Iron Man 3 Mechanical Mod - A Vaping Hardware review

The Iron Man 3 mechanical mod is a fantastic, compact telescopic mod that’s been on the market a few years now. Personally, I own two of these mods and have to say they not only look absolutely stunning, they also pack a punch! The silver and gold variant of the Iron Man 3 mechanical mod is called the ‘Maraxus’. The body has a threaded telescopic centrepiece enabling the user to assemble (Avengers assemble! Anyone?…) several different orientations. I purchased the Iron Man 3 mechanical mod from Fasttech in January 2016 and it’s still looking and working like new.

Iron Man 3; Features and Specification

Made out of Stainless Steel and Brass
Recessed floating 510 centre pin
Top cap has 4 air channels cut into the top
Spring loaded bottom fire switch
White Derlin top and bottom insulators
Telescopic tubing
8 vent holes
Powered by 1 x 18350 battery/1 x 18500 battery or 1 x 18650 battery
Size: H105mm x D29.7mm x W29.7mm
Weight: 191g
Maximum supported battery length: 70mm
Available colours – Silver, Silver and Gold, Black and Gold

Iron Man 3; Design and Appearance

The Iron Man 3 mechanical mod is easily one of the more aesthetically pleasing devices released within the last few years. With its curved edges and stylish design, it’s incredibly easy on the eye. The firing button sits within the bottom of the mod meaning no fiddly locking ring. The Iron Man 3 also looks and feels extremely robust and solid in the hand. For me, this mod ticks all the boxes and then some.

It’s fully telescopic, supporting a maximum battery length of 70mm, and coupled with the threaded centrepiece it can be configured in several different orientations. In total, there are 7 pieces (including the top and bottom connectors) that make up this mod. The Iron Man 3 mechanical mod also has 8 vent holes, 4 in the top and 4 in the bottom rings to ensure safety in the event of battery failure.

When assembling the sections, screw your clearomiser/tank to the top cap first, so it sits flush. Screw the bottom firing button in, then screw the combined tank and top section to the rest of the mod. This ensures the tank will sit correctly on the 510 connector and that the remaining sections are tight against the battery.

It’s worth mentioning that the two finned sections of the Iron Man 3 mechanical mod can be fitted either way around. Just be aware, the castle like cut-outs are sharp and if you’re not careful they can dig into your skin. Having said that, it makes for a wicked bottle opener!

The top cap (510 connector) has 4 machined grooves cut into the surface to allow for air flow to the base of your tank. Unlike a lot of mechanical tube mods, the threading on the individual parts of this mod are very course and connect well.

Iron Man 3; Performance

The first thing I will say, the Iron Man 3 mechanical mod hits hard! It’s damn heavy, extremely solid and works a treat. I have a Kanger black and gold Sub Tank Mini (clone) on it and it matches perfectly. The colouring is spot on and the coupling of the mod with the Sub Tank looks amazing!

The only downside to the Iron Man 3 mechanical mod is the firing button. There are several reports of the firing button getting hot and misfiring. The button is spring loaded and some people recommend fitting an upgraded spring. However, in my experience, this doesn’t work. When pressing the button, you need to ensure a return earth path through the firing button to the housing and upgrading the spring won’t give you this.

The best way to overcome this problem is to use a small piece of Stainless Steel mesh (the type used to make wick in Genesis atomisers). When you take the firing switch apart, the firing button has a centre hole in it. Cut two pieces of Stainless Steel mesh and slot through the center, at right angles to each other, making sure there is overlap to make contact to the body housing. This makes a really good earth path to the body of the mod and is in our experience the best way to fix the Iron Man 3 mechanical mod.

I’ve had two of these devices for a few years now and since I’ve modified the firing button, they’ve never let me down. Don’t let this minor issue put you off the Iron Man 3 mechanical mod. I use a wide variety of different Tanks, RBA’s and Drippers with this mod and they work every time. To put it as plainly as I can… I absolutely love this mod!

Faults

As mentioned above, the only fault I encountered with the Iron Man 3 mechanical mod is the firing button. The centre button can become extremely hot and won’t fire the tank. If you use this device in the dark, you can see sparks from the battery due to the button not making a good enough earth return. However, as explained, once the mesh is fitted into the firing button, this mod works flawlessly. Only once after fitting this mesh (over a year later) did I encounter a hot firing button. I took the mechanism apart and discovered the Stainless Steel mesh had worked loose. I re-fitted it and straight away the unit worked again and has ever since.

Iron Man 3; Price

You should easily be able to pick up the Iron Man 3 mechanical mod for around $25 if you shop around. In my opinion, at this price… it’s well worth it!

Iron Man 3; Verdict

Personally, the Iron Man 3 mechanical mod is one of my all time favourites! As mentioned the design, appearance and performance of the mod is fantastic and I highly recommend it!