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By D. Clay Hays Once I got over the initial shock of the latest tobacco tax hike, and got through the "Rant & Rave" period (see prev. blog post "Arkansas' Unfair Tobacco Tax"), I settled down and began to research a solution. I had thought about trying the RYO (Roll Your Own) method before but always assumed it meant just that, "roll" your own. And although they had filter tips you could insert and roll up with the tobacco, the idea just never grew on me. I guess I couldn't get past the few times I had tried a RYO cigarette back in the day. They were filterless, of course, and provided an experience similar to inhaling deeply over a pile of burning leaves. Not good, bad memory, conjured a flashback about muscadine wine! Anyway, this time I was pretty pissed-off and determined to find a way to beat the high cost of cigarettes. To my utter delight, my research revealed I wasn't the only pissed-off smoker out there and the existence of these wonderful little machines called "tobacco injectors". Injectors use cigarette "tubes", which are basically an empty filtered cigarette. The filter is already attached so you just slide the tube onto a little slash-cut pipe that protrudes from the machine, fill the chamber with your favorite tobacco and crank the handle. The machine injects the tobacco into the tube, all the way to the filter, and voila - instant cigarette! They look just like pre-packaged cigarettes (other than the "Zig-Zag" logo!) and with the right choice of tobacco, they smoke as good as any major brand of ready-mades I've ever had! By the way, injecting, as opposed to rolling, has apparently been dubbed MYO, or "Make Your Own", but I've seen an equal number of references to both. RYO/MYO, who cares? Cheap is cheap and I like it! There is quite an array of injectors available, from compact "hand" injectors for under $10 to elaborate electric injectors that can reach several hundred dollars. The most common type, and the most logical in my opinion, is referred to as a "tabletop" injector. Here's the one I settled on for my first try...  ...the Top brand "Top-O-Matic". And this thing works so well I see no reason to try others! It does exactly what it's supposed to do and at a very reasonable cost. I picked it up at a local tobacco shop for $35, which turns out to be less than many online retailers. With a little practice, I can now crank out a pack of smokes in about 15 minutes for an average cost of around $2 Dollars!!! You heard right, around $2 bucks, and at that rate the machine will pay for itself by the time it has produced 12-17 packs depending on the price of your brand. I've had mine for almost 2-weeks now and made smokes for myself and my sister-in-law so it's already paid for itself!   Here's all you need to getstarted; an injector machine, tobacco and a box of tubes. Tubes come in either King- size or 100's, full-flavor or lights, regular or menthol, and run anywhere from $2 to $6 for a box of 200. Tobacco is available in full- flavor, light, ultra-light and also menthol in either pouches (.65 - .75 oz, about enough for a pack), or 6 oz. bags (about enough for a carton), or by the pound which, of course, is the most econmical way to buy and will make approximately 2.5 to 3 cartons. My preference would be Marlboro Ultra-Light 100's if I could afford them, and I have found an ultra-light tobacco with a light 100 tube to be my preference. Tobacco varieties are numerous and pricing varies greatly so it's a trial & error deal until you find what you like at a price you can afford. However, most brands that I would consider "good" so far are available for an average of $15 to $25 per 6 oz. bag and $40 to $50 per pound. Add enough tubes to match and, depending on their price, that's $17 to $30 per carton. So even the most expensive of the above average prices will cost you only $3.00 per pack and that's way better than $5 or $6! Makes you want to join the RYO/MYO Revolution right away doesn't it? Well, I highly recommend it! With a machine like this, making your own is so easy. Here's how it works:  You load the tobacco chamber. Now here's where it takes a little practice; too little and your cigs won't pack right, they'll burn fast and smoke rather harsh. Too much and they're hard to draw through/difficult to smoke and you'll find you have to run them back & forth between your fingers to loosen them up. Way too much and you'll bind the machine. If you do happen to bind the machine - don't force it! Back the handle off, dig some of the excess tobacco out with a toothpick or similar object and dump it out before you try again. Practice makes perfect cigarettes, in no time at all you'll be spitting 'em out like a robot!  Most injector manufacturers are very specific about loading the corners of the tobacco chamber first, so much so that they tend to place decals with arrows right on the machines as a reminder. If you don't fill the corners properly, you simply don't get a good "fill" and the cigarette may come out too loose and therefore harsh. Then you slide an empty tube into place and you're ready for the injection process...  Ordinarilly, at this point you'd be gripping that sturdy handle to hold the beast still while you pull the injector handle but someone had to take the picture! Loaded & ready. Pull handle to 1st position Pull handle down & closes/locks chamber release to inject and grips tube. & retract injector.     And the finished product is a perfectly put together and very smokable cigarette for much less than you're paying now! (Shown here next to an empty for reference) Smokers unite! Run out and get your own RYO/MYO machine, start enjoying the savings today and to hell with unfair taxation! You can thank me later......Clay If you'd like to comment on this post please use the Contact form.
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RYO Revolution - Beat High Cost Of Cigarettes
