All about Rolling Lawn Aerators.
Rolling aerators provide the best lawn aeration and new features make them easier to use. These promote root growth by breaking up the soil and roots better than other aerators, leading to more new root growth and more readily available water, oxygen and nutrients for those new roots. Recent improvements not only do a better job aerating but also make it simpler, so it’s easier for anyone to aerate their own lawn. In general look for aerators that are easy-to-use, require minimal maintenance and will withstand the wear and tear of continued use.
Manual aerators are designed to be held, stepped into the ground and then pulled back out. This takes the most work for the operator of any kind of aerator. They are, however, light-weight and easier to maneuver in small areas such as corners. Still, it would take a lot of time and a lot of work to aerate a large lawn this way. A better choice would be a walk-behind or towing aerator.
Six different kinds of Rolling Aerators
Walk-behind aerators are pushed over the lawn similar to a lawn mower. Since the machine does the work of pushing tines into the ground, they are much easier and faster to use than manual ones. Self-propelled models require even less effort and do a more effective job than lighter-weight machines. The easiest ones to use are similar to lawn mowers. Many of these are designed to maneuver around corners or obstacles so there are less times when the aerator must be lifted, making them easier to use. Some even have the added feature of a power lifts that eliminates having to manually lift the machine out of the ground at all. Stand-on aerators offer the additional benefit of being able to stand-on them as they work rather than walk behind them the whole time.
New tine designs make some aerators very easy to use. Aerators with free-wheeling outside tines and fixed center tines make turning easier and minimize lawn damage. Split-tines, where half the tines are controlled by one hand controller and the other half by the other hand, allow the machine to turn with the tines still in the ground.
A tow-behind aerator attaches to a tractor or riding lawnmower, which means no frequent lifting or pushing and pulling manually. They are a bit tricky to maneuver, but because they tend to be wider, they get a larger job done in a faster amount of time. It is easy to add weight to these types of aerators, increasing their ability to get deep into the dirt of heavily-compacted or problem areas. They are great for a large lawn, especially if you already own a tractor or lawnmower to tow them with.
Since aerators can vary in price from a hundred dollars to several thousand, it’s a good idea to shop around for the best prices on the type of aerator you want, considering quality and durability. You may want to rent different kinds before you buy one to make sure you find a good one.