You need more weight. Fill it with lead. I can't be wasting time with multiple passes. JK.

 

You need more weight. Fill it with lead. I can't be wasting time with multiple passes. JK.

NGL....this thought actually occurred to me as I was thinking of more dense materials/liquids LOL

 

We have lead bricks at work for shielding. A roller of that would be quite the steamroller.

 

I don't know how heavy the Toro striping kit is when filled with sand, but the Checkmate boat roller striper for my tractor weights ~40 lbs and stripes very well.

 

Just a theory, but I would say no. If you're striping with a walk behind, you weigh more then any roller on the back of the machine and I assume you're not leaving darker footprints in your stripes from where you step on the turf.

I think a lot of the really heavy striping you see comes from guys mowing the same direction, in the same lines a few times in a row, to train the grass to lay that way. Whether you do that in 1 mow or 3 mows, I think it's more about the "burning in" of the stripes, then the weight creating them.

I'm sure weight plays a marginal role, but I don't think it would to the degree you're thinking.

 

Curious what you all think, those of you that may have even already tested this out perhaps: does a heavier striping kit result in darker Stripes?

The reason I ask is because currently I am using the Toro lawn striping kit on a 21 inch Honda hrx217 mower and I have to make 3 passes to get the picture perfect stripes that you all seem to have.

I currently have it filled with sand. I was wondering if I also filled it with water + the sand to make it heavier would that help me get a dark stripe with just a single pass?

🤔

I believe so. Greens mowers are pretty heavy especially when compared to a rotary mower. I would say go ahead and make your roller as heavy as you possibly can so that you don't have to make those 3 passes.

 

Just a theory, but I would say no. If you're striping with a walk behind, you weigh more then any roller on the back of the machine and I assume you're not leaving darker footprints in your stripes from where you step on the turf.

I think a lot of the really heavy striping you see comes from guys mowing the same direction, in the same lines a few times in a row, to train the grass to lay that way. Whether you do that in 1 mow or 3 mows, I think it's more about the "burning in" of the stripes, then the weight creating them.

I'm sure weight plays a marginal role, but I don't think it would to the degree you're thinking.

Ding ding ding!

All of us exert more ground pressure walking across our lawns than our equipment does, especially if it's a full-width roller assembly in ground-contact.

Stripe burn-in is a thing for cool-season turf. It's not a sin on bunch-type grasses (TTTF, PRG, or similar, even KBG) like it is with stoloniferous grasses. Pretty common to mow it all one pattern for 3-4 mows and then switch it up. It is still important to switch however as running the same equipment in the exact same pattern can create depressions in the soil. If you like the way a particular pattern looks, say your front lawn looks best N-S, mow it N-S for a couple weeks, then switch it up to E-W for a week/two, then back to N-S but offset the pattern by a quarter/half pass to move the tire tracks over.

 

Just an observation from the peanut gallery... I think weight is an important factor but roller diameter is a very close second.

 

I had a frankenroller setup on my HRX last summer before moving to reel mowers. It striped my zoysia backyard pretty well, not so much on my bermuda front yard.
Also had a pipe full of sand and capped with threaded caps/rtv zip tied to the back flap thingy. No roll in the rear, all drag.

 

I have the toro striper and it works great for me. It is filled with sand. I would NOT fill it with water because it may expand and split the plastic during freezing temps in winter. I don't think you need more weight.

Current pic today: these stripes were not burned in. 2.75" hoc



They are more pronounced in the shade

 

I had a frankenroller setup on my HRX last summer before moving to reel mowers. It striped my zoysia backyard pretty well, not so much on my bermuda front yard.
Also had a pipe full of sand and capped with threaded caps/rtv zip tied to the back flap thingy. No roll in the rear, all drag.

What is that front roller??

I have the toro striper and it works great for me. It is filled with sand. I would NOT fill it with water because it may expand and split the plastic during freezing temps in winter. I don't think you need more weight.

Current pic today: these stripes were not burned in. 2.75" hoc



They are more pronounced in the shade

Good point on the freezing! Beautiful stripes! See...I have to do at least 2 passes to get stripes like that 😩

Just a theory, but I would say no. If you're striping with a walk behind, you weigh more then any roller on the back of the machine and I assume you're not leaving darker footprints in your stripes from where you step on the turf.

I think a lot of the really heavy striping you see comes from guys mowing the same direction, in the same lines a few times in a row, to train the grass to lay that way. Whether you do that in 1 mow or 3 mows, I think it's more about the "burning in" of the stripes, then the weight creating them.

I'm sure weight plays a marginal role, but I don't think it would to the degree you're thinking.

Ding ding ding!

All of us exert more ground pressure walking across our lawns than our equipment does, especially if it's a full-width roller assembly in ground-contact.

Stripe burn-in is a thing for cool-season turf. It's not a sin on bunch-type grasses (TTTF, PRG, or similar, even KBG) like it is with stoloniferous grasses. Pretty common to mow it all one pattern for 3-4 mows and then switch it up. It is still important to switch however as running the same equipment in the exact same pattern can create depressions in the soil. If you like the way a particular pattern looks, say your front lawn looks best N-S, mow it N-S for a couple weeks, then switch it up to E-W for a week/two, then back to N-S but offset the pattern by a quarter/half pass to move the tire tracks over.

Thank you both! Very good points! It does SEEM to be getting easier after repeat mows. I will try to follow that schedule and switch up ever few weeks, thank you!