Building a plug aerator

[J35]

In order for the tines to drop a plug you have to remove part of the wall of the tubing or pipe above the point, other wise you just end up with a large diameter spike aerator.

So you would need hardened material or material capable of being hardened, so your tines would not bend.

Have fun

 

[Iplayfarmer]

In order for the tines to drop a plug you have to remove part of the wall of the tubing or pipe above the point, other wise you just end up with a large diameter spike aerator.

So you would need hardened material or material capable of being hardened, so your tines would not bend.

Have fun

I know that for conventional models this is true. What made me wonder if there was an easier way was oughtsix talking about the cylinder mounted tines that deliver the plugs into the center. This is the case where I figure a simple pipe may actually be better.

 

[Scooby074]

From my research solid tines would have the opposite effect of what you are trying to accomplish... compacting the earth instead of loosening it, like sawdust said.

My thoughts on building a plug aerator was to use a 12" pipe instead of a spindle to mount the tines on. Then when the plug is pushed up through the tine it ends up inside the 12" pipe. Drill several holes in the pipe that the soil falls through while the plugs are tumbling. Put a fixed piece of angle iron inside the pipe to increase the tumbling action and encourage the plugs through the holes.

Or make something similar with a cage made out of 1/4" screen instead of the 12" pipe.

Aerated lawn without a bunch of lawn turds scattered all over!

Just a thought...

Interesting idea, but i just dont think youd have enough weight to do it. Its pretty hard to force tines into the ground at the best of times, but then theres the added friction of trying to force the plug into the centre too.

I think if this concept would work, golf courses would have adopted it. AFAIK they just drop the plugs on the ground and follow with a vacuum to pick up the plugs or use a plug buster to break them up.

Heres maybe the worlds fastest aerator : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o02UJlUUXIo

 

[J35]

I know that for conventional models this is true. What made me wonder if there was an easier way was oughtsix talking about the cylinder mounted tines that deliver the plugs into the center. This is the case where I figure a simple pipe may actually be better.

It might would work with a two diameter tine or spoon, (pipe) with the point section being the smallest diameter, other wise I don't see the plugs flowing upwards. I would think a nice bell at the transition would be a bonus.

Have fun

 

[oughtsix]

I am not a golfer but I have a couple of friends that stop by every year on their way to their hunting camp. Every year they play a round of golf at the local (cheap) golf course. Every year they complain about the course having been freshly plugged and too much remnants ruining their game. (They get a discount because of the plugging but that doesn't make much of a difference after a beer) This is what gave me the idea.

I was thinking of a piece of angle iron (or some type of sharp steel blade) that is stationary inside the drum / cage that would work like the dasher (paddle) in an icecream maker. You could dimple the waste holes in the drum like a cheese grader to facilitate plug break up.

The larger the cage / drum diameter the shorter the tines would have to be. I don't see why the tines would have to be any longer than normal tines. You could position the blade (dasher) or a couple of them so the plug was sliced into multiple smaller pieces as it entered the drum. (I have aerated my lawn twice in the past 20 years so I am no aerator expert).

My impression is that the tines are a flat steel blank that is rolled to have a slightly conical shape to facilitate plug removal. Then welded and finally heat treated. This is just an assumption as I am no expert and I haven't caught that episode of "how its made" yet either.

The drum would still be attached to the draw bar pulling it on both sides leaving the ability to add weight.

It was just a thought I had that I thought I would share to maybe start someone else's creative juices flowing. Like I said, I don't plug my lawn that often nor do I manufacture / sell golf course implements

 

[keeney]

The problem with adding weight to an aerator is that it requires a heavier tractor to pull the thing around. Driving the heavier tractor on the turf is likely causing all the compaction problems in the first place!

The machines golf courses use (on the greens, at least), have a power-drive crank shaft mechanism that drives theplugs into the ground using inertia of the mechanism, not just the gross weight of the machine.

- Rick