This forum talks a lot about using a Sheepsfoot roller. I always assumed a Sheepsfoot roller was a Padfoot roller until I came across these 2 different rollers. When compacting clay for a pond is it best to use the first roller pictured, the actual Sheepsfoot roller or does a Padfoot do the job well enough?

Thanks

In another life I bought all the materials to make rollers like those but regret I don't recall their application.

Found this article though......

http://foresternetwork.com/daily/construction/construction-equipment/how-to-select-a-soil-roller/

I'm no expert and can not answer your question with any authority. But one of the qualities for pond use of a sheepsfoot roller is that it not only compacts, but kneads and/or mixes the soil as it compacts. The "feet" punch down through mixing different layers of soil together. Where a smooth roller only compacts and leaves any non-uniform layers intact. So if you have some clay and some topsoil or whatever, the sheeps feet arrangement will tent to mix the two together rather than keep them in layers. Having the soils uniformly mixed instead of separated is beneficial.

If a person is using something with a smooth surface for compaction, such as a smooth roller or a filled rubber tired dirt scraper (which is what I used), it is important that any dis-similar soils get mixed via other means. Like a disc harrow or even the dozer operator watching what he is doing and mixing the soils up as he deposits them in the lift.

The other thing with the sheepsfoot is that the point pressure is much greater for a given weight, so if enough passes are made the ultimate compaction can be higher - if enough passes are made. The vibratory compactor should get the compaction in fewer passes though, because of the vibration effect.

I'm talking above my pay grade now, but that is the differences as I see them. The important part is that the soil get mixed if it is non-uniform (layers of top soil with clay) and that it get adequate compaction.

snrub sums up the compaction devices of soil for pond building pretty well. Kneading or knitting the soil layers together is important for optimum compaction. The vibratory knobbed compactor will be somewhat better than the regular sheepsfoot if both are given equal number of passes over the soil. Double barrel sheepsfoot due to extra weight is much better than a single barrel sheepsfoot. Single barrel sheepsfoot weighs less and tends to bounce too much for best compaction.

Thanks for the information fellas.

I have access to the double barrel sheepsfoot. How big of a tractor will i need to pull it. They are 48" drums. I'm afraid the tractor I have access to won't be big enough. Those things look heavy!

Sheepsfoot rollers are heavy for a reason. Some builders use two dozers to build a pond. One to dig and a smaller one one pulling a sheepsfoot roller to spread & compact the lifts both working in unison.

Most drum rollers are ballasted with water which creates the weight.

Has anyone ever used a walk behind 24" vibratory padfoot roller?

My site is fairly small so I'm not worried about the extra time it would take, however they seem pretty light weight. Do they do the same job as a larger pad foot roller?

Thanks for the help, trying to get all this planning and research taken care of before putting the plan in action.

Trevor

I have used the 24"compactors mostly for compacting trenches.you need to be careful about them tipping over it doesn't take much off camber to flop it on it's side. You will need to make a lot of passes to get the same compaction.