Another Kane heat mat question

So like I said in my last post I bought 4 of the 18x18 Kane mat for $30 each at a moving sale which I'm stoked about but I never opened any of them to check them out bc I'm waiting for my vision cage to arrive. Well I decided to open one since I was bored and I see on the mat and paper that is says DO NOT COVER THE HEAT MAT WITH ANY FOREIGN MATERIAL. So your telling me I can drag this through the mud and throw it in a lake and still use it but can't cover it with substrate? It also says on the paper do not have any foreign material within a 10' radius. So I would have to have a gigantic enclosure with no substrate to use this? They clearly state for use with pets, small animals, and reptiles but any way someone could use it voids warranty unless you want your herps to have nowhere to hide. I'm sure that its all just to cover there rears but basically anyone who uses one would be in void of the warranty unless they have an enclosure with nothing in it. But basically my question is has anyone ever experienced any problems with covering the mat or having substrate near it? Sorry most of the post is me venting Lol they make this awesome heat mat and then tell you warranty is void if anything comes near it. Am I missing something?

That's all just to cover their butt if something did happen.

Just don't bury it in aspen or cypress and it will be fine.

Arent heat mat/uth supposed to go under the encloser and not inside it?

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Originally Posted by M.P.C

Arent heat mat/uth supposed to go under the encloser and not inside it?

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That was my first thought, too, but I'm unfamiliar with the brand name so looked it up. From Big Apple Herp's product description.

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The Kane Heat Mat is also waterproof so it can be placed inside the cage for the ultimate in heating effectiveness.

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Kane mats aren't your typical "under-tank heaters". They're heavy-duty, waterproof, and designed for larger dogs that live outside year-round in kennels, or for barns with young livestock like calves, lambs, piglets, etc. that happen to be born in the early spring when it's still cold. I have a large one that can be used in a six foot or larger enclosure and it's easily an inch thick.

Oh wow. Didn't know about these....hmm... How do you like them, bcr?

Even though I haven't been able to use any of mine I'll tell you they look like they can handle anything. There not rubber like zoo med and others they have a hard case protecting the heating element and don't bend and flop. You can tell there made for a barn. They say they can last a decade, probably even longer for indoor use.

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Originally Posted by Kokorobosoi

Oh wow. Didn't know about these....hmm... How do you like them, bcr?

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IMO they are expensive/overkill for all but the largest snakes. An RHP is preferable for heat in a big enclosure, as the snake will mess all over the Kane mat and while it does clean up easily, it's just one more thing to have to clean.

The only reason I have it is because I bought it used for 1/3 retail from someone selling off a bunch of equipment. I wouldn't recommend paying full price for it unless you have no other heating option. For smaller critters the ReptiTemp heat mats that Big Apple Herp sells are a less expensive inside-the-tank option if using an RHP or UTH isn't feasible.

The only draw backs are the cost unless you stumble across an awesome deal. I probably wouldn't of bought any if I didn't find them so cheap. The other down side is the size choices. I believe the smallest is 18x18 so you need a decent sized enclosure to use one.