Garden Rollers

About Garden Rollers

Garden rollers are essential tools for achieving a professional, level lawn finish. Whether you're preparing ground for new turf, bedding in freshly laid grass, or maintaining an established lawn, a quality roller compacts soil, eliminates air pockets, and creates that perfectly even surface. MyToolShed.co.uk stocks a comprehensive range including push garden rollers ideal for domestic gardens and towable field rollers for larger areas and commercial groundskeeping.

Our selection features trusted brands including Handy, Draper, and Einhell, with both steel and poly construction options available. Most models feature fillable drums that can be weighted with water or sand to achieve the desired compaction level, giving you complete control over rolling pressure. With working widths from compact 500mm models to large towable rollers exceeding 900mm, there's a solution for every garden size and application.

Applications

• Landscape Gardeners: Preparing ground before turfing and maintaining client lawns to professional standards
• Groundskeepers and Greenkeepers: Regular maintenance of sports pitches, golf courses, cricket squares, and bowling greens
• Estate Managers: Maintaining extensive lawns and parkland areas efficiently with towable models
• Farmers and Smallholders: Pasture management, paddock maintenance, and equestrian surface preparation
• DIY Enthusiasts: Creating new lawns from seed, laying turf, and achieving professional-quality grass areas
• Sports Clubs: Pitch preparation and seasonal maintenance for football, cricket, and rugby facilities

Choosing The Right Garden Rollers

Push or Towable: Push rollers suit gardens up to 200 square metres and require no additional equipment. Towable models are essential for larger areas and require a ride-on mower, tractor, or quad bike.

Roller Width: Compact 500mm rollers navigate tight spaces easily whilst wider 900mm+ towable models cover extensive areas efficiently. Match the width to your garden size and storage space availability.

Construction Material: Steel rollers offer maximum durability for commercial use and rough ground but require dry storage to prevent rust. Poly rollers are rust-proof, lighter when empty, and ideal for domestic applications.

Drum Capacity: Check fillable capacity in litres to ensure adequate weight for your ground conditions. Lighter fills suit delicate newly-seeded lawns whilst maximum capacity provides pressure for compacting harder ground. The ability to adjust weight by partial filling offers valuable versatility across different tasks.

Handle Design: For push models, ergonomic T-bar handles at comfortable working height provide better control. Some MyToolShed.co.uk models feature folding handles for easier storage.

Safety Information

Manual Handling: Filled rollers often exceed 50-100kg. Use proper lifting techniques with straight back and leg power. Always drain completely before moving or storing to prevent injury.

Gradient Safety: Exercise extreme caution on slopes as heavy rollers gain momentum quickly. Work across gradients rather than up and down, and reduce fill weight when working on any incline.

Towing Safety: Ensure your vehicle has adequate power and braking capacity. Check hitch connections are secure and be aware that added weight affects braking distance significantly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I fill my garden roller with water or sand?
Water is most commonly used as it's readily available, easily drained, and provides adequate weight for most applications. Sand provides approximately 60% more weight but makes the roller harder to manoeuvre and must be emptied before winter to prevent freezing damage.

When is the best time to roll a lawn?
Roll established lawns in spring when soil is moist but not waterlogged, typically March to April in the UK. For new lawns, roll before seeding to create a firm seedbed, then lightly again after grass reaches about 5cm height.

How heavy should my garden roller be?
For general maintenance and newly-seeded areas, aim for 50-70kg total weight. For laying turf or initial ground preparation, 80-120kg provides better compaction. Most domestic situations are well-served by moderate filling rather than maximum capacity.