Rubber slat mats ????

kealar

Has anyone recently fitted rubber mats,ive been thinking of gettin some in myself..whats the best out there and are there differnt ones for cows as appose to steers,roughly how much per bay are you talking..cheers

sprouty

Put in Comfort slat mats last year last year under the cows & have them under weanlings for a few years.....think around €1,100. per pen.
Great job- man & beast happy out!!

hammer73

kealar wrote: »

Has anyone recently fitted rubber mats,ive been thinking of gettin some in myself..whats the best out there and are there differnt ones for cows as appose to steers,roughly how much per bay are you talking..cheers

Having worked for a slat mat manufacturer, there is a difference in the different suppliers (not necessarily in who I worked for's favour). There isn't a difference in mats for cows or steers and finally be carefully when comparing price per pen. Compare price per square foot or per square meter as pen sizes vary alot depending on length of slat.

Feel free to PM me if you want more detail on my views on the differences and which I rate.

Bizzum

kealar wrote: »

Has anyone recently fitted rubber mats,ive been thinking of gettin some in myself..whats the best out there and are there differnt ones for cows as appose to steers,roughly how much per bay are you talking..cheers

We have the Easi Fix rubber on the slats. Powerful job. I would think they're worth a few lbs of meal a head a day to an animal.

Good loser

hammer73 wrote: »

Having worked for a slat mat manufacturer, there is a difference in the different suppliers (not necessarily in who I worked for's favour). There isn't a difference in mats for cows or steers and finally be carefully when comparing price per pen. Compare price per square foot or per square meter as pen sizes vary alot depending on length of slat.

Feel free to PM me if you want more detail on my views on the differences and which I rate.

What's the range of prices per metre including VAT & fitting?

reilig

We've easi fix as well - main reason for choice is that the inlaws live beside easi-fix and they did them and us a good deal a few years back.

I still have 1 shed to do and I was looking at mats at the ploughing. They're gone to a crazy price now. When I put mine in, about 8 years ago, I got them for €750 per pen (14ft slat x 15.5ft wide pen) inc vat. The cheapest at the ploughing was €1200 + VAT.

A lot of dealers appear to be selling the same quality of mat (the same as the original easi-fix). I presume that they are just brought in from China by the container load??

vanderbadger

sprouty wrote: »

Put in Comfort slat mats last year last year under the cows & have them under weanlings for a few years.....think around €1,100. per pen.
Great job- man & beast happy out!!

are they the green curved ones? thought they were a great looking idea but a few people have told me the plastic wings that hold them down tend to perish whether this is right or wrong..put in a small bit of durapak rubber this winter so will see how it goes

Muckit

reilig wrote: »

We've easi fix as well - main reason for choice is that the inlaws live beside easi-fix and they did them and us a good deal a few years back.

I still have 1 shed to do and I was looking at mats at the ploughing. They're gone to a crazy price now. When I put mine in, about 8 years ago, I got them for €750 per pen (14ft slat x 15.5ft wide pen) inc vat. The cheapest at the ploughing was €1200 + VAT.

A lot of dealers appear to be selling the same quality of mat (the same as the original easi-fix). I presume that they are just brought in from China by the container load??

Hi Reilig

Are the mats as slippy as the bare slat?

How do easy fix make the mats? Are the mats put down on the slat on site and the slots cut out or are they precut? I know different slat manufacturers have different ways of working.

Also, one last question , did you fit them yourself? Did you need infill bits etc?

Thanks again

Muckit

reilig

When new, the easi-fix slat has a bit of a grip, but after 8 years wear, they are as slippy as the slat. But they are warm and comfortable for the cows still.

The mats come in strips which cover 2 beams of your gang slat at a time and are fixed over the solid parts of your slats with litttle bungs that are hammered down into the slat gap - it doesn't restrict the flow of slurry down between the slats.

I have seen the slat mats where the slots are cut out afterwards. Its not a pretty sight. I wouldn't recommend them.

In 8 years of heavy use, none of ours have ever loosened of lifted.

We fitted one shed ourselves - I can still smell the burning rubber from cutting the end mats with the grinder and I get the odd dart in my shoulder from over use of the sledge that day - they are relatively easy to fit, but take a bit of time. We needed no infill bits. They come and measure your pens and the stuff arrives on pallets. No drilling, no screws - simples!!

Muckit wrote: »

Hi Reilig

Are the mats as slippy as the bare slat?

How do easy fix make the mats? Are the mats put down on the slat on site and the slots cut out or are they precut? I know different slat manufacturers have different ways of working.

Also, one last question , did you fit them yourself? Did you need infill bits etc?

Thanks again

Muckit

pakalasa

Reilig,
On the EasyFix slat mats.
What would you say the life is for them, 20 years?
the real cost is down to how long they last.

reilig

pakalasa wrote: »

Reilig,
On the EasyFix slat mats.
What would you say the life is for them, 20 years?
the real cost is down to how long they last.

I don't know, to be honest. The grip has worn off them after 8 years, but they're still perfect in every way. I can see no reason why they won't last 20 to 30 years. As i said, they show no signs of loosening, nor did they warp or weather in any way. Ours are washed down every spring, so that might help preserve them a bit.

Muckit

Do you find a significant difference with them? It seems a bit extravagant for suckler cows, I mean when it's not animals you are fattening. Its probably good for their feet though.

Bizzum

Muckit wrote: »

Do you find a significant difference with them? It seems a bit extravagant for suckler cows, I mean when it's not animals you are fattening. Its probably good for their feet though.

Looking at our cattle on the slats, I hate to see cattle on bare slats now. The cattle look comfortable on the rubber. From a cows point of view, I would think cows on rubber will milk better and go back in calf handier.

We fitted some of ours. It's a simple job, a sledge, a straight edge, and a stanley knife is mainly all you need. We have solid rubber mats around the edges, which are screwed down, but again a simple job. I think ours are in 8 years too, minimal wear, but I do notice more wear on those running parallel to the feeding barrier (Covering the agitation points!) as opposed to those running away from the barrier. Anyone else notice this?

sprouty

vanderbadger wrote: »

are they the green curved ones? thought they were a great looking idea but a few people have told me the plastic wings that hold them down tend to perish whether this is right or wrong..put in a small bit of durapak rubber this winter so will see how it goes

Ya they're the ones.....you've got me a bit woried though about the wings:(......the ones in the weanling house are the same design-are black & are in about 4 years -so far so good so fingers crossed!

vanderbadger

sprouty wrote: »

Ya they're the ones.....you've got me a bit woried though about the wings:(......the ones in the weanling house are the same design-are black & are in about 4 years -so far so good so fingers crossed!

well the lads that told me worked for the other brands so I suppose it has to be taken with a pinch of salt, 4 yrs is a fair old test of them

MfMan

Muckit wrote: »

Hi Reilig

Are the mats as slippy as the bare slat?

How do easy fix make the mats? Are the mats put down on the slat on site and the slots cut out or are they precut? I know different slat manufacturers have different ways of working.

Also, one last question , did you fit them yourself? Did you need infill bits etc?

Thanks again

Muckit

I think Easyfix tailor the mat to the slat manufacturer, the retaining bungs may be located differently for the various makers. The head and toe pieces are screwed down with rawl bolts. (Are on mine anyway) I did half the shed last year and will do the other half next week, just in time for housing, touch wood. As a poster said, once you see the cattle on rubber, you hate to see them on bare slats. Stock on bare concrete tend to lie more and not eat as much, thus less thrive. I fitted them myself last year and will probably do so again this time, though it's quite labour intensive. In terms of cleaning, clamp silage doesn't stick too much to them, bale silage can 'embed' somewhat. They wash out well enough though and make your shed look nice and new when all is clean after the winter!

hammer73

What's the range of prices per metre including VAT & fitting?[/Quote]

Not sure about the prices this year but last year prices varied from 35 to about 50 euro a square metre plus vat, variation down to how much you have to do and who you get it from. Fitting prices vary depend on area and how much cutting is needed but you may get it fitted for free if your good at haggling.

radarls

don't use durapack slatted rubber, I put down 12 pens in the last 5 years and there all split and worn some of them have only 2 winters over them and now I have to replace them this year.

Number 8

Have you replaced your mats and how has that worked out.
what Would you expect to pay per pin 12.5" X 15".

radarls

yes I have replaced the slatted rubber, I used the super comfort green rubber and very happy with them.

Mad4simmental

You two, (or one) wouldn't have any vested intrest by any chance?

annubis

have easi fix, durapak and green comfort mats in my place, admittedly only a few pens of each, durapak mats have been fine for me so far, in 4 or 5 years and i dont see any problem really, few small cracks but nothing really, green comfort mats going into 3rd or 4th winter, dont like them, very slippy, i notice cows with bad feet dont seem to do any better on them than concrete even thought they feel soft to walk on, also they adjust the slots with consaws prior to fitting , then mostly i have easi fix mats, my favorite by far, good grip and they seem to be a good help to heavy continental cows

farmer lad

annubis wrote: »

have easi fix, durapak and green comfort mats in my place, admittedly only a few pens of each, durapak mats have been fine for me so far, in 4 or 5 years and i dont see any problem really, few small cracks but nothing really, green comfort mats going into 3rd or 4th winter, dont like them, very slippy, i notice cows with bad feet dont seem to do any better on them than concrete even thought they feel soft to walk on, also they adjust the slots with consaws prior to fitting , then mostly i have easi fix mats, my favorite by far, good grip and they seem to be a good help to heavy continental cows

We have both easi fix and the green comfort ones and the biggest difference is cleanliness. Cattle on the green comfort ones are spotless clean with some cattle from the easi fix ones needing clipping in the factory. We also find the cattle thrive better on the green comfort ones

radarls

Mad4simmental wrote: »

You two, (or one) wouldn't have any vested intrest by any chance?

well I can only speak for myself and I have no vested interest in any slat rubber. I have no problem with anyone coming to see the way the slatted rubber turned out on my slats, as I all ready said I used durapack rubber and after 2-3 winters it was torn and split,

towzer2010

Mad4simmental wrote: »

You two, (or one) wouldn't have any vested intrest by any chance?

Oh Mad4 you are too cynical. Why would you be suspicious of a poster that only had one previous post since 2012 and yet replies nearly straight away to a query about a certain product. Surely he wouldn't be trying to advertise?????

Number 8

Is there any difference in price of brands
second question
have a query on shed price
I priced my just completed shed as tank only or tank and shed
so when the prices came back verbally, i went for full shed x price
Now the builder is charging me for the walls as extras
i had believed the walls were included and never asked him about building them who pays ?

J.O. Farmer

Number 8 wrote: »

Is there any difference in price of brands
second question
have a query on shed price
I priced my just completed shed as tank only or tank and shed
so when the prices came back verbally, i went for full shed x price
Now the builder is charging me for the walls as extras
i had believed the walls were included and never asked him about building them who pays ?

The shed is probably the steel and sheeting. Walls are extra so you pay unless you have an agreement as to what was to be done.

Robson99

Mayo mats in here. Find them very good. Small bit of trimming to be done sometimes but was told this was necessary when buying them

I said

Easifix mats nothing wrong with them at all,cattle have good grip with them.