How much water to put in roller

[Derrick Hughes]

Back in the 70ts two farmers around here would have a new Massey tracor every year , something like an MF185
The challenge was who was out first with their New Tractor rolling to show it off , one year the sulky farmer got beaten by an our , he unhooked his roller in the shed and never rolled the fields that year
Dad called it farming with iron , no idea why but he used to say it was pride that drove them , not good farming practice

 

[David1968]

Contrary to what you might think, even a heavy roller has a lower ground pressure than the tractor pulling it. Where the weight comes into play is when a stone, or something, tries to lift the roller and all the weight is brought to bear on that one point pushing it down.

 

[Farmer Keith]

Again, it depends on your land. I am on sand here and I envy you your stones (seriously!).

Soon after I moved in 40 years ago, an agricultural adviser told me the best roller was the tractor tyre, literally driving round and round the field putting one wheel mark next to another. A heavy roller, he said, just pushes a little ridge ahead of the roller not compressing much at all. He was right about that, certainly with dry sand. But timing to get the soil moist during establishment is probably more important for me.

I've been out with chain harrows and the roller because two years fallow encouraged the moles and the fields were like a relief map of the Somme. The only time to get them flat is now when the sand is reasonably damp. Sand here is firm when it is dry and I have been able to drive over all the fields with the Land Rover most of the winter.

Brilliant, guy we farm next to has a mole problem, bought some hydraulically folding chain harrows to deal with it! You don’t solve a mole infestation from the tractor seat unfortunately. On a side note I always a see them as evidence of healthy worm populations within the soil.

 

[HCC]

Wasnt it, back in the "good old days", (1970s-80s), that the new ones made by Archie Kidd, made with concrete filled from new? Anyone got/had one, we used to borrow one many years ago from a dairy farmer up the main road from here?

Yes you are right, I have a couple of 8ft ones weighing 3t each. I modified the frame of one of them to be able to use them as a pair. Takes some dragging at 6t, but they make a cracking job

 

[Exfarmer]

I don't think any silage contractors will take kindly to any negative comments about rolling
Harrowing and rolling critical fro removing our velvety friends earthworks

 

[Dry Rot]

Brilliant, guy we farm next to has a mole problem, bought some hydraulically folding chain harrows to deal with it! You don’t solve a mole infestation from the tractor seat unfortunately. On a side note I always a see them as evidence of healthy worm populations within the soil.

Have you done a lot of mole trapping? If you don't want to waste your time trapping stale runs, best to drag the harrows over the field and trap within a couple of feet of the new hills. Another three moles caught this morning, traps set yesterday.

Using the tractor tyre to roll is recommended for newly sown grass on sand, personally I use the heavy roller but wait until it's a bit damp as it works better. Grass always seems to take best on the headlands where the tractor turns.

 

[Wesley]

Have you done a lot of mole trapping? If you don't want to waste your time trapping stale runs, best to drag the harrows over the field and trap within a couple of feet of the new hills. Another three moles caught this morning, traps set yesterday.

If you can’t tell the difference between fresh & old mole hills I’d say you’ve not done much trapping. Then kick your boot into any fresh ones as your setting & checking them. Wouldn’t want to be wasting diesel on the job.

 

[Farmer Keith]

If you can’t tell the difference between fresh & old mole hills I’d say you’ve not done much trapping. Then kick your boot into any fresh ones as your setting & checking them. Wouldn’t want to be wasting diesel on the job.

That’s how I operate, big size 11 straight through the heap, if you’re on top of the job no need for the chain harrows.

 

[Dry Rot]

That’s how I operate, big size 11 straight through the heap, if you’re on top of the job no need for the chain harrows.

Thank goodness we are all different!

 

[kiwi pom]

That's a roller.

Don't remember what it weighed but had a lot of rocks to push in.
I quite often got the job because I was also the mower guy.

 

[Rich_ard]

Back in the 70ts two farmers around here would have a new Massey tracor every year , something like an MF185
The challenge was who was out first with their New Tractor rolling to show it off , one year the sulky farmer got beaten by an our , he unhooked his roller in the shed and never rolled the fields that year
Dad called it farming with iron , no idea why but he used to say it was pride that drove them , not good farming practice

Can't really agree heavy flat rolling is good practice. Best thing he did was unhook it. Contractors love it the grass and soil won't.

 

[David1968]

Can't really agree heavy flat rolling is good practice. Best thing he did was unhook it. Contractors love it the grass and soil won't.

Depends on the circumstances. A dry summer will crucify poached ground if it's not rolled flat in the spring.

 

[Lazy Sod]

Wasnt it, back in the "good old days", (1970s-80s), that the new ones made by Archie Kidd, made with concrete filled from new? Anyone got/had one, we used to borrow one many years ago from a dairy farmer up the main road from here?

Surely it would cost a fortune to put anti-freeze in a roller at an effective rate (25%?). I had Kidd concrete filled rollers, they were essential on our stony land. I even used them on cereals in some circumstances.

 

[Rich_ard]

Depends on the circumstances. A dry summer will crucify poached ground if it's not rolled flat in the spring.

Shouldn't poach it either! Suppose you need to do what you have to do!

 

[Ali_Maxxum]

Our flat roller is just filled with water, that amount won’t and doesn’t freeze. 21yr old now.

 

[Rich_ard]

Our flat roller is just filled with water, that amount won’t and doesn’t freeze. 21yr old now.

You must get mild weather. An ibc will freeze here. Not totally solid but in a good bit

 

[Derrick Hughes]

60 moles cought last week