Maxtrax - again. Please give me your opinion

[Symon]

This is purely my opinion, but if you have no other equipment they would be a (relatively) cheap bit of kit to help you get out of a bind.

But if you already have a fair bit of kit (shovel, jacks, winch, straps etc) I would struggle to see the need for it.  I've done a lot of sand driving and I haven't found a situation that I couldn't get out of with a shovel and low tyre pressures.

[D4D]

They look 'tough' on your roof though

[Teabag]

They look 'tough' on your roof though

Exactly, but tough? I guess we all have different ideas on what's tough:-)

[Sundowners]

I'm with Teabag on this one. Never felt the need to get them and just reckon a lot of people fit them for the "look at me" scene. No offence intended for anyone here as they probably do work well, but there are other options.

[gibbo301]

 
They remind me of these

[Beachman]

I personally don’t have a set, but I’ve seen then used many times with great success in the sand.

I’m lucky as my current 4WD has good ground clearance so I not pushing sand, but if I still had my previous 4WD which had average ground clearance I probably would consider getting a set.

[Darren253]

I've done a lot of sand driving and I haven't found a situation that I couldn't get out of with a shovel and low tyre pressures.

I do agree Symon... The only variable is the time it takes to get out. I'm much happier to get the Maxtraxs off of the roof, lower another few PSI from the tyres and hey presto I'm out within 5mins or less. I have been down to the chassis and still managed this in less than 5.

I've spent many hours on long recoveries the "old skool" way and SWMBO soon gets tired of it. If it was going to take 1-2hrs of hard graft every time I got stuck on a strange beach, I would get nagged every time I wanted to go and explore something new.

A friend of mind was recently stuck on an incoming tide in a Jeep Cherokee. The tide was lapping up to the front wheel hub. He was down to 6psi and still couldn't gain any momentum because the sand was so soft, steep and water sodden. It was to soft for anyone to reach and snatch him. The only way he saved his car was his Maxtraxs. He put them (1 pair) behind the rear wheels and reversed out just getting enough momentum for the front wheels to go over them too. He had to repeat this about 7 times one length of the car at a time until he could finally drive out. Without his Maxtrax he is certain he would have lost his car.

When they are $235 when they are on special, that is a worthy investment. I am with EVERYONE when it comes to the pain of paying $200-300 for some Plastic, but that isn't what you are paying for! Mine have earnt there cost and are showing some signs of wear. I will have no problem with buying another set and having 4. My Tug and camper loaded with supplies comes in at nearly 3.5tons and we love to get as remote as possible, and these give me the confidence to do this on some of WA's most beautiful and remote beaches.

[Mallory Black]

Well maybe I'll get some. Only been stuck in sand a couple of times but I HATE getting snatched

[BradandPeta]

Well maybe I'll get some. Only been stuck in sand a couple of times but I HATE getting snatched

I am going to grab some  as I dont have or want a winch, and I would rather have them and not use them than not have them and need them, where as if I had a winch and didn't use it I am sure it would fail the time I did actually need to use it !!

[rkwpjv]

I have had mine for about a year and they have saved me once, but did a great job of it, however one of my mates used his for the first time at Easter and tore all the lugs off them..... he's not happy!

[BigJules]

however one of my mates used his for the first time at Easter and tore all the lugs off them..... he's not happy!

Too much wellie?

[Disco4Guy]

For those who rather winch themselves of a beach instead of using Maxtrax^TM... and add a scenario that you're alone... what do you winch off?

[Teabag]

For those who rather winch themselves of a beach instead of using Maxtrax^TM... and add a scenario that you're alone... what do you winch off?

Improvise adapt and overcome. That is what makes recoveries interesting.....There are many options besides Maxtraxs and if relied on solely is fraught with danger......IMO

[LJs GU]

I'll tell you my brother in laws story from his recent trip....

He was camping somewhere in WA with the family and heard about a great beach to fish off.  So he decided to get up at sparrows one morning and go test it out.  Long story short, he got his Prado bogged on the soft sandy track trying to get onto the beach.  Miles from no where and all alone.   

Tried digging, road making etc all no good.  Managed to spot a few guys fishing a couple of k's up the beach.  Walked up to them and did a lot of grovelling.  Anyway, one of them was kind enough to spend an hour of lost fishing helping him out.

The funny part was him getting back to camp, having done zero fishing, completely knackered/exhausted and sun burnt, to his 6y/o son waking up and saying 'can we go fishing today dad'? I can't repeat his response as this is a family friendly website. 

Anyway, I could see myself doing something stupid like that... so I bought some. 

LJ

[TheOtherLeft]

They look 'tough' on your roof though

Is that like how people with HiLifts permanently mounted look tough as well.

[Ashes]

I've used mine probably 10 times in sand.  Only once for my vehicle though. Never failed to get a car out first go and usually with minimal digging.  I got a great deal on 2 sets so usually use 4 in a recovery.
Biggest advantage I see is the relative safety of them compared to the forces and potential dangers involved with snatching or winching and definately the time and energy savings compared to digging. 
Tie ropes to them so you can find them if they do get burried and also leave a kid or 2 to dig them out for you after you move.

[gutters]

I've always wanted 2 sets to assist with recoveries whilst towing the camper but couldn't afford them at nearly $300 a set

But thanks to this great forum and the "have you found a bargain" thread I am now the proud owner of 2 sets of Maxtrax courtesy of Rays and their 26.5% sale - sale price of $216.82 per set. Gotta love the internet, order placed from the comfort of my lounge room and the missus will pick them up tomorrow arvo hopefully

[GGV8Cruza]

For those that have lugs ripped off the plastic orange peels, I was curious if mud tyres plated a part in this? I do not have a set but could always be swayed. I have always likes a set of these though.

http://lifttrax.com/howto/

GG

[Symon]

For those who rather winch themselves of a beach instead of using Maxtrax^TM... and add a scenario that you're alone... what do you winch off?

Each to their own, but I've never been in a situation where I've had to use the winch on a beach.  If I did I would dig a hole and bury a log or if really need be the spare tyre.

Like I said before, most of the time a shovel and low tyre pressures is all that is needed.

[SUPA105]

Used my only 3 or 4 times in mud only.....only resorted to the winch once when I forgot the MAXTRAX....broke through the surface when pulling the "tinny" out of the dam. Closest anything to winch off was over 80 meters away, no one else about as it was a week day. Hard dry granite country and was a 90 minute operation to set up a safe winch by burying a 33" tyre.....less than 5mins if I had my MAXTRAX.
Found if using in mud....dig the tracks in as flat and as square to the tyre as possible fr increased tyre contact......real easy so the tyres grip the tracks not spin on them.

If I am bogged it is usually spectacular.....Mud tyres and lockers see to that.....found if only using 2 MAXTRAX to have them on the same side front and back with the lockers engaged.

Had a bag made out of PVC tarp material to house the tracks when on the roof.....made it over size and throw any wet/muddy gear post any other recovery in their and not back in the car.

My 2 cents

Cheers

[Spurio]

Interesting how the old sand ladder has been "new and improved" and remarketed into plastic ??

[SteveandViv]

I've used mine three times and there is once I wish I had them. The time I wish I had them I spent 1:30 digging our way out of a sand trap up the beach at Cape Leveque at 11pm at night after I thought it was a great idea with a few beers down me to go for a drive. I've been up that way a lot of times and just found a really soft spot while turning around (The MaxTrax were back at camp)

The next time was also at Leveque but is wasn't because we are stuck, it was to help get the camper out of the wheel holes I had dug to level the camper. By throwing them under the rear wheels it just helped get the hole kit moving.

The next time was with Frostd when we were trying to fill in a mud hole on the Frenchmans track, that didn't work well and Terry got more excersie than in all the last year in one - opps.

The last time was at Vrylia Point up the Cape where I was turning around and was not in low range and just ran out of grunt in high, threw the maxtrax under the rear and it popped out no worries at all.

All of these could have been done with a shovel and in all cases I was running low pressure (the first I went to 5psi) but I liked the ease on which I could get out. Anyway, my 2 bob worth

[LJs GU]

I spent 1:30 digging our way out of a sand trap up the beach at Cape Leveque at 11pm at night after I thought it was a great idea with a few beers down me to go for a drive.

I bet that sobered you up hey Steve?
LJ

[LUXUS]

As per what other people have said Maxtrax are great IMO.

I rate them very highly and one of the essential self recover tools if you do any sand driving. But they have limitations like all recovery equipment.

 Some people rely on winches but I'm sure every avid 4 wheel driver has been in a situation where a winch is just a dead weight on the front of your truck which can't help you (mainly on a beach by yourself with not a tree or another vehicle  insight).

One time a mate and me drove down a very boggy beach in SA (salt creek). He was the lead vehicle and started to bog down. He then lost momentum, so tried to reverse, which due to the steepness of the beach forced him down lower on the tide line towards the water and got completely bog to the chassis.

I was still high on the beach and fine, but he said he need a snatch. It was our only option at that time because he had about 15Min's before the tide and waves would of taken his 3 month old Colorado. I new it was boggy as F*#* and would get stuck, but didn't have any other option. So i turned around and reversed up and snatched him about 2meters up the beach, which got him far enough away from the water.

So now my vehicle was bogged and his, so i got the Maxtrax's out and my ute was out in about 15mins. It then took about 45mins to slowly use the Maxtax's to move my mate up the beach  high enough to turn the car around . We actually had to use the Maxtrax'sto turn him around so he had a straight line up to drive off (it was that soft).

By the way we were both running 15psi before we went on the sand.

So in that situation my mates car could of been lost and mine as well if we didn't have our Maxtrax's. I know other anythings work to add traction but trust me there was no sticks to jam under our tyres or time to find them and the don't work as well as Maxtrax's.

But if I had my winch, which i have now, i would of just pulled him up the beach, because he was in range and i wasn't bogged.

Some people may think we were dumb to go down the boggy beach like we did, but we had in our mind reasonable faith that we would get our self's out of any bog with the Maxtrax's, which we did (and cracked a beer and had a laugh about after).

The point I'm trying to make is Maxtrax's are not the be all and end all of recovery equipment, but all recovery equipment has it's place. If we didn't have Maxtrax's we would of been stuffed. But if i had a winch would of been fine. If my mate had a winch i would have to get my ute bogged to create a anchor for him.

You also have to know how to use them. If I'm driving down the beach and start to bog down, i get ready to use the Maxtrax's, I don't try to reverse and bog my self down further, i just grab the Trax's and get myself going again to hard ground.

Sorry for the massive rant, but i do like Maxtrax's, and do a lot of sand driving.

Maxtrax's are light, easy to store, work well for there purpose, handy to use as a base for your jack if you puncher a tire in the sand  .

EVIDENCE

My mate stuck


Snatching my mate, the tracks high on the beach are his, when he tried to reverse (dumb arse) he just got lower and lower.


Recovering myself


Using the Maxtrax's to move my mate down and up the beach. Note how far we have moved him from my ute in the distance.


After we turned him


Still soft sand on the way back after we turned him. I was buggered at this stage after pulling Maxtrax's out the sand and running up and digging and placing then for him, i told him to have ago (no that's not me with the dreadlocks)


And free finally. It was actually blue sky's before he got stuck, then absolutely pissed down the whole time while trying to get him out, then went blue sky's again once he was out, and never saw another drop of rain the whole long weekend.

[D4D]

That's why I stick to driving in the High Country, the only thing that will get you there is a wombat with a bad case of crabs