Does anyone know where to buy or have built mud mats for excavators. I need some for pond dredging. I am thinking about building them from pine 4 inches thick bolted together with 3/4 threaded rod. Our excavator only weighs 20,000 lbs.
Regular mats are made from 6x6 hardwood, 16' long, and are 4' wide. If 20k is the heaviest machine that you have, you might be able to get away with 4x4 hardwood, but I thnk you would snap pine pretty quick. Also I think you wanna use something like 1" round stock and weld a stopper to it rather than all that all thread.
There is a company that makes them in Maine, not much of a website but here you go, http://gliddenmat.com/
For a tracked machine you need at least 6" or 8" 4" might get you by since you will be using them and only one machine.But pine will break and rot faster.When your through with them put them in a pond of water.This will make them last longer.
If you can come up with cheap 6" x 6" lumber, drill them and drive three pieces of #4 or # 5 Rebar through them for a 20,000 lb machine go about 8' x 8' or 8' x 10' wide
We use 8x8 oak mostly, gum is cheaper, and almost as tough, but it will rot quickly. Pine is so soft that it wouldn't be worth considering unless you knew you would never want to use them again. The problem with 4x4s is that if you lay one one a stump, log, or over a hole, it will break. (Even a buried log, anything that keeps it from sinking evenly.) There are a lot of local sawmills that make mats, much closer than Maine.
hi im new to this forum looks mighty interesting we use bog mat here in ireland make them out of oak railway sleepers i have been thinking or a more pernament soultion thou i run a 99 komatsu pc60-5 with 600 mm pads i want to weld plate on to each pad to bring her up to 950 mm wide goin to use 10x125mm steel has anyone done this ? any clues on witch is the best welding process ? sould i tilt the plates up say 10mm to prevent scrubbing in soft ground ? all help apreciated
It better be good steel, well reinforced. Otherwise, as soon as you tip up, or run up on a stump, they'll fold.
I've got some 10"x24"x24' treated beams that came out of a crane pad that I was considering cutting into 6' pieces to use as mud mats under my 30 class on a little pond job coming up. Do they "planks" need to be bolted together on a machine that small? I'm afraid they'll get too heavy to pick up. John
When I saw 30 class, my brain went to a 66,000 lb machine, and I was very confused. I've actually never been close to a machine that small, but I've spent a lot of time in deep mud on a 45,000 lb hoe, sitting on trees I've pushed over. When you are on individual pieces you have to be careful that they don't spread or move and cause you to fall through or off of them.
Thank you for the replies and I guess pine is out too soft. We have a saw mill and tons of pine lying around I figured it would be a good way to get rid of it. I know to excavator is small but the client is not willing to come off the $$ for a rental. I have never cleaned out a pond so it will be interesting.
We carry the old military runway landing matts. They are corrugated steel pieces that snap together. Good for mud jobs or to lay over grass so you don't tear up the turf.
I built matts for my baby mini{4000lb} out of 4X4 pine they have not rotted nor broke. I've had them for 3yrs now and allways leave them out in the weather. I also have a mill so it was an easy cheap build and if they break, no big deal, I'll just mill out some new pieces.
Rig mats I'm curious if you think a modification of a Rig Mat would work for this situation. As well Swamp mats at 8' X 14' might be another option.
I have done this on a hitachi ex100 I used old grouser plates I cut them in to 3 pieces and welded them on with spring steel rods