What’s up vapers!
SirRisc here with another gear review!
This iJoy Maxo was sourced from Heavengifts!
Premise.
iJoy is kicking up a storm lately. It’s a brand that has been around for quite some time, but lately they have leaped forward in the market like a bullet from a gun.
The brand is gaining popularity extremely quickly and there’s definitely a reason for that, they’ve been putting quality gear out for very fair prices.
And now they’ve released a mod that is bordering both insane and brilliant, the Maxo.
Let’s have a look why it’s insane, shall we?
Specifications.
- Dual or quad 18650 battery powered
- Maximum power output: 315W with 4 x 18650, 160W with 2 x 18650
- Temperature control for Ni, Ti, SS316
- Upgradeable firmware
- Available in black, yellow or red (and a limited edition blue marble)
- 8 x “leather” inlays included
Packaging.
Performance.
Where do I start with this madness? Sparta?
The iJoy Maxo is powered by 18650 batteries, four of them. Which makes this one of the biggest boxmods I’ve had the pleasure of using.
Considering that quad 18650 setup the Maxo isn’t just a big mod, it’s also a heavy mod that you won’t fit into your pocket and expect your pants to stay up without a heavy duty belt.
I guess iJoy also had this in the back of their minds, because they did include functionality to run the mod with just two 18650 batteries. Not that it’ll matter much to the size, but it does differ a little in weight.
Besides the heavy weight and large size, the Maxo does offer a wide range of functionality that is close to being insane.
Starting with the maximum power output, which stops at 315W but lets be honest here; who in their right mind would vape at 315W? That’s right, me! For science, you know?
Though I did struggle to get a build that would take 315W without tasting like Satan’s asshole, I managed to get a semi-decent vape by twisting two strands of 22AWG, wrapping them 9 times around a 4mm bit and dual coiling.
Of course those coils are ridiculously huge and I need a dripper that could take that size, so my only option was an old riggidy 30mm Zephyr Buddha. Even that one struggled to hold the enormous mass of the coils.
Anyway, that dual coil gave me a resistance of 0.18ohm and a rampup time of about two seconds before going into purgatory, so I was set for a vape at 315W, right?
Oh dear god, was I mistaking… Nothing could have prepared me for the sheer amount of vapor bursting from those coils.
After about 10 minutes of violent coughing and tearing up, I managed to get a few more draws in before I put the mod aside and regained my composure.
One thing to note when you’re vaping at these kinds of wattages is how well your batteries are going to keep up.
With a freshly charged batch of Sony VTC5 batteries the mod did show a considerable drop on the batterymeters, which are 3 blocks each.
It dropped to one block each when I took a drag, and after a few drags the batterymeters didn’t go back up fully but rather remained at 2 blocks.
In terms of batterylife at somewhat more conventional wattages, the Maxo truly is a beast.
With a dual fused clapton at 0.3ohm and pushing 115W, the Maxo gives me a good two days of vaping.
That’s a lot more than other 2+ battery powered mods like the RX2/3, which in itself is a huge bonus.
The Maxo can also be used with just two batteries which, for safety’s sake, should limit the wattage to a more mild level.
Unfortunately it doesn’t… The Maxo will gladly allow you to set the power to 315W on just two batteries, which is a potential risk since you’ll be drawing a much too high amperage from them.
Unless of course you own some of those mythical 70A 18650 batteries some B-brands will try and sell you. (Spoiler alert: they’re usually rewrapped 10A batteries that didn’t make it through safety inspection)
Something else I’ve noticed over the course of using this mod is that at least two of the batteries I load into it, come out with small drops of juice on them.
I’ve taken the mod apart and checked every little bit of the insides to find out where this came from, but to no avail.
Luckily juice isn’t water and it has no direct danger of shorting out the batteries, but it’s still something that shouldn’t be happening.
It could possibly be from the batterydoor on the bottom, which quite honestly is the most terrible system possible for this mod.
The springs inside that keep the batteries from rattling are so damn strong, they push the batterydoor outwards to the point where it bulges slightly and causes the mod to wobble when I set it down.
With all that said, let’s have a look at the menusystem and functions therein.
As mentioned above, the Maxo also has temperature control for Ni, Ti, and SS316L which seems to perform admirably.
The cotton was saved from singing in all three modes, though the Ni mode did feel a bit overpowered. (This could also be because I hate using Ni because of the thin gauge…)
But that’s not all it has, it also features a “user mode” that allows you to finetune your vape in powermode.
What this does is simple, you set multiple wattages on a timescale and the mod will move along every half second of that timescale during each drag.
In essence this means you can set the first point to 100W, the second to 90W, the third to 90W, the fourth to 80W, and so forth. Up to six separate wattages can be set along the scale.
It sounds more complicated than it really is, but that’s the gist of it. It’s especially handy if you’re using more exotic coilbuilds that have a lot of mass.
Simply put the first point at a higher wattage and then let it go down. I’ve found it be the mode I use most on this mod.
The display is clear and has a rather futuristic looking typeface that reminds me of the first custom firmwares for the Evic Mini and RX200.
It doesn’t look all that bad and is easy enough to read, but I don’t like the typeface one bit. Personal preference and all that jazz.
On the right you’ll have two battery indicators comprised of three blocks each, next to that are the big letters that will show you the wattage or temperature you’ve set.
In bright daylight the display holds up very well, it stays crisp and easy to see.
On top of the Maxo is the 510 connection, which has been moved towards the side of the buttons and allows for a 25mm atomizer to be attached without overhang.
Anything bigger however will cause an overhang on the button-side, which I honestly think is a bit of a missed chance.
The Maxo could easily power a larger atty (like the 30mm Zephyr Buddha) if the 510 was moved more towards the center, though of course they’d have to make the mod higher to allow for the batteries to sit underneath the 510.
Aesthetics.
A comparison in size with the Wismec Reuleaux RX2/3
Pros and Cons.
Pro.
- Batterylife for days
- 315W is quite insane
- Temperature control works well
- Easy to read and crisp display
- Customiseable “leather” patches
- Firmware upgradeable
- User mode allows finetuning
Con.
- Batterydoor bulges out causing the mod to wobble
- Heavy with 4 batteries loaded
- It’s big, very big. Even the RX is a small mod compared to the Maxo
- A mild leakage in the battery compartment
- Only fits up to 25mm atomizers
In conclusion.
The Maxo is an insanely powerful mod and is well designed, though there are a few flaws that should be fixed.
The biggest flaw is the batterydoor, it’s clunky and bulges out causing the mod to wobble when you set it down.
If you’re looking for a mod that remains on your desk and serves as a platform for cloudchasing, the Maxo might be a good choice.
As a carrying mod you’d better invest in a good belt because it’s a big and heavy mod, especially with four batteries loaded.
Overall I quite like the Maxo and would probably replace it if it broke, just because of the batterylife.
In closing I would like to thank Heavengifts for sending out the iJoy Maxo!
Thanks for reading, join me next time as I take a look at another iJoy product, the iJoy Tornado 150!
Need to reach me? Head over to my website.
Interested in what I vape daily? Check out my Instagram.
Want to know more about DIY? Head over to ELR.
#staycloudy !
SirRisc disappears in a cloud of apple crumble scented vapor
DISCLAIMER: This review is based on personal opinions and is not intended as a promotion, endorsement or advertisement.
The publisher is not sponsored, affiliated or compensated in any way.
, and you’re bang on with the battery door, it irritates me no end.
