Kimsun TC40 Mini Kit Review

Kimsun TC40W Mini Kit Introduction

The Kimsun TC40W Mini Starter Kit is a new mod and tank combo from Kimsun, a company whose mission apparently is to “promote the life quality for humans”.

Questionable mottos aside, what we have here is yet another new entrant to the ever-popular stealth mod market.

The TC40W kit comprises of a positively tiny 1100mAh internal battery mod, alongside a tank with an equally tiny capacity of 1.1ml.

This device was sent by Kimsun for the purposes of this review. As always, our views are our own.

In The Box

• TC40W Mini Mod
• STL Tank II
• 1 X Pre-installed 0.32 Ohm Titanium Coil
• 1 X Spare 0.32 Ohm Titanium Coil
• 1 x USB Cable
• 1 x Manual

Main Features / Specs

TC40W Mod

• 34.6mm X 21.2mm X 99.3mm
• 1100mAh Battery
• Wattage Range 5.0-40W
• TC Resistance Range 0.15-2Ω
• Temp Range – 300-600°F / 150-315℃
• Charging Time – <2hrs

STL Tank II

• 1.1ml Capacity
• 510 Thread
• Bottom Fill
• 510 Drip Tip

Design and Build Quality

Size and Finish

There’s no doubt that the TC40W is a contender for the smallest regulated box mod on the market, it’s one of those mods where the pictures just don’t do it justice.

It’s roughly similar in size to the Artery Nugget, however, its tapered sides make it feel far smaller in the hand or pocket, while also making it extremely comfortable to hold.

Indeed, the mod and tank combined literally disappear in the palm of your hand, making this the stealthiest of stealth mods.

While it’s incredibly light and even has a fairly pleasant rough and grippy texture, it also has a small gap on one side where the top plate meets the body, though it’s worth saying that may just be the sample I was sent.

Also, the logos on the sides in simple red print feel like this has just been branded rather than designed with care from the ground up. This doesn’t effect the performance in any way, though.

The buttons are nice and clicky with no rattle, but overall there’s a lack of solidity, unlike some other mods I have tried.

Design and Features

One thing that does set this mod apart from the crowd is it’s bright, easy-to-read screen, hidden under the chromed top plate in a two-way mirror effect.

It’s something that will divide people, but I think it’s a really nice solution that manages to keep the mod relatively ‘clean’ looking.

The downside is that with no stealth mode, the brightness can be distracting while you’re vaping due to it being directly in your line of sight. This can be rectified with a strategically placed finger.

Alongside the screen is the spring-loaded 510, with other tanks that I tried (though oddly not the STL tank included) all sitting nicely flush against the mod.

However, the positioning of the 510 means that despite the nominal 21mm width of the TC40W, any tank over 18mm will have an overhang, which may be a problem for vapers using their own tanks.

Unless you’re using something like a Kanger Subtank Nano, then sticking a different tank on this mod isn’t really a great option. But then again, the whole point of this kit is to supply a one stop tiny steal set up.

On the bottom of the mod is the USB charging port, which will obviously be a downside for some as many prefer to stand their mod upright when charging, and it also appears to be the only place for venting should you have the battery malfunction.

STL Tank II

With the unrelenting rate of progress in the vaping market, using the STL tank ultimately feels a little like going back in time. 

The tiny coils and capacity of 1.1ml may make sense with such a small mod, however, the fiddly bottom-fill proved difficult to fill at times.

I guess that’s the price you have to pay for such a small tank.

Build quality is fine, it rather resembles a shrunken Subtank Nano, but again fit and finish just isn’t quite up there with the best, and it also doesn’t quite sit flush on the mod.

It feels like a tank created for a mod, rather than a tank created with the goal of being a great tank.

How Does The TC40W and STL Tank II Perform?

We will first take a look at the TC40W mod functions and how they work.

• Lock/unlock – 5 clicks of the power button
• Menu select – 3 Clicks of the power button to enable mode switching, then 1 click to go between Power/Ti/Ni
• In Temp Control mode – 1 Click of the power button to switch between (℉) and (℃)

The menu is fairly straight forward to use for those who have used box mods before, and it should be noted that the mod is also firmware upgradeable which is a great feature for today’s devices.

There’s no constant display of battery life (it appears when you press the power button but not while vaping). The display does have to fit into a fairly small space though so Kimsun have had to work around showing certain features in the display.

The manual is not the easiest to read, this certainly wouldn’t be something I’d recommend to a new vaper as a starter kit. Kimsun are putting temp control centre stage here with only Ti coils included, and I think a lot of new vapers would be frankly baffled when trying to set this kit up.

So just to keep in mind if you are a newer vaper.

Battery Life

Using the STL tank in TC mode, I actually found the battery life surprisingly decent.

Yes, it’s only 1100mAh, however, it lasts long enough for a few hours of casual vaping when out and about.

When I paired it with a Subtank Nano in power mode, at higher wattages (a word on that below) it unsurprisingly drained the battery fairly quickly, but the trade-off for such a small size will certainly be worth it for some people.

STL Tank II

Despite the tanks shortcomings, the tank performs better than you might first expect.

The drip tip is relatively (though not super) wide-bore and seems nicely made with double o-rings and a Delrin inner section, while the airflow is adjustable at the collar from extremely airy to fully restricted.

For vapers into temp control it could certainly be an option as a super portable setup, however, you do of course need to take into account the tiny capacity and fiddly filling system.

It can certainly kick out clouds though, and flavour is not too bad considering the coil size, if slightly anaemic.

Throughout my use I experienced zero leaking so well put together in that sense.

A word about variable wattage mode: this mod feels extremely under-powered. Vaping a Subtank Mini at 15w felt more like 10w in direct comparison with a Cool Fire IV.

Even when I took it up to 30w, it didn’t punch like the Cool Fire at 15w. Perhaps that’s just my unit, however, it should be noted for those looking to use this as a standard regulated mod.

What I like

The form factor here is great, it’s a tiny mod that’s actually comfortable to use and you’ll barely notice it in your pocket.

It would be a great spare mod to chuck in a bag or your glove box, ready for emergencies.

The tank performs better than expected, while of course, we have to judge it by today’s standards, it’s light years ahead of the kits from a few years ago. I didn’t get any leaking whatsoever.

Battery life is surprisingly good, and it packs an incredible punch for something in such a tiny package.

What I Didn’t Like

Build quality is only average and I personally found the tank is fiddly to fill. Maybe expected considering how small it is but let’s not forget that with a tiny 1.1ml capacity, you will be filling it a lot.

The display has no constant battery indicator, and the lack of stealth mode also means it can be distracting if using in a situation where stealth vaping is needed.

Though described as a starter kit by Kimsun, I would say it’s more suited to vapers who already have a TC Mod that just want a portable, stealth device.

Final Review Verdict

Pros

• Good tank performance & no leaking
• Upgradeable firmware
• Tiny size
• Bright screen
• Comfortable to use
• Decent battery life for its size

Cons

• Average build quality
• Size limits use with other tanks
• No stealth mode
• Tiny juice capacity
• Fiddly tank filling system
• Wattage mode feels decidedly under-powered