Open Up Compacted Septic Drain Fields With A Skid Steer Loader

Open Up Compacted Septic Drain Fields With A Skid Steer Loader TRACTORS Skid Steer Loaders 90-10-97 Failing septic drain fields can be costly to replace. Here's a quick and relatively inexpensive solution to the problem. It's a machine called the Soil Shaker. Greg Posch of Holdingford, Minnesota, owns the patent on the machine. He's been using it in his own custom business and is now offering the machine for sale. The soil shaker is designed to aerate septic drain fields, which are sealed, compacted or no longer draining. The patented universal skid steer attachment allows the operator to penetrate the soil using a 1 3?4-in. thick diameter pneumatic probe hammer. "The soil shaker releases air into the compacted and sealed soil, loosening it. The operator is able to control the probe hammer and release air from the skid loader seat," says Posch. "Within hours the entire drain field is restored without lawn damage. "Drain fields eventually become saturated or sealed and water no longer percolates down. In many cases, effluent from the septic tank seeps to the surface, leaving wet spots and even standing smelly water in lawns," says Posch. "Done the traditional way, rebuilding a septic drain field can cost thousands of dollars and take days to complete because you're replacing the entire drain field. With Soil Shaker, it's all done in half a day or less without lawn damage." Here's how it works: a long narrow probe driven by a pneumatic hammer penetrates soil up to 6 ft. deep, depending on the depth of the leach field. Once the probe is in the soil, air is forced through it at high pressure, loosening compacted soil and creating a network of cracks. The cracks break up the "biomat" and sealed ground that develops over years in the drain field. The process is repeated every 3 to 4 ft. throughout the entire drain field. There are two valves on the machine, which are electrically controlled from inside the skid steer. "In most cases you can aerate an entire drain field in 1 to 3 hours, depending on the size," says Posch. "Customers are very satisfied to find out you can repair and rejuvenate failing systems which otherwise would need to be replaced. Systems we treated are still working great 9 years later." Sells for $5,950. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Greg Posch, Soil Shaker, 39725 Co. Rd. 3, Holdingford, Minn. 56340 (ph 320-293-6644; www.soilshaker.com).

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