Tractor Weight & SideWalks

[AltaLawnCare]

I've been comparing NH, JD and Kubota. I'm leaning towards a Kubote 2910 now because the weight is just under 2,000LBs.
I figure with a loaded bucket & operator it will be around 2300LBs. This is a max of 575LBs per Tire. Would this weight be safe over concrete sidewalks?
Thanks, Billy.

[Thomas]

That might depend on how thick the side walk,and how old the cement is.

I would be extra careful in the spring time when the frost is thawing.

[rdln]

My answer would be yes. You should of course avoid customer's concrete for cracking reasons but also to not leave black tire tracks.

At a previous work place, I watched in amazement a landscape contractor operate a Ford 1920 on a new sidewalk to move topsoil and resod next to sidewalk. It probably wouldn't hurt the crete but he had the manpower there to wheelbarrow everything and that is what I would do out of respect for the client.

Also, I recently had a good chuckle out of seeing a skidsteer perfecly bottomed out on an elevated sidewalk that still needed back filling

[MJB]

You can't trust the weight values that Kubota lists on its web site. I think Muhammad recently verified that these are "shipping weights" and do not include wheels, or tires and possibly some other stuff. Bottom line: the Kubotas are much closer in weight to the similar sized JDs and NHs that their specs would lead you to believe. In any case, I would not be afraid to drive any of the small or mid-sized tractors from any manufacturer across my sidewalks. Hope this helps.

[Rick Jay]

I think you should double check those weights. I believe the B2910 weighs in around 1750 lbs. or so without the loader. I don't have my manuals in front of me, but I think the loader and bucket adds an additional 800 lbs. or so.

Unloaded the B2910 and loader will weigh somewhere in the 2500-2600 lb. range. Add a full bucket (300-600 lbs) and add 200 lbs. for the operator (speaking for myself) brings a total over 3000 lbs. Then, if rear ballast is added, the combined weight might be 3500 lbs. or more.

I don't think a properly installed and seasoned sidewalk should be damaged by this weight. I haven't noticed any problems on our asphalt driveway and sidewalks.

I don't believe any of those tractors would be a problem for the sidewalks, but if weight is a concern, then the B2910 should be able to be the lightest of the group.

Good Luck,

Rick

[AltaLawnCare]

Thanks everyone,
I had my doubts about their weight claims. I'm still leaning towards the B2910.

[billboe]

Depends upon the sidewalk... I'd stay off corners or any part that isn't well support underneath. That said, I run my L2850 with loader and backhoe all over my sidewalks with no problem.

[ICGREEN]

Most exterior concrete is 3500# psi after 28 day's. If you do the math you can see there shouldn't be any problem. A few hundred pounds one way or the other probably won't make any difference.

[frank_f15]

that weight should not be a problem. most delivery trucks (ups) and such weigh more than that.

[chim]

Some trivia picked up at work, if anyone's interested. We had to have labs crush test cylinders of concrete for work we have done. At the construction site, the plastic test cylinders are poured. They are roughly 6" in diameter and maybe a little over a foot in height. The lab does a minimum of two breaks, and I forget when the first one is done - think it's 7 days - then a second break at 28 days. I never saw it done, but was told they cut slices from the cylinders and crush them by placing the slices in a machine that records the PSI applied at failure. The "weight" or compressive strength of concrete is the amount of pressure applied to crush it between two smooth surfaces, and does not indicate a sidewalk, floor, wall or bridge deck will hold that weight. What it does is verify that the material is up to specification for the engineer's design of the assembly, which may include reinforcing steel, compacted earth, etc. An example would be a floor that is designed for a 250#/SF load. The design may use 4,000# concrete, that doesn't mean the floor will hold 4,000#/SF. It means the test machine will need to apply at least 4,000PSI to crush a sample of the concrete. If everything else used to build the floor is also up to spec and installed properly, it will hold the 250#/SF plus whatever safety factor the engineer has built into it.

I live where there are freeze/thaw cycles, and the concrete plants need to know if the concrete they are sending to the job is for interior or exterior use because the concrete used for sidewalks and such are to be "air-entrained" to help avoid damage from Mom nature......................chim