Need Ground Protection Mat Recommendations

[Reach]

I had liberty mats- bought them used cheap from Matrax. Held up well, slightly flimsy. Held the warp for a while. I've moved to Duradek from Signature Systems. Not as flimsy, slightly heavier, doesn't hold the warp as long. Some have hand holds and some don't. I'm not happy with that. They were around 185 shipped to MD People love alturnamats but I personally didn't consider them based on the company who is the distributor for them.

I’ve used the Duradeck as well (our main Crain company carries 20 on each crane), and I like them, but they’ve broken a couple, on curbs and such, and we’ve never broken our Alturnamats.

That being said, I like the milder tread on one side of the Duradecks, it seems friendlier to drive on and definitely nicer to walk on, and I’m not aware of having traction trouble with them yet.

 

[flushcut]

I bought the Duradeck on sale. So far so good. The pedestrian friendly surface is nice under tracks and you can do a 360 on them no problem and they stay put. We ended up cutting in hand holds with a router and a 1/4" carbide.

 

[Steve Connally]

I bought the Duradeck on sale. So far so good. The pedestrian friendly surface is nice under tracks and you can do a 360 on them no problem and they stay put. We ended up cutting in hand holds with a router and a 1/4" carbide.

being the antithesis of a handy man or any kind of skilled labor most people can do. Can you tell me how you did the hand holds. Pretend I don't know anything about a router and explain the process LOL

 

[Serf Life]

We almost exclusively use mats for the mini and currently use 1/2 plywood (~40lbs), same size alturna is 86lbs. Schlepping 10 sheets across a lawn sounds real crappy esp alone.

 

[flushcut]

being the antithesis of a handy man or any kind of skilled labor most people can do. Can you tell me how you did the hand holds. Pretend I don't know anything about a router and explain the process LOL

Ok. I measured my hand and my guys hands and came up with a hole of 6.5 by 2 set back about two inches from the side on the mat. I then looked at the mats and noticed there were marks made from the manufacturing process and they were all in the same spot and a mirror image if folded in half. I uses a hole saw and a jig saw to make a template that I lined up on these makers marks and clamped it in place with two deap reach Vise Grips. The template is 1/2" plywood scrap but I could have used 1/4" if I had any. The router is just a Porter Cable wood router setup with a template collar. The 1/4" carbide is a two flute end cutting or plunge cutting bit. Plunge the router thru the mat and trace the template. Real easy!
We could cut four holes in a mat in 3 minutes 20 seconds ( yes we timed it).
Did that help?

I should add we placed a garbage can under the cut as most of the cuttings drop straight down. You do get a bit of a mess but it's not horrible.

 

[flushcut]

We almost exclusively use mats for the mini and currently use 1/2 plywood (~40lbs), same size alturna is 86lbs. Schlepping 10 sheets across a lawn sounds real crappy esp alone.

I use forks or the BMG to pinch four sheets at a time. Forks with the mats alone isn't all that bad.

 

[Steve Connally]

Ok. I measured my hand and my guys hands and came up with a hole of 6.5 by 2 set back about two inches from the side on the mat. I then looked at the mats and noticed there were marks made from the manufacturing process and they were all in the same spot and a mirror image if folded in half. I uses a hole saw and a jig saw to make a template that I lined up on these makers marks and clamped it in place with two deap reach Vise Grips. The template is 1/2" plywood scrap but I could have used 1/4" if I had any. The router is just a Porter Cable wood router setup with a template collar. The 1/4" carbide is a two flute end cutting or plunge cutting bit. Plunge the router thru the mat and trace the template. Real easy!
We could cut four holes in a mat in 3 minutes 20 seconds ( yes we timed it).
Did that help?

I should add we placed a garbage can under the cut as most of the cuttings drop straight down. You do get a bit of a mess but it's not horrible.

Excellent Thank you. Now I have to decide if its worth going out and buying the router LOL

 

[ATH]

Excellent Thank you. Now I have to decide if its worth going out and buying the router LOL

This one is only $24 at Amazon

 

[flushcut]

Excellent Thank you. Now I have to decide if its worth going out and buying the router LOL

Buy a cheap Horrible Fright one but spend the money on a good carbide. My guys really like the hand holds. I plan on cutting some on the short side next rain day.

 

[flushcut]

This one is only $24 at Amazon

Oh you cheeky bastard!

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Template routing hand holds is the best solution.

An alternative is getting a large hole saw and use a drill. The hole saw should be carbide or diamond tipped combined with a powerful drill. I'd use CAD to figure out the diameter and location from the edge of the hole first...Cardboard Aided Design.

 

[Steve Connally]

Thanks guys. Not much of a carpenter.

 

[Treetopflyer]

I paid 169 per mat with hand holds cut , good bad or ugly?

We almost exclusively use mats for the mini and currently use 1/2 plywood (~40lbs), same size alturna is 86lbs. Schlepping 10 sheets across a lawn sounds real crappy esp alone.

Our 3 by 6 are easy to move no way 86 lbs each . Maybe the 4 by 8 are 86 ,that's to big

 

[Serf Life]

Mini is over 3’ wide and can 360 on a 4x8.

 

[Stumpsprouts]

We almost exclusively use mats for the mini and currently use 1/2 plywood (~40lbs), same size alturna is 86lbs. Schlepping 10 sheets across a lawn sounds real crappy esp alone.

Oh, yes it is for real quite shitty. I wanted to cut them in half and make them easier to move. Make less trips to the chiropractor. Half would be too small though, I think a good size would be 4x5, maybe.

 

[Stumpsprouts]

I paid 169 per mat with hand holds cut , good bad or ugly?

Our 3 by 6 are easy to move no way 86 lbs each . Maybe the 4 by 8 are 86 ,that's to big

How do you orient the mini on the 3x6? Like Serf Life said, mini tracks would be too wide for 3’.

 

[southsoundtree]

We almost exclusively use mats for the mini and currently use 1/2 plywood (~40lbs), same size alturna is 86lbs. Schlepping 10 sheets across a lawn sounds real crappy esp alone.

Must use the mini or Arbor Trolley or hand truck.

Alturnalinks are great helps sometimes.

Plywood doesn't burn lawn the same way!!! A plus!

 

[Al_trees]

The four footers are a bear to move around. The 3x8s are the way to go. Translucent not the black ones they burn the lawn.

 

[Treetopflyer]

How do you orient the mini on the 3x6? Like Serf Life said, mini tracks would be too wide for 3’.

Wide ways on the alturnas in some cases . We have enough 90percent of the time have good friends with more if I need . Depends on the site. We have around 50 mats between them and notch mats.. with more alturnas coming lol the 3 by 6 are so easy to move they seem best for us

 

[colb]

Stump grinders will chew them up though, those things will eat anything!

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