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Drilling and compacting

Compaction wheel

Compaction wheel with staggered pads, mounted on an excavator arm, above sandy ground
The pads compact by the weight of the machine, without vibration:
where noise is forbidden, it gets through.
Illustration based on an existing product.

No moving part, no hydraulics, no circuit to maintain.
It compacts by rolling, through the weight of the machine alone:
it is the simplest compaction tool that fits on an excavator.

Other names for this tool: trench wheel, excavator-mounted compaction roller, levelling roller, compactor wheel.

The essentials
Family
Drilling and compacting
Classes (t)
All
Coupler
All, by plate
Power source
None — passive tool

Identify your coupler →

01 Use

What it is for

On the left, the padded wheel, at the width of the trench, compacts the backfill at the bottom. On the right, too wide, the wheel bears on the sides and does not compact the bottom. Computer-generated image.
the padded wheel, at the width of the trench, compacts the backfill at the bottom too wide, the wheel bears on the sides and does not compact the bottom
Left: the padded wheel, at the width of the trench, compacts the backfill at the bottom.
Right: too wide, the wheel bears on the sides and does not compact the bottom.
What sets it apart:
it supplies nothing — it is the weight and the force of the machine that compact.
Computer-generated image.

The wheel is passive.
The operator sets it on the backfill and rolls it along the trench by pushing with the arm:
all the force comes from the carrier.
That is what makes it fittable on a machine with no auxiliary line, which no vibrating plate allows.

Along a run of utility trench, it moves fast and no one goes down into the excavation.
Some wheels are smooth, others carry pads that knead the backfill instead of smoothing it:
this is not a finishing detail, it is what decides the result in fine soil.

Rolling over it is not compacting. Backfill is compacted in successive layers, and the number of passes is set by the material, not by impatience.
If the contract imposes a compaction rate, it will have to be measured:
no tool guarantees it on its own. See the vibrating plate.

02 Key technical data

On which machine?

The compaction wheel suits all excavator classes, on all couplers via a mounting plate.

What the tool does

This wheel is used for compacting in trenches, over a width of 200, 305, 457 or 610 mm depending on the version.
There are single, double or triple wheel versions, or drum versions.
The tool weight: we calculate it with you for your machine.

What is needed on the hydraulic side

No hydraulic connection is needed: it is a passive tool.

Figures taken from our models on the market.
Your study sets the exact value for your machine.

How to read these values →

03 Your study

Have your machine checked.

Give us your excavator model, the trench width and the backfill material.
If a compaction rate is imposed on you, say so:
the wheel alone is not always enough.

What we need to answer you
  • Your machine Its make and its tonnage.
  • The auxiliary circuit Its flow in l/min, its pressure in bar, single- or double-acting.
  • The coupler in place Its system and its class.
  • The work The use, and the material.

Without these details, the study still begins: we will ask you for them.

Send my photos

or describe your need

Book an appointment with the specialist

Or call 01 84 16 55 49 · our lines are open 7 days a week, from 7h to 22h.

Written study within 3 working days, once the file is complete.

Not to be confused
  • Vibrating plate and compaction wheel Principle — a plate set vibrating by the auxiliary line, with continuous flow.
    Use — it compacts an excavation bottom, a bank or the surroundings of a structure, wherever the machine takes it.
  • Breaker-mounted compactor Principle — the percussion of the breaker, transmitted to the ground through a base plate.
    Use — it is used for spot tamping with a hammer already connected to the machine.
04 Choice

What determines the choice

  • 01 — The width of the trench It sets the width of the wheel.
    Too wide, the wheel bears on the edges and does not compact the bottom;
    too narrow, it multiplies the passes.
  • 02 — Smooth or padded The smooth one tightens gravelly materials;
    the pads work fine soils and clayey backfill better.
  • 03 — The straight run, against the awkward points The wheel is queen on the straight length, unusable in a corner or against a structure.
    That is where the plate takes over.
  • 04 — The weight and force of the carrier The wheel supplies nothing:
    it is the machine that compacts.
    A small excavator on thick backfill will not get the same result, whatever the wheel.
05 Check

What is checked before ordering

  • The backfill material and the thickness of the layers Sand, graded aggregate, as-dug material, clayey backfill:
    they do not react in the same way, and the layer thickness counts as much as the tool.
  • The contract's compaction requirement If a rate is imposed, it is measured.
    Tell us:
    it changes the recommendation.
  • The axle and its bearings This is the tool's only wear point, and it is greased.
    A neglected bearing ends up costing the wheel.
  • The interface Coupler designation or pin dimensions.
The other way of compacting
Opening the trench
Finishing the surface
To go further
A question about an attachment? 01 84 16 55 49 Send my photos