# What's the best type of mat/flooring to lay down to avoid tire ruts?



## ULTIMATE (Dec 1, 2012)

I just bought a 25,000lb bucket truck and I'm looking for advice on what to buy to put down so that the truck doesn't leave ruts across the lawn. Out here at the Jersey Shore customers really take care of their lawns and the last thing you want to do is leave ruts behind. I don't know if there is any alternative to 3/4 inch plywood. I was on this site here but I'm taking suggestions of what is best. Cost is not an issue. https://thematking.com/business_ind...ymats/paths-n-roads/trail_blazer/overview.htm


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## Vendetti (Dec 2, 2012)

AlturnaMats are sold by Sherrilltree. I think if you become a Canopy member you can get free shipping. I think I have DuraMats. I use white mats because of the heat that the black mats can absorb and burn the grass. Good luck!


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## beastmaster (Dec 2, 2012)

If the grass is wet from over watering or rain, run off, the matts still leave depressions. As much as I hate leap froging plywood, it has the most protection but a pain to lay, while matts are a lot easyer to lay out they don't work well if you have to cross a boggie golf course or lawn.
I think I'd have both if money was no object.


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## MarquisTree (Dec 2, 2012)

I prefer plywood.


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## old_soul (Dec 3, 2012)

We keep a bunk of plywood on the bucket truck almost every job, it sucks laying it out but is a good way to prevent ruts. The bucket will leave ruts even in dry weather. 

For the cost of mats, you could buy new wood every year for five years and still come out ahead

personally i like the wood better because it is twice as wide as the mats, 2 foot is too narrow especially if you have to back the chipper around a corner and stay on the wood


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## gorman (Dec 3, 2012)

What size plywood do you guys use? I prefer the 5/8ths.


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## 2treeornot2tree (Dec 3, 2012)

AlturnaMats all the way. No matter what you put down, you will be able to tell you drove there. After the grass stands back up, you dont notice it. As said before, get the white mats, so they dont bake the grass in the heat. If you buy them from american arborist supply in west chester, they will give you a good qty discount.

old_soul 
I am not sure what mats you seen, but you can get the AlturnaMats in 4'x8' or 3'x8'. (by the way, the sales girl at expo was smoking hot) I am not quite sure how you figure you can buy plywood every year and it still be cheaper then mats. I will never have to replace my mats. If they break, I send them back, and they send me a new one.


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## treeclimber101 (Dec 3, 2012)

I keep 30 sheets of 3/4 stacked on the headache rack of the bucket , I can get the entire truck about 50 ft into a yard before we have to start picking up the road , and they work nice , granted when it rains they are a little soggy to start the stack but who cares , they beat alturnamats hands down and they are a lot more user friendly unless your handling the with a skid steer or grapple .


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## treeclimber101 (Dec 3, 2012)

just so ya know I ain't bull####ting here's a pic LOL


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## treeclimber101 (Dec 3, 2012)

Ohhh BTW my wife took that pic 6 weeks ago ! So who's a fat #### now all you haters I am a lean mean 260 now !


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## Vendetti (Dec 3, 2012)

Please don't use plywood. spend the extra money on the mats it will save your back. The plywood will soak up about 20lbs of water, get soggy and freeze in the winter. The best price I got on mats was a company in Rhode island (Oxford). 12 4x8 white EnduraMats. The sales man was David Sardinha e-mail [email protected]. Drove the mats from Rhode island to my front door in Massachusetts.


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## treeclimber101 (Dec 3, 2012)

Vendetti said:


> Please don't use plywood. spend the extra money on the mats it will save your back. The plywood will soak up about 20lbs of water, get soggy and freeze in the winter. The best price I got on mats was a company in Rhode island (Oxford). 12 4x8 white EnduraMats. The sales man was David Sardinha e-mail [email protected]. Drove the mats from Rhode island to my front door in Massachusetts.



Well ...............ok ...... You did say please , there ya have it mats beat plywood because of good manners !


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## treemandan (Dec 3, 2012)

MarquisTree said:


> I prefer plywood.



Wow, I'm surprised to hear you say that. I would have thunk the alternamats were better.


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## treeman75 (Dec 3, 2012)

how much do the mats run


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## mckeetree (Dec 3, 2012)

I use 3/4 inch plywood. I don't care for the mats. Black or white ones.


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## mckeetree (Dec 3, 2012)

treeman75 said:


> how much do the mats run



If you need very many they add up to a big expense. Plus, I think they are a rip off.


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## treeman75 (Dec 3, 2012)

are they a hundred bucks apiece or what


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## treeclimber101 (Dec 3, 2012)




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## Vendetti (Dec 3, 2012)

Don't forget the freight.


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## 2treeornot2tree (Dec 3, 2012)

treeman75 said:


> how much do the mats run



If you buy 10+, 

4'x8' mats $210.00
3'x8' mats $173.00

at american arborist supply.


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## Kottonwood (Dec 3, 2012)

pretty sure the cheapest I could find when I bought my alturnamats was treestuff.com. Buy over a grand worth and shipping is free and you can get 5%off with the coupon code arborist.


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## Kottonwood (Dec 3, 2012)

I went with white mats too. protects the lawn better on hot and sunny days.


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## OLD OAK (Dec 3, 2012)

I use 3/4 inch plywood. I painted mine with a gray no slip deck paint from Lowes, tryng to keep them from soaking up water and make them last longer. Not sure if it was worth the $$ for the paint yet or not.


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## mckeetree (Dec 3, 2012)

OLD OAK said:


> I use 3/4 inch plywood. I painted mine with a gray no slip deck paint from Lowes, tryng to keep them from soaking up water and make them last longer. Not sure if it was worth the $$ for the paint yet or not.



To replace my plywood with mats would $10,000.


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## epicklein22 (Dec 3, 2012)

We've spent over 2 grand on 3/4" plywood in the last year. Just bought 30 sheets at $40= $1200! It's starting to add up that alturnamats might not be such a rip off as I once thought.

Why are some of you guys not fans of mats? I've never tried them before on the job, handled some at tree company once, they do seem a little flexible, which I assume would make it hard to put on your back.


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## MarquisTree (Dec 3, 2012)

treemandan said:


> Wow, I'm surprised to hear you say that. I would have thunk the alternamats were better.



Matts are too flexible, slippery, and awkward to carry and load. We have about a hundred matts at the shop and most of the guys prefer the plywood.
I hate going thru the effort of laying out all the matts and still having two indents where the matts were when ur done. With plywood you can make it so no one could ever tell u were there.
Also with heavier equipment you often need to double triple up the plywood to protect very sensitive areas...forget about doing that with matts, the matts will just slide off each other you u can end up going skiing with the truck.
4x8 mats are miserable to move around


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## RandyMac (Dec 3, 2012)

Plywood is also made from a renewable material source and is biodegradable.


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## mckeetree (Dec 3, 2012)

MarquisTree said:


> Matts are too flexible, slippery, and awkward to carry and load. We have about a hundred matts at the shop and most of the guys prefer the plywood.
> I hate going thru the effort of laying out all the matts and still having two indents where the matts were when ur done. With plywood you can make it so no one could ever tell u were there.
> Also with heavier equipment you often need to double triple up the plywood to protect very sensitive areas...forget about doing that with matts, the matts will just slide off each other you u can end up going skiing with the truck.
> 4x8 mats are miserable to move around



The mats are just big old floppy overpriced deals they sell to tree guys that haven't been around as long as I have.


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## squad143 (Dec 3, 2012)

2treeornot2tree said:


> (by the way, the sales girl at expo was smoking hot)



I thought I was the only one who noticed that!


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## old_soul (Dec 4, 2012)

2treeornot2tree said:


> AlturnaMats all the way. No matter what you put down, you will be able to tell you drove there. After the grass stands back up, you dont notice it. As said before, get the white mats, so they dont bake the grass in the heat. If you buy them from american arborist supply in west chester, they will give you a good qty discount.
> 
> old_soul
> I am not sure what mats you seen, but you can get the AlturnaMats in 4'x8' or 3'x8'. (by the way, the sales girl at expo was smoking hot) I am not quite sure how you figure you can buy plywood every year and it still be cheaper then mats. I will never have to replace my mats. If they break, I send them back, and they send me a new one.




2tree:

somebody already posted the pricing above but 40 ? maybe sheets in the stack at $30 each was $1200

40 mats at 199 was almost 8 grand thats alot of coin to shell out just to drive on

However i did not know about the lifetime warranty , i'm sure that is a big selling point

And if she really was that hot, i probably would have bought some too :hmm3grin2orange:


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## Kottonwood (Dec 4, 2012)

I only have 6 3x8 mats that I use to drive my mini skid on. I never drive a truck in a yard. I was tearing through plywood before. These mats are indestructible and I would say were definitely worth the money for me.

I can see how it is not worth it if you are driving bucket trucks on lawns and need a bunch of em.


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## treebilly (Dec 5, 2012)

for the price i'm not sold on them. I can replace plywood 6 times for the price of the mats. Warranty or not that's a lot of cash when I keep 40 sheets in the truck for any given job.


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## treeclimber101 (Dec 5, 2012)

treebilly said:


> for the price i'm not sold on them. I can replace plywood 6 times for the price of the mats. Warranty or not that's a lot of cash when I keep 40 sheets in the truck for any given job.



Doesn't matter the price , the girl selling them was hot , so that makes them worth it , I have spent my life pissing away hard earned money on hot girls , so why stop with something I park my bucket on . LOL


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## 2treeornot2tree (Dec 5, 2012)

doesnt the plywood get slippy when the top gets wet or muddy?


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## Naked Arborist (Dec 11, 2012)

treeclimber101 said:


> Ohhh BTW my wife took that pic 6 weeks ago ! So who's a fat #### now all you haters I am a lean mean 260 now !



He's full of ####, he don't look like that 425 maybe. Photo shop does wonders! :msp_sneaky: LOL

In all seriousness the mats SUCK!!! I used them once with another guy on a wet back yard job and they just squished squashed and did more damage than good. Then we got a bit of rain and the big wheel lift slid right off of them on maybe a 2% grade. They do not stay flat and flex like paneling sheets. Then some dude (the one day wonder) assisting in the lift drops one small chunk on a mat and we bought that one after it punched a big hole in it. The plywood we normally use would have held up much better. Buy plywood and don't look back. If you want to keep it dry sand paint it as suggested.


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## PassionForTrees (Dec 11, 2012)

*Alturnamats guys!*

Hey, I was once one of you all about the plywood/cost and so on. as long as you bought the thicker plywood most of the time your good, so why on earth would I ever freaking spend so much on matts? Some jobs it pays for them on the one job alone. I ruined a brand new set of thick plywood and was so pissed driving the bucket and the tractor over and over to do this job. Never again will I waist that money. I first listened to a friend who has the mats and asked him about his 3x8's I have always used plywood as they come in 4x8 and still sometimes drive off, so the 3x8 didnt seem large enough but I listened to him and went with the 3x8 have been using them for 2 years now and every freaking job I wish I had the 4x8's . They work so awesome cant imagine using plywood again ever. I just ordered 12 more but now in the 4x8 size and yes the white. some times we will leave the job and not finish so leaving the mats there is the only downside cause if someone stole your plywood not too big of a deal right, so I will double them up and drive on them or use something to keep them safe till we return next day. the 3x8s were mainly used because they were lighter than the 4x8's I dont pick these up like most, I use a technique were I use leverage to pick them up both plywood or mats. backwards bend a bit and then lift up holding them behind you and you can easily maneuver them around with out too much strain. I do recommend though using the double sided diamond pattern, for grip and traction. I had a hill to go up stacking the mats together leaving about 4 inch gap in between them up a hill to the side of a customers house and everyone else said it was impossible to get a truck up there? well I did it crawling up easily with the bucket truck some parts were wet but no slip with truck. when the job was done the lady told me she was more than impressed there wasnt a mark on her entire lawn , granted we had to fluff up the grass a little bit and rake a little but plywood would of slipped me right off and I would of NEVER gotten the truck up there ever. She the customer told me she hired me because of my confidence and I mentioned the Alturnamats, she looked them up on line and made her choice to hire me. And that was with the 3x8's I am still waiting for my 4x8s to come in soon. I charge extra for them on each job and explain why and 99% of the people agree to paying the extra instead of the alturnative... I was once one of you in the thought of never spending that ever but it has come back to me and then some and they are forever! just lock them up and dont let them grow legs. There are other methods I have successfully used the mats for other than driving on, that plywood would never hold up too. Think about it within some reason you can find many other benefits with out the breaking and cracking and pealing. They are forever. And yes she was HOT! and pleasant! I was there at the booth as well, for the last few years. Work Safe Smart and Steady! Profit will be there. Rich


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## ROPECLIMBER (Dec 12, 2012)

View attachment 267237
Aspen Tree Service Inc. kept 12 on the 75 foot rear mount, and 2 on the 60 foot forestry that stayed in Aspen,they were a pain to move but indistructable.We used them for a landing zone on lawn for ziplineing, and for mini, and for dolly in soft areas of lawn too, lot of money but one time exspense, I want to get about 6 to use under my little bucket van, and I just bought an old 55ft bucket so could use them for it too, will have to wait till mid spring now though.
Paul


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## Kottonwood (Dec 12, 2012)

I agree with the two sided diamand pattern, unbeatable traction. I have laid them down on stairs and drove my mini skid right up them. I think I want to get one or maybe two of the 4x8s with a smooth side, though. That way for my skid I can set up a straight path with the 3x8s then have a 4x8 mat for a turning area.

Hey ropeclimber you ever make it up here to the front range? I swear I have seen that bucket truck cruising my town.


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## MarquisTree (Dec 12, 2012)

PatriotTreeCO said:


> I agree with the two sided diamand pattern, unbeatable traction. I have laid them down on stairs and drove my mini skid right up them. I think I want to get one or maybe two of the 4x8s with a smooth side, though. That way for my skid I can set up a straight path with the 3x8s then have a 4x8 mat for a turning area.
> 
> Hey ropeclimber you ever make it up here to the front range? I swear I have seen that bucket truck cruising my town.



Unbeatable traction? Alturnamatts? Wow... we must have gotten A hundred defective ones. Even with the 4x4 bucket trucks they shoot out from under the tires on any kind of grade. Forget about doubling them up you might as well be driving on sheer ice...
We have both the double sided diamond tread matts and the smooth on one side. U need the smooth ones if you need to protect driveways other wise you end up stamping diamonds into the asphalt...
they have there uses. They are nice to use to protect drop zones.
Overall my choice is plywood matts are just too slippery and flexible


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## Pelorus (Dec 12, 2012)

I splurged on 6 4X8 white alturnamats last year, and like using them in addition to plywood.
Figure I'll pass down the mats to my grandkids someday, or at least have them listed in my Last Will.
A one time purchase / lifetime investment.


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## Kottonwood (Dec 12, 2012)

MarquisTree said:


> Unbeatable traction? Alturnamatts? Wow... we must have gotten A hundred defective ones. Even with the 4x4 bucket trucks they shoot out from under the tires on any kind of grade. Forget about doubling them up you might as well be driving on sheer ice...
> We have both the double sided diamond tread matts and the smooth on one side. U need the smooth ones if you need to protect driveways other wise you end up stamping diamonds into the asphalt...
> they have there uses. They are nice to use to protect drop zones.
> Overall my choice is plywood matts are just too slippery and flexible



I guess it is all in the use, like I said I really only use mine for my mini skid. For some reason plywood just couldn't take the abuse. I like how flexible they are because you can throw them down over rough, rocky, or uneven terrain that is difficult to navigate with the skid.... and climbing stairs, don't waste your plywood on trying that..... I guess I am digressing from the topic of avoiding tire ruts.


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## Rickytree (Dec 12, 2012)

Buy & Sell | ISA Ontario


picked up 30 of these. slippery but they do the job and bend very well.


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## arborjockey (Dec 12, 2012)

Moneys an object with that new bucket truck and now you need to pad in. 
Sell the car for gas $.


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## treeclimber101 (Dec 12, 2012)

arborjockey said:


> Moneys an object with that new bucket truck and now you need to pad in.
> Sell the car for gas $.



Nope ..... The cars to save gas money !


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## arborjockey (Dec 12, 2012)

Im sure your boyfriend loves it. The color will match his eyeliner. All the celebs pushed it for enviromental issues. Come to find out its harder on the environment then a hummer.


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## treeclimber101 (Dec 12, 2012)

arborjockey said:


> Im sure your boyfriend loves it. The color will match his eyeliner. All the celebs pushed it for enviromental issues. Come to find out its harder on the environment then a hummer.



It's only got half a back tire , that's gotta be better then throwing a whole tire in the can !


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## Bricky (Dec 12, 2012)

*What I have seen done with plywood*

Howdy

As a mere stump grinder I have been exposed to a lot of different ideas as for as getting to where the work is on some ones nice lawn.
One tree guy I work for took 3/4 inch plywood and sawed to 4'x8' halfs, then made a sandwich using both halfs with a piece of 1/2 inch dry wall in the middle. Plywood top and bottom Also attached rope loops for easier handling. If you are concerned about slipping, steeple some wire mesh on one side. If you are really concerned about slipping drill holes in all 4 corners and drive steel concree form stakes in each hole. Backed my 4000 lb grinder (Carlton 7500) out and back no problemo. They ain't light but thay are effective. Fairly cheap set up in my humble opinion.
Regards

Kenny


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## ROPECLIMBER (Dec 13, 2012)

PatriotTreeCO said:


> I agree with the two sided diamand pattern, unbeatable traction. I have laid them down on stairs and drove my mini skid right up them. I think I want to get one or maybe two of the 4x8s with a smooth side, though. That way for my skid I can set up a straight path with the 3x8s then have a 4x8 mat for a turning area.
> 
> Hey ropeclimber you ever make it up here to the front range? I swear I have seen that bucket truck cruising my town.



No that truck is down here in TX, It is an old McCoys truck, dont think it would pull the hills up there,I did take the little red car all over Colorado This summer and fall though, @ Arbor Jockey that car has 2 cats and has super ultra low emissions, admitted they probably did alot of envromental harm making the liquid metal nitrate Batt packs and plastic but my helper got 75.9 mpg drafting that truck back from Dallas, the truck got 8.1mpg empty though.
Paul


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## sgreanbeans (Dec 13, 2012)

3/4 T & G, go to the big box stores and ask to talk to the manager, they get in the stuff and it is broken, they cant sell it to the contractors, so I pick up that stuff for about 10-12 bucks a sheet. But make sure you talk to the store manager, not the dude in the isle, they usually put it in the back, and that means work, so the isle worker will tell you they don't have it, where as the manager would love to make some money off of it, even if it is a little. I have had the mats, they work well, but expensive, if you need to make a road to get to the back 40, then you are going to spend some major coin on the mats. Plywood all the way, but never buy thin or the osb crap, only get ac 5/8 or 3/4. It will last quite a while too. Unless u hit it with a stump grinder..................


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