Coolfire Z80 by Innokin, what the manual actually says
Three presses to switch it on, or five? A 0.8 ohm coil listed as restricted direct lung in one shop and as mouth to lung in another? Around the Coolfire Z80, shop pages contradict each other, and quite a few of them are really describing its sibling, the Z80 NEX. The most reliable way through is to go back to the leaflet Innokin puts in the box. This guide walks through every setting it covers, from the menu to the warnings on the screen.
Coolfire Z80, the mod in a nutshell
The Coolfire Z80 is a box mod from Innokin, sometimes listed as Cool Fire Z80. It runs on a removable 18650 battery, adjusts from 6 to 80 W and was sold as a kit with the Zenith II tank. Its signature lies in two in-house modes, FØ and Refresh, which change the shape of the current sent to the coil.
The Zenith II covers two styles of draw. Mouth to lung, or MTL, holds the vapour in the mouth before it is inhaled. Restricted direct lung, or RDL, takes the vapour straight to the lungs through a draw that is still slightly tight.
| Specification | Figure given by Innokin |
|---|---|
| Mod dimensions | 83.55 x 38.30 x 27.60 mm |
| Dimensions with the Zenith II | 131.75 x 38.3 x 27.6 mm |
| Output | 6 to 80 W |
| Voltage | 1 to 7.5 V |
| Resistance range | 0.1 to 3.5 ohms |
| Maximum current | 28.5 A |
| Puff cut-off | adjustable from 3 to 18 seconds |
| Charging | USB-C, 5 V and 1.7 A |
| Zenith II capacity | 5.5 ml standard, 2 ml TPD |
UK rules cap refillable tanks at 2 ml, so the TPD edition of the kit, with its 2 ml Zenith II, is the version that complies with British law. The spring-loaded 510 connection takes a tank up to 26 mm in diameter.
Coolfire Z80 controls, three buttons and three combinations
The front carries a large main button above the screen, plus and minus buttons below it and the USB-C port at the bottom. Everything runs from those three buttons, on their own or pressed together.
The main button and the plus and minus buttons
The main button fires the coil and acts as the select key inside menus. The plus and minus buttons raise or lower the value on screen, in watts or volts depending on the chosen mode.
Innokin’s quick guide does not describe the power-on sequence, and published tutorials disagree, between three and five quick presses of the main button. If in doubt, try three quick presses, then five if the screen stays dark.
The combinations worth remembering
Three simultaneous presses open most functions, and retailer tutorials do not always describe them the same way.
- Holding plus and minus together opens the main menu.
- Pressing the main button and plus brings up the secondary screen, with battery voltage, the coil reading to a thousandth of an ohm and the puff counter, which the Clear option resets.
- Pressing the main button and minus locks or unlocks the wattage, with a padlock shown next to the mode.
FØ and Refresh, the two modes that set the Coolfire Z80 apart
The menu offers three ways to heat the coil. Two of them rely on alternating current, while the third is the usual approach.
FØ, alternating current set in hertz
FØ is the main mode of the interface, presented by the manufacturer as its fourth generation vaping technology. The chip produces a continuous alternating waveform for the whole puff. Innokin credits it with longer coil life and stronger flavour, a benefit claimed by the brand rather than measured here.
The value you set is then expressed in hertz. Retailer guides generally suggest 20 to 50 Hz for direct lung vaping and 51 to 100 Hz for mouth to lung, with the mod showing a recommended range for the coil it detects.
Refresh, a gentle burst to re-wick the coil
Refresh powers the coil at 40% of the set wattage, again with alternating current, to draw more liquid into the cotton. It runs once, or for longer while the main button is held. It mostly helps after a run of puffs taken close together, when the wick struggles to keep up.
Power, the standard mode
Power is the familiar wattage or voltage setting, without the alternating waveform. It is the mode to use when comparing the Z80 with another mod, since the numbers keep their usual meaning.
The Settings menu, screen, sleep and cut-off
The last entry in the Coolfire Z80 menu, Settings, holds five options. OP Screen switches between the Pro layout, which shows the puff timer and counter, coil resistance and voltage, and the Minimal layout, reduced to the output and the puff timer.
Timeout sets the screen sleep delay between 5 and 180 seconds. Cutoff sets the longest allowed puff, from 3 to 18 seconds, after which the mod stops firing. Device ID shows the version of the device and Reset restores the factory settings.
Z-Coils, which value for which draw
The Zenith II takes Innokin’s Z-Coil range. The kit includes two of them, a 0.8 ohm and a 0.3 ohm, and Innokin pairs each value with a wattage range and a style of draw.
| Coil | Suggested wattage | Draw | Wire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Z-Coil 0.3 ohm | 30 to 40 W | RDL | kanthal mesh |
| Z-Coil 0.48 ohm | 13 to 16 W | MTL | kanthal mesh |
| Z-Coil 0.5 ohm | 14 to 19 W | MTL | kanthal mesh |
| Z-Coil 0.8 ohm | 15 to 18 W | MTL | kanthal |
| Z-Coil 1.2 ohm | 10 to 14 W | MTL | kanthal |
| Z-Coil 1.6 ohm | 10 to 14 W | MTL | kanthal |
The 0.8 ohm coil supplied in the box is therefore a mouth to lung coil, even though several shop listings file it under RDL. To see why a resistance in ohms calls for a given wattage range, our guide to Geekvape coils explains the logic, which works across brands.
The coil comes out through the base of the tank. Unscrew the base, pull out the used coil, then fit the new one by reversing the steps. Airflow is set with a ring under the tank, closed down for MTL and opened up for RDL.
Coolfire Z80 safety features, what the warnings mean
The Coolfire Z80 shows a dedicated message for each fault, and the manual gives the exact thresholds. Knowing them saves you from thinking the mod has failed when it is simply protecting itself.
- Below 3.0 V the battery will no longer switch the device on, and the Low Volt warning appears once it drops under 3.3 V.
- Check Coil points to a coil that is badly seated or above 3.5 ohms.
- Low Res stops output below 0.1 ohm, and Coil Short does the same on a short circuit.
- High Temp disables output when the circuit board goes above 90 °C, until it cools down.
- Time Out means a puff has gone past the cut-off time set in Settings.
The mod also lowers the wattage by itself as the battery runs down. Weaker vapour near the end of a charge can therefore come from the battery rather than a worn coil.
Coolfire Z80 or Z80 NEX, how to tell them apart
Innokin later released the Coolfire Z80 NEX under an almost identical name. It keeps the 6 to 80 W range and the 18650 battery, but changes several visible parts.
The NEX comes with the Zenith NEX tank, 5 ml in its standard version, instead of the Zenith II. Its lock is a sliding switch, whereas the original needs a button combination, and its charging rises to 5 V and 2 A. The manufacturer’s page lists a 0.96 inch TFT screen and a simplified interface for it, without mentioning the FØ and Refresh modes. The same 2 ml limit applies to its tank in the UK.
FAQ
These questions tend to come up once the kit is in hand. The answers add to the guide above without repeating it.
Which battery should go in the Coolfire Z80?
A branded 18650 cell whose continuous discharge rating is high enough for the wattage you use. As the mod can draw up to 28.5 A, a low-drain cell is not suitable. It slides in through the screw-off door under the mod, positive end facing as marked.
Which e-liquid works best with this mod?
With the MTL coils, from 0.48 to 1.6 ohms, a liquid balanced between propylene glycol and vegetable glycerine usually suits. The 0.3 ohm mesh coil, warmer and airier, pairs better with a higher VG liquid. In the UK, nicotine e-liquid is capped at 20 mg/ml and sold in bottles of 10 ml at most.
Can another tank be fitted to the mod?
Yes, as long as it has a 510 connection and is no wider than 26 mm. Its coil also needs to stay within the 0.1 to 3.5 ohm range the chip accepts.
How long should a new coil sit before use?
Innokin asks you to wait 5 minutes after the first fill, so the cotton has time to soak. The brand also advises keeping the tank at least a third full and never firing an empty tank.
Do I need an external charger for the battery?
No, the battery charges inside the mod through the USB-C port, using a certified 5 V wall plug and the supplied cable. Innokin advises against leaving the device charging unattended and recommends storing it at least half charged.
Coolfire Z80, the settings to remember before you vape
The Coolfire Z80 comes down to three combinations, plus and minus for the menu, main button and plus for the secondary screen, main button and minus for the lock. FØ remains the default mode, Refresh helps when the wick struggles, and the coil you choose sets the wattage range.
What is left is checking that you have the original, with its Zenith II and button lock, rather than the NEX. Reading the manual before the shop listing works for any mod, as our breakdown of the Aegis Legend 5 shows with a far more powerful device.
Editorial content for adult readers only. Vaping products can contain nicotine, which is a highly addictive substance, and vaping products are not for sale to anyone under 18 in the UK. This article is not a buying recommendation.
