If your septic system is at all marginal in its ability to
handle its job, and you may not be able to tell its not always
a good idea to drive anything on the drainfield but a very
light mower. Not for breakage, but for soil compaction.
Sure, all kinds of people drive their cars over their field
with no problem...but a lot find out the hardway.
Septic systems are designed so a lot of the liquid evaporates
upward as the pipes are not far below the surface. For best
operation, low native ground cover is best, or grass cut with light rider. You have to be careful with bigger plants,
some like to snake roots down the pipes and really cause a
problem. Maples and willows for instance.
Actually your heel puts down more weight per sq inch than
most tractors.
Even on the little tractors the tires keep getting wider
so maybe the compaction won't occur.
If you do ever find the system is suddenly not working as
well you can lightly break up the top 6 inches and that should
restore the breathability of the soil.
I've seen people have a problem and have a septic guy come
out and tear up their system only to find the pipes are clean
the soil is not sludged. Huge bill when all is needed is to
restore the upward motion of the liquid (er moisture)
As to breaking the tank, unless your state has really lax
standards or the tank was built before current standards
you probably couldn't break the top no matter what you drove
on it. The inlet pipe you might if it is real close to the
surface. When I first bought my place I had phone lines put
in, the phone company didn't ask where the tank was and I was
ignorant of the fact that you can't trust anyone else to know
what should be in their job description (knowing what they
are plowing through).
They plowed back and forth across my tank, broke the removable
lid but didn't hurt the tank.
Is your property all "done" otherwise, landscaped, no woods
to clean up? I think long term the BX may be something you'd
have a use for. The bigger tractor may be overkill, but as
most everyone will tell you, they had no idea of all the things
they'd find to use their tractor for after they bought it.
I think it comes down to (as the other fellow said) the seat
and the controls. You should really spend a couple of hours
at the dealer driving back and forth, stop and go, on and on.
Waste of a couple of hours to some, but you'd be surprised at
how uncomfortable one tractor may be FOR YOU over the other, and not
just the smaller one. Drive it over the ground as rough
as you have at home. If you have made up your mind to buy
it from a particular dealer, many dealers will bring out
both for you to demo. Staring at the brochure and the
sitting tractor leaves SO much out of equation.
Are you SURE in a few years you won't be buying that 5
acres up in the mountains for the cabin you've been
thinking about? Then you'll want the bigger tractor.
Both are light enough to tow with a many 1/2 ton pickups.
If you plan on doing much grading or use of a rear dirt
implement a tractor with position control on the 3 point is
IMHO required. I didn't even know tractors didn't have this
until I started using my BX. My bigger Ford is SO much easier.
The
B7800 and I think all the other Kubotas have this. Maybe
the new BX's do too I haven't checked.
The JD2210 does not. A cost saving measure I suppose.
Some people say they get used to it, I guess if you didn't
have position control before you don't miss it.
The BX turns around really tight, I used mine inside a building
sometimes moving engines around. Sort of an indoor outdoor
power wheelbarrow!
del
