Smittybuilt Element Ramps

[LaOutbackTrail]

MaxTrax

Smittybilt Element

To me, it looks like the smittybilt has a more aggressive design and might work better in slicker conditions(ie. the mud caked tire). I have witnessed first hand tires spinning on the leading edge of a maxtrax. But I'll admit that the MTrax may not have been dug in fully and placed well enough below the tire. It looks like the Smittybilt design could have have worked better in that situation...

 

[theksmith]

just remember that 85% of the statistics on the internet are made up.

 

[Scott Brady]

Seems to me like a cleansheet design...

Really?

Even a quick evaluation reveals:
The Element is nearly identical the MaxTrax with plastic construction, exactly six hand holds, four holes for pegging, two longitudinal bridges, raised traction elements, two angled ramps that are also hollowed for digging and include traction elements, exactly four inset elements that are ribbed for ground traction and practically identical contours, etc.

Actually, I would be surprised if you could tell me what is materially different. Height of the traction elements doesn't count either Rob, nor does the color, as the MaxTrax is also available in black, tan and khaki. . .

 

[flyingwil]

Those are a very blatant copy of the original Maxtrax product.
IMHO - Buyer beware of a 1/2 priced copy.

Correct, We had our hands on one, and it lacked the treatment. MaXTRAX uses a special plastic that is imported from Germany (I think it is Dupont), but there is about $200 in this specialty plastic alone in each pair of MAXTRAX. After that the curing process is what is unique to MAXTRAX. The Smittybilt ones lack this, and we were able to crack them in half with our hands... would hate to see what they would do under a wheel.

And in browsing 4wheelparts website after that link, I found that ARB just released a ground anchor that is a spin off of of PullPal's design:

http://store.arbusa.com/ARB-Portable-Ground-Anchor-ARB230-P3599.aspx#

And Smittbuilt cut cost about $400ish (probably by outsourcing to XXXXX) and ripped off the ARB design.http://www.4wheelparts.com/Winches-and-Winch-Accessories/Smittybilt-W-A-S-P-Winch-Anchor-Support-Platform.aspx?t_c=18&t_s=124&t_pt=9587&t_pl=103680&t_pn=S%2fB2727#ReadReview

I guess the mantra of "paying it forward" works both ways.

Ironically, and in a surprise twist, the copy of the copy by Smittbilt actual gets good reviews! Score one for XXXXX.

The ARB is a not a copy of the Pull-Pal. It evolved from some portable boat anchors that were used on beaches in OZ to recover vehicle after launching boats. Dig deep on Austrailian websites and you will find this. Like some of the ARB products it is produced by another company for ARB. Check out the name and you can see the marine history... http://www.anchorright.com.au/products/ground-anchor-prt

Actually, ARB's is not a spinoff of the Pullpal, it's almost a direct copy of a British design.

I've got the Smitty, haven't tested it yet.

Yes and no, the Manufacturer of the PRT also has roots in GB.

Report back when you do! This design looks much more compact than PullPal's.

Does it say what weight rating it is good for? It does not list it on website.

Check this thread out (our report from product testing to decide if we were going to sell them). This was before we started carrying the Pull-pal.

I disagree on all accounts. Smittybuilt did a blatant copy/ reverse engineering and is only cheaper because they have no overhead associated with innovation, design or testing.

I will never buy a blatant knock-off. It is bad for the industry, bad for innovation and usually ends up failing miserably in the field. I have no intention of rewarding the copy-cats.

In particular, I have found your statement of "well-proven in the field" to be entirely false when it comes to Smittybuilt products, their winches in particular.

I could go on and on quoting. I think Smittybilt has some good stuff, but you need to find them. Most of the Jeep specific parts are pretty good and fit with out issues, however there recovery items seem to lack in quality in comparison to the Jeep products.

 

[flyingwil]

Ok trying to read through the thread more before posting...

First, thank you OP it looks like a very useful product for a reasonable price.

Agreed, that was my thought too before having a set break with my hands.

As far as it being a knockoff. Well yes it is. But what did Maxtrax do to protect itself as a company? Do they have a patent? If they do they should hit up Smittybuilt with a lawsuit, in order to stop production.

According to MAXTRAX there is a lawsuit... I am supprized that they are selling them. A few weeks ago their computer system showed they had none in stock and now they are showing they have ### in stock.

There's about $20 worth of plastic and labour in a set of MaxTrax. The rest of the price is tooling amortization and overhead. They choose to remain in the market segment where they sell for $200, and they sell maybe 10,000 per year. Smittybilt might sell 100,000 at $100 per pair. Same unit cost, shorter amortization.

Incorrect, it the cheap knock offs that will ruin the market for MAXTRAX in the US... the plastic beads used to make the MAXTRAX cost close to $200 per pair of MAXTRAX, and the difference is the curing / hardening process which will not make them brittle like the Smittybilts.

Heck, for all we know, Maxtrax could have entered an agreement with Smittybilt to hit the low end of the market at a lower price point, with the exact same product. Companies do this all the time.

Nope, lawsuit pending.

Actually, when I saw the WASP, I didn't even know it was a knock-off. I thought it was new and innovative. A folding land anchor, brilliant! And $120, so I snapped it up. The fact I wasn't aware of the the PRT is because of their poor market penetration, which is largely due to their price.

Buyer beware. See Link above to Sierra Expeditions Product testing of the WASP. Recovery items need to be seen as safety equipment, if you're stuck and can not recover properly it could easily escalate to life or death situation, and failures could also lead to bodily injury.

 

[Paladin]

Really?

Even a quick evaluation reveals:
The Element is nearly identical the MaxTrax with plastic construction, exactly six hand holds, four holes for pegging, two longitudinal bridges, raised traction elements, two angled ramps that are also hollowed for digging and include traction elements, exactly four inset elements that are ribbed for ground traction and practically identical contours, etc.

Actually, I would be surprised if you could tell me what is materially different. Height of the traction elements doesn't count either Rob, nor does the color, as the MaxTrax is also available in black, tan and khaki. . .

Well, much of that would be almost pointless to do differently, just for the sake of doing them differently. ie: 2 angled ramps. What other number would they do? 4? Ditto 2 longitudinal bridges. I think ALL ladders have 2 bridges. Dolphins and sharks are both "clean sheet designs", but they are very much the same.

The traction elements on the lead-in bridges look significantly better. So there's that.

It is a clean sheet design in the strict sense of the term. They did not scan a MaxTrax and cut the mold to match, as so many knockoffs do. They might have had a MaxTrax sitting beside them on the desk and referenced it while drawing, but they didn't scan it. That's what I meant.

I am curious to see a review, as Wil suggests they are brittle. I need a bridging ladder LONG before a sand mat, so if they can't be stacked to work as a bridge, I wouldn't touch them.

 

[flyingwil]

I am curious to see a review, as Wil suggests they are brittle. I need a bridging ladder LONG before a sand mat, so if they can't be stacked to work as a bridge, I wouldn't touch them.

I have a video in my e-mail somewhere... if I can find it I'll post it on YouTube

FOund it....

Ok this is the other fake ones made in the same factory China. The person in the video is Ben from MAXTRAX. This should speak for itself.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InYM-nwF4Ic"]YouTube - Fake MAXTRAX[/ame]

 

[LaOutbackTrail]

The ones above are for certain the Elements? I haven't seen any yet available in that color. And that looks like a different design than the element...??

 

[Ludedude]

The ones above are for certain the Elements? I haven't seen any yet available in that color. And that looks like a different design than the element...??

Looks like Wil said "this is the other fake ones made in the same factory China." I take that to mean it's not the Smitty product but one made in the same place from ostensibly the same materials but that's an assumption on my part.

 

[LaOutbackTrail]

I'm thinking about driving down to the 4Wheel Parts house today and picking up a pair just to see for myself!

 

[flyingwil]

The ones above are for certain the Elements? I haven't seen any yet available in that color. And that looks like a different design than the element...??

There was a thread in the for sale section here on ExPo... the video show those ones. From what we can gather they are made in the same factory as the smittybilt ones and were offered in different color with a bag.

The Smittybilt ones match up.. best I can say is look at 18 seconds into the You Tube vid and compare with this picture.

 

[Paladin]

The video quality is pretty poor, but I'm fairly well convinced.

 

[MNDodge]

I'd like to see an actual review of the Smittybilts being used. That video does not show the Smittybilts, plus the guy is bending them the opposite way the load would be on them (granted they still shouldnt bend that much) and he works for MaxTrax... I'd say for 1/2 the price and for the amount that most of us would use them, they'd probably be fine, but hard to tell without someone (with no vested interest) actually trying them out.

 

[bat]

The video is very poor quality and what was the point to show a fake Maxtrax can crack. It will never be used like that and if it did crack will it still work under the condition it was built to be used. I think to make it fair a side by side of products should be done and let the best plastic win.

 

[flyingwil]

The video is very poor quality and what was the point to show a fake Maxtrax can crack. It will never be used like that and if it did crack will it still work under the condition it was built to be used. I think to make it fair a side by side of products should be done and let the best plastic win.

The video was sent to me in an e-mail, it was not intended for any other purpose other than for me to see what the Chinese copies were like. Then POP, you can see it crack. Again, this video was not put out publicly by MAXTRAX, it was sent to me so that I could see them since they were the only known set at that time in the US (some time ago). What Ben did in the video was nothing that would stress a set of genuine MAXTRAX.