Building a plug aerator

[Doxy]

I want a plug aerator and have all the necessary materials to build one except for the tines. Does anyone know where to get tines for a plug aerator at a reasonable cost? I have found a few places on the Internet but would be better off just buying the enitre aerator and save myself the time of building one because of the cost of the tines.

 

[J_J]

I posted this data earlier today, but it disappeared. Notice the time. Strange.


http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/148770-building-plug-aerator.html#post1715230

 

[srs]

Does anyone know where to get tines for a plug aerator at a reasonable cost?

try LESCO

 

[czechsonofagun]

I was looking into it and changed my mind to go with solid steel instead of core plugs, since solid steel studs are zero maintenance.
But I didn't get past the planning/thinking part of the project yet.

 

[sawdust_maker]

I was looking into it and changed my mind to go with solid steel instead of core plugs, since solid steel studs are zero maintenance.
But I didn't get past the planning/thinking part of the project yet.

The problem with solid pins is it just compacts the earth. By removing a core instead, this will improve your soil.

John

 

[oughtsix]

From my research solid tines would have the opposite effect of what you are trying to accomplish... compacting the earth instead of loosening it, like sawdust said.

My thoughts on building a plug aerator was to use a 12" pipe instead of a spindle to mount the tines on. Then when the plug is pushed up through the tine it ends up inside the 12" pipe. Drill several holes in the pipe that the soil falls through while the plugs are tumbling. Put a fixed piece of angle iron inside the pipe to increase the tumbling action and encourage the plugs through the holes.

Or make something similar with a cage made out of 1/4" screen instead of the 12" pipe.

Aerated lawn without a bunch of lawn turds scattered all over!

Just a thought...

 

[Ron25]

http://www.replacementbladesdirect.com/cart/agora.cgi?product=AeratorTine&ppinc=2a1

This place has the best price I've found online.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I'm just thinking outside the box here. Feel free to ridicule me or laugh me to scorn...

Could you make tines from Conduit or some kind of thin walled pipe?

 

[MarkV]

From my research solid tines would have the opposite effect of what you are trying to accomplish... compacting the earth instead of loosening it, like sawdust said.

My thoughts on building a plug aerator was to use a 12" pipe instead of a spindle to mount the tines on. Then when the plug is pushed up through the tine it ends up inside the 12" pipe. Drill several holes in the pipe that the soil falls through while the plugs are tumbling. Put a fixed piece of angle iron inside the pipe to increase the tumbling action and encourage the plugs through the holes.

Or make something similar with a cage made out of 1/4" screen instead of the 12" pipe.

Aerated lawn without a bunch of lawn turds scattered all over!

Just a thought...

Interesting design idea. With my soil and aerator you would just fill the cylinder with plugs that were too damp to fall out. I also think that you would lack the weight to pull a good plug. My aerator is 5' wide, has an 18" diameter water filled cylinder and 72 spoons. Unless I wait for the proper ground moister content it will pull very small plugs. Under the right conditions about 4-5" plugs.

MarkV

 

[radioman]

I'm just thinking outside the box here. Feel free to ridicule me or laugh me to scorn...

Could you make tines from Conduit or some kind of thin walled pipe?

Excellent idea! its cheap too! However I have serious doubts about its strength to last in compacted soils. I really wonder how do they make those tines in the first place ? Wish it was on how its made show. LOL !

 

[J35]

In order for the tines to drop a plug you have to remove part of the wall of the tubing or pipe above the point, other wise you just end up with a large diameter spike aerator.

So you would need hardened material or material capable of being hardened, so your tines would not bend.

Have fun

 

[Iplayfarmer]

In order for the tines to drop a plug you have to remove part of the wall of the tubing or pipe above the point, other wise you just end up with a large diameter spike aerator.

So you would need hardened material or material capable of being hardened, so your tines would not bend.

Have fun

I know that for conventional models this is true. What made me wonder if there was an easier way was oughtsix talking about the cylinder mounted tines that deliver the plugs into the center. This is the case where I figure a simple pipe may actually be better.

 

[Scooby074]

From my research solid tines would have the opposite effect of what you are trying to accomplish... compacting the earth instead of loosening it, like sawdust said.

My thoughts on building a plug aerator was to use a 12" pipe instead of a spindle to mount the tines on. Then when the plug is pushed up through the tine it ends up inside the 12" pipe. Drill several holes in the pipe that the soil falls through while the plugs are tumbling. Put a fixed piece of angle iron inside the pipe to increase the tumbling action and encourage the plugs through the holes.

Or make something similar with a cage made out of 1/4" screen instead of the 12" pipe.

Aerated lawn without a bunch of lawn turds scattered all over!

Just a thought...

Interesting idea, but i just dont think youd have enough weight to do it. Its pretty hard to force tines into the ground at the best of times, but then theres the added friction of trying to force the plug into the centre too.

I think if this concept would work, golf courses would have adopted it. AFAIK they just drop the plugs on the ground and follow with a vacuum to pick up the plugs or use a plug buster to break them up.

Heres maybe the worlds fastest aerator : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o02UJlUUXIo

 

[J35]

I know that for conventional models this is true. What made me wonder if there was an easier way was oughtsix talking about the cylinder mounted tines that deliver the plugs into the center. This is the case where I figure a simple pipe may actually be better.

It might would work with a two diameter tine or spoon, (pipe) with the point section being the smallest diameter, other wise I don't see the plugs flowing upwards. I would think a nice bell at the transition would be a bonus.

Have fun

 

[oughtsix]

I am not a golfer but I have a couple of friends that stop by every year on their way to their hunting camp. Every year they play a round of golf at the local (cheap) golf course. Every year they complain about the course having been freshly plugged and too much remnants ruining their game. (They get a discount because of the plugging but that doesn't make much of a difference after a beer) This is what gave me the idea.

I was thinking of a piece of angle iron (or some type of sharp steel blade) that is stationary inside the drum / cage that would work like the dasher (paddle) in an icecream maker. You could dimple the waste holes in the drum like a cheese grader to facilitate plug break up.

The larger the cage / drum diameter the shorter the tines would have to be. I don't see why the tines would have to be any longer than normal tines. You could position the blade (dasher) or a couple of them so the plug was sliced into multiple smaller pieces as it entered the drum. (I have aerated my lawn twice in the past 20 years so I am no aerator expert).

My impression is that the tines are a flat steel blank that is rolled to have a slightly conical shape to facilitate plug removal. Then welded and finally heat treated. This is just an assumption as I am no expert and I haven't caught that episode of "how its made" yet either.

The drum would still be attached to the draw bar pulling it on both sides leaving the ability to add weight.

It was just a thought I had that I thought I would share to maybe start someone else's creative juices flowing. Like I said, I don't plug my lawn that often nor do I manufacture / sell golf course implements

 

[keeney]

The problem with adding weight to an aerator is that it requires a heavier tractor to pull the thing around. Driving the heavier tractor on the turf is likely causing all the compaction problems in the first place!

The machines golf courses use (on the greens, at least), have a power-drive crank shaft mechanism that drives theplugs into the ground using inertia of the mechanism, not just the gross weight of the machine.

- Rick