A lawn roller should weigh 300 pounds in order to safely level your yard and encourage sod-to-soil contact. You can reach this weight by filling your lawn roller one-fourth full with sand or water. Although some lawn rollers can weigh up to 1,000 pounds, this is not necessary for residential yards. 300 pounds is sufficient for standard soil and lawn care tasks.
Can You Use an Empty Lawn Roller?
An empty lawn roller is not heavy enough to be useful for lawn care. Because an empty lawn roller only weighs around 40 pounds, rolling it over your lawn won’t help to level the earth, adequately compress recently tilled soil, or help sod lay flat. If you have a lawn roller that can be filled to add weight, do not use it while empty.
Should You Fill Your Lawn Roller with Sand or Water?
Whether you fill your lawn roller with loose sand or water depends on personal preference and water regulations in your area. If you are experiencing a local drought and water use is restricted, use sand instead of water. This will lessen the environmental impact of using your lawn roller.
- Use sand to fill your lawn roller if your area is experiencing a drought or if sand is readily available to you.
- Water is a good choice for filling lawn rollers if you are not in drought conditions.
- Water-filled lawn rollers must be emptied after use.
- You do not need to empty a sand-filled lawn roller after using it.
- Using sand to fill a lawn roller can be more time-consuming than using water.
Filling a lawn roller with water is often more convenient than using sand. You can fill the lawn roller with water from a hose, then easily empty it before long-term storage. Unlike water-filled lawn rollers, sand-filled lawn rollers don’t need to be emptied. If you fill a lawn roller with sand once, it will be ready for use whenever you need it.
How Much Water Should You Put in Your Lawn Roller?
Fill your lawn roller with 32 gallons of water. This will raise the weight of the roller to about 300 pounds. If you do not want to keep track of the number of gallons of water you’re using, use a hose to fill the lawn roller one-fourth full. You do not need to completely fill the lawn roller drum in order to achieve the correct weight.
How Much Sand Should You Put in Your Lawn Roller?
Fill a lawn roller with 2.5 to 3 cubic feet of sand to increase the weight of the roller to 300 pounds. In many cases, you can purchase sand in cubic feet from a supplier. However, if you have loose sand at your disposal, fill your lawn roller one-fourth full. This will cause it to weigh enough to be useful in your yard.
How Do You Put Water in Your Lawn Roller?
In order to fill a lawn roller with water, simply follow these steps:
- Move the empty roller to an open area, where you can easily begin using it once it’s filled.
- Roll this lawn roller forward until the fill plug is at the top.
- Unscrew the fill plug.
- Insert your garden hose into the filling hole.
- Run water into the lawn roller until it is one-fourth full.
- Remove the hose, screw the fill plug into place, and begin using your lawn roller.
Once you’re done using your lawn roller, simply unscrew the plug again and pull the lawn roller forward until the filling hole is near the ground. The water will begin to drain out. Once the water is done draining, screw the plug back into place for storage. Water-filled lawn rollers must be emptied before storage to prevent damage to the lawn roller caused by freezing and thaw cycles.
How Do You Put Sand in Your Lawn Roller?
Filling a lawn roller with sand can be a little more difficult than filling one with water. In order to accomplish this task, follow these steps:
- Position the lawn roller in an open place, so it can be used as soon as it’s filled.
- Roll the lawn roller forward until the fill plug is near the top.
- Unscrew the fill plug cap.
- Place this large funnel in the fill opening. Use duct tape to secure it in place if necessary.
- Shovel dry sand into the funnel until the lawn roller is one-fourth full.
- Remove the funnel and screw the fill cap back into place.
Unlike water-filled lawn rollers, sand-filled rollers don’t need to be emptied for storage. Changes in temperature won’t affect sand like it does water. So, you’ll save yourself the hassle of filling and emptying your lawn roller if you use sand.
Can a Lawn Roller Be Too Heavy?
A lawn roller that weighs more than 400 pounds is too heavy for your yard. Using a lawn roller that is too heavy will compact the soil, making it difficult for grass roots to grow. Compacted soil from an overfilled lawn roller can also prevent your soil from absorbing oxygen, nutrients, and water your lawn needs to thrive.
- Lawn rollers weighing more than 400 pounds are too heavy and can damage your lawn.
- A lawn roller that weighs too much will compact your soil, preventing healthy grass and plant growth.
- Fill your lawn roller one-fourth full to achieve the optimal weight.
To prevent overfilling your lawn roller, fill it no more than one-fourth full. Since 300 pounds is the optimal weight for a lawn roller, aim for this weight. 32 gallons of water or 2.5 cubic feet of sand each weigh around 260 pounds. Combined with the 40-pound weight of a lawn roller, this amount of filling material will total a weight of 300 pounds for your lawn roller. This is ideal for a healthy lawn.
How Heavy is a Lawn Roller?
When filling a lawn roller for use in seeding, sodding, or preparing your lawn for landscaping, follow these tips:
- A lawn roller should weigh 300 pounds when filled.
- You only need to fill a lawn roller one-fourth full with sand or water to achieve the optimal weight.
- When empty, most backyard lawn rollers weigh around 40 pounds.
- 32 gallons of water is enough to bring your lawn roller up to the optimal weight.
- 2.5 cubic feet of sand can be used to fill your lawn roller to the correct weight.
- If you use water to fill your lawn roller, empty it before storing it.
- Lawn rollers filled with sand do not need to be emptied for storage.
With a properly filled lawn roller, you can eliminate air pockets in sod, smooth bumpy lawns, and ensure newly grass seed gets proper soil contact for germination. Just follow our tips for safe filling.
