By now, we all know who SMOK are. The vaping giants from Shenzen in China have been around since 2010 and I’ve lost count of how many iterations of the TFV line we’ve already seen, the latest being the SMOK TFV16 sub ohm tank on review today.
SMOK doesn’t have the greatest reputation with atomisers with coil life being a bit rubbish and leaking has certainly been a pain in the rear for a lot of vapers in the past. But with millions of sales worldwide, there must be something that keeps us vapers coming back for more.
As of recent they have also been releasing some great products such as the SMOK Morph mod, the Nord pod system and the Infinix 2.
What Can We Expect From The TFV16 by SMOK?
The SMOK TFV16 tank is an absolute monster at 64.5mm tall and 28mm in diameter. It holds a massive 9mm of e-liquid and has 3 brand new mesh coils.
SMOK say they have changed the top filling system, meaning no more leaks and they’ve changed the airflow system to allow for even more airflow!
Will the TFV16 transport me back to the days of the original Cloud Beast TFV8 that I adored and truly be the return of the king as SMOK claim? Let’s find out!
Thank you to SMOK who sent the TFV16 over for the review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are from my own testing of the tank.
What’s in the Box?
- 1 x TFV16 Tank (9ml)
- 1 x TFV16 Mesh 0.17ohm Coil (pre installed)
- 1 x TFV16 Dual Mesh 0.12ohm Coil
- 1 x Bulb Glass Protective Silicone Sleeve
- 1 x Glass Tube Replacement
- 1 x User Manual
- 1 x Spare Parts
SMOK TFV16 Tank Specs
- Base Diameter: 28mm
- Dimensions: 32 X 64.5mm
- Material: Stainless Steel
- Weight: 94g
- Capacity: 9ml
- Threads: 510
Features
Firstly, juice capacity is a massive 9ml! Great if you don’t like having to fill up too often but not so great if you happen to spring a leak.
SMOK have changed up the gasket in the button locking, swing open top fill which they say will not only prevent leaking but makes the top of the tank look cleaner.
We also have a raised tank base which is much higher than what was seen on the previous TFV12 sub ohm tank.
They’ve also widened the airflow intakes. SMOK say this will provide even more space for airflow and flavour.
The TFV16 also features a 16mm resin, sleeve style mouthpiece and 3 brand new coils – two of which you get in the box.
The tank is available in 6 colours – Black Plating, Red, Blue, Gold, Stainless Steel and 7 Colour. We’ll be taking a look at the Blue version today.
Design and Build Quality
Everything I’ve had from SMOK lately has been great quality, I found the SMOK Morph was a great example of this. The TFV16 is no exception.
The airflow control ring is silky smooth without being slack enough to move by itself or if it’s nudged.
Top Fill
The swinging top fill feels really sturdy and locks with a gentle push. It also takes a fair bit of pressure to open once you’ve pushed the button so no fears that the TFV16 will spring open in your pocket and bathe you in 9ml of e-liquid.
Paint Finish
The paint finish on the tank is gorgeous and I love the deep blue colour, especially with the brushed stainless steel effect. You also get a matchy matchy resin drip tip but unfortunately it is a sleeve style tip and your normal 810 or 50 tips won’t fit.
Bubble Glass and Protector
The 9ml bubble glass is absolutely massive but weirdly isn’t to obnoxious on this huge tank.
You also get a handy, yet ugly, silicone bubble glass protector in the box which I have been using as I’m clumsy and would’ve no doubt broken before I’d even finished testing the tank.
I have knocked it over a couple of times but I’m yet to see any chips or scratches appear.
I really like the overall look and feel of the TFV16. Nothing feels cheap or badly put together, in fact it has a really high quality feel to it.
My only suggestion would be to maybe make those silicone protectors in the same colour as the tank, just to take the edge off how awful it looks.
How To Change The SMOK TFV16 Coil
- Unscrew the base then unscrew your used coil
- Screw your new coil into the base and prime with a few drops of e-liquid
- Screw the tank back together and fill
- Leave to stand for 5 minutes to ensure the cotton is fully saturated
How To Fill the SMOK TFV16 Tank
- Press the button and push the top cap open counter clockwise
- Using the kidney shaped fill port, fill the tank with your chosen e-liquid
- Close the cap firmly ensuring it locks into place
How Does the SMOK TFV16 Tank Perform?
For this review I’ve been using my favourite Apple Jam e-liquid which is 70/30 VG/PG and 3mg in nicotine strength.
There are three coils currently available for this tank, two of which are included in the kit. The TFV16 Triple Mesh coil is available separately.
TFV16 Mesh – 0.17ohm
The new TFV16 single mesh coil is 0.17ohm and rated best at 120w.
I started this one off low at 80w and found it was extremely cold, even with the airflow closed right down.
Slowly but surely I worked my way up 5 watts at a time (being super careful as I know SMOK coils can be temperamental) to 120 watts and I have to say that’s definitely where I found the best flavour and cloud production.
Sure you can push it higher if you’re after a really hot vape but 120 watts was just about perfect for me.
Flavour and Clouds
Flavour was there for me instantly with this big single coil. Even with that huge airflow wide open, my juice tasted spot on.
With the TFV16 mesh coil, you do get rather a noisy vape but you can quieten it a little if you close the airflow down a bit and you’ll only intensify the flavour if you do.
Clouds are big and dense, almost ridiculously so.
Coil Life
This was the one point that disappointed me with this coil. On day 3 I knew we were nearing the end of the journey. That intermittent but all too familiar burnt taste was appearing throughout the day and by day 4 I knew I had to give in and change it.
Sure enough when I removed the coil from the tank, you could clearly see the cotton and mesh were toasted and crispy.
TFV16 Dual Mesh Coil – 0.12oHm
The TFV16 Dual Mesh Coil is a completely different vaping experience.
It’s rated from 80 – 160 watts but SMOK say it’s best at 120 watts.
The Dual Mesh coil has two smaller and more enclosed coils. This massively reduces the amount of airflow you get and really intensifies the flavour and saturation of the vapour.
I started out at 80 watts and again worked my way up to the recommended 120 watts. For me 120 watts is fine if you close down the airflow a little but the perfect temperature vape was 130 watts.
You can push it to 160 watts but things really heat up and I’m not sure how long you’d get from your coil at that temperature.
Flavour and Clouds
The SMOK TFV16 Dual Mesh Coil has been my favourite of the two. The more restricted airflow and the saturation of the vapour it produces really knocks it out the park where flavour is concerned. Definitely the best flavour I’ve had from any SMOK tank I’ve tried this year!
Clouds are, again, large and foreboding. You can easily cloud out a room if you chain vape for a couple of minutes. But, you can’t expect anything less from the successor to the Cloud Beast King!
Coil Life
The TFV16 Dual Mesh seems to lasting a bit longer than the single mesh coil. I’m now onto day 7 of pretty constant use and no burning taste just yet. Flavour and clouds are just as good as day one.
I’ve really enjoyed using the TFV16 as my all day tank.
Flavour is great and the clouds are really good too. I’ve had no issues other than the first coil burning out too quickly. There hasn’t been a single bit of leaking. Not even one drop!
Maybe the slight change to that gasket in the top fill system has really fixed the problem.
Something worth mentioning though, when you’re installing the coil into the tank it can be a little tricky to catch the threading at first. You need to put quite a bit of pressure onto the coil to get it to catch the threading on the bottom of the tank.
Once it catches it’s not a problem but just a little something to take note of.
Also! Just because you have a 9ml juice capacity doesn’t mean you’ll be filling up any less.
This is a crazy thirsty tank. I can empty the tank in half an hour to an hour with ease. If you plan on buying one, stock up on e juice first! Check out the following post for our best e juice recommendations.
Pros
- Big juice capacity
- Great flavour
- Great clouds
- Good Quality
- Nice colours and paint finish
- Silicon protector included
- No leaking
Cons
- Hit and miss coil life
- 28mm size will overhang on some mods
- Sleeve style drip tip so can’t use your own
Final Review Verdict
The SMOK TFV16 is a massive tank with great clouds and flavour that is only really let down by its hit or miss coil life.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed using this as my every day tank since it arrived. Although it guzzles e-liquid like there’s no tomorrow, it’s worth it for the great flavour the TFV16 puts out.
The fit and finish on the tank is absolutely spot on and the colours are gorgeous, especially with the matchy drip tips. (Even if I do wish SMOK would make their tips 810 fitting.)
My only real disappointment has been that single mesh coil. If it had lasted as long as the dual mesh coil has then I’d really be struggling to complain at all.
Overall, the SMOK TFV16 is a great stock coil sub ohm tank that can rival any other stock coiler on the market right now for flavour and clouds!
Maybe come up with a new name next time though eh SMOK? Before we’re all vaping the SMOK TFV234…
Did you buy the SMOK TFV16 tank? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
What is the best vape mod for the SMOK TFV16 tank
You will need a vape mod that can fit 28mm tanks, nobody likes tanks overhanging their mod now! The SMOK Morph is a great match. Other recommendations would be the Vaporesso Luxe S, Wismec Tinker and SMOK MAG Grip.
What is the best SMOK TFV16 coil for flavour?
We found the TFV16 Dual Mesh Coil – 0.12oHm best for flavour.
What is the best SMOK TFV16 coil for Cloud?
Take your pick! This is the Cloud Beast King after-all. We found the TFV16 0.12Ohm Dual Mesh Coil produced a touch more on the dense cloud front.
What are SMOK TFV16 coils made of?
The TFV16 coils are honeycomb structured mesh made of Nickel-Chrome.
Is there a RBA deck for the TFV16?
At the time of writing there isn’t. But there have been RBA’s for the other tanks in the TFV series so we may see one for the TFV16 soon.
Why is my SMOK TFV16 tank leaking?
If you have been using your coil for an extended period of time it may need replacing. Still leaking? Take the tank apart, clean, dry and put back together. Also, when filling close off the airflow.
How many puffs per coil do you get with the TFV16?
There is no definitive answer unfortunately! It will depend on a number of things. The type of e-liquid you use. High VG juices and sweet flavours can cut coil life down. Also, vaping style and the wattage you use comes into play.
How much is the SMOK TFV16 tank?
Price can vary but you are looking at around £23 / $28 through the store linked to above. This does not include the 15% discount available.
How do you clean the SMOK TFV16?
Take the tank apart and set the coil to one side (if you are using it again). Clean the parts with warm water and either air dry or use a paper towel.
How long do the TFV16 coils last?
For us, the 0.17 mesh was disappointing at around 3 days. The 0.12Ohm Dual Mesh was much better and was still going strong after 1 week.
Been a smok fan for a few yrs now and I love the product. The smok tfv16 is by far my favorite tank, with that being said I just got the valyrian 3 and put the tank on it. The thing is a beast. The favors with the triple coils are by far none. Cant complain at all. The one thing about this tank I don’t like is that it go’s threw vape juice like no tomorrow. And I only vape at 85
I have been brought one of these tfv16 tanks top notch awesome flavour, but recently the swivel pin come out the top of the tank and I can’t find anywhere to get a new one with me not working at the moment can’t really justify laying out another 40 pound for another it’s really annoying.
As a truck driver I put my vape through quite a lot of use. I’m absolutely in love with the triple coil for the tfv16, lasts quite a few days before getting the burn test which I tend to put up for a few more days after the fact. I’m usually switching coils after 3200 puffs. The only problem I’ve ever had with it is sometimes my juice tastes just a little too sweet. Other than that it’s wonderful.
I have had my TFV16 for about 2 weeks but only started using it 4 days ago. Im using the single coil 0.17Ohm at 85 watt and I think it is amazing on flavour and clouds. I dont know why I have not tried it beforehand. I like the black rubber glass protector. I had been using the falcon 2 and the freemax pro but \i think the smok TFV16 wins hands down, But that is my opinion.
Mag 3 kit. Tanks been leaking pretty bad. But found I’ve been not completely locking top fill when closing !! No leaks now. Hope stays that way.
HUGE MASSIVE CLOUDS AND FLAVOUR ..I dont know why mine LEAKS all the time from airhole slow leak and checked all o rings put on new coil carefully made the connection nice and tight .. leaked tried another almost brandnew tank and its leaking same thing … i can only think when i bumped it and it fell over a time or 2 that is got warped by the seal .. WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK? Its amazing and 1 coil lasted me 3 weeks vaping at 85 – 95W
Hey Evan. I had the same problem in the beginning. Turned out i vaped at too low wattage. You need to be around 120w to prevent leaking 👍
Had mine since it came out. Never had any SMOK kit before. I’ve settled on the dual mesh. Same issue with single mesh, burns out too quickly. Can’t remember why I preferred the dual over the triple. Dual lasts weeks all day at 120 with no burn and great flavour. Fitting the coil is a pain. Regularly have to re-dismantle. Other issue is the cost and availability of drip tips. Lost mine and cheapest I could find was £12 – for a little bit of plastic! I’ve just got a replacement tank for £17 incl. the tip. Overall, dead happy with my SMOK. Can’t see me changing in a hurry.
I am always puzzled by vaping at high wattage. I use the single mesh at 85 and notice no difference when vaping at 120. I love this tank. I had the tfv8 and it sucked for me cause I’m a chain vaper. I can hit this thing non stop. My single mesh at 85w is on day 10 and it’s like it was on day 1. I haven’t needed to use the dual mesh yet. But overall I love it.
It may be time to forgive Smok for the TFV4 and all their other crimes against vaping. First, the X Priv, one of the most beautiful mods ever made, and now this. The flavour is on a par with an RTA and the vape is very smooth. The Myvapors Myuz was my find of the year, but this is better. My only worry is that it may be too powerful. I’m on the single coil at the moment with the dual and triple to come, and with the single requiring a minimum of 80 watts the others could be too much.
Actually, I don’t think I can ever forgive Smok for the Mag.
I purchased the Mag P3 kit, and absolutely love the TFV16 tank. I run it at 120 and it lasts a long time for me. I vape super sweet juices, and it doesn’t dissapoint. I also vape all day. That being said, it leaks! No matter what coil I use, if it’s not upright, it’s leaking where the tank screws into the mod. My next option is to replace all o-rings. What a pain!
I have minie with th single mesh diede dual coil after the I put the new mesh dual coil in flavour was good to begin with but lost it now running at 75watts putting it up to 120 does not help used a needle on the coil before using anyone have any ideas please?
I bought the hole green and black kit mag p3 kit fantastic for me the pre installed coilis still going running it at 60watts great flavour and vapor no sign of dry hits yet been using that coil for about a week got a three pack of the triple mesh coils coming and will get a rba when I canlove everything about this kitwith my previous smok mag kit single 21700 leaks like a sive put new coilin new seals still leaks but this new one no leaks at all over the moon with it
this tank got RBA?
nope no rba base for this, smok hasnt released an rba base for their tanks in a while, last one was the tfv12
I’ve had this for almost 2 weeks now and have to say at this time it more than likely gives more flavour than any tank out there, but you will need to sacrifice your battery life as you’ll be running both coils at 110 watts and above.
I think the dual coil is pretty good, it can go pretty high upto 160w no issues but it’s hot but it can handle being taken down to 115 and have awesome flavour.
On top of that you need a mod to accommodate it, i’ve got mine sitting on the Smoant Naboo. I do have to be careful when vaping this outside cos it produces unbelievable vapour and as mentioned goes through juice just like that.
Overall though I love, I haven’t even picked up my falcon king tank since i’ve had this.