REVIEW – There’s a huge range of electric skateboards on the market with more coming every year. There’s short boards, long boards, fast boards, slow boards, and price points from a few hundred dollars (or even lower) to multiple thousands of dollars. Maxfind has 7 different models for different types of riders and styles, and the one they sent over a few weeks ago that I’ve been riding every chance I get is the Maxfind FF AT electric skateboard. Since I’ve survived with all my limbs intact, I’ll summarize everything in review form now!
What is it?
The Maxfind FF AT electric skateboard is an electric skateboard designed for both pavement and trail use. The large wheels and powerful dual motors can push the rider up to 28 mph on smooth surfaces or provide plenty of torque for rougher trails, while the flex on the deck gives decent shock absorption and the double trucks provide great maneuverability.
What’s in the box?
- Maxfind FF AT electric skateboard
- Wireless remote control
- Multitool and wrenches
- Charging cables (AC charger for the skateboard and USB-C cable for the remote)
- Manual
Hardware specs
- Range: up to 17 miles (per battery)
- Top speed: 28 Mph
- Speed modes: Beginner (10 mph), Eco (15 mph), Sport (20 mph), and Max (up to 28 mph with faster acceleration/deceleration)
- Motor power: 1500 Watts (x2)
- Motor Torque: 12 N.m (x2)
- Battery: Samsung 12S3P, 8.7 Ah, 376 Wh, 48 V, swappable
- Deck material: “X-composite” and Glass Fiber
- Esc: HOBBYWING 3.0
- Trucks: Double Kingpin, (11.4 Inch CNC Precision Machined)
- Dimensions: 42(L), 13(W), 6.5(H) Inch
- Regenerative braking: yes
- Weather rating: IPx5
- Wheels: 6.5″ (165 mm) vacuum rubber
- Weight: 28 Lbs
- Max Load: 220 Lbs
- Charge time: 3 Hours
Design and features
The Maxfind FF AT electric skateboard looks like a board that was designed from the ground up to be an all terrain electrified skateboard, as opposed to other designs I’ve seen where they try to look like a traditional board with the electric stuff added on later. This purpose-built design gives the FF AT skateboard a distinctive look, and hopefully lends to a better ride experience.
The large 165 mm rubberized tires (these are solid rubber, not air filled) allow the rider to tackle terrain you wouldn’t dream of on a regular skateboard. Small pieces of gravel result in slight bumps or wobbles instead of catastrophic crashes, and I can easily ride over the rain gutter at the end of our driveway (which gives scooters and other skateboards a hard time with its angles and gutter). The double trucks allow for surprisingly tight turns and maneuverability while being fairly stable at speed. I’d never used double trucks before this board but I’m a fan!
The rear wheels sport a pair of 1500W motors (peak) and the same size large rubber tires. These hub motors provide more than enough torque for a peppy start and high speeds. I never got close to maxing out top speed or acceleration even after weeks of riding.
The above view of the underside of the board shows the charging port (protected from water by a rubber plug), the on/off button, and the wires that run to each hub motor. You can also see the adjustment nuts for the double trucks.
The battery is removable, and Maxfind sells different range versions of the Maxfind FF AT electric skateboard, which just includes extra batteries for longer rides. It’s easy to pop these out and swap them, but because there’s no key lock to the battery compartment, if you lock the board up outside any random person could steal the battery, which is a significant cost to replace. Luckily there’s a handle on the board (shown below) so you can carry it with you in most places.
The pistol grip remote control worked flawlessly for me. It charges via USB-C (one charge lasted the entire month-long review period for many rides). It has a granular acceleration/deceleration wheel so as long as you don’t twitch your thumb you can start and stop very smoothly. An OLED screen shows battery life, speed, mode, and other info while in use.
Setup
Setup is as simple as charging the Maxfind FF AT electric skateboard (about 3 hours if fully depleted), and charging the remote via USB-C:
You’ll want to do some test rides to get a feel for the board, but I did tighten the trucks a bit – I’m right at the max recommended weight for the board so I needed a bit stiffer trucks. The included multitool wrench was easy to use to tighten these up a turn or two.
Performance
I’m definitely not a pro skater, but the Maxfind FF AT electric skateboard was easy enough for an elder millennial like me to hop on and scoot around with ease. I’d recommend starting in mode 1 and only increasing speeds as you become more and more comfortable with the board, especially if you haven’t ridden electric skateboards before. After a few weeks I was cruising in modes 2 and 3 regularly (I never did get brave enough to hit max speeds in mode 4). I rode around parks, trails, roads, and even tested on some gravel/dirt surfaces, and the Maxfind FF AT electric skateboard did great on everything. I wouldn’t personally be up to the challenge to tackle uneven off-road trails, but I can tell that the board would be up to the task with its agile turning and shock-absorbing springy deck. A seasoned rider/daredevil could definitely push it much farther than I did!
The acceleration and stopping never felt unstable unless I really pushed the remote wheel hard forward or back. Rolling over obstacles that would have thrown me on other skateboards were just minor bumps on the FF AT, it was a blast to ride every time I took it out. At the moderate speeds I stuck to, it nearly lived up to the range estimates: I was getting about 13-15 miles per charge depending on hills and speeds. Speaking of hills, the motors didn’t complain at all going up some of the steep hills near me that have brought other scooters to a full stop.
What I like
- Good build quality and weather resistance
- Double trucks allow tight turns and carves while also being stable at higher speed
- Responsive remote with zero issues
What I’d change
- Lockable battery compartment, I’d worry about leaving the board locked outside a store
- The board flexes so much that with a rider right at the 220 lbs weight limit it seemed like it would almost rub the ground, though this gives it nice shock absorption
Final thoughts
After wrapping up this review, if I’m ever going somewhere close I know I’m going to grab the Maxfind FF AT electric skateboard instead of the other scooter options I have available right now. It’s fast, fairly easy to ride, and has a range that will get me pretty much anywhere I usually go. Even if I’m not taking it on gnarly off road trails, the large wheels make me less nervous about random bumps and gravel throwing me onto the asphalt. It’s also easier and faster to throw in the trunk or carry onto a bus or train as opposed to a full sized folding electric scooter.
Price: $1299 (on sale for $949 at time of review)
Where to buy: maxfind (save 5% with code: gadgeteer)
Source: The sample of this product was provided by maxfind
Gadgeteer Comment Policy - Please read before commenting
You lost me at solid tyres, awful idea. Go and test an evolve gtr all terrain bambo board, after that you would chuck that ff thing away
If Evolve wants to send one over for me to compare, I’d be happy to! 🙂 I think pneumatic tires look great for off road trails, while this model seems suited for mostly urban stuff but capable of cruising on gravel and grass as needed.