weight of tractor on septic/well systems

[Liquidops]

Both beds will have have perforated pipe in a 12-16" stone layer over top of anywhere from 2-3 feet of sand with 6-12"(ideally) soil on top. Less traffic the better. Smaller tractor the better also. If the only traffic is cutting the lawn and the tractor is under 4000 lbs and the soil is not saturated then I think you're OK, but if you have a lawn mower and your bed isn't too big you may want to use the lawn mower for the tilebed section. Does anyone know what PSI is produced by a 4000 lb tractor with R4's?

 

[mjncad]

... Does anyone know what PSI is produced by a 4000 lb tractor with R4's?

That is going to depend on tire size and footprint, tractor weight distribution between the axles, and what implement is hanging off the back end.

 

[Scott in IN]

The guy that had my 8 year old house before we bought it used to take a short cut and drive over the septic in his pickup to get to the barn. I ended up having some problems and found that the laterals from the distribution box going to the leach field had been squashed down almost flat. Needless to say I had to dig them up and now I'll only drive my lawn tractor over the field.

 

[UncleBubba63]

Scott in IN tells his story and makes a great point...

Even when you know the strengths/ratings of cements, plastics, pvc, etc... and you have advanced degrees in mathmatics and physics and you know how to factor in things like tank depth, tire tread width, tractor weight, and soil types...

... in the end the thing that really matters is what happens at your house with your tractor. At my house, we stay off the septic tank.

Just my two cents.

Peace to all,

Bubba