# Stall mats for ground protection?



## priest (Mar 8, 2010)

I'm on the verge of breaking down and ordering 8 Alturnamats for 1600 plus tax since the ground hasn't dried up here in 5 months, and one of my employees suggested trying stall mats like he uses in his horse trailers. 
I know they aren't designed for vehicles, but I am wondering if they might work OK, and for 30 bucks for a 4 x 8 mat, that would be a cheap deal. You could cut them in half for two 2 x 8 mats at 15 bucks each. I think the ones I've seen are 3/4 inch.
Any thoughts?


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## kajudude (Mar 8, 2010)

we have a lumber yard here that sels seconds on plywood,usualy 6.00 a sheet cheap deal till the ground drys up and easy for the groundies to handle
might look around and see if you have a lumber liquidation company where you are might find a good deal;


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## ozarktreeman (Mar 8, 2010)

I have the altura,s and they are worth the money.My bucket wieghs 21000pds and I put these mats down and not one mark on the best of lawns,have tryed plywood and stall mats.No good IMOP.Yea there pricey and apitha to unload but be sure to gets hooks to move them on ground not bad.


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## treemandan (Mar 8, 2010)

I was at the park yesterday pusshing my kid on the swings, to keep the ruts down they had place rubber mats underneath. While not as thick as the real Alturnamats they looked like they would do the trick but i use strips of thinner plywood... or I just go commando.


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## kajudude (Mar 8, 2010)

those ultramats are great but seems a little pricy to me for somethig your not goin to use every day,you can cut plywood into real easy and you can store it anyware its out of the
rain and with these tough economic times it is a small investment that will serve the same purpose jmo


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## ozarktreeman (Mar 8, 2010)

treemandan said:


> I was at the park yesterday pusshing my kid on the swings, to keep the ruts down they had place rubber mats underneath. While not as thick as the real Alturnamats they looked like they would do the trick but i use strips of thinner plywood... or I just go commando.




The dan has kids that hang with him.HMM surprising.
But the were getting a free push,hope you wasn't commando.lol


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## ozarktreeman (Mar 8, 2010)

kajudude said:


> those ultramats are great but seems a little pricy to me for somethig your not goin to use every day,you can cut plywood into real easy and you can store it anyware its out of the
> rain and with these tough economic times it is a small investment that will serve the same purpose jmo





Lately I have to use them 50% of the time,dunno trying to make myself look better maybe,heavier truck, but the HOS are impressed.
And yea a pain.


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## newsawtooth (Mar 8, 2010)

Looks like a good idea. The alturnamats are only 1/2" thick, but they fairly rigid. I get the sense that the stall mats are more spongey, even at 3/4". Horses can weigh a ton or more and their weight per surface area of their hooves is more than most equipment. Some mats com from OK, can you check them out? Maybe drive a bobcat over them on a lawn? Two of them would likely work for outrigger pads.


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## treemandan (Mar 8, 2010)

ozarktreeman said:


> The dan has kids that hang with him.HMM surprising.
> But the were getting a free push,hope you wasn't commando.lol




I am surprised myself.
My kid is a shinning star I will have you know







I just feel sorry for the boy she marries.

She's all day long all a day strong. She just keeps coming at you. She was walking before she could crawl and crapping in the tawlet way before it was time. She just turned 4 last weekend end.


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## ozarktreeman (Mar 8, 2010)

treemandan said:


> I am surprised myself.
> My kid is a shinning star I will have you know
> 
> 
> ...



Only thing I have that young any more is my grandaughter,and she a character.you better enjoy because they grow quick. She must get her looks from her mother though.


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## priest (Mar 8, 2010)

I'll go to Atwoods (ranch and home), get one of those mats, and drive the front tire on my big bucket (GMC Topkick) back and forth over it (leaving the other 3 tires on the parking lot) on wet ground and see what happens. Like someone said, the psi applied by a Clydesdale's hoof is way more than a truck or skid loader. If it sucks, hey, it was 30 bucks to find out.
We got 2 inches of rain here today and there's water standing everyway, so I think I can find some soft ground to test it on.


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## PurdueJoe (Mar 9, 2010)

I was wondering the same thing last year when I picked up my bucket and they won't work for a couple reasons. 1. They aren't ridged enough like alturna mats the tire just hot dog buns and sinks in. 2. Even if they did work they are a PIA to move around. Another thing I looked at was to get heavy duty conveyor belting because it was super cheap. That stuff was about 1/2" and stiffer but still didn't protect the ground good enough. I compare the 2 with a sheet of 3/8 or 1/2" plywood and even the thing plywood worked better.


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## RAG66 (Mar 9, 2010)

Nice to see the question asked. I've thought about a bucket for a while now, and the Alturnamats seemed like the best, that price seems high, then the customers question "what about the wagon ruts?" I'd be going with the heavy price tag in a slpit second. It comes down to the finished product. I have really tried to avoid the larger expenses like this but it is hard, I have not made near as much as I could have because I'm growing slow. When I get a bucket truck it will be the Alturnamats all the way....


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## Ellistrees (Mar 9, 2010)

*I've used 3/4 treated plywood and works great for us.*

This is our 3rd and heaviest bucket truck yet and we still use 3/4 plywood with no problems. Not CDX or chip board but actual plywood..We cut the sheets into 2'x 8'.
Scaled the truck out at the local gravel pit just after we got it and it weighed in at 23,500 lbs. 
I've always been very impressed where we are able to get our trucks with plywood. 
Can't say I've ever tried the expensive rubber mats.
Have tried 1/2" couple times and it is a joke, not worth taking on the job.


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## pinesfarm (Mar 9, 2010)

imo the stall mats are way to heavy to be throwing around all day even cut down they will really kill you after a few hours.


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## priest (Mar 9, 2010)

Yeah, I'm sure ya'll are right about the stall mats being too flexible. They are meant to be used on a hard surface, not soft ground, and I fully expect they will just curl up around the tire of a heavy truck. They might work fine for my ASV track machine, but I want something I can use for all the equipment. 
I'll just buy the Alturnamats and hope I can squeeze a few more bucks out of each job for the added quality.
Thanks for the advice from everyone. 
For those of you that have the Alturnamats, do you have the 2 x 8's, and is it fairly easy to stay on top of them with a large bucket truck? For instance, when they are wet and you get close to the edge with a front tire.


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## kennertree (Mar 9, 2010)

I've thought about getting some stall mats, cut some 1/2" plywood in 2x8 pieces and using some adhesive to glue the mats to the plywood. It will make the mats rigid and since its glued to the plywood it will keep the plywood from busting up. It may work, I just wish someone else would try it first to see if it works before I go spend any money trying to do it. Might be too heavy to lug around though.


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## ozarktreeman (Mar 9, 2010)

priest said:


> Yeah, I'm sure ya'll are right about the stall mats being too flexible. They are meant to be used on a hard surface, not soft ground, and I fully expect they will just curl up around the tire of a heavy truck. They might work fine for my ASV track machine, but I want something I can use for all the equipment.
> I'll just buy the Alturnamats and hope I can squeeze a few more bucks out of each job for the added quality.
> Thanks for the advice from everyone.
> For those of you that have the Alturnamats, do you have the 2 x 8's, and is it fairly easy to stay on top of them with a large bucket truck? For instance, when they are wet and you get close to the edge with a front tire.




I have the 4by 8 once you get them on the ground and use the pull hooks with pre drilled holes on all 4 sides of the mat a piece of cake.then u gotta load the bastards back up.that sucks.but there the way to go.imo


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## ozarktreeman (Mar 9, 2010)

kennertree said:


> I've thought about getting some stall mats, cut some 1/2" plywood in 2x8 pieces and using some adhesive to glue the mats to the plywood. It will make the mats rigid and since its glued to the plywood it will keep the plywood from busting up. It may work, I just wish someone else would try it first to see if it works before I go spend any money trying to do it. Might be too heavy to lug around though.




By then you could have bought altura,s.yea times are tough,But if your looking not to make traks.Spend the extra bucks.


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## Menchhofer (Mar 9, 2010)

We have 24 alturnamats. They work great and worth the money. Suggest you get the white ones as they are more friendly to turf in the hot summer months.

Initially we could only afford 12 mats but 12 more makes it much better. The 3 x 8 mats work best for support and we also have a few of the 2 x 8.

I believe the least amount of the mats you can get by with is either 10 or 12 for most applications. Just purchase a few more each year and you will be set.


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## teamtree (Mar 10, 2010)

Pull the trigger.

I love my alturnamats. Use them all the time and they are handy....they have paid for themselves many times.

Not sure about the plywood....you can't leave it out and when it gets wet...they start to rot....I have had my alturnamats for 8 years. So $150 per divided by 8 is less than $20 per shet per year so far. You will spend that much on plywood year in year out.


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## priest (Mar 11, 2010)

All right, I'm working on my order.

At Sherrill they are $133 for the 2x8's. I swear they were $199 before. That helps a bunch.

Is it worth the extra money, weight, and space to get the 3x8's? I need them for my big bucket truck and my RC-60.

Oh yeah, smooth or treaded?


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## ozarktreeman (Mar 11, 2010)

Treaded gives you that little extra umph. on burnouts.
I have treaded no extra go for them.


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## teamtree (Mar 11, 2010)

the 2 x 8 are nice but the 3x 8 work best...gives you some room to move

depending on how many you get...order some 4x8 as they are nice for turning and getting off the road.....but that is my opinion

treaded for sure


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