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Core Aerator or Pull Behind Drum Spike Aerator

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Chief
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 4297 Southwest MiddleTennessee
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2004-03-05          78882


I have been looking at aerators and would like to get some feedback from those who have used them. I have found a real nice 72" core aerator for $850 from Corriher and have looked at a few pull behind drum aerators that you fill with water for ballast. Ducatti996 recently purchased a 48" core aerator and seems pretty happy with it. I am leaning pretty far towards the core aerator but that $850 cost is tough to justify even though that is the best price I have been able to find. Any comments, opinions, and suggestions welcome. Thanks!



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Core Aerator or Pull Behind Drum Spike Aerator

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2004-03-05          78890


Chief, as you may guess we use these things pretty regularly.

There are two main differences between the two main types. The Spike type merely opens a passage by brute force and the Core type of aerators actually remove some soil. There are pro's and con's to each type, mostly it is the particular application that dictates which is best to use.

If you have very heavy soil and want to lighten it up, or only want to aerate periodically, you will want to extract a plug using a Core type.

If you have light sandy soil, or you can mange to do it fairly often, the spike type will work just fine.

Now to complicate things just a little, there is a new hybrid which has come out and is really catching on lately called a Slit type, they run a knife-like blade. The twist, literally, is that the blade is twisted just slightly, and the resistance of the soil to it's penetration causes the blade to untwist. This twisting & untwisting causes the soil to fracture quite deeply. This is both very good for the roots, but will break up the soil much deeper than either of the other two types above. They are particulary good for sports fields because of the tremendous increase in 'sponginess' which they create in the turf, this goes a long way to preventing injuries in athletes, two legged and four.

The other factor is if you have really heavy soil and want to lighten it up. If you do then regular aerating and spreading of sand is called for. In this case you would more likely want to go with a slit or spike type.

My 2 cents (OK, 2.7 cents Canadian) worth.

Best of luck. ....


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Core Aerator or Pull Behind Drum Spike Aerator

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Jim on Timberridge
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 172 La Crosse WI
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2004-03-05          78893


Murf:
I think it's 1.4 cents Canadian, not 2.7, based on a "for what it's worth" interpretation.
jim ....


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Core Aerator or Pull Behind Drum Spike Aerator

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2004-03-05          78906


Jim, I'm coming to your bank, mine charges me $1.35Cdn to buy US$1.00 , therefore US$0.01 would be $0.0135, and US$0.02 would be $0.027Cdn (2.7 cents). No?

On the other hand, forget what I said, I like your math better, I'll bring you $1,400Cdn and you give me US$2,000 back, deal?

ROFLMAO, all just in good fun Jim. But that raises the isssue of Metric dollars.... LOL

Best of luck. ....


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Core Aerator or Pull Behind Drum Spike Aerator

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Jim on Timberridge
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 172 La Crosse WI
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2004-03-06          78989


Murf: I was reading your comment as you giving your "2cents worth", which I assumed was Can, and which is worth 1.4 cents USD.
But its nice to know that you would convert your money to US before offering it up...
Eh?

jim
(Don't like gravy on my FF) ....


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Core Aerator or Pull Behind Drum Spike Aerator

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itsgottobegreen
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 329 Mt. Airy, MD
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2004-03-07          79134


You just got to look hard enough. I got a $1500 millcreek with $400 worth of weights for $375 plus tax. I put $44 in new bushings, 6 hours sandblasting and glass beading everything, 1 hour of frame straighting and rewelding and $12 in paint. It works like a champ. I got 4-60LB, 2-95LB, 3-70LB weights on top of the 430lb airator. Thats plenty of weight for a 60" airator. I use it to make a living and people only want their lawn done with core airators not spiked.

By the way the Mill creek airators are the best. Since their frame is made from 1.5" solid square bar, 3/8" by 3" flat bar and 1/4" by 2" flat bar. It hurts like heck when you drop it on your foot taking it off the tractor. ....


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Core Aerator or Pull Behind Drum Spike Aerator

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FERRARI
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 90 OOLTEWAH, TENNESSEE
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2004-06-20          88943


A core aerator works much better than a spike IMHO.....The spike just compacts soil more...it does open holes to let nutrients in better, but at the same time it does compact the soil.....The soil plugs that a corer pulls out slowly filters back into holes in soil over about a 2 to 3 week interval after use.....the holes first fill up with tiny roots from sod....you can see them.....you can alos cut you fertilizer rate in half if you do it before application...I have been using a 48" pull-behind for years....They usually last about 4 or 4 years because I use them a lot......I get them at Northern ......It is getting hard to find the ones that have the larger diameter inside holes though.
....


Link:   http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v248/GARYTUCKER/Coolest_shot_ever.

 
Picture Link


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Core Aerator or Pull Behind Drum Spike Aerator

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grassgod
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 566 ct
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2004-07-05          90138


Ferrari - Your 100% correct! ....


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