I borrowed a friends Sears 48" core pull behind from a friend and used it for about 5 yrs... He wanted it back so I bought a similar model from Lowes for $180... Given the right amount of moisture in the ground you can get nice plugs.. You can spend a whole lot more for an aerator, but for no more than I use it, i cant justify spending more..
I have 5 kitty litter containers full of #57 rock that I add for weight.. That is almost a necessity..
Sears was carrying a 3pt model as well last year.. BUT you cant make turns with it down..
Brian