serious tow-behind plug aerators

[WinterDeere]

Having used a 3-point plug aerator the last half dozen years, and a tow-behind for many years before that, I've concluded that I will just never manage to match the speed of my old tow-behind unit with the newer 3-point rig. I'm ready to switch back.

But most of the tow behind units I've used are junk, cheap flimsy stuff that's always braking, and has stupid manual lift levers. This time I'm looking for something a bit more serious:

1. 60" - 72" width
2. 1000 lb. weight, or thereabouts
3. Easy tine replacement, hopefully something with a commonly-available tine
4. Hydraulic lift

What have you guys run? What do you like? Seen any decent deals, recently?

 

[oldnslo]

Out of curiosity what don’t you like about the 3 point unit? My first thought is ability to turn a corner. Are there additional problems?

 

[WinterDeere]

Out of curiosity what don’t you like about the 3 point unit? My first thought is ability to turn a corner. Are there additional problems?

That's basically it. Turning around at the end of each row, rounding obstacles (trees, gardens, driveway, house, barn... etc.). It works just fine, but takes about 2x-3x longer to aerate my lawn with the 3-point unit, than with my prior tow-behind unit.

Since I'm only usually aerating before overseeding, it makes for a real long day when it's time to overseed. It's to the point where, between picking up walnuts, mowing, aerating, top-dressing or repairing, then seeding, then fertilizing, then cleaning up... I struggle to get it all done in a weekend with any other interruptions.

 

[oldnslo]

Not sure if feasible but what would it take to add a swivel joint on your 3 point aerator. This is common on two point or semi-mounted equipment but don’t think have ever seen it on full 3 point mount.

Just throwing out crazy armchair ideas

 

[Sportsman762]

When I worked groundskeeping we had a First Products Aerovator overseeder, it would aerate and seed at the same time. The unit had a swivel built into the hitch so you could turn with it engaged.

AERA-vator Commercial Turf & Field Aerators | 1st Products

Maximize your turf health with the Universal Aera-Vator. Improve aeration, reduce soil compaction, and enhance grass growth with a commercial field aerator.

1stproducts.com

The Brillion Till N Seed was a very nice overseeder. It slit aerated while overseeding. Nothing removed thatch like a slit overseeder.

We also had a Jacobsen 3pt core aerator but I do not recall having issues with turning. But most of our area that we aerated with frequency was wide open so that might explain my lack of memory but the separate drums each with only two flanges helped. Below is a photo from an auction site showing what we had.

The Weidenmann aerator we had pulled a 6" core in a 4"x4" pattern and you did not turn with that unit in the ground. It was also 70K so probably not what your looking for.

 

[WinterDeere]

Not sure if feasible but what would it take to add a swivel joint on your 3 point aerator. This is common on two point or semi-mounted equipment but don’t think have ever seen it on full 3 point mount.

Just throwing out crazy armchair ideas

Not so crazy. I was actually thinking of disassembling mine and using it to build a new tow-behind, as I built my prior one as well. But I really don't like the tines on mine, and they're not a common mounting to be easily replaced with a different tine, and my current unit is too narrow with too few wheels. Long way of saying, it's probably not the best unit to use as a seed for a new build.

When I worked groundskeeping we had a First Products Aerovator overseeder, it would aerate and seed at the same time. The unit had a swivel built into the hitch so you could turn with it engaged.

AERA-vator Commercial Turf & Field Aerators | 1st Products

Maximize your turf health with the Universal Aera-Vator. Improve aeration, reduce soil compaction, and enhance grass growth with a commercial field aerator.

1stproducts.com

That is so cool. But I'm surprised by the low weight (236 lb @ 60" width?), as my present core aerator has trouble with penetration, and it weighs over 600 lb. at just 54" width.

The Brillion Till N Seed was a very nice overseeder. It slit aerated while overseeding. Nothing removed thatch like a slit overseeder.

Yeah, I've been debating slit seeding for years. But I think it'd be even slower on my 4 acres of lawn with a lot of gardens, trees, and other obstacles to work around. Aerate then broadcast is much less efficient on germination rate, but also much faster than working a slit seeder around curves, corners, and other obstacles.

We also had a Jacobsen 3pt core aerator but I do not recall having issues with turning. But most of our area that we aerated with frequency was wide open so that might explain my lack of memory but the separate drums each with only two flanges helped. Below is a photo from an auction site showing what we had.

The Weidenmann aerator we had pulled a 6" core in a 4"x4" pattern and you did not turn with that unit in the ground. It was also 70K so probably not what your looking for.

Nice! But I'm mostly looking at $3k and under stuff. Heck, in its most basic form, it's an axle with some wheels and tines. You'd think these things should cost hundreds of dollars, not thousands, if it weren't for the very low manufacture volume, shipping, etc.

 

[groundcover]

I have thought about getting one of these for my zero turn a couple of times but haven't yet.

JRCO Hooker Aerators

The JRCO Hooker Aerator is designed for the lawn care professional. It saves time and labor with high-production aeration. Aerate 66,000 square feet per hour at 5 mph.

www.agindustrial.com

 

[WinterDeere]

I have thought about getting one of these for my zero turn a couple of times but haven't yet.

JRCO Hooker Aerators

The JRCO Hooker Aerator is designed for the lawn care professional. It saves time and labor with high-production aeration. Aerate 66,000 square feet per hour at 5 mph.

www.agindustrial.com

Don't. I love JRCO's Blower Buggy, it works great as long as your property isn't too hilly or the grass isn't too damp. But no way would I ever subject any zero turn mower to the sort of beating that a plug aerator puts on any machine. I imagine you'd blow up those wimpy little hydro motors after just a few acres, on most machines.

If you're pulling solid 3/4" diameter cores 2" deep, and you're punching holes on a 2" x 4" or even 4" x 4" grid, it takes some horsepower to do that at any comfortable speed. Your ZTR's engine is up to the task, it's sized to spin a nice big 60" deck thru lush grass, but the wheel drive motors were never designed to put all of that horsepower to the ground for any extended period of time.

 

[groundcover]

I do have the blower buggy and spreader and they are great. Rented a plug aerator a few years ago and found all the places the irrigation guys didn't set the pipe deep enough! They did comp the repairs though.

 

[WinterDeere]

I do have the blower buggy and spreader and they are great. Rented a plug aerator a few years ago and found all the places the irrigation guys didn't set the pipe deep enough! They did comp the repairs though.

Hah... my irrigation system has been in since about 2013, and I still managed to find a 1" lateral with the aerator last fall, that somehow a tine never managed to puncture in prior years. They claimed they set all 1" lines at least 4-6" deep, but this one was only maybe 2.5" down.

I've gotten in the habit of checking the whole irrigation system after each time I aerate. Since mine is spread out as six zones covering 100 trees over four acres, I do the "check" by monitoring well pump run time while the system is cycling thru the zones. Any major blow-out shows up as increased pump run time, over the prior logged tests.