Driving The Cub Over The Septic Tank?

[Crimson Tim]

Our tanks are designed per ASTM standards in residential lawns to withstand approximately 100 pounds per 10"x10" area, and 300 pounds live load in the same 10" square. West Virginia requires, as most other states that we deal with, a stamped PE reviewed shop drawing be submitted to the State and often county Health Departments...

Do you know what ASTM standard that is? It would be interesting to look up what the entire loading requirements are. 400 lbs isn't much if you are considering vehicular traffic.
It's my understanding that the Cub weight STARTS at about 1500 lbs. How many people run them that lightly? TractorData shows the Cub weight as a range from about 1500 lbs to about 3000 lbs. That's easy to see by the time you get ballast in the tires, multiple wheel weights, and a few implements involved.

I think part of this question boils down to regional differences, too. Things are going to be done differently in different locations. Here in Florida, for example, the top of the drain field tubs (can't think of the correct word at the moment) is quite a bit deeper than the top of the tanks. The tanks are usually not even deep enough to grow decent grass over: 4"-6". Usually, outside of the rainy season, you can see exactly where the tank and drain field are in an un-irrigated yard, because the grass over the tank will look lousy, but the grass over the drain field will be stay lush.

There was just a case in the news down here a few weeks ago where a little girl unfortunately drowned in a neighbor's uncovered septic tank. He had broken through it with his pickup truck last year, and hadn't gotten around to fixing it. I'm glad he doesn't live next to me!

[danovercash]

Speaking of septic tanks and leach fields, anyone here had any experience with jetting out drain lines and aerating the leach field (Terra-Lift etc.)

[Crimson Tim]

I was going to ask Dusti if he could send me some plans of those tanks so I could run some numbers on them to see what kind of capacity they would calculate to, however, the more I think about this, the more I think there is no point. That capacity would only be valid with a relatively new tank, and as I and others have mentioned several times above, the tanks degrade over time. I would venture that the vast majority of us who have tanks, have tanks over 10 years old, and many are over 25. There was one mention of a tank from 1965, so almost 50 years old. Not exactly "new". The rate of degradation depends on a lot of different things like the chemistry and moisture of your soil and the chemistry and quantity of what goes into the tank (various caustic cleaners, family of 12 versus a single occupant, etc.). What I am getting at here is that the situation is always changing, so just because you got away with something before does not mean that you will be able to continue to do so. Also, modern tanks have at least two chambers with a dividing wall between. Assuming the dividing wall goes all the way to the lid, it will provide a strong spot there. Maybe one time you won't hit that strong spot?

The main reason I think this: how often have you heard news stories about a horse being rescued from having fallen into a septic tank? I can think of about three in the Central Florida area just over the last year. It never seems to be the enormous draft horses at 2000+ lbs or even the warmbloods at 1500 lbs. It seems like this usually happens to horses who are older and thin. That is probably because they are quiet and therefore allowed to graze outside the normal pastures in places where horses don't normally go. It reduces the mowing and then they don't have to struggle with the younger horses for food. The ones I've seen could not have been over 900 lbs.
My wife was a riding instructor for many years. One of her students had a horse who broke a leg going through a septic tank. This particular horse was actually a Connamara pony, so it would be 800 lbs. tops.

We've all heard stories about various things busting through. That pony was only about half the weight of a Cub in the lightest trim, and he went through. You really can't know what condition the tank is really in unless it is brand-spanking new. Even if the guy who pumped it out last week said it looked great, he doesn't have x-ray vision. That wire mesh in there could be well on its way to turning to red dust, and you'll never know until you break it open. I don't care if you've driven your truck over it dozens of times before, my advice to you is to stay off it! The next time your luck might run out and you go over it in just the wrong spot. The more I think about it, the more I come back to it just being a bad idea.

This is obviously just my opinion, and you are welcome to endanger yourself in any way you see fit. I think it's irresponsible to take a Cub, of which there are a finite number left in the world, along with you, however.

set [rant] = OFF

Seriously, though, most horses are a lot lighter than any Cub, and it is not uncommon for them to fall through. Stay off!

[Dusti Snider]

The ASTM standard I think, is 1227...

Keep in mind that is for residential lawns, and represents a 300# live load in a 10" square...

I would hesitate to drive a normal Cub over one of ours...I wouldn't park it there...but driving over isn't that big of deal. My '85 JD 420 weighted...as it mows my grass nearly weighs as much as Otis.

[Steve Woods]

Tim, what part of central Florida are you in? I'm in central Lake County.

[Barnyard]

Tim, what part of central Florida are you in? I'm in central Lake County.

It looks like you and Tim are less than 40 minutes away from each other. He's in Eustis. Time for a Mini Fest.

[coppersmythe]

I drive over mine , it is about 4 1/2 - 5 feet in diameter , steel lid , tank is 35+ years old , lid is 5 years old . it has about 2-3 inches of dirt on top of it with scraggly grass , I just drive over it centered so the wheels are pretty much on or past the edges of the lid . it is a loboy I use to cut with ,59" mower with the wheel centers dished out ( a factor to consider in all these calculations ) . coppersmythe.................................................................( gotta admit before I replaced the lid , when I drove over it , i thought about it )

[Crimson Tim]

Steve Woods wrote:
Tim, what part of central Florida are you in? I'm in central Lake County.

It looks like you and Tim are less than 40 minutes away from each other. He's in Eustis. Time for a Mini Fest.

Yup. Just east of Eustis, north of Mount Dora. It would be a pretty small MiniFest, as I have not yet found the Cub of my dreams.

I drive over mine , it is about 4 1/2 - 5 feet in diameter , steel lid , tank is 35+ years old , lid is 5 years old . it has about 2-3 inches of dirt on top of it with scraggly grass , I just drive over it centered so the wheels are pretty much on or past the edges of the lid .

If you must do it, then you are doing it right. If you know where it is accurately enough to stay near the edges like this, then you will probably be fine regardless of tank type, especially with a new lid. My comments in previous posts were directed at tanks of the concrete variety, as that is what I have seen used consistently in both Michigan and Florida, and with the assumption that that the location is not known that precisely.
Is your steel lid a heavy solid piece of steel 3/8" or 1/2" thick, or a light gauge corrugated sheet? Either way, I hope it is HDG.

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

Might want to think about investing in a snorkel, just in case.

[coppersmythe]

good morning from the deep south , john . ICE storm forecast for our mardi grais today , it was in the '80s a couple days ago !! I drive "over" the septic tank , I'm not sure I would drive "on" it . a great reason to buy a sickle mower ( but dear , I had to buy it for safety ) . I could wear my SCUBA gear , what a photo that would be coppersmythe...................................................( don't do it bob perry )