Aerator designs American versus European designs

[Darryle]

I am in the process of making my own aerator. While looking at various designs, I have noticed a significant difference in the versions sold here in the US versus those sold in Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

My question is, which design is superior? Which design is easier to pull? Why the difference at all? Ease of manufacturing?

The hub will be 36" in diameter and can be any length I decide, pipe is 8' long. I have a 3/8" thick 5' x 10' plate of AR steel to make the at least 91 blades/knives I will need. I am leaning towards the style where the blades are perpendicular to the hub to avoid the brace and additional welds. I am also not wanting a plug style for simplicity and the weld it and forget design.

 

[jeff9366]

RE: Above pictures.

Fine if you only need 4" (?) of penetration. Britain being an island, English fields are never far from the sea. I speculate that English fields are more uniformly moist than Texas fields.

Probably will not loosen soil compacted by animal hooves. For such loosening you need an aerating implement which can be adjusted to "suck" into the soil like a moldboard plow or chisel plow, slicing rather than punching. The punch aerator will not disrupt invasive brush roots invading from fence lines.

Buckeye Tractor Online Catalog Page 18-02 Chisel Plows

VIDEOS (2) : YouTube

YouTube

MILLER - HAY KING RENOVATOR: Hay King Renovators - Hay King - Miller

 

[Darryle]

You mean something like this prior to aerating?

 

[cqaigy2]

I'm not a tractor expert nor a farmer, but Jeff9366 always seems to have concise and informative responses to questions.

 

[Darryle]

I'm not a tractor expert nor a farmer, but Jeff9366 always seems to have concise and informative responses to questions.

That is why I posted a picture of my subsoiler, that was what he was referencing but on a much larger scale. This soil is heavily compacted, more than 30 years since it was disturbed, I am in the process of subsoiling the entire pasture. I want the aerator for helping to smooth out the ground after I am finished. It will also be used in the fall and spring during overseeding.

 

[jeff9366]

Functionally a Subsoiler is about the same as a single-shank chisel plow. So you can aerate fine with the Subsoiler. Field subsoiling is often done in rows spaced about 48" apart but spacing varies with what the field needs.

After subsoiling the dorsals on the roller are not going to add much. Nor, in my OPINION will the roller flatten much. To flatten ground you need a roller weighing at least 300 pounds per foot of width.

After subsoiling I suggest smoothing with a harrow. Most would use a Box Frame Tandem Disc Harrow. Some would use a Landscape Rake, an Arena Rake or a Chain Harrow.

Harrow: In agriculture, a harrow (often called a set of harrows in a plurale tantum sense) is an implement for breaking up and smoothing out the surface of the soil. ... Harrows were originally drawn by draft animals, such as horses, mules, or oxen, or in some times and places by manual labourers. (Wikipedia)

Adjusting Tandem Disc Harrows For Smoothing: https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums...ing-three-point-hitch-mounted.html?highlight=

 

[Darryle]

Filled with sand the aerator will be about 3200lbs at 5', about 640lbs per foot. I thought about 6', but that will require more blades. I was trying to maximize the weight per blade. I am at approximately 250lbs per blade, 6' would drop the weight to approximately 200lbs per blade.

I appreciate your insight. If I do anything after subsoiling it would be to till. Have considered a disk, and I am selling my moldboard.

 

[cqaigy2]

That is why I posted a picture of my subsoiler, that was what he was referencing but on a much larger scale. This soil is heavily compacted, more than 30 years since it was disturbed, I am in the process of subsoiling the entire pasture. I want the aerator for helping to smooth out the ground after I am finished. It will also be used in the fall and spring during overseeding.

I didn't see your post when i posted.

 

[Darryle]

I didn't see your post when i posted.

Not a problem, I was just curious why the difference. I was hoping some of our brethren across the pond would offer some insight.

I have already made my mind up on how I am going to built mine, good, bad or otherwise. I want to be able to aerate the soil when dry and smooth the ground when damp.

This was just one of the videos that peaked my interest:

YouTube

Here's another

YouTube



Thanks Darryle

 

[oldballs]

Here's a Leinbach design from several years ago..........

I use it on my 3 acre place for over seeding/aeration. Some critics prefer the plugger type aerator saying that the spiker type compacts the soil. I like this one since it has little maintenance.

It weighs 285 lbs empty and 670 lbs when filled with water.

Cheers,
Mike