Traction boards

So I was looking on Amazon last night wanting to get a set of traction boards. There is a million different ones on there, I wanted to ask some seasoned off-readers on here what ones do you guys recommend? Or are they all pretty much created equal? Thanks guys

 

Most people here are going to recommend Maxtrax which honestly are the best even with their fairly hefty price tag. They’re definitely not all built the same, really depends on how high the probability of use. If you just need something for peace of mind on the off chance you’ll get stuck, there’s no shame in going cheap with a good amount of positive reviews. But if you plan to do a lot of overlanding go with Maxtrax.

 

It really comes down to how many times you plan on using them. If you don't ever plan on needing them, but want a set on the extremely rare chance you get stuck and need them, a cheap set will usually do the job, ONCE. If you want to use them regularly, Maxtrax or Tred Pro are probably what you want to get. I only have Maxtrax experience, but have heard Tred Pro are similar in quality. Maxtrax hold up to use time and time again (i'm somewhere between 50-100 uses of mine). The compounds used to make the cheaper ones don't allow the elasticity of a Maxtrax. Where a maxtrax will deform and return to shape a cheap board can permanently deform or even snap in half. A friend of mine teaches recovery and lets people use their own gear if they prefer. After having multiple people use his maxtrax, one person asked to use their own. They worked to get them out, but snapped in half in the process. This was in the exact same "ditch" that a dozen people just used the one set of maxtrax in. And those maxtrax are used for this training over and over again for this class, and personal use. So far he has only broken 1 maxtrax. And I got to witness that, as we were using 8 maxtrax under a stuck ram 3500 in a ditch towing a car trailer with a lifted wrangler on it. That maxtrax actually cracked the long way. He has since used some plastic weld with some metal stitches to fix the crack and it's been holding up for UTV use.

 

Here's a great picture showing testing on a Maxtrax. They can deform like this, but will still be flat once the load is removed. Please note, this isn't to test the ability to ramp over an obstacle with a maxtrax, they are way too flexy for that, this is just to show how much they can deform.

 

I have Max’s and the ARB boards. Both work well. I also have used cheap ones that others have owned and they have worked. Some will be good for several uses others more.

I’m not going to play any one set off over another. I can hear the fan boys snarling in the background now. 330 bucks is a chunk of change to plunk down for traction boards if you have never used them before or don’t know when or if you will need them, much less the differences between them or what would benefit you the most.

My recommendation is to take a recovery class as mentioned. The worthwhile classes will have different types available to use. Never take recommendations on products/gear without trying them out first yourself. Just my 2 pesos worth.

 

A guy in our group has some he's used extensively, they are not Matraxx, but were less than half the price. They've held up very well over the years. There is a YouTube video out there with a comparison. Maxtraxx won, and some were truly rubbish, but there were a couple options that did well for far less $$

 

Yeah I wouldn’t use them often but would like to have them in a pinch if needed. I go out of state hunting a lot and use my taco for it and I am typically by myself so I thought about getting some after my buddy this past fall got his tundra stuck in snow, that maybe they would be useful for me to have incase. So like I said they wouldn’t get used often but would be nice to have in the situation. I also am probably not experienced enough to understand all the opportunities I could be using them that I haven’t in the past years.

 

I’m gonna purchase the x-bill brand as they are much cheaper. For me personally, the main use will be leveling the truck for camping, not so much recovery.

We’ve been know to get quite a bit some snow from time to time, so I may find them useful just in case.

My needs don’t qualify for the best of the best though.

 

This thread has a comparison video from very passionate folk from Australia who set out more to destroy traction boards than to test them. Some is entertaining, some is terrifying how cruel they can be to innocent defenseless pieces of plastic.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/not-payin-300-for-recovery-boards-nope-so-whats-left.796093/

 

I bought the X-Bull traction boards and used them this winter. They had good reviews on YouTube, the forums, and Amazon so I opted for them for the price.

I used them 4 separate times when I got stuck in the snow and they worked every single time. Had to use them in a blizzard one time, that was fun. No cracks or worn down knobs (didnt spin tires hard on them). Get a shovel as well you will need to do some digging.

Those traction boards plus a shovel 100% saved my ass multiple times.