The Toad from Morwood

Shit Snacks

Milaana. Lana. LANA. LANAAAA! (TM2/TP80/BAK/FW9)
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Of all the days to have to be out all day haha it arrived 6 hours ago but I will get into it now
 

gordontreeman

Everythings coming up Milhouse!
PXL-20220716-013637227.jpg

Of all the days to have to be out all day haha it arrived 6 hours ago but I will get into it now

Grats man! The simpler toads really have a certain je ne sais quoi about them. Something about that simple and timeless style.

I know it doesn’t mean anything really, but can I ask what the rough timeline was from your batch to delivery? It’s usually “out of sight out of mind” for me, but whenever I look at this thread I can’t help but get excited for mine in batch 3 🙂. Would also love to hear your impressions relative to some other vapes we’ve both used, but I think technically the model specific threads aren’t the place for that.

Edit: actually as I think about it again probably it’s for the best if I experience the toad with no preconceived notions 🙂. Then we can compare notes!
 
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Vaporware

Well-Known Member
You’ll have to wait another week or two for me to try it, but my girlfriend’s been using our new Toad for the last couple of days and it’s already jumped above the FlowerPot, Firewood 7, VapCaps, etc. to become her favorite!

This is our first completely unregulated device, but I dropped in the low heater, explained how to use it, and she had no problems with it.

I should note that we tend toward lower temps and smaller draws rather than pushing for huge clouds most of the time, and we don’t enjoy riding the edge of combustion, so it should be easier for us to get great results from day 1 than it would be for the real cloud chasers out there.

Still, she did get some decent clouds even out of pretty small loads (just the standard curved screen pushed barely into the end), and with longer draws, longer pre-heating and/or the high heater I think it would be able to satisfy a lot of you cloud chasers too. :)

I’ll have to wait to try it to really talk about flavor, but she was happy with it and it smelled good. Sometimes with other devices I can tell the taste is off even if I’m not the one using it, but from what I could tell this was clean and high quality vapor.

Effects are what really matter though, and that’s what surprised me the most so far. Usually she’ll have a few draws off of the FlowerPot, be relaxed and then asleep after a while.

Maybe it’s the smaller and more frequent doses more than the device itself, but the Toad made her laugh more, think more, start conversations about what other dimensions are and how we know/understand anything about them, etc. I guess the kind of thing you’d see from a college stoner stereotype, but I feel like those kinds of effects are often more enjoyable and I’m glad the Toad is very capable of delivering them!

I know it can hit harder, and I’ll try to take one for the team and see what I can get out of it once I’m used to it, but I think I’ll start off on the same track she’s on because it seems like a fun one. :lol:

I’ll talk more about the Toad itself and share some pictures when I get to my own thoughts on it, but for now I’ll just say that I really expected Dan to deliver a nearly perfect piece of functional art…and that is exactly what he delivered. :love:

I do want to note a few things that were a little surprising to me before I forget my initial impressions, but none of them are real negatives.

1. It’s a little heavier than I expected! Nothing wrong with that, but even without the battery it has a little weight to it since it’s made from a solid wood block.

2. The button is a little harder to press than I thought it would be, but that’s probably a good thing since it’ll be harder to turn it on accidentally.

I don’t think the weight of the Toad is enough to press it in even if it’s laid down on the button. It’s not hard for me to push in though, so unless you have significant hand issues I wouldn’t worry, and if you do Dan may still be able to make it work for you.

3. The magnets on the bottom a pretty strong too! They’ll grab a battery I’m trying to put in and they hold on fairly tight when I try to open it.

That makes me think I’d appreciate the side pulls on the Nomad II (plus I think the shape would be a little more comfortable even though the Toad’s already good on that front). Being lower cost, faster to make and offering a new set of canvases for a lot of cool artwork now that the Nomads are sleeveless, the Toads definitely have their place in the lineup and in my pocket too. :)

Those are all just minor surprises though. So far I have no real concerns or complaints at all.

Sorry I can’t actually try it yet, but I wanted to at least get some first impressions out and I’ll have more for you all in the next couple of weeks!

Thanks again @Dan Morrison - I put my trust in you and passed on buying a lot of good convection portables over the last few years because I liked your designs, ideas and art more than any of the others, and you’ve made it worth the wait. :rockon:
 

Hagbard Celine

Well-Known Member
This week marked the arrival of Toad # 25! Ive used it a few times too and will try to give a report soon. Suffice to say theres just a slight learning curve that doesn’t seem too worrisome. It can easily be mastered.

I have a few pics too - but a while back I thought we were able to just post pics directly from our hard drive again... is that no longer the case? I dont have an account at these picture hosting sites, and not sure if I really want to bother with them...

 
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Shit Snacks

Milaana. Lana. LANA. LANAAAA! (TM2/TP80/BAK/FW9)
Getting the hang of it, easier to control maybe as the battery sees some discharge, or getting comfortable holding the button longer is all, seems better with coarse grind now (only had a bit more fine medium grind last night) the button requires force but it is not too uncomfortable, ergonomic in the hand to squeeze with thumb or big finger in other hand... Feels like nothing else, dense but not heavy, modest heft in a tight form factor, the feel of the paper is pretty perfect... Inserting and removing the stem is super smooth and easy, yes strong magnets, easy enough to grip and remove the plate, will need to swap this Molicell P28A soon perhaps after three or four bowls now... However this is using custom 508Phineas stem with specs from Dan:
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So that is a factor since it is pretty thick glass, narrower inner diameter perhaps, with this light blue glass, not sure if he has more of this, but maybe he can source clear or another color... I have another one with a plain cut tip mp, but this one with the little narrow tip is absolutely perfect (although it could be slightly longer for a bit more comfort furthering the vape from your face as you hit it lol though it is very compact this way like a regular toad stem)

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With the flash this time so you can see the variations of this slate blue color, really stone like look, with soft smooth texture...

Provenance?

Quoting you from the Nomad thread, I didn't want to reply until I had them, I had posted about them here originally though back in January, and have had them for a little while now waiting for my Toad, this was the post:
I've been talking to Phineas @Vlad the Inhaler since he makes amazing 18mm male and female vigreux spiked coolers, so I connected him with Dan so he could share specs, to make nomad /toad cooling stems someday, but they are both so busy! I think Phin will probably have TM stems before these?? He'll have something great eventually, just need a lot of patience ;)

@508Phineas on Instagram, not sure how much time he has for custom orders currently, but if you can be very patient it can be very rewarding, with enough demand I bet he can turn out a batch of these at some point? And if you know how to wait for Dan stuff already patience should be easy lol

Grats man! The simpler toads really have a certain je ne sais quoi about them. Something about that simple and timeless style.

Yeah that is why this was my first choice, I like the shades of blue Dan works with, like the one @Improvaper got in lottery as well, on top of it being cheaper (this one cost $15 more for the splatter texture additional colors) than the elaborate paintings it also feels less precious than those so I hope I can take it out and about confidently!

I know it doesn’t mean anything really, but can I ask what the rough timeline was from your batch to delivery? It’s usually “out of sight out of mind” for me, but whenever I look at this thread I can’t help but get excited for mine in batch 3 🙂.

Ha yeah I don't even remember, the participation process with the picking moved quickly and then it was quiet as orders were finalized, then shipments were delayed by Nomad so all I know now is that I paid in December to receive it now in July... That means absolutely nothing for you, batch 3 should be moving much smoother and be a better indicator of the future timing, I'd say the nomads were the biggest reason for the delays?

Would also love to hear your impressions relative to some other vapes we’ve both used, but I think technically the model specific threads aren’t the place for that.

Edit: actually as I think about it again probably it’s for the best if I experience the toad with no preconceived notions 🙂. Then we can compare notes!

Haha I'm glad you edited, because I was going to say there is really no comparison, this is a totally unique product pretty much like nothing else... I am one of the original Milaana testers and have many of them, yet that experience means pretty little coming into the Toad honestly... Certainly not like anything you already have, you have to come at it fresh, try to use only it as much as you can, to get to know it, fully manual experience so there is going to be a learning curve...

Effects are what really matter though, and that’s what surprised me the most so far....
Maybe it’s the smaller and more frequent doses more than the device itself, but the Toad made her laugh more, think more, start conversations about what other dimensions are and how we know/understand anything about them, etc. I guess the kind of thing you’d see from a college stoner stereotype, but I feel like those kinds of effects are often more enjoyable and I’m glad the Toad is very capable of delivering them!

I know it can hit harder, and I’ll try to take one for the team and see what I can get out of it once I’m used to it, but I think I’ll start off on the same track she’s on because it seems like a fun one. :lol:

Haha yeah this is classic, when using a new device, especially a pure powerful one, regardless of any similarities to devices already accustomed to, it is a next level of stoned for a while, high-neymoon!

The magnets on the bottom a pretty strong too! They’ll grab a battery I’m trying to put in and they hold on fairly tight when I try to open it.

Yeah I noticed that with the battery magnetizing to the bottom when I was loading it as well lol hoping it will be easy to pop the battery out without the heater falling out or anything when I swap...

I put my battery in negative down, so the magnetic panel connected to the positive end, because that is how the OG Nomad was, but I've heard it does not matter which direction you put it in the Toad? Would it be better to reverse or is what I'm doing the best way??

This week marked the arrival of Toad # 25! Ive used it a few times too and will try to give a report soon. Suffice to say theres just a slight learning curve that doesn’t seem too worrisome. It can easily be mastered.

Yes the learning curve is not to say that it is tough to use, just that it is such an organic analog experience, usually makes for a stellar vapor signature and versatile convenience, once steady use turns you into an expert :tup:

I have a few pics too - but a while back I thought we were able to just post pics directly from our hard drive again... is that no longer the case? I dont have an account at these picture hosting sites, and not sure if I really want to bother with them...

Yeah you can't post images directly anymore, but you do not need an account for anything, just go to the website imgur.com on your phone in desktop view to upload and then paste the link from your browser here to display an album, or go to imgbb.com on your phone browser, mobile view fine, click upload and then select to view full linked bbcode, and select the text in the [img brackets to copy paste here, without url, to display the photo in your post here
 
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namasteIII

Well-Known Member
@Shit Snacks You still want positive facing out, because thats where the vent is. So in the worst case, we want the vent away from our face, not pointing at it. :)

It will work either direction but battery safty is best to take seriously.

Heres Dan’s words on the matter, sure most folks know all this but feel I should link just for completeness.


Glad everyone is getting along so well.
 

gordontreeman

Everythings coming up Milhouse!
@Shit Snacks yeah I totally recognize shipment time from prior batches will have no impact on mine. I’m just excited! I’ve been waiting a while though, so a bit more won’t hurt. I was in the first batch but didn’t get any of my top 5 picks, so I slid through that batch and batch two before selecting one. I think it’s been since last fall now, but obviously no money committed until I selected one in batch 3!
 
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Ramahs

Fucking Combustion (mostly) Since February 2017
I dont have an account at these picture hosting sites

And I suggest NEVER creating an account with a site like that.
I would ONLY use a site that allows you to post anonymously without having an account, like imgbb, which also strips the metadata from the pic so it's not directly tied to you in meatspace.

That's the only way I post images here. Even when FC had the option available to upload directly to the site's servers. I have no confidence that the metadata is removed from the image when uploading that way.
 

passenger

is this thing on?
It's great to see all the new Toads arriving to loving homes! Don't be afraid of taking your Toad out on adventures, they like to get out and about. I took mine out to see the Dead recently and it had a great time. :brow:

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:peace:
Looks like a great time and that's what I'm going to do - take my sunset Toad out and about when it arrives. Hell yeah. I'm going to attach it to my body.
 

datayoda

Well-Known Member
1. Insertion of the stem (wood) feels really smooth
2. My button feels like I would expect
3. Flavor is good (B+) but the stem would benefit from a cooling mechanism
4. Cloud vapor is good and has a great feel when you hit it just right
5. Unregulated but mastering is not too hard. Would be the perfect device if it were regulated.
6. The paper feel is legendary
7. I miss the haptic feedback from a device like TM (could this be added aftermarket somehow?)
8. Perfect device for micro dosing during the day rather than long sessions with friends

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daddy

Well-Known Member
1. Insertion of the stem (wood) feels really smooth
2. My button feels like I would expect
3. Flavor is good (B+) but the stem would benefit from a cooling mechanism
4. Cloud vapor is good and has a great feel when you hit it just right
5. Unregulated but mastering is not too hard. Would be the perfect device if it were regulated.
6. The paper feel is legendary
7. I miss the haptic feedback from a device like TM (could this be added aftermarket somehow?)
8. Perfect device for micro dosing during the day rather than long sessions with friends

IMG-1984.jpg

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Sounds terrible! Let me take this off your hands. I’ll fully reimburse you of course..
 

Shit Snacks

Milaana. Lana. LANA. LANAAAA! (TM2/TP80/BAK/FW9)
Enjoying the experience playing with mine, often extracts quicker than I expect! Yes nice effects, yet still so many variables...

Here are some small negatives though, now that I have swapped battery, I can say the heater module does not stay in place at all so it is actually pretty tedious to have to carefully keep it in place (without letting finger get anywhere near the pin, I try to use the bottom cap itself to hold it in place) while emptying the battery out, if it sticks out a little you can sort of fit your finger over there to slide it out the rest of the way, although it is tricky if you are also trying to hold the module in place, and then also contending with the strong magnets...

It also seems like a very significant loss in performance for me at 3.9v (batteries are full when they are 4.2v btw) that is where it becomes risky of holding the button down long enough to get a good hit, but too long so it gets a hotspot as well... More technique to work with, but I definitely prefer a more fully charged battery with the medium high heater so far? Need to try a newer cell...

I used some of my other top tier pure convection on demand portables again, which remind me why I have gravitated toward appreciating their regulation so much in the past years... However there is still nothing like the Toad, very happy to have it!
 

Vaporware

Well-Known Member
@datayoda I’m guessing you mentioned the button feel because of what I said, and I just wanted to make it more clear to everyone that there were just a few small details that were slightly different from what I expected and they might be exactly what other people expect.

We haven’t had any problems with the button or anything else I mentioned, I just thought those small surprises were worth listing now because I probably won’t remember them at all in a couple of weeks. :)

Also, it’s good to learn it with just the stock stem so you can feel the heat and adjust your draw speed to compensate, but there are some cooling stems out there or you can also just add some glass balls between 2 screens in the stems you have once you have a good routine down.

Edit: @Shit Snacks is right about the heater coming out easily. I’ve only changed a couple of batteries so far, but what I do is:

1. Hold the Toad upside down and remove the bottom plate.

2. Put a finger over the edge of the heater and flip the Toad.

3. Give it a small shake to drop the battery out if necessary.

4. Flip it back upside down to drop the new battery in and close it.

It’s pretty quick and easy, but I do feel like I could accidentally drop a heater at some point. If anyone’s too worried about that, you could also just pull the heater out first.

If anyone has a better way to do it though, please share it!

I do think it might be possible to add a small piece that would hold the heater in place, but I don’t remember people complaining about it in the past so I assume it’s pretty manageable for most users. I’m always looking for solutions to even minor issues, but so far I think I’m okay with the way I’m already dealing with it. :)
 
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datayoda

Well-Known Member
Agreed on the battery swap workflow. A bit tricky at first. I do wish the heater would stay put via a little latch.

One other things on the negative side: inhalation noise. It whistles bit.

I’m neat picking a bit because I feel every batch can use feedback to make the toad or future project even better.

You’ll have to get my toad from my cold dead hands!!
 

Dan Morrison

Well-Known Member
Manufacturer
Love hearing everyone's thoughts, very interesting!

@Shit Snacks That stem looks wonderful! How wide is the internal diameter of the chamber? Just curious.

Good to hear your experience with the heater module design. I actually never considered the fact that the heater module is free to just slide in and out to be a negative, but I can see now that some people find it awkward. Perhaps that can be something to change for the future.

What I have always done is remove the bottom plate with the Toad upside down, then put my finger over the heater module as I flip it right side up and tap the battery out into my other hand. Essentially exactly how @Vaporware does it.

The battery is held in place because it's magnetic, perhaps I could switch to using a magnetic stainless shell for the heater modules, hmmm.

I usually swap my batteries around 3.6v, almost never under that, though.

@datayoda , agreed on the stem cooling, the cooling beads do help quite a lot with ripping it harder and getting more dense vapor.

I welcome any and all feedback! It definitely helps improve the designs over time. :D

Your note on inhalation noise makes me think that, maybe, your inhales are too fast. I can only hear the wooshing or whistling of air when I am definitely inhaling way too fast. If you are experiencing any hot spots, especially center hot spots, that could be another clue that you're inhaling too fast. I would experiment with a slower inhale and see if that changes anything for the better.

But again, I've learned that everyone is SO different in their vaping style, I think that everyone just needs to find their own way.

I've toyed with the idea of making some sort of training wheels... maybe a stem that whistles, or some kind of flow meter... something to reveal the optimal inhalation speed.

One thing I have recently found helpful is adding a bit of restriction to the draw. I think that the wide open draw requires much more careful lung control to really nail that perfect air speed. With a bit of restriction it's easier. I have been using flat discs of filter paper at the bottom of my herb chamber, overtop of the SS basket screen. This adds restriction and keeps the screen totally clean. I'll probably try to find a way to add air restriction into future Toads in some way.
 

KeroZen

Chronic vapaholic
Variable air intake for the win my good man!

Remember, I proposed that simple idea a while ago in the Nomad thread: slice your heater module PEEK insulator in half on the thickness axis, you would end up with two stacked discs with holes. Rotate one relative to the other and you could open or close all holes at will.

A similar trick is used in a lot of e-cig RDA's, where you turn some kind of ring at the base of the 510 deck, or alternatively the atty shell can be made of two concentric pieces and one can move relative to the other.

The trick is of course to get enough friction to prevent the adjustment from being lost too easily. But hey, that could be the return of the small grub/set-screw you used in the early heaters like mine? You could also perhaps make the PEEK insulator thicker in some way to accommodate the new feature, as I think there's still some room before it gets too close to the ribbon? (because yes, I know the shape is not a simple cylinder... but maybe the deepest "fixed" part could be held strongly by the press-fit of the center pin, while the upper part with the lip and the cylinder inside the heater would be looser around the center pin and fastened with the set-screw... or you could even have two staggered set-screws)
 
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