All types of tools for compacting soil: with average prices and functionality
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Whether you're choosing between a roller or a manual rammer, you've come to the right place.
In this guide, I’ve gathered all the essential information to help you pick the right tool for the job!
On this page, you’ll find: a detailed table of essential tools, their functionalities, illustrative photos, and their average prices.
Let’s get started!
Summary table of all useful tools for compacting soil
The table below is a handy summary of the information you'll find on this page... perfect for those who need quick info!
| Tool name | Functionality | Essential or optional | Average price in the UK (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
Manual tools | |||
| Rammer | A hand tool with a flat, heavy base, used to compact soil by striking the surface. | Essential | 25 |
| Mallet | Used to strike the rammer or other compaction tools to increase impact force. | Essential | 12 |
| Float | A flat, wide tool, often used to smooth and compact the soil surface. | Optional | 15 |
| Rake | For leveling the soil before compacting. | Optional | 20 |
| Lawn roller | Used to compact soil over larger areas evenly. | Optional | 50 |
| Watering can or Hose | To moisten the soil, which can make compacting easier. | Essential | 8 |
Electric machines | |||
| Vibrating plate | Used for small areas like driveways, patios, or pavements. | Essential | 350 |
| Roller compactor | Ideal for large areas like roads, parking lots, or construction sites. | Optional | 12,000 |
| Rammer (or jumping jack) | Suitable for confined spaces or difficult-to-access terrains. | Optional | 650 |
| Hand compactor | Suitable for very small areas or precision work. | Optional | 80 |
For those who want a bit more detail about the tools listed in the table, you’ll find all that just below:
Essential manual tools for compacting and leveling soil
Let's start with manual tools. They may work your muscles, but they’re quiet and really affordable!
Hand Rammer
- Usage: A hand tool with a flat, heavy base, used to compact soil by striking the surface.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Easy to handle for small areas, but can be tiring to use on larger surfaces.
Rubber Mallet
- Usage: Used to strike the rammer or other compaction tools to increase impact force.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Increases compaction efficiency, but requires some effort for extended use.
Float
- Usage: Typically used in masonry, but very useful for perfecting soil compaction.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Achieves a smooth, even surface, but not suitable for large areas.
Garden Rake
- Usage: For leveling soil before compacting. Opt for a sturdy metal version!
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Helps prepare the soil, but requires several passes for optimal results.
Lawn Roller
- Usage: Used to compact soil over larger areas uniformly.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Very effective for large areas, but the soil needs to be well-prepped to be compacted!
Watering Can or Hose
- Usage: To moisten the soil, which can help with compaction.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Facilitates compaction by moistening the soil, but will increase your water bill.
Machines for compacting soil effortlessly!
If you're someone who wants to get the job done quickly or if you have large areas to compact, I recommend opting for one of the following machines:
Vibrating Plate
- Usage: Used for smaller areas like driveways, patios, or pavements.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: The best tool for compacting garden soil, but less effective on larger surfaces.
Roller Compactor
- Usage: Ideal for compacting large surfaces effortlessly.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Highly effective for large areas, but very expensive.
Rammer (or Compactor)
- Usage: Suitable for confined spaces or difficult-to-access areas.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Very effective in tight spaces, but may require more physical effort to operate.
Hand Compactor
- Usage: Suitable for very small areas or precision work.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Allows for precise work on small surfaces, but less effective on large areas and requires significant physical effort.
Need something specific, like compacting gravel or tamping sand?
I've got you covered just below!
The top 3 tools for compacting gravel...
If you're tackling more complex garden projects like a garden shed installation or swing set installation (both gardening services offered on Yoojo), you'll need to compact gravel.
Here are the best tools for the job:
Vibrating plate:
- Description: A powered tool that uses vibrations to compact gravel and other granular materials. It's typically used for paving or landscaping work.
- Advantages: Very effective for large areas, compacts gravel well in depth.
Rammer (or Compactor):
- Description: Another motorised tool, but with a narrower foot, used to compact soil and gravel in more restricted areas or for specific tasks.
- Advantages: Effective in confined spaces or for tasks requiring localized high compaction force.
Roller compactor:
- Description: A motorised vehicle with a large roller at the front, used to compact large surfaces of gravel and other materials.
- Advantages: Ideal for large projects like roads or driveways, provides fast and uniform compaction.
... And for compacting sand
Sand, which is sometimes used as a base for pathways, also needs to be compacted properly.
Here are the best tools for compacting sand:
Manual tamper :
- Description: A manual tool with a wide, flat metal base attached to a long handle.
- Advantages: Ideal for small areas and hard-to-reach spots. Simple to use and inexpensive.
Manual vibratory tamper:
- Description: This portable tool uses vibrations to compact sand evenly. It is powered by an electric or gasoline motor.
- Advantages: More effective than a manual tamper for medium-sized areas. Easy to manoeuvre in tight spaces.
Garden rake :
- Description: A manual tool with metal teeth, primarily used to level and lightly compact sand before laying pavers or slabs.
- Advantages: Helps distribute sand evenly and lightly compact it. Useful for precision work and finishing touches.
💶 How much do these tools cost?
As you might have seen in the table at the start of the article, acquiring all these tools represents a significant investment.
Wondering exactly how much it might cost?
Don’t worry, we've done the math for you:
Average cost of essential tools:
Average cost of optional tools:
So, which tools should you really buy?
If you have the budget and need to compact large areas, go for a vibrating plate or a hand compactor (a roller compactor might be a bit too expensive).
If you're just doing small garden tasks, I recommend only purchasing the manual tools from our list... you don’t need more!
The total cost for buying manual tools is:
Do it yourself or hire a pro?
It’s a question worth asking, as even if you buy all the tools, you’ll still have to roll up your sleeves and tackle this extremely tiring work.
Moreover, thanks to Yoojo, you can hire a gardener for a specific task and a predetermined number of hours... for £15/hour on average!
This means that having your garden compacted by an expert for 2 hours would cost around £28... think about it!!!
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