Are Recovery / Traction Boards Actually Useful?

[ORACLE Terry]

I have used recovery boards with success. They might not be the absolute best recovery tool out there, but they are quite possibly the easiest and simplest. If you want to have peace of mind in the mud or snow, then it doesn't hurt to have them.

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[Haelous]

These look nice with the jack base. At least there is a 2nd use for taking up space.

This is something I've seen quite often in review videos for traction boards. The inexpensive, more firm boards with less flex seem to work better as jacking points in soft dirt or sand.

 

[vrtical]

I have the Ford orange ones, never used them and only take them if its super muddy out. I also I have a boat load of recovery gear that I have never used, but I have it because the one time you don't have it, you might need it. I have a mount setup to my tire strap that holds my boards and a 3 gallon gas rotopax.

 

[1st 75th ranger]

I have read an insane amount of debate on this topic on forums. I've seen many YouTube videos of people reviewing them and using them to free Tacomas, 4Runners, and Wranglers. At the same time, I see people saying they weren't really stuck or just digging and shoving a couple rocks down there is all they needed to do.

I am a novice and it's difficult to know if these are worth investing in, and to what degree, ex: X-Bull / Bunker / Maxsa vs Maxtrax / Actiontrax / ARB Tred Pro. My understanding is the latter are good for many uses while the prior are good for a couple uses.

Have people here actually gotten stuck with the Bronco and used recovery boards to get out of:

• Snow
• Mud
• Sand

Could you post any pics/videos?

I apologize if this question seems mildly repetitive. It feels like this topic ends up a bit circular so I'm hoping to avoid that with some evidence.

yes
iv used them numerous times in numerous way not just the obvious ways noted

 

[Boss Broncos]

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/big-green-badlands-build.64818/post-1868395

They don't take up a lot of space, they are secure and out of the sun. The one time I used them they didn't work but I'm not experienced enough to know if it was the boards or me.

We've sold the Exitrax brand since they were introduced in the US. We previously sold the TREDs before ARB took them over. The TREDs had numerous warranty issues except with the PROs, which are nice! The Exitrax have been durable and I haven't helped with any warranty claims!

I personally carry the smaller 930s too purely due to size. They fit nicely inside my 2 door. However the Ultimate Exitrax are by far the most popular due to having the optional link/jack base accessory. Leashes are included as well. They've been unavailable for months after cutting ties with their US Distributor, so we are importing them directly from Australia. We have 4 pallets currently on the water due in about a month.

I've never had to use them and just recently installed a winch. But it's a good option for those travelling alone to remote places, and especially useful in sand, mud, and snow. However they shouldn't be the only tool in your recovery kit! Make sure you have a good snatch strap, shackle, shovel, and even a snatch block. Also, airing down your tires helps a lot too! Carry a small compressor as well as a tire repair kit too. Hi-Lift Jacks are also a great recovery tool.

 

[Haelous]

We've sold the Exitrax brand since they were introduced in the US. We previously sold the TREDs before ARB took them over. The TREDs had numerous warranty issues except with the PROs, which are nice! The Exitrax have been durable and I haven't helped with any warranty claims!

I personally carry the smaller 930s too purely do to size. They fit nicely inside my 2 door. However the Ultimate Exitrax are by far the most popular due to having the optional link/jack base accessory. Leashes are included as well. They've been unavailable for months after cutting ties with their US Distributor, so we are importing them directly from Australia. We have 4 pallets currently on the water due in about a month.

I've never had to use them and just recently installed a winch. But it's a good option for those travelling alone to remote places, and especially useful in sand, mud, and snow. However they shouldn't be the only tool in your recovery kit! Make sure you have a good snatch strap, shackle, shovel, and sven a snatch block. Also, airing down your tires helps a lot too! Carry a small compressor as well as a tire repair kit too. Hi-Lift Jacks are also a great recovery tool.

That sucks that they cut ties with their US distributor. That explains why they've all but vanished.

Do you have more of the storage bags and links coming too?

 

[Boss Broncos]

That sucks that they cut ties with their US distributor. That explains why they've all but vanished.

Do you have more of the storage bags and links coming too?

Yes, everything! 3 of the 4 pallets are just Exitrax boards. Some new colors too! One pallet is all the accessories including mounts, links and bags, as well as Mean Mother recovery gear. New products include soft shackles and these deflators.

We have already pre-sold about 50 sets of Exitrax! They are a great product for the price so we are glad we were able to work with them directly and get them back to the US!

 

[Haelous]

Yes, everything! 3 of the 4 pallets are just Exitrax boards. Some new colors too! One pallet is all the accessories including mounts, links and bags, as well as Mean Mother recovery gear. New products include soft shackles and these deflators.

We have already pre-sold about 50 sets of Exitrax! They are a great product for the price so we are glad we were able to work with them directly and get them back to the US!

New colors of the Ultimate aside from black and grey?

 

[SeptuagenarianSasquatch]

I've never had to use them and just recently installed a winch. But it's a good option for those travelling alone to remote places, and especially useful in sand, mud, and snow. However they shouldn't be the only tool in your recovery kit! Make sure you have a good snatch strap, shackle, shovel, and sven a snatch block. Also, airing down your tires helps a lot too! Carry a small compressor as well as a tire repair kit too. Hi-Lift Jacks are also a great recovery tool.

SesquatenarianSasquatch's Law: The more recovery gear you carry, the less likely you will ever need it.

 

[Haelous]

SesquatenarianSasquatch's Law: The more recovery gear you carry, the less likely you will ever need it.

All I have to do is load my Bronco up with crap and I'll never get stuck, problem solved!

 

[robepa]

They're damned useful on the beach and in snow. A shovel doesn't always help, especially if you've gotten through sand on the beach and down into marsh mud. You don't always have something to winch to.

I see them as a tool, and their usefulness is not a yes/no answer. Depending on how you wheel they could be useless to essential. I don't take them in the summer, however they are so useful for snow. Often times there is not a winch point close enough, or in the direction you want to go. I even carry an 80' winch line extension for snow wheeling now.

I find them most useful in soft snow when you break thru. I dig down to place them at or below the wheel level so the tires drop onto them and use them as a runway to gain momentum to get back on top of the surface. It's a lot of work so they are generally my lest favorite but sometimes only option.

Given the cost and space I would not be in a rush to get them if your new.

 

[Boss Broncos]

New colors of the Ultimate aside from black and grey?

Aqua blue Ultimates, and Red 1100s.

 

[Fmuguira]

“Matt from Matt's Off-Road Recovery says that if you can get yourself out with a recovery board you weren't really stuck LOL. Not sure if that's an absolute truth, but I've been in a spot or two where they might have been handy. Not often enough to lug those damned things around everywhere”

Think I d spend money on winch and tire chains first … for years that’s what guys used. A shovel, gloves ( to gather brush, rocks, etc) were the recovery boards of old. Everyone’s money thus do what you feel best about.

(The Boards do look cool when Mall Crawling though …)

 

[UtahBrandon]

Like most (all?) of my recovery gear I carry mine as insurance more than anything as I like to get way out and away from people. That was also the catalyst to design the mounting brackets that I carry on my website - it keeps all of that gear tucked so far out of the way to the point where I forget I'm even carrying it anymore.

I used my ARB boards on the river bank to help these guys that lost their transfer case. I wouldn't say it was exclusively the boards that got them out, but a combination of available resources that got them out - traction boards included.

 

[Black_Stallion13]

Like others have said, they are nice to have - especially if you fancy going out by yourself. Yes, a winch will usually work better and you should have both if going out alone anyways, but if I don’t HAVE to unspool my winch I don’t want to… don’t want to hassle with cleaning it and re-tensioning it all the time for small stuff a board might get me out of. If riding with others, the tow rope is usually easier too. There are times the board is the right tool for the job. Would a 2x6 work just as well a lot of THOSE times? Probably. But it’s nice to carry around something that can be mounted seamlessly and looks good on the vehicle, out of the way when they aren’t being used 99% of the time lol

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