Supplied by Freemax for review
https://www.freemaxvape.com/maxus-max-168w-kit/
Freemax’s tagline for the Maxus Max is “Unleash the Mesh Pro Beast” and without giving too much away, they weren’t wrong! I haven’t had this much flavour fun since the old Mesh Pro tanks!
The Maxus Max is a dual 18650 pod/mod designed to accept the high power MX Mesh coils as it goes up to 168 watts. The mod is a fully functional sturdy bit of kit and it packs the punch required to get the best from the coils.
- 5ml Vape Juice Capacity
- Side Filling System
- Compatible With MX Mesh Coil
- Two-side Airflow Control
- 1.3-inch IML Screen, 4 UI Theme Colors
- Powered By Dual 18650 Batteries (Not Included)
- Multiple Output Modes
- Size: 43*30.9*128.5mm
- Coil Resistance: MX1 0.15ohm/ MX2 0.2ohm/ MX3 0.15ohm/ MX1 SS316L 0.12ohm
- Output Mode: Power/ VPC/ Bypass/ TC-SS316/ TC-NI/ TC-TI/ TCR
- Output Voltage: 0.7-8.4V
- Output Wattage: 5-168W
- Weight: 200g
Unboxing
The Maxus Max is packaged well in a sturdy black box and an artistic outer sleeve, the specs and contents are listed on the back of the sleeve along with the authenticity code.
The top layer holds the mod and has a handy ribbon to help you remove the mod and also to lift the foam out to get to bottom layer which holds the pod, coils, charging cable and manual.
The USB-C cable is a decent length and the manual is well laid out and easy to follow, you get 2 different coils to try; MX1 Mesh Coil 0.15ohm and MX2 Mesh Coil 0.2ohm.
First Impressions
This might sound a little bit odd, but the mod looked and felt like a powerhouse with its sturdy metal chassis and mechanical inspired styling and it felt really comfortable in the hand. The weight before the batteries was reasonable and well balanced.
The side fire bar feels great and is intuitive, it is very easy to fire in your grip. The only down side is it is very easy to pocket fire it so be sure to lock it between vaping.
The oval shape is quite basic but Freemax have spruced it up with plenty of stylish touches, the screen face looks almost art deco to me. The large ‘IML’ screen covers most of the front face though the actual screen is only the upper half, that said it is quite large with a big wattage font that looks great. It is all easy to read and uncluttered.
There’s a raised emblem on the back that looks pretty good and adds to the tactile feeling, the branding is subtle and dark etched which is a nice touch.
The battery door is on the base, it is a push to open door and a friction fit which feels secure once the batteries are fitted, it has 6 vent holes in the door.
The inside of the battery door has a gel coating to protect against short circuits, I have only seen this done a couple of times so that is a pro there, you can never have too many safety features. Battery orientation markings are stamped on the door but there are no markings inside the tube. Although the battery door feels secure enough once the batteries are fitted, I would have preferred some kind of fastener as this style can be prone to popping open when stored in a bag etc.
The pod is a magnetic fit and the connection pin is spring loaded. With the pod removed, you start to see the beast inside as the coils are huge. They can be a little bit stiff to pry out with your fingers but I didn’t need any tool to do it, fitting is a simple push fit.
With the coil removed, you can see just how large they are, and the huge space in the base of the pod makes it one of the easiest pods to clean that I have seen. Freemax have stated the coils are inspired by the ‘Mesh Pro’ series, and that is clearly evident when you look down the bore. I’m pleased they included the dual mesh as that was my favourite for flavour. The single bore was interesting as the size wasn’t as large as I was expecting, for me this sounds promising for flavour over clouds.
Freemax have also release new MX3 coils, if they are anything like the Mesh Pro triple mesh then they throw proper full flavour out. I still use my Mesh Pro with triple mesh coils, they don’t last as long as the dual but the flavour is so much better.
Controls
As mentioned earlier, this ‘pod/mod’ is more like a fully functioning box mod with plenty of features including Temperature Control. Navigation is simple and fast.
- 5 x Fire = Turns device On/Off
- 3 x Fire = Enters main menu (Up/Down key to navigate & Fire to confirm)
- Press & hold Fire & Down = Change colour scheme
- Press Up/Down together = Locks adjustments (or locks all if option selected within menu)
In temperature control: Press Fire & Up together to adjust wattage
The resolution of the screen is really good and the layout is tasteful and easy to read, most descriptions make sense and it is easy to adjust what you need quickly.
The screen isn’t the brightest though and is near impossible to see in direct sunlight.
The full user manual can be downloaded from Freemax’s official site:
https://www.freemaxvape.com/download/
Performance
This was the bit I was genuinely looking forward to, I still remember that Mesh Pro wow experience when it started to be used. I went straight for the MX2 dual mesh 0.15ohm and gingerly started off at 60 watts to break the coil in. It wasn’t long before I worked up to the max of 90 Watts. Simply put, the vape was fantastic, seriously good with buckets of flavour and at a warm heat that I prefer (often I find other mesh coils too cool to enjoy). Vapour production was decent but not what I would call mega clouds, but that’s fine and it’s not why I love Freemax coils as they deliver flavour and warmth over clouds.
The MX1 0.2ohm (50-80watts Best 70) was much better than I was expecting, not quite as flavourful as the dual mesh but very close to it. Vapour production was a little higher and the draw felt airy, 70 watts ‘best’ was about right but I whacked it up to 80 to get the warmth that I prefer (this affects the coil lifespan though).
I deliberately used the same ‘Mapple’ e-liquid to test so I could compare to the Marvos pods which already delivered great flavour. I can tell you I was getting even more from the Maxus, if you really want to know what your juice is supposed to taste like then the Maxus Max does just that.
Not included with the kit but I had to try the MX3 0.15ohm triple mesh (80-110watts Best 100) and for me this is THE coil this kit was made for. 80 watts was damn good, but 100 watts was more like the high powered intense vape I remember from Freemax. I even pushed it up to 110 watts but that needed the airflow wider to reduce the heat. It’s very rare I vape anything over 60 watts these days, let alone 100, but I was really enjoying the intense vape I was getting.
The mod performed flawlessly with instant firing and plenty of power. For me, a dual battery is a must for anything over 60 watts, the battery life last me most of a full day hammering the dual coil (MX2). I couldn’t comment on the charging time as I charge my batteries separately, but the charging screen only shown battery bars and no percentage or time.
Most of the mods functionality is wasted though, especially TC (Temperature Control), perhaps Freemax have an RBA pod for it or a 510 adaptor, but to be honest I would only want to use the stock coils with this kit, I can’t see any DIY build beating them for flavour.
(There is an MX1 SS316L coil available for TC though)
Pros
- The best DL flavour I have experienced
- Sturdy and stylish mod
- Large IML screen
- Nice ergonomics
- Side fill pod
- Great coil life
Cons
- Screen only suitable for indoors or shade
- Basic charging screen
Final Thoughts
Though I wished it had a 510 thread, I had to remind myself that the Maxus Max is a ‘pod/mod’ kit, so with that said, this is without a doubt the best full DL pod kit I have tried, mostly down to Freemax’s coil expertise, and it is one of the few mesh coils I can achieve a warm, full bodied vape without a hint of a burning taste. The mod compliments it nicely and rounds it up as a winner overall.
Score: 9/10 – Max Factor
Si Davies
Reviewer at POTVMy background is Engineering and Professional Photography. Mostly from POTV users knowledge I learned so much about pretty much all styles of vaping and equipment, Cloud Chasing, Squonking, Mouth To Lung, Direct To Lung, Pods, Mechs, Rebuild-able tanks and atomisers etc, and have experience with many many devices and atomisers, it's become a hobby and enjoy trying out the latest gear. I like to think my reviews are plain speaking and informative without getting too technical, if I have to resort to reading the manual then I don't consider it user friendly!
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