Aerator for lawn
For serious lawn care aficionados, an aerator is the ace up their sleeve
Do you dream of a well-groomed and healthy lawn? An insider tip to fulfill this dream is the lawn aerator. This removes leaves and weeds, giving the grass more oxygen and light again. Injuring the surface of the lawn, also allows rainwater to drain away better. With this device, you can perform all these functions without much effort and soon enjoy a healthy and strong lawn.
Like scarifies, lawn aerators have a horizontally installed rotating roller. However, unlike the scarifier, it is not equipped with rigid vertical blades, but with thin tines made of spring steel. Both devices are used to remove lawn felt and moss from the turf. However, the scarifier is much more rigorous than the aerator.
What is a lawn aerator?
Of course, the most important question upfront is what a lawn aerator is in the first place.
A lawn aerator is a device that looks like a comb. It consists of a “board” with several so-called tines, which makes it look like a comb.
The purpose of a lawn aerator is to remove moss and old leaves from the lawn. In doing so, however, it does not completely scarify the lawn as would be the case with dethatching, although this process will be discussed in more detail below. Once the lawn has been cleared of dead moss and foliage, it can once again breathe freely and grow beautifully. This is because the lawn then has more oxygen and nutrients available again. In addition, it also gets more light. All in all, the lawn aerator is simply a great tool for the lawn to grow fresh again and you can enjoy a beautiful garden.
Lawn aerators work like a hairbrush
The lawn aerator does not work quite as thoroughly as the scarifier when removing lawn thatch, but it is also much gentler. The thin, springy steel tines comb through the turf like a hairbrush without damaging the soil surface. In the process, they also bring some lawn thatch and moss to light. You can use a lawn aerator as often as you like – theoretically even after every mowing, without putting too much strain on the lawn. However, experts consider five to six treatments with the lawn aerator per season to be sufficient to keep the green carpet largely free of moss and lawn thatch.
Important: If you have never used a lawn aerator before, you should first thoroughly scarify your lawn in the spring. Further moss and felt control can then also be achieved by more gentle aeration.
Lawn Aerator - Best Choice
Agri-Fab Tow Plug Aerator
4,9 Rating
Features:
- 32 galvanized knives to penetrate the soil easily
- Pull plugs up to 3 inches deep for a thicker and healthier lawn
- Simple-to-use cantilever transport handle for easy raising and lowering
The 48″ Plug Aerator will loosen the compacted soil in your yard. It will pull 3″ plugs of soil out to allow necessary air, water, and nutrients to penetrate the roots of your lawn. This will allow your lawn to grow strong and healthy, giving your lawn that professionally groomed look that you have been wanting. The 48″ plug aerator has a weight tray that can hold up to 175 lbs. for added soil penetration. There are 32 self-sharpening plug aerator knives on the unit. The flat-free tires allow for smooth transportation and require less maintenance. The transport handle can be reached from the seat of the tractor and allows for easy raising and lowering of the plug aerator.
Best Lawn Aerators
Best Lawn Aerators Buying Advice:
This review and guide provide information on the lawn aerators you can find.
There are quite a few manufacturers of lawn aerators in the market, and the prices vary greatly. From a pure price point of view, the type of lawn aerators can be priced from $24 to $280.
Best Lawn Aerator
All our reviews are based only on expert judgment or practical experience with most of the lawn aerators we consider. We strive to ensure that our leadership is independent and as detailed as possible.
Lawn Aerators for Yard Maintenance Review
Agri-Fab Tow Spiker/Seeder/Spreader
- 32″ Working width.
- 8 galvanized Steel spike Disks for thorough aeration.
- Galvanized Steel agitator.
4,8 Rating
This drop spreader offers more precise performance thanks to its drop spreading and aerating capabilities. The large flat-free tires provide smooth transport to the project area. The 100 lb. Tow Spike/Seeder/Drop Spreader offers a 32″ controlled spreading width. Depending on material and speed of application, the 100 lb. Tow Spiker/Seeder/Drop Spreader can cover up to 40,000 square feet in one fill.
Gardzen Plug Aeration
- Quality steel construction.
- Simple & cost-effective.
- Use hollow tines to remove plugs of soil, leaving small gaps in the soil.
4,8 Rating
Gardzen lawn aeration is constructed of a high-quality steel frame with a black powder-coated finish. Gardzen lawn aeration uses less material and resources while giving you the best results. Plug aeration is ideal for loosening the soil of small lawns or for problem areas in larger lawns to allow for air, water, and nutrients to reach the lawn’s root system.
Brinly Tow Behind Plug Aerator
- Remove up to 3-inch plugs of soil.
- Durable, all-steel design with a fully enclosed weight tray holds up to 150 pounds.
- Works safely on turns & uneven terrain.
4,8 Rating
24 heat-treated, 16-gauge Steel plugging spoons penetrate compacted soil and remove up to 3-inch plugs of soil, allowing water, seed, and fertilizer to reach the roots. Brinly plug design is narrower with sharpened ends to allow easier penetration and requires less weight. Three independently rotating, welded tine sections minimize turf damage during turns and help provide consistent penetration on uneven ground.
Keep your grass looking healthy
Types of lawn aerators
Basically, there are several types of lawn aerators you can opt for.
- Gasoline lawn aerator
- Electric lawn aerator
- Manual lawn aerator
- Combination of lawnmower and aerator
First, there is the classic gasoline lawn aerator. Then, of course, there is the electric version, either with or without a battery. In addition, you can use a manual lawn aerator and even a combination device of lawnmower and aerator is available. In more detail, I will discuss each of these and present their advantages and disadvantages.
Classic gasoline lawn aerator
With a gasoline lawn aerator, you can work on large areas. It has a combustion engine and is very robust. Therefore, even dry soils can be managed without problems. Furthermore, it is easy to handle and similar to a conventional electric lawn mower or battery lawnmower. All you really need is gasoline from the gas station and you’re ready to go.
Advantages:
- very robust
- well suited for dry soils
- easy to handle
Disadvantages:
- not environmentally friendly
- very loud
So if you don’t care about making noise while aerating the lawn and also don’t mind the exhaust smell, you will surely make a good choice with this.
Electric lawn aerator
An electric lawn aerator is equipped with an electric motor. As a result, it logically runs without direct exhaust emissions and is quieter. You can also use an electric lawn aerator to work on larger areas without any problems. Here you also have to decide whether you want a lawn aerator with a rechargeable battery or one with a cable, which you connect to a socket or a cable drum. Of course, it should be noted that a corded aerator is a hindrance for many, as they always have to keep an eye on the cord. Therefore, a lawn aerator with a rechargeable battery is definitely preferable.
Advantages:
- environmentally friendly
- quiet
- suitable for larger areas
Disadvantages:
- long charging times
- difficult to handle with power cable
So if you like to protect your direct environment, but at the same time don’t mind charging or a cord, respectively, the electric lawn aerator is the right choice for you.
Manual lawn aerator
The manual lawn aerator is the simplest variant among conventional lawn aerators. It resembles a rake with its long handle. You operate it by hand and pull it over the lawn like a comb. However, larger areas, as well as harder soils, are harder to work on. In addition, the whole thing is still bone-hard bodywork and really only recommended for smaller areas. However, the manual lawn aerator is also the cheapest to purchase.
Advantages:
- very, very simple
- inexpensive
Disadvantages:
- not for larger areas
- difficult to use on dry, hard soils
- hard work
If you prefer to work with more physical effort, you certainly won’t go wrong with the manual lawn aerator. Besides, you can always get started right away.
Combination of lawnmower and aerator
As a last alternative, there are combination devices of conventional lawnmowers, which on the one hand mow the lawn and at the same time have a fan as well as often a scarifying function built-in. Of course, these combi-mowers are also the most expensive, but you get all-in-one. In the long run, this variant is definitely recommended if you really care about your lawn and maintain it. Then a combi version is definitely, compared to buying all three parts individually, the most sensible.
Advantages:
- all-in-one
- cheaper as a package compared to buying all three parts separately
- large areas and any soil can be worked
- very power saving
Disadvantages:
- most expensive variant
Buying criteria of Lawn Aerators
In the following, I would like to show you which factors you can use to compare and evaluate lawn aerators. This will make it easier for you to decide whether a particular device is suitable for you or not.
In summary, these are:
- Number of blades
- Weight
- Power
- Working width
- Working height
- Height adjustment
- Catch baskets volume
- Lawn area
- Special functions
In the following paragraphs, you can read about the individual purchase criteria and how you can classify them.
Number of blades
This is the number of blades on the machine. At the same time, you can also compare the number of steel tines. This is important because, of course, a certain number of blades means that the lawn will be worked thoroughly. As a rule, more blades (for scarifying) or steel tines (for aerating) equals better lawn treatment and thus a better final result. Therefore, you should definitely look at the number of blades before buying a lawn aerator.
Weight
A decisive purchase criterion is also the weight. Especially when you compare gasoline and electric devices, you will notice a considerable difference in weight. This is because a gasoline engine is logically much heavier than an electric motor. Now it depends on how physically resilient you are. If you are, then a lawn aerator with an internal combustion engine is recommended for you, as it is also much more resilient. If, on the other hand, you are less able, then the electric version is clearly preferable.
Performance
Very important for many is the power of the device. In the case of a manual aerator, this depends entirely on your physical strength. However, with other devices, more power means more lawn area to work on. In addition, more power means that you can aerate more difficult soils and that the aerator is generally more robust. Therefore, you should also ask yourself how often you want to use the device. The more often you use it, the more robust and longer-lasting the aerator has to be.
Working width
The working width simply tells you how wide the device works. This can be an advantage if you have larger areas that you want to cover with your fan. Because then you create more area in less time. This working width is also indicated on each lawn aerator, so you can easily compare the different types.
Working height
In contrast to the width, the height tells you how deep the machine goes into the ground. Since the aerator only works on the surface, this criterion is especially important for the scarifier. For the latter, it is essential how deep it can go into the ground. The criterion of the working height correlates of course with that of the height setting.
Height setting
In correlation with the working height, the height setting criterion tells you how many different working heights you can set. In plain language, this means that the more height settings you have available, the more delicate your work can be. Thus, you will be able to work on your lawn even better and more professionally. However, the more height settings a device has, the more expensive it is, but also of higher quality. Here, of course, you have to decide how seriously you want to maintain your lawn. For a real hobby gardener, in any case an important criterion to buy.
Catch baskets volume
A catcher bag can be very useful. You don’t have a problem collecting everything from the lawn by hand. In any case, you should consider the volume of the catcher bag and the size of your lawn. Because if you have to empty your catcher every five minutes, the whole thing is more counterproductive than beneficial. Of course, you also need to know how much money you want to spend on additional equipment. If you want to spend less money on a lawn aerator, you should be aware of the fact that a catcher bag is just another price increase. A catch basket is simply a convenience but is irrelevant to the way a lawn aerator works.
Lawn area
The penultimate criterion of interest is the approximate workable square footage of your lawn aerator. This is very important, as individual aerators are simply not designed to handle lawns that are too large. This in turn can result in them simply giving up the ghost due to overheating or the like. Thus, the larger the lawn area is, the stronger in performance and equipment the fan should be. Of course, it also depends on how often you use the device.
Features
Finally, some good lawn aerators are equipped with special functions. In this regard, the larger and better-known manufacturers have, of course, quite a few special features to offer. But maybe it is only a small special feature like the drive source (e.g. by cable) that is mentioned in this point.
Lawn Aerators Price:
Under $30
- Gardzen Plug Aeration
Under $200
- Agri-Fab Tow Spiker/Seeder/Spreader
Under $300
- Agri-Fab Tow Plug Aerator
- Brinly Tow Behind Plug Aerator
FAQs about lawn aerators
✅ Is Spike or plug aerator better?
Plug aerators are usually more effective at relieving compaction in lawns with heavy clay soil, since the solid tines used on spike aerators compact the clay soil further when they push into the ground. … Soils that crumble easily are usually high in loam and sand which benefit more from the use of a spike aerator.
✅ What kind of aerator should I use?
A spike aerator has sharp tines that penetrate the ground to make holes and aerate your lawn while a plug aerator has hollow tines that penetrate the core and pull out plugs of soil. … If you feel the need to do so, you might want to consider using a spike aerator instead.
✅ What is the best way to aerate your lawn?
Ideally, you should water the lawn at least a day or two before aeration; you should add at least one inch of water to the soil to make it easier for the aerator to penetrate the soil and pull out the cores. Do not try to aerate a muddy or especially wet area though, as that will just clog the machine.
✅ How deep should you aerate your lawn?
Look for an aerating tool or machine that removes soil plugs approximately two to three inches deep and roughly half to three-quarters of an inch in diameter, about two to three inches apart.
