If you closely follow the vaping industry and the devices being released, you may have already heard about the Sigelei Fuchai 213.
There has been a bit of controversy surrounding this unit, with many people claiming that it does not actually get to the 213 Watts that Sigelei claims it does.
I wanted to start things out by addressing this, but also making it clear that it will not factor into this review.
There have also been numerous reports about bugs in the chip including temperature control glitches, misfiring and issues with the display screen.
While I did not experience all of these issues, it’s worth keeping in mind that these bugs and glitches have been common amongst many Sigelei 213 owners.
PACKAGING & DESIGN
There is nothing particularly new or exciting about the packaging of the Fuchai 213. It’s very much what you are used to if you have previously purchased a box mod.
You are not going to be left guessing about what is inside. The unit sits on top along with the instruction manual, and all your bits and bobs are found under that.
The device is a good deal smaller than some of the previous Sigelei models, which tells me that they have been listening to the customer complaints.
This is a lightweight mod that is well designed, which fits nicely in my hand. The control buttons are found at the top of the unit and are easy to get to.
While it’s a light device, it should be noted that the finish is well done, and I haven’t seen any nicks or scratches appear after multiple uses.
KIT CONTENTS
- 1 x Sigelei Fuchai 213W
- 1 x Micro USB Cable
- 1 x User Manual
- 1 x Security Code Card
MOD SPECIFICATIONS
- Aluminum Alloy Construction
- Dimensions: 88*44*29mm
- 0.91 Inch OLED Display
- Wattage Range: 10W – 213W
- Temperature Range: 200°F – 570°F / 100°C – 300°C
- Resistance Range: 0.1Ω – 3.0Ω
- Input Voltage: 6.4V – 8.4V
- Output Voltage: 1.0V – 7.5V
- Output Max Current: 35A
- Firing Modes: VW, TC (SS, Ti, Ni)
- Requires 2 x 18650 Batteries (Not Included)
- Spring Loaded 510 Pin
- Battery Door Panel
FUNCTIONALITY
The power button is situated on the front of the device, and you can lock and unlock the box mod by clicking the fire button 5 times. When you first power up, you’ll want to click the fire button 3 times to open the main menu.
Here you’ll see the option to choose your coil – nickel, titanium, stainless steel etc. – and after you’ve chosen the one you’re using, you can then set your temperature in either Celsius or Fahrenheit.
There are a pair of control buttons situated on the side just above the OLED display. These can be used to set your preferred wattage, which runs from 10W to 213W.
The scroll speed up and down is quite fast if you’re looking to make a big change in the wattage, but you can also simply click up and down as needed.
When you’re in temperature mode, you can push the two buttons at the same time to lock your settings in.
If you want to lock the up and down buttons, simply push the bottom button and the fire button at the same time.
Pushing the top button and the fire button at the same time takes you into a handy little feature where you can set the coil heating time for a wattage setting.
The connector on top is spring-loaded and will hold a wide variety of different atomizers.
DISPLAY
The display is about standard for this sized mod. It’s clear and easy to read. All the important information is shown, and the menu is also easy to deal with once you slip into that mode.
Again, nothing particularly special about the screen, but the display does the job it is meant to, and it does it well.
BATTERY DETAILS
The Fuchai 213 is powered by a pair of 18650 batteries. The amount of charge in each battery is displayed on the OLED screen. The battery compartment is on the bottom of the device, and is very easy to open and close.
You can even open the battery cover while the supplied silicone sleeve is in place, which is pretty useful.
DISLIKES
- Some controversy over wattage output not reaching 213 as advertised
- Misfiring Issues
- Temperature Control Glitches
- Display Issues
LIKES
- Affordable price point
- Excellent design and quality of build
- Easy to control wattage and temperature
- Battery cover is easy to get on and off
- Spring-loaded connector
- Lightweight and portable
SHOULD YOU GET THE FUCHAI 213?
The bulk of this review is based on my experience with the MOD, which has mostly been pretty good.
Even though I had a relatively good experience using this MOD I personally wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. It’s a shame because this really is a good MOD when if it works as it should.
Unfortunately too many Fuchai 213 owners have complained about misfiring, superimposed screens and glitches in the temperature control. And firmware upgrades don’t seem to have fixed most of these issues based on customer feedback.
It doesn’t look as though Sigelei have done enough to address these issues, and it’s because of this that I have to suggest that you consider an alternative device.
If you’re a bit of a risk taker and decide to buy it anyway, you may get lucky like me. If you do get lucky and manage to dodge most of these major technical issues then I have no doubt that you’ll love it!