Alturnamats over septic tank

[tree MDS]

Did a little job yesterday where the customer informed me that a competitor had suggested using those things to back his bucket over a septic tank (maybe even set up on). Would any of you guys try this? I'm sure they disperse the weight better than plywood, but I don't think I would wanna try it. I don't really know much about septic systems though, other than to stay off of them.

I guess he gave the guy some spiel about ground pressure per square inch, etc. (sounded like something he heard from the alturnamat salesman).

 

[Bowhunter01]

No way man. Stay off the septic tank. Drainfield maybe, tank no. Wish I still had the pics my buddy sent me, they say it all.

Not bashing the alturnamats, but I'm not sure God himself would drive or set up on the septic tank.

 

[MarquisTree]

Did a little job yesterday where the customer informed me that a competitor had suggested using those things to back his bucket over a septic tank (maybe even set up on). Would any of you guys try this? I'm sure they disperse the weight better than plywood, but I don't think I would wanna try it. I don't really know much about septic systems though, other than to stay off of them.

I guess he gave the guy some spiel about ground pressure per square inch, etc. (sounded like something he heard from the alturnamat salesman).

I would never try that with alturnamats, they are way too flexible and do not work well stacked on top of each other.
I have used 3/4" plywood before, many layers, still shady but its worked.

I am not suggesting anyone try this, I have driven over tanks only a few times, special circumstances, and I knew exactly what I was dealing with

 

[treemandan]

This whole thing sounds like a crappy idea.

If its going to be like that then maybe I should look at the job... ya know cause i could prolly jess climb the thing:msp_rolleyes:

 

[flushcut]

I would not. Now if you can get swamp mats or road plates go for it.

 

[tree MDS]

This whole thing sounds like a crappy idea.

If its going to be like that then maybe I should look at the job... ya know cause i could prolly jess climb the thing:msp_rolleyes:

I agree, sounded like a crappy idea to me too. just thought I'd throw that out there and see what you guys thought. I have doubled up sheets to go over field before (once), but that was kind of an extreme situation as there was like 12k worth of work past the fields, and the bucket drastically changed the outcome time wise.

The tree in question was this annoying little spike of a dead white birch that had fallen over mostly, and was hung up 15' or so over the house in a smaller birch. Climbing didn't seem very possible and the tank was right where the truck would have had to be. Ended up plywooding around the back of the house and trying to stretch over and shorten it up some. Ran out of reach after nipping off 7' or so. I wound up climbing a little oak, tying into that, taking a couple lower limbs that were coming down anyway, then climbing the little birch it was hung up in, and tip tying and butt tying the little PITA up into the tips of the oak ( with three pole sections). The little bit that I did get with the truck made the difference between hitting the house or not ( I'm pretty sure). Came out sweet, but didn't do so well on that one $ wise. lol. Never had so much headache from a little #### before!

I even entertained the thought of renting one of those gay little lifts the rental yards have for homeowners, and pushing that in there. I wasn't feeling it though, and it would have cost the cheap old bastard too much anyway.

 

[tree MDS]

This whole thing sounds like a crappy idea.

If its going to be like that then maybe I should look at the job... ya know cause i could prolly jess climb the thing:msp_rolleyes:

Anyway, don't be hatin' just cuz you still gotta climb everything like an ignorant monkey!

 

[dbl612]

alternamats

Anyway, don't be hatin' just cuz you still gotta climb everything like an ignorant monkey!

alt mats good for moving wheel loads, but i would not trust them with out dunnage between them and an outrigger pad, but in no case would i set up over a septic tank or known piping etc. without steel plates. long time ago fell through an abandoned dry well 4 ft. square that the customer assured me wasn't there before we started work. LOL. leave it to the crane to set up on the only underground hole in a 100x150' area! tom.

 

[ducaticorse]

Septic tanks are expensive mmmkay? You're life is invaluable mmmmmkay?

 

[epicklein22]

It'd be nice to know what you can drive over a septic or leach field and what's a definite no-go or borderline. How about dropping trees on a septic? Or using a skid steer? Looked at a clearing job that had a septic going through the access trail. Haven't heard back from her, but was figuring a bunch of plywood would work.

I just stay away from them at all costs, but sometimes they are in the most inconvenient spots.

 

[tree MDS]

alt mats good for moving wheel loads, but i would not trust them with out dunnage between them and an outrigger pad, but in no case would i set up over a septic tank or known piping etc. without steel plates. long time ago fell through an abandoned dry well 4 ft. square that the customer assured me wasn't there before we started work. LOL. leave it to the crane to set up on the only underground hole in a 100x150' area! tom.

Steel plates huh.. sounds like something the guys would enjoy even more than the plywood! lol.

One nice thing about being the boss is I never touch plywood anymore. I'm actually pretty shameless about avoiding it. I usually just tell them how many sheets to load in the morning, and the go hide in the office like I have something to do in there. I can load my whole stack of 24 sheets (3/4") into the back of a chip truck with my tractor (just barely), but I don't always need that much. I've been meaning to put some 4x4 spacers in the middle of the pile so I can just throw a chain around half of it at a clip.

 

[ducaticorse]

I hate laying plywood, but now that I have the bobkitten, I'll be using it much more. I'm going to carry it on board as a default, now that I can take it on and off in a snap. It's easier on the guys too, I can just lay bridge one by one with the machine as they pull a sheet off the pallet on the forks, I move forward. WAY better than carrying from a pile on the back of the truck one by one..

 

[tree MDS]

I hate laying plywood, but now that I have the bobkitten, I'll be using it much more. I'm going to carry it on board as a default, now that I can take it on and off in a snap. It's easier on the guys too, I can just lay bridge one by one with the machine as they pull a sheet off the pallet on the forks, I move forward. WAY better than carrying from a pile on the back of the truck one by one..

That's basically what we do. problem is sometimes we dont need the machine, so still end up dealing with it the hard way on the job.

 

[Blakesmaster]

I have a designated spot for plywood on the front of the dump trailer. Don't have a pic of that but here's a halfway decent shot of Tuesday's p party. Ran it all the way around the house to the driveway. 4 notch n' flops in the backyard, had a rented MT52 which worked nicely. Brought my buddy in with his Rayco 1625 for the stumps as it was far too soggy to put my truck back there.

 

[treeclimber101]

I have a designated spot for plywood on the front of the dump trailer. Don't have a pic of that but here's a halfway decent shot of Tuesday's p party. Ran it all the way around the house to the driveway. 4 notch n' flops in the backyard, had a rented MT52 which worked nicely. Brought my buddy in with his Rayco 1625 for the stumps as it was far too soggy to put my truck back there.

I put 25 half sheets stacked on top of the headache rack over the drivers door , 2 D rings welded down with a strap , and when you wanna dish them off you just have someone throw them down in front of the truck and on the way out they just stack them back up top , works real nice , and doesn't occupy any real space

 

[Scottscape]

he would go right through it

 

[sgreanbeans]

I never go over the tank. The thought of it busting open and the after math, scares the crap out me.

@101- all the weight up there, does it effect the truck at all? I usually thro them in my dump trailer, but it wood :jester: be nice to have them up there. Nice and handy, at all times.

 

[treemandan]

Anyway, don't be hatin' just cuz you still gotta climb everything like an ignorant monkey!

No no, I don't be hatin' use guys, I was jess sayin ya know. And don't be thinking I stay up at night dreaming about bucket trucks... unless its Stubs.

 

[tree MDS]

he would go right through it

Maybe I should've let him have it then. lol.

 

[medic2397]

Depending on the age of the tank, it may hold up with some plywood, but I agree with everyone else, why chance it? I have come to the point where laying plywood to get the truck to the tree is not worth it, unless it is not safe to climb. Not only from the time is money standpoint, but about a 6 weeks ago we had to pull the truck off the driveway into a back yard only in a residential neighborhood. Only had to go back about 30 feet to get to a medium sized ash tree over a garage that showed some nasty rot at the bottom. No adjacent trees tall enough to tie into either. We pulled the truck in right where we wanted it and skipped the plywood because the homeowner is on city sewer and we had about 2 months without a lick of rain. Got the tree down without issue. I jumped in the truck and backed over the same spot we pulled into. I only moved about 3 feet and the entire front left side of the truck dropped to the axle. Long and short of it is that we got the truck out of what was probably about a 100 year old septic tank that no one knew was there. Why did this change my mind so much? Because you just never know what the heck is buried out there. If we had setup on the tank not knowing it was there imagine if it gaveway while someone was in the bucket!!!!! Obviously it held on the way in, but not on the way out. Even if we had laid plywood, I don't think it would have helped because most septic tanks are bigger than 4'x8' and the weight just will not dispurse. Just becareful out there!

Luke