Equipment Mats and Ground Protection Mats

Buying guide

Choosing ground protection mats

Size the mats to the machine and the access route. Smaller mats like a 3x8 are easy for one or two people to handle and work well for compact loaders and walk-behind gear. Heavier trucks and long runs across turf call for more mats laid end to end, so plan on enough to leapfrog as you move.

Look for a tread pattern on both sides for traction, molded handholds for carrying, and a way to link mats together on longer runs. Rinse them at the end of the job and check for cracks before they go back on the truck. Outrigger pads are still the right tool directly under outriggers; mats are for travel paths and staging areas.

Using mats on the job

Lay the route before the machines arrive and walk it once to spot sprinkler heads, septic lids, soft spots and buried edging. Overlap or link mats so wheels and tracks never drop off an edge, and avoid sharp turns on the mats, which is where most turf damage happens.

On wet clay or a soggy lawn, mats are often what makes the job possible at all. They also cut cleanup time, because you are not raking ruts and reseeding at the end of the day. Stack them flat on the trailer and strap them down; loose mats in the wind are dangerous.