Mowing Heavy Tractor and Mowing over Septic Field

[dfeck]

All,

I'm looking to purchase a tractor that will weigh about 3500lb with the mower deck. Will mowing over a septic field with this amount of weight cause any problems? The tractor will have turf tires and a 72" mower deck.

Thanks

 

[MadReferee]

Many factors are involved.

What type of system do you have?

How deep are the plastic pipes for the leach field?

How deep is the top of the septic tank and what kind of top/lid does it have?

What type of soil is on top of the field and tank?

I run my 15,000 lb bulldozer and my tractor over my leach field with no problems. Systems can be designed to be just under a driveway. Usually driving over a properly designed system will be no problem. But, all systems are not designed the same. As you can see, your mileage will vary.

Do a search here for septic systems or leach fields and you will get plenty of hits as this subject has been discussed several times before.

 

[scott_vt]

Well,
I run over mine with about 5600-5800 lbs, tractor 3800, FEL 1200, Bushog 600 and I havent gone swimmin yet /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

scotty

 

[flusher]

Here's what my contractor used to install my septic system last August. That Cat 420D TLB weighs about 16,000 lb. The attachment shows Mike, the operator, backfilling and leveling the trench area where the leach pipe is buried about 3.5 feet down. Don't think your "heavy" tractor would be a problem running over my septic system.

 

[RayH]

I cant say for sure because I havent seen your septic system. I can say that Ive been all over mine with my 4500 lbs of L3130, loader and box blade and havent had a problem, even over the tank and no problem. If you did fall through, it wouldnt be the field anyway (unless the field isnt draining right and has pooled, eewww), it would most likely be the tank.
When I was into construction, I drove my F350 dump truck loaded with shingles or dirt (12000 lbs +) over leach fields on several occations with no problems but I wouldnt go anywhere near the septic tank with the truck. When working in customers yards with my truck or with the 3130 w/backhoe on, I would always have them mark the location of the septic tank before I did anything, then I just avoided that area.

 

[dmccarty]

dfeck,

In case you have not heard, it depends. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I have an Infiltrator septic system. Its a set of trenches, I think it was 36 inches wide and in my case about 120 feet long. A half cylinder of plastic pipe is then put into the trench and covered with clay. That is the leach field. Its gonna be pretty danged hard to clog up. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

However the installer said to keep my tractor out of the field. He had a customer that drove a skid steer into the field which tore tore up the leach field.

I really wonder if my tractor would be a problem if the soil was dry. If its wet I would not go near the field. In any case I have not had the tractor in the field.

One of the reasons for buying the DR Mower was to mow the leach field...

Later,
Dan

 

[N80]

I've wondered about this too. I know that the lid on the tank is not very far underground and I know exactly where it is and I do not drive over it ever.

The pipes and boxes for the drainfield are several feet down. The soil is heavy clay with a lot of micca. I mow the drain field with my tractor a couple of times a year as this is not my primary residence so the drain field is more like a 'field' than a yard. I do worry about compacting the field so I try not to mow on it when it is wet. When the soil is dry, it is like concrete.

 

[HappyCPE]

In the adjacent township to mine, they actually have a law barring you from using the septic leach field as a pasture for larger animals. Some people plant wildflowers so they won't have to run a mower over it. Replacement septic systems in NJ cost $25-40,000 so my suggestion is DON'T do it.

 

[Builder]

My truck went in a tank. I had an F-450 dump with a 5 ton load of gravel (18,000lbs total) . My customer didn't show me the old tank (he had switched to public septic many years ago and thought his tank was filled in with sand). My dual back tires went through the lid. Guess what? It wasn't filled with sand, just old grey water. Luckily, i got the truck out under its' own power. Amazing nothing broke.

Watch out for the lids, they're the weak point.

On the drain field, you have to watch more when the ground is saturated, either with grey water or days of rain or both. Then you can usually see the softness in the ground. I do not think your tractor is heavy enough to break a tank unless it was already compromised.

I built an addition for a customer and the only way to get the job done was to run my L-35 all over the top of the tank. Even with full loader buckets (8,000 lbs) the tank never budged. I just tried to avoid the lid. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[rambler]

Some states require the drainfield is only 1 foot deep.

In marginal soils, wheel traffic willcompact the soil & keep the drainfield from doing it's job - letting water seep through.

So - it depends. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

--->Paul