TRED PRO Opinions/Experience?

[BlackWorksInc]

Came accross the "TRED PRO" series of recovery ramps a little while ago. Apparently they fixed the center cracking issues that the 1100's had and are making the PROs out of a dual polymer construction so the nubs don't wear out when the wheels spin.

Aside from the Kickstarter videos I haven't seen any real world reviews, testing, or anything on these things. They've supposedly been in the wild since last year. Anyone have any real world experience with them?

I am debating if I want to get a set to test against my MaxTraxs (I love my MaxTrax, but a couple times of wheel spin and some of the nubs are eaten up...). But at about $300 a set of 2, that's MaxTrax territory and given the 1100's similar, but ultimately sub-par quality I am a bit hesitant to consider it (not to mention I found it weird the company did crowd funding for their R&D budget rather than investing their profits like most companies do.)

 

[wadle5]

Came accross the "TRED PRO" series of recovery ramps a little while ago. Apparently they fixed the center cracking issues that the 1100's had and are making the PROs out of a dual polymer construction so the nubs don't wear out when the wheels spin.

Aside from the Kickstarter videos I haven't seen any real world reviews, testing, or anything on these things. They've supposedly been in the wild since last year. Anyone have any real world experience with them?

I am debating if I want to get a set to test against my MaxTraxs (I love my MaxTrax, but a couple times of wheel spin and some of the nubs are eaten up...). But at about $300 a set of 2, that's MaxTrax territory and given the 1100's similar, but ultimately sub-par quality I am a bit hesitant to consider it (not to mention I found it weird the company did crowd funding for their R&D budget rather than investing their profits like most companies do.)

I have the Treds and believe it or not are not just for decoration and actually used them. For me handling those and the wife in the drivers seat they seemed to work great.

 

[HOJeepster]

TRD PRO ARE STUPID DOUCHEDOZERS AND GAVE ME HERPES.

wait wrong thread sorry

From my research on traction boards, I looked at Treds, Maxtrax, and Smittybilt. Give the $300 price tag, I'm opting for the Smittybilt at $149. I don't plan on using them often, and $300 is a lot of money for some extra plastic bling attached to the truck.

 

[CXS]

I've chosen some old carpeting cut into strips about 3' long and 1' wide. They roll up for easy storage, cost next to nothing and haven't failed me yet.

:thumb3:

 

[HOJeepster]

I've chosen some old carpeting cut into strips about 3' long and 1' wide. They roll up for easy storage, cost next to nothing and haven't failed me yet.

:thumb3:

I've also read you can make your own boards with cut up milk crates tied together with string for some traction on the cheap.

 

[bofa]

I've chosen some old carpeting cut into strips about 3' long and 1' wide. They roll up for easy storage, cost next to nothing and haven't failed me yet.

:thumb3:

I like that. And if you dont have carpet lying around, HD and Lowes usually have scraps on the cheap or for free.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

I have the Treds and believe it or not are not just for decoration and actually used them. For me handling those and the wife in the drivers seat they seemed to work great.

I've heard the TREDs do well they just seem to eventually crack in the center from most accounts (though they function almost or as good as the MaxTrax).

From my research on traction boards, I looked at Treds, Maxtrax, and Smittybilt. Give the $300 price tag, I'm opting for the Smittybilt at $149. I don't plan on using them often, and $300 is a lot of money for some extra plastic bling attached to the truck.

I did a lot of research as well before getting my Maxtrax and the Smittybuilts are fairly fragile, so maybe 1 use or more if you're lucky from what I've read. The TREDs had issues cracking in the center after a while.

I don't plan on using my MaxTraxs often either, but I end up using them a bit. I was playing around in our parking lot at work and got the 4Runner stuck in a snow bank after work; was in 4Lo & Center Diff Locked and I had managed to bury the rear axle. Threw the MaxTraxs under the rear wheels and made my way home with no issues. I've ended up using them quite a bit and have been very happy with the investment (I got mine for like $250 on a group buy) as it's helped the 4Runner out a few times now.

It's like most any other recovery gear, you don't plan on using it; but it's extremely nice to have.

I've chosen some old carpeting cut into strips about 3' long and 1' wide. They roll up for easy storage, cost next to nothing and haven't failed me yet. :thumb3:

I could see that working in most cases, I've seen people try and use floor mats to some effect. Not sure it'd work great in the snow though; I could see them loading up with ice extremely easily, not to mention trying to fish them under the tires when you're buried in snow doesn't sound fun. The times I've needed the MaxTrax has been in snow and once in a mushy/slushy/muddy pit (figures, I go to the mountains to play in clean snow and I find the one unfrozen mudhole in all the mountain after I get myself stuck pulling a guy's 2WD truck out of the snow lol) and we used those as ramps as well to help tug me out (the edge of the pond/mudhole was a good foot or two sheer face).

I've also read you can make your own boards with cut up milk crates tied together with string for some traction on the cheap.

That should work also, though the issue becomes getting the wheel to properly grab the front edge of the milk crates and hopefully not just crack them.

~

Seems like no one has played with the TRED Pro yet though, was really curious about their claim that they hold up better and resist wheel spin better.

 

[hounddogman]

I have a set of the TRED PROs but I've not needed them yet . I think I'll do a little testing this weekend to make sure I can trust them . I'll let you know how it goes .

 

[hounddogman]

TRED PRO review

Ok so I tested out the Tred Pros and took a bunch of pictures but I'm having trouble uploading them except the ones I took after . First I found a snow drift about 3 feet deep and drove into it until I got stuck . Throw down the Treds and backed right out . All right ,that was too easy . Found a steep bank probably about 50-60 degrees and 4 foot tall , mix of loose dirt and snow and laid them on it and climbed up with very little spinning . Excellent traction and no damage from the spinning but it was hardly any . I did have the rear locker engaged . Next up was a 16 inch log . I laid one down leaving the middle unsupported and drove on up . I stopped about halfway up to see how much it was flexing and it was a 2-3 inch bow . I laid the 2nd Tred on the other side of the log and went up and over with the front axle of the 4Runner . I drove forward a little and stopped and made sure the rear tire was lined up and drove on up and came crashing down the other side . I got out and looked and sure enough , I broke the end of the 2nd Tred . I'm pretty sure what happened was the 2nd Tred slid forward a little when the front tire went over and it was barely sitting on the log when the rear tire hit it . I should've checked when I lined up the rear but I forgot to . So yes I broke one but I think it was my fault . I've never used the maxtraxs but I would not expect any plastic ramp to support a vehicle with only a couple of inches of bearing . Temperature was high 20's . It might have survived on a warmer day . Now we'll see how TREDs customer service is .

 

[hikenbike]

I got these a couple of years ago at Costco but never needed to use them yet. They are very grippy but may not last beyond one or two uses but for the "rare if ever" use they seem like they'll do the job......and they're cheap.

http://argonaut-traction.com


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Unner]

[MENTION=102573]hounddogman[/MENTION]

So you used your TredPros to "bridge" a gap sorta?

Interested to hear how their customer service is also. I've got a set myself but never used them.

 

[hounddogman]

[MENTION=102573]hounddogman[/MENTION]

So you used your TredPros to "bridge" a gap sorta?

Interested to hear how their customer service is also. I've got a set myself but never used them.

Yeah , sorta . I was just messing around on my property seeing what these treds would do and was thinking this could be a quicker way of crossing a log across the trail , compered to cutting it up or winching it to the side . I've done both in the past . I set up a couple of pictures to show what I did . I'm home ,bored waiting for the weather to get better to go back to work . Using a smaller log than before I set it up the same way . See how the 2nd tred is barely on the log ? I think this is what happened .

 

[Unner]

Yeah , sorta . I was just messing around on my property seeing what these treds would do and was thinking this could be a quicker way of crossing a log across the trail , compered to cutting it up or winching it to the side . I've done both in the past . I set up a couple of pictures to show what I did . I'm home ,bored waiting for the weather to get better to go back to work . Using a smaller log than before I set it up the same way . See how the 2nd tred is barely on the log ? I think this is what happened .

Gotcha, glad to see that they hold the weight of the truck like that though. I had wondered if they would hold up to that or just crack in the middle. Sorry I didn't respond sooner, I forgot about this thread and just remembered I posted in here.