Pathfinder II
Cheaper substitute for Maxtraxx?
- Thread starter Overland-Indiana
- Start date
Pathfinder II
@roamingtimber I haven't had occasion to use them since Tennessee, but I'm pleased with the product at half the cost of the Maxtrax. They don't snap together like the Maxtrax so plan on them taking up a bit more space.
I have personally used the Smittybuilt ones without any cracking. If you check out Ronny Dahl(sp) on youtube, he has a video comparing maxtrax and treds. Obviously they each have their pros and cons but he did mention that the maxtrax lugs melt or wear away a lot faster than the treds do. I don't have any experience with maxtrax, but foor $300 I feel they should hold up better.
Pathfinder I
Get "The Animal" Tires! They let you climb where others can't! No need for any traction
devices! LOL...
devices! LOL...
Pathfinder I
On a serious note...I just carry a big bag of Kitty Litter and use whatever is available around me...downed tree limbs mostly...LOL, I guess that wouldn't work in the desert though. Damn, time to buy some traction devices!
Influencer II
I got lucky and got in on a group buy direct from Maxtraxx. Got a decent discount on them. They were only selling 50 sets.
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Pathfinder II
User Review:
Great tires off road, especially in the sand. Balancing them was a serious challenge, the tire shop had to go get more wheel weights from another location.
Traction: *****
Noise: **
Ride Quality: *
Traveler III
I'm old school, I like simple aluminum sand ladders. They have multiple uses, I 've used them as work benches, tables, a shower floor, as a walk way from vehicle to vehicle, working surface to repair hubs and even as a stretcher once. But the most important thing about them, they are easy to clean, so I'm very willing to break them out and use them. Ive had a set since 2002 they still look good. When you take all this into account, they are a bargain.
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Where did you get your sand ladders from? I've been looking for a cheap alternative to Maxx Traxx for now so I have some sort of recovery gear.
I'm old school, I like simple aluminum sand ladders. They have multiple uses, I 've used them as work benches, tables, a shower floor, as a walk way from vehicle to vehicle, working surface to repair hubs and even as a stretcher once. But the most important thing about them, they are easy to clean, so I'm very willing to break them out and use them. Ive had a set since 2002 they still look good. When you take all this into account, they are a bargain.
My original set I got from a a place that no longer exist. I did buy a set more recently from OKoffRoad. Once upon a time they cost $160 now they are $245, why I don't know, because they are nearly identical to my old ones.
They are when you account for longevity and uses. I have yet to find anything for Overlanding that I could refer to as cheap LOL
Traveler III
I've seen those recommended elsewhere, as well as the old surplus versions sometimes available. Have you had any occasion to try them with snow or mud? I can see how they would be good in sand, but look like they are too slick for snow/mud. The perforations have the sharp side down, so that doesn't help.
Could add screws to the bottom side cut of the tops as to not hurt your tires. then they would dig in more. Or weld on some cleats of sorts
You can use them either way really, and they are slick in snow, I've actually slid off the side in off camber and even on straights. One time in sub zero temps my tires froze to them and I couldn't move, took me a sec to figure out what was going on. A little gas took care of the problem, but it was weird. I don't know how plastic would fare in those conditions. In mud they work great, actually even better than in sand. When you are done using them, you stand them up and slam them down, all the much falls off.
You don't really need all that, the weight of the vehicle and the grit from the sand or mud provide all the traction you need. And because they are metal, you can spin on them and only put really funky swirl marks on them. Honestly about 90% of the use they get is in roles other than for getting me unstuck. The way I most often use them is as flooring when I go out in the woods and it rains, or as little paths between vehicles. I consider them flooring I can use to get unstuck rather than the other way around.
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