water roller winterizing

[daugen]

just received a new two foot by five foot water roller, Ohio Steel, 1150 pounds full.
I'd like to be able to use it during the winter and keep it filled, stored in an unheated barn.
If I put water in it, I have to put some form of antifreeze, and that could get really expensive in a hurry.
The opening hole is unfortunately very small, about an inch with what appears to be a rubber expansion plug tightened by a center screw.

I've been trying to think of alternatives to water. Sand? Nice inert substance and won't cause rust. Actually I guess it would make the inside a lapidary tumbler
of sorts.

I do NOT want to buy twenty gallons of antifreeze for this thing. The roller holds well over a hundred gallons.
Suggestions appreciated. Drew

 

[oldballs]

Daugen,......I'll be following this thread also. My roller/spiker holds 46 gallons and it would be nice to have it available year round without filling/draining the water. Maybe a one time purchase of about 20 gallons antifreeze wouldn't be so bad for me. Also it is pretty heavy when filled, in case one wants to shove it around when parked. Your roller is so big however. I can't think of a handy, inexpensive answer. Happy new year and good luck. Mike

 

[radioman]

ask yourself how much would you spend on sand? how much would you spend on cheap washer fluid? you might be able to buy a pallet worth at a discounted price from a local store if you ask the manager so you can get over 100 gallons less then 100 bucks. Any WF left over is a plus for your cars!
Have you gone to your local auto repair shop and asked what do they do with antifreeze they replace in flushing? perhaps they be willing to give it to you free or cheap? put in a ad in craigslist for anyone doing a home radiator flush you can take it away for free? Do you need to flush your own radiator from tractor/cars/trucks/etc?

 

[daugen]

Ohio Steel Lawn Roller 60"x24" - GEMPLER'S
ok, 117 gallons total. To keep water at least slushy, I bet I'd need at least 25 gallons of antifreeze. yikes.
note the reference to sand.
Now where I can I buy sand where they will feed it into my barrel with a nozzle? Now that's dreaming for sure.

 

[Gary Fowler]

If you never plan to drain it, consider mixing up a mixture of calcium chloride and water as used for many years in tubed tractor tires. Fill it completely full and no air in it should keep the CC from corroding the roller inside. Much cheaper than antifreeze and will add a lot more weight to the water.

 

[94BULLITT]

You could have it filled with methanol.

 

[Missouri Pioneer]

I filled one I used to have with sand. The process was laborious and time consuming, but it worked well and never needed maintenance.

 

[daugen]

You could have it filled with methanol.

sort of like driving my own still...
well, if methanol costs less than a buck a gallon, that might be interesting.
Anything that will protect me down to about true zero at the machine.
If it's colder than that, global warming is a joke and the ice age cometh.
Good topic for another thread...

I'm leaning towards sand at the moment because that eliminates any toxicity or flammability issues if it springs a leak or
when filling. I'm thinking put a 80 pound bag of sand on the edge of the bucket and at least get it positioned to pour through
a metal funnel I have, one without a mesh screen built in. Beginning guess of about 1000 pounds of sand, so at 80 pounds a bag, yeah, I'd say that
defines laborious. Well, in for a penny. Lets see, with a one inch opening, and an efficiency close to zero, how long will it take to fill this sucker?
I better start early.

If this adventure was in filling my tractor tires, which I still might do, I'd go with what's recommended. But just thinking of dumping all that antifreeze or windshield washer
fluid in there...well, I'd sure have the market cornered on windshield fluid if there was a shortage...
thanks to all.

 

[aczlan]

Do you have a welder? If so, cut a 4-6" square "fill hole" and weld it shut then done.

Aaron Z

 

[Clint S]

Is it made of metal or plastic???? If metal I would cut a larger opening and weld it back in when I was done.

 

[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.