Anyone ever built their own "bog mats"?

[dirttoys]

I did. For a 4 ton mini. Used the tee's and stand offs from server power polls I had, they are roughly 3X4 and worked great. Drilled and used half inch all thread.

I use treated plywood for trying to save grass with wheeled machines. Mud mats work good with tracks, Make sure you have a plan for when you drop a wheel or two off with a tractor.............

Best careful,

ed

 

[Doorman63]

Once the weight of your tractor pushed the lumber down I don’t think you’d get them out by hand.

 

[bcp]

Boggy all year? Maybe frozen in winter? Access from a different direction? Do something else? Excavate with high explosives?



Bruce

 

[WranglerX]

Where can i get scrap?

i understand about the canoe analogy too. I just used plastic pallets this weekend and they helped me get unstuck but i didn’t use them as bog mats.

that’s the trick i have to come up with a system i can leapfrog using the tractor. So moving by hand.

Try local building salvage yard or any deconstruction/demolition company.... Just be sure if using individual boards the are laid perpendicular to direction of travel and not try to straddle board laid in direction of travel...

 

[ponytug]

Even experienced operators drop equipment off of hurdles or bog mats or corduroy roads when the semisolid soil liquifies or sinks. I have seen the holes that can be punched through apparently solid marsh soils by heavy equipment. Once it breaks through, it is gone.

I think that you would be well advised to think up a different way to do what needs doing.

All the best,

Peter

 

[bindian]

I cut them out of 3 inch thick Red Oak 24-30 inches wide and 10 foot wide. For my excavator. I don't see how you can get them unstuck from the mud without hydraulics. Hyd thumbs on excavators excel at this. I can see slick mud matts letting a BH slide sideways off the edge of matts if the mud is softer on one side. I'm sure it can be done, but is it worth the pucker factor?

I agree with 4570Man. Hire or rent an excavator. Then you will want your own!
hugs, Brandi

 

[WranglerX]

Local utility company has "synthetic" (plastic?) mats in their yard where they store power poles... Mats look to be about 8 X10 and perforated.... Maybe perforation is answer to break suction when trying to move.... Some on line searches show the mats are not greatly expensive and some are actually made from recycled plastic milk jugs and such... Again its all about what you are trying to do and where you are going with mats...

 

[Gee Ray]

The plastic mats seam like a good idea but they are extremely heavy and they are hard to move.

 

[GJohnson]

The plastic mats seam like a good idea but they are extremely heavy and they are hard to move.

The plastic mats are a lot less weight than swamp mats made of creosote ties. In fact, a small loader can place them with ease. When renting these, plan to rent as many as needed to road in to where the work will happen. If you need a platform to work off of, measure the area and rent all at once. They work really well and can be utilized by wheeled vehicles as well as tracked ones. Also, the ones I’ve used, can’t speak for everyone here, but the ones I’ve used have a tongue and groove edge for lapping over the next panel, creating an actual solid roadway. As always, use good judgment when applying weight!

 

[kevin37b]

Do not even attempt that with a backhoe , Kevin .