Since they have a minuscule blast radius and also do very little damage, they’re useless against machines imo. But they’re great for detonating environmental traps that normally take more than one shot, for example cars and those big stationary fuel tanks.
Just in case someone doesn’t know.
Hey thanks.
Generally I avoid picking traps, my combat is relavitely fast and even smoke grenade is slowing the game for me. When overwhelmed I take cover and defend myself there.
How often do you guys use explosive traps?
I’m curious 
I’ve noticed that traps only work if and only machines are in an area where you can hear them.
I have used traps, land mines & fuel cells, in a boxed in area where I don’t want any bots sneaking in the back door.
I want to use them more, but honestly it takes too long to switch to the right equipment. I see a spot that would be good, and then dismiss the idea of messing with the slow inventory and just attack Leroy style. Wish it wasn’t so, but maybe I’m lazy.
I like to set traps once I have gathered enough explosives that it is beginning to become an inventory issue. I find that traps are rarely that effective, but if you have a good lure (cannot be a player) and some decent luck you can take down something like a FNIX tank without firing a single shot. The biggest issue that I encounter is that hunters often set of my mines prematurely. It would be great if we had a better way to predict AI patrol paths.
They can be effective sometimes but usually the bigger machines don’t get where the trap is set.
Tenebris made a series of trap videos where he explaines about 2000 traps and with every video I honestly just tought: Throw a mixture of explosives and emps on the ground and trap is done.
It can be quite effective to kill many smaller faster machines when using radios or lures to attract them. Thats the only way i use traps regularly.