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 | Cook
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1999-05-24 4236
I am looking at a compact tractor with the weight of around 3000 lbs can I mow over my septic field with out damageing it? I know not to park it over the field but can I mow. Any thoughts?
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| Paul
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1999-05-24 4261
I have done it for a couple of years. My tractor andmower deck weigh in at about 2500#. My neighbors who use compacts all have no problems. I think it's OK until the EPA finds out.;) ....
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| Mike
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1999-05-24 4262
A few years ago my neighbor broke my drain tile (2 ft. deep) with a 65hp Case. The ground was very soft at the time (Spring). Maybe wait till it drys up hard this Summer before driving over your drainfield. ....
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| Jim
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1999-05-25 4300
You may be OK, but you run the risk of expensive damage. I inspect septic systems for new home buyers and would not recomend you drive on it. ....
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| Rod
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1999-05-26 4322
So does anyone have any parameters for what can safely be driven over a drain field w/o doing damage? ....
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| Stan in NE PA
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1999-05-26 4359
I drive over my drain field all the time, both with my tractor and my pick-up. I guess my question is, How do I know if I've done damage? ....
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| Jim
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1999-05-26 4363
Best advice I can give is stay off it with any wheeled vehicle heavier than a garden tractor. Each field is different and even the same field is different depending on the moisture content of the soil. The major variables include depth, soil type, moisture and load from vehicle. You may not notice the damage right away, it may take months or years to start causing problems. Leach fields are expensive and will get more so with each passing year due to increased regulations, why take the risk? ....
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| Cook
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1999-05-27 4381
If we should stay off, how does the field get coved back up after they get done laying it? How does it the final grade get put down? I don't think they do it by hand. A local yard sevice In my area used a large Ford tractor. Any contracts thoughts? ....
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| Paul
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1999-05-27 4383
With a conventional septic field you might be able to get away with driving over the field. With a mound system it is extremely important not to drive over the system as compaction will effect the soils and sand in different ways, also the potential for rutting the soil interface will cause failures. When building the fields around here (vt) the engineers require that they be built with tracked vehicles no wheels. The engineer for the common system here wont let us cut them with anything but a push mower or burn them once per year. With the cost of a field why risk a mistake? If you have to drive over the field use super wide turf tires with correct air pressure. ....
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| Jim
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1999-05-27 4412
Paul is correct. The system should be covered over and graded with a machine with treads. The load in pounds per square inch is very low with this type of machine. Lacking a machine with treads some contractors will install one trench and cover at a time, working from one side, never driving over installed trenches. Those are the correct ways, I am sure some don't pay any care and just drive over it. I have also seen brand new systems fail in a year or two. Some people will swear you never have to pump the tank. Both those that drive on a field and those that never pump the tank are just asking for trouble in my opinion. ....
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