Is a lawn roller really something useful?

[JDgreen227]

I have never wanted or needed one, because I don't give a (bleep) about the flatness of my huge yard. My friend called me last week and asked if I had one, he lives in town with a lawn about 1/8 of an acre (and he uses a lawn tractor to cut it) and he thought using a roller for his postage stamp size yard would be a good idea...:laughing:

Seems to me if someone had a 3400 pound tractor like mine, fitted with wide, flat turf tires, they could basically "roll" their lawn by driving over the entire surface and letting the weight do all the work, and if they had loaded tires, so much the better.

But for those with a lawn tractor, is one of those tow behind rollers really heavy enough to make much of a difference? I told my buddy I would ask the experts here.

 

[Baby Grand]

I have a swampy area behind my blueberry patch that I make deep ruts in whenever I mow it with a brush hog on my L series (about 4000# with hog on and FEL off with R1s). The other day I was able to drag a 4x6 trailer, stacked about 24" deep with hardwood chips over it with the 900# B. The trailer made deep ruts, but the B floated right over on it's turfs. So I'm thinking I may be able to flatten out the ruts I left with the L if I hitch up the lawn roller to the B and give it a pass or two. Otherwise, the lawn roller gets some use behind the B after tilling to reduce the "fluffyness" before planting.
I think we have the same attitude about our lawn - don't really care if it's a little lumpy.

 

[tractchores]

I used a lawn roller last month on a new lawn install. My thought was that it was relatively useless... What I ended up doing was running it over with my B series with turf tires, the tires pack it down and flatten it just to the right amount for seeding, push the seed into the soil and make it so that you don't create ruts when driving on it later. So far the areas I packed with the tractor are doing much better than the ones done with the roller, the roller didn't apply enough pressure, so the seed has washed off some of those areas and rain has created ruts. The areas flattened with the tractor are much better, no ruts and seed stayed in place and is growing nicely.

One other technique is to use the FEL to backdrag and apply some down pressure to level things out. That works pretty good as a first pass.

 

[dodge man]

I have problems with moles. It does help a lot, but bigger is better. My yard is pretty rough, so anything helps. This year, I've been to lazy to hook the thing up and fill it with water.

 

[LD1]

The ones that can be had at the store are about worthless IMO.

Not heavy enough with just water to do any good. And if the ground is soft enought for it to do any good, the tow vehichle usually makes a mess and you end up worse off than when you started.

Some fill them with concrete, or sand, or anything else heavier than water which would no doubt help.

We built one a few years ago. Larger diameter to give more weight. IT does work much better.

I cant remember the exact specs, but something like 600lbs empty, will hold another ~1800lbs of water, and is 38" diameter and 48" wide.

Edit: Link to it if interested http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/165209-building-large-lawn-roller.html

 

[JDgreen227]

I can just see my friend trying to move near a half ton with his 600 pound lawn tractor....:laughing:

 

[swizzle stick]

I have never wanted or needed one, because I don't give a (bleep) about the flatness of my huge yard. My friend called me last week and asked if I had one, he lives in town with a lawn about 1/8 of an acre (and he uses a lawn tractor to cut it) and he thought using a roller for his postage stamp size yard would be a good idea...:laughing:

Seems to me if someone had a 3400 pound tractor like mine, fitted with wide, flat turf tires, they could basically "roll" their lawn by driving over the entire surface and letting the weight do all the work, and if they had loaded tires, so much the better. But for those with a lawn tractor, is one of those tow behind rollers really heavy enough to make much of a difference? I told my buddy I would ask the experts here.

3400 pounds??????:laughing::laughing:
The tires on that tractor must be filled with lead.

 

[JDgreen227]

3400 pounds??????:laughing::laughing:
The tires on that tractor must be filled with lead.

Notice I said "mine" and a Deere 4210 (2675 lbs. dry) with 4wd, and a 60 inch 7 iron deck, PTO and hydraulics plus operator and a full tank of fuel does weigh 3400 lbs. while mowing. That weight is with non-loaded tires. Apologize, please.

 

[swizzle stick]

Notice I said "mine" and a Deere 4210 (2675 lbs. dry) with 4wd, and a 60 inch 7 iron deck, PTO and hydraulics plus operator and a full tank of fuel does weigh 3400 lbs. while mowing. That weight is with non-loaded tires. Apologize, please.

Model 4210 with MFWD = 2675 lbs. (PTO included surely)
60" 7 iron deck = 307.5 lbs.
full tank of fuel = 71 lbs
operator = 346.5 lbs. = your a big boy JD, I surely apologize.

:laughing::laughing:

 

[JDgreen227]

Model 4210 with MFWD = 2675 lbs. (PTO included surely)
60" 7 iron deck = 307.5 lbs.
full tank of fuel = 71 lbs
operator = 346.5 lbs. = your a big boy JD, I surely apologize.

:laughing::laughing:

Deere manual lists 7-Iron deck weight at 376 pounds. Mid PTO kit and 3rd selective control valve and hood guard are optional equipment and also add weight. Tractor toolbox loaded (not OEM) weighs an actual 45 pounds. I have put my Deere on a certified scales and it tips them at just over 3400 pounds.

I weigh 175.

Are you by any chance, related to that obnoxious fartbreath moron Mower Maniac over on LMF?