Vandy Vape Jackaroo Review: Does This Mod Take The Indestructible Throne?

The Vandy Vape Jackaroo kit is from an extremely well known brand in the vaping world, from their Pulse Squonk mods to the Bonza Mechanical Mod, they’ve done just about every type of vaping product as well as a waterproof mod with the AP kit. They are looking to add to this category with the Jackaroo vape mod.This single battery regulated device can take an 18650 (Using the adaptor provided) a 20700, and a 21700 battery and no this isn’t endorsed by Tony B, in this case as the name would suggest, Vandy Vape sourced advice from another well-known reviewer called Vaping Bogan. The beer drinking, tattooed aussie has put his two OZ dollars into this device so I would hope for good things.

Capable of firing at up to 100w and with an IP67 rating, it seems to have everything a careless vaper would want from a kit. So let’s give you the rundown on the latest Mod and tank from Vandy Vape.

This Kit was sent to me for the purpose of review. All views and opinions are solely those of my own and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of others.

See The Vandy Vape Jackaroo Kit In Action

In The Box

• 1 x Jackaroo Mod
• 1 x Jackaroo Tank
• 1 x Spare Glass Tube (TPD version 2ml)
• 1 x 0.15Ω Mesh Coil (Mesh 80) (Pre-installed)
• 1 x 0.3Ω Mesh Coil (Mesh 50)
• 1 x Spares bag (O-Rings)
• 1 x 18650 Adaptor (Stored in mod)
• 1 x Micro USB Cable
• 1 x User Manual
• 2 x Warning Cards

Main Specs/Features

Jackaroo Tank

• Diameter: 26mm
• Length: 44.65mm
• E-Liquid Capacity: 2ml (TPD)
• Gold-Plated 510 Connector
• 510 Drip Dip Compatible
• Top Filling
• Fully Adjustable Airflow

Jackaroo Mod

• Size: 91 x 29 x 48mm
• IP67 waterproof rated
• Shockproof
• Wattage Range: 5-100w
• Coil Resistance Range – 0.05-3Ω
• Powered by Single 21700/18650 batteries (not included)
• Colours: Black – But with selectable panels x2

G-10 Panels – Red Ridge | American Eagle | Obsidian Black | Blue Python | Orange Viper | Green Anaconda

Resin Panels – Red Pomegranate | Green Jade | Gold Agate | Blue Porcelain

Design and Build Quality

The Jackaroo kit came in Sample packaging for the purpose of this review but I imagine the final version won’t be much different. As always for Vandy Vape products, everything came well packaged, clean and tidy and in a cut-out foam housing to protect the items.

Mod

At a glance it looks like it’s designed to be slung around a forest bouncing about in the back of an old Land Rover Defender, and it feels that way too.

Covered in a thick yet slightly squidgy rubber, with tough rigid panels on each side you get the feeling it could handle the abuse from even the most clumsy vaper.

Weight

It’s not lightweight either, weighing in at 230g WITHOUT batteries, or the tank. Which is 30g heavier than its main competitor – The Dual 18650 Geekvape Aegis Legend. So it’s fair to say out the box, it looks, and feel tough.

Hand Feel

Despite it’s tough exterior it feels nice in the hand, while thumb firing, my hand fits nice and snug around the mod but in my experience, the mod could do with being 10mm higher so the fire button could be raised as I found the I had to use the bottom of my thumb to press the fire button comfortably, but this is a very minor observation that you barely realise.

Battery Compartment

The battery compartment is opened via a twist-off cap at the base of the mod, which is a little fiddly to open with my sausage fingers and even when you finally pull up tab to unscrew it you sometimes scratch yourself on the pointy parts.

Replaceable Side Panels

The panels on the 2 sides are removable, so if you destroy the included panels you could quite easily replace them – The prices are very reasonable too, you can buy the Vandy VApe Jackaroo panels here.

The front display is also removable which is where you will discover the USB port for firmware upgrades only.

Tank

The Jackaroo tank stands only 44.65mm tall, which is fairly short for a sub ohm tank, but it looks and feels like a good quality tank. The satin black paint finish is flawless, and feels almost powder-coated and the swirly style 510 drip tip looks beautiful on top.

Adjusting the airflow is nice and easy thanks to the ridges on either side, and the top twists off nice and smoothly with a 90-degree anti-clockwise turn.

Setting the Tank & Mod Up

Tank

• Twist off top cap
• Fill with desired e-liquid
• Re-fit top cap
• Leave for 10 mins to prime coil
• Job done

Mod

The Vansy Vape Jackaroo mod comes with a whole host of options, all of which are accessible by pressing the +/- button simultaneously for a couple of seconds. Then use +/- buttons to scroll through the options, and press the fire button up top to access your desired choice.

The spanner & Screwdriver icon in the menu brings up the majority of the adjustable options for the device, these are listed as follows:

Modes:

• Voltage Mode – V
• Temperature Control mode – TC
• Bypass Mode – BP
• Colour – C (Changes Display Colour – Green|Blue|Yellow|Red|Orange|Pink & Orange/Blue)
• Auto Renew resistor – ARR (Remove option to ask ‘Atomiser New/Old’ every time you turn on device)
• Fire Button Mode – FIR (On = Power ON when locked, Off = Power OFF when locked.
• Reset to Factory Settings –RST

The second icon in the menu differs depending on the mode you have set – I had this on wattage only during my time but if you would like to set your own power curve, so you can micro manage the output power over the 10-second duration of your vape, this can be easily adjusted by choosing the DIY setting. Once in you can choose between 5 different modes (D1-D5), which you can alter easily by pressing the fire button 4-times. And then adjust your power curve.

The third option relates to screen brightness, which actually does get brighter from 0-9. Option number 4 is where you can adjust the time at which your device will go to sleep. In option 5 you can reset your puff counter. Version 6 and 7 will display your Chip Version number and Vandy Chip ID respectively. And the last option in the menu screen takes you back to the main screen.

Everything is displayed nice and clearly on the device, and what I did like was the battery indicator isn’t just a bar, but shows the battery percentage in 1% increments. Very good.

How Does The Vandy Vape Jackaroo Kit Perform?

Durability

First up let’s test out just how durable the Vandy Vape Jackaroo mod is.

I could have quite easily gone to town with this device, throwing it at walls, trying to crush it or even give it to my kids to destroy (Without a battery and tank of course) – But as an electrician, working in dusty dirty and sometimes rigorous environments, I felt my day to day usage would be enough.

Apart from the minor scuff and scratch, the device coped really well, even with the tank on top. Yes it got dropped a few times, fortunately landing mod side down each time – but you can’t really notice any damage and everything still works and functions perfectly.

But then I changed my mind, and had a little fun. Obviously the tank, especially the glass, would not withstand many drops/throws to the ground, so the tank was taken off, and the mod was used as a football for a while.

As you can see, the panels may have lost their paint in places, and the rubber has been scuffed – But the device still worked. So with regards to shock proofing and coping with slips, trips and falls, the mod passes with flying colours and I was comfortably vaping again once the wild destructive 15 minutes had ended, even if I was a little out of breath.

Waterproof test

With an IP67 rating, the mod should be able to withstand being 1 meter underwater for around 30 minutes.

So as a trial, I popped the mod in the deepest vase I could find (0.3m) and left it for over 30 minutes (With the battery inside D’oh!)

And I’m pleased to say it passed the swimming test. There didn’t appear to be any water under the screen protective cover, nor inside the battery compartment. If you were to find any condensation under the screen or water droplets it’s likely under the screen that sits outside of the waterproofed section of the mod. You can easily remove the front panel if you see this on yours and wipe down.

Switching the device back on, and everything worked and functioned correctly – Be sure to remove the 2 side panels and dry them, along with the rubber behind the panels, as the moisture won’t escape from behind the securely fixed panels easily.

The Jackaroo Mod

OK.. Back to the actual performance of the mod.. Let’s face it if you buy one of these you aren’t likely to be throwing it at a wall or kicking it around your backyard anytime soon!

I’m pleased to say the Jackaroo Mod performed excellently with regards to the abuse it endured. At the end of my testing, there were only slight scratch and scuffs to the G10 panels, which could possibly get worse over time, but they’re replaceable so it’s not a big deal really.

The menu system and main display is clear and bold, even in direct sunlight, my only issue with the device is battery life.

I’ll expand further on this in the coil performance section, but a single 21700 battery does not last a working day, and you have even less hope with an 18650. But then this all depends on how much you vape.

There is also no option to charge the device via the USB port.

The Jackaroo Tank

The tank as a whole, performs excellently. I have no complains with regards to airflow, filling or noise production. It’s a fairly quiet tank in comparison to some.

As always, the TPD 2ml MAX version is a pain, as these mesh coils drink liquid for fun.

Flavour & Vapour

The kit comes with 2 different mesh coils, a 0.15Ω and a 0.3Ω coil. Throughout my testing, I saw barely any difference in the 2 coils, flavour and vapour production was above average. I did however set the airflow and wattage differently on each coil which will be explained below.

0.15 Ω Mesh Coil (Mesh 80)

Recommended at 50-90w. I had the wattage at 70w, with the airflow all the way open – It delivers a full flavour vape and very good vapour production. However vaping at 70w is pretty high for a single battery device which meant a 21700 battery lasted me no longer than 7 hours.

0.30 Ω Mesh Coil (Mesh 50)

Recommended at 40-60w. I had the wattage at 50w, with the airflow half way open – And this coil also delivers a full flavour with decent vapour production, and at 50w, my battery life improved by at least an hour meaning I was able to get a usual 8-hour working day out of the mod. But I still had to keep a spare 21700 battery with me incase I had a day of heavy vaping.

Pros

Mod

• Extremely hard wearing
• Easy to use and adjust
• Bright clear screen
• Feels nice and comfortable in the hand

Tank

• Great flavour & vapour on either coil
• Comfortable for a 510 drip tip
• Lovely paint finish
• No leaking during testing

Cons

Mod

• Battery Life
• Side panels scratch easily
• Battery cap is fiddly and scratches you.

Tank

• TPD 2ml limit (in Europe) is the only con but not a fault of Vandy Vape.

Final Review Verdict

Vandy Vape have got this kit right in every aspect, apart from battery life. If this was a Dual 18650 device, it would stand up to the Aegis Legend in every way and perhaps surpass it in some categories. No doubt the dual battery Jackaroo mod will follow on shortly 🙂

The tank has been a joy to vape on and should be given its own name to distinguish it from the mod as it deserved more respect.

I would quite happily use the Vandy Vape Jackaroo every day if battery life was improved as im pretty sure it could endure even the toughest of days on a building site.