Heat Mat Modular Add-On: Extending the Jump Start Commercial Bench
This is the expansion piece of the Jump Start commercial propagation system, a 60 x 21 in mat with no wall plug of its own. It draws 140 W at 120 V and warms the root area 10 to 20°F over ambient, the same as the base mat. Instead of a cord to the outlet, it connects through waterproof couplers to an MTMDU commercial mat or to another add-on already in the chain. That is the whole point of the design. You set up one powered base mat, then extend the bench one section at a time as production grows. Each section holds six standard 10x20 flats laid crosswise, so a full chain carries thirty. Hydrofarm lists it under ETL registration 2001955 with a 3-year warranty. There is one hard dependency to plan around. It will not run on its own and needs the MTMDU base mat to power it.
How Far a Daisy Chain of Commercial Mats Can Run
A daisy chain of these mats runs up to five sections long, one MTMDU base plus four add-ons. At full length that is 700 W, which stays inside the 1000 W rating of the Jump Start MTPRTC thermostat controlling the whole run. The thermostat is required, so place its probe in a plug near the middle of the chain. There it reads typical conditions rather than an edge. Lay the sections flat on a solid bench and keep the couplers off the floor, away from standing water. Fill every section you power, because a heated mat under empty space only warms the room. Growers with one or two trays have no use for this unit. It belongs in propagation rooms that root cuttings on a production schedule and need bench space to scale.
Key Features
- Expansion Mat: Connects to an MTMDU base mat or another add-on, with no wall plug of its own.
- 140 Watts at 120 Volts: Delivers the same 10 to 20°F root-zone lift as the base mat.
- Waterproof Couplers: Sealed connections built for wet propagation benches.
- Up to Four per Chain: One base mat plus four add-ons makes five sections in all.
- ETL Listed, 3-Year Warranty: Listed under ETL registration 2001955.
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Model | Jump Start MTMDA (Hydrofarm) |
| Size | 60 x 21 in |
| Power | 140W |
| Voltage | 120V |
| Heat Rise | 10–20°F over ambient |
| Connection | Plugs into MTMDU base mat and/or another MTMDA |
| Maximum Chain | 4 add-ons + 1 MTMDU (5 mats, 700W) |
| Thermostat | Jump Start MTPRTC required (sold separately) |
| Certification | ETL registration 2001955 |
| Warranty | 3 years |
| UPC | 638104010061 |