Hannibal USA
Adventurer
Best BBQ around!....:smiley_drive:
Smittybuilt Element Ramps
- Thread starter Arvin G
- Start date
Best BBQ around!....:smiley_drive:
Interesting photos. Did you try standing on the Elements?
Even from those photos, I'd be more persuaded to buy MAXTRAX over the Element.
We will still perform a full testing regime as planned. But I have more doubts for the Element's performance now.
Even from those photos, I'd be more persuaded to buy MAXTRAX over the Element.
We will still perform a full testing regime as planned. But I have more doubts for the Element's performance now.
Mr. Leary
Glamping Excursionaire
... and I expect them to break while testing, so we will conduct all the other tests BEFORE we conduct the bridging test. We shall see...
Master-Pull
Supporting Sponsor
I am pretty interested to see the results of this test. The off-road market is being flooded with "cheap" alternatives to almost every quality product that is out there today. Most of the time its up to the buyer to beware of what they are buying, we need more independent tests like these ones!
-Alex
-Alex
I think it is imperative that the testing be well documented, unbiased, reasonable and done in as controlled an environment as possible with the "tests" replicated as precisely as possible for each product being tested together.
Brian
Master-Pull
Supporting Sponsor
Brian, I couldn't agree with you more for that point. Hopefully the tests will be unbiased and the results repeatable.
-Alex
-Alex
K2ZJ
Explorer
While I agree, these are not really apples to apples. This is an older model vs a new version. Now is the 3rd rib, in the newest absent from the test version, stronger or weaker (relative to flex) than the 2 rib, older but present for testing, thicker design?
Mr. Leary
Glamping Excursionaire
We will be using the new version for testing. The products will be subjected to testing conditions that are as identical as possible.
4xdog
Explorer
Note that at two places on the Maxtrax website (here and here) they describe the weight of a single track differently. 3.4 kg in one place and 3.8 kg in another. Not clear which is first and second generation, although other descriptions indicate the new version is lighter.
The geometric changes between the Maxtrax II compared to the original model are discussed in terms of (1) stronger, (2) lighter, (3) easier to clean, (4) tighter nesting, (5) more teeth, and (6) keyhole linking system.
No mention about strength. For new tooling to be produced -- not a cheap thing to do -- they clearly felt the other features were worth the money. I'm sure a 12% reduction in mass didn't hurt.
Don
The geometric changes between the Maxtrax II compared to the original model are discussed in terms of (1) stronger, (2) lighter, (3) easier to clean, (4) tighter nesting, (5) more teeth, and (6) keyhole linking system.
No mention about strength. For new tooling to be produced -- not a cheap thing to do -- they clearly felt the other features were worth the money. I'm sure a 12% reduction in mass didn't hurt.
Don
flyingwil
Supporting Sponsor - Sierra Expeditions
How can this not be apples to apples? That's like saying a winch test where you test 3 8,000# winches is not comparing apples to apples since there is now a newer version of the Warn M8000 (true statement RE: Warn). The newer MAXTRAX are an improvement on the prior design, and the older version had millions sold to governments, military, and public consumers. There is more of the prior version out in the world than the newer version. I think in this case, comparing the two of them is matched up better since they are both a two rib design.
For comparision I was able to steal FlyingWen's purple/pink MAXTRAX from her and here they are side by side with the newer version (orange):
AFSOC
Explorer
Absolutely agree Brian. Will you contribute the data you have that confirms Elements are multi-port injection molded and the made in the same factory as the previous generation ramps marketed to South America? That would be a good addition to the documentation.
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K2ZJ
Explorer
Thank you for the correction. I am looking forward to the review.
It is like comparing one winch an old winch, while the new one has been changed, new motor and drum size, whatever. So the old one is irrelevant. How do you end the comparison? "Go out and buy any used ones you can because these are better than the other one, to bad they don't make them anymore. You could try the new one if you want we have no idea if it is better or not."
I just read a comparison of the Toyota FJ Cruiser against a Jeep Wrangler TJ (97-06). Who would care? The TJ is old news, the JK (07+) is the newest and is relevant to today.
While it seems that the 2 rib vs 2-rib makes most sense, there must be a reason they stopped that design. Rendering the 2-rib, you guessed it, irrelevant.
Well, if the 2-rib Maxtrax is better than the Element, and the 3-rib is better than the 2-rib... it doesn't take much imagination to guess how the 3-rib vs. Element test would go...
It does appear the Element flexes more with a 60lb kid on it. But frankly, I'm surprised how much even the MaxTrax is flexing. Or is that just a camera thing.
It does appear the Element flexes more with a 60lb kid on it. But frankly, I'm surprised how much even the MaxTrax is flexing. Or is that just a camera thing.
K2ZJ
Explorer
Just like sports cars of the 70s vs 80s. Just because something is newer doesn't mean better. It may be cheaper to make this way...
1971
1987
Hannibal USA
Adventurer
no the MaxTrax was flexing kind of surprised us as well. The Element was buckling just not bending under the weight if you take a second look.