Guide to Buying a Poweroll Roller, in this blog as asks frequency asked questions you need to know before considering buying a roller. This guide was possible thanks to POWEROLL who answered the below questions. This buyers guide also asks question in regards to re power kits, servicing and hire options.
What are the main considerations clubs should consider prior to purchasing a new roller?
Most Clubs will be limited by budget, so the financial aspect will be an important consideration, but should not be the only consideration. Chances are you are buying a roller for the clubs next 20-30 or 40 years, so longevity also needs to be a consideration. With this in mind, you need to feel assured that the company you will deal with are likely to be around in future years for backup and service. If a planned expansion is on the cards, then perhaps aim for a higher specification than required now, in expectation of a higher duty cycle being required of it, in the future.
What range of rollers do you sell and why is there such a wide range of machines?
We offer a wide range of rollers to make it more likely that we have a machine to suit the available budget. 3 and 4 feet rolling widths remain the preferred width in the UK.
How would a club go about choosing a width of roller, what are the considerations?
The width of the storage shed is perhaps, most surprisingly, the major influence on which width of roller to go for.
Some grounds people think they need a 4 feet wide machine because its’ heavier. This is definitely not the case. Its’ all about compaction, or if you prefer, consolidation, and from our range, a 3 feet, Poweroll 12 at 1,800kg, offers exactly the same downward force as a 4 feet, Poweroll 15 at 2,400kg.
For new rollers suitable for cricket £1,000 (Hand roller) – £21,000 (COUNTY roller) plus the carriage and VAT of course!
What is the best time of year for purchasing a roller?
The best time to buy a roller is about 4 months before your current one packs up. The clever part of course, is knowing when it will pack up!
There is no best time as such, but there is a worst time to buy one, and this is just before the new season kicks off, especially if your need is urgent. Our factory will probably still be manufacturing rollers purchased the previous Autumn. They’re generally built to order and in rotation from when the order is placed, so it’s always wise to look and plan ahead.
What kind of warranty would a customer get when purchasing a new roller and what would be the expected lifespan from such a machine?
All new and rebuilt rollers come with 12 months warranty. The lifespan of the roller is 100% dependant on how the machine is treated during operation, and how its maintained. We offer on-site servicing, and whilst we can bring new life to some very badly treated machines, it can be disappointing at how badly treated and neglected some machines are, especially when every roller is carefully hand built, by us, in Cornwall. With due dilligence though, it’ll last a lifetime.
Petrol or diesel what is the best option?
If you are looking at the smaller machines in our range, I would suggest petrol, particularly on smaller grounds. When the roller is used correctly, it will take back many years to claw back in fuel cost savings alone, the extra paid for the diesel engine. Additionally, in years to come, if either engine needs work carried out, there are more people available who understand the inner workings of a Honda petrol engine than a diesel, simply down to the volume of engines that have been built.
Do you have a range of reconditioned rollers for purchase or hire?
Yes, we offer rebuilt rollers, or used, when we can get them. Due to most clubs holding onto their roller until it’s about to expire though, when we take them back in part exchange, we generally have to carry out a full dissection and reassembly of the complete machine, rather than a simple recondition.
Hiring is becoming an increasingly popular option, particularly amongst the private schools and colleges. Cricket for many of these places has a short season, so hiring in instead of buying, frees up capital, releases shed space for much of the year and saves on servicing costs. Also, it suits some Local Authorities budgets to hire instead of purchase.
For some cricket clubs, it makes sense to hire, sometimes for a second ground where the long-term need has not been determined. Sometimes, for a season while sorting out major finances, or maybe if the clubs constitution or lease conditions don’t enable borrowing or grant money for a roller purchase.
At this time (middle of November) three quarters of our hire fleet are already booked up for next season.
Is it sustainable buying a power kit, compared to the cost of purchasing a new roller?
Yes and no. Yes, definitely, if there is nothing else wrong with the roller, and the roller lasts decades with the new kit fitted. Perhaps not, if the replacement kit fixes one problem, but other ongoing costs and downtime results in unreliability or costs not previously considered. In which case, a fully rebuilt roller from the factory would have been the better option.
Before the commitment to an upgrade kit is taken, its wise to have a full inspection carried out on the roller, by someone with good mechanical knowledge.
How can a turf professional lowering the risk of theft of machinery, such as rollers?
Many insurers insist on the machines having a chain wrapped around them and concreted into the ground. Don’t leave fuel in the machines or anywhere on the club grounds. Highly visible security cameras perhaps. It’s certainly not easy.
I am aware of a Poweroll roller ending up at a tennis club in Poland having been stolen from a cricket club in Northamptonshire. It was identified several years later when the Polish tennis club wanted to buy some service items for it from us. (We keep the records for all rollers that we build).
What are your views on electric rollers, is this something you have looked into?
Our entire range of brand new ride-on cricket rollers are available to purchase as Lithium Ion battery electric versions. However, if being bought merely as a token gesture of seeming green, then there are surely greener ways to prove credentials. If you consider how many hours a year a cricket roller is used. Perhaps only 70-100 hours at some clubs, And, if used correctly, on a little over tick over speed using an IC engine. I do wonder how much carbon emissions are being produced by an IC engine, compared to the emissions generated from processing the Lithium Ion, and power generation to recharge them.
Do you offer part exchange?
Yes, but only against any Poweroll, Auto-Roller or with less frequency Stothert & Pitt 32rd’s. In addition, a rare antique roller may be of particular interest, but these go into my private collection and are not for resale! Pedal roller, anyone? I do have one, built in 1925.
Now that one really is, environmentally friendly!
Trevor Luckhurst –POWEROLL
1 comment
Our small power roller works fine. I like the versatility of being able to adjust its weight with water. But currently I can’t get two of the filler bungs out .
Also, fyi, the main front steering spindle cracked where it was welded to the tank. My mate did his upside down welding to fix it. I also put oil in the front tank to stop rusting from the inside….S.E.