MAXTRAX vs ARB TRED PRO

[jsttry]

While no experience using tred pros in a recovery business I help out with they have a bunch of the similarly designed cheap boards which are used simply when heaps of tracked are needed to recover a vehicle and they’re used one after the other to stop the car sinking back into the mud. They commonly crack and are shocking to clean. The go to we always use to get the bogged car back up onto the surface are always the maxtrax as they are a thinner design that bite easier under the tyre to get the car back up.

 

[Gazziza]

FYI: Maxtrax was the original. There's a lot of knockoffs now, which kinda sucks. Over the cheaper competition, Maxtrax are made from a unique nylon polymer, not plastic. That's what helps them stand up to repeated use, and is why the cheap ones don't last beyond one or two recoveries.

ARB basically copied the Maxtrax design and material. I have friends at both companies, but remain loyal to Maxtrax. Support the innovators and little guys, basically.

At least the Treds look a little different than Maxtrax. For a complete knock off look at the US Actiontrax. Those things look like a direct copy of Maxtrax, down to the mounting points and pins and everything.

 

[CharlieS]

Sounds like intellectual property theft. No thank you. I'll stick with the original.

 

[linuxgod]

I have the TRED boards. Bought them when they were fairly new before ARB started distributing the TREDs. They were about 60% the cost of the Maxtrax at the time. IIRC they are made from some advanced fiber-infused polymer to increase strength or something. From what I saw of test videos at the time the Maxtrax were better for bridging, but the TREDs did as good a job helping to gain traction and unlike the cheap chinese knock-offs the traction nubs held up well so long as you weren't spinning your wheels on them like crazy. The boards are designed to act like a shovel as well if you flip them over, which might be helpful in a pinch.

FWIW I've used mine exactly once. College kid in my town drove over a concrete curb and high-centered his girlfriend's car frame on the curb. Technically an "off road" recovery, though I wouldn't use the scenario to rate how they'd do in any other instance. That said they've been on my roof for ~2 years and still look new...

Side note: I had to drill 2 small drain holes in my TREDs. They're mounted on my roof rack horizontally and would collect rain water, which would promptly dump on the windshield the first time I'd hit the brakes. Not a big deal but worth noting for those mounting in the same fashion.

 

[1world1love]

I wouldnt really blame a board for ejecting on icy snow. If a board isnt at least a little bit embedded into the surface, it can definitely do that. I’m no snow exoert, but I used my boards on several snow-stuck trucks back to back last winter. If I hadn’t roughed up the i ece, they would have shot out.

Bogging in sand is different because you’re usually in a “hole” your tire created so it stays put better. But icy snow can mean youre stuck on a perfectly flat surface...with nothing stopping the board. On icy stuff, ya really gotta use the end of the board (or some other object) to rough up the surface if you can so the board can grab a little & even if you do, don’t let people stand behind the tires. :-0

The other goofy thing is sorta the opposite problem—where in soupy mud or powdery sand/snow— Tbe board can end up “injected” under the surface, and suddenly you can’t find the dang thing.

-That’s why MaxTrax come with tethers, or “leashes.” You attach the leash in that setting so you can find the board if it knifes under the soft stuff. The leash will usually stay visible and help you find & pull it ouf of the goo.

Yeah, except this wasn't icy snow. It was mud. And even in mud, I think you are correct that there are some scenarios where it would not be unreasonable for a board to kick out. This wasn't one of those times. It was settled pretty deep and as soon as the truck propelled forward, it shot out at an angle upwards into the air. It seems like the tire grabbed onto the flat edge of the board.

It seems like that is the main difference in design between the two. Maxtrax are ramped on both ends whereas treds have a flat edge on one end. Again, I cannot say that this is a big deal as it is an n of 1. Even then, it got the truck out which is what really matters, and they seem to be built to comparable quality.

 

[aphextwin]

Why not these?: GoTreads - Foldable tire traction mats to get out of mud, snow, or sand. - https://gotreads.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA962BBhCzARIsAIpWEL0yduJ5JhULx1tgqkFbV6C323HPLqCHQ-TjPxY0DYSisavJgqxPxrQaArjREALw_wcB

Seems they only lack the ability to function as a “bridge”.

This is an old thread but wanted to add my 2 cents. I have the gotreads and have used them with great success and most recently 2 days ago. You can't use them as a "bridge" but I mostly need help with traction on mud and sand. They also double as levelers for my truck when I'm car camping. I bought them b/c they're made in America and they fold up nicely and can store them in my vehicle. No affiliation but I do love their product.