Whether you wrench on your RC at home and don’t want to ruin your kitchen table or at track and want to stay organized, Pro-Line has a new Roll-Up Pit Mat that you might find to be a perfect addition to your tool collection.
FEATURES
The blue mat is adorned with some Pro-Line logos and made from a lightweight foam material that’s about 6 mm thick. It’s soft but still durable. The mat also has a textured surface. The mat is thick and Pro-Line states it resists most hobby chemicals. Since it has a non-slip surface, it helps keeps things in the work area where they should be–as opposed to lost under your bench or table. And since things won’t be sliding around it makes picking up the small things like screws and body clips much easier. The large 24” by 36” surface area gives plenty of room to work. And, packing up is easy. Roll it up when you’re done and take it anywhere.
The mat costs approximately $26 to $30.
TESTING & FINAL ASSESSMENT
A bathroom towel just doesn’t cut it. Though untangling an E-clip from the fibers of a towel is an RC rite of passage. Get yourself a real pit mat. I have used a lot of different style pit mats over the years–some better than others. And, to determine better or worse, I consider durability and if it’s actually useful. Durability is obvious; you can tell right away if it’s going to show wear. While not “self healing” from cuts or tears, the foam material does regain its shape when compressed. The legs to my power supply dimpled the foam pretty deeply, but after a couple days the dimples disappeared.
Usefulness is also pretty easy to get a quick read on. We’re talking pit mats here, folks. Some are really only a useful place to put a logo. Others actually make wrenching easier. Usefulness also includes how easy it is to place in the work (the harder plastic one don’t always fit in the designated area the track gives you) and how easy it is to transport. If you have had a hard rubber or hard plastic pit mat you know it’s just not as convenient when you have to stow it away. The soft roll up mat just makes storage at home or for transport easier. The purpose of a pit mat simple. Again, we’re not talking about something complicated here. But, the reality is some are better than others. Having used it, I’d say Pro-Line’s pit mat delivers.
