new idea for heat mat...

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GBtortoises

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GBtortoises Wrote:
"LOL. How do you suppose it melts snow?"

Snow begins melting at anywhere between 45-50 degrees.

Where'd you learn that factoid?

From living and working in the snowbelt my whole life.
 

Candy

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Chad I think it's a very good idea to try it. It looks like a strong sturdy product to me and Costco does not sell crap. In fact they sell a lot of their products where shipping is encluded in price and the great thing about them is their return policy even of internet products if you're not happy just bring it back to the store and they will not only refund the cost of the item they will refund (if you paid it) shipping costs. That's a well run company. :D I would love to know how it works for you and your tortoises when you get it please let us know. Who knows after this the company might even advertise them for pigs and tortoises. :p
 

Nay

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Do people use these under bedding in a tort table?(Either the pig blanket or the hot sidewalk mat?? Or are we talking for outside in a pretty bare space, like what Maggie's pics show? I would imagine that is how Bob likes it? or do you add stuff on top of that, Maggie? And wow what a mouth on that guy! Doe he ever try to bite it?and on that note what would happen to those if they did?
Na
 

chadk

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I did an experiment with my tort where I put my finger right up to it's mouth while eating. I really wanted to know if he'd bite and I'd rather find out with my fingers than with my kids... No dice. He knew the difference between fingers and food. So I tried something else. I put a soft finger sized branch in with a clump of grass I was hand feeding. Wanted to see if it would break it or just leave a nice bite mark. It didn't even make a mark actually. Just felt something different as it was chompin the weeds and grass and stopped. Of course, not all torts are the same, and I'm sure there are some that would be happy to take a nice bite out of your hand if you let it. So your mileage may vary :)
 
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Maggie Cummings

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No there is nothing on top of the mat, and I 'stand' corrected it is the Stansfield mat that I have. To my knowledge Bob has never tried to bite his, but then I don't spend the night with him...
I'm not worked up Chad, and didn't mean to insinuate that you don't care for your animals...I thought we were simply in a debate of good versus cheap product..:D...so I will back out and let you have at it with my apologies
 

chadk

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I understand maggie. No harm no foul. I was just pointing out that price does not always determine quality. I haven't decided if i'll pursue on this year though. I'm pretty happy with how things are working now with my heat lamp and space heater combo. But when I make some changes to the new tort shed for next year, a heat pad of some kind will be in order. So if they still have them, I may just have to try one. If by the end of winter I'm not 100% satisfied, I can simply return it for a full refund. I'll update this post if and when I try it out.
 

Yvonne G

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And on another clarifying note: The Stansfield farrowing pad (pig blanket) is manufactured to withstand a mama pig and her babies dancing around on it, with pee and poop. Now, if any of you have ever seen a mama pig, she weighs a bit more than Daddy does when he scrapes off his boots on the heated "welcome" mat.

http://www.osborne-ind.com/petsub/heatpad/heat_pads2.htm
 

Candy

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Well I've got to admit Yvonne you were right at the cost it's about the same. Thanks for posting it I bookmarked it. :D
 

chadk

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The cost is $40 difference for the same sized mat. Not a huge difference.

But a few other items I noted if interest in comparing them...

They heat about the same. That's good to know.

Osborne only offers 1 year warranty vs the 2yr from the one I listed. (and costco makes it a non-issue for any number of years...)

Osborne says for 'small animals'

Osborne does not have a build in GFI like the one I listed.

Osbone is not water proof, but water resistent.

It also says this about the osborne pads:

Always keep your heat pad clean and dry for longest
product life, best performance, and safe operation. Avoid
the use of bedding materials, which retain heat, absorb
water and urine, or may support a flame if the power cord is
accidentally damaged by the animals.

and this

WARNING
Do not allow bedding, manure, or debris to
accumulate on the heat pad. Do not cover with
any flammable material. Any covering causes the
heat pad to become too warm for the animal, is a
fuel source for fire, and reduces its useful life.
Always keep it clean and dry for best service



So the other pad I listed is designed for larger (human) usage it seems. And is designed for handle water and things covering it better. It is designed to be outdoors all winter, where the osborne pad must be kept indoors in dry conditions.

Anyway, I know they are great pads. Just pointing out that there may be other pads out there that could be as good or even better in some cases. More choices is a good thing...
 

Madkins007

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It looks fine to me other than the worrying detail that it does not list temps or how it controls them. I presume it is an internal thermostat so it does not just run at full blast at all times, but the top end heat is the other question. (Come on- 2" of snow an hour does not take much heat.)

Most internal thermostat gardening cables get to 75F, and most pipe cables only get to about 45-50F.

Another option to look at would be something like FlexWatt heating tape, from places like Big Apple Herp. (http://www.bigappleherp.com/Flex-Watt-Heat-Tape) The 11" wide is $3.89/foot so 6' would only be about $24. Of course, you need some additions and a good thermostat, but it is still a cost-effective option. FlexWatt works best if you cover about 60% of the habitat floor with it, and it is waterproof if you insulate the connections.
 

chadk

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yes, for smaller applications, flexwatt is awesome. Just not for outdoor 30-100lb torts.

And on the companies site I looked up, it does list the temps. Same range (a few degrees more) as the osbone 'pig blanket' things. And you have the same heat control options as the others as well (rheostat or t-stat).
 

Yvonne G

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If I had lots of money, I'd tear down all my tortoise sheds and put up new ones with the heat coils embedded in the flooring. Dream on...
 

Candy

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Yvonne G

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I was reading the FAQ's on their web site and I had another idea about it: Its made of rubber and the sulcatas really dig at night before they settle down. It does have a GFI, and shuts off automatically if it senses a power drain, however, it might shut off during the night after the tortoise has dug a hole in it.

My thought would be that it might be ok for smaller or younger sulcatas, but not for big ones.

http://www.heattrak.com/info_page.php?id=4&FAQs
 

-EJ

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...and how much is a 2' x 3' Stanfield mat?

Not quite the same ware pattern. I suspect a 200lb man with work boots would exert more pounds per square inch than a 300 lb nursing pig.

emysemys said:
And on another clarifying note: The Stansfield farrowing pad (pig blanket) is manufactured to withstand a mama pig and her babies dancing around on it, with pee and poop. Now, if any of you have ever seen a mama pig, she weighs a bit more than Daddy does when he scrapes off his boots on the heated "welcome" mat.

http://www.osborne-ind.com/petsub/heatpad/heat_pads2.htm
 

chadk

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You want it to shut off. It is better to shut off than it is to start a fire or electrocute your tort. That's why you always should have a backup heat plan. So if the heat pad shuts off, the heat lamp or space heater will still keep the temps out of the danger zone until you discover the problem the next day. My torts heat lamp burned out again the other night. But with a heater keeping it at 75 ambient temps, it was fine for that short time until I put the new heat bulb in (I have a few boxes of extras standing by). Next year I'm thinkin of going with a heat pad + CHE. And possibly a day time builb (mvb maybe) on a timer. Would be less expensive to operate I think.
 
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Maggie Cummings

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I know that every night Bob sticks his face into the corner on top of his Stanfield pig blanket and he digs and digs for 15 or 20 minutes then after he has his plywood walls and the hard rubber pig blanket arranged to his liking he goes to sleep on it. Generally in the morning he takes his first pee putting out about 3 gallons of urine and urates again on the pig blanket. I don't see any damage to the mat. It is 3 years old, will be 4 this coming May...I swear by it. Bob sleeps on it every night faithfully.
Should the mat ever turn off at night (which it never has) there's a heater keeping the ambient temperature in the shed at 90 degrees give or take some...it's never below 85 degrees
 

-EJ

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I could have sworn this was a thread for a new idea for a heat mat.

I haven't seen anyone step up and say they've used the suggested mat and found that they are bad.

I'm curious as to how this thread turned into a good/bad... better/worse kind of thing. I also wonder how I got sucked into it... my bad.

I'm going to try the mat and I'd suggest anyone who is interested in the thing to do the same. This way we can actually get an idea if it is good or bad by its actual use.
 

Yvonne G

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I believe the OP asked for opinions about what we thought of the pad. My opinion is I don't think the rubber would hold up under the constant digging of a tortoise. I also don't like the idea of it having the carpet-like material on it. It might be comfy for the animal, but it would also be hard to clean poop off of.
 

-EJ

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I guess your opinion is valid but I'd like to try it out or talk to a person who has actually used it to present an informed decision.

The padding might actually be more comfortable for the animal and the soft rubber would definately conform easier to the substrate which I found is a problem with the hard mats. This is why I think it's a good idea to check it out.

emysemys said:
I believe the OP asked for opinions about what we thought of the pad. My opinion is I don't think the rubber would hold up under the constant digging of a tortoise. I also don't like the idea of it having the carpet-like material on it. It might be comfy for the animal, but it would also be hard to clean poop off of.
 
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