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Price guides

Roller Price Guides

5 machines covered. 0 models currently carries a clearly labelled estimate derived from a sourced new price. Verified market ranges replace estimates only after clearing our sample-size gate.

Rollers are the compaction backbone of every road, subdivision and pad in the country, and the class splits cleanly by drum: smooth drum for granular material and asphalt, padfoot for clay, and light tandems for surfacing work. It is one of the most hire-dominated classes in Australia, so the used market is fed steadily by rental fleet turnover — machines with honest hours and known service history, but hire-yard lives. Drum condition, vibration performance and hours drive value. Verified market ranges below show their evidence; indicative estimates are labelled separately.

Live Guides

Bomag BW120AD-5 No estimate yet used pricing being rebuilt Cat CS44B No estimate yet used pricing being rebuilt Dynapac CA2500D No estimate yet used pricing being rebuilt Hamm HD 10 VV No estimate yet used pricing being rebuilt Hamm HD12VV No estimate yet used pricing being rebuilt

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Hamm price guides

Roller buyer’s guide

Which roller for which job?

Smooth drum rollers compact granular material — road base, sand, gravel — and finish asphalt. Padfoot rollers knead cohesive clays that a smooth drum would only bridge over. Light tandem rollers are surfacing tools for asphalt and small works, and multi-tyre rollers seal and knit the finished mat. Buying the wrong drum for your material is the most expensive mistake in the class.

What size roller do you need?

Pedestrian and light tandems handle footpaths, driveways and patching; mid-weight machines cover subdivisions and general civil; heavy smooth-drum and padfoot machines are for bulk earthworks and deep lifts. Compaction spec on the job usually decides — the machine has to achieve density in the layer thickness being placed, which is a question for the spec sheet, not the badge.

Buying used vs hiring

Rollers are one of the most hired classes in Australia because most jobs need one for days, not months — and because the hire fleet carries every drum type. If compaction is a constant part of your work, ex-hire machines with documented service history are the natural used buy. Our buy-vs-hire calculator runs your own numbers.

Roller FAQ

What is a roller used for?
Compacting soil, road base and asphalt to specified density — the step that decides whether everything built on top lasts. Smooth drums handle granular material and asphalt, padfoot drums work clay, and tandem and multi-tyre machines finish surfacing work.
Smooth drum or padfoot?
Material decides. Granular soils, road base and asphalt take a smooth drum; cohesive clays need the kneading action of a padfoot. A smooth drum on wet clay bridges over the material and leaves uncompacted lenses underneath — which is exactly the failure the compaction spec exists to prevent.
Do I need a licence to operate a roller?
There is no High Risk Work Licence class for operating a roller. A workplace almost always requires verification of competency and a construction white card, and site compaction work runs under the job’s testing regime. Check your state WHS regulator and the site rules before you operate.
Can you drive a roller on the road?
Rollers work on roads under traffic management but travel between jobs under conditional registration or by float, depending on state and machine. WA, for instance, gives steel-drum rollers its restricted-use concession — waiving licence fee and duty — while excluding multi-tyre machines. Most states either exempt conditionally registered plant from stamp duty or charge a small flat amount. Check your state transport authority.
How much does it cost to hire a roller?
Day rates vary by drum type, weight class and city. HeavyBook publishes hire rates where the class and city clear our three-source data gate — see the hire pages for what is currently published, always with the source count shown.
Can I finance a used roller?
Yes — used equipment finance is widely available through brokers and lenders. HeavyBook’s equipment finance calculator gives an indicative monthly repayment across 1–7 years; it is indicative only and not financial advice. HeavyBook may receive a fee if you proceed with a broker we refer you to, and we never recommend a specific credit product.

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