Land Rolling

CHOPS01

Did a bit of rolling about 4 weeks ago turned out mighty. Had more to do but felt ground was too dry. With the lack of rain since its now gone to the point now where I have 2 fields that were poached last year and it's difficult to walk them.
Only thing the ground is now almost brittle.
Anyone roll land in these conditions and what we're the results like.

Dozer1

same as that, I've have a silage field poached and left it go too dry, I've only a light roller so contractor was in yesterday with a heavier roller to try level it must check it out tonight to see how it went.

20silkcut

Just while on the topic why are the bungs on a roller so bloody hard to open? My roller is just bouncing on the ground bought it second hand last year gave a full hour trying to open it last night and did not budge either bung by even a fraction.

Attie

20silkcut wrote: »

Just while on the topic why are the bungs on a roller so bloody hard to open? My roller is just bouncing on the ground bought it second hand last year gave a full hour trying to open it last night and did not budge either bung by even a fraction.

Silcut try heat or drop off diesel or both.

TITANIUM.

20silkcut wrote: »

Just while on the topic why are the bungs on a roller so bloody hard to open? My roller is just bouncing on the ground bought it second hand last year gave a full hour trying to open it last night and did not budge either bung by even a fraction.

My roller was filled probably 10 years ago and hasn't been opened since.
You could have a bigger job on your hands than you thought fighting with that.

rangler1

Rollers usually are too light, Tractor is probably heavier on land.
Roller is about 2 ton spread over 8ft, tractor is 3 ton on the same footprint probably.
A neighbour here cut holes in the end and filled his with concrete,,,,,no problem getting stuck with that yoke

lab man

I've heard of ppl putting oil into them

davidk1394

Sand is another handy trick. It mightn't be as heavy as concrete but it will take the shock if you hit a stone.

But answering the original question. Could you get your hands on a land leveller or chain harrow ? Just to take the rough edge off the fields

rushvalley

lab man wrote: »

I've heard of ppl putting oil into them

Ours is full of oil

rangler1

rushvalley wrote: »

Ours is full of oil

Is oil lighter than water....it comes to the top if you mix them anyway

whelan2

What if the oil leaks or would it ever leak. We opened ours with a big stilson,(sp)

J.O. Farmer

rangler1 wrote: »

Is oil lighter than water....it comes to the top if you mix them anyway

Yeah it's about 90% of the weight of water but I think the idea is it's less likely to freeze and burst the roller.

larthehar

Machine Oil is 900kg/m3
Water is 1000kg/m3
Sand is 1600kg/m3
Concrete is 2400kg/m3
Mercury is 13500kg/m3!!! Wouldn't like that to leak out of my roller though!

The part time boy

J.O. Farmer wrote: »

rangler1 wrote: »

Is oil lighter than water....it comes to the top if you mix them anyway

Yeah it's about 90% of the weight of water but I think the idea is it's less likely to freeze and burst the roller.

Our roller as the same water in it for more than 40 years I say. Never had problem with freezing

CHOPS01

davidk1394 wrote: »

Sand is another handy trick. It mightn't be as heavy as concrete but it will take the shock if you hit a stone.

But answering the original question. Could you get your hands on a land leveller or chain harrow ? Just to take the rough edge off the fields

Could do alright.
One of the fields is handy enough and the cattle are just out of it after giving it a right skinning so I might chance the roller tomorrow evening and see how it goes.

_Brian

We've kinda given up on rolling at all.

Contractor said that unless silage ground gets badly fitted or poached then one or two rounds on a field is plenty just to identify any stones knocked out of the hedge.
He said that the compaction from rolling is too much on clay soils unless it's really really needed and running light stock were not seeing much damage.

Haven't had much poaching problems since we left cows and if we do then chain Harrow followed by quick run of roller.

Roller is full of water for last 35 years, never emptied and never any bother.

Dozer1

Well checked what the contractor rolled for me last night, just about made a difference leveled the earth well enough but still plenty hoof prints, it'll be grand for him cutting the silage which is the main thing.
Must get a chain harrow at some stage

9935452

20silkcut wrote: »

Just while on the topic why are the bungs on a roller so bloody hard to open? My roller is just bouncing on the ground bought it second hand last year gave a full hour trying to open it last night and did not budge either bung by even a fraction.

If you cant get it open throw concrete blocks on top of it for extra weight

rangler1 wrote: »

Rollers usually are too light, Tractor is probably heavier on land.
Roller is about 2 ton spread over 8ft, tractor is 3 ton on the same footprint probably.
A neighbour here cut holes in the end and filled his with concrete,,,,,no problem getting stuck with that yoke

the problem with lads who go rolling is they expect the rollar to do all the work. They dont realise the weight of the tractor can do the difficult bits more effectively

Never wrestle with pigs

Just noticed today that silage fields that got the roller on the headlands all the docks died out where it was rolled. Grass is no way stunted at all. They were rolled when grass was about ankle height and hardly a dock to be seen where it was rolled. Any one else see this?

Bass Reeves

Never wrestle with pigs wrote: »

Just noticed today that silage fields that got the roller on the headlands all the docks died out where it was rolled. Grass is no way stunted at all. They were rolled when grass was about ankle height and hardly a dock to be seen where it was rolled. Any one else see this?

Don't worry they will come back

Bleating Lamb

Have often wondered what is the benefit of rolling fields with a good growth of grass on them?

Passed a field on a road last week,looked like a meadow field but the farmer was rolling it.....and there was about a half foot of nice grass growing in it.

Bass Reeves

Bleating Lamb wrote: »

Have often wondered what is the benefit of rolling fields with a good growth of grass on them?

Passed a field on a road last week,looked like a meadow field but the farmer was rolling it.....and there was about a half foot of nice grass growing in it.

There is idiots and then there are fools a d then there's that fellow

TITANIUM.

Bass Reeves wrote: »

There is idiots and then there are fools a d then there's that fellow

Not ideal but that's abit harsh. 6inchs of grass is all that was there at most.
What I'd be more critical of is rolling at this time of year after the weather we've had. Normally here as a rough rule of thumb if we don't have it done by easter then the grounds to hard to make any difference.
I roll on closing if I can but if you have to roll later then whatever you do don't do it in the wet and yes there's a point when the cover will be gone to heavy and you will only damage your crop which will take a long time to recover.
I hate the thought of earth going in with the bales so any poaching always gets rolled albeit allot earlier then this tbf.