[BLC1]

Has anybody ever tried using one of the smaller asphalt rollers to roll a lawn. Something like a 1 ton ride on roller. Seems like it would do a much better job than pull behind roller.

Let me know your thoughts.

Thanks.

 

[zaxx]

A few years ago, I bought a Wacker RD11 exactly for that purpose. I run a mid-sized cemetery, and we are constantly rolling sections of lawn before hydroseeding (fixing graves and ruts). We also use it for packing limestone gravel for use in foundations. Never bothered filling the drums with water for extra weight- wasn't a need. One downside- the soil must be fairly dry, otherwise the rollers will clog up.

It's been one of the best investments I've made in years.

 

[shooterm]

You guys actually use a sod roller? :laugh: Two years ago we had a sod company quit in the middle of a street job and let a everything go to waste right before the winter. We got extremely fustrated so just did everything ourselves next spring. Bought a land plane used our blacktop roller bought sod from a local company that assisted. Anyways it never looked better. We actually used the roller not just parked it for inspectors. We knew the grade better considering we had half operators. Sod was actually laid correctly considering we had to deal with the inspector for the next phases.

The roller doesnt get traction in muddy conditions. I dont think it matters though because you shouldn't be out making footprints to begin with. Its to cumbersome for tight spots. Works awesome for repairing shoddy sod placement. Needs a trailer.

 

[BLC1]

The roller I was looking at was about 2000 lbs so it would fit on my landscape trailers. I figured it would actually take the lumps out. Any bad side effects?

 

[shooterm]

We used a normal Sod roller but it didnt work as well as we'd liked for the job rehab. The rehab was abit extreme and half of it was just actually pulling up sod regrading then laying it back down. I dont think it replaces a sod roller to many places its actually dangerous(people have a tuff time respecting a small heavy machine) or to cumbersome. Also running the roller over the sidewalks edges can chip concrete which leads to cracks be very careful.

 

[BLC1]

I'm suprised more people haven't tried this or chimed in.

 

[Big Red Ferris]

i roll every spring i have 75 contracts its busy i use a stone 11/2ton with a vib the customers love there lawns

 

[steve18974]

I have used everything from the 48" towable roller up to a 30 ton roller depending on what and where .... the big thing you need to watch is you are compacting the soil ..... so you need to aerate afterwards to open it back up .. and man does a 30 ton roller flatten the ground ......

 

[White Gardens]

i roll every spring i have 75 contracts its busy i use a stone 11/2ton with a vib the customers love there lawns

So, before I chime in, I want to say that rolling is a horrible thing to do to a lawn, but I'm guilty of rolling a couple properties with a 1 ton pull behind roller in order to mow them a little faster. Luckily they are just larger In-law properties.

Yes, asphalt rollers can be used, but you are also hurting the over-all health of the lawn by compacting the root zone.

I've also been told to never use the vibrator as you might cause enough vibration to break underground utilities and irrigation lines. I think the vibrator is over-kill anyways.

To me, the best way to slowly smooth out a lawn is to aerate 2 times a year for a few years. Even if you do roll a lawn I would suggest aerating it anyways to help release some of the compaction you've created and on top of it, it will help even more to smooth it out.

 

[BLC1]

Yeah I agree aerating afterwards would be a good idea. The big rollers just seems like a quick fix and then continue you on with better methods.

 

[starry night]

Anytime I see someone using an asphalt roller (even a small one) on a lawn, I just wince. Compaction is the worst thing you can do to turf and soil.
Aerate. Aerate. Aerate. Give the soil a chance to move around and level its own bumps.

 

[rcblethen]

One problem rolling with a heavy roller, you damage the root systems of trees and shrubs.

 

[carlriv]

How would a roller work to repair damage from horses? Not terrible damage, but there are hoof prints all over about 2"-3" deep, with a few much worse. The horses got on the lawn when it was snow covered, but not frozen.

 

[starry night]

How would a roller work to repair damage from horses? Not terrible damage, but there are hoof prints all over about 2"-3" deep, with a few much worse. The horses got on the lawn when it was snow covered, but not frozen.

Definitely not a roller. You have the opposite problem of bumps; you have indentations. Take a weed popper or a hand trowel and raise up the indentations. It's a bit of work but it does the best job unless you are talking a large area with a lot of hoof marks.

 

[carlriv]

I'm sure that some of it is indentations, but alot of the smaller ones look as if they are "squished" sideways also. I wonder if we use a 4 tine pitchfork (like a huge divot tool) to pop the low spots up, and then roll it.

BTW, they are having a graduation party at the end of May, so it needs to be a quick fix. We can worry about compaction later, assuming a roller will work.

 

[Caterkillar]

For all you people that claim these rollers cause tremendous compaction... why do golf courses use rollers on a semi annual basis? This supposed compaction from a 2 ton roller is VERY VERY minimal. I have used 1 ton asphault rollers to get a lawn perfect. I have noticed no adverse affects.

 

[starry night]

For all you people that claim these rollers cause tremendous compaction... why do golf courses use rollers on a semi annual basis? This supposed compaction from a 2 ton roller is VERY VERY minimal. I have used 1 ton asphault rollers to get a lawn perfect. I have noticed no adverse affects.

Golf courses: much different environment. Mostly sand based immediately under the turf. I guess I haven't been everywhere but I've never seen a roller the weight of an asphalt roller on a golf course. But I have seen them core aerate numerous times per season. But again, your golf course soil structure is not comparable to MOST home lawns.

 

[Caterkillar]

Golf courses: much different environment. Mostly sand based immediately under the turf. I guess I haven't been everywhere but I've never seen a roller the weight of an asphalt roller on a golf course. But I have seen them core aerate numerous times per season. But again, your golf course soil structure is not comparable to MOST home lawns.

Maybe sand based on the greens, but not on the fairways. I think they are similar environments. The difference being that golf courses are the premier example of turf installation and maintenance.

Have you ever run an asphault roller? When you have the weight distributed over two cylinders there is really not much more ground pressure psi than 1200lb lawn mower. In fact, I usually have to get the soil saturated with water to a degree to see a noticeable difference.

The only other way to get the ground perfectly level is to topdress. If you want an absolutely perfectly smooth lawn even if you grade it to perfection, you will still have to topdress it due to imperfections in the sod and sod shrinkage.

 

[woodlawnservice]

Is a 3 ton roller to heavy? Need help asap! Going back to a recent install where soil has sank and they want it rolled to flatten out....