Well folks, its finally time I review my Firewood 4 after an ordeal with it. The short of the ordeal is the unit I purchased wasn’t working correctly and I didn’t want to review the device until I had one that was working. Well after 2 months of getting the device and having it warrantied for malfunctioning heater/circuit board, my Firewood 4 is working perfectly! Also, time for a review. Let me preface this with the fact that I’m a sucker for wooden vapes. I’m not into the big plastic designs I’ve been seeing, and when I found the Firewood vape 3 years ago, I knew I had to have one! So, pull up a vape, take a hit and start reading as I’m about to share it with you. If you’ve never seen one, please see the screenshots below. This is a big evolution for the device since the Firewood 2.1. It has an excellent form factor and comes in no bigger than a pack of cigarettes. It is thinner than a pack of cigs, so taking it out and about isn’t cumbersome at all. I’ve owned a Firewood since the 2.1 version, and over the 3 years I’ve dealt with them, the device has gone through some significant changes; the Firewood 4 is probably the most significant change I’ve seen. FW3 vs FW4 by ren.dnb posted May 8, 2017 at 8:35 PM Firewood 4 by ren.dnb posted May 8, 2017 at 8:35 PM FW4 underside by ren.dnb posted May 8, 2017 at 8:35 PM FW4 in my hand by ren.dnb posted May 8, 2017 at 8:35 PM What I liked about the Firewood over the years are: Its convection based, making it very efficient Has a nice pocket friendly form factor Uses a capsule system for loading and storing material Is easy to charge with an excellent battery life Gives you feedback through buzzes (When its on, about to turn off, or what the heat setting is set to) Comes in different finishes The first 3 reasons haven’t changed, but the battery is one of the biggest changes to the Firewood. Firewood also appears to have ditched some of the different wood styles and stays with Walnut as the base for the device, and offers different finishes. Overview For those new to the Firewood vaporizer, let me give you a brief overview of what the device is: Convection based vape with an almost 100% glass pathway All wood construction Hit on demand, it only heats up when you take a hit Has draw sensing technology so it can tell when you start to take a hit (thus triggering it to turn on the heater) Small pocket friendly form factor I would kick off into some elaborate paragraph, but figured I might as well cut to the chase as this will be long enough already lol. Form Factor Changes The Firewood has always sported a great pocket friendly form factor. The Firewood 2.1 and 3 had a form factor similar to a smart phone. They sat well in your pocket but were a little bulky. They were still portable but you definitely knew it was in your pocket, due to the thickness of the devices. The Firewood 4 further refines this by shortening its overall height. This was made possible by the new heater that was put in as well as the new battery standard that is used now. As I said before it now measures in exactly the size of a pack of cigarettes, but not as thick. The device is also significantly lighter than the Firewood 2.1 and 3, so you while you’ll be aware the vape is in your pocket, its light enough to forget its there. Overall, I like the portability of the device. I don’t really want something bulky if it doesn’t need to be, and the size the Firewood 4 comes in at is perfect for my needs. I don’t see the device getting any smaller beyond this, and if they make it smaller…. Wow. The final changes I noticed to the form factor other than height are a more open airflow design; the past Firewood models had some minor issues with airflow being slightly constrictive. The Firewood 4 solves that problem with a much wider hole for airflow. And, a battery cover has been added since it now takes an 18650. Firewood 4 breakdown by ren.dnb posted May 8, 2017 at 8:35 PM FW4 all parts by ren.dnb posted May 8, 2017 at 8:35 PM Heater and Battery Changes The Battery Now for the good stuff! The heater and battery are, in my opinion, the biggest changes along with the form factor for the Firewood 4. The heater was taller in the Firewood 2.1 and 3, and it used 4 AA sized rechargeable batteries, which were recharged through the device. That is not the case anymore with the Firewood 4. So, lets start with the batteries… As I said before the Firewood 2.1 and 3 used rechargeable AA’s. The Firewood 4 uses a single 18650 Li-Ion battery. Firewood suggests you use an LG HG2 for the fact that the LG HG2’s have a bigger capacity than your standard 18650 (most are 2500ma where the LG HG2 is 3000ma). There are other 3000ma capacity 18650’s, but at the end of the day, any 18650, as long as its high discharge, will work. I’ve used a Samsung 25R and an LG HG2 in the device and both work just fine. Naturally, the Samsung had slightly less battery life but not enough to really notice. Because of this, you can’t charge the battery off the device so you’ll have to own a specific charger. I’m an e-cig user so I have 18650’s already. If you’re not an e-cig user, you can get a charger and battery at your local e-cig shop, or Firewood does sell chargers and batteries off their site. Finally, battery access is a breeze thanks to the new battery door built into the device. The Heater The heater has also gone through a significant change. Its now shorter and handles the power that an 18650 can put out. The heater still has 4 heat settings, along with 8 additional “boost” settings for the heater (it adjusts its overall range for the 4 settings). It heats up relatively quick; I take a 5 second primer hit, then I wait 5 seconds, and then take my regular 10-15 count hit. On setting 2 I get very visible vapor. Comparatively, on the Firewood 2.1 and 3, you were waiting almost 20 seconds before you could take a steady hit. With the Firewood 4, it feels almost instant. Not quite, but almost. The heater as I said is much shorter than the Firewoods of the past, which allows for the smaller overall form factor. Also keep in mind, just like in the Firewood 2.1 and 3, the capsule sits right above the heater. Due to the shorter length it does shorten the vapor path, so the vapor might be hotter than what you’re used to. Never fear though, if the shorter vapor path is a problem, Firewood does sell an optional “Cooling Unit” which lengthens the vapor path and cools it. Some people use it and some don’t. I don’t mind the warm vapor so, no cooling unit for me. The Firewood 4’s heater however, heats evenly across the load. The earlier Firewood’s did that as well, but the 4 is more efficient at it. Every load comes out evenly cooked! The Feedback System The Firewood does have a feedback system to let you know what its doing. This system isn’t very elaborate but its extremely effective at what it communicates. When you first power on the device, you’ll get a 1 to 5 buzzes to indicate the battery life. Setting your heat level will give you a number of buzzes depending on the heat level you set. I like setting 2, so pushing the power button 2 times to set the heat, gives me 2 buzzes. When you take a hit (not the initial primer hit but any normal one after the device has sat for 5 seconds), you’ll get a buzz indicating the heater has kicked on and is heating. Holding in the power button for more than 5 seconds will turn off the device. First you’ll get a number of buzzes indicating the battery life, then a high pitched buzz then a low pitched one, which indicates the power has been turned off. The feedback system has been expanded since the Firewood 3 to include the battery indicator counts when you power off, and the buzz for when you take a hit. I’ve always enjoyed how the Firewood “talks” to you in that fashion. I don’t have to look at it when I’m using the device, and the buzzes tell me exactly what its doing. The Capsule System Not much has happened to the capsule system. I think that is one part that has remained consistent throughout all of the iterations of the Firewood. You always loaded your material into a capsule. Since the Firewood 3 , you connected the capsule to the mouth piece forming a single unit. That is the same in the Firewood 4, but the mouthpiece is shorter than the Firewood 3. This allows for the capsule to sit above the heater at just the right height. They’re very easy to clean since they come apart from the mouthpiece. The mouthpiece can be a little tedious to clean but I’ll give tips and tricks in another thread. The biggest change to the capsule system is with the mouthpiece silicone. Firewood wrapped it in the black, more heat tolerant silicone, so it doesn’t feel like its weakening as you use it. If anything, the improved silicone mouthpiece doesn’t heat up at all and all you feel is the warm vapor. FW4 Capsule by ren.dnb posted May 8, 2017 at 8:35 PM Capsule break up by ren.dnb posted May 8, 2017 at 8:35 PM Usage and Performance I can say what I want about a vape, but at the end of the day it comes down to usage and performance to make or break a vape. The Firewood 4 is easy to use with a very minimal learning curve. It's not more complicated than the other vapes that I’ve used in my opinion. Keep in mind this vape is hit on demand, so that means its not constantly heating up your load. It will only deliver vapor as you hit it. Here are the basic usage steps: You power on the device and it buzzes at you to let you know the batter level (1 for low – 5 for full battery Next, push the power button anywhere from 1-4 times for your heat setting. Most people use 2 or 3. I use 2 personally. Take your primer hit for about 5 seconds Wait about 5 more seconds Take your actual hit. The device will buzz at you to let you know the heater has engaged Take about a 10 second hit or longer, then hold it in and exhale. Rinse and repeat. Keep in mind the device will auto shut off after 60 seconds or so. I can get about 10 or more hits out of a capsule that’s filled with .2g of material! And, my ABV is left at a nice dark brown color so I know its extracting everything. I’m also left with really weak vapor when I get to the end of the capsule. Just for good measure, .2g is roughly half a capsule. If I want to load it up for a longer session, I’ll fill the capsule about 75% full. You never want to pack it 100% full or you’ll have airflow problems, which in effect will cause combustion. That being said I’ve found that 50% to 75% will last through 2 people and both parties are satisfied. Granted, we’ll usually load up another capsule, but we’ll only make it through half. This vape, in my opinion, is very efficient and using it will result in your stash and wallet thanking you for making them last longer. For comparisons sake, I started using my Firewood 4 along side my desktop which is an E-Nano. I compared everything from efficiency to color of my ABV. I’m happy to say that the Firewood 4 is ALMOST as efficient and on point as my E-Nano. That works for me, as I’ve been looking for a portable vape that has characteristics of my E-Nano. I always thought that my Hammer and my Firewood 3 fit those roles, but I can say that the Firewood 4 definitely de-thrones them both. The Finishes on the Wood The Firewood 4 comes in different finishes. With the previous Firewood devices, you could pick the type of wood it was built with ranging from maple to walnut to cherry. With the Firewood 4, only one wood type is offered but there are different levels of finish you can get: Rough Sanded, Unfinished – Just like it says. No finish to the wood and its roughly sanded down. Its up to you to finish it how you want. This is also the lowest priced option Wax Buffed – Again just like it says. Plain old walnut wood sanded and finished with wax. It will last awhile, but you do have to rub it down with some bees wax every so often depending on how much you use it. Tung Oil/Wax buff – Gets the same treatment as wax buffed, but its rubbed down initially in tung oil to give it a darker appearance. Then its finished off with wax for a shine. Ebonized/Wax buff – Instead of tung oil, its rubbed down in an iron oxide solution which reacts with the walnut wood giving it a black appearance! Then, finished off with wax for a shine just like the tung oil. I’ll be picking one of these up soon! Its also the most expensive Firewood of the bunch. Warranty Ok so I don’t normally review warranties or warranty service. But I think my situation merits something being said about it. As I’ve said before, I’ve been a Firewood customer for the last 3 years. The Firewood 2.1 and 3 that I ordered came in working perfectly. Got them, loaded them up and was a happy camper afterwards. When I got my Firewood 4 back in the beginning of March, I was excited of course. Couldn’t wait to get home to use it when I saw it had been delivered. I got home and used it, however something was different. The vapor felt thicker, and everything just felt hotter. I was expecting that as the Firewood 4 heats up faster, but I wasn’t expecting heat that would make me pull the vape away from me. Checked the capsule and I had a bunch of charred bits. Not good. I tried it on the lowest heat setting and still, I would get charred bits. My ABV was coming out more black that it was dark brown. Basically, the vape was running too hot. I contacted Firewood and he instructed me to send it back in for recalibration. I sent it in and got it recalibrated; when I got the device back, it worked perfectly at first, but then as the days went on, I could feel it creeping back into being too hot. And to add insult to injury, the vape wouldn’t auto shutoff, instead it would re-engage the heater! I reluctantly contacted Firewood, and gave the symptoms again. This time I was told to send it in so the entire heating unit could be replaced. I did that, and got the device back. The device looked rebuffed with wax which was nice, and I’m happy to report that it works perfectly now. I know any place would more than likely help you out, but this was exceptional and extremely painless. Through all my emails (and I sent A LOT of them), Firewood stuck with me, responded quickly, and corrected my issues. I was never told that it was my fault, or I’m doing something wrong… No, my issues were addressed and corrected. Really tough to find customer service like this, and for that alone, I recommend them. It is a 1 year limited warranty and all the details are lined out in the manual. Not as beefy as the lifetime warranty on some vapes, but Firewood DOES stand by their product. Some things I don’t like but aren’t Game breakers I love the devices made by Firewood. The Firewood 2.1 and 3 have always left me satisfied and wanting to use them again. Same deal with the Firewood 4; however, due to the design changes there are some things that are a little different. While there aren’t a lot of things I dislike, there are 2 specific areas that I think could use some work if possible: Flavor – Convection vapes are known for their flavor, or rather, their retention of flavor. This is due to the heat being applied to the load without any contact. While the Firewood 4 has a great flavor for the first couple of hits, it does go away faster than it did with the Firewood 3. I’m guessing its because of the heater, while it heats up faster and gets you where you want to be faster than its predecessors, flavor is what takes the hit. This isn’t a bad thing at all, just it comes off more like a conduction vape than a convection vape in the flavor department. Keep in mind, all the other convection characteristics are there; even heating around the load and efficiency. Capsules – Let me start this off by saying I’m a huge fan of the capsules. While its not perfect, it’s a great way to keep your load stored. The device only comes with 1 mouth piece and 1 capsule to start; you can order extras if needed. However, at the speed this device can extract, having it come with 1 extra mouth piece and capsule wouldn’t hurt. I have since bought 3 more capsules and an extra mouth piece. Be mindful of this, especially if you expect to use it for multi-person sessions; you’ll find yourself reloading quite a bit. Bottom Line The Firewood 4 is an excellent vape to add to your collection of portables. The evolution of the device over the last 3 years has been phenomenal and the Firewood 4 is a testament to that evolution. I own an E-Nano desktop, and I can honestly say that it keeps up with it in regards to efficiency and extraction. Flavor could be a little better, but that’s a minor gripe in the overall picture. This vape is small, sleek, stealthy, and its convection based to boot. With the different finishes, its tough to own just one. The vape itself can be purchased directly from the Firewood website, and all models are under $200. How about that… a convection vape that’s ultra efficient, for under $200. I know, many will say you get what you pay for, but that isn’t always true. Sometimes, you can get quality, craftsmanship, and precise function without having to break the bank. Curious now? Go to www.firewoodvapes.com FW3 in my hand by ren.dnb posted May 8, 2017 at 8:35 PM FW4 in my hand by ren.dnb posted May 8, 2017 at 8:35 PM