Plug Aerators and grass striping

[WillyS]

Hi Guys Just wanted to ask if any of you have a pull behind plug aerator and if they are worth buying. I have rented the walk behind, powered aerators and they do a good job. I was looking at the 40 inch plug aerators that Lowe's and Tractor Supply sell and wondered if they are worth the investment. The pull behinds don't have the fancy mechanism that repeatedly pushes out the dirt plug before the tine makes contact with the soil. Does the lawn have to be really rain soaked for them to work properly?
I've been reading this forum since May and have gotten allot of good info from all of you! I would be pulling this aerator with a CC2042.
Also, I was looking at a grass striping roller...pull behind also. Do they pack the soil down after repeated use? This would be defeating the aerator's purpose by compacting the soil.
Thanks for any help or suggestions

 

[MrWiggles2]

I've rented plug aerators and they work great. It is more economical to buy one then rent, if you are going to do it in the spring and summer. It will pay for itself after a few seasons. You can load up a good amount of weight on them and you'll pull 2 1/2 to 3" plugs without trouble. The ground just needs to be moist, not wet. So spring and fall are the best. If you can get a shovel into the ground, it'll work great. Make sure you make two passes 90 degrees to one another when you aerate.

The only rollers that compact the soil are the ones you fill with water and weigh 400-500 lbs. I use those in the spring to smooth out the winter bumps and then I aerate. Lawn stripping kits don't compact the soil at all, they just bend the blades over. Walking on your lawn compacts it more than a stripping kit would. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif