Aerator with true vertical action?

[keeney]

I am looking to add an aerator to my JD 4100. I would like to think that something that is actually powered and pushes the tines vertically in and out of the ground would do a much better job and disrupt the lawn a lot less than the units that roll along with the "spoons".

Trouble is, the only unit I can find that has a true vertical motion is a golf-course grade Toro. Not sure what the new price is on one of those, but I saw some used ones listed at over $17,000 and decided that my lawn doesn't need to look like a golf course that badly.

The only other thing that I have found that looks close to what I want is the PlugR walk-behind units.

So, anybody know of anything else I should consider?

OR, can anybody convince me that the rolling style units work just fine?

- Rick

 

[greg_g]

I'm only aware of two basic types; spike and core. The simple spike aerator uses brute force to punch holes, but necessarily causes some compaction as a result. The coring aerator goes one step further, by removing the dirt from each hole rather than just pushing it in. The downside is that you then have all the unsightly little "plugs" to consider.

Perhaps you could provide a photo of what this "spoon" type looks like. That would save time by eliminating recommendations for what you don't want

//greg//

 

[Turfman]

The vertical ones do a great job. I think they pull deeper plugs. I also think they are slower than a spoon type. The spike type are worthless, they compact the soil and don't remove the plug. The plug is important because it helps eliminate thatch as it decomposes. The slight disruption of the lawn caused by the spoon type is not a problem. Just be careful to raise it when you turn or you'll get some major trenches on a tow behind aerator. I spend every spare minute for three months each spring behind an aerator.

 

[longway5]

We have a toro at work. It does a good job, but is slow, requires a good amount of maintenance to keep running right, and the tines need to be replaced a fair amount, but that is due more to ledge than wear. We actually have two toro's, one is a walk behind and the other mounts to the back of a tractor. Seeing how we just spent that last two weeks aerating the fairways, I'm all set for working with plugs for awhile.
John Deere also makes a vertical aerator. We use the John Deere TC125 to help pick up the plugs if you're looking at their web site.

 

[bigpete]

I have been very happy with my Turfco TM42 behind my 4110.The working width is almost identical to the tire stance. The weight jugs allow you to take the weight up above 500 pounds. The coring pattern was one of the best I could find when I bought it two tyears ago. I paid around $1,000 and I think the have gone up a couple hundred bucks. The spoons are angled to enter the soil as vertical as possible, but they do "drag" out of the hole a bit like most aerators. This really doesn't cause any turf damage to speak of as long as you set the unit to level while operating. The pattern is tighter than most and it pulls very nice 3-4" x 3/4" plugs. Pic attached taken this morning before I worked over my lawn for the season. Their company site appears to be hijacked by some German company right now @ turfco.com

 

[bigpete]

Here is a cropped side view that might give you a better look at the angle of attack on the tines. I think many other aerators use the same principle, but there are more tines per square foot on the Turfco than most.

 

[Henro]

<font color="blue"> I spend every spare minute for three months each spring behind an aerator.
</font>
Turfman, just curious but what do you do back there? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Or is it front mounted somehow??? /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[brad_oatley]

the AERA-vator by First Products is a true vertical punch type core aerator. www.1stproducts.com

 

[Darren]

There's another manufacturer that makes a 3 pt vertical motion aerator. I don't know the name. A guy stopped in a service station had it mounted on a tractor chained to a flat bed. He does golf courses on a contract basis. The spoons were small diameter with more than I've seen on any other aerator. I didn't ask the price, but it was a heavy complex piece of equipment. looked expensive. The fact that he had plenty of contract business may mean it was too expensive even for a golf course.

 

[Turfman]

Henro, Wish it was front mounted, but it is a little walk behind Turfco. I have been doing a lot of aerations each spring and knock out a 5 acre park once a year. First year I did it I had made over half my business income on aerations.