Tow Behind Lightweight Core Aerator - Any good?

[PBinWA]

I'm thinking of buying one of these:
Northern Tools Core Aerator

Does anyone have any experience with them. I have the HP to pull one loaded up with weight so that is not an issue.

Do they work "good enough" for the basic home owner. I always thought I would just rent a "real aerator" when I needed one but I'm always too busy to go to the rental yard.

If these work "good enough" for a basic residential lawn that I just want to keep nice (not perfect) then let me kow.

My soil type is mixed dirt with lots of clay in spots. I've tilled up most of the clay spots and mixed in some dirt/manure but it still tends to pack down pretty good.

I guess I'd also like to know if they don't work at all. As long as they work I can put up with waiting for specific weather conditions etc.

Thanks,

Paul

 

[TheKid]

I don't know about the Northern one, but I have used my brothers old 36" Craftsman aerator. I just loaded up the top with a bunch of granite cobbles stones and it did a pretty good job. My soil is mostly clay mixed with rock an I was able to get 2 1/2 to 3"" of penitration if I used it when the soil was moist.

 

[Whiskey]

PBinWA:

If you have a Lowes close by you may want to check there, at least our local Lowes carries the same aerator more than likely for less...

Anywho, it's kind of on the cheep flimsy side and made to pull behind your typical lawn mower. I've look at them @ our Lowes and wasn't inpressed will it knock holes in your yard...you bet, will it last very long...more than likely not.

 

[thegreatrandini]

My home depot rents these for 40 bucks a day... I figure to rent one next time the ground is soft.... I figure that way I don't have to store the thing as I think every two or three years is enough.....They seem to be a little heavier duty... The use water cans for weight......

 

[Dk45_Jeff]

I have a similar 48" model, made by Agri-Fab, and it works very well providing the ground is damp and I put 150 pounds of ballast in the weight tray.

 

[hwp]

I have the same unit as Jeff and it works as well as the ones from the rental yards. I aerate my lawns every spring and fall. I put a hydraulic cylinder on mine to raise and lower the transit wheels so I don't have to get off the tractor and reposition the wheels at the start and end of every run. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Lloyd_E]

Hey Paul,

I have the same unit. I load concrete patio blocks on and strap down.
I do 2-5 acres - lots of seat time!!!!!

This is my 3rd year for operating. i did the acre around the house only this year and it greened up faster than the rest of the property.

I have a mixture of lawn and pasture with clay base.

It works for me.

Lloyd

 

[chucko]

I made an Aerator out of a 5' long 7" dia. steel pipe and some rebar cut into 4" pieces and welded to it. seems to work ok for me

 

[MossRoad]

I, too have the same thing in the 48" model. It will not penetrate hard soil, even with lots of ballast. If the soil is damp, such as after a rain or a VERY heavy watering, it does OK but nothing like a commercial self powered unit from a rental yard.

For once a year it is fine. I pulled it with our late 60's Simplicity lawn tractor, which only weighs a couple of hundred pounds and has a 8.5HP engine. It was plenty of power to pull it in first and second gear, although second was a little too fast.

If you buy one, be prepared to spend some quality time assembling it. It took me about an hour and a half. The knives are sharp and there are lots of bolts. Plus side is it only took a couple of sockets and a crescent wrench. No fancy tools.

 

[thcri]

Is the aerator listed from Northern a Core Aerator? I was on the understanding the core aerator actually would pull plugs out of the ground. The listed by Northern I believe will only punch holes which is ok but not as good as the ones that actually pull the plugs out?

murph

 

[Dk45_Jeff]

Looks like a core aerator to me. Looking closely at the image I can see the coring knives (partially rolled tubes) at the ends of the discs.

 

[PBinWA]

Thanks everyone.

It looks like it falls into the "good enough" category. My local Lowes has a 40" model in stock and that is probably "good enough" for what I need to do.

Thanks again.

Paul

 

[QueBota]

If it is a core aerator, how well can it clear the plugs from the corer?

I have rented power walk behind core aerators that would plug up with clay soil, you would have to stop once in a while and clear the corers.

Dave

 

[MossRoad]

It is the core aerator. The core knives are tapered so that the small end goes in the ground. The larger opening is away from the ground. If the core fails to fall out on its own, the next time the knife is shoved in the ground the new core will push the old core out(kind of like cutting a banana where the next slice pushes the previous slice off the edge)... as long as the soil is the right texture. If the soil is hard, the core may stay in the ground. If it is sticky clay, it may still plug the knife and then the whole thing will just bounce along on the tips of the knives barely scratching the surface.

 

[davesalisbury]

Hi all-

I know it's been a while since anybody else responded to this thread, but I'm looking for a bit more specific advice for an aerator given my property. Apologies for cross-posting - I also put this on the Kubota thread.

I've been following the aerator discussion with interest. I have 5 acres total, about 1.5-2 that I'd consider "lawn" and the other 3-3.5 that gets mowed roughly every third time I do the lawn. I have a BX2230, btw.

I'd like to aerate the "lawn" area about 2x per year (spring/fall) and the other part 1x per year. Time is not a huge consideration - seat time is how I relax and think. The only other possible use of the unit would be by my neighbor who has roughly the same situation.

I have a few rocks around, but tend find and dig up most of them before stuff hits them. The way the property is laid out means that I can pretty much design my route to avoid crossing the driveway and any walkways.

I'm able to afford one of the larger units I've seen, but I have to confess that spending more than the price of a box blade for something that I won't use more than 2x per year seems a bit much.

Is this 42" Craftsman unit from Sears too light for the work I describe?

Sears.com

Thanks in advance.

 

[ToadHill]

I've used a core aerator in my business for several years. One thing you don't want to do is use it on very wet ground. Let the soil dry out some or the tool will plug up in no time.

 

[TractorDale]

I bought a 48" agrifab unit and it works well. I made a small modification- welded the 1/2" bolts, which serve as the axles, to their mounting flanges because the wheels did not let the plugs go very far into the ground so I run it without the wheels and pop them on with a cotter pin through a drilled hole in the axle when done with the yard. I plug when the soil is damp and with no other weight the unit.

Dale