Freemax Maxus MAX 168W Review – Another World First

Freemax have been creating maximum impact on the vaping market for nine years now. They’re responsible for the worlds first dual, triple, quad and quintuple mesh coils.

So it will come as little surprise to learn they are included with the Freemax Maxus Max 168W Kit.

Since they’ve already created a more powerful MOD in the form of the Freemax Maxus 200W kit, is this is a step backwards?

Not really, and we find out why by taking a look at a kit that’s pushing power levels to the max, with the worlds first double and triple mesh coils to feature inside and wait for it..

A pod. Yup – you read that right.

What Can We Expect From The Freemax Maxus Max 168W Kit?

I’ve already alluded to power and that’s exactly what I’m expecting from the included coils.

The Pod has been specifically designed for direct lung vaping so it may not be suitable for the newer vapers out there.

To reinforce this the Freemax Maxus Max 168W kit offers a variety of vape modes, including temperature control. All made possible by an alternative SS316L coil.

So we can expect plenty of options as far as the mesh coils are concerned.

Wide dual adjustable airflow slots are built into the pod housing. Expect wonderfully thick, tumbling white cloud production.

Finally, I’m expecting the same great flavour replication as always thanks to the amazing Freemax tea fibre cotton wicking material. All wrapped up in the now established FM coiltech version 4.

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Freemax Maxus Max 168W Kit – Inside the Box

Removing the external slip case and sliding the lid off reveals dual layer contents.

• Freemax Maxus Max 168W Mod
• Freemax Maxus DTL pod (5ml) MX2 0.2ohm mesh coil pre installed
• MX1 0.15ohm mesh coil
• Warranty card
• Warning card
• User manual
• Type C USB charging cable

Freemax Maxus Max 168W kit – Key Features

All of the M Pro Mesh coils have been reconfigured to Plug and Play format. They’ve been renamed MX mesh for the included DTL pod and will be compatible with future devices within the Maxus range.

No doubt the upcoming DTL Pod tank will make use of them.

The Mod relies on two 18650 batteries (not included) to power the device up to a maximum of 120W when using the MX5 0.15ohm coil (also not included).

..that’s a helluva lot of clout for a pod kit, in my opinion.

A large 1.3 inch IML colour screen makes viewing the array of menu options a breeze.

Very handy for worn out eyes like mine!

You’re not likely to miss out on a vape either thanks to an extended vertical firing bar.

The Freemax Maxus Max 168W kit comes in five colour schemes. Black, Blue, Gold, Gunmetal and Silver. For the purposes of the review I’ve received the Gold version.

Freemax Maxus Max 168W Kit – Specifications

• Size 43 x 30.9 x 94.8mm
• Weight 168g
• Battery capacity 2 x 18650 (not included)
• Output voltage 0.7 – 8.4V
• Input voltage 6.6 – 8.4V
• Output wattage 5 – 168W
• Output power modes Power/VPC/Bypass/TC SS316/TC NI/TC TI/TCR
• Resistance range 0.1 – 3.0ohm
• Charger specification 5V/2A

Design and Build Quality

Freemax Maxus Max DTL Pod

Starting with the DTL pod the official Freemax web page only mentions a standard and US 5ml edition. To be honest, I’m not sure how Freemax intend to fit these huge coils inside a 2ml TPD compliant version.

From the top of the mouthpiece to the base, the pod measures just under 40mm in height and has a diameter of 27.5mm – not surprising given the humongous size of the PnP coils.

The PCTG pod has a clear viewing chamber and the fixed 10mm wide bore mouthpiece will assist with those airy direct lung pulls.

There’s an elegant simplicity about the Freemax DTL pod yet the PCTG looks strong enough to take a few knocks and bumps along the way.

The entire base of the pod is magnetic and snaps reassuringly into the housing. However, due to the weight of the mod it’s not likely to stay in place if dropped.

I did notice the absence of any marking on the silicone stopper.

There’s no way of knowing where to prise the tab open. That’s a little disappointing but maybe just an oversight.

The 4.6mm wide fill port could do with being a bit larger but I had no issues when administering e juice.

Freemax Maxus Max 168W Mod Section

It may just be me but the front and rear patterns of the Mod exude something of an art deco style vibe.

The acute angles of the fire bar and menu buttons also hint at this. I’m unable to confirm but I’m pretty sure the body is comprised of zinc alloy with an anodised spray coat finish.

The IML screen is hidden behind the front panel when the device is switched off but it’s still visible from certain angles. It’s also something of a finger print magnet.

There’s plenty of venting on the hinged battery door – big thumbs up to Freemax there.

Speaking of thumbs, use one to press forwards against the serrations. This will release the catch and open it.

Positive and negative polarity markings are clearly indicated on the underside although there’s no additional guidance down at the business end of the battery tray.

Two 18650 batteries fit snuggly into place and there’s no rattling once the hinged door is closed. The Mod then takes on a very solid and compact feel when held in the hand.

Be aware the device springs into life as soon as those batteries are inserted.

The type C USB charging port is sensibly placed at the base of the Mod.

I would always advise charging 18650 batteries in a dedicated external device if possible.

The pod connector has built in airflow adjustability on either side and the turn resistances are spot on. Not too tight –  not too loose.

The spring loaded coil contact as you can imagine, is somewhat on the large size!

Freemax Maxus Max 168W Kit – How To Operate

It’s the usual five click of the fire button to activate or de activate the Mod.

• Press and hold the left and right menu buttons to lock or unlock the device
• To access the menu screen press the fire button three times
• Press the fire and left menu button to alternate between four colour schemes

Menu Screen

While in the menu screen use the left and right menu button to select between mode, settings, info or to exit to the main screen.

To select an option press the fire button.

Mode Screen

This screen offers a choice of power, VPC, bypass or temperature control mode.

Settings screen

Use the settings screen to change vape duration (between 5-15 seconds), test the coil, reset the puff counter and the overall time spent vaping.

The temperature control reading can be adjusted between Celsius and Fahrenheit, all settings can be reset to factory defaults and a choice of two combination (comb.) keys can be selected.

These are:

• Lock the screen when holding the left and right buttons
• Lock the screen and fire button when holding the left and right buttons

It looks like Freemax have listened to user feedback regarding the second option.

Info Screen

• Battery – Check the current capacity of each 18650 battery in more detail.
• Version – Included version of the chip – FM2.0
• Temp. – Provides information in either Celsius or Fahrenheit.
• Exit – Return to the main screen

Freemax Maxus Max 168W Kit – How Does It Perform?

The MX mesh range of coils take care of a multitude of power requirements. Single, double, triple, quad and quintuple mesh are all available. There’s also a single mesh stainless steel coil to tempt temperature control fans.

I ran both coils in standard power/wattage mode using two fully charged 18650 batteries.

The pre installed MX2 coil was tested first. It has a diameter of 18mm, consequently taking up valuable juice estate within the DTL pod.

MX2 0.2ohm Dual Mesh Coil (60-90W) Best 80W

I used King King Vape Juice Titano, a 70VG/30PG liquid ratio to test the coil for performance.

Power to the coils is instant. There’s no ramp up time and the side fire button is consistently responsive.

At 70W and fully unrestricted, the flavour is there but somewhat distant. It’s also a very cool vape which doesn’t suit this particular flavour profile.

There’s nothing much in the way of turbulence and the vape is very smooth on the inhale regardless of airflow restriction. It’s quite loud, though which can be slightly annoying.

More Power, Further Restriction

A single press of the right menu button will increase wattage in 0.5W increments. By holding down the button it speeds up in single watt values.

When increasing power to 80W and cutting airflow in half there’s still no real heat being generated by the dual mesh coil. However, more sweetness of the apple pulls through while pastry notes sit much further back.

Cloud production is immense and it doesn’t take long to turn the living room into a sauna.

Under the same mid restriction, 90W (4.2V) is my preferred setting. Why? Because the flavour suddenly springs to life – including an acceptable level of warmth. While not to the level I would’ve liked, it’s needed for the bakery/pastry elements to make any sense.

Extending the inhale helps to retain the warmth without a single hint of dry hitting.

MX1 0.15ohm Single Mesh Coil (50-80W) Best 70W

The 10.7mm wide chimney doesn’t take up anywhere near as much space within the DTL pod.

I used another 70VG/30PG ratio in the form of Exceptional Vapes Cookie Nuts Raspberry Jam Peanut Butter Cookie.

Although the single mesh coil is capable of chucking vast clouds at 50W, the vape experience feels grossly underpowered. It provides a smooth inhale at all times but flavour quality is average at best.

At 60W things start to improve as the nutty flavour tones begin to surface. Once again there are no signs of turbulence, even during extended inhales. The noise generated by an unrestricted vape is still evident.

When restricting airflow by 50% there are hints of raspberry jam, although at 3V it still  struggles for attention. The vape remains quite cold and far from the flavour quality experienced from traditional glass tank sub ohm set ups.

Pushing power to the maximum recommendation of 80W offers further improvement when vaped either open or semi restricted.

I definitely preferred the experience gained with the latter.

A degree of warmth allows those flavour concentrates to do their job. Now the peanut regains its roasted richness and the sweetness of the Raspberry adds further dimension.

As with the 0.2ohm coil, the Freemax Maxus Max 168 craves max power.

..bit of a mouthful, I know – but so is the vapour production! lol

Pros

• Leak free coils
• Amazing cloud production with either coil
• Powerful coils with minimal ramp up time
• Large, bright and colourful screen
• Ergonomic design. Comfortable to use

Cons

• Coils crave airflow which can reduce flavour quality
• The inhale is a tad on the noisy side
• Larger MX coils will reduce the 5ml tank capacity

Freemax Maxus Max 168W Kit – Final Review Summary

What it all comes down to is how well it stacks up against a traditional sub ohm tank set up.

The vape mod itself rivals many others on the market and personally, the display is much better than some when it comes to size, colour, brightness and overall clarity.

Functionality is simplified because the fire button is used to great effect, meaning changes can be made quickly and on the fly.

As much as I hardly use the modes, VPC (variable power curve) and bypass mode work very effectively indeed. I can’t comment about temperature control because it’s not something I ever use.

The FM2.0 chipset continues to impress. I could instantly tell what mode I was in by the way power was being diverted to the coils. It’s a versatile and reliable chip.

Once again, eight safety features are incorporated including over charge, overheating and short circuit protection.

In terms of form factor I’m very much reminded of the Sigelei 213 released many moons ago. It’s just as compact. In no way is this your traditional box mod.

So to me it’s very ergonomic and comfortable as well as being easy to operate. Yet it remains one of those Mods better suited to standing on a surface than in a shirt or trouser pocket.

Overall Coil Performance

They’re very powerful, producing an insane amount of vapour production. However, flavour quality falls a little short of sub ohm tanks such as the Smok TFV18, for example.

They’re also not capable of generating the level of heat needed for certain flavour categories such as dessert or bakery. Simply put, some of the subtle back notes of more complex e juice are frequently lost.

A lot of airflow restriction is needed to increase any warmth. A very restricted direct lung vape is only going to appeal to a smaller audience.

To conclude, the Freemax Maxus Max 168W Kit should be seen as a potential upgrade from say, the Marvos 80W. A very worthy one at that – but not quite in competition with the Maxus 200W kit with its dedicated M Pro 2 sub ohm tank.

Put simply, I can still taste the difference between a pod and a sub ohm tank. That pleases me because blurring the lines between two vaping categories gives me a blinding headache! lol

Did you buy the Freemax Maxus Max 168 kit? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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