Strapping In With The Stryder UX 500
Story and Photos By: Dan Delasantos
If you’re a UTV owner, chances are you own several (or many) tiedowns, and even more likely they are now all wadded up and tangled like Christmas tree lights stored in a box somewhere. At first glance, Stryder’s newly designed UX 500 compact ratchet system was surprisingly different from standard ratchets, and what makes it so attractive to the weekend warrior is the compact retractable strap.
The first thing to admire is the function of not allowing the excess unused strap to flap in the wind, which would eventually damage the strap over time. The large locking spool holds and protects the majority of the 12 feet of strap that comes with this system, and there is even a place to secure the strap hooks. Stryder took their storage design a step further and positioned connecting clips on each side to secure several ratchets together. These features make this one of the best compact stored tiedowns we have seen for your arsenal of weekend ride tools.
When we used the UX 500 for the first time it took a minute to grasp the difference in how it worked, but was easy once we unclipped and pulled the components from their stored positions. With a 500 lb. working load capacity, this strap easily secured our extra belongings and stowaway gear containers in the rear trunk and storage rack above the UTV.
While the design and load capacity were ample to hold everything, we still took a moment along the way to check for strap tension and item security. They worked perfectly the entire time. Over time with heavy use we suggest keeping an eye on some of the lighter made plastic components for wear and tear.
It took a few minutes to wind them up and determine how to get the hooks in their sleeves but at the end of the day, the UX 500’s were secured and clipped together in a third of the space we normally taken up by ratchets and their loosely wound straps. The price is a little higher than your average ratchet set, but then again this is no ordinary tiedown!
MSRP: $37.99 – Pack of 2
Website: https://stryderstraps.com