NEW hydraulically folding HE-VA Grass Rollers from OPICO have been developed in response to requests by both farmers and contractors for high work rates and ease of transport when preparing grassland during early spring.

Ballast rolling is essential for levelling ground and pushing down protruding stones before making silage or hay. But with fields increasingly spread over a much wider area, the ability to quickly fold the Grass Roller to a transport width of 2.7 metres (8ft) from the tractor seat using two double acting hydraulic services vastly decreases transport time.

Two new models with working widths of 6.3 metres (20ft) and 8.2 metres (27ft) use HE-VA's tried and tested Special Active Transfer (SAT) weight distribution system to give even soil consolidation. Operators can set the weight transfer, according to how much ballast is in the roller, via two hydraulic accumulators and a pressure gauge.

A three-section Tip folding design allows each section to float independently while centre pivots on each section ensure ground contours are followed.

Water ballasting significantly increases working weight, rising to 6,800 kgs for the 8.2 metre model. However, the tractor hp requirement is surprisingly low due to the 710mm diameter roller and 60mm axles that ensure low rolling resistance.

In addition to the vital function of consolidating soil to help make more moisture and nutrients available to plants, a range of accessories are available for the Grass Roller that help improve grassland further.

Two rows of harrow tines and a levelling board allow the Grass Roller to be used for levelling and scarifying existing pasture or assist with final seedbed preparation if the Grass Roller is used on cultivated ground. Furthermore, over seeding and re-seeding are made possible by the addition of an OPICO Air seeder.