Patented Rolling Lawn Aerator Manual Coring Tool Compacted Soil Loosening

Just used it this morning. The conditions were about perfect. Rained the last few days. I was thoroughly impressed with the coring results. No sand required for a full deep core. I found it best to do a loop rather than adjacent passes to make turning much easier. I’m so glad I bought this to have when I want it rather than renting. I’m perfectly content with the price for the quality of construction, ease of use and results. Even in very wet conditions the plugs cleared providing the full coring result needed for good compost and fertilizer penetration. I assembled the unit in about 20 minutes. Easy to build. The instructions are terrible. No detail and way too small. But it went together fine the results are great. Time to clean it up for storage.

Huge money saver as it can be used multiple times a year without having to deal with a contractor who will try up selling packages you don't need. If you enjoy fitness, this is a workout. If you've never pushed a sled, you're not doing to be able to do this. Filling with sand wasn't too straightforward due to awkwardness of the angle to the hole when assembled. Didn't fill it all the way because you don't need that much weight. It does take more passes than you think because it's only one row of holes. Turning it is a bit of work and carrying it over concrete is awkward as well. Works in both drought stricken soil and soft soil.

Excellent aerator for the price. Works well, makes long holes, no clogging, good maneuverability, well manufactured. Delivered much faster than estimated. Expect a bit of a workout. My 12 year old was able to use it, but it wasn't easy for him. I was very impressed with this rolling core aerator. It worked better than expected on my clary based soil. The way this aerator works, many of the cores fall apart on their way out prior to landing back on the grass, so you may not see long cores on the ground. (you do see some) The spring loaded tines tend to slam the cores agains the metal guard and I think ofter breaks them up. The diameter of the core may also be slightly smaller than some other machines which keeps them from staying intact. If you put your finger in the holes it creates though, they are quite deep. I would estimate 2-3". The tines are made from good metal as I finished about 3000 sq ft over a mix of soils, go through roots, and non ideal soil and they are still in great shape. The way it is engineered with the spring, the tine is about to go into and out of the soil at more of right angle to the soil, which allows the tine not to rips up the surrounding soil and not make elongated and oval holes. I found it easy to use. You can pull it backward a few feet easily without it digging in and then forward again and it does dig in. Useful for areas you need to concentrate a bit more on. I did have some areas that were too dry and compacted for it to work effectively the first time. I watered it quickly and it made the soil moist enough so that it worked. If I had spend more time up front it would have worked the first time. It can also help by cutting a bit shorter than normal and aerating right after cutting so it has less grass to go through prior to getting to the thatch and soil. Putting sand in the wheels can be a bit of a challenge. It took me 10-15 minutes. For those struggling with this you need to prop it against something putting the wheel at about a 45 degree angle with the hole at the top so the sand falls to the bottom and doesn't block the hole. Use a funnel with a spout that is small enough to fit in the hole but large enough so the sand flows. I didn't use this but you could probably use a 2L soda bottle cut in half if needed. Things I would improve on if I was the manufacturer: 1) Include a cheap plastic funnel that fits the whole well and possible goosenecks down so it will stay in place and direct sand to the bottom of the wheel when standing up at an angle. Would be nice if the hole was a bit larger but not mandatory with a properly sized funnel. 2) The attached of the axel/wheel to the bearing is the weakest point in my opinion. It is held in place by just two allen screws on each side of the axel. It works but my axel started moving half way through. It is easy enough to fix, and I put some loctite on the screws so they didnt loosen, but this attachment point seemed not to up to the same quality or design as the rest of the aerator. 3) The wheels for moving the aerator around work, but are a bit flexible for my liking. It would be nice if they were made from slight thicker gauge metal. Bonus recommendation: Make a version with two rows of tines alternating so only one goes in at a time and it can still be pushed. Seems like there is almost enough space on the axel to do it now. Maybe another inch or so of axel is needed.

I feel morally inclined to call out that this product has a very similar design to the AMICK Roll-Aerator, which is a product made by a gentleman out of California and sold in a direct-to-consumer model. However, rather than using upcycled brake rotors for wheels/weights, this aerator has you add sand to the wheels, which allows for 1) easier shipping, and 2) the ability to customize the weight needed to properly penetrate your soil. For simplicity of order and delivery, I was very excited to find this on Amazon. I put it together relatively easily, added some sand, and took it for a test drive. It yanked my hard clay plugs out like it was nothing. Needless to say, I'm excited to add soil amendments this spring and to continue to aerate semi-frequently to rehab my yard for the summer. This is a solid, cost-effective product for the intended purpose. To rent a plug aerator at a big box store costs $100-$200 for a few hours. You also don't have the hassle of having to go pick it up and return it within a tight window. If you are planning to rent an aerator, I'd suggest giving this a try first. Additionally, I polled my community and found my neighbors would be willing to pay me $100 to aerate their yards with this tool. You could literally start/upgrade a little landscaping business with this thing and get your money back easily. My kids are too young, but if I was back in my high school days, I would buy this and advertise this service in my community rather than doing any part-time minimum-wage work. Just food for thought. Great product. 10/10 would buy again.

Tired of paying someone 800 bucks to come aerate your yard. Sick of rushing around with that rental machine to stay under 500 bucks. Buy this! Take your time, when it’s convenient roll it out, do a few rows each night after work in the spring and fall. This machine is exactly what I was looking for! I have used every service, rental and manual tool out there ( not the shoes though). This is hands down the best I have seen for the diy’r. Not a very complex machine so if something breaks you can fix it easily yourself with a replacement part or nuts n bolts. I live in an area with heavy clay soil and if you don’t like mossy dirt under your trees you are going to have to aerate.

This was tested on Indiana clay soil that was watered for an hour before use. I've done some soil amendments over the years but clearly much more work is needed as well as a more experience with this product. If my opinion changes in the coming seasons, I'll revise this review. The build quality is solid. The aerator has good weight before adding the sand. One bag of sand from a big box store will cover both sides. I did not have an issue with sand escaping mentioned in another review but loading it in was a process (tip the aerator at an angle and use a funnel). The tines extend 2.75" past the wheels so in theory, you could get 2-2.5" plugs. The handle is comfortable and despite the weight, the aerator moves well (in a straight line). The wheels have teeth which give a slight verticutting on the grass. Now for the downsides. The tine holes are small. .5" and a straight tubed so that clogs the tines and the straight tube does not allow the clog to clear. The springs flick the tine which is nice but not enough to clear a clog. A clogged tine pushes soil in making compaction worse. The few plugs I did get were less than an inch long. Turning the aerator is difficult which is not unexpected. The sand really makes a noticeable difference in weight which is great for the lawn but awful for moveability. Compared to the other rolling hand aerators, this has the most weight and best build. The aerator could support larger tines so it's disappointing this size was selected. Clay does not play well with this so water heavy. A liquid aerator application beforehand may also help. The aerator drum is large so storing is something to consider, especially if you have a small/limited garage. I'm not sure I would recommend this product in its current form for clay soils but if you have the money for it, have additional money to make this work better, and don't want to bother renting a bigger/better gas powered aerator from your local hardware store, then good luck.

I suppose it might work but the parts they sent are incorrect and it cannot be assembled. Not only did they not include all the bolts but the bracket where the handle is supposed to attach does not have both holes drilled so you literally cannot attach the handle. Awful quality control. I am waiting to hear from the company for replacement parts.

well... like others i was not sure but after using it I give it a green thumbs up.. 1st...it comes in a heavy beat up amazon box with some paper stuffed around the actual original box. heavy. as others have said, plan a couple hours to assemble. it's like a 2 beer project, maybe 3 if in the driveway. the family, neighbors and yourself will be asking what this contraption is.... 2nd. you need a 50 lb bag of sand. i bought 2 so i could spill one in the garage. i had no problem with the sand being wet as others have said, mine was dried out to perfection. next, you will need tools. it comes with a set of tinker toy wrenches .. .manly men will use a set of Binford sockets from the Tool Time collection.. metric of course ( available at amazon) , giving away that the device is built in Chin'er. After you put it together wrong the first time, you will do better on the second beer...i meant attempt. if your drive way is not flat, even if it is... have at least 1 total foot long 2x4 to use as a chock.. for as soon as you stand it up on the Friday the 13th buzz saw wheels it will take off like Freddy in the dark. If you assembled it correctly it will roll or be pullable backwards... becasue forwards on anything solid and the plug tines will stop forward motion. now it's time for the 3rd beer, i mean the sand. at this point you need... 50 lb bag of sand ( you need about 40 lbs of it, the rest you will scatter under the beer cans ) ... 1 ( one) 5 gal bucket with the padded spinnable seat cover ( in stock at amazon.com ).. 1 quart funnel with a wide mouth... ( also in stock at amazon) . 1 plastic potted plant shovel without your wife knowing you took it from her secret hiding spot ( don't forget to put it back) , a pair of plyers to remove and re-tighten the sand trap covers, a pair of gloves and good hand-eye coordination. after filling the wheels ( i had mine lying on the side, using the above mentioned 2x4 to allow spinning of wheel for ease of sand filling) .. once full, clean the sand out of the threads and re-insert the screw in plug, flip it over and do the other side. ( if you are not on a level surface, it will do it's best to follow gravity and take off in a hurry as you flip ..be prepared ). after filling both sides the device now weighs about 80 lbs. depending on the shoes you have, and how much sand you have spilled in them, when you go to finally stand up and raise the device you should have just enough time to catch you self from falling as your feet slip on the spilled sand and the aerator wants to take off to the yard . now that you have gotten both the unit and the operator in an upright position again, you need to pull the device backwards to the yard. hopefully you are on a mostly level spot for the inaugural run. ( once you get the hang of it you will be a pro on unlevel ground too, also ). you will have a tendency to want to push it with your arms. after about 1 pass ..and a rest... ( and maybe another beer) you will wonder if you can send it back. Then you try it again and instead of using your arms, let the handle be pushed by your waist and just hold it steady with your arms. ( this way you will quickly realize you still have enough strength to hold the can for the next beer stop ). my yard is about 1/4 acre. i aerated in sections and it took about 2 hours. parts of my yard far from level. i'm 71 and got a good work out. this is for sure a cool fall or spring day tool. not for a hot summer day. this, along with the pitch fork looking thing you hold and step on ( available at amazon ) i was able to do a much better job than what i paid a lawn company $199 to do. i then rolled the contraption backwards into the garage and now just need to figure out how to store it in a good place where i can hang things on it until spring. for me, it's a keeper and works as advertised and shown in the video's.

Overall great product. For all of the one star reviewers, consider using this tool when your soil is damp. It works much more effectively. This advice is applicable for any kind of aerator.

DO NOT BUY IT! This aerator is made of extremely cheap, flimsy metal. I have a standard clay lawn, and after only pushing it for a few minutes, the main axle bracket completely snapped and the entire frame fell apart. It is completely useless and I strongly advise against buying this product.