Hello I’m back again with yet another review. I was sent the Freemax Maxus Max 168W kit in order to provide a fair and honest review. The Max 168 continues the legacy of the Maxus series of kits from Freemax. Some time ago I reviewed the Maxus 100 and 200 and liked them and the included tanks and coils very much. The Max 168 is a bit of a twist on that since it is in fact it is the first dual battery pod mod. At least that is the claim made by Freemax. The pod uses the MX Platform and uses the design of the Mesh Pro series while still using the FM Coiltech 4.0 mesh technology. The mod itself has a very nice color display and uses dual 18650 batteries that are loaded from the bottom through a hinged battery door.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX?
1x Freemax Maxus MAX 168W Mod
1x Freemax Maxus DTL Pod 5ml (Pre-installed MX2 Mesh Coil 0.2ohm)
1x MX1 Mesh Coil 0.15ohm
1x USB Charger
1x Warning Card
1x Warranty Card
1x User Manual
SPECIFICATIONS:
Size: 43*30.9*128.5mm
Pod Capacity: 5ml
Output Mode: Power/ VPC/ Bypass/ TC-SS316/ TC-NI/ TC-TI/ TCR
Battery: External 2x 18650 batteries (Not Included)
Output Voltage: 0.7-8.4V
Output Wattage: 5-168W
INITIAL THOUGHTS:
I’ve noticed that many manufacturers seem to stick with the same color scheme on their packaging and Freemax is no different. I always mentally associate blue and white with Freemax. The Max 168 box is black with a sketch of the device on the front but still has the blue and white for the text on the front.
The back of the package has the specifications, contents, company information, and authenticity code. I like when the manufacturer takes the time to put the specifications on the box. I think it makes it just a little easier for the user to determine if it’s a good fit for them and also can see what coils the device uses in case they want to purchase some spares.
The Max 168 is actually a pretty small device and is actually a little smaller than the Target 200 that is one of the smaller dual 18650 mods that I have tried. The display on the Max 168 is very crisp and clear. The accent color is also changeable which is a nice feature but not necessary.
The display on the main screen is very simplistic compared to many mods. I have to admit that I thought it was a bit odd that the puff counter is not displayed on the main screen. The main screen only shows the following information.
- Lock/unlock symbol
- Mode of operation
- Dual battery indicators
- Set wattage
- Output voltage while firing
- Coil resistance
To access the menu, press the fire bar three times. Once in the menu, the following options are available.
- Mode( Power, VPC, BYPASS, TC SS316, TC NI, TC TI, TCR 1,2,3)
- SET( TIMEOUT, COIL TEST, PUFF, TIME, C/F, RESET, COMBINATION KEYS, EXIT)
- INFO( BATTERY, VERSION, TEMP, EXIT)
- EXIT
The Combination keys setting allows the user to choose whether pressing the + and – buttons locks the mod completely or only locks the adjustment buttons. Besides the above settings, pressing the fire bar and – button will change the accent color on the display.
Besides the display, the front of the mod has the adjustment buttons, the Freemax name printed on the front, and the USB-C charging port.
The top of the mod is the pod receptacle with two large airflow slots and a very large gold plated center contact. Inside is a metal ring where the magnetic ring of the pod attaches very securely. The pod comes with the MX2 mesh coil that is .2 ohm and has two coils inside it pre-installed. The kit comes with a second coil which is a single mesh coil that is .15 ohm called the MX1. The MX1 coil is rated at 50-80 watts and liked it at 54 watts. The MX2 coil is rated at 60-90 watts and liked it at 60 watts. Freemax was nice enough to include a spare box of the MX3 coils which are .15 ohm with three mesh coils and rated 80-110 watts. I wasn’t brave enough to go that high but thought it performed well at 70 watts. The coils and airflow combination allow for a huge amount of airflow and even with the highest rated coil I never felt the need to open it more than 1/3.
On the back of the mod is the Maxus Max symbol near the top with the Maxus name near the bottom along with Made in China.
On the left side of the mod is the fire bar. It runs near the length of the mod. It has three horizontal lines near the top and some designs molded into the sides. The horizontal lines give it a nice feel and to me the fire bar takes just the right amount of tension to activate it.
The battery door on the bottom of the mod is the slide and lift hinged battery door type. It seems very solid to me. The battery polarity is clearly marked. I don’t know for sure but it seems like only the raised buttons where the batteries make contact are exposed. It seems like there is some type of coating over the rest of the copper plate.
The pod for the Max 168 has a fixed tip so you cannot change the tip. The pod itself is tinted but not too dark so you can still see the liquid level inside fairly easy. The pod is a side fill which is better than a bottom fill but would have been nice if it could have been designed with a top fill instead. You can fill the pod while on the tank but I found it easier to just remove the pod for filling. One thing that is nice is that the fill port plug will rotate out of the way for filling. The opening is large enough for most bottles. The MX1 smaller coil installed made it easier to fill while with the large coils installed the tip of the filling bottle would hit the side of the coil.
The coils are honestly some of the largest coils I have tried. I don’t remember testing a larger coil. Just like prior Freemax coils I have tried, these coils are very, very flavorful and produce large amounts of vapor. The coils are a push to seat type coil. Besides being very flavorful, I had no leaking whatsoever during testing the coils and virtually no condensation.
One thing I thought was a little odd was that the bottom of the MX2 coil is partially open and you can see the coils and cotton when looking from the bottom of the coil.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
As usual with Freemax products, it has been a real pleasure to test the Maxus Max 168 kits. They have a fantastic handle on their coil technology and can’t really think of any of their coils that I haven’t liked. The MX series coils are simply fantastic. I was really surprised at how high I could turn up the wattage on these coils without the vapor becoming warmer than I normally like. I usually prefer a bit of a cooler vape.
The Max 168 mod is very comfortable to hold and it’s almost hard to believe it is a dual 18650 mod with as small as it is. The display is very clear and vibrant and the long fire bar is easy enough to press to fire but not so easy as to be pressed accidentally. For such a large display, the battery management seemed pretty good when running the MX1 coil but of course once you hit that 70+ watt range the batteries are going to drain a bit quicker.
The airflow ring built into the top of the mod provides more airflow than I could ever use. Even at 1/3 open and set at 70 watts the airflow was plenty for me. I’m sure this also has to do with the large size of the coils as well.
I’d like to thank Freemax and Tina for sending the Maxus Max 168 kits and spare coils for this review. I also received the new Marvos RTA pod but will post a separate review for that. Also a big thanks to the readers. Below is a link to the website for your viewing pleasure.
Maxus Max 168W Kit | Freemax - Taste the Clouds, Feel the Flavors! (freemaxvape.com)
WHAT’S IN THE BOX?
1x Freemax Maxus MAX 168W Mod
1x Freemax Maxus DTL Pod 5ml (Pre-installed MX2 Mesh Coil 0.2ohm)
1x MX1 Mesh Coil 0.15ohm
1x USB Charger
1x Warning Card
1x Warranty Card
1x User Manual
SPECIFICATIONS:
Size: 43*30.9*128.5mm
Pod Capacity: 5ml
Output Mode: Power/ VPC/ Bypass/ TC-SS316/ TC-NI/ TC-TI/ TCR
Battery: External 2x 18650 batteries (Not Included)
Output Voltage: 0.7-8.4V
Output Wattage: 5-168W
INITIAL THOUGHTS:
I’ve noticed that many manufacturers seem to stick with the same color scheme on their packaging and Freemax is no different. I always mentally associate blue and white with Freemax. The Max 168 box is black with a sketch of the device on the front but still has the blue and white for the text on the front.
The back of the package has the specifications, contents, company information, and authenticity code. I like when the manufacturer takes the time to put the specifications on the box. I think it makes it just a little easier for the user to determine if it’s a good fit for them and also can see what coils the device uses in case they want to purchase some spares.
The Max 168 is actually a pretty small device and is actually a little smaller than the Target 200 that is one of the smaller dual 18650 mods that I have tried. The display on the Max 168 is very crisp and clear. The accent color is also changeable which is a nice feature but not necessary.
The display on the main screen is very simplistic compared to many mods. I have to admit that I thought it was a bit odd that the puff counter is not displayed on the main screen. The main screen only shows the following information.
- Lock/unlock symbol
- Mode of operation
- Dual battery indicators
- Set wattage
- Output voltage while firing
- Coil resistance
To access the menu, press the fire bar three times. Once in the menu, the following options are available.
- Mode( Power, VPC, BYPASS, TC SS316, TC NI, TC TI, TCR 1,2,3)
- SET( TIMEOUT, COIL TEST, PUFF, TIME, C/F, RESET, COMBINATION KEYS, EXIT)
- INFO( BATTERY, VERSION, TEMP, EXIT)
- EXIT
The Combination keys setting allows the user to choose whether pressing the + and – buttons locks the mod completely or only locks the adjustment buttons. Besides the above settings, pressing the fire bar and – button will change the accent color on the display.
Besides the display, the front of the mod has the adjustment buttons, the Freemax name printed on the front, and the USB-C charging port.
The top of the mod is the pod receptacle with two large airflow slots and a very large gold plated center contact. Inside is a metal ring where the magnetic ring of the pod attaches very securely. The pod comes with the MX2 mesh coil that is .2 ohm and has two coils inside it pre-installed. The kit comes with a second coil which is a single mesh coil that is .15 ohm called the MX1. The MX1 coil is rated at 50-80 watts and liked it at 54 watts. The MX2 coil is rated at 60-90 watts and liked it at 60 watts. Freemax was nice enough to include a spare box of the MX3 coils which are .15 ohm with three mesh coils and rated 80-110 watts. I wasn’t brave enough to go that high but thought it performed well at 70 watts. The coils and airflow combination allow for a huge amount of airflow and even with the highest rated coil I never felt the need to open it more than 1/3.
On the back of the mod is the Maxus Max symbol near the top with the Maxus name near the bottom along with Made in China.
On the left side of the mod is the fire bar. It runs near the length of the mod. It has three horizontal lines near the top and some designs molded into the sides. The horizontal lines give it a nice feel and to me the fire bar takes just the right amount of tension to activate it.
The battery door on the bottom of the mod is the slide and lift hinged battery door type. It seems very solid to me. The battery polarity is clearly marked. I don’t know for sure but it seems like only the raised buttons where the batteries make contact are exposed. It seems like there is some type of coating over the rest of the copper plate.
The pod for the Max 168 has a fixed tip so you cannot change the tip. The pod itself is tinted but not too dark so you can still see the liquid level inside fairly easy. The pod is a side fill which is better than a bottom fill but would have been nice if it could have been designed with a top fill instead. You can fill the pod while on the tank but I found it easier to just remove the pod for filling. One thing that is nice is that the fill port plug will rotate out of the way for filling. The opening is large enough for most bottles. The MX1 smaller coil installed made it easier to fill while with the large coils installed the tip of the filling bottle would hit the side of the coil.
The coils are honestly some of the largest coils I have tried. I don’t remember testing a larger coil. Just like prior Freemax coils I have tried, these coils are very, very flavorful and produce large amounts of vapor. The coils are a push to seat type coil. Besides being very flavorful, I had no leaking whatsoever during testing the coils and virtually no condensation.
One thing I thought was a little odd was that the bottom of the MX2 coil is partially open and you can see the coils and cotton when looking from the bottom of the coil.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
As usual with Freemax products, it has been a real pleasure to test the Maxus Max 168 kits. They have a fantastic handle on their coil technology and can’t really think of any of their coils that I haven’t liked. The MX series coils are simply fantastic. I was really surprised at how high I could turn up the wattage on these coils without the vapor becoming warmer than I normally like. I usually prefer a bit of a cooler vape.
The Max 168 mod is very comfortable to hold and it’s almost hard to believe it is a dual 18650 mod with as small as it is. The display is very clear and vibrant and the long fire bar is easy enough to press to fire but not so easy as to be pressed accidentally. For such a large display, the battery management seemed pretty good when running the MX1 coil but of course once you hit that 70+ watt range the batteries are going to drain a bit quicker.
The airflow ring built into the top of the mod provides more airflow than I could ever use. Even at 1/3 open and set at 70 watts the airflow was plenty for me. I’m sure this also has to do with the large size of the coils as well.
I’d like to thank Freemax and Tina for sending the Maxus Max 168 kits and spare coils for this review. I also received the new Marvos RTA pod but will post a separate review for that. Also a big thanks to the readers. Below is a link to the website for your viewing pleasure.
Maxus Max 168W Kit | Freemax - Taste the Clouds, Feel the Flavors! (freemaxvape.com)
