How much does a Pasture Roller cost?

Nov 09, 2023    Posted by Ian Pritchard

If you’re reading this article, you’re probably a farm owner, manager or worker who's looking at buying a field roller and you're unsure of how much a paddock roller will cost.

There's no one-size-fits-all price with paddock rollers, so we won’t give you a generic one-size fits all answer. This guide will help you get started and give you the tools to determine how much a paddock roller will cost.

We'll briefly cover what a paddock roller is before discussing how much a roller costs or you can simply skip over this and get straight into pricing.

So, what is a paddock roller?

A paddock roller is normally a plain cylindrical roller without ribs or profiling. They are used mainly for flattening off the soil, breaking down clods or pushing in rocks or stones to leave a flatter surface to save wear and tear on other machinery.

What affects the price of a paddock roller?

There are 5 main factors that affect how much a paddock roller costs. The roller size (diameter) and weight, the construction material & cylinder thickness, the working width of the roller, features and add-ons and brand/quality. Typically, in this industry brand is synonymous with quality so we have placed these two factors together.

Roller size (diameter) and weight

Weight is an important factor to keep a keen eye on as a lower-weight roller will not perform the same as a higher-weight roller. In brief, a 900kg to 1000kg roller whilst being ideal for seed would not perform well rolling in large rocks where you going to want in the order of 4000kg. - we won't get sidetracked by the best roller to suit your application here but if you do want more info head to the learning centre. The main thing to be aware of when considering price is that it is important to choose a weight that's ideal for your application.

The weight of a paddock roller significantly affects its cost. Make sure the roller does have enough weight to suit your application. Just because something is promoted as a "seed roller" or "stone roller" doesn't necessarily guarantee it will have the weight to perform in these applications.

The diameter of the cylinder also has an effect on cost as a larger roller uses more steel and needs to be more robust to avoid breakage. For example, a large 48" roller which measures around 1.2m high will cost more than a smaller 24" (610mm) roller. A larger roller will have a thicker cylinder, more internal bracing and framework and will be of much heavier construction.

A larger diameter will also have more weight which means it is more suited to certain applications. Here again, it is important to ensure when choosing a diameter that the actual roller has enough weight to perform the job you need.

👉 Choosing the Right Roller Diameter for Your Farm

Construction material & cylinder thickness

Paddock rollers can be made from various materials, including steel or concrete.

Steel rollers are durable and versatile and tend to be more user-friendly with options like the water-fillable feature to vary the weight. A steel roller will typically cost less than a concrete roller.

Concrete rollers are typically more expensive than steel rollers, but they can be heavier which can be an advantage for stones or pugging. The disadvantage of concrete rollers is the weight is not variable so it can be difficult to get onto boggy paddocks.

In this article we will not touch on the pricing of concrete rollers but will be focusing on steel rollers only.

When comparing the cost of steel rollers, the thickness of the cylinder will have a significant impact on the price. The thicker the cylinder the longer the life of the roller and the more resistant the roller is to wear, tear and denting. Typically, the thickness of the cylinder is proportional to the diameter of that cylinder. For example, 13mm is a good thickness for a 24” (610mm) cylinder but would be far too weak on a heavy 48” (1200mm) cylinder, which would need a thickness of around 24mm or more to guarantee your roller will not rust out or dent.

Steel rollers with thinner walls are available and will be cheaper however, you will notice more wear and tear and the roller may have the potential to dent or rust out.

Working width

The working width of the roller can be a big influencer on the cost. This is simply because the wider the roller you get, the more roller you get and therefore the more the roller costs.

For example the price of a single cylinder roller in say a 3m working width will vary significantly when compared to a large 7.6m fully transportable folding roller or a 3m working width in a 3-point linkage down pressure roller. The down-pressure roller will be more expensive due to the hydraulics and heavy-duty linkage frame which is built to take the weight off the back wheels of the tractor. The transportable folding roller will be more expensive because it is longer but also because of the frame, the hydraulics and wheels all of which add to the cost of the roller.

The width of a paddock roller determines how much ground you can cover in one pass. Wider rollers are more efficient but come with a higher price tag. Whilst narrower rollers are cheaper, however, require more passes to achieve the same results.

For more information on which width roller is best for you check out this article 👉 Choosing the Right Width for Your Farm Roller from the learning centre.

Features and add-ons

Additional features and add-ons will add to the cost of a roller.

Most paddock rollers will typically come with a standard-length tow pole and either a full or half-wrap frame depending on the size and design of the roller.

Features like a bolt-on pole for added length for towing a set of harrows in front of the roller, the fitting of an air seeder for a one-pass operation or even a rear tow hitch for towing equipment behind the roller will be additional cost.

Options like a stone tray for holding any rocks you have picked up, adjustable scraper bars for cleaning the cylinder in sticky conditions, and transport wheels for easy manoeuvrability are added extras and will also cost more. However, all of these features and add-ons do have obvious benefits in time saving and it's a case of weighing up the time saved against the cost of adding these to the roller.

Brand and quality

Typically, with paddock rollers, the brand will represent the quality of the roller.

So, if you source a proven brand you can expect to pay more as these rollers will be more durable and built stronger. You can also expect to pay more for rollers from a company that has many years of experience in the field as these rollers will have been refined over time to make a very desirable and long-lasting product today.

Some brands in the market do have a lot lower cost points, typically this can be explained by a lower-weight roller, a cylinder that is not as thick and has less internal bracing also often with smaller bearings. A less well engineered frame using lighter steel or componentry are also cost saving measures. Over time these initial cost savings can end up costing you more in time and maintenance.

How much does a paddock roller cost? - In 2023

Paddock roller prices can vary widely based on the factors mentioned above. Here is a rough estimate of the cost range you can expect.

Small steel rollers normally used for seed-to-soil contact and de-clodding are normally around 24” (610mm) in diameter and would start off around $7,000 for a 2.4m wide unit with no options.

Medium-sized steel rollers at 30” (762mm) diameter with a working width of around 3 meters (10 feet) would be around $11,000 and could be used for pushing in small rocks, de-pugging and seed-soil contact. The same diameter roller set up as a 7.6m carted-folding unit would push this out to around $54,000.

Large and heavy-duty steel paddock rollers with a 42” (1070mm) diameter with a working width of 3.6 meters (12 feet) or more can cost around $21,000. This size is ideal for de-pugging after livestock and punching in larger rocks.

Extra-large cylinder rollers of 48” (1220mm) diameter will push in even bigger rocks and will set you back around $30,000 for a 3.6m (12 foot) wide unit.

Fitting wheels which could be inline transport wheels, a full-end tow kit that swivels the roller around 90° or even a hydraulic pole offset kit for towing two rollers in tandem would typically cost between $2,800.00 and $11,200.00. 👉 More on wheels here. (Note large 7.6m folding rollers would be significantly more, as they are made up of effectively three rollers with a full hydraulic system, wheels and folding frame. The framework must also be built very heavy duty to sustain such a large amount of weight.)

A scraper would normally cost you around $1,200 to $1,900.

Remember that these are rough estimates, and actual prices can vary based on your location, the manufacturer, and any additional features or customisation options.

Why do some brands cost more or less?

The price of a roller will often depend on the brand. This typically comes back to the quality of the build and the materials used. Some rollers are built a lot lighter in the cylinder than others which can lead to issues with the cylinder denting and can mean the overall weight of the roller is lower.

Another cost saving could be smaller cylinder axles therefore allowing the manufacturer to use smaller and cheaper bearings.

Everything here is simply a gauge of how much a paddock roller will cost and your final price may look much different. We hope you have a great feel for the potential costs of a paddock roller and what might drive these costs up or down.

Ready to order your paddock roller? Or have some more questions? Don’t worry, our team would be happy to help. Simply contact us on 1800 335 623 or check out the learning centre for more informative content just like this!

The team at Delmade are very happy to answer questions you may have. Reach out on 1800 335 623.