Product intro and specs
The Target PM80 SE is the latest pod-style AIO by popular manufacturer Vaporesso. The company has had many low-output pod systems in the past like the Degree, Renova Zero, and Podstick. But same as the PM80 I reviewed recently, the SE is a pod mod made solely for DL vaping with coils that cover many wattage options.
The original PM80 was a pleasant surprise for me. The PM80 SE is a fully adjustable vape capable of up to 80 watts, and instead of using a built-in battery like the PM80 did, the PM80 SE runs off a single 18650 battery. Its pods hold a solid 4 mL of juice and they now offer five coil options and an RBA deck, all cross-compatible with the PM80.
Keep reading to find out how the PM80 SE performs and how it compares to the original.
Build quality and design
The Vaporesso Target PM80 SE is pretty large compared to a pod system like the Caliburn, but that’s not the intent here. Standing at 121.3 mm x 24.8 mm x 33.8 mm, it’s small when compared to similar pod mods like the Aegis Boost or the Voopoo Vinci. It also weighs surprisingly little. It’s like having a really small mod on you more than a pod system, and it’s only slightly larger than the internal battery PM80.
The PM80 SE feels great in the hand with its shape though. It’s kinda like a smaller, non-rubberized Aegis Boost. It may not be “rugged,” but it is well-built and feels solid without being heavy. It’s a great size to pocket with ease for a small DL set up on the go.
The PM80 SE is offered in six colors. All six come with a shiny black frame and the different color options are the different designs and materials across the back. I have the red one and the material is soft to the touch, feels pretty thick, and has a great-looking red and black blotted design to it. The other options are blue, purple, black, silver, and green. If you wanted something simpler, the black with its carbon fiber design would be the way to go.
Getting started
The first thing I noticed when I turned the SE on is that it comes with a black and white screen. The PM80 had a color screen so not sure why they chose to go black and white on this one. It’s large, bright, and clear, but the color screen was nicer for sure.
Two adjustment buttons allow you to set your wattage from 5-80 watts in 0.5-watt increments. Just like the PM80, the screen will display the recommended wattage of the coil installed, so there’s no need to remember or have to look at the coil. But unlike the PM80, which prevented you from going higher than the wattage rating of the coil, you can set the wattage for whatever you like on this one.
The SE is button activated (no auto-draw) and five clicks of the firing button will turn it on and off. You can also lock the adjustment buttons by clicking fire three times. Holding down the plus and minus buttons takes you to a menu where you can choose between watt mode, voltage mode, smart wattage mode, and reset the puff counter (click default). The PM80 puff counter maxes out at 999 and needs to be manually reset, but it’ll go much higher on the SE (I put in over 5000 puffs on mine). Their website mentions a pulse mode, however that isn’t an option on mine, and it’s not even written in the manual. It could be wrong on the site or it may just be activated by default—however, the puffs never felt pulse-y to me.
The pod itself uses a built-in drip tip. Unlike the original back when I reviewed it, my PM80 SE came with two sets of rubber plugs so you can cut them to block any number of holes—but still, you’re not going to get an MTL vape off this device. The tightest it goes is a very restricted DL vape.
On the bottom of the pod there is the rubber fill plug, which is pretty standard these days. I had no issues as far as filling goes. Thankfully, the pod is clear and fully exposed which makes monitoring juice levels easy. I’m really happy they did that, as this is something most pod systems fail at.
The pod is held in place by strong magnets. To remove it, just pop it out. Really easy. The coils go in and out from under the pod and I found them easy to replace. You do need to empty the pod before replacing the coil, but if the pod is full up to the middle, you can do it sideways and preserve the juice if you wanted to. They also included a spare pod along with two coils. Another thing many companies don’t do for some reason.
Performance
The most important part of any pod device is going to be the coils. The coils of the SE are cross compatible with the PM80, so if you want to see the performance of the 0.3-ohm and the 0.2-ohm coils, you can check out the performance section of my review.
The PM80 SE comes with two coils, the 0.2-ohm that came with the original and a new 0.6-ohm mesh coil rated for 20-30 watts. They also sent me all the other available options for it, so in this review I’ll cover the three that weren’t available when I reviewed the PM80. I’ll also go over the RBA head in the next section.
I started with the 1.2-ohm coil which is the only one offered made out of regular round wire. All the other coils are mesh. It’s rated for 8-12 watts and it’s an accurate rating. I liked it best around 10 watts. I ran 12 mL through it with no issues and it was still going strong. So, the coil life is good, and it doesn’t burn much juice. Flavor is good for a little 10-watt coil. No complaints here; it gets the job done, but it’s nothing spectacular either. It’s best used with thinner juices (50/50).
Next, I used the 0.6-ohm coil which is rated at 20-30 watts. I used two of them. I ran one with 50/50 20 mg nic salts at 20 watts and it worked great. Flavor was really good for a pod coil and it was still like new after three tank fills. Then, I put a new one in and found it best at around 25 watts using 70/30 3 mg juice. I ran five tanks and it was still good. The nicotine at such low levels and low wattage wasn’t enough for me, but that’s all personal needs and tolerance. It works well with thicker or thinner juices, which was the point of testing it, since it’s an in-between wattage coil. I was really happy with it, but I wouldn’t recommend using it over 28 watts.
The last one in line was the 0.8-ohm coil which is rated at 12-20 watts. I found it best at the lower end, around 12 watts. I used 50/50 20 mg nic salts in it and ran it until it burned out at around 24 mL—so, again, really good coil life.
Overall, I’m happy with all the coils and the variety offered here. I’d say, if you want the lowest watts possible, start with the 0.8-ohm coils over the 1.2 as they are just better performers. One other thing worth noting is that the wick holes on the coils are a little high. Just try not to run your pod empty. You’ll want to refill when you have a little left on the bottom to avoid burning your coil. Also, similar to the PM80, you will get a bit of condensation under the pod that needs to be wiped down from time to time.
RBA head
Vaporesso now offers an RBA head for this pod and, yes, it can be used in the PM80 as well as. I’m glad they have this option for people who want to save money and build their own coils. It’s sold separately, and It comes in a little plastic case with two premade coils (round wire spaced), a small bag of cotton, two extra O-rings (one of each type), and two extra post screws. The post screws are all Phillips head and it comes with a little screwdriver for them as well. Nice little package here.
The deck has screws on the same side, so you will need to make sure leads are pointing in the same direction. They aren’t offset either, and there are no post holes. Since it’s small as it needs to fit in the pod, it’s an old school deck where you’ll trap your wire leads under the head of the screws. It works well though. You can easily fit up to a 3 mm ID coil in there, but I wouldn’t go bigger than that. I found it best with 2-2.5 mm ID coils.
Also, since there is no way to really dry fire a coil, you’ll be limited to round wire spaced builds only as you can’t work out hotspots. Still, it’s pretty simple and works well so I don’t have any complaints. It gets the job done.
Wicking is pretty easy as well. There’s plenty of room and you just need to drop the wicks in the channels. Just make sure you wick it lightly as the juice channels are on the smaller side. Overall, I’m pretty happy with this RBA deck. All things considered, it’s worth it if you’re looking to save money on coils or enjoy building.
Battery life and charging
As far as the battery goes, this device requires a single 18650 (not included). The battery door is a standard bottom latch and I found it easy to open and get the battery in and out. You just slide it back and pull it down, then insert the battery (positive side up into the mod which is clearly labeled) and then push it shut and slide it in. Of course, you should always use good batteries and make sure the wraps aren’t damaged.
As far as charging goes, they list the charge rate at 2 amps. Your best bet is to charge batteries externally. I tested the rate for review purposes and got a max charge rate of 1.86 amps. Very fast and close enough to earn the 2-amp rating, so no complaints there. It tells you how long until fully charged when you plug it in, which is cool. You can also vape while it’s charging as it features passthrough vaping (pauses charging).
Unfortunately, the PM80 SE does not use USB Type-C and instead uses the older standard micro USB like most mods.
Pros / Cons
·Solid build quality
·Six color options
·Nice hand-feel
·Easy to use and fill
·Clear pods allow juice monitoring
·Adjustable air (via rubber plugs)
·Large and bright screen
·Fully adjustable output
·Pods are held in firmly
·Spare pod and coil included
·Good capacity (4 mL)
·Many coil options
·All the coils are good for flavor and coil life
·Cross compatible with PM80 coils
·Optional RBA deck available
·Fast charging (1.86 amps)
·Powered by an 18650
·Supports passthrough vaping
·Condensation needs to be wiped down
·Doesn't have a color screen like the PM80
·Can’t run tank empty - need to refill when it’s low on juice
·No Type-C charging
Gallery
Verdict
Overall, the PM80 SE is basically the same as the PM80, but with the advantage of being powered by an 18650. It allows you to swap batteries without waiting for it to charge, and will last a fair bit longer too—devices with built-in batteries tend to lose capacity over time.
Simply put, the PM80 was great, and so is the PM80 SE. With more options for coils and an RBA deck, this kit is a great buy for anyone who wants a vape that’s portable and nice to carry around. I’m not sure why they got rid of the color screen here, but outside of that, I have no real complaints about this device. It’s well worth the look if you are in the market for a new pod mod.