iJoy Tornado 300W RDTA Review

From the IJoy web site:

The IJOY Tornado 300W capable Two Post RDTA aims directly at recreating a high powered RDA experience with the benefits of a tank reservoir.

Using the convenient sliding&Lock gasket sealed side top fill design, users can easily fill. The wide area airflow also delivers cooling to a wider surface area in the subdeck, effectively cooling the entire system.

Combining a wide surface area 15mm by 2mm dual adjustable airflow with dual 5mm diameter inner air holes, a two post build deck, and quad 5mm diameter wick ports results in staggering overall capability.

The Tornado T4 [Velocity-style] build deck features a two post design with two 2mm diameter terminals per post, allowing for easy mounting of dual coil builds. With the Tornado T6 two post 6 hole optional deck, high power builds driven up to 300W can be achieved with steady wicking rates.

IJoy markets the Tornado as an RDTA. That what’s stated on the box and and in the manual, as well as in all the promotional text appearing on vendor sites. But it’s wrong. The Tornado is not an RDTA, it’s an RTA. An RDTA has a mechanism that allows the user to decide when eliquid from the tank flows to the wicks, like an alternate and hopefully more convenient method of dripping. By contrast, in an RTA, eliquid flow to the wicks is automatic, based on gravity and internal pressure within the tank. The Tornado has no user-controlled feed mechanism and is, in fact, a totally typical RTA, with holes in the sides of the chamber that feed eliquid automatically to the wicks.

In some RTAs, the eliquid flow ports can be opened and/or closed by the user, but that’s done only during filling and refilling the tank, or, in extremely rare cases, during vaping to prevent flooding of the coils should eliquid over-saturate the wicks.

So, just to be completely clear, this is a review of the IJoy Tornado RTA, not the IJoy Tornado RDTA (which doesn’t exist, despite what IJoy may assert). My hunch is that IJoy calls the Tornado an RDTA to establish and reinforce an implied association between the intense flavor provided by high-end dripping atomizers and the similar flavor produced by the Tornado Tank. While I disagree with the use of the term RDTA, I concur that the Tornado provides the best flavor I’ve ever gotten from an RTA.

The Tornado uses a more refined version of the top fill system that first appeared on IJoy’s Goodger sub ohm clearo tank. A locking sleeve on the top cap turns (to unlock), then pulls up to reveal a large fill slot. The difference between the Tornado and Goodger top fills is that the Tornado’s sleeve can be removed completely and locks in place for vaping. Both implementations work very well and are my favorite top fill methods.

The T4 deck included with the tank is huge — with a diameter of 17.6mm, it’s the largest deck I’ve seen on an RTA, almost 2mm wider than the SMOK TF-RTA’s. This two post Velocity-style deck, where each post has two large holes, can accommodate dual or quad builds using coils up to 3mm in diameter. Building the deck (i.e., installing the coils) is not quite as easy as one might assume, however, because the deck spins when not screwed into its chamber, but that’s a very minor con.

Eliquid flows from four large holes in the chamber cap directly onto the floor of the deck, so wicking channels are eliminated. Wick ends are simply tucked inside the chamber to rest on the floor of the deck. This is, I believe, a superior method and a definite improvement on wicking channels.

Many add-on accessories are planned, including a T6 deck for six-coil builds. Pre-wound notch coils are already available in packs of five, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Clapton and Twisted wire coils follow suit.

The positive center pin inside the 510 connector extends too far past the grounded outer threads, so the Tornado may not sit flush on all mods. This flaw is easily remedied by sanding down the center pin.

Vaping performance of the deck is, quite simply, stunning. Even with a simple dual coil build, the Tornado provides wonderful flavor. With a more complex quad coil Clapton build, the flavor is amazing. I can’t even imagine the intensity of flavor that a six-coil build would produce.

IJoy holds that the Tornado can handle 300 watts, presumably with a six-coil build on the T6 accessory deck. Someone else will have to test that, because I’m neither able nor willing. First off, the most powerful mods I own are 250-watt Wismec Reuleaux RX200s, and, more to the point, I have no intention of vaping at more than 100 watts. Not now, not ever.

I can confirm, though, that with a simple dual-coil Clapton build at 75 watts, the Tornado provides a marvelous vaping experience.

I know I’m using many superlatives in this review — stunning, superb, wonderful, amazing, marvelous — but the Tornado deserves them all. To say that it’s a very good RTA amounts to extreme understatement.

• thoughtful, intelligent design
• flawless build quality and machining
• includes an adapter for any 510 drip tip
• completely disassembles for easy cleaning
• many accessories available
• including the six-coil Velocity T6 deck
• and many kinds of pre-built coils
• outstanding flavor even with simple builds
• (and incredible flavor with complex builds)

• 510 positive center pin extends too far; may cause tank to not mount flush
• deck spins while building

I’ve been quite impressed with most of the newest generation RTAs I’ve reviewed recently, and the IJoy Tornado is another big winner, taking a back seat to none of its competitors. I considered the iCloudCig Moradin, SMOK TF-RTA, Augvape Boreas, and Vaporesso Gemini to be superb RTAs (and they are). But apparently four brilliant RTAs is not enough, since the IJoy Tornado has joined their elite club as a full-fledged member. Looks like we may soon have enough great RTAs for a baseball team.

Very highly recommended.