With the right mod you can fire just as well as you can with a mech. I like triple 18650 DNA200/250 devices - they have better safety than mechs but can fire large coil setups just as well and use great temp control on stainless steel coils.
If temperature control isn't as important for you, any of the triple 18650 Reuleaux mods are good for having good margins for safety and great battery life :)
I don't have a problem with mechs, and they are certainly more compact (the Noisy Cricket looked like a fantastic little dual 18650 mech and could be used in series or parralell), I didn't really see what I'd get above and beyond what my other mods were doing for me and in the end I didn't think it was worth dropping the safety protections.
If you do go down the mech route - make sure you know ohms law, make sure you're using high quality batteries and make sure you stay within the limits of the cells you choose.