Traction Boards: Max Trax worth the $$?

Hello fellow 4runner owners. I’d like to ask you guys if the Maxx Traxx boards are really worth the $$? I see boards on Amazon with really good ratings at a fraction of the cost. What say you or what other boards do you guys have?

 

I have the Maxsa escaper buddies, and they've been fine for me. I think the Maxtrax are a little nicer than the rest, but if you're trying to save a few bucks there are some less expensive options that are fine.

 

So I have fumble fingers and tried to mount my brothers Amazon find and my maxtrax. I dropped his on the side mount and it cracked hitting his drive way and dropped mine because the GOBI mounts suck and it dented my 4R in two spots and landed face down with some road rash. Besides the fact that I had to buy my brother new ones, it convinced him to go with the maxtrax (at my expense). He might have had some crappy ones, but mine are friggin solid and could be weapons.

 

Those must have been some cheap ass traction boards! Mine have been dropped and shoved under tires and driven over without any issues.

 

He also always left them mounted because of his job. He was a X-ray repair tech small airports from portland to mammoth to Fresno. Lots of miles and lots of bad weather/snow.

 

Hmmm. Mine live on the roof all summer. 4 years now.

I guess, if I were trying to save money, I'd avoid whatever brand your brother's were.

 

Too true!

 

Which ones do you have? I see 4 styles: Metal Grips, Connecting, HD & Jumbo.

 

This:

Maxsa 20333 Heavy-Duty Escaper Buddy Traction Mats for Off-Road Mud, Sand, & Snow Vehicle Extraction and Recovery, Bendable, Unbreakable, Orange, 2 Pack https://a.co/d/5kbY2lw

 

I had the Maxtrax for a bit and after several times using them they developed cracks and have gone in the trash.... Right now I have ActionTrax from usactiontrax dot com they cost less but not that much less however they have a 5 year warranty, you can take them and install Stainless Steel studs in them very easy to do and they sell them that way too but if you are a DIY person it is easy just to go to a good hardware store and get 5/16 stainless bolts that are 3/4 long and Nylok Stainless Steel nuts plus washers so you can put 2 on each bolt.

Also there is RotoTrax at RotoPax dot com and they have the best price of anyone out there ($164) and they Are Made right here in Utah. So far two off roaders I know have them and one of them has used his several times and so far so good. I have the GasPaxs and waterpax absolutely love them for how well they work going on 4 years now.

 

Those are Nice For someone who "Knows" what they are doing, if you get some clown who thinks ok go mean hit the gas hard and spins on them .....

 

I don't wheel with clowns.

But, yeah, it doesn't take much to wear down the knobs if you spin on them. I've gotten 4 seasons and multiple recoveries out of them. I think they're a very good middle ground between the cheapies and the Maxtrax.

 

The honest reply:

You may use them once or twice in your lifetime of owning the vehicle. Especially if you have a winch. That said, the cheapest ones in the world will serve their purpose and get you out.

mine are sun faded and years old and will probably break when I use them again, but betcha they’ll work

 

For Some that is..... I have not had to use mine for myself however multiple times for others.

 

simply put - Yes.

We’ve tried and broken two other brands. Smittybilt and some offbrand. MaxTrax’s are uber beefy in comparison. Very expensive but worth it when it counts.

 

x-bull boards have worked well for the times I've helped others on the beach and as a level for myself while camping. I'd say for the 1-2 times you'll actually need a recovery board, unless a serious off-roader or over-lander, the cheaper boards will be fine.

 

Max Trax, shmax trax. I've got these bad boys...

 

Cool, orange huaraches!

 

Quick question - how do you get them mounted perpendicular verses on the crossbar on racks?? I cannot find a mount!! Thinking Maxtrax too

 

I went with ActionTrax from usactiontrax.com and like them way better than the Maxtrax going on more than 2 years now and they have seen lots of abuse No cracks no issues with them. As for mounting them very easy to do if you want to take the time with a little DIY there are perfect mount holes on them that give you great secure ways to mount them.