Tests and Reviews: Maxo 315W by Ijoy ~ The Vapelier

Commercial characteristics

Sponsor who has loaned the product for the magazine: Do not wish to be named.
Price of the tested product: 67.41 Euros
Product category according to its selling price: Mid-range (from 41 to 80 euros)
Mod type: Variable power electronics and temperature control
Is the mod telescopic? No
Maximum power: 315W
Maximum voltage: 9
Minimum value in Ohms resistance for a start: 0.06

Reviewer comments on business characteristics

It is clear that the box market is not stagnating and that, if some rare products are still within the limits of the waterline, the bulk of the troop presents an undeniable quality which takes us far away from certain wanderings of the beginnings of the category. This fact does not only concern the world of boxes but also vaping in general, fortunately for current buyers and other geeks collectors.

IJOY is a Chinese brand whose beginnings were undoubtedly slower than the pundits in the field but which, in recent months, has largely caught up and has offered us, both in terms of atomizers and mods, small pearls very interesting and covering all the needs of steam enthusiasts.

It is therefore in this context very favorable to the brand that the Maxo, a box rather maxi because it admits its penchant for excess in proposing nothing less than 315W available under the hood but also a power supply with four 18650 batteries. which, from then on, seem to make it possible to honor, at least in large part, its potential objective.

9V are expected at the output, coupled with a tolerance of up to 0.06Ω in resistance and 50A of possible intensity. In theory, that can take us very high. Provided, of course, to find batteries that accept to deliver a very high intensity, which is not so obvious ...

Whoever can do the most can do the least, they say and we will see below that the power delivered by the Maxo is very comfortable, to put it mildly, for the most demanding of drippers and the craziest drivers. montages.

Offered at a price of 67 € and wheelbarrows, as much to say that, if its ramage relates to its plumage, one holds here an excellent deal in terms of power / price ratio. At 4.70 € per watt, the competition is running away.

Physical characteristics and felt quality

Width or Diameter of the product in mm: 41
Product Length or Height in mm: 89
Product weight in grams: 366
Material composing the product: Stainless steel, Aluminum
Form Factor Type: Classic Box - VaporShark type
Decorative style: Classic
Quality of decoration: Good
Is the coating of the mod sensitive to fingerprints? No
All components of this mod seem well assembled? Can do better and I'll tell you why
Fire button position: Lateral near the top cap
Fire button type: Mechanical metal on contact rubber
Number of buttons making up the interface, including touch zones if they are present: 2
Type of user interface buttons: Mechanical metal on rubber contact
Quality of the interface button (s): Very good, the button is responsive and does not make any noise
Number of parts in the product: 1
Number of threads: 1
Quality of the threads: Good
Overall, do you appreciate the quality of manufacture of this product with regard to its price? Yes

Rating of the vapelier as to feelings quality: 3.8 / 5

Reviewer's comments on physical characteristics and perceived quality

If I tell you that Ijoy threw a stone in the pond, you can take that statement literally. Indeed, with a weight of 366gr including batteries, 41mm wide, 88mm high and 64mm deep, you might as well say that it is indeed a pad that we have in hand! It's quite simple, I had not felt this impression since reading Tolstoy's War and Peace! The small hands will unfortunately have to abstain from when or even the large ones have difficulty in grasping the object.

However, the shape chosen by the manufacturer, inspired by the Reuleaux, is ideal for gaining space but we obviously cannot manage four on-board batteries with the same success as for three. Too bad, the Maxo is the box of all the excesses, it is thus and it is necessary well to accept this “detail” of ergonomics if one wishes to benefit from the power and / or the autonomy that goes with it. Once in hand, the box is however not unpleasant, the roundings are judiciously thought out to carefully avoid any roughness and we start after a few minutes to even find it relatively comfortable. All things considered, you will admit it.

Aesthetically, although for that we have to contradict the adage: “everything small is cute”, the Maxo presents itself very well, especially in its Ferrari red livery which I am contemplating right now. Of course, for bulls and other mammals allergic to this color, you could also find it in black, yellow or blue. In addition, Ijoy has thought of the personalization of his box by providing stickers, six pairs in all, which will allow you a nice choice of colors to decorate the background. From shiny silver glitter to sage black carbon fiber, the palette is important and, once rigged, the box really becomes a visual success.

The finish of the whole is very correct and the assemblies could have been perfect if an exception had not come to tarnish the picture a little. The battery hatch, in fact, is a hinged cover which closes the cradle once the batteries are in place.

On the one hand, the hinge, its material and the fact that it sails quite widely in its housing, does not convince me and makes me question its behavior over time.

On the other hand, the cover relies on the pressure exerted by the batteries to hold in place by a small lug. This has several damaging side effects.

First of all, the hatch does not hold in place if the batteries are not installed. This means that, when the box is empty, the hatch automatically unclips and dangles at the bottom of the box. You will tell me that when we have a box, it is to use it in a situation and you will be right. Okay, but if you want to move the box when it's empty, you'll probably change your mind after you've put the cover back on a dozen times.

Then, once the batteries are installed and therefore exerting, I remind you that there are four of them, a strong pressure, the cover becomes difficult to clip and never falls flush once it is done. A marked opening and the slightly domed shape of the bonnet make it clear that an effort could have been made on the design at this point. Not to mention that the hinge does not seem more solid than at the start. In my opinion, an alternative solution might have been more suitable.

The rest of the finish calls for no complaints. Body with a solid appearance, body dyeing in the mass, stainless steel switch and control buttons, 510 connection of the same metal slightly raised to also accept an airflow from the bottom, all this gives confidence and inspires a zenitude that the hood had a little started.

The control panel, fairly standard, presents the buttons [+] and [-] at the bottom of the Oled screen of good size and a very effective square switch with a short and comfortable stroke. Twenty vents scattered on the side flanks in series of five on the top and bottom ensure the cooling of the chipset and probably the safety valve in the event of a problem.

Functional features

Type of chipset used: Owner
Connection type: 510, Ego - via adapter
Adjustable positive stud? Yes, through a spring.
Lock system ? Electronic
Quality of the locking system: Excellent, the chosen approach is very practical
Features offered by the mod: Display of the battery charge, Display of the resistance value, Protection against short circuits from the atomizer, Protection against reverse polarity of batteries, Display of the current vape voltage , Display of the power of the current vape, Display of the vape time of each puff, Temperature control of the atomizer coils, Support the update of its firmware, Clear diagnostic messages
Accusability: 18650
Does the mod support stacking? No
Number of batteries supported: 4
Does the mod retain its configuration without batteries? Yes
Does the mod offer a recharge feature? No recharge function offered by the mod
Is the recharge function passthrough? No recharge function offered by the mod
Does the mode offer a Power Bank function? No power bank function offered by the mod
Does the mode offer other functions? No other function offered by the mod
Presence of air flow regulation? Yes
Maximum diameter in mm of compatibility with an atomizer: 25
Accuracy of the output power at full charge of the battery: Good, there is a tiny difference between the requested power and the real power
Accuracy of the output voltage at full charge of the battery: Good, there is a tiny difference between the requested voltage and the actual voltage

Vapelier's note regarding functional characteristics: 4.5 / 5

Reviewer's comments on functional features

Powered by Iwepal, a Chinese founder specializing in the design of circuits for the e-cig, the Maxo presents a nice panel of features, however avoiding the gadget functions to refocus on ergonomics and signal quality.

The box therefore operates in two standard modes: variable power, adjustable from 5 to 315W and temperature control, available in titanium, Ni200 and SS3616L adjustable from 150 to 315 ° C. The resistance range covers, whatever the case, a scale going from 0.06 to 3Ω. Certainly, the absence of TCR may upset some but let's be honest, this function is only rarely used by the majority of vapers and, even if we cannot speak here of a gadget, we can easily do without it. .

The chipset firmware, here in version 1.1, is upgradable on the Ijoy website or rather will be, as soon as an update appears. It is a good thing which guarantees, provided that the follow-up is ensured by the manufacturer, the possibilities of possible improvements or corrections. Moreover, I take this opportunity to inform you that the micro-USB port on the box is only used for ugrade and not for charging the batteries. This seems reasonable to me because, considering the fate of the box to provide significant power, it is better to use an external device better able to charge your batteries with the regularity and the necessary protections.

The box is able to operate with only two 18650 batteries, thus losing a large part of its power. Obviously, even if I let you know, I don't see the point, considering that even if it means fading a box of an imposing size, you might as well take advantage of the four batteries because otherwise, very pretty double boxes. much smaller batteries exist ...

Five clicks allow the box to be powered on or off. It's simple and now relatively standardized, so it avoids an additional ergonomic “baffle”. Three clicks once the box is on will take you to the menu which presents a very user-friendly interface and all of the box's features:

N mode is the temperature control mode for the Ni200.
T mode is assigned to titanium.
Mode S to SS316L.
P mode allows us to access variable power.
The mode whose symbol is a screen allows you to change its orientation.
Finally, the set-up mode, symbolized by an equalizer, allows to vary the behavior of the signal on the start or the duration of the puff.

To move between modes, use the [+] and [-] buttons. To validate a choice, you press the switch. It's very simple and in five minutes, we have covered all the functions. To modify the power in temperature control mode, simply set it before in power mode. It will not move when you choose one of the three types of resistive.

In the set-up mode, we have the choice between “Norm” which means that the behavior of the signal is that implemented from the start. “Hard” means that we will send 30% more power at the start of the signal to wake up a slightly slow edit, ideal for your double-clapton and others. There is also a “Soft” mode where the power is lowered by 20% at the start of the puff so as not to have dry-hits on a particularly reactive assembly if the coil is not yet ideally supplied. There is also a “User” mode which allows you to plot the signal response curve by yourself in six 0.5 second steps. Suffice to say that this mode set-up is anything but a gadget and that it allows you almost complete control of your vape.

The rest is pretty standard: a 10 second cut-off, the simultaneous pressing of the [+] and [-] keys to calibrate the resistance of the atomizer when you just plug it into your mod. It is a proven and efficient ergonomics. The protections are also in the standard for this type of device as well as the error messages, very clear.

Evaluation of the packaging

Presence of a box accompanying the product: Yes
Would you say that the packaging is up to the price of the product? Yes
Presence of a user manual? Yes
Is the manual understandable for a non-English speaker? No
Does the manual explain ALL features? Yes

Vapelier's note on packaging: 4 / 5

Reviewer's comments on conditioning

A black rigid cardboard box opens, revealing the Maxo, here in its red livery which contrasts with the black and dense foam which serves as its backdrop.

Below the whole, there is a site containing the instructions in English and Chinese which lets regret that there is no Sanskrit, Aramaic or ancient Greek in case ... In any case, no French ...

The packaging also offers the famous decorative stickers which will find their place in the inserts provided for this purpose on the box as well as a standard micro-USB / USB cable a little short in my opinion.

To relate to the very low price of the box, the packaging is quite credible and does not give the consumer the impression of being scammed. This is very correct.

Appreciations in use

Easy transport with the test atomizer: Nothing helps, requires a shoulder bag
Disassembly and cleaning facilities: Super simple, even blind in the dark!
Easy to change the batteries: Easy, even standing in the street
Did the mod heat up? No
Has there been any erratic behavior after a day of use? No
Description of situations in which the product has experienced erratic behavior

Vapelier's rating in terms of ease of use: 4/5

Reviewer's comments on the use of the product

Despite its weight and size which are not without problems in a normal working day, for example, the Maxo offers a high level user experience.

First of all, the signal quality is really interesting. Smooth and constant, the multiple settings of the set-up mode make it more or less responsive depending on your editing or even your way of vaping. In Hard mode with a double-coil clapton at 0.25Ω for 85W, the reaction of the coil is immediate, no more the diesel effect that had to be compensated by a constant increase in power which ended up aborting the puff when the coil rose in temperature. Here, the rise of 30% for half a second is enough to preheat the coil.

The vape rendering in power mode is very attractive and is precise and sharp. Perfect for “puncturing” slightly plump liquids which will find here, depending on the atomizer used of course, a little pep and definition. The rendering reminds me a little of that of the Yihie chipsets. It's voluptuous but above all, the quality of the signal and the choice of calculation algorithms favor precision and a little less roundness.

In Norm mode with a Taïfun GT3 in 0.5Ω around 40W, it's the same, the rendering is precise, less lively than on a DNA75 for example but quite recommendable.

At 150W on a Tsunami 24 mounted in 0.3Ω, the power is galloping. Ditto on the Saturn in 0.2Ω around 170W. After…. I'll let you try ... 😉

The temperature control, tested in SS316L, is correct even if the performance in this area of an SX is not achieved. It's still quite usable even if I'm less convinced than by the variable power mode.

After, it remains an alternative if you find the weight really embarrassing: buy two and enjoy it to do weight training by alternating vape of the left arm and vape of the right arm by series of ten puffs!

Recommendations for use

Type of batteries used during the tests: 18650
Number of batteries used during the tests: 4
With what type of atomizer is it advisable to use this product? Dripper, Classic fiber, Sub-ohm assembly, Genesis-type rebuildable
With which model of atomizer is it advisable to use this product? All, without exception
Description of the test configuration used: Conqueror Mini, Pro-MS Saturn, Nautilus X, Taifun GT3
Description of the ideal configuration with this product: An atomizer accepting a great power.

was the product liked by the reviewer: Yes

Overall average of the Vapelier for this product: 4.3 / 5

Link to a video review or blog maintained by the reviewer author of the review

The mood ticket of the reviewer

Even if its weight, power and size only make it suitable for a very specific audience, the Maxo is a quality tool that shows good performance in use. The autonomy that we are entitled to expect from four batteries is there, even if we know that it depends above all on the power that we are going to ask it to send.

The power is real and the quality of the signal rather flattering, especially if it is compared to the price charged. In addition, the aesthetics worked visually “unbalanced”.

Remains a correct finish for the whole but which does not avoid a design error at the level of the battery cover that would have to be rethought to be in the perspective of the general perceived quality. An error that penalizes the average and prevents it from accessing a Top Mod that could have been earned elsewhere.

In summary, here we have a good product, specific and original, which will meet certain needs while being totally useless for a quiet or even powerful but “standardized” vape. It is therefore a very special niche, but in this niche, the Maxo is a good choice.

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