water roller winterizing

[daugen]

Groan. I can't weld. A one inch hole is conducive to a garden hose. How do I get sand out of a garden hose at low pressure?
this ought to be interesting...

I'm guessing I will try out a bag and see how it pours. If at a glacial pace, I'll call a welder I know. And he can help get the sand in, then weld it shut, perhaps with a larger
door permanently placed. Whatever sand I don't use will go in the garden where it's needed.
I don't want to give up the ability to drain/empty the tank if needed, say for transport.

[BukitCase]

Looks like you're far enough away from the ocean for my warning to be un-necessary, but just in case - don't use beach sand, there's too much salt in it and it'll corrode your roller - "nursery" sand, otherwise known as river sand, doesn't have that problem. Sand blast sand is typically garnet sand and will eventually help make your roller thinner... Steve

[Gary Fowler]

Better stick with water and drain it when finished if transporting is in your future. That sand is going to be a bear to remove unless you put a very large hole in it. Doesnt take that long to run in 100 gal. of water and then pull the plug to drain and water your grass a bit.

[Mendonsy]

There are a lot of things you could put in there that won't freeze but most of them (like diesel fuel) would have hazmat concerns. Some good clean sand is probably the simplest answer.

[94BULLITT]

If you put a solid like sand in it you will have a heck of a time getting it out. Since you are against methanol you could get rim guard. If you were friend with a mechanic you could get them to save their waste antifreeze for you.

[Markcuda]

How come you can't still put water in it, just don't fill it full.
The frozen water will need to expand a little.

[jenkinsph]

If you think you will need to empty this roller to transport then use the conventional garden hose and fill/drain as needed, that the cheapest way out. If you can leave it filled then sand is the cheap way to have a heavy roller. When you consider how much trouble it would be to fill and empty a roller with something such as rimguard or washer fluid you would want to reuse that would be a pain. My best suggestion is to have one good roller filled with sand or better yet Bayrite (36lbs/gallon) and a secondary roller you could transport using water maybe smaller.

[oldballs]

Think I'll stick with water, considering cost, complexity, toxicity and availability...... for both the roller and spiker.

[newt92]

How come you can't still put water in it, just don't fill it full.
The frozen water will need to expand a little.

^^ Well hey stranger!! ^^

Daugen, I have to ask, what do you plan on doing with the roller over winter? Around here rollers are only used in the spring after the spring thaw (when we get them).

[puckgrinder85]

I would just fill/ drain with water as necessary, doesnt seem like that big of a deal to pull the plug and walk away for 10 minutes. Filling it shouldnt take a great deal more than half and hour. At least then you have the option to drain it, even though you may not think of what at the time if you fill it with sand you may screw yourself.