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Anti-fatigue mats ?

Cowboy

Wait for it.
GOLD Site Supporter
I,m just wondering if any one has any ideas on good anti-fatigue mats for My shops in front of tool boxes & benches , this walking on concrete all the time is kickin my butt . I prefer something as long as I can get 8 foot or longer 2,3 or 4 foot wide would be fine , just something that has some decent padding & easy to clean .

Only thing my wife can find locally is to small or to thin as well as overpriced . I dont really care what it costs if I dont have to buy 50 of them to do the job . If I can find the right thing I,d like to put them in all 3 of my shops , Thanks . :wink:
 

Doc

Bottoms Up
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
I saw some at Sam's Club last week. They were about 2' x 2' square and looked cushy (I didn't stand on them). They were made to easily interlock together. I'm considering some for my garage also is the reason they caught my eye. They had holes in them so dirt would fall right through. I liked that. And they were red (a dull red) ... not the color I would have picked for my floor, but it's the garage so they are still in consideration when I do get around to buying something.

edit to add:
Here is a link to what I think I saw ... they are 3' by 3' not 2' x 2'.
http://www.samsclub.com/sams/search...searchTerm=Anti-fatigue+mats&_requestid=32288

hover over the first one to see a view with the holes.
 

jimbo

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
Butcher supply houses probably have what you want. Packing house workers spend 8 or more hours at a stretch on their feet. They would have the added advantage of being easily cleaned.
 

loboloco

Well-known member
Anti fatigue mats are well worth the investment in money if you spend any amount of time standing on hard floors. Of course, any mat or rug that cushions the hardness will also work.
The AFM is usually easy to clean depending on the version you buy. A thick rubber anti-skid mat might also be something you could use.
 

muleman

Gone But Not Forgotten
GOLD Site Supporter
I have both that are mentioned above. The ones from Sams club are nice cause the stuff drops through the holes and they are light to lift and clean up under. The cow mats are good also but metal chips and stuff get stomped into them and they weigh a ton. The rubber cow mats are usually on sale at TSC for $35.99. I have them in my big dog kennel and other than the puppy chewing them they hold up well. I had all my horse stalls lined with them. Some are over 15 years old and still in good shape. They are heavy as heck to move around so I was amazed to see the pup dragging them at 6 months old.
 

Cowboy

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All great suggestions everybody thanks . I dont like the idea of them having holes in them because I drop stuff a lot :w00t2: .

Once there down I dont plan on moving them , I use a shop vac to clean so thats nu biggey as far as sweeping around them . I had thought of livestock mats but wasn,t sure how much cushion they give as I aint no wheres close ta bein as heavy as a horse or cow :yum: .

I,m curious as to how heavy though ? I,ll more then likelly get at least 6 of them & wouldn,t want my wife to blow the tires out on her durango . I,m sure the folks at TSC would load them for her . But that sounds like what I,m looking for . Thanks again . :biggrin:
 

Erik

SelfBane
Site Supporter
have you checked out the mat material they sell by the foot at Lowes? it's about 1/2" thick by 2 feet wide. Tell them how long a strip you want and they cut it to length.
 

Cowboy

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have you checked out the mat material they sell by the foot at Lowes? it's about 1/2" thick by 2 feet wide. Tell them how long a strip you want and they cut it to length.

Nope Erik , my Wife said they SAID they didn,t have anything like I was looking for , Wether they do or not I dont know . She,s going to pick up the livestock mats this morning , I think the 4X6 ,s will work out much better for my needs . Thanks for the idea though . :wink:
 

Erik

SelfBane
Site Supporter
If you end up needing more, they're back in the flooring by the carpets and carpet runners (also sold by the running foot) usually on an end cap.
good luck with the horse mats.
 

Cowboy

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If you end up needing more, they're back in the flooring by the carpets and carpet runners (also sold by the running foot) usually on an end cap.
good luck with the horse mats.


Good to know , might come in handy in the basement , thanks Erik :smile:
 

Cowboy

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Boy Ya wasn,t kiddin when Ya said they was heavy , not to mention hard to handle . :w00t2:

Just got them down in one shop & couldn,t help but take a pic . Website said they was 39 bucks , my wife got them for 25 bucks each must be on sale in case anyones needing any . Thanks again to all I can sure tell there gonna make a hell of a difference :clap:. Shops still a mess but that will soon be fixed :wink:
 

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Cowboy

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How thick were they?

There seems to be different thicknesses.
There all 1 inch thick 4 X 6 foot , I aint got them slid together quite right yet but Yep there all the same thickness . They dont slide very easy on the floor either :w00t2:.
 

bczoom

Super Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
$25 is a STEAL! I haven't seen them for under $35 in years.

Cowboy - Those are flat on the side I see. What's on the other side? I have some that have ribs and others that have a diamond-plate surface.
 

Cowboy

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$25 is a STEAL! I haven't seen them for under $35 in years.

Cowboy - Those are flat on the side I see. What's on the other side? I have some that have ribs and others that have a diamond-plate surface.


There not ribbed or have any kind of a pattern on the bottom side , but they acted like velcro on the carpet in my wifes durango . I can take a pic if ya want kind of hard to explain , There just kind of rough on the bottom like little dimples . :biggrin:
 

bczoom

Super Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
I think I see an addition to my shop
I think I mentioned it earlier, but I did my entire shop floor, including the main open area where vehicles are parked.

They're impervious to damage (except a drill or power saw :whistling: ), firm enough where you can use your crawler to get under a car yet very easy on the knees when working on the ground. They make a huge difference in the winter to stop cold feet.

I'm in the process of finishing a mud room in the basement. I'm still doing the drywall and insulation but strongly considering doing the floor with these mats. 24 sq/ft for $25 is cheaper then any other type of flooring and 10x as durable.
 

EastTexFrank

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
I think that you'll love them Cowboy. My wife got some anti-fatigue mats from some catalogue to use in the kitchen. She loves them. They came in a variety of colors and they are pretty heavy. They're only about 1/2" thick and she got a 6' and a 4' length. They were kind of expensive but anything that keeps her in front of the stove or the kitchen sink is a good investment.

For the shop, I did what you did. They do help if you spend any time standing at the work benches. Good luck.
 
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Cowboy

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I think I mentioned it earlier, but I did my entire shop floor, including the main open area where vehicles are parked.

They're impervious to damage (except a drill or power saw :whistling: ), firm enough where you can use your crawler to get under a car yet very easy on the knees when working on the ground. They make a huge difference in the winter to stop cold feet.

I'm in the process of finishing a mud room in the basement. I'm still doing the drywall and insulation but strongly considering doing the floor with these mats. 24 sq/ft for $25 is cheaper then any other type of flooring and 10x as durable.

No doubt they are cheaper then anything I,ve found , I thought maybe it was a clearence deal & they didn,t have very many left , But my wife said they have tons of them . I,m not sure I wont get a buch more .

My only concern would be catching on fire though as I do all my grinding & welding in this shop , If they ever caught fire I doubt you could ever put it out , But I dont know for sure . :unsure:
 

bczoom

Super Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
I've never had any issues but may give it a try (I have a small piece and I'll try to catch it on fire). I put my cigarettes out on them all the time and I've never seen a burn mark.

I'm going to go find that scrap piece and try to get it to burn. I'll be back with a report in a bit...
 

EastTexFrank

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
It looks as if they are made from recycled car tires so they should be pretty much indestructible and shouldn't burn very easily. You may have to use a blow torch to get them started smoldering.
 

bczoom

Super Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
It looks as if they are made from recycled car tires so they should be pretty much indestructible and shouldn't burn very easily. You may have to use a blow torch to get them started smoldering.
That's my plan. Torch them with a timer to see how long it takes to smoke, then ignite.
 

bczoom

Super Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
OK, I did a little testing.

I wouldn't see anything besides a good hot torch doing anything to them.

I put the torch at a distance where the rubber was about 1" away from the end of the flame, and waited, and waited and waited and quit. Nothing happened.

I then took the flame right to the mat. Then it started to burn. I waited until I had the mat nicely on fire, then removed the torch. The fire on the mat burned out on its own. I then dug away at it and would say it went down about 1/8" and the rubber removed was like course sand. It wasn't gooey or sticky.

For your viewing pleasure...
 

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Cowboy

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I've never had any issues but may give it a try (I have a small piece and I'll try to catch it on fire). I put my cigarettes out on them all the time and I've never seen a burn mark.

I'm going to go find that scrap piece and try to get it to burn. I'll be back with a report in a bit...
That would be great , I would kind of like to know . I snapped a quick pic of the backside , dont know how good it will show though I never claimed to be a good photographer :biggrin: . Thanks
 

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bczoom

Super Moderator
Staff member
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OK, I have some like that as well.

For my fire test results, see the post just before yours (I think we were posting at the same time).
 
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