Yard Roller

[thcri]

Looking for a good roller for behind my TC29D. I was hoping to find something at least 5 feet wide or maybe even 6 feet wide and something that would have some weight to it. I have all kinds of used anti-freeze I can fill it with to make it heavier than just plain old water.

My reason for this. I bought my TC29D with Industrial tires. I actually wanted turf but my dealer proved to me on wet ground that the turfs will leave just as big of dents as the Industrial. He also showed me that when turning real sharp the Industrials will do less damage than the turfs. I am not totally happy so I went back to him to see if he would trade them back in. I have 80 hours on my tractor. He told me he has seldom orders a tractor in the last five years with turf's on them. (So it is one of them deals that I am the only one having the problem. I also notice the dealer that I did not buy from also orders Industrials on the ones he has in stock.) My dealer told me he wanted me to roll my yard a couple of times and if that didn't help he would order a tractor with the turf's on it and swap me out. So I guess in a way I am getting good dealer support and he really seems to be sold on the Industrials. The Industrials have been ok for me I just have to make sure it is dry when I go out.

If anyone has made a homemade roller I would be interested in seeing that also.


murph

 

[Von]

Murph, Here is a photo of mine. I made it from an old holding tank and scrap angle iron I had. Its 5 1/2 feet x 2 feet. Works great and weighs over 1200lbs when filled with water.

 

[thcri]

Looks good. Do you remember what size tank that is? Also the tractor dealer I deal with said that a guy made one out of a culvert and poured it full of concrete and it does a wonderful job? I question the ribs and how or what kind of marks it would leave after you went over the grass?

murph

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Von, that must be a pretty thick guage tank!

How thick is the tank wall?
what size axle did you use?
Do you have a bearing on the axle? (that's a lot of weight to pull around)

John

 

[Mosey]

murph - I have R4 tires also and have been happy with them. Actually, the caster wheels on the mower cause more trouble than the tires on the tractor on soft ground. This time of year, I mow in standing water and mud in several places. I thought about a lawn roller also, see where to buy a 5' lawn roller?, but by mid summer the ruts are undetectable, so I decided I don't need a lawn roller.

Is your problem that the lugs on the R4 tires leave marks or is it that the tires leave a rut the width of the tire? Is it the front tires or the rear tires, or both? Are your tires loaded with fluid and/or do you have any weights on your wheels? Do you detach your FEL when you mow the yard?

 

[thcri]

Danny,

It's mostly the lugs leaving indents. I have lowered the tire pressure on all 4 tires to the lowest pressure allowed from the manual. They typically will dissapear after a couple of days.

If it is wet the tractor will leave shallow swells from the tires.
murph

 

[thcri]

Danny,

My wheels on my mower deck use to leave marks on mine also. But I was having some problems with the deck mowing even from swath to swath and my dealer told me to use th float feature on the 3 Point and now my marks don't show up anymore. Do you use the float or do you let it drop all the way down?

murph

 

[ns_in_tex]

Murph,
Attached is a picture of one I just made. Have only used it so far to roll some newly planted sod, & tried to smooth out some rough pasture but hope to use it for patching asphalt drive. Is 36"x74" filled with concrete. Tank was to thin walled to fill with water. I figured it would just punch dents in tank if not filled with something solid. I think it should be pushing, maybe 7000 lb. Also strapped a 55 gal water tank to top.

 

[ns_in_tex]

Another View

 

[Boomerboy]

Murph,

Here is a picture of the roller I made from two old water tanks placed end to end with a 1/4" steel plate rolled and welded in place around them. The tanks have holes drilled in inside ends, and has a steel bar extending through to both ends and into the bearings. Each outside end has a coupling welded in with a plug. These plugs are 180 degrees opposed to allow water out and air in when emptying. Can't say anything about the weight other than I fill it with water first thing in the spring and empty it a few weeks later. It sure does squish the lumps and bumps of winter!