Kizoku Techmod
And around and around we go, once again doing a full circle back to where we were a few years ago with a device that has - for reasons that escape me - become popular once again. And of course, what you then get is the snowball effect, with every other manufacturer out there, who WILL NOT be outdone by their competitors, kicking and screaming their way right onto that rolling band wagon …
And before you know it, we have ourselves a full on regurgitated fashion in Vapingdom, well…we needed something to fill the hole now that Pod systems seem to have one foot out of the door…finally
Still sat…patiently waiting…for the 30mm RDA fashion to kickstart again…
But we are where we are, with yet another itchy flare up of something that I wasn’t particularly interested in the first time around, you know…you think you got rid of something, you apply ointments and take antibiotics, but just because you can’t seem to stop sticking it where it shouldn’t be…it just keeps coming back…wait…I’ve lost track of what we’re talking about…best get right into it before this review takes it’s usual off-piste tangent…
Shall we…
Welcome back my miraculously magical and misty munchkin monkeys, back again with more of the same, and this time I mean that in every literal sense of the word. Because this week we are looking at something of a resurgence…something that was…albeit briefly…a bit of a fad around 3 or 4 years ago, but then dwindled off into the realm of ‘one hit wonders’
(shudders)
But for reasons unclear, certain things just refuse to die…like that singer for example.
And now, here we are once again. Are we running out of ideas?..Possibly. Whether it’s the pandemic or just the fact that there’s a pretty good chance we’ve covered all bases by now, I don’t know…but innovation in this little cloudy universe of ours has been noticeably lacking of late. So where else is there to go?..Maybe we missed something?..Maybe…just maybe…the whole Pod craze managed to mask the potential of other devices, and cut them down in their prime before we had time to fully appreciate them??..NO!..NO I don’t like Pod systems, does it show?..I felt I was being subtle (shrugs).
SO…what exactly is this stubborn form factor that has been dragged up from the past like those stories your Mrs keeps hearing about you involving a goat, a bottle of extra virgin olive oil and a courgette? (absolutely not true btw)…It is of course the ‘side-by-side’ mod, something that we clearly have fond memories of at times when we just don’t know which rig to use that day…
And we have, over the past couple of years, apparently taken to talking about them with an almost melancholic yearning, or in extreme cases…even sung about them in Blues bars…
BUT NO MORE SADNESS!!..No sir, because they are back!..Hopefully not with a bang, but back all the same. I mean these things are popping up like daffodils in…whichever month that happens…and manufacturers are clambering for a foothold on that exact wagon to push them into every corner of the Vapeverse. And it’s one such manufacturer who has been riding a somewhat wave of interest and intrigue just lately with their - completely out of nowhere - range of excellent quality vape toys, now claiming to mend your broken heart with their own side-by-side device, so…allow me to warm your soul, fill that void, and make two become one…as I present to you… the Kizoku Techmod …
Apparently…(shrugs…again)
I think I covered Kizoku’s ‘almost overnight’ success about as comprehensively as knowledge would allow when I reviewed their Unlimit tank last month, suffice to say…they are definitely one to look out for and do deserve your attention. In fact…I believe I said that I would be keeping a keen eye out for more of their products…so I guess I brought this on myself then (shrugs for a third time). But don’t let my general pessimistic outlook on life sway you in any way. Single battery devices just do not…as a rule…leave me satisfied, which is something else that me and my other half apparently agree on…she doesn’t even vape…so I’m not quite sure what she means by that, BUT STILL…we are about to become our own little side-by-side next month so…agreeing on things is…apparently…important (shrugging so much that the word shrugging now looks a little weird).
Let’s dive down and see what in holy fuckballs the Kizoku Techmod is all about then…
The Lowdown
The Kizoku Techmod is a single battery device capable of delivering a ‘safe’ 80w from an 18650 battery. It is kept in check by - I think - their own chip, which holds within the options to be used in VW, VV, TC and Bypass modes, and can take tanks up to 24mm in diameter.
It’s primarily manufactured from SS304 and Zinc Alloy making it a rather hefty 196g with battery, which…at only 22mm x 47mm and 76mm high…makes it a reassuringly weighty and solid device.
On the business side of things we have the small but clear 25mm x 6mm display…
Showing your mode, your Ohms, your battery gauge, puff timer, your wattage in VW, your volts in VV, your temperature in TC, and in Bypass mode you get your amps and volts. It’s easy enough to navigate to the point where I highly doubt you’ll have to refer to the dreaded manual, 3 clicks to change mode, 5 clicks on and off.
And just below the screen you get your plus and minus buttons, these will climb in increments of .1w, or 1w if you keep the button held, hold them both together and you lock them…but not the fire button, which incidentally, can be found unconventionally on the side…
The idea behind this is ease of use and comfort, I think it’s where you apparently reach for it naturally…but we’ll come to that a little later.
Up on the top…we have the battery bay…
Never been a fan of thumb screws but, it’s kinda cool that they have incorporated the battery vents into this one, simply (I say simply) unscrew it with your thumb and finger and slide the battery in positive first…
Don’t have a coronary Ken…it’s a clear battery wrap…I am after all an award winning consummate professional…have I ever mentioned that?..I don’t think I have…well…I have now.
On the other side we have the type C charging and firmware update, obviously I don’t recommend you charge it via this route, but…should you get stuck in a tricky situation, it will do so at 2amp…no Ken…I didn’t take a picture of it…it’s a fucking type C charge port (who the fuck is Ken??)
And then down the front of the mod we have this lovely length of stainless, complete with engraved ‘Kizoku’ logo…I like that…have to say.
And finally…we have the 510 plate…which is nice when you look at it like this…
…but if you look at it like this instead…
It looks like a toilet…probably just me (would probably shrug, but I feel I’ve kicked the arse out of it now).
It’s a nicely put together 510 plate as far as 510 plates go, it has a nicely spring loaded gold plated pin and around the outside it is etched with…words…and numbers, which I feel are very useful in some areas of life. It will only fit up to 24mm tanks though…again…we’ll come to that in a little while…and even though I did say ‘finally’…I’m sure Ken will only ask me for the image of its bottom…here you go Ken.
Ken is nothing if not thorough…whoever the fuck he is…best not think too much about it…
Oh…and it’s available in the following run of the mill colours…
The Specs
Parameters
Size: 78 x 49 x 24mm
Wattage Range: 0-80W
Output Voltage: 1.0v-8.0v
Input Voltage/Current: 5V/2A
Battery Type: 1 x 18650 (not included)
Screen: 0.91 inch
Charging: Type-C
Connection: 510
Materials: Stainless Steel, Zinc Alloy
It comes with
- 1x TECHMOD
- 1x Type-C Charging Cable
- 1x User Manual
- 1x Warranty Card
Final Thoughts
Okay…what indeed are my final thoughts on the Kizoku Techmod?..Well…actually, quite a lot.
Firstly - let’s get this out of the way - this is a solid, well made little device, and for those yearning to own another side-by-side you’ll probably dig it. But it’s not without its quirks and annoyances.
I love the shape, I can see where they were going with it, because what they’ve done is angle the front of the device by 5 degrees…
and that’s to follow the natural position of your fingers when you are holding it. And it works too. Holding it like this, your thumb also naturally reaches for the area of your fire button…happy days…if you’re right handed, which I’m not. And here lies my biggest issue with the Techmod - it’s all to do with the tank.
Now…you’d think that Kizoku’s own Unlimit tank would be the perfect companion for the Techmod…but that’s not the case…and the following issues don’t just relate to the Unlimit either …let me explain.
Nowadays, practically all tanks have a bottom AFC, maybe…80 to 85% of them anyway. Well…you’ll notice one of the dual airflow vents is tucked right around the back, it’s not blocked, but it’s heavily restricted by the mod. So…if I use this left handed like I normally would, in order for me to reach the fire button with my thumb knuckle, again, like you normally would, my fingers would rest on the battery tube, meaning…there’s a fair chance that the one remaining airflow vent that’s open, is resting against your hand, blocking that one too - so you have to hold it kind of side on and hit the button with the tip of your thumb instead…which makes the whole thinking behind the ergonomics a little redundant…and slightly awkward, and makes your rig a little less happy about being in your hand…
Yes…of course you can reposition it so that that doesn’t happen…but I shouldn’t have to.
Also worth mentioning with regards to tanks, no bubble glass, not even the tiny one you get on the Unlimit, it just doesn’t fit, which…knowing my love for the old bubble…really pissed me off.
Another ‘niggle’ with the Kizoku Techmod comes with its slightly confusing performance. Now…the battery gauge has 5 bars on it to show what’s left in the tank, nothing new there, we’ve seen it all before. To be honest, on a small screen I’d rather have this than a percentage you can barely see (cough-Vaporesso-cough) , but…when you put a fresh battery in and go balls out at 80w it works really, really well…for a bit. Then…as soon as 2 battery bars go, the drop is incredibly noticeable. Now…with it having 5 bars you’d think (if it was accurate) that there would still be 60% battery left, so…as soon as that second bar went out I removed the battery and put it on the charger, and there was actually 50% battery left…not a huge issue in itself, but…having that much power drop at 50% is, in my opinion, poor. It’s obviously boosted, I get that, and that is no more apparent than when you stick it in Bypass mode, because it’s so much weaker, even with a fresh battery. Also…because in variable wattage mode you only get to see your wattage and your ohms, it only shows you what the wattage is set at…not what you’re actually getting. And it’s not like I was asking too much from it either, with a single coil coming in at 0.3Ω. That becomes especially annoying because of my final gripe…changing the fucking battery, SO fiddly with that damned thumb screw, plus the fact that your tank is in the way so it’s really awkward unless you’re Jeremy Beadle…or this guy…
But it’s not all doom and gloom, fact of the matter is, the Kizoku Techmod is a solid little side-by-side, and it’s exceptionally well manufactured. So, use a top airflow tank with straight glass in your right hand and you’ll be golden…at least for 2 battery bars anyway. For those right handed people, you’ll really dig it, it fires quickly, it’s really compact like most other side-by-sides and it’s super simple to use…I can’t comment on the TC functionality because…well…I don’t care…but for everything else it seemed fine…which is more than I can say for the price.
The Price
At time of writing the Kizoku Techmod can be found for around $60/£45 give or take…that’s just for the mod by the way.
No Ken, I will not…(???)…that’s what it is, that’s what the Kizoku Techmod costs, and that’s all I’m prepared to say about that…find it here by clicking this link.
For those that have seen this through to the end, this is the part where I like to pimp myself and my good friends out by telling you how fucking fantastic we are and what we’re up to, so…BIG THINGS COMING…. Firstly, there’s our calculator. It’s getting a serious following now, but we’ve completely lost Grubby to this thing, day and night the man is obsessed with coding for what is coming next. It’s…fucking…amazing, so…look out for the changes that are coming very soon here…
Vaping Community – Mixing Calculator
Then of course there’s our accompanying forum. It’s starting to fill up with a really good bunch of knowledgeable vapers, who are there to answer your every question. It’s completely free to sign up and offers a warm and drama free welcome, so please feel free to pop in and say ‘Hi!’. It’s becoming a really cool place to be, find us here…
I wouldn’t be doing myself any favours if I failed to mention our one shots either, which are now being sold over at DIY Flavor Chaser, A range of hand crafted one shots created by the three of us who run the forum, all proceeds of which go directly to the running of that forum, and…if we do say so ourselves….they’re fucking delicious too. Find those here…
Vaping Community One-Shots @ DIY Flavor Chaser
And finally!!
There’s always yours truly, and the doors over at Steampugs are open 24/7, for now you will find a plethora of reviews not only be my good self, but also from some of my very talented yet incredibly mean friends, find us here…
And if you haven’t subscribed to the forum or Steampugs, I highly suggest you do, because next month sometime we will be running an absolute BEAST of a giveaway, where the first prize will be worth anything between 1.5 and 2k…I shit you not, and if you want a taster?..How about the full flavour line from Flavorah plus mixing books…
Worth around $1200, and that’s only part of it, lots of hardware, one-shots, merch and liquids to add to that 1st prize…so keep your eyes peeled, it is ONLY for VC forum and Steampugs members, but no doubt you’ll hear about it when it happens.
Until next time.
Pugs
always a pleasure 
, Yeah single 18650’s (or side x sides) don’t excite me
