Maxfind FF Plus Review – Best All-Terrain Hub Motor Board?

The FF Plus is the flagship model of Maxfind, a brand known for producing budget boards popular on Amazon and Aliexpress, but not sought by enthusiasts. The typical eskate enthusiast turned their head to Backfire and Meepo as their boards were just better in terms of build quality, reputation, and price-value ratio. Recently, Maxfind has seriously stepped up their game, releasing a new line up of boards. The FF Plus uses strong 1200 Watt hub motors, double kingpin trucks and a modern design. With this new model, Maxfind is looking to take the crown in the All-Terrain hub motor category. Will they oust the competition?

Check out the Board at Maxfind’s Website

Pros and Cons

Overall Riding Experience 

I dig the rides on the FF Plus. The controls are smooth, and the big AT wheels let you go over curbstones, bumps, cracks, and small gravel very easily. The Double Kingpin Trucks allow for excessive carving while still providing enough stability to ride at 20mph. The carry (or pull handle) makes the transportation of the board convenient. The FF Plus could be a bit faster, I topped out at 21 mph. But overall the board really satisfies a lot of my needs as an eskater.

I really enjoy the rides, but all too quickly the battery runs out; I haven’t managed to ride more than 6.5 miles. This is pretty short for an urban commuter board, but for off-road adventures that is almost unbearable. Maxfind does propose a solution to this problem in its swappable battery, but I doubt that a lot of riders prefer carrying an additional battery in their backpack over having better range preinstalled . Personally, I prefer having a bigger battery inside instead of carrying a supplementary battery outside the board. 

Acceleration and Brakes

The acceleration is smooth and pretty strong for a hub motor board, but not as thrilling as a belt-driven board. Braking is also very smooth, although on the weaker side. It’s definitely enough for everyday commute, but I’d prefer stronger brakes. Typical for Hobbywing ESCs you can choose between 4 riding modes, the 1st one being a beginner-friendly mode.

Range

Maxfind took an uncommon approach for its boards. They market them as long-distance boards but only use small batteries, how is this possible? With swappable batteries. This offers the advantage of light boards, big ground clearance, and short recharge times. The disadvantage is that you have to carry a second or a third battery with you for longer rides. Some riders prefer this design, but personally, I want to use my backpack for my everyday stuff, like a water bottle, laptop, headphones, some snacks, and not for carrying a battery for my commuting device. 

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Additionally, the marketed range of 10 miles (16 km) of one battery was measured under “ideal conditions”, meaning a light rider, speed mode 1, riding on a flat surface without stops and no wind for long stretches. In my trials, I hit around 6.5 miles (10 km) in real-life range. What was the difference? Riding with 165lbs in speed mode 4, with numerous stop-and-gos, wind, some hill climbs, and a lot of carving, I was not holding out. The outcome of the range test was definitely not a huge surprise as the FF Plus uses a 216 Wh battery. With a battery this size, you can’t expect this board to be a long-distance traveler! Depending on various factors you can presume a range of 5 – 8 miles (using one battery), this should be a realistic estimation.

I would consider the range is the biggest disadvantage of the board. 

Weight and Portability

That’s where the FF Plus shines. For an all-terrain board, it is not very heavy. That’s the trait when you don’t use a big battery. Additionally, Maxfind integrated one of the most useful design elements I’ve come across in eskating; a pulling handle. If you grab the board a the handle and pull it behind (like a suitcase) you really don’t feel its weight at all. It becomes very convenient and almost enjoyable to pull this thing around. Because of this feature, I happen to use the board more often than other, more powerful ones. 

Build Quality

The build quality is good and I really like the look of the deck. Maxfind has put everything into the deck, hence we have an All-In-One design instead of the typical deck + battery and ESC enclosure. This design offers great ground clearance. Note that the FF Plus doesn’t use real carbon fiber but plastic with carbon fiber optic.

The grip tape design is also very unusual, they haven’t used normal sandpaper-like tape, but a rubber mat with a diamond pattern for grip. Beyond that, the trucks look gorgeous, and I am really in love with their texture. Wheels, motors, and remote control are solid, but nothing fancy.

I have found a small nitpick with the cover of the battery compartment, which is located on the upside of the deck. There is a small gap between the lid and the deck, allowing water to access, that’s not what we would want. 

Wheels

Maxfind is pretty proud of their 165mm large, non-pneumatic wheels. The wheels are the same used in the Backfire Ranger X2 and X3. Maxfind claims that they are a big advantage because they won’t get punctured or destroyed like their pneumatic competitors.

While this is true there is also a flip side to this, the wheels are pretty hard, making the ride not super smooth. Additionally, you won’t have the same grip as with pneumatic ones making aggressive carving a bit more dangerous. Keep in mind that pneumatic tires can only be used with belt-driven motors, hub motor boards often use hard rubber tires. Overall I want to say that I like these large tires, they are sturdy.

Trucks

If you have read my review of the Maxfind MAX4 Pro then you know that I have fallen in love with the design of their trucks. Well, the FF uses the same design, hence they are arguably the most beautiful trucks I have seen on an eskate. Well done Maxfind! The stock bushings are also decent, the carving is fun and I haven’t experienced speed wobbles so far.  

Shipping Time

Maxfind offers US-based and EU-based shipping – hurray! Hence if the board is in stock you will have it within a week. If you are outside the US, Canada, the EU or Australia you have to fight with the typical long shipping times (2 – 8 weeks) associated with Chinese eskate brands. 

Customer Service

The customer service is okay but doesn’t meet western standards. What I don’t like is the exaggerated range statements. What I like is the 9-month long warranty. 

Price

I find the sales price of $999 (one battery) – $1399 (three batteries) okay. 

Model	Price
FF Plus with 1 Battery	$999
FF Plus with 2 Batteries	$1199
FF Plus with 3 Batteries	$1399

However, at that price, the board has to compare to other highly popular budget all-terrain boards. The most similar competitor are the Backfire Ranger X2 and X3, but the WowGo AT2 and the Meepo City Rider 2 can also be considered in the running. 

Maxfind FF Plus vs Backfire Ranger X2 vs Backfire Ranger X3

The FF Plus and the Backfire Ranger X2 are very similar; they both have 1200 Watts hub motors, Double Kingpin Trucks, they use the same rubber wheels, and retail at the same price ($999 for similar battery sizes). The Ranger X3 is, at $1499, a lot more expensive. 

Conclusion

The review started with the question whether the FF Plus is the “best all-terrain hub motor board”. Well, what’s my verdict?
I would say it’s definitely one of the best Hub Motor Boards out there right now. However, the FF Plus has to share the crown with Backfire’s Ranger X2 and X3. It comes down to personal preference with its battery design and style whether you choose one or the other. 

Overall, I can definitely recommend the Maxfind FF Plus. You probably will be very happy with this board. 

Check out the Board at Maxfind’s Website