The efficiency of the agricultural sector, and in particular the production of crop products, to a greater extent depends on the cost of the products obtained, which can be reduced, taking into account the factors affecting the technical, economic and operational indicators. Every year, the demand for small-sized tillage equipment, which is a real assistant for gardeners when working on their backyard plots, is growing. But in order to increase the functionality of the equipment and the quality of soil preparation for sowing, it is necessary to conduct research on the possibility of using various additional working bodies for the walk-behind tractor. The aim of the research is to develop and study the design of an active roller for a walk-behind tractor, which allows high-quality preparation of the soil for sowing. To solve the set tasks, the mechanical system of a slatted-spiral roller for a walk-behind tractor is considered. The number of degrees of freedom, the kinematic connection and the position of the mechanical system in the inertial frame of reference associated with the walk-behind tractor have been determined. Taking into account some assumptions, neglecting the small values of some variables, on the basis of the Lagrange equation of the second kind, a differential equation of motion for generalized coordinates is compiled. To solve the differential equation of motion, the kinetic energy of the system is calculated, which is determined as the sum of the kinetic energies of the frame and the roller. The expression for determining the kinetic energy of the system depends on the axial and centrifugal moments of inertia, mass, angular and linear speeds of the frame and roller. The expressions obtained make it possible to substantiate the main rational design and technological parameters of a slatted-spiral roller for a walk-behind tractor