Introduction to the Best Lawn Rollers
You might be in search of an innovative lawn mower to roll over freshly laid soil or to tackle new issues that arise with your established lawn.
This guide on the top lawn mowers will help you locate the top lawn mower models that are available within the UK.
We’ll not just review the top lawn rollers in the market but we’ll also explore aspects like gardening costs as well as the different types of lawn rollers that range from plastic to steel.
This article is beneficial if you’re looking to buy a new lawn mower or plan to decide to do so in the near future.
What is a Lawn Roller?
The first step is to take a look at what a lawn-roller is.
These are cylindrical rollers made to apply pressure and weight to lawns and this is done for the goal of reducing or flattening soil or to eliminate unwanted lawn characteristics.
Although they are typically composed of poly or steel There are a variety of kinds of lawn rollers that we will explore more thoroughly in the next section.
It’s important to know that it is also possible to purchase a lawnmower with a roller, either as an electric lawnmower with roller or a gasoline lawn mower with roller.
The roller will be empty at the time of purchase, however it is possible to fill it with sand or water in order to boost its weight prior to use.
In other instances, it could be a concrete drum. The more weighty the concrete in the drum, the more durable it is at doing its task.
Ideally you want it to be lightweight for the majority of gardening tasks because If it’s overly heavy it may cause damage to the landscape’s surface.
Lawn rollers can be employed to compact topsoil the lawn that has been laid recently or to compress newly laid grass seeds.
For lawns that are mature the use of a roller is used to clear your lawn of unsightly visuals like soil rising molehills, worm castings and molehills.
It can also be utilized to prepare a space to build an entirely new garden structure or decking instalment.
In the end, the primary goal is to improve the level of flatness in a lawn and to improve its appearance, prior to grass growing or once it is growing.
The lawn isn’t fully flattened with the use of a roller. What it really does is to firm the ground instead of completely flattening it.
A more firmly laid lawn is more attractive, the grass will develop more quickly and will provide a safer space for children and people with mobility limitations. A lawn that is flatter can be ideal for sports.
How Does a Lawn Roller Work?
In this article, we will look at the functions of a lawn-roller.
A lawn mower exerts pressure on the surface while it rolls across. It is mainly affecting the top 1 to 2 inches of the soil. The material within it is utilized to exert the pressure to the lawn while used to create the desired effect.
They are very common and usually have the scraper blade to grab loose materials. Of course, this type of roller simply moves forward when towing rollers, which acts as minitractors to be driven through the lawn.
For the push rollers need to be pulled in one straight line without stopping until you have reached the edge of the lawn to get the best outcomes.
A half-filled water roller or a lighter roller is the best choice for many gardens.
The heavier lawn rollers are better suitable for croquet or other more ornamental lawns.Heavy turf rollers are often used on cricket pitches, but the heavy-duty rollers are to firm the grass to the point where the cricket ball is able to easily bounce off them.
This isn’t the kind of lawn that most people would like to see on their lawn. When you work on your lawn your lawn must be dry before rolling occurs.
It may be a bit damp after a post-sodding roll, but not overly damp like after heavy snowfall or heavy rain.
Be careful not to overuse the lawn roller because it can damage your lawn.
The ideal time to roll an area of lawn in the UK is right after winter has ended, usually around February or March.
Types of Lawn Roller
Each of the sections, we will look at the four major types of lawn mowers.
For each of the types, comprising plastic, steel, concrete and polymer we will discuss the difference and then outline the pros and pros and.
Steel Lawn Roller
This type of lawn mower made of metal is extremely durable and very efficient.
Steel lawn rollers exert a lot of pressure on lawns.
A disadvantage is that they need more effort than, say, an ordinary lawn mower for transportation and work.
They are also more susceptible to rust and corrosion when they are not properly maintained.
It is possible to connect an iron roller to the rear of the garden tractor, to ease the use of it.
Pros:
- Stronger.
- More durable.
Cons:
- It takes more effort to do the job and transport.
- The risk of rusting and corrosion.
Plastic Lawn Roller
Plastic lawn rollers are generally more affordable. They are ideal for small lawns and lighter tasks.
They are easy to pull or push and are able to be moved without much effort. But they aren’t designed for rolling across vast areas.
If there is too much pressure applied to the plastic, it may break.
Pros:
- Less expensive.
- Perfect for small-sized gardens that require small jobs.
- It is possible to use and transport without difficulty.
Cons:
- Not ideal for large areas.
- Plastic is prone to breaking easily.
Poly Lawn Roller
The type of roller you see here is constructed from a distinctive design of plastic to improve the durability.
This provides Poly lawn rollers advantages over plastic ones. Poly lawn rollers, in contrast to plastic rollers, are able to be utilized on large areas.
They’re a great choice to prepare soil prior to laying out a new lawn or to make flower beds.
They are extremely resistant to corrosion and are ideal for use in moist conditions.
Pros:
- Durable than some plastic.
- It is suitable for large areas.
- It is not prone to rust.
Cons:
- The cost is generally higher than lawn mowers made of plastic.
Concrete Lawn Roller
Constructed from concrete or stone This type of roller is very efficient.
Its hefty material enables the flattening of surfaces either on a smaller and large size.
Because concrete isn’t susceptible to corrosion, its longevity is higher than steel’s.
Furthermore they can be used in damp environments.
However they take lots of effort to make use of and transport due to their weight.
It is recommended to connect a concrete roller to the rear on a tractor for garden use just as you would do with an iron roller to facilitate its use.
Concrete rollers aren’t as well-known these days. If you want to purchase one, you’re most likely to find an old roller on sites like eBay.
Pros:
- Very sturdy.
- Very efficient and highly effective.
- It is not prone to rusting.
- It is suitable for applications in damp conditions.
Cons:
- Very heavy.
Best Lawn Rollers
The following items are some of the top lawn rollers that are available. However, you may be interested in locating the best lawn mower roller including the best gasoline lawn mower or the one powered by electricity.
Garden Roller by Platinum Home and Garden
This garden roller is made of steel and is able to work at a size of 500mm, with a 420mm diameter drum.
The drum has an outlet plug. In its empty state, it weighs 13kg. This makes transporting it easy after the drum is empty.
With sand in it, it can weigh up to 120kg, and when soaked in water, its weight can be as high as 72kg. It is also equipped with a comfortable adjustable handlebar.
The lawn roller comes with an entire width scraper to ensure a top-quality surface and clean the drum. It can also exert an enormous amount of pressure to the surface once full.
It’s great for the lawn’s mature grass and also for bedding seeds.
Unfortunately, the hole for filling that allows for the addition of materials to the drum, is rather small.
You may want to consider using something like kiln dried Sand to fill the drum quicker, because normal sand could take a long time.
It’s not a difficult thing to use as it’s a fairly light metal roller, but it can be a bit cumbersome to operate when it is filled to its maximum capacity.
In terms of cost, this garden mower costs around £40 to £100. Platinum also provides a one-year warranty with this model.
Pros:
- Highly efficient and effective.
- It offers quick and effective rolling.
- The barrel can be light when it is full.
- The handlebar is soft and collapsible.
- It comes with a one-year guarantee.
Cons:
- The hole for filling is fairly tiny.
Oypla Galvanised Steel Lawn Roller
Another garden roller made of steel is this model by Oypla. The drum has a capacity of 30 litres with a 300mm diameter. It is able to work at a width of 420mm.
Similar to Platinum’s lawn mower It also comes with an adjustable handle that folds which makes it simple to put away.
The handle, however, doesn’t come with a comfort grip, or any padding. It’s extremely durable because of the galvanised steel used.
The Oypla lawn roller includes the ability to scrape the drum. One major benefit of this lawn rolling machine is it’s cheap.
A lightweight and compact lawn roller can be used on topsoil that is loose. It doesn’t work well on established, mature lawns.
Additionally, this type of roller is very susceptible to rust. It’s better to fill the rolling using sand, not water in order to limit the chance.
The roller is still an excellent value, particularly when you’re in search of an effective roller for minimal work on a smaller to medium-sized lawn.
It’s a light roller, and it’s very user-friendly. The highly-rated product is priced as low as £10.
Pros:
- Extremely durable.
- It is simple to use.
- It has a handle that folds.
- Inexpensive.
Cons:
- Not recommended for established lawns.
- The most prone to rust.
Christow Heavy-Duty Garden Lawn Roller
The next product we will feature in our guide is a steel lawn mower.
The relatively cheap heavy roller has a soft adjustable handlebar that can be removed and a rust-proof drum. The drum measures 420mm wide and is able to hold 30 litres for sand or water.
If it is filled with sand its weight is 51.9kg and, if it is filled with water it weighs 36 kg.
If empty, the weight is only 6kg. The Christow lawn mower also has an edging bar.
The handlebar’s softness allows for an easy, firm grip when pulling or pushing the roller.
This makes it quite simple to use. Expect to pay £30 or £40 on this particular lawn mower.
Pros:
- Heavy-duty roller that has a rust-resistant drum.
- Its lightweight when empty and its handlebar that can be removed makes it easy to store.
- It comes with an edging bar.
- The handlebar is soft and comfortable.
- Cheap, but not too expensive.
Cons:
- There aren’t any cons, except that it’s not the most effective and falls a bit behind other products similar to that of Garden Roller by Platinum.
Brinly PRC-24BH Combination Push/Tow Poly Lawn Roller
This lawn mower is constructed of Poly. This highly-rated push/pull lawn rake made by Brinly is equipped with a drum having the capacity of 105 litres and a length of 615mm. It is ideal for tight and large spaces.
It’s ideally suited to taking care of lawn damage caused by moles or frost.
The PRC-24BH is also ideal for squeezing dirt that is loose such as sod, seed or seeds.
Its construction is very robust and impervious to corrosion.
It is equipped with an empty hole which is able to be filled relatively easily.
If you empty the roll it weighs only 17kg, and can therefore be put in storage without difficulty.
The PRC-24BH is a popular product and highly rated by hundreds of users on sites such as Amazon.
If it’s full, it can be difficult to move. It is likely to cost around £170 or £200 to buy this lawn mower.
Pros:
- Extremely sturdy.
- It comes with a large, big drum with a high-capacity.
- Ideal for large spaces.
- Rust-resistant.
- The drum will glow when it is empty, which makes it simple to store away.
Cons:
- Quite expensive.
Costway Heavy Duty Lawn Roller
This well-known 63-litre lawn mower is perfect for covering large areas.
It has it with a U form handle, which is perfect to use comfortably, whether you pull or push.
The Costway lawn roller is another lawn mower made of steel.
As you might have learned from the items reviewed in this section, the majority high-end lawn care products are made of steel.
It can serve various purposes like packing dirt loose as well as seeds that have been sown recently or turf. It can also be used to cleanse your lawn of the damage caused by issues like frost heave.
For a lawn roller made of steel it isn’t particularly vulnerable to rust, and its robust structure makes it extremely robust.
The drum’s width is 30cm. When empty, it weighs only 13kg, making it a breeze to move and keep in storage.
This may be a bit of a surprise considering that it’s a big roller. It also has an adjustable drain plug.
The roller must be filled with water or sand. If it is full or nearly filled, it could be a little more difficult to move than a lawn roller that is smaller.
It’ll cost you between £90 up to £100 to purchase this lawn mower.
Pros:
- capacity of 63 litres and a length of 30cm.
- Perfect for large gardens.
- Extremely sturdy.
- If your drum has run out it’s simple to transport and put it in storage.
Cons:
- The price is comparatively high.
- Handle doesn’t have any padding.
- Can make it difficult when full or near full.
Benefits of a Lawn Roller
We’ll now look at some of the benefits of a lawn mower.
Preparing a New Lawn
One major advantage of a lawn mower could be that it can serve to get a new lawn.
Before planting grass seed the lawn roller may be employed to compress the soil and eliminate clods of soil as well as low spots.
Rolling is also a good option after the seeds have been sown, as this helps to press seeds down into the topsoil, which will speed up the seed’s germination process.
Preparing New Sod
One of the problems with installing new soil can be that air pockets could form within the soil.
A roll-over of new soil will take out large portions of air pockets allowing the sod a greater chance to grow.
The use of a lawn roller on new sod can enhance the chances of a stronger bond between the soil as well as the new sod.
Repairing a Lawn
Rodents and insects may cause harm to your lawn through the disturbance of the soil, and then adversely affecting the uniformity of your lawn.
The excessive foot traffic may be a factor in this. A lawn mower should be utilized once every few weeks to smooth the lawn.
Ideally you should cut the grass after you have used a lawn roller because a smoother lawn is easier to cut and ensure that your lawn mower is less susceptible to damage while cutting grass.
A lawn that is more level allows you to see where new sod or seed are needed.
Improve the look of a Lawn after the cold winter
The bumps and uneven areas frequently appear in gardens during winter months.
The heavy and frosty snowfalls can adversely affect your lawn. In addition, animals that burrow into the ground during winter time can affect your lawn.
A lawn roller that is light is the most effective way to make your lawn more attractive during the first part of spring.
It is possible to use a heavier duty roller if better suited for your garden. It is recommended to check your garden each spring, usually in the month of February and March.
The lawn should be mowed at least once per year in these months.
Cost of Hiring a Gardener
It is possible that you’d rather hire a professional gardener to rake your lawn. Gardeners generally have an hourly fee that includes their labor costs.
The hourly rates can vary from £15 to £50 based on where you are in the UK you reside. Costs for waste disposal and supply comprise the remaining elements of the total price.
For work to be done in a 6×4 metres yard, you can expect the total cost for hiring a gardener will end at around £150.
For an 8×6 metre garden, expect to be around £200. For a 12×8 meters garden, you can expect to shell out around £300.
FAQs
Q: How heavy should a lawn roller be?
A: It will depend on the nature of your garden. A weight of 70kg to 140kg is a good range for most lawns.
You don’t want to apply too much pressure on your lawn as this could damage it.
Q: What is a heavy duty lawn roller?
A: This refers to lawn rollers with a significant weight and substantial power to offer when in use.
Q: What is the best lawn roller?
A: Garden Roller by Platinum Home and Garden is one of the best lawn rollers that money can buy. However, there are plenty of great products available to purchase in the UK.
Q: What is the most durable type of lawn roller?
A: Concrete lawn rollers are very durable although steel rollers are also long-lasting.
However, steel rollers are more prone to rusting. The only exception to this point is if the roller comes with special rust-resisting properties.
Q: Should a lawn be dry or wet when you roll it?
A: This will depend on the task at hand. For example, before sodding, the lawn should be dry but after sodding, it should be slightly damp.
For removing bumps or pressing seeds into the soil, conditions should be dry.
