To E or not to E

That is the question.
I'm talking about Ecigs. I've read all the reviews, browsed all the sites and seen all the brands but I think a good bit of their reviews are "plants" from people who've been paid to post a glowing comment. Also, they don't answer the questions I have.
Now, I know some here have switched to Ecigs and would like to get some real world feed back from them.
Things like, did you crave a regular cigarette after switching?
Before you switched, did you have smoker's cough and has it gotten better or disappeared?
Did you ever have that heavy feeling in your chest and has that gone away?
Do you feel the brand you bought was worth the money?
What brand did you buy? [ Trying to see how many got the same one ]
I tried the ecig from V2 about a year ago, a starter kit that was $60 and while I really liked it, the batteries only lasted about 2 months. The refill was a 50 ml bottle for $30. I didn't/don't have a problem with the price of the juice, but having to replace the batteries so often was a deal breaker. I'm sure the tech has advanced a bit and I would really like to switch and use it as an aid to finally quit for good. I've smoked a pack a day for 35 years. I've looked at the Ego brand and like what I see. Bigger, hopefully longer lasting batteries, larger liquid capacity and the prices seem to have come down a bit. But, I'd like to see what the folks here have to say and what you recommend before I go buy another one.
So in a nut shell, did you switch, has it helped and what brand would you recommend?

a reply to: DAVID64

I would really like to switch and use it as an aid to finally quit for good. I've smoked a pack a day for 35 years.

Just for your edification, that heaviness in your chest, those winter colds, that cough, aren't going away even if you do quit altogether. You are border line and you know it.

Keep it up, you'll need an O2 bottle dragging behind you everywhere you go… or a coffin.

Don't switch to some other form of "smoking"… quit.

Do what I did, take the plunge. Use the Patch, Nicoderm CQ costs as much as that pack a day anyway and eases you off the habit and fidgety part. The nicotine will let you ease down without going crazy. You'll still go crazy for a while but the patches take the edge off. You can learn a different way of life.

If you still enjoy breathing.

PM me for help if you decide to.

What he ^ said, PLUS, you can do what worked for me.

Non-nicotine, disposable ecigarettes work VERY well in conjunction with the patch.

I still carry one, although I don't think I've had a pull on it in a week.

But if I find myself surrounded by smokers, I have recourse.

I relapsed in that situation in the past. Now when a 'buddy' offers me a smoke, I can say 'No thanks, I have my own'.

2 years now and I haven't even been TEMPTED to have a puff!

Smoking is hard, compared to not smoking. Learn more in the book 'The Easy Way (to quit smoking)'.

It really works.

What may work well for me may not work well for anyone else. I smoked a pack of kool filter kings everyday for 10 years. I knew it was my time to quit and it was something I wanted to do myself. The day I started vaping is the day I quit smoking cigarettes, I did smoke one cigarette after I started vaping and the cigarette was so horrible I knew that I was done with it. Before vaping I tried quitting cold turkey and the nicotine patch but that didn't work for me. I use the halo brand. I vape 2 ml of 12 mg a day (just cut down from 18 mg about a month ago). The battery life is really good, 1 day on the 600 mah and 2-3 days on the 900 variable voltage. Since I quit smoking I no longer have that heaviness or shortness of breath anymore. I no longer crave cigs. And I am pretty happy with the halo brand. Their juice is really sophisticated. I think that if u you are going to try and vape to quit cigarettes the key is finding the right setup and juice. Do your research on the different setups, nicotine levels, vg/pg, and juice. I'm no expert but if you want my suggestions on what I have already tried regarding the ohms, vg, clearomizer, whiks, top coils, bottom coils, throat hit, juices I can try and assist you. I am so happy I started vaping and will never go back to cigs. Good luck!

They have e-ciggs that are rechargeable.