heating up, the mod stays cool as can be…the nylon body really is heat resistant and it’s noticeable. That is…when you don’t have one of the faulty ones, of which there seem to be a few.

Besides that, it looks awesome and its by far the lightest dual 18650 mod around, which may prove very convenient…although, it has a tendency to topple over when the coffee table gets busy.

While I could probably get used to the hand feel and really love the bright and clean aesthetic (and it seems to stay very clean looking too), performance, I’m afraid, is nothing to write home about.

How To Operate the Menu System

It’s a five click power on/off and then three fires to access modes, you cycle through your modes and adjust settings with the + and – buttons.

How To Replace The batteries

Remove the silicon sleeve and the magnetic battery door. Follow the indicators to insert your batteries the right way around.

Battery Life

Battery life is excellent, I’m getting a full day’s high (100w) wattage vape on one charge, about 8 hours.

What I Liked

I like the extended battery life, fast ramp time, ultra light weight and extreme ergonomics of this mod. I also find the big, clicky and responsive fire button to be quite a pleasure. I also like the inclusion of a bypass or mechanical mode, which allows you to vape unregulated at your batteries’ actual voltage.

What I Dislike

The preheat and TC functions are very basic but then I’m not very big on those functions usually…also, I find new atomizer settings to be a little erratic.

It’s a pity that so many users have reported faults, caused by wiring issues mostly. While I had a terrible time with my first sample, the second one is a really fun, rather effective little mod, that, while it won’t be my go to power mod, will definitely draw me in for other reasons.

Final Review Verdict

I must say that, while I’ve been holding my breath this entire review, with my finger always on the screen to feel whether it’s getting hot…my replacement Boxer Rader 211W has been a smooth operator.

In fact, not only has it not overheated, it operates cooler than most of the mods on my shelf, due to that very heat resistant casing.

I, for one, am not sold on the idea of a super light weight mod…which to me just feels cheap. People differ though and a feather light mod may be just what you’ve been looking for. It does what it’s supposed to and while this chipset might not be all that as far as customizations go, at least it offers a great ramp time!

And..

Would I buy this if I lost/broke the device? Possibly, yes…not 100% though.

Pros

• Great looks and ergonomics, accommodates a large range of tanks
• Heat resistant, lightweight body
• Fast ramp
• Nice responsive, clicky buttons

Cons

• Far too many fault reports for my liking
• Erratic wattage adjustment
• Very basic functions
• Light weight gives it a tendency to topple over
• Wattage only seems 100% true when preheat is on