The walk-behind roller compactor is a simple solution to a common problem: You need to flatten asphalt, soil or granular surfaces with as little effort as possible.
You need reliable results using machinery that’s easy to learn and that’s where a walk-behind roller compactor will come in handy.
Meiwa’s offering relies on 75 years of Japanese design and engineering experience to ensure your surfaces stay smooth and compact for as long as you need, using well-known Honda or Kubota engines.
Read on to learn more about what makes a great roller compactor and why your job site will benefit from adding one to its ranks.
How Do They Work?
Walk-behind roller compactors employ the weight of one or two steel drums, coupled with vibration, to compact your chosen terrain, pushing the air or liquid out of the ground to leave a compact and smooth surface on top.
Meiwa’s roller compactors weigh anywhere between 270kg to 737kg, catering to a range of surfaces needing different compaction forces.
Using the operators handle at the rear of the machine, operators can Start & Stop (on electric start models), engage & dis-engage vibration (On MSR models), control the throttle/speed, direction, and gear (forward, neutral, reverse) of the roller, while also fitted to the rear of the handle is a dead-man switch for operator safety.
Make sure to read the user manual before operating this machinery as improper use can lead to injury or death.
Benefits of a Walk Behind Roller Compactor
While there are ride-on compactors available in the market, walk-behind compactors are the smarter choice for smaller jobs in narrow work areas.
If it’s smaller areas of light soil, gravel, sand, silt, asphalt footpaths or driveways you’re working with, a walk-behind is likely your best bet.
These machines (refined over 75 years) require little more than the basic service maintenance, with reliable engines, durable Japanese steel and rubber components, backed up with world renowned engineering, they guarantee the owner many years of trouble-free service.
Compared to reversible compactors, or smaller handheld trench rammers, the walk-behind rollers use weight and vibration (rather than impact force) to achieve optimum compaction, this is more effective on granular soils and soft asphalt.
Types of Walk-Behind Roller Compactors
These compactors come in two forms - single drum and double drum - depending on your budget and job specifications.
In either case, the operation is largely the same, with a operator’s bar at the rear for simple, easy operation.
Meiwa’s MR25H is an example of a single drum option. This is the lightest of our four walk-behind roller compactors, with higher vibrations and a slower top speed. Perfect for smaller jobsites & edges of large areas.
Double drum compactors are heavier and more powerful, meaning they provide greater compaction and a faster top speed. They work largely the same as the single drum edition, except for having two steel drums instead for deeper compaction on each pass.
These high-end drum machines are suited perfectly to lengths of asphalt pavement, soils and sands. The in-built water tank that feeds directly to the drums acts as dust dampener or a barrier between the steel drum and fresh hot asphalt.
Meiwa’s three double drum options - the MSR5KM, MSR6KM and MSR7M - all use a Kubota EA300 electric start water-cooled diesel engine, while the single drum MR25H uses a Honda GX160.
Why Meiwa?
Using our decades of experience manufacturing machinery in Japan (since 1945), Meiwa customers benefit from a reliable proven design for many years of easy and productive operation.
Good quality doesn’t cost, it pays!
We’re proud to take care of the roads, infrastructure and people that make up the world’s built environment, and our range of rollers, rammers, plates and concrete saws encapsulates this pride.
Contact us today to find the right walk-behind roller compactor for you and leave feeling confident you’ll be flattening the competition in no time.