Maxtrax Review; are they really worth the money?

You know that feeling when you are driving through the soft stuff and your car begins to sink and come to a halt? Those who have done much 4WDing on the beach, in  soft snow or in sloppy mud will know what I am talking about. Getting your car out of one of these situations can be difficult and stressful using the conventional recovery methods like snatch straps, winches or even a shovel.

That is of course, unless you own a set of Maxtrax. I purchased a set of Maxtrax many years ago now, and have been very impressed with them. Once you have seen how well they work, I guarantee you will want a set too! There’s been a few new models that have come out since too, and they are still the best traction aid on the market.

To see a more up to date review, check this out – Maxtrax are amazing.

Maxtrax
Using Maxtrax to recover a stuck 4WD

What are Maxtrax?

Maxtrax are an innovative recovery device made from engineering grade reinforced nylon. To use them, you simply dig away a few shovel loads from your tyres (and they can be used as shovels), lay them down and drive onto them.

They provide the traction needed to lift your vehicle out of the dirt quickly, safely and easily. Now, I know what you are thinking – these can’t be as good as I am making them out to be. If you don’t believe they work so well, have a look at our video below, at 3:05

YouTube video

It’s not just me that thinks Maxtrax are a brilliant way to get out of trouble. Have a look at the four wheel drives that you see set up for touring and hardcore 4WDing in your local area. Many drive around with Maxtrax on their roof racks, or in their vehicles. There are thousands of people throughout the world that own Maxtrax – the product speaks for itself.

Other reviews:

Bruce, Across OZ, Queensland, Australia, January 2011.

“I just wanted to let you know that the MAXTRAX came through with flying colours for the trip and we simply could not have done it without them. Incredibly in the 14,500 km journey, we only had to use them once, but gee we were glad we had them when the ute got well and truly bogged on the Birdsville Track.”

David, Kilsyth South, Victoria, Australia, March 2011.

“I just had to put “pen to paper” and provide some feedback on MAXTRAX. In the Victorian High Country last weekend, it had rained overnight, so on returning home, we encountered some recently graded bush tracks/roads that had been turned into a slippery and sloppy mess. Whilst traversing a bend on an uphill section, the vehicle understeered (perhaps a little too much right foot !!) and came to a halt in the soft graded dirt on the side of the road. Being an uphill gradient, traction was nigh impossible, particulary with a tonne of camper trailer hanging off the back. Whilst arrangements were made with our travelling companions ahead of us to return with extra snatch and winch extension straps, we thought we would give the MAXTRAX a go. I was amazed at how well they worked. We fed them under the back wheels because that was where the most weight was and through trying both front and back, the best results were to be had. On each application, we were able to gain 3 or 4 metres before the spinning wheels halted our forward progress again. We repeated this process about 6 times until finally the vehicle could gain enough traction to get underway again. I now feel confident in the knowledge that our MAXTRAX perform as stated and they will get us out of strife when needed.This was the first time we have had to use the MAXTRAX, but they really saved us from what could have been a protracted recovery process. To my mind, they paid for themselves there and then. They were somewhat of a pain to clean when we got home, but what a small price to pay in the big scheme of things !!”

Kevin & Nicola, Adelaide, South Australia, February 2011.

“After seeing your product demonstrated on TV, we purchased one set as a precaution for a recent beach camping holiday at Coffin Bay Nat Park over Christmas.  We were so pleased that we did – after a week of constant holiday traffic the sandy track that we had entered the park on was cut up beyond belief when it came time for use to leave.  Despite low pressure in the tyres and low range, we still got bogged.  Thankfully the MAXTRAX were on the roof rack and we quickly had them under and tyres and on our way out of the bog!  We were not the only ones to benefit as we help two more campers who came through the same stretch behind us – guess what? They were off to buy MAXTRAX for themselves once they got home!  A great product for all 4×4 enthusiasts, both experienced and novice! …only thought to grab the camera after we were out and on solid ground.  As is often the case, it doesn’t really show how bad the sand was – oh and did I mention it was 44 degrees? We were towing a trailer and both other sets of people we helped out were towing boats. We had only been able to buy one set as our local BCF only had one set left  when I went to get them.  The remarkable thing was that even with the trailers, the MAXTRAX still worked, just by using them on the front tyres!Thanks for an awesome product!”

Ben, Moab, Utah, USA, January 2011.

“I just wanted to take a second to thank you again for your amazing product. Your product has gotten me out of some pretty impossible situations.  I use them quite frequently and recommend them to all of my friends and clients.  If you have any new products that you would like displayed at the Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah, please let me know.  I would be happy to endorse any of your amazing inventions!”

Nick, Saudi Arabia, January 2010.

“Just got back from Oman and a crossing of the Wahbia Sands.  My friends’ Landcruiser kept getting stuck and I put my two pairs of MAXTRAX to full use for a couple of days.  Fantastic product.  They just work, brilliantly.  I love them.  My winch now feels rejected.”

Jeurgen, 4WD Novice, Dortmund, Germany, May 2009.

“We purchased a pair of MAXTRAX for our trip through the Simpson Desert last year. We travelled the whole length of the French Line – learning to drive in the sand the hard way. We were really impressed by the excellent performance of our MAXTRAX. Being novices, we got bloody bogged in the dune tops many times, but the MAXTRAX got us out again and again. I highly recommend this valuable equipment for any remote area travelling in Oz. No matter if you’re stuck in the sand or in the mud – this fantastic equipment will save you a lot of digging time. Being a volunteer fire fighter, I would especially recommend MAXTRAX to all emergency services in the outback. Our next trip starts end of May. This time the MAXTRAX will be seen in action along the Canning Stock Route. I have already advised our friends in our second vehicle to purchase a second pair of MAXTRAX.”

Brendan, Hervey Bay, QLD.  January 2008

“While on Fraser Island we helped out a Troopcarrier loaded with backpackers with the MAXTRAX, they worked a treat. It still amazes me how good they work!”

Jane and John, Perth, WA.  April 2007

“Please pass on how impressed I am by your company’s service. It was fantastic and I went happily off to play with the MAXTRAX for the week. Very impressed with the weight and size as both of us are not very big and I can get them on the roof rack of our Landcruiser 79 series trayback without any trouble at all. We have the Trayon camper on our vehicle which is also a Brisbane manufacturer. Must be something in the air that makes you lot so innovative!”

I’d like to encourage you to look around for independent reviews of Maxtrax. Jump on the four wheel drive forums and Youtube, and read through the discussions. You will find that people who have purchased Maxtrax and used them are all very impressed with how well they work. Of course, there are always those who say ‘they are too expensive’, or ‘they aren’t worth their money’ but they are usually the ones who don’t have a set or haven’t seen them in action!

When you consider the cost of a winch, camping gear and four wheel drive accessories, the cost of Maxtrax is negligible. At the very least, they are known as ‘cheap insurance’. What would it cost you if you were to get stuck on the beach with the tide coming in, or stuck in the outback for days because you couldn’t get out? These are especially valuable for those travelling without a second vehicle.

Maxtrax come with a 7 day return policy and a 12 month faulty manufacturing warranty. Just recently the new version of Maxtrax was released – the MKII. I have a set of these as well, and they are even better than the originals. If you want more information, you can read my original post; Maxtrax

Where can I buy Maxtrax?

The easiest place to purchase these is online. Alternatively, most camping and four wheel drive accessory shops sell Maxtrax.

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7 Comments

  1. Hey Jason,

    Yep, they are repairable these days. We find it easier just to reduce the wheel spin and stop the damage, but either way works

    All the best
    Aaron

  2. I recently watched a video online where someone restored an old set of the original Maxtrax by buffing back, drilling and then installing a replacement steel knob.

  3. Thanks for the comment Fred,

    They will wear out quickly if you spin your tyres, and I suppose with such weight it only takes a few revolutions to do it. I’ve learned to let the clutch out enough to make the wheels turn a bit, and if they don’t bite instantly I adjust the Maxtrax. Generally it is either a) the Maxtrax are on too steep of an angle or b) they aren’t pushed under the wheels enough.

    Aaron

  4. I tried mine for the first time yesterday and whilst i believe they are a great product i can confirm that they melt really easily on highway tyres with just a few revolutions of the tyre. i lost traction on the fronts and maybe did 2-3 full revolutions of the front tyres before stopping and the lugs were melted flat. I dont blame the MaxTrax as i believe you need chunky tyres to pick up the lugs which simply cant get into the tred on highway tyres. Still a great and easy way to get out but be careful of wheel spin on highway tyres.

  5. G’day James,

    Spinning your tyres on them is not a good idea, but it does depend on how fast you spin them and what tyres you have. I’ve found that highway terrains are the worst for damaging Maxtrax, especially if you spin them quickly.

    Have a good one
    Aaron

  6. dont spin your tires on them or you WILL destroy the traction knobs.

  7. This looks like a great product. I watched for years as my dad helped out stranded drivers on the beaches. With this, they could have got themselves out of trouble. Nice post