Maxtrax vs TRED vs Tracmats vs X-Trax vs X-Jack

[teotwaki]

Great article Jonathan!

"Moral: Those conspicuously shiny perforated aluminum sand mats you see bolted conspicuously to the roof racks of Discos and Land Cruisers parked at Starbucks really do have their place. Effective sand recovery requires a rigid ramp to let the vehicle power its way out of the trough"

My aluminum sand ladders are stored inside my trailer and I don't drink coffee... The ladders are also great at bridging two Pelican boxes to make a nice bench. :elkgrin:

 

[Jonathan Hanson]

Thanks Jim. And yes - good point about the double duty a rigid ladder can perform. Check this 1984 photo of Tom Sheppard in the Sahara:

 

[teotwaki]

Thanks Jim. And yes - good point about the double duty a rigid ladder can perform. Check this 1984 photo of Tom Sheppard in the Sahara:

View attachment 169665

I'm chuckling at the flower print lounge chair! That is so cool.

 

[Jonathan Hanson]

I'm chuckling at the flower print lounge chair! That is so cool.

I still give him grief about that. He always protests, "But, it was Geoff's!"

 

[Willman]

Sierra Expeditions are carrying them. Ron

Yes we have the TRED's:

http://www.sierraexpeditions.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=12721

 

[Ghostdog]

Yes we have the TRED's:

http://www.sierraexpeditions.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=12721

What do you think of them vs the maxtrax? Just looking at the photos, it looks the maxtrax are a little "nicer", certainly look like a nicer build quality, fit and finnish etc. Guess, though, what really matters is the function and durability.

 

[dp7197]

how about where to mount the TREDs in a JKU?

I bought the smaller set of TREDs from SE a few weeks ago. I got a pair of the smaller ones as I am now driving a TJ and thought they fit the size of the Jeep better. I had been contemplating MaxTrax for a while, but I have to admit the size and price for a pair was worth it to me to give them a try.


The smaller length (36"?) seemed to fit the overall diameter of my spare tire well. I utilized the two empty lug holes in my spare for my mount. I drilled into my spare tire carrier through these holes, tapped them for 1/2" all thread, then placed a nut on the backside. I slid my spare over the all-thread and utilizing the holes already in the TRED (they were the perfect distance apart), then cut the all-thread. I repeated this for the second hole.


I wound up drilling two new holes in the TRED devices to better center them on the spare tire so as not to block the 3rd brake light. I then had a small piece of flat steel with two holes in it and utilized two wing nuts to secure the TRED devices. Works perfectly.


While they would fit inside, I felt having them accessible on the rear of the vehicle was the best option and their weight is negligible on the tailgate. I am investigating using the all-thread to attach mounts for my shovel and axe also.


I am sure longer traction devices could be mounted the same way, though their height could block your taillight or rear visibility. I hope to try them out soon but think their warranty is hard to beat.

 

[HillbillyfromAL]

I feel like I just hit the lottery, Multicam MaxTrax's. Now I need to get the Land Rover hydro dipped

 

[Omar Brannstrom]

Hi

A test

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/61779-MAXTRAX-vs-Smittybilt-Element-traction-devices

 

[Corey]

I am about to pull the trigger on either a set of the Maxtrax, or the new Tred's that I saw advertised in the OJ, or was it Toyota 4WD Owner magazine?
Anyways, I read both magazines, and have seen ads for them.

I see Sierra carries both.
I wrote Wil a week or so back to see when he will have the black Maxtrax ones in, but he never got back to me.
So maybe I will get the orange since they are easier to see.

The Tred's are also made in Australia like the Maxtrax.
I think if I went with the Tred I would need the full size with the FJ Cruiser?

Also I do not see any mounting hardware with the Tred's.

Dp, are you still satisfied with them?

Nic, do you feel the Tred's are a good deal compared to the Maxtrax since you carry both?

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Anyone have any experience with these? http://lifttrax.com/lifttrax/

they look like a knock off of the pillowtrack. Look above (maybe on a previous page) for the OJ review on them.

One in the same. As I recall there was a bit of joking controversy with their original name, they obviously took it to heart and re-branded. I met Eyal at SEMA a few years back, nice gentleman and a unique product. I've never used one off-road, I have used the MaxTrax extensively and can honestly say they saved us a night in swamp. I won't head to the deep remotes without a pair. If any Utah locals have a trip coming up and would like to have a set of MaxTrax along, we now rent them.

The MaxTrax vs Tred debate was alive and well during my visit to Aus earlier this year. We had the opportunity to spend time in a handful of different 4x4 shops and naturally I ended up talking shop with the owners/employees. Tred obviously appeals to many on a lower price point, the MaxTrax on a solid track record and fist-person experiences. There were reported failures with the Tred but some wrote it off based on their lifetime warranty. There has been some talk of them failing, I don't have any personal experience with them breaking but a quick Google search found a few cases:

"The Tred's are authentic, and they were brand new, took the zip ties off them before using them on this vehicle. They were placed in the bottom of a muddy rut for traction and road building, there were no rocks and they were not up against the side of the rut. There was an audible crack as the patrol went over them. Upon inspection there was a visible crack (once we washed the mud off) almost the entire length of the TRED, they were now broken. We left them in the hole as they still provided height and traction. Another patrol cam over and increased the split, then a 6t Canter finished them off. The one which appears to be whole is also cracked almost the entire length and actually has pieces missing. These were used at one of our regular training grounds (Our Burnett River Site) where we have used Maxtrax dozens of times under hundreds of Rural Fire Service (and other) vehicles without incident. - www.facebook.com/4x4training"

 

[Corey]

Thanks Kurt, I think I will stick with the tried and true for now.

 

[cactusjk]

I am having better luck calling Will lately vs emailing.

 

[Corey]

Thanks, called yesterday, but I knew they would probably not be in due to it being a weekend.
I went and ordered the orange Maxtrax ones as that is the only color they had available.
Would have preferred the military green or black, but I guess the orange will provide better visibility anyways.

Hope to have them by this weekend so I can figure out where to install them.
Look forward to using these at work too if we get hit with a lot of snow, as people are always getting stuck it seems at work.
Not me getting stuck, but others.
I can carry these around in my ToolCat at work when I am out for snow patrol duty.

 

[Jkfisher84]

I bought the smaller set of TREDs from SE a few weeks ago. I got a pair of the smaller ones as I am now driving a TJ and thought they fit the size of the Jeep better. I had been contemplating MaxTrax for a while, but I have to admit the size and price for a pair was worth it to me to give them a try.


The smaller length (36"?) seemed to fit the overall diameter of my spare tire well. I utilized the two empty lug holes in my spare for my mount. I drilled into my spare tire carrier through these holes, tapped them for 1/2" all thread, then placed a nut on the backside. I slid my spare over the all-thread and utilizing the holes already in the TRED (they were the perfect distance apart), then cut the all-thread. I repeated this for the second hole.


I wound up drilling two new holes in the TRED devices to better center them on the spare tire so as not to block the 3rd brake light. I then had a small piece of flat steel with two holes in it and utilized two wing nuts to secure the TRED devices. Works perfectly.


While they would fit inside, I felt having them accessible on the rear of the vehicle was the best option and their weight is negligible on the tailgate. I am investigating using the all-thread to attach mounts for my shovel and axe also.


I am sure longer traction devices could be mounted the same way, though their height could block your taillight or rear visibility. I hope to try them out soon but think their warranty is hard to beat.

Thanks man