Converting .max to .3ds

Anyone know a way to convert a .max file to a .3ds (or actually any other type of) file, without the use of Gmax or 3D Studio Max? I've never messed with .max files before. Are they larger in file-size than .3ds format models? And will anything be lost in the conversion?

I don't think so but the only way I know to convert .max to 3ds & back is opening 3ds max and opening a max and doing export to make it be a 3ds (or obj, etc.) file, and importing a 3ds (or obj, etc.) and saving as a .max file.

Good luck with that though:D