MotoFloor - Not overly impressed.

cfbenoit · May 16, 2010

I ordered the Motofloor tiles after quite a bit of web search, during which I found out that there were very few pictures of the MotoFloor on the web.

So, for you out there considering Motofloor tiles, here are a few pictures and descriptions.

First, the underside: As advertised, it will let the water flow:

The underside is absolutely identical to the Racedeck Free-Flow tiles (On the left):

When I opened the box, the first thing that struck me is the color pattern due to the molding process:

Then, there is an obvious pattern of actual depressions corresponding to the ridges of the underside of the tiles, at 45 and 90 degrees.

Combined with the color patterns, the end result does not scream quality, although they are cosmetic issues only:

The last thing that surprised me is the shininess of the tiles. Depending on the angle of the light, there can be wild variations on the color of the blue tiles and on the contrast between the black and charcoal tiles: (The white paper is for color reference.)

I ordered the files from BigFloor.com
2330 West 1300 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84104

Which is the exact same address as RaceDeck.com, and the common manufacturer Snaplock
2330 W. California Ave., Salt Lake City, Ut 84104

(According to Google Maps, California Ave. is the 1300 South)

I had a friendly service over the phone and they agreed to a special request I made. After a week without news of my shipment's tracking number, I called back and was told that the blue tiles were on backorder and that the order would be shipped the next day, which is what happened.

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying it is not a good product. I have not installed it yet, so I cannot comment on the overall look and performance once installed. I just wanted to post pictures and facts about the product, as there are so few pictures available on the web.

If you would like to take a closer look, the original high-res photos can be found here:http://bchauvette.smugmug.com/Forums/Garage-Journal/12208342_wdhD6#869242245_xBS3a

From a cosmetics point of view, if I had seen these tiles beforehand on display at a trade show, I would have probably just walked away.

...Ben...

thegarageguy · May 17, 2010

You searched and found a cheap alternative and you wonder why it is of low quality? Have you ever heard of the term, "you get what you pay for"?

jkeyser14 · May 17, 2010

It looks like those tiles might be made using Racedeck's old worn out injection molding dies. If the material is the same and has the same additives for UV resistance etc, it was probably a good deal for the downside of having cosmetic blemishes.

cfbenoit · May 18, 2010

thegarageguy said:
You searched and found a cheap alternative and you wonder why it is of low quality? Have you ever heard of the term, "you get what you pay for"?

I searched and I believed I had found a "lower cost" alternative, not necessarily a "cheap" alternative. There is a slew of much cheaper alternatives out there...

I only park my car in the garage, I do not use a car jack inside and certainly do not operate a fork lift in my garage either. I own a silver-colored Nissan, not a Bentley, and my toolbox lives in my basement, so I do no need to color-coordinate 10 different floor shades under my car.

I attributed the cost reduction to the reduced tile thickness, reduced load capacity and maybe reduced color palette or lack of fancy logo customization, all extras I do not necessarily need.

I purposefully selected this product because it is manufactured by SnapLock, which seems to be a reputable name in the industry. Also, according to their staff posting in these forums, they are made of the same base compound as the RaceDeck tiles, for which users seem to have nothing but good comments.

Maybe I should have bough the book "cheap alternative for dummies" that seems to be easily available in your area, but then again, my Visa bill keeps reminding me that the product I bought may not be in the index.

...Ben...

Zrexxer · May 18, 2010

thegarageguy said:
You searched and found a cheap alternative and you wonder why it is of low quality? Have you ever heard of the term, "you get what you pay for"?

And you just happen to be selling the higher cost alternative? Wow, what are the odds...

thegarageguy · May 18, 2010

Zrexxer said:
And you just happen to be selling the higher cost alternative? Wow, what are the odds...

And you have seen me promote or try to sell what product?

Zrexxer · May 18, 2010

thegarageguy said:
And you have seen me promote or try to sell what product?

What I saw was you running down this guy's purchase.

TONE · May 18, 2010

Im curious to see how they look installed. I think youre gonna be happy with them.

The colors you chose are sweet.

Please keep the detailed write-up of this product going. Thanks

cfbenoit · May 18, 2010

TONE said:
Im curious to see how they look installed. I think youre gonna be happy with them.

The colors you chose are sweet.

Please keep the detailed write-up of this product going. Thanks

I will post photos of the finished project in 1 or 2 weeks: I want to finish the walls first, then lay down the floor tiles.

My hope now is that these imperfections will get washed out in the overall surface & patterns. The ironic part is that I was concerned about the cosmetics and how scratched the surface would look after a winter of driving in and out with salt & grime on the floor...

...Ben...

TONE · May 18, 2010

Ben............

I have a feeling once you get it all installed its going to look great. My racedeck (7 years old) had little mold thingees to. Mostly in the light alloy color.

Once everything is all put down, and things slid back in place you wont even think about that.

You should be enjoying this, not hating your purchase. Have fun, in the garage!

thegarageguy · May 18, 2010

Zrexxer said:
What I saw was you running down this guy's purchase.

I'm sure he doesn't need you to come to his rescue. Regardless, I wasn't running down his purchase. He posted it for comment, so I commented. I'm not blasting him in anyway. Cheaper, cost effective, lower cost alternative, etc, etc.., always come at a non monetary price. Quality!

Actually, it's a good post for those seeking to know the difference but to be honest I wasn't surprised or shocked. My expectations where low to begin with, knowing it's a budget product.

Elkiebob · May 18, 2010

Now I remember why I moved from New Jersey to Atlanta in 1975.

porphyre · May 18, 2010

thegarageguy said:
I'm sure he doesn't need you to come to his rescue. Regardless, I wasn't running down his purchase. He posted it for comment, so I commented. I'm not blasting him in anyway. Cheaper, cost effective, lower cost alternative, etc, etc.., always come at a non monetary price. Quality!

Actually, it's a good post for those seeking to know the difference but to be honest I wasn't surprised or shocked. My expectations where low to begin with, knowing it's a budget product.

Garageguy - You say it's just a comment, but many of your comments are distinctly negative towards lower priced products and DIY projects. We could call it a pattern or maybe an agenda. I wonder why you spend any time on this board. I doubt you get much business from us.

thegarageguy · May 18, 2010

porphyre said:
many of your comments are distinctly negative towards lower priced products and DIY projects. We could call it a pattern or maybe an agenda. I wonder why you spend any time on this board. I doubt you get much business from us.

Please show me where I am bashing other products. Please quote me! I'm not here to make money on anyone, unlike others. Funny, I thought that would garner more credibility, but obviously not in your eyes.

blk91stang · May 18, 2010

I'm in the process of painting my walls right now and doing the motofloor in Red/Gray. Very nice write-up and please show some more pictures of your entire garage, colors, etc before during and after

thegarageguy. I don't know if you realize but $1,000 to cover my 430 sq-ft garage with Motofloor isn't exactly cheap. What is so "cheap" about these? Please back up your claims on why this product is inferior for home use (besides the cosmetic issues which only very picky people will notice like ourselves). I hope you have first-hand experience to prove your claims. You do, right?

thegarageguy · May 19, 2010

blk91stang said:
Please back up your claims on why this product is inferior for home use (besides the cosmetic issues which only very picky people will notice like ourselves). I hope you have first-hand experience to prove your claims. You do, right?

When did I claim this product is inferior for home use?? Why are people putting words in my mouth? Dude, learn to read and find another punching bag.

TONE · May 19, 2010

Thegarageguy............

I dont think anyones putting words in your mouth. Here are your own quotes.

thegarageguy said:
You searched and found a cheap alternative and you wonder why it is of low quality? Have you ever heard of the term, "you get what you pay for"?

thegarageguy said:
Cheaper, cost effective, lower cost alternative, etc, etc.., always come at a non monetary price. Quality!

thegarageguy said:
When did I claim this product is inferior for home use?? Why are people putting words in my mouth? Dude, learn to read and find another punching bag.

cfbenoit · May 19, 2010

TONE said:
I dont think anyones putting words in your mouth. Here are your own quotes.

I am glad to see I am not the only one with the same opinion, but I think he already had enough exposure....

Let's all ignore it and focus on constructive discussions.

...Ben...

thegarageguy · May 19, 2010

OMG!!! Tone, please, big difference between saying its a cheaper product than saying, "its inferior for home use"

I'm done. Enjoy your floor

TONE · May 19, 2010

Im not trying to bust your balls. I just was pointing out what you quoted. As for what you're saying NOW, yes thats a big difference.

Its when you say thing like "you get what you pay for" and "quality".

Those are terms that pretty much imply you think the products are no good, or inferior.

Its just sugarcoating now. It was quite clear what you meant, nobody needed to put words in your mouth. We all (well at least some of us) understood clearly what you meant.

As for me personally, Im a fan of Racedeck. Its what I chose years and years ago. However, I was-am intersted in this fellas project. He had a budget and this product fit it.

I think most of us have budgets when it comes to things like this. So instead of instantly slamming something, why not sit back, enjoy a garage website and see whats what?

As for the product being "cheap" well I dont see it that way. Cheap would be buying a broom and sweeping the concrete clean, and thats not bad either.

The guy made an investment and deserves to enjoy it. Less expensive than Racedeck? yes............................. Cheap? no.

thegarageguy said:
OMG!!! Tone, please, big difference between saying its a cheaper product than saying, "its inferior for home use"

I'm done. Enjoy your floor

thegarageguy · May 19, 2010

dude i'm not slamming, its just a fact, you get what you pay for. Racedeck makes motofloor, bigfoot is racedeck, its all the same company. They make it to compete with china products, its a cheap alternative to racedeck. In order for them to make it cheaper, quality has to suffer. Please, dont assume for me. I'm not sugar coating ****. Its a fact!

TONE · May 19, 2010

Well you are entitled to see it your way. As I am allowed to see it mine.

Thanks also for the crash course on how quality relates to product pricing. It was a jaw dropping experience. :bounce:

thegarageguy said:
dude i'm not slamming, its just a fact, you get what you pay for. Racedeck makes motofloor, bigfoot is racedeck, its all the same company. They make it to compete with china products, its a cheap alternative to racedeck. In order for them to make it cheaper, quality has to suffer. Please, dont assume for me. I'm not sugar coating ****. Its a fact!

thegarageguy · May 19, 2010

Yeah, who knew quality has a relationship with pricing. Crazy! You learn something new every day. Your welcome.

BigFloors · May 19, 2010

cfbenoit - I first want you to know that if you are unhappy with whatever flooring you purchased from us, that you can return for either a refund or exchange.

On BigFloors.com we offer a wide range of modular flooring products that very in price, but we do not sell "Cheap" aka 'Cheaply Made Products' from overseas.

Most are right in this blog, RaceDeck is our premium offering and there are differences between RaceDeck and all the others. While both RaceDeck and Motofloor are basically made from the same quality raw materials, that is where the likeness ends. The structural & cosmetic design are not the same

RaceDeck weighs in at almost 35% more, which is why there are cosmetic differences you see on the not only the top surfaces but on the underside as well. You will also see RaceDeck has a very beefy understructure to withstand extreme commercial use. Motofloor was made specifically for general residential garage use and will outperform all of the cheaply made products that have come and gone over the years ( from China, Mexico, etc).
If you are comparing to cheap china products, all of our offerings will perform far better and will outlast all over the years.

Please call us and ask for our customer service specialist Michelle

cfbenoit · May 19, 2010

BigFloors said:
cfbenoit - I first want you to know that if you are unhappy with whatever flooring you purchased from us, that you can return for either a refund or exchange.

I appreciate the offer, but I can't say yet that I am "unhappy" with the product. I did not have the space available yet to lay down an appreciable tile surface to make a decision. The cosmetics aspect of the individual tiles did fall short of my initial expectations, but I want to see how a large surface blends together before making any decisions.

BigFloors said:
You will also see RaceDeck has a very beefy understructure to withstand extreme commercial use. Motofloor was made specifically for general residential garage use and will outperform all of the cheaply made products that have come and gone over the years

That was the rationale when I placed the order, since my garage is used as an indoor parking space only. I was searching for a quality product for residential use, not a luxury product for an exotic car showcase, nor a product for commercial applications.

Given the intended use, I have no immediate complain about the build quality of the tiles, and I do not share other opinions that have been expressed in this thread. I was only surprised to see that the surface finish of the tiles seemed to fall short of the general quality reputation of the SnapLock products.

I will consider your offer and privately contact you if, once laid down, I feel the end result does not justify the expense.

...Ben...

KM1013 · May 19, 2010

Great post minus the useless bickering. Would like to see a side by side comparison of this and racedeck. There are tons of threads but I'm still not sure I'm getting what's so much better about racedeck. The owner of Racedeck seems to shy away from posting about exactly what makes garagedeck a cheaper product. Well, looking forward to your feedback after the install. Good luck!

NinjaSr. · May 19, 2010

Interesting timing. I just posted this last night as a response to a question from thread below re racedeck vs Garagetrac. I did not change a word. I however did attach a photo of the finished floor on this post. And by the way GM makes a lot more margin on a Cadillac than a Chevy. It does not make the Chevy a bad car!

Here is the post:

I just put Garagetrac in my garage a few weeks ago. I have no complaints. I have done some weekend mechanic work and used plywood under my jack stand but not my floor jack just like those who have racedeck. No problems. If you compare the Racedeck vs Garagetrac on Big Floors you will see that the differences are: warranty periods, weight and PSI rating (due to a different understructure) that can be viewed by rotating the tiles on the site) and nicer diamond pattern on racedeck. To be honest if Garagetrac were not available and I had to spend another 40% I would have not pulled the trigger. Not because the Racedeck product is not worth it but because I have other priorities like kids in collage. Snap Lock has done a nice job of offering a solid product for the weekend mechanic / home owner with Garagetrac and Garagedeck. If I owned a shop or had more industrial use for my garage I would spring for the Racedeck. I hope this helps.

Shocker · May 21, 2010

Love my GarageDeck.

Todd.Brock · Jul 6, 2010

I agree that you do "get what you pay for" take an expensive car vs. an inexpensive car. Both will get you there. Its a factual statement that pay 50k and you may have better fit and finish, materials, refinement, etc than a 10k car. I will leave it at that.

I too would be a little surprised at the color variation, however, if thats the trade off for a floor at 1/3 (or whatever the cost difference) then I will take it.

Props to BigFloor for offering to make the situation "right" for the customer.

Dont sweat it, think about the ching you saved and enjoy your floor....Just my .02 and Im out of change....

ckgdrums · Jul 7, 2010

So, let me ask you guys that have RaceDeck, GarageDeck, MotoFloor, etc. What happens if you spill something like oil, gasoiline, etc. on your floor? Does it run through the cracks and just sit under there for eternity? Or are the seams tight enough that you can clean it up before it seeps through?

cfbenoit · Jul 7, 2010

Todd.Brock said:
Props to BigFloor for offering to make the situation "right" for the customer.

Yep. Big thumbs up to SnapLock.

ckgdrums said:
So, let me ask you guys that have RaceDeck, GarageDeck, MotoFloor, etc. What happens if you spill something like oil, gasoiline, etc. on your floor? Does it run through the cracks and just sit under there for eternity? Or are the seams tight enough that you can clean it up before it seeps through?

In my case, it depends where. it seems to depend on how the tiles have settled: in areas there is little space for anything to seep through, while there are cracks between tiles in other areas:

The MotoFloor tiles can always be removed fairly easily to get underneath if you needed to, even those in the middle of the floor.

...Ben...

Shocker · Jul 8, 2010

Not on mine. Surface tension of the fluid it usually to great to allow it to drop into the seams.

MiDiablo · Aug 21, 2010

NinjaSr. said:
Interesting timing. I just posted this last night as a response to a question from thread below re racedeck vs Garagetrac. I did not change a word. I however did attach a photo of the finished floor on this post. And by the way GM makes a lot more margin on a Cadillac than a Chevy. It does not make the Chevy a bad car!

Here is the post:

I just put Garagetrac in my garage a few weeks ago. I have no complaints. I have done some weekend mechanic work and used plywood under my jack stand but not my floor jack just like those who have racedeck. No problems. If you compare the Racedeck vs Garagetrac on Big Floors you will see that the differences are: warranty periods, weight and PSI rating (due to a different understructure) that can be viewed by rotating the tiles on the site) and nicer diamond pattern on racedeck. To be honest if Garagetrac were not available and I had to spend another 40% I would have not pulled the trigger. Not because the Racedeck product is not worth it but because I have other priorities like kids in collage. Snap Lock has done a nice job of offering a solid product for the weekend mechanic / home owner with Garagetrac and Garagedeck. If I owned a shop or had more industrial use for my garage I would spring for the Racedeck. I hope this helps.

The floor looks great! I too am economically-mindful when making a purchase like this, as you can easily spend 50%-200% more on a "higher quality" product, but if it's not necessary for the "weekend warrior" type (like myself), then I enjoy the savings in most instances!

kyles974 · Aug 29, 2010

LMFAO!!!

thegarageguy doesn't get it

bazzateer · Aug 30, 2010

kyles974 said:
LMFAO!!!

thegarageguy doesn't get it

You know his ****** history? :lol_hitti

aqr81 · Aug 30, 2010

thegarageguy said:
And you have seen me promote or try to sell what product?

The answer to that simplistic question follows in your signature line, it's all in your approach. It's still promoting and selling your product despite how you might want it to be viewed. Isn't there only one reason for including that info in your postings

SuperchargedWS6 · Aug 31, 2010

I would not be happy with this type of gap between tiles. I am planning to order Racedeck. This kind of gap doesn't happen with Racedeck, does it?

cfbenoit said:
...Ben...

thegarageguy · Aug 31, 2010

aqr81 said:
The answer to that simplistic question follows in your signature line, it's all in your approach. It's still promoting and selling your product despite how you might want it to be viewed. Isn't there only one reason for including that info in your postings

I don't hide the fact that I'm a business owner and I don't have any shame in promoting my business. There is a big difference in adding my info as credentials and shamelessly pushing a product.

Get a life.

Infiltrator · Sep 4, 2010

cfbenoit, did you finish the floor yet? Don't forget to post pics, I am interested to see how it turned out

vette · Sep 4, 2010

Thanks for the pics cfBenoit, I'm a few weeks away from ordering mine from Big Floors and now I have to choose. In my case these about a $600 diff.

MotoFloor - Not overly impressed.

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