Cutting Mat Advice?

Several years ago I bought my first rotating cutting mat.  I heard so many people raving about them, I was excited to get one.  When I finally got mine though, I found I didn't really care for it.  The size was nice, as was the cutting surface, my only complaint was how difficult it was to turn.  For supposedly being a rotating mat, it didn't rotate very well.  I had to use both hands to get it to turn.  Over the years, I still used the mat as a portable cutting surface, but I would pick up my pieces and move them rather than turn it.  In fact, I've used it so much, it now looks like this...

Fast forward to the end of last year when I was unpacking my sewing supplies after finishing my quilt room renovation.  When I unpacked this mat,  I found that it suddenly turns smoothly.  If it had worked like this from the beginning, I could completely understand why everyone loved it!  I have no idea why it changed from the time I packed it up to when I unpacked it though.

In any case, it is just so worn, I needed to replace it.  I took a chance and ordered another one just the same.  I was hopeful that it would turn smoothly right out of the box.

But it doesn't.  In order to get it to turn at all, I have to hold the base with one hand and turn the top with the other.  It's stiff and jerky.  So I need some advice.  It seems like a lot of you out there have this type of mat.  Do you have the same problem with yours?  Have you found a way around it?  I want to get this one turning as smoothly as the old one now does, but have no idea how to make that happen.  I appreciate any and all suggestions!  I'm truly perplexed.

In the meantime, here's yet another picture of Gabriel on the window seat.  She has such a sweet face, doesn't she?

“God cares about honesty in the workplace; your business is his business.” 

Proverbs 16:11 (MSG)