Lawn Mats For The Mini X ?

Danny Steel · May 14, 2011

I have a job coming up that I want to do the least damage to this lawn as possible.:notworthy

Its a good straight run on the grass, with just one area that I have to cut the machine a bit.

What have you used to protect lawns from the track marks?

Thanks

Danny Steel · May 14, 2011

No one has any Ideas?.......How about 2 sheets of 3/4 plywood sound......And just move one In front as you go along

All I have to do Is plant 6 trees, But I would like to save this lawn......any tips guys??

willie59 · May 14, 2011

I would think that would work, as long as the ground is flat. Might be better to glue two pieces together for more strength. How about drilling two holes in the center of the sheet, about 10" from each other, loop a piece of 3/4" rope cable through and connect rope to make a lifting ring with rope clips. Then you could lift the sheet with your bucket and swing to opposite end.

Danny Steel · May 14, 2011

ATCOEQUIP said:
I would think that would work, as long as the ground is flat. Might be better to glue two pieces together for more strength. How about drilling two holes in the center of the sheet, about 10" from each other, loop a piece of 3/4" rope cable through and connect rope to make a lifting ring with rope clips. Then you could lift the sheet with your bucket and swing to opposite end.

thats a good Idea, But On this job I have to carry the trees with the bucket
The ground Is very flat, and I have to travel aprox 150' straight

heavylift · May 14, 2011

conveyor belting, used it a lot when running a directional drill
it conforms to the landscape, and doesn't break, they were about 8' long. Also had a hand hole cut in each end.
the machines had steel tracks so they would mark up and make splinters on a piece of plywood

heavylift · May 14, 2011

I think we had 8 pieces of belting on the trailer
it was 2' wide x 8' long

BLconst · May 14, 2011

i carry 4 sheets in truck, used for traveling on grass and to spoil dirt on when diging in grass or on street, then we can scrap dirt back into hole and saves time on clean up. The do get torn up a lil, but cheaper than replacing grass.

Danny Steel · May 15, 2011

BLconst said:
i carry 4 sheets in truck, used for traveling on grass and to spoil dirt on when diging in grass or on street, then we can scrap dirt back into hole and saves time on clean up. The do get torn up a lil, but cheaper than replacing grass.

I'm guessing 3/4" D Grade Plywood.....I bet that dence ply that the form guys use would last a bit longer

Blacksmoke07 · May 15, 2011

yea plywood oughta do it. u shouldnt need to double it up either, 3/4 should be plenty for the weight id bet

joispoi · May 15, 2011

3/4'' CDX will be fine. I´ve been on jobs where we´ve put down 20+ sheets on the lawn and driven wheeled machines across the lawn.

heavylift · May 15, 2011

oh I forgot to mention the belting was free, as they had tons of it laying around,
plus it was also used inside plants to move excavators on the concrete floors.

Danny Steel · May 15, 2011

Theres lots of plywood around, not too many belts around.......Anyway, I just bid another job, same deal, but many trips across the lawn, with the Skid steeer, and the bucket loaded, I,m going to lay sheets from one end to the other.....everything Is so wet up here now, nothing but rain:beatsme.......Thanks for the tips guys:usa

Orchard Ex · May 17, 2011

If you are going to be doing a lot of this I'd look into getting some Alturna Mats. They are expensive, but they last a lot longer than plywood and don't splinter or break. They make different sizes and link together to make a nice "road" across a lawn. I've been using them lately and driving tri-axle's of rip-rap across a lawn with minimal tracking and damage.

hiluxman · May 17, 2011

there are things called "cemmetery mats" and they are made of plastic

excav8r · May 17, 2011

When I worked for my buddy doing landscaping he had 4X8 or a bit bigger sheets of 1/4 sheet metal that we used to lay down. They were heavy but we would lay them down with his cat 302.5 mini and they would stand up well when you had to scoop dirt off of them also they flexed unlike plywood which would most likely crack or splinter if you walked into really soft ground. The only draw back was they were slippery and would slide around on the ground if it was not level.

Something I would be interested in trying is the 3/4" thick 4'X8' rubber mats you see in a lot of horse stables. They cost about $50.00 each and are a bit on the heavy side but would last forever as the rubber is tough. You can usually buy them at any tack shop or co-op.

briggsguy17 · Jun 10, 2011

Orchard Ex said:
If you are going to be doing a lot of this I'd look into getting some Alturna Mats. They are expensive, but they last a lot longer than plywood and don't splinter or break. They make different sizes and link together to make a nice "road" across a lawn. I've been using them lately and driving tri-axle's of rip-rap across a lawn with minimal tracking and damage.

Alturna mats are the way to go. They are made here in PA where I live and I use them a lot. Easily moved by machine or human power. Last forever is used appropriatley.

Digging It Inc · Jun 15, 2011

i have to deal with this all the time being in the cemtery business and we rip either 1/2-3/4" plywood into 2x8 sheets and use that for the mini the backhoe and the trucks. eventually your gonna break the plywood but it takes a while to do so. easy to move by hand and in expensive. easier to haul on your trailer as well with the equipment. especially if your close to your weight requirements with your equipment. alturna mats a really nice but rather pricey.

Lawn Mats For The Mini X ?

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