Tow behind roller

[Grayson Klassen]

I have a tow behind roller that is 5 feet wide. I want your guys opinion on modifying it so instead of filling it for weight I can attach it to my FEL and push down on it.

The biggest reason I want to do this is lack of turn around room when I am rolling roads

What do you think let me have it both barrels

 

[moored4]

Ok! 1st thoughts.

You could make a bracket that would hook in your bucket like portable bolt on forks, but I would make it triangular in shape underneath, front to back, for structural support.

A draw back would be if it is not filled then the force applied down would be limited to the weight of the front half of your tractor, the more you pushed down the more weight would be applied, but also the less steering capabilities you would have.

Now!! I need to think on this some more for my 2nd thoughts!!!

 

[fdhdan]

Just a quick thought, How much weight can your 3 point lift? you could build a new hitch to put it on the 3 point, it would have to have a little play in it?
For stearing reasons it would have to float a little, but you could still fill it for wieght,,,
I think tow behind probably still gives the best results,,, on the 3 point or on the FEL, its going to scuff on corners.

 

[beenthere]

The idea has merits. You can steer with the rear brakes, especially if you frame it so it will caster. Not sure either if you can get the weight you need with just the front of the tractor, but it may do the job.
I assume you have a plan figured out how to attach the roller?

However, for rolling roads I find they pack better with just car or truck wheels. A roller doesn't do much leveling and minimum job of packing (if that is your reason for rolling roads).

 

[boggen]

if ya trying to compact rock drive way. i would say switch that roller over so it fits on 3 pt hitch. and then fill the FEL (front end loader) general duty bucket with a bunch of dirt. and have at it. and let the "front tires" do the major compaction. while letting rear tires help remove some of the rutting the front tires might give.

it will take multi trips back and forth. as you move over half width each time. but it works. ((it allows more weight to be placed in a smaller foot print))

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perhaps rigging up a hydraulic lifting wheels. to kinda turn the roller into a trailer.

or perhaps hooking up some chains, between back end of tractor and outer edge frame of the roller. so the roller is not allowed to pivot as much when you turn.

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re-reading your question.

do a triangle frame on each side of the bucket. so the point is downwards, weld on a short piece of pipe to tip of each triangle. and run a bar all the way through (triangle with piece of pipe, roller, to other triangle with piece of pipe) and as needed use spacers err other pieces of pipe to keep roller in center.

though doing above, would put a lot of stress on the long bar and you would risk forcing the triangle pieces to bending and the rod bending right near the triangles.

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if you had pallet forks instead of general duty bucket on the FEL. and the FEL was able to pickup the roller when filled. you could just U shape bracket up and over the forks. and put a couple chains or straps around the bracket to forks. so the bracket would not slip off while you pulled backwards on roller.

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having a tow able roller. were the hitch / pin going back to a draw bar of tractor or vehicle. and there is some play at the hitch/pin. allows the roller to ride up and down different grades much easier.

if you place it on a FEL or make things to rigid. you may end packing down one side. and leaving other side hardy packed down if packed down at all.

 

[Localmotion]

An interesting idea, which I have seen done before on a Case 5140 Maxxum which was used to compact trial silage clamps which were only the width of the tractor...

As I remember thy had added lugs to the back of the bucket, just below where the bucket joined to the FEL, and also to the back of the roller frame. At the other end of the roller frame (which was the same length as the bucket) there was a c-section piece of steel.

To attach the roller, the bucket was driven into the c-section, and then pins plaved through the lugs on the back of the roller frame & bucket.

The benefit of this design is that you can fill the loader bucket to add weight, before attaching the roller. However I do share some of the other concerns previously posted - you will not have much steering, and if you do the roller will scrub. Also as said by Beenthere you would be better to buy or build a proper packer using old aircraft wheels or similar if using it to compact roads...

Here is a very basic diagram of what I mean :laughing:

 

[Localmotion]

Alternatively, depending upon how much road building you do and of course your budget, you could always sell the roller and get a proper compactor like this...

The PTH website has lots of good movies... .PTH compactor - speed grader crusher stabi crusher ripper - PTH products by Profiteam Holzer in Neuberg Mürz

:thumbsup:

 

[fixit]

For road work i would have thought you would be better off hiring a vibrating ride on roller

They compact far more than an ordinary one and are very easy to get in tight with they normaly have water on board to keep the dust down to:thumbsup:

 

[Grayson Klassen]

OKay wow lots of different thoughts

The problem I am trying to alleviate is having to turn the rig around at the end of a pass. Once our roads dry up and we suffer severe mud in the spring I blade the ruts out and then roll it. This year I will be adding a layer of crush and them will want to roll it again. At one end of the road I can turn around but at the other end I would have to back and fill to get turned around. This roller jack-knifes at the mere thought of reverse direction and it gets seriously annoying. Plus I have a driveway down to the house that is curved and I would have to back down.

Moored4 - My intention was to slide it onto my forks I can actually pick up the front of my tractor with the tips. As my tractor weighs in at 16000 pounds with the loader I could apply a reasonable amout of weight up front.

fdhdan - Unfortuately I do not have a three point I did on my old tractor but not on this one.

beenthere - Our property is midway up / down a hill and we get a lot of run off. Ruts are an issue and this year is specially bad.

Boggen - I like the idea of picking it up with thr forks when full that might be the best of both worlds, use its own weight to roll may still get a bit of scuffing but could be a great idea.

Localmotion - I would love to be able to just go out and buy all the things I want but mama has us on a tight budget this year so we can build a new barn so a proper compactor isn't going to happen any time soon.

All good thoughts and would love to hear more, if it didn't jack-knife so bad it wouldn't be an issue but like I said earlier just the thought of reversing and it knifes, I may look at chaining it so it will stay out from under the tires and see if it is possible.

Love to hear more

 

[beenthere]

OKay wow lots of different thoughts

The problem I am trying to alleviate is having to turn the rig around at the end of a pass. .......... would love to hear more, if it didn't jack-knife so bad it wouldn't be an issue ......
Love to hear more

Simplest fix is to lengthen the tongue of the roller and then it will back much easier.
(cheapest might just be to unhook your roller at the dead end, drag the roller around 180 with a chain and re-hook for the trip the other direction)

And as said, if the dirt is worked up and smoothed out with a blade or drag, then packing is done best with just the vehicle tires (simple roller does very little other than push some high spots down. ).