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

keoni004

Observer
Just bought two sets from Sierra Expeditions...$150/ea. Shipping to the East Coast from AZ wasn't too bad, either.
 

John E Davies

Adventurer
Can someone please compare the "stowed" thickness of a pair of Maxxtrax vs the TRED 1100s? I am thinking about buying two sets, and if the thickness difference is a significant, I will go with the thinnest for space reasons. Otherwise I will get the TREDs.

Thanks.

John Davies
Spokane WA USA
 

John E Davies

Adventurer
I just ran across a comparison article about the Maxtrax and TRED. One comment was that the TRED becomes incredibly heavy when packed with clay. The Max was much better in this respect.

I don't have to deal with clay, so it isn't a big issue with me.

"Paul:

I have maxtrax, my mate has treds, we used them all in a really muddy bog extracting 4 cars. All were good and did the job, but The maxtrax held much less mud after the work and were by far easier to retrieve. The treds ended up almost too heavy to carry with clogged clay and when cleaning them, we stood in a river for 2 hrs to dig the clay off them.
Get the maxtrax as life is too short to spend hours cleaning them or carrying half the country around with you.
A real side by side test in real world conditions without the manufacturers hype"

http://blog.mud-maps.com/blog/2013/category/max-trax-vs-tred

John Davies
Spokane WA USA
 

Yuman Desert Rat

Expedition Leader
So, am going to throw these two other options on here for feedback.

The aluminum sand ladders have already been mentioned a few times - OK Offroad has two different sizes - XD for $354 and HD for $255.

They also have waffle boards - XD for $259 and HD for $229.

In comparison, the MKII Maxtrax are about $297 at Sierra Expeditions.

View attachment 198349

These are great. I've adapted mine as a roof rack/platform for storage etc. it acts as a front porch for my RTT as well. AND if I get into a pinch where aired down 35" BFG MT's, 4.88 gears with lockers, a winch and pull pal/hi lift can't get me out of; I can use these puppies as a last resort. I love having options. Oh, and I've heard of these being used as a table/bench, too! image.jpg

This is an older photo. I moved the RTT forward and the sand ladder to the rear. RTT is currently off but you 20131020_085813 (1).jpgcan see where it goes. Lol
 
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old_man

Adventurer
Just a tip. Tie a rope on the mats and coil a few feet out of the way. Tie the other end to your bumper. Once you get going it will pull the mats along behind so you can get out of the situation without having to stop and grab the mats.
 

Bolles

Observer
When your alone and it's time to deploy trust me you will be glad you had the tried and true maxtrax helping you out of your mess..
 

KlausVanWinkle

Explorer
Maxtrax seem better. The TJM sponsored show All 4 Adventure still uses Maxtrax not TREDs. But their price annoys me. Twice the price of Treds? They're pieces of plastic. The extra $150 seems to go to marketing. I hope everyone buys TREDs until Maxtrax has to be competitive on their pricing.
 

Mo4130

Adventurer
My buddy contacted maxtrax directly and asked them why the price difference. The rep compared to fiberglass vs carbon fibre. Both are good but one is excellent. From reading on the inter webs treds seem to break where as the maxtrax just bend and then bend back. I have treds for what it's worth but have yet to use them.
 

grogie

Like to Camp
I've ordered a set of black Maxtrax, which are on back order and should be in stock in another month. It's for those occasions when a winch won't work as I'm headed to Utah later this year. In my area we usually have trees about everywhere.
 

mavric214

New member
I just got a pair of the Maxsas. They popped up on my wife's Amazon "what about these?" Notice. Seem nice enough. The proof will be in the performance so for now they'll go in the recovery kit. Still trying to figure out how I want to mount them in our JKUS.

Have you received them yet? What do you think of them?
 

java

Expedition Leader
I used my Maxtrax on a 30' RV stuck in the snow at one of the local ski hills. They definitely flattened out, but stayed in one piece and worked like a charm! I was really hoping they wouldn't break under 15K lbs!
 

grizzlyj

Tea pot tester
Hiya

Would anyone comment on what happens to any type of ally ladder if it gets bent?

Does it bend? Or just snap? Does it bend back? Maybe no-one has bent one?

Many mounting options seem to rely on them staying straight, I'm just wondering if they bend in use making re-mounting tricky?

Maybe I'm just remembering steel psp boarding, cos I wouldn't think ally would bend much before it breaks :)

Personally with the big tyres I currently have I don't think most mats would give much advantage when aired down. I have seen these too which are a nice size, or can be cut down, although no way thick enough for bridging!
http://www.zigmagroundsolutions.com/product-design-and-innovation/product-innovation-and-benefits/euromat-temporary-access-roadway-and-ground-protection-mat
 

YotaPilot

Adventurer
I just ordered 4 TREDs from Sierra Expeditions for $300. I'm getting 4 for the price of 2 MaxTrax. I will post up a review when I get them.
 

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