Tugboat RDA
In Stock: brushed, polished or matte finish for $89.99
The original Tugboat RDA came on the scene earlier this year by Flawless, who also make “Tug Sauce”. Version 1 looked promising, but there were many complaints about leaking. Now we have version 2 available in a range of finishes. I received my Tugboat RDA V2 a few weeks ago and its quickly risen to the status of one of my top 5 RDA’s. Seriously – this is a winner!
Build and Design:
The Tugboat RDA is a fairly conventional design. We’ve seen so many radical releases this year that its easy to overlook the Tugboat, but don’t – its a serious performer.
The deck features the usual 3 post design. The positive post (middle) is made of copper for maximum connectivity. This is extended by a copper pin in the 510 connection and it delivers as promised. This is an excellent hitting RDA. The build quality is exceptional. Version 2 also features a decent sized drip well – I easily get 15 drops of juice in this device with absolutely no leaking or flooding problems. Also featured is adjustable airflow in the top cap which is a must on any device these days. There are 2 air holes on each side that are wide enough to accommodate cloud blowers. I actually set mine with only one hole exposed on each side and I get excellent flavor and vapor production.
Tugboat RDA 510 Connection
The Tugboat RDA comes with its own drip tip which I actually like a lot. It doesn’t get hot and I’ve been using this device just about all day every day for the last week. Its that good folks. I’ve been seriously impressed. This is right up there with the Zenith for me.
There are 3 available finishes for the Tugboat RDA. I got the media blasted version which looks great. I couldn’t be happier. You can also get this one in brushed or polished stainless steel. My only complaint is I’m not crazy about logos plastered all over the device. This would look so amazing clean with nothing on it. It performs so well that this is not a deal breaker but I really wish Flawless would offer clean versions of these.
Should I buy the Tugboat RDA?
The Tugboat isn’t a top priced RDA, but I realize its not super cheap either. But I can say its well worth the $90 you’ll spend. The construction is of extremely high quality and like my Zenith – this is a serious performer. You will have excellent vapor and flavor production without question.
There have been many wild new designs in the high end RDA category. Several of these are excellent, but I have to say that Flawless have done an amazing job with this RDA. Its a classic design and they’ve added a nice personality to it that makes it a solid performer.
Another great thing about the Tugboat RDA is that you can order replacement parts directly from Flawless should you run out! This has been a problem with boutique RDA manufacturers and its nice to see that Flawless have planned ahead on this.
I’ve been happy with mine – like I mentioned its quickly risen to my top 5 RDA’s. I’m still using this daily as its really hard to put down. Well done Flawless!
In Stock: brushed, polished or matte finish for $89.99
A problem I found with the v2, and I’m sure others will too, is that a gold center post is not the best of options. There should be some sort of option to select the material for the center post due to the fact it is stated you may receive either ss, copper, or gold. Mine lasted all of two weeks before the center post stripped out from doing only single coil builds. Luckily eBay has rebuild kits… Otherwise it really is a clean kickass RDA.