Sand or water or water with antifreeze for your roller??

[Brokenbear]

Since water freezes ..and I have to haul water to my farm to spray for example ..I am looking at a new crimp roller with 75 gallon capacity ..

It seems all or most users of rollers add weight with the most using water ..but in my case draining before winter sets another water haul cycle so some form of anti-freeze is logical ..

But then sand comes into the picture for two reasons ..it does not freeze and it is heavier than water

water/ 75 X 8.3 = 622 lbs + 1400 lb (empty roller) = 2022 lb w/water divided by 8' = 252 lbs per foot or 21 lbs per inch down pressure
sand/ 75 X 13.4= 1005 lbs + 1400 lb (empty roller) = 2405 lb w/sand divided by 8' = 301 lbs per foot or 25 lbs per inch down pressure

The roller is 24" in diameter and 8' wide

I have read but cannot remember where ..the recommended minimum down pressure for a roller crimper ..

What weight or weight additions have you had success with your roll crimper ??? ..

 

[356]

Filling with sand sounds like it would be a pain, but is something my BIL in northern MN does with his roller, and it has been in use for 10 or more years. Generally, the articles I have read about crimping suggest weight is your friend. Another option might be 75 jugs of antifreeze ($225) or beet juice used for loading tires ($300).

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

I can see pros and cons to each. If you are able to i'd use sand. I filled mine with concrete and it's plenty heavy.

 

[Bszweda]

I can see pros and cons to each. If you are able to i'd use sand. I filled mine with concrete and it's plenty heavy.

Dry concrete?

 

[drycreek]

I don’t want to hijack this thread but I’m having a drag roller turned into a three point crimper as we type (or when he gets to it), and I’m interested in what weight is minimum for a roller crimper. The roller as it sits now is 8’ and 12” diameter pipe. It has a plug where I can fill it with water but I don’t know how much weight that would add.

 

[Brokenbear]

Dry creek I am not sure I have ever read a scientific number in pounds as to an answer to your question ..I will say that most of the legitimate manufactures seem to fall into a weight per foot category of 230/260 lbs per foot for the upper tier brands and that includes filled with ballast

The wild card being so many variables ..plant stalk specific life cycle(as in correct timing to terminate), ground hardness/softness, ground evenness, existing already in place plant mater from prior crop terminations, running along row ridges as opposed to perpendicular and on and on

I would say ..and this is a SWAG that anything running 250 lbs per foot on a 3/8" edge is going to pretty well over come most of the above maladies and crimp'em dead

I would also say we are looking for "termination" results and not how it looks as I think you could run a D8 Cat thru a field and see places that the plants would spring back up in a day or two but were in reality dead and did not know it

Bear

 

[drycreek]

Dry creek I am not sure I have ever read a scientific number in pounds as to an answer to your question ..I will say that most of the legitimate manufactures seem to fall into a weight per foot category of 230/260 lbs per foot for the upper tier brands and that includes filled with ballast

The wild card being so many variables ..plant stalk specific life cycle(as in correct timing to terminate), ground hardness/softness, ground evenness, existing already in place plant mater from prior crop terminations, running along row ridges as opposed to perpendicular and on and on

I would say ..and this is a SWAG that anything running 250 lbs per foot on a 3/8" edge is going to pretty well over come most of the above maladies and crimp'em dead

I would also say we are looking for "termination" results and not how it looks as I think you could run a D8 Cat thru a field and see places that the plants would spring back up in a day or two but were in reality dead and did not know it

Bear

I appreciate that reply, it gives me at least an idea of what it needs to weigh.

 

[Brokenbear]

I don’t want to hijack this thread but I’m having a drag roller turned into a three point crimper as we type (or when he gets to it), and I’m interested in what weight is minimum for a roller crimper. The roller as it sits now is 8’ and 12” diameter pipe. It has a plug where I can fill it with water but I don’t know how much weight that would add.

Drycreek I have taken the liberty of calculating your described roller and it will hold 47 US gallons
SO ....47gallons X 8.3/pounds /gallon/water = 390 lbs of ballast in the form of water ..or 47 gallons X 13.4/pound/sand = 630 pounds of sand
HANDY DANDY CALCULATOR*** https://www.omnicalculator.com/math/cylinder-volume-gallons
Pretty sure you will want to be a "Sandman"

Bear

 

[Turkish]

Since water freezes ..and I have to haul water to my farm to spray for example ..I am looking at a new crimp roller with 75 gallon capacity ..

It seems all or most users of rollers add weight with the most using water ..but in my case draining before winter sets another water haul cycle so some form of anti-freeze is logical ..

But then sand comes into the picture for two reasons ..it does not freeze and it is heavier than water

water/ 75 X 8.3 = 622 lbs + 1400 lb (empty roller) = 2022 lb w/water divided by 8' = 252 lbs per foot or 21 lbs per inch down pressure
sand/ 75 X 13.4= 1005 lbs + 1400 lb (empty roller) = 2405 lb w/sand divided by 8' = 301 lbs per foot or 25 lbs per inch down pressure

The roller is 24" in diameter and 8' wide

I have read but cannot remember where ..the recommended minimum down pressure for a roller crimper ..

What weight or weight additions have you had success with your roll crimper ??? ..

Why not both?

 

[Brokenbear]

Turkish not sure what you mean by both but I have enough equipment that needs freeze proofing so sand is likely my go to option ...

 

[Turkish]

Turkish not sure what you mean by both but I have enough equipment that needs freeze proofing so sand is likely my go to option ...

I mean put sand in it and then put water, antifreeze. The sand has some void space, so this would be the way to get max weight.

 

[Buckly]

I think the sand will get wet anyways. It’s always seem to, and then it will freeze. Personally, I would want something you could eventually take out at a later date if needed. The sand may turn into a cement like substance in there. I would use just the water with RV antifreeze and leave some good space in there.

 

[Brokenbear]

Still in the delivery crate but looks good and heavy

 

[T-Max]

Very nice!


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[Foggy47]

I have a 6' wide Goliath Roller Crimper made to the Rodale specs by RTP. Last year I filled it with water and then drained it in fall. That sucker is heavy and did a super job of crimping a heavy rye crop last July. Different situation this year with the drought we had......and I had no need to use my roller crimper. Rye was not that thick or heavy.....and I mowed some and terminated other areas with chemicals in order to plant my brassica.

To me a roller crimper does a good job under certain circumstances.....but it is a one-trick pony. Still, It does a good job to "orient" tall rye crops into mulch / cover and kills hollow stem plants quite well. At one point I thought I had to have one......and I suppose I like mine well enough (especially at two-year old prices) but given my needs......I have come to beleive I could live without mine. <----kinda hard to admit.....because I am a machinery junkie. lol.

 

[Brokenbear]

Foggy I kind of follow you ..but in my case ..fighting yearly flooding creek waters and serious erosion ..I really need the plant matter and I mean heavy plant matter to stay in place and not become a chest high levee at the bottom ends of my fields ..I was going to try the old cultipacker but it is not in good enough shape to do the acres I am converting to Buffalo no till

Bear

 

[Foggy47]

Foggy I kind of follow you ..but in my case ..fighting yearly flooding creek waters and serious erosion ..I really need the plant matter and I mean heavy plant matter to stay in place and not become a chest high levee at the bottom ends of my fields ..I was going to try the old cultipacker but it is not in good enough shape to do the acres I am converting to Buffalo no till

Bear

OK.....sounds like a good plan to me....... a roller crimper is great for what you describe.

 

[T-Max]

I have a 6' wide Goliath Roller Crimper made to the Rodale specs by RTP. Last year I filled it with water and then drained it in fall. That sucker is heavy and did a super job of crimping a heavy rye crop last July. Different situation this year with the drought we had......and I had no need to use my roller crimper. Rye was not that thick or heavy.....and I mowed some and terminated other areas with chemicals in order to plant my brassica.

To me a roller crimper does a good job under certain circumstances.....but it is a one-trick pony. Still, It does a good job to "orient" tall rye crops into mulch / cover and kills hollow stem plants quite well. At one point I thought I had to have one......and I suppose I like mine well enough (especially at two-year old prices) but given my needs......I have come to beleive I could live without mine. QUOTE]

Wooooouuuulllld you like to sell one at 2 year old prices?


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[Foggy47]

^ In a word.....NO! smile.

 

[matinc]

Hey foggy n brokenbear I'm curious do you really have to have a roller crimper for rye n buckwheat or would cultipacker be sufficient. Please give me your thoughts I planted rye at 200 pounds per acre this fall and would be planting 50 pounds buckwheat per acre next July ty