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  Edward Botheras December 28, 2015 at 7:16pm

  I can't help with the roller choice I'm afraid. But I just wanted to ask  how big the lawn is going to be? I have always got better results from walking all over and healing in all the soft spots, something a roller just can't do. They just go over the bumpy areas. What does everyone else think.
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  Edward Wright December 28, 2015 at 10:42pm

  Most of my work is on new build housing. The groundworkers spread soil and I have to go in a week (sometimes days) to lay the turf before each garden is fenced in. In an ideal setting you would leave fresh topsoil to settle however as this is not an option I take the soil level and firm with a roller.
  
  As the areas I prepare are large and frequent I would not have enough time to heel in. I do however use your method when doing private jobs where I can afford to spend more time on better results.
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  James Brett December 29, 2015 at 8:57am

  Even larger private gardens I heel in. We have just completed almost 200m2 of turf and the whole thing was heeled in. I tried a roller but it just rolls the high bits.

  The only way i can see it working would be to roll, then rake then roll again. Repeating until you have a nice level and firm surface. I would imagine the roller would need to be 75kgs or above though?
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  Colin Hunt December 29, 2015 at 2:07pm

  We have never used a roller to firm ground, we have always shuffled back and forth, which leaves enough loose soil to rake a tilth on final pass before laying.  
• PRO

  Richard Gadsby December 29, 2015 at 9:13pm

  If you want a machine you could try a blec stone burier.
  For a roller to be any good it needs to be too heavy in my opinion
• PRO

  Richard Gadsby January 1, 2016 at 11:17pm

  Have you thought about getting a very old vintage cast iron roller?
  1 of my customers has one it's really heavy but does a brilliant job!
  You can pick one up for £100 or less on eBay.
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  Peter Woolnough January 2, 2016 at 12:34pm

  You can get sheep's foot rollers that compact by spot loading a lot like healing in manually.
  The other option it just to track it in with an excavator and then rake off the ridges it will leave.
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  Chris Lloyd-Davies January 2, 2016 at 12:50pm

  I have carried out commercial turfing for many years in north Wales and Cheshire till the turf suppliers started doing the job for the same price that they supplied me with turf! To level large areas I used a blec stone rake. Two passes and the job was done. Mine was fitted to the Honda power unit. Very maneuverable and in 3 years all we changed were control cables. No single in the ground as the contra rotation firmed the soil leaving theropod ready to turf. The bonus was all the big stuff was in one corner ready to be picked up with our trusty potato fork!
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    Geoff Norfolk > Chris Lloyd-Davies January 2, 2016 at 2:16pm

    When you think about it, "heeling" the ground will exert a lot more pressure than any roller....... you'll have something like 12 stone over a few square inches...... something I doubt any roller could achieve.
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  Michael Lowe January 3, 2016 at 11:23am

  We use Large boards of mdf at 8 by 5ft by 22mm and a vibrating plate, granted it's not the most convenient to get to site but if you're set up with a good tipper trailer getting the boards to site isn't a problem! Because the boards are so thick the vibrations are dampened a bit as well. We have found this to be a very effective way of preparing the substrate as you don't get the problem like you do with a roller where the substrate can end up being pushed around creating lumps or worse yet sticking to the roller if it's a damp day! Hope this helps?