Reading the Size of a Duralastics Grow Tray Correctly
The ID in this range stands for interior dimension, and it is the single most misread thing about these trays. A tray labelled 3 by 6 feet has an inside footprint of roughly 36 by 72 inches. Outside, the same tray is 43 in long on the short axis and 79 in on the long one, standing 7 in tall. That difference of several inches per side is exactly the amount that stops a tray sitting on a stand sized to the nominal dimensions. Measure the stand, not the label, and the job goes right first time. Usable internal depth runs about an inch under the external height once the floor thickness is counted. Construction is 80 percent recycled ABS with a virgin ABS cap on each side, so the wearing faces are new material. Duralastics manufacture in the USA, with a quarter of the energy used coming from solar. The moulded drainage grid is there so the floor can be cleaned without scrubbing into sharp corners, which is where salt and root debris collect. Built in water level indicators let you read the fill without putting a hand in the tray.
What a Flood Table Has to Do, and Where White Beats Black
A flood table takes a load, holds a level and drains without leaving standing water. The grid floor does the draining part, which is why it matters more than the colour or the badge. White reflects light back up into the canopy and shows algae and root rot early, because anything growing on it is visible. Black hides the mess and runs warmer under direct light, which is the trade being made. Support is the part people underestimate on the larger sizes. A tray this size full of water and pots weighs several hundred pounds, and the stand carries all of it. A stand sized to the nominal footprint will leave the ends unsupported, so match the stand to the outside measurement. Drain fittings are not included, so check what your existing plumbing needs. The rest of the range runs 2 by 4, 3 by 3, 3 by 6, 4 by 4 and 4 by 8 feet. Each of those is named by its interior, so each has a different outside footprint.
Key Features
- How the size is named: By interior dimension, so 3 by 6 ft is the inside
- Outside footprint: 43 in by 79 in, the figure your stand has to match
- External height: 7 in, with usable depth about an inch under that
- Shell: 80 percent recycled ABS with a virgin ABS cap each side
- Made in: The USA, with a quarter of the energy from solar
- Floor: A moulded drainage grid, no sharp corners to scrub
- Reading the level: Built in water level indicators
- Why white: Reflects light upward and shows algae early
- Support: Size the stand to the outside measurement, not the label
- Range: 2x4, 3x3, 3x6, 4x4 and 4x8 feet
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| SKU | 707935 |
| Brand | Duralastics |
| Colour | White |
| Nominal size | 3 ft x 6 ft, interior dimension |
| Interior footprint | About 36 in x 72 in |
| Outside dimensions | 43.00 in x 79.00 in x 7 in |
| Material | 80% recycled ABS, virgin ABS cap on each side |
| Manufacture | USA, using 25% solar energy |
| Floor | Easy clean moulded drainage grid |
| Level reading | Built in water level indicators |
| Other sizes, outside | 2x4 at 54.25 x 30.25; 3x3 at 42.75 x 42.75 |
| Other sizes, outside | 4x4 at 54.25 x 54.25; 4x8 at 54.25 x 102.5 |
| Drain fitting | Not included |