maxtrax vs ebay special

[Deke]

so im in the market for some maxtrax or recovery tracks. Looking on ebay, besides the real deal (maxtrax) priced at $285 , iv come across two others

For $100 you can get these , they look very similiar

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Pair-Heavy-Duty-Recovery-Tracks-4WD-ATV-Caravan-Sand-Mud-Off-Road-Extraction-Kit-/390830050623?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item5aff494d3f&_uhb=1

or for $115 you can get these ( little bit beefier)

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Pair-Heavy-Duty-Recovery-Tracks-4WD-ATV-Caravan-Sand-Mud-Off-Road-Extraction-Kit-/371049812530?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item56644ad232&_uhb=1


So the real question is , is there really a substitute for the real maxtrax? or are they all very much the same? im in the market for 4 so its going to be about $600 vs $200

[skinkis]

Go to Repco, or any other place that sells 4x4 recovery gear.
They have a set called Tredz, they come with a lifetime warranty, can't really beat that, and they seem to work extremely good too, and nearly half price to Maxtrax.

[Satan]

In malaga

http://www.starproducts.com.au/products/recovery-tracks-pair-4wd-4x4/

[shifted]

autobarn has similar for $119

[XsQuiZiT]

+1 for Treds. They've saved me numerous times.

Keep an eye out for sales, Anaconda had the 1100mm for $179 last week.

I got mine from Supercheap Auto for the same price but it came with a free storage bag.

[Joe]

TREDS ftw.

Got 1100mm TREDS, they work well, and at the price I paid (bought them through a FB 4x4 group buy page), they were nearly half the price of Maxtrax. Have used both these and Maxtrax, didn't really see a difference in either. Both got me out of soft sand equally as well.

The only thing that annoys me is that TREDS don't have any vehicle mounting kit available, but I see they've put a teaser up on their website of a kit they are currently developing.

[Deke]

The last link i posted arnt they the treds ? I drive alot of wet country so mud is my main concern

[mr_mike]

I've found both the TREDS and maxtraxx to suck a bit in mud seem to struggle a bit to get that initial bite for the tyre to grip on wet plastic.
Stay away from the cheap plastic ones they are very thin and flexible and crack at first sign.of any weight on them, not saying the TREDS and maxtraxx won't either if you don't use them correctly but least they are a lot thicker and have warranty.

Spending coin on decent recovery gear is one of them things do you want to save a couple hundred now and risk it possibly failing when u need it and could end up costing you hundreds if not thousands later?

[Joe]

Apparently the Maxtrax can be used as a "bridge" if need be, but they're not warranted or rated for that purpose officially.

Also, none are designed to cope with wheelspin i.e. the plastic lugs will melt off if you do that.

[Joe]

The last link i posted arnt they the treds ? I drive alot of wet country so mud is my main concern

They look like an exact replica of the TREDS, probably a Chinese copy of them I'd say (the real ones are made in Australia).

[South]

Perhaps learn to drive instead ;)

[Deke]

I shoot for a living so sometimes my focus is else were then the road or track im on , and some of the country i shoot is really wet and can also be decieving , before you know it your diff deep in mud at 1am ,no matter how good a driver you are , i think ill fork out for the maxtrax because they can be used as a bridge aswell that will come in handy

[mr_mike]

Really if you're going into that sort of Terrain get a winch can pick up a decent winch for around $600-700 if ur stuck in deep slop then maxtraxx are not gonna be a great help as they will just disappear into the mud

[Deke]

Mike , is there something that can be used as a mud anchor for a winch if there is nothing too winch off ...in my situation theres usually nothing too winch off

[XT43]

Plenty of options for winch anchors

Eg

http://www.anchorright.com.au/products/ground-anchor-prt

[Deke]

Thanks for that , if i was too get a winch id probably rear mount it because i wouldnt want too pull myself further into the bog...

[Brett_J]

I think I've seen towbar mount kits, seem like a decent idea for cheap asses like me that don't want to fork over 1500 bucks for a front bar !

[mr_mike]

a clever way i have seen winch mounted before in on a mounting plate with a reece hitch. Means modifying the front bar to accommodate a reece hitch but also means you can move the winch front or rear depending on condition. Run an Anderson type plug behind the bumper and can just plug in and go. Dunno if Anderson plugs can take the amount of amps a winch will draw tho.

Brett dont need a $1500 winch bar, can easily make a winch mounting plate out of 8mm steel plate that can bolt to the chassis rails and sit behind most alloy bullbars. This is what i plan on doing with my alloy GU bar as i like the look of the stock bar.

[Brett_J]

This would suit my needs
http://www.watling-towbars.co.uk/4x4_winches.html

I could actually make this set up pretty easily.

[RSHOLE]

Yeah, don't go the Star Products $105.00 tracks. They are thin & flimsy and will break in no time.
Treds aren't bad for the price and will fare much better in sand/mud.

End of the day nothing beats a good shovel and the right tyre pressure :)

[gazza750]

reese hitch winch mount best thing ever for rear mounted winch
http://http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/KFI-Winch-Receiver-Carrier-Mount-2-Hitch-Mount-100620-/351017002298?pt=Motors_ATV_Parts_Accessories&hash=item51ba3e653a

[gazza750]

cheaper one
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/4WD-Winch-Cradle-Mounting-Plate-Bull-Bar-Receiver-Mount-Bracket-4x4-Trailer-ATV-/131071119065?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item1e84728ed9

[gazza750]

supercheap have maxx trax on sale for $150

My mistake they are the 1200mm Ridge Ryder 4WD Recovery Escape Tracks (made in Taiwan)

[mr_mike]

Genuine maxxtrax? Cos that is bullshit cheap, way below cost price. You sure its not the chinese knockoffs or the short TREDS?

[(AUST)Mod]

Learn to drive and you won't need Maxtrax.

[mr_mike]

Learn to drive and you won't need Maxtrax.

lol yeah, good one

[gazza750]

Learn to drive and you won't need Maxtrax.
No-one is perfect and on your own shit can and does happen no matter how good you are

[mys1]

Learn to drive and you won't need Maxtrax.

Seconded - the amount of people who think they can 4wd and rely on gear astounds me.

What do you do when you run out of gear? That's the way I was taught.

[Joe]

What do you do if you're an experienced off roader and you come across a situation which is greater than your car and your ability?

You get your $30 shovel and your $200 recovery tracks and get yourself out. That's if you're not too much of a hero to carry recovery gear with you.

Even the best off roader in the world carries recovery gear, most have a winch.

What if you are with a beginner and they get stuck, and their recovery kit is too basic for the situation? You'll use your gear.

I'm a noob and have been bogged plenty of times.. I've used maxtrax, I've been snatched out and I've even been winched out. I'm getting better, but I do feel much safer having recovery gear. How does anyone expect me to learn if I'm too scared to take those calculated risks required to learn the skills? The recovery gear gives me that extra confidence.

[Passage GT]

Wow some of the comments in here are honestly stupid, learn to drive?
half the fun of 4x4ing is finding your own and your car's limits, that means getting stuck!
it's a great feeling finding a hill climb etc that you don't expect to make it up, and when you do it's fantastic, at the same time when you have a difficult obstacle and whether alone or in a group you have to work and use gear to get over it, that's a good feeling too.
A few weeks back with a very large group it took 4 hours to get 13 or so cars up this one hill, half of the group managed to drive it, the other didn't, some of that was a choice of poor lines, inexperience or a car simply not good enough to drive it (ht tyres or whatever)
same as other guys made it by simply having no mechanical sympathy at all.
either way i really enjoyed the whole experience, even when my incorrectly installed winch cut power to my entire vehicle while winching a cruiser up the hill.
i think it made it more memorable than if everyone had just driven over an easy hill and continued on our merry way.
i guess it always comes back to the opinions are like arseholes thing, everyone has one, some just stink worse than others :D

[South]

I'm not a noob, and I've been bogged fuck all, that doesn't make me elite, it just means I consider the terrain and drive accordingly. I literally know every occasion i have been stuck, and I go to VERY remote locations with a single car and only have myself to rely on. I tackle hard tracks, I don't have max trax, I do have a winch and all the other gear to ensure safe passage. My winch has been used in anger 3 times in the last 5 yrs.

It is about learning to drive, building your car for the terrain and not being afraid to tackle something without the right gear.

It is very true that a lot of dip shits are now in to this pass time and are passing on the wrong way to go about tackling the terrain. I've also driven with people that have been 4WD'ing for a very long time and they have very poor skills as well, I've even watched videos of 4WD training in Perth and am astounded at how they are teaching people to drive.

Learning to drive is very much a substitute for not needing every kind of recovery gear imaginable, and having the confidence to tackle a track, regardless of equipment of others being with you.

[Joe]

Another thing about maxtrax.. If you do a lot of beach driving and fishing, you may not have the opportunity to winch or snatch depending on the terrain and the crew you're with. The shovel and recovery tracks are perfect for that.

[South]

Bury your spare tyre and winch off it. Done that up a mental hill climb in a sand dune where I was sitting on the chassis and sand at my door step.
Always park your car on a decline when on sand, so you can either reverse out or drive forward, obviously pending the direction your car is facing when you stop

Feel confident in going below 10psi on your tyres if in a pickle, don't steer abruptly if you do.

Drive with your pressures slightly higher so you have more pressure to reduce if in a pickle. I like to drive with 18psi on sand (even the most powdery), means I can go down a significant amount further.

There are smarter ways to drive than relying on gear, as if the gear fails you and you don't know what to do, kiss your arse goodbye.

[mr_mike]

Seconded - the amount of people who think they can 4wd and rely on gear astounds me.

What do you do when you run out of gear? That's the way I was taught.

I see maxxtrax and a like as another tool to use in a recovery, do i rely on them and think "fuck yeah i'll be unstoppable i have maxxtrax"? no, not even close. People get stuck its a fact, sometimes its attempting things way out of both their vehicles and their own personal capability other times its completely unexpected. So sometimes a recovery is needed, personally I will always look for the simplest and safest way which is usually grabbing the shovel, if that fails I will then try the TREDS, then final option is a snatch strap or winch.

I'm not a huge fan of doing a snatch recovery, its a lot of load and energy required and can be pretty dangerous. Maxxtrax and TREDS allow for a simple and safe recovery without risking another vehicle getting bogged or anyone getting injured.

[Deke]

in my situation im not tackling huge terrain , maybe every now and then. i shoot for a living (kangaroos, goats etc) so i drive mostly paddocks and some rocky and muddy terrian , my focus is usually on shooting its not always on driving ,the way the water moves around the farms is totally diffrent too just driving tracks offroad , thats why conditions change from one week to another. For me i would rather carry $$$ worth of recovery gear knowing i can get myself out of a bog at 1am in the morning instead of calling someone too pull me out in the middle of no where or even worse sitting there over night or for days till i can get someone out.

[Niva]

Buy a lada

[Deke]

Buy a lada

i wouldnt even get out the drive way then :p

[Chivalry]

You wouldn't need any recovery gear with a Lada, if you got stuck you could just leave it there no cares given. Within a few weeks it would have rusted back into the earth anyway.

[South]

Ladas are made of half inch steel!
they'll be here longer than humans!!!

[Rb25vlt8]

So what did you end up buying im thinking about getting a set of these giantz recovery tracks and give em a shot ?