RING ROLLING GRASSLAND

BalingMad

ring roller on grassland.
Anyone use a ring roller instead of a drum roller on grazing fields?
I'm beginning to feel that the drum roller is leading to compaction of the fields.

Thoughts please, and pronto

Sharpshooter82

BalingMad wrote: »

ring roller on grassland.
Anyone use a ring roller instead of a drum roller on grazing fields?
I'm beginning to feel that the drum roller is leading to compaction of the fields.

Thoughts please, and pronto

yeah we use used a ring roller last year on all the land, dont know if it made much of differance but easier to see what ya rolled in the field.
just you have to be careful mot to hit rocks too hard as its easy enough to break the rings as they are only cast iron and can be a pain to fix unless the broken ring is near the edge but you will always break the one in the middle:D

nashmach

Reilig is your man on this.

It probably also depends on what type of rings are fitted to the roller.

Sharpshooter82

nashmach wrote: »

Reilig is your man on this.

It probably also depends on what type of rings are fitted to the roller.

Ring roller is different to a cambridge roller as all the rings are smooth and not rough likr every second on e on the cambridge

BalingMad

Sharpshooter82 wrote: »

Ring roller is different to a cambridge roller as all the rings are smooth and not rough likr every second on e on the cambridge

The thing is which is better for grassland, and are they effective on grassland while not over compacting like drum rollers.??

Sharpshooter82

BalingMad wrote: »

The thing is which is better for grassland, and are they effective on grassland while not over compacting like drum rollers.??

The idea of a ring roller is for cereal crops as the ridges that it creates acts like a windbreaker for the emerging shoots so it could do the same for grass but a few people are changing to them. Only thing is the cost of them. They could aid drainage too with the ridges it creates

Viewtodiefor

BalingMad wrote: »

ring roller on grassland.
Anyone use a ring roller instead of a drum roller on grazing fields?
I'm beginning to feel that the drum roller is leading to compaction of the fields.

Thoughts please, and pronto

I would be asking yourself why are you rolling in the first place? And do you need to roll?
Any kind of rolling of grasslands is bad for them in my view as it leads to compaction, reseeds would last years longer if we could eliminate compaction. From my perspective I would be looking at ways of aeration instead of rolling. I own a roller but the neighbours mostly use it! Only time it's used here is after hayseed spread on ploughed ground with fertiliser spreader.

Obviously there may be cases where you have no choice. But it is very hard to get the right conditions for it.

just do it

Ring roller is supposed to be good for repairing poached ground. However there's good logic in view's post above.

You're obviously in a different part of the world to me if you're considering rolling at the minute!

BalingMad

Viewtodiefor wrote: »

I would be asking yourself why are you rolling in the first place? And do you need to roll?
Any kind of rolling of grasslands is bad for them in my view as it leads to compaction, reseeds would last years longer if we could eliminate compaction. From my perspective I would be looking at ways of aeration instead of rolling. I own a roller but the neighbours mostly use it! Only time it's used here is after hayseed spread on ploughed ground with fertiliser spreader.

Obviously there may be cases where you have no choice. But it is very hard to get the right conditions for it.

The rolling would be for repairing any damage on grazed fields. I was of the impression that a good ring/cambridge roller would be an effective way of repairing and smoothing out damaged paddocks while not compacting the ground as much as a drum roller... ???
Now that you mention it an aerator would seem good logic to work after the drum roller instead of ring roller. but id rather roll the field and leave it rather than having to go back in again with the tractor and an aerator.

Viewtodiefor

BalingMad wrote: »

The rolling would be for repairing any damage on grazed fields. I was of the impression that a good ring/cambridge roller would be an effective way of repairing and smoothing out damaged paddocks while not compacting the ground as much as a drum roller... ???
Now that you mention it an aerator would seem good logic to work after the drum roller instead of ring roller. but id rather roll the field and leave it rather than having to go back in again with the tractor and an aerator.

How bad is the damage you are talking about?

onyerbikepat

Would a grass harrow not be a better option?

Sharpshooter82

onyerbikepat wrote: »

Would a grass harrow not be a better option?

after the flat roller?

BalingMad

onyerbikepat wrote: »

Would a grass harrow not be a better option?

have a chain harrow, that wouldnt be brought out unless bad damage was done. The job is for a roller. Have to keep from going rough especially with horses around.
Just wondering has anyone experience with cambridge/ring roller on grassland.?

Sharpshooter82

BalingMad wrote: »

have a chain harrow, that wouldnt be brought out unless bad damage was done. The job is for a roller. Have to keep from going rough especially with horses around.
Just wondering has anyone experience with cambridge/ring roller on grassland.?

yeah its better than a flat roller on poached ground as it does compact the ground the whole way across only the tips of the rings

BalingMad

Sharpshooter82 wrote: »

yeah its better than a flat roller on poached ground as it does compact the ground the whole way across only the tips of the rings

Sound. You would really need one with good rings so. €€€!!

http://www.kok.ie/index.php/used-machinery/item/cross-4-mtr-ring-roller

no paddles needed

Sharpshooter82

BalingMad wrote: »

Sound. You would really need one with good rings so. €€€!!

http://www.kok.ie/index.php/used-machinery/item/cross-4-mtr-ring-roller

no paddles needed

yeah thats like the one we used, must take a photo of the cambridge that we use too

BalingMad

Sharpshooter82 wrote: »

yeah thats like the one we used, must take a photo of the cambridge that we use too

Sound, rang about this this morning, sold. wont even mention the price I heard.
At same time seems to be the only job if a man is into grassland management according to my local drainage contractor

Sharpshooter82

BalingMad wrote: »

Sound, rang about this this morning, sold. wont even mention the price I heard.
At same time seems to be the only job if a man is into grassland management according to my local drainage contractor

you were talking about E3500 id say

BalingMad

Sharpshooter82 wrote: »

you were talking about E3500 id say

6+

Sharpshooter82

BalingMad wrote: »

6+

No tell him ya wanted the roller not the business

BalingMad

Sharpshooter82 wrote: »

No tell him ya wanted the roller not the business

they seem to be massive expensive, especially is the roller as steel not cast. There is ment to be some serious strengthened steel rod holding the rings on all of them. A simple looking piece of kit, but serious spec steel in them.

Sharpshooter82

BalingMad wrote: »

they seem to be massive expensive, especially is the roller as steel not cast. There is ment to be some serious strengthened steel rod holding the rings on all of them. A simple looking piece of kit, but serious spec steel in them.

there is but i think the rings are cast. when you lift the roller on the axle the bar bends down in the middle about 6 inches due to the weight of the rings

BalingMad

Sharpshooter82 wrote: »

there is but i think the rings are cast. when you lift the roller on the axle the bar bends down in the middle about 6 inches due to the weight of the rings

They are generally cast, but this cross one was steel rings

Sharpshooter82

BalingMad wrote: »

They are generally cast, but this cross one was steel rings

thats where the extra cost came from so

BalingMad

Sharpshooter82 wrote: »

thats where the extra cost came from so

extra extra cost

just do it

Doesn't surprise me. The display model at the ploughing with the seed box built in on top was for well over 10k. I don't recall the exact price as it was so far out of my league! That piece of kit is geared at a contractor really.

Keep an eye on donedeal as plain ones pop up occassionally for ~€1k. Can't vouch for the quality of them though.

Fat Cant

I was told in college that a flat water roller is the best to help make the grass tiller in spring. Ring roller mite cut the grass a little .

Sharpshooter82

Heres the cambridge roller we use

just do it

Sharpshooter82 wrote: »

Heres the cambridge roller we use

I take it you just borrow it? Have you found it good?

Sharpshooter82

just do it wrote: »

I take it you just borrow it? Have you found it good?

Yeah we borrow it, made a good job of parts of the fields that were flooded and badly poached but didn't seem to compact the ground too much. Grass came back pretty quick too

just do it

Was on a discussion group visit where one farmer uses a land leveller. He made the point that regards of what you use, scratching/ opening the ground helps grass growth.

Sharpshooter82

just do it wrote: »

Was on a discussion group visit where one farmer uses a land leveller. He made the point that regards of what you use, scratching/ opening the ground helps grass growth.

We have a grass harrow that we use after the rollers on any fields that might want a till