bout to make the trip to tazewell .........curious

[jol1269]

ok now the one question i havent heard or seen in any post yet .......i have a septic tank and field lines that i will be mowing over every time i cut grass ,now the quetion i have is im thinking of the pt 425 and maybe the 1430 but the 1430 weighs approx 1000lbs more than the 425 any one have this concern on thier end all replys appreciated as i dont want to be digging up that kind of dirt and having to repair those /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif <font color="red"> </font>

 

[MossRoad]

I drive my PT425 over my septic tanks, dry well and leach field avery time I mow the lawn.

So, my PT425 weighs about 1400#. Divide that by 4 = 350# per tire.

Then divide that by two, as the tire contact patch is twice as big as my shoe. 350/2 = 175#.

I weigh 205#, so if I stand on one foot, the tractor is actually lighter on my lawn than me /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Now, these figures are all approximates and don't include the weight of an attachment like a loader bucket full of dirt. But a mower has it's own tires that support it, so the weight of the tractor is not affected by the mower when the lift arms are in float. Hope this helps. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[bubenberg]

we live in a rather wet part of the country and to this point never had any problems with septic systems, even when going across with a full load in the bucket or grapple.

good luck /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

and i weigh more than mr. m.r.

 

[jfh230]

Depending on what the codes and norm is for your part of the country, keep in mind that most septic tanks and lines are down a few feet below grade. Mine are about four feet down. This means that the load path is not straight down, but follows a trianglular shape. So that 1000# is distributed over a wider area by the time it reaches the septic lines and the actual weight that hits the lines is alot less than the initial 1000#.

Jack

 

[jol1269]

well i do appreciate the input mine are about 36'' down for the field lines and the tank is about 18'' to the top of the tank and its concrete i wonder if the 1430 would be too much weight for the tank or the lines they have a 1430 used at the factory suppose to have a new engine in it and less than a 100 hrs plus a mower and a bucket for 12000.00 does anyone know much about this model and how well it handles

 

[TonyC]

Re: bout to make the trip to tazewell .........cur

I guess everyone's situation is a little different but my tank is about 24" down with the lines are 30" down. My Kubota wieghs 2955 lbs and I've been mowing over my septic system for over 15 years. Never had a problem. I'm sure I've been over it a number of times with a bucket full of dirt as well.

 

[marrt]

You will definitely have no problem with the 425. My tank is only about 5" down and I go over it all the time with a full bucket of dirt. I think the 1430 would be OK for the drain field as well. Don't know about the tank though. I have wondered myself how much weight it can stand. I rented a Bobcat with my neighbor once. As soon as it arrived, he jumped on it to try it out. He promptly drove right over the edge of my tank because he didn't know it was there. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif No apparent damage. However, if he had gotten closer to the middle of the tank, I wonder.

 

[Edward_DiMaria]

I regularly drive over mine with the 1845 - has the same size balloon turfs as the 1430 - I have never had a problem - the machine does not sink in much at all

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

I also drive over a new septic tank and drywell with an 1845. We once did have an iron septic tank fail under A 6000+ lb. ag tractor towing a rotary mower. The top of the tank was already rusted through before the tractor got there, and was paper thin and crumbling. It was only thirty-five years old at the time, set about six inches below the surface. Clearly an inferior tank. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[MossRoad]

Here's a link to a post I made in April, 2002. It concerns a horse tank that was burried in our yard for a dry well for the washing machine. It collapsed when I drove over it. The post contains several pictures and a good description of just how fast you can accomplish things with a Power Trac.

Now, this tank was not constructed to take a load, or be burried in the ground. Septic tanks are meant to take the weight of the soil above them and the weight of snow, or rain saturated soil. My guess is the weight of the water in your soil above your septic tank after a heavy rain is much more than the weight of your tractor. Granted, it is spread out over a larger area than the footprint of your four tires, but these tanks are meant to take than kind of weight. I wouldn't park my tractor over it for extended periods, but I would have no worries about driving over it once a week. Especially if it is burried 3 feet down. I would be more concerned with bumping the cleanout pipes(if your have them) at ground level.