Anti fatigue mats

[Jay Jolliffe]

How many use anti fatigue mats in their shop. I have a wood floor & after all day standing my back & legs hurt. Will these mats help? If you got them on line where did you get them?

[Tom Hoffman]

Jay: I use them throughout my shop and I believe they do help. I got them on sale at my local woodcraft store. Can't remember what I paid for them. They're scattered around like throw rugs. One major drawback however, is when it comes to clean up time. Sawdust, dirt, and debris gets in the cracks between them and under them. To thoroughly clean my floor, I have to pick 'em up, set 'em aside, sweep, then replace 'em.

[Jim O'Dell]

Jay, I've got concrete floors, and I have one bundle set up in front of the TS. It's about 4' X 6'. I have another bundle waiting for me to finish building the shop stands and tools so I'll know where to put them. I got these as a gift from my parents last year, but I think they came from Big Lots. Seem to do a decent job. It's in the 50s here this weekend. and I sat on this matt yesterday assembling and modifying a Herc-U-Lift for my SCMS stand I'm building. (Wasn't made to work on something with this foot print), So I was literally up and down off this thing all day. I was very pleased with it's performance. I'm sure the other brands out there are even better. Jim.

[Jason Scott]

Hey,

I have some buldging disks in my back so I hurt all the time, not just in the shop, but I have a hard time standing a long time with out them, I picked mine up at Lowes for 10 bucks, about 50% what they are at woodcraft, hope this helps...BTW, I just have one and move it around if I am going to be at a machine for a long time, otherwise it is in front of my bench.

[Paul Girouard]

I use one and have old carpet in other work stations , concrete floor , yes I think they help . Even if it's 90 % mental it's 10 % better than nothing :D

Sounds like Yogie Bearia(sp) eh !

[Rod Torgeson]

I use some remnants from some horse stall mats that I had left over from when I put them in the barn. They are 3/4 inch thick and I have noticed a big difference. I use them by the lathe when I am making pens. They don't move around very much because they are heavy. I think a 4 by 6 foot mat weighs in at around 100 pounds. Hope this helps.

Rod<---in Appleton, WA

[Tom Esh]

Have you tried a decent pair of those gel-filled shoe inserts? They work amazingly well for me - and a whole lot cheaper than dropping $$ on mats to find out you don't like stumbing over and cleaning around them.

[terry hansen]

I use these from sams on my concrete floor
http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&item=331314
They help a lot with sore legs and are easy to pick up for cleaning or just vacuum off.
I also leave a couple loose to lay down on floor to kneel on when needed.
Plus you can turn them over for bright colors

harbor freight sells a similar type, for a bit more.

[Gary Keedwell]

I use these from sams on my concrete floor
http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&item=331314
They help a lot with sore legs and are easy to pick up for cleaning or just vacuum off.
I also leave a couple loose to lay down on floor to kneel on when needed.
Plus you can turn them over for bright colors

harbor freight sells a similar type, for a bit more.
I also have something like those. LOML picked them up at Costco's.

Gary

[Steve knight]

myself don't like the foam ones my heels tend to sink in more so it's like walking uphill. the horse stall mats are cost effective and extreamly durable. I cut them down the middle for two mats.

[Dan Owen]

Another thing about the mats is that I have saved a few tools that hit a shock absorbing mat and not the concrete floor.

[Brian Dormer]

I got mine at PepBoys (on Sale) - I think they were like 7 bucks a package. 4 packs did ALMOST the whole walking area of the shop (I have a SMALL shop). Another pack would finish it off - but it's an area that's mainly a route between the backside of the workbench and the side of the TS - so I really don't stand there much.

They are certainly worth it. Only downside is that you can't really sweep the floors - you have to use a vac (or DC) to get the dust up. On the up side - they do hold on to the dust - so it doesn't just get kicked around.

[Peter Quadarella]

I have concrete floors and bought the ones from woodcraft. They help my feet a ton. I hadn't thought about my legs or back.

[Joe Wood]

Be very careful with installing mats in your workspace! We installed these type of mats (pepboys, see pic I attached)) in my shop a few months ago. They felt really nice for the first week or so until I started noticing some very disturbing knee pains. Turns out that they were too soft. Your weight would make your feet slightly sink in, and when you went to turn your foot would stay planted and twist the knee joint slightly.

I went ahead and laid OSB over the whole floor area.
http://woodsshop.com/How%20To/23A.htm

Our legs and back still feel tired at the end of the day, but no more knee pains.

[Jim Becker]

I use them and get them from U-Line. They really make a difference when I'm spending a lot of time standing on the shop floor. I actually need to get more of them down in a few areas. One of the things l like to do with the ones I use is buy them larger so I can custom fit them to the machinery and workstations that are being covered. That also helps keep them in place.

[Glenn Clabo]

BIG fan of these also Steve. They are solid...heavy...easy to clean...long lasting and reasonable. And the old joints thank me everytime I spend time on them.

[Richard M. Wolfe]

I use the ones from HF.....bought them on sale this past summer and look like the ones the link from Sam's Club showed. They certainly help on my concrete floor. A bit more of a nuisance when it comes to cleanup but worth it.

[Steve knight]

a problem with mats is everything I drop flies off in any direction when I drop it. it drives me nuts hunting for stuff.

[gary Zimmel]

I also have anti fatigue mats at all of my workstaions. I believe they help alot. It's kind of a pain when it comes to cleanup but my legs and feet thank me for them.

They were bought at the local borg.

[Christopher Stahl]

I use horse stall mats for the shop and for our home gym. We buy them from Tractor Supply. Definitely worth a look. Quite heavy duty and I don't have fatigue issues anymore.

[Dave Lehnert]

I use horse stall mats for the shop and for our home gym. We buy them from Tractor Supply. Definitely worth a look. Quite heavy duty and I don't have fatigue issues anymore.
Before I go and look. What does a horse stall mat cost?

[Christopher Stahl]

They are $40/piece.

[Mike Monroe]

My shop has a concrete floor. I picked up a pair of Grizzly's mats that were on sale a few years back after reading about everyone ranting and raving about having floor mats. The mats do make a difference though when standing at work station for a period of time. I have one in front of my workbench and the other in front of the tablesaw; the two places I spent the majority of my time. If I'm working at another station for any length of time, I'll move one of the mats to that partcular station, because like I said they do seem to make standing more comfortable.

[Dave Lehnert]

The only reason I use one is my feet get very cold standing on a cement floor.

[Steve knight]

They are $40/piece.
and at 4' wide you can cut them down the middle and get two.

[Pat Germain]

I'll have to get a set of good mats. After standing and stomping on aircraft carrier decks, my dogs bark loudly when standing on a concret floor.

[James Brown]

I also used the ones from Sams Club. And I stuck one under my grinder stand ... much quieter, and it now stays put on the uneven concrete!

[Greg Just]

I have used them for years - got the first ones at Sams and then the last bunch at Harbor Freight

[Bruce Page]

I have them in front of my bench and all my machines. I hate standing on concrete.

[Joe Jensen]

I also have the Uline mats. I highly recommend them. I used to think the complaints about concrete were overblow until my wife bought me the Uline pads. Now my feet no longer are sore after a long day in the shop...joe

[Harry Hagan]

If you're a member..........I saw some at Costco the other day.

[Keith Outten]

I have tried several types of mats. My favorite is the rubber mats that have a series of holes rather than solid mats. The holes allow chips to drop through and seem to provide better cushion with less strain on the legs and feet.

[dennis thompson]

I saw a tip in a woodworking magazine where someone cut up a mat in the shape of the sole of his shoe & glued it to his shoes, haven't tried it but it seems to be an interesting idea

[James Suzda]

I have several big pieces of carpet pad around the shop which seem to help the pain in my legs, feet, and back when standing in one spot. These were left over from when we put new carpet in the house. (That's me, cheap!)

[Steven Wilson]

I have two that I move around. Usually one is at the workbench the other at the lathe. I like wearing Crocs while I'm the shop, very comfortable on concrete

[Wayne Cannon]

Just don't get carried away. If mats are TOO cushy, they will actually tire your feet and legs, because your muscles are constantly having to compensate for the lack of a solid flat surface.

I used to have some Red Wing shoes with cork insoles and crepe soles that provided great support and were more comfortable than any mat. They were US Postal Service rated. Red Wing no longer carries them and I haven't found a replacement.

I now use mats I got on sale from Woodcraft. They are taped to the concrete floor along two edges with double-stick carpet tape. Don't tape four sides, as they tend to expand and contract some with use.