Speedmasters Traction Tracks

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cruiseroutfit

cruiseroutfit

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Maverick9110E said:
I completely agree but I'm also not in the mindset of buying something just because it's expensive. If there is a lower cost alternative to something that is just as good then I think it's worth a look. Look at Yeti vs all the copy cat ones out there now as a prime example. Maxtrax has cornered the market but let's be honest it's a molded piece of plastic we drive on. It's only a matter of time before an alternative lower priced option comes out that is damn close to it. I'm hoping these are it, lol.
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I don't think they are expensive, I think they are valuable. Plastic isn't a single variable, there are thousands of types and manufacturing processes. Part of the Maxtrax process involves curing the fresh units for 24 hours In a special process, that comes at a cost. R&D comes at a cost and I'm always willing to reward innovation rather than imitation. Lastly I look at the long-term, if/when a Maxtrax fails I know they will be around to profvide that warranty support. We've already seen other traction device companies come and go. Having relied on Maxtrax to get us in/out of some very precarious situations... it's not a place I'm willing to compromise or hope.

Smitty versions were breaking in curb/gutters:

IMG_1248.JPG
 
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raundhaus

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I don't know guys... I say let the market speak. Sure there is value in "rewarding innovation" but it's only possible if you are ABLE to spend 4x as much on something just to pat the back of the company that made it. As a young father of two and the only worker in the household, it would be either this cheap option or nothing for me.
OB says "it doesn't matter what you drive" which means get what you can get and have fun. If we all only bought the absolute best, a bunch of us would be sitting at home as we can't all afford a 40k dollar 2016 4runner or defender. I think it also doesn't matter what you have strapped to what you drive. Let people try new things and find out if they like them.

Sent from my SM-T560NU using OB Talk mobile app
 
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Jelorian

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Fakawi Tribe said:
@Mademan925 did a good comparison here. https://www.overlandbound.com/forums/index.php?threads/Traction-Board-Review.4254/
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Saw that comparison. Not many would want to buy a set of the major competitors and do a shootout like they did. Kudos to them!

batmin14 said:
Mine are being shipped out today. Great service so far. Now to await the product
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I ordered of Amazon.com and it says mine will arrive on the 17th. I won't be able to get a chance to use them them till after March 8th as I'll be away on a dive trip in south east asia. So I will look forward to everyone else's reviews before I can do my own.

I reached out to Speedmasters to ask what their warranty is like on these. Haven't heard back yet.

Crossing my fingers that they are a good product.
 
batmin14

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Jelorian said:
Saw that comparison. Not many would want to buy a set of the major competitors and do a shootout like they did. Kudos to them!



I ordered of Amazon.com and it says mine will arrive on the 17th. I won't be able to get a chance to use them them till after March 8th as I'll be away on a dive trip in south east asia. So I will look forward to everyone else's reviews before I can do my own.

I reached out to Speedmasters to ask what their warranty is like on these. Haven't heard back yet.

Crossing my fingers that they are a good product.
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I was told my them that you have 30 days to return and get money back if you're unhappy as long as they're unused. And 12 month warranty on them. So seems good to me.
 
Jelorian

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batmin14 said:
I was told my them that you have 30 days to return and get money back if you're unhappy as long as they're unused. And 12 month warranty on them. So seems good to me.
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Not sure how we are supposed to figure out if we are happy with the product without actually using it.

I guess based on first impressions when taking them out of the packaging? ;)

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using OB Talk mobile app
 
batmin14

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That was my guess. My thinking is its only 70 dollars. If it get me out of a sticky situation once it's served its purpose
 
Lindenwood

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I would be interested in how these work out!

We are a young DINK couple making 6 figures household, and I honestly can't imagine making enough to where I can always buy the most expensive things simply because I believe they are better :P . No offense to anyone, but I always roll my eyes at the general implication that only the most expensive product in a given market is a reasonable choice.

Would I buy these to take me around the world? Of course not. But as has been implied above, if someone buys these $75 traction aids and uses them once a year before they break in 5 or 7 years, they probably got their money's worth.
 
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cruiseroutfit

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Lindenwood said:
I would be interested in how these work out!

We are a young DINK couple making 6 figures household, and I honestly can't imagine making enough to where I can always buy the most expensive things simply because I believe they are better :P . No offense to anyone, but I always roll my eyes at the general implication that only the most experience product in a given market is a reasonable choice.

Would I buy these to take me around the world? Of course not. But as has been implied above, if someone buys these $75 traction aids and uses them once a year before they break in 5 or 7 years, they probably got their money's worth.
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Maxtrax are NOT the most expensive traction mat/ladder. They are just the most proven, utilized by global travelers, militaries, desert racers and weekend warriors. Buy once-cry once applies to what I consider best of breed and proven over and over in real-world tests, not a function of price, you're confusing the two. I've watched budget knock-offs fail, I've watched/used Maxtrax perform, in sand, snow, mud and swamps. Beyond the proven performance, I still think it is hack to support knock-off products that fail to innovate beyond reverse engineering and a subsequently lower price.
 
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Saints&Sailors

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Lindenwood said:
I would be interested in how these work out!

We are a young DINK couple making 6 figures household, and I honestly can't imagine making enough to where I can always buy the most expensive things simply because I believe they are better :P . No offense to anyone, but I always roll my eyes at the general implication that only the most experience product in a given market is a reasonable choice.

Would I buy these to take me around the world? Of course not. But as has been implied above, if someone buys these $75 traction aids and uses them once a year before they break in 5 or 7 years, they probably got their money's worth.
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Second this. Most of the differences between products is simply marketing and customer support. In all honesty, most products (even particularly well known brands) are made in the same factory as their competitor's products. I've done the buy-once-cry-once route and been burned by it. There is nothing worse than paying a premium for the expensive product and finding out that it is the same crummy product as another brand that is significantly cheaper (or, in my particular case, worse quality than the cheaper alternative). IMO, shop for value, don't let price indicate the quality of the product. Anyone who has taken a marketing class can tell you about pricing strategies and how one of those strategies is to price your product at a premium because it gives customers the impression of better quality - regardless of whether or not they actually are.

That being said, I'm not knocking Maxtrax specifically. I don't have any experience with them so I cannot comment. If they work for @cruiseroutfit and the countless other Overland Bound members that own them and they are happy then that's fantastic. I'd hate for other individuals to feel the way I have when spending that much on a product and be disappointed. Perhaps Maxtrax are just head and shoulders above the competition - the only way to find out is for people to buy the competitors' products and compare/contrast them (as the linked thread illustrated). I'm looking forward to hearing how this product compares - for someone like me who will only use them rarely it's hard to justify spending hundreds for something that will probably get stolen at one point. I'd never spend the coin to buy Maxtrax but something like this would definitely be up my alley if the quality is there (i.e. they don't suffer the same issues as the Smittybilt version).
 
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