Cam piston driven plug aerator

[Sparkynutz]

Hard to find much info online with the majority of aerators not even listed which type they are. 99% are just a spinning drum.
Just the physics of a spinning drum plug aerator makes absolutely no sense to me. Twisting and turning on tines can't be good on them and oblong holes might not matter much but not exactly what is intended when aerating. A cam unit that moves up and down punching holes straight down just makes more sense. So far I've only come across a few walk behind very very expensive piston aerators. Is there such a thing as gear or even pto driven plug aerator? Seems cost could be greatly reduced if the need for seperate motor was eliminated and driven with a gear between one of the drive wheels and piston cam turning as fast as its driven. My other idea is just a spinning pto could easily drive a piston plug aerator up and down.
Does something like this already exist?
If not, I could really see the market for this or atleast fabricate my own to use.

 

[MossRoad]

Toro has some 3pt models.

 

[muddstopper]

What you are looking for is a areavator. I have a tow behind made by First Products. 1st Products AERA VATOR AE 4E - YouTube It works similar to a spike type areator except the steel spikes vibrate instead of just poking a hole in the ground. The vibrateing spikes fracture the ground in every direction, breaking up any hard pan and actually will help take out any humps or dips in your lawn. It is also the perfect tool for overseeding and for new lawn installs. Just broadcast he seed and any soil amendments before using the areavator. The vibrating tines will work the seed thru existing grass to make sure you have good seed to soil contact. The areavator is towed behind a big mower, your craftsman or lawnboy mowers wont pull it, just to heavy. It has its own engine to drive the tines and the hyd's are 12v dc for raising the tine up and down for work or towing. I used to do hydroseeding, but I found the areavator the best tool for seeding a new lawn and renovating a old lawn. The machine paid for itself many times over and I have never replaced a tine in over 15years of use, and I used it lot.

 

[Sparkynutz]

What you are looking for is a areavator. I have a tow behind made by First Products. 1st Products AERA VATOR AE 4E - YouTube It works similar to a spike type areator except the steel spikes vibrate instead of just poking a hole in the ground. The vibrateing spikes fracture the ground in every direction, breaking up any hard pan and actually will help take out any humps or dips in your lawn. It is also the perfect tool for overseeding and for new lawn installs. Just broadcast he seed and any soil amendments before using the areavator. The vibrating tines will work the seed thru existing grass to make sure you have good seed to soil contact. The areavator is towed behind a big mower, your craftsman or lawnboy mowers wont pull it, just to heavy. It has its own engine to drive the tines and the hyd's are 12v dc for raising the tine up and down for work or towing. I used to do hydroseeding, but I found the areavator the best tool for seeding a new lawn and renovating a old lawn. The machine paid for itself many times over and I have never replaced a tine in over 15years of use, and I used it lot.

That thing looks like a joke. I don't see any cores coming out in the video and it's bouncing all over the place.
Check out a toro 648 that's more like the results I'm looking for but without the motor and extra wheel.

 

[texasranger556]

The video that played after the one linked shows a coring shaft. 1st Products Universal Shaft System - YouTube

 

[Ford850]

That thing looks like a joke. I don't see any cores coming out in the video and it's bouncing all over the place.
Check out a toro 648 that's more like the results I'm looking for but without the motor and extra wheel.

No joke. He gave you an example of a small model. Here's a good video of a larger one with more close up footage of the tines at work. 1st Products AERA-Vator Highlights - YouTube They are considered the best at aeration.
How would the cam piston aerator work since it's being moved forward while it punches a whole. Wouldn't that also create oblong holes and stress on the plug cutter, getting pulled laterally while it's in the ground?

 

[Sparkynutz]

Pistons would move up and down much much faster than the speed traveled unlike drum roller units that always turn at same exact speed you are traveling.
How is ground typically compacted? Vibrating plates or rollers. That vibrating unit might be getting air into the roots but it sure won't be doing any good for heavily compacted soil.
There's a reason good golf courses use real piston driven aerators. When the vibrating one was used in video it barely went into the ground and the results left behind looked terrible.
I've never seen an aerator used on a ball diamond until your video. What would be the point?
Compacting and smothing it out more tho I could see your unit accelling at but not what I'm looking for.
A plug removing fast acting low maintenance unit with no motor that actually reduces compaction is what I'm looking for.

Grange's Toro Procore 648.MOV - YouTube
Here's a real aerator.
Yours looks more like a scarifyer/ seeder than an aerator.

 

[muddstopper]

That thing looks like a joke. I don't see any cores coming out in the video and it's bouncing all over the place.
Check out a toro 648 that's more like the results I'm looking for but without the motor and extra wheel.

You sir dont understand what areation is supposed to do. Aeration involves perforating the soil with small holes to allow air, water and nutrients to penetrate the grass roots. This helps the roots grow deeply and produce a stronger, more vigorous lawn. The main reason for aerating is to alleviate soil compaction. A areovator will fracture the soil in every direction, breaking up compaction and allow water and nutrients to penetrate the soil better than any plug pulling areator will ever do. True, a areavator dont pull plugs, it doesnt need to because it is breaking up the entire compaction layer, not just pokeing one little hole in the ground. I can assure you I have had manufacturers demo other products, including big core pulling areators like you are seeking and test them side by side the areovator and then load their **** up knowing they didnt have a better product. And you are absolutely correct, a areavator excells at new seeding and overseeding. And just how deep does your plugger arevator go. The areavator fractures the soil completely down to 6 inches, leveling and smoothing the surface as it goes. But its your money, throw it away if you want to.

 

[Sparkynutz]

Where are you getting this 6" the tines don't even look that long. When it was going through grass they didn't even look to be penetrating past the thatch layer. Tilling aerated too but at the same time it compacts the lowest dirt it reaches. I just don't see how shaking and poking soil aerated it without actually removing anything or pulling it up. I'd love to see real hard data or testing. Thinking logically a piston driven plug remover could go as deep as you wanted the stroke to be too. It would require less weight, less tines and more speed to accomplish the same amount of punctures at a given depth especially at deeper levels.

 

[npalen]

My perception, subject to debate of course, of anything that pokes a hole in the ground and doesn't remove any soil is simply compacting the soil around the hole. The dirt has to go somewhere.

 

[czechsonofagun]

My perception, subject to debate of course, of anything that pokes a hole in the ground and doesn't remove any soil is simply compacting the soil around the hole. The dirt has to go somewhere.

Exactly.

 

[muddstopper]

My perception, subject to debate of course, of anything that pokes a hole in the ground and doesn't remove any soil is simply compacting the soil around the hole. The dirt has to go somewhere.

I have used both types and know which I prefer. Tines can be purchased in different lenghts as can the spoons on the plug areators. If you use a plugg pulling areator in hard rockey soil, as I have to deal with, you will never get full penetration and will endup bending every spoon on the machine. The areavator tines as solid harden steel spikes and the vibrating action will break up the hard ground and turn it into powder.

There is also a difference as to when you areate versus areavtion. A Areator needs damp soil in order to penetrate to the correct depth and pull out plugs. The areavator works better when the soil is dry. Got to face the fact, putting a vibrating set of tines in wet dirt makes mud. Pulling plugs of soil out of the ground leaves tons of little plugs laying every where. If you need to add soil amendments, you have to pull and remove the plugs first, broadcast the fert or lime or organics and then sweep then into the holes left by pulling plugs. With a areavator, you simply broadcast the amendments and then areavate. The vibrating tines will work the amendments and any seed that was applied, into the soil.

Golf courses use a lot of plug pulling type equipment. They pull plugs and then sweep up the cores to make the area playable. They broadcast porous materials, like sand and then the limes or fertilizers and sweep the material into the plug holes. Mix sand and clay and you get concrete. Then they roll and pack the surface. You cant walk on a golf green and tell me the surface is soft. It isnt, it has to be firm so those little balls will roll easy. They spend thousands of $$ to keep the green as flat and smooth as they can. Golf courses also use short growing grasses that can withstand very short mowing. Grass types such as bermuda in the south and bentgrass in the north. The short mowing is why they have to spend thousands each year on irrigation. Short grass, coupled with the poor moisture holding properties of applied sands after core areation is one of the reasons why. Nothing on or in the soil to hold moisture. Lawns and pasture areas dont need such treatments, and its way to expensive anyways. If you want a golf course lawn or pasture, then you have to treat it like a golf course and spend the money to maintain it that way. If you want a soft, easy to walk on lush lawn or a lush pasture, your better off using a areavator, proper fertilization and mowing techniques. Raise that mower deck to at least 3inches, I prefer 4inches, and you will have a more drought resistant turf that feels like carpet under your feet.

 

[Ford850]

My perception, subject to debate of course, of anything that pokes a hole in the ground and doesn't remove any soil is simply compacting the soil around the hole. The dirt has to go somewhere.

I agree if comparing spike to core aerators. But the Aeravator is entirely different. It works best on dry hard compacted soil but works in all types. It fractures the entire surface, not just poking holes. Read some landscaper sites and some comparisons, and you'll find many examples of guys who have used both for years. They swear by the aeravator style. Look up some videos. The aeravator fractures and loosens the root bed making seeding and fertilizing that much more productive. Most people, including me, can't justify the cost of an aeravator, but it does the best job.

 

[muddstopper]

I'll probably never forget the sales man bringing a big heavy duty core areator to my house to demo. I had just spent about $25k with them buying landscape equipment, including the areavator and he was delivering the equipment to me. He had decided that I should buy this areator and was doing his best to convince me to buy one. I finally just told him to unload the areator and make a pass thru my lawn. He did and bent half the spoons on the machine, which is exactly what I told him would happen. I didnt have to say a word, he knew he had been beat and just loaded his fancy areator back on the trailer.

To be honest, the areavator did cost more then his core areator, but one pass thru my lawn proved it to be the better choice. I had demoed the one that Ventrac made with the seedbox and I knew how fast I could areate and apply seed with the attachment. That attachment was out of my price range, which is why I bought the tow behind one. I had also already bought a drop spreader to apply lime and fertilizer and it worked very well spreading seed, I just needed something to work the soil amendments and seed into the soil. The areavator was/is the best tool I found to do that job. I used my hydroseeders for erosion control and seeding areas you couldnt get equipment on, but when it came to seeding lawns around homes, The areavator was my tool of choice.

 

[CincyFlyer]

My perception, subject to debate of course, of anything that pokes a hole in the ground and doesn't remove any soil is simply compacting the soil around the hole. The dirt has to go somewhere.

Of course. It goes upward, obviously.

 

[3238dpw]

I used to work for a municipality and was in charge of the parks and took care of all of the sports turf. Well I’ve used core aerators and aeravators and contracted out cam driven aerators. They all have there place. The corer worked good when the ground was pretty wet. The aeravator worked good when it was dry. We contracted the cam machine every three or four years when we needed deep penetration(they make them 18 inches, but they were $25,000 just for the attachment). We wouldn’t bother with the 4 inch cam machines as we could do that with the other aerators. If I could only have one it would be hands down the aeravator. It breaks up all of the soil in between the tines and downward too. The key is the soil couldn’t be too wet. If it was wet it would make a paced little hole(not the desired result). The aeravator made the most noticeable difference. If you did half of an area and walked from the non aerated to the aerated section you could feel a noticeable difference. Now I’m a landscaper and it is the only one I own. I have tell every customer I do aeration for I tell them to walk from non aerated to aerated lawn and they all are amazed at the difference. Last thing to say, when I worked for the municipality I had an employee not shut it off in time and he rode it over the asphalt and it broke it all up. There will never be soil that is harder than that

 

[npalen]

I would have to say that the above testimonials for the aeravator are very convincing and I would like to see one in action. Are most of them PTO driven? I saw a used one a couple years ago that had been mounted on the front of a Grasshopper ZTR. I assume it was driven off of the ZTR PTO (acronym overload) but don't remember for sure.
How do you guys deal with hidden popup sprinklers? Take a chance that they will be missed?

 

[npalen]

What would this Aera Vator be worth? Anyone care to hazard a guess?

 

[Sparkynutz]

Of course. It goes upward, obviously.

If you pound a tent stake in the ground do you see all the dirt displaced squish up around it? No its compacted. Unless the medeum is already 100% compacted like pure water or nothing but rock it will be more compacted after driving the stake. Removing the stake will loosen and displace gravel if done so at an angle. If it's not then there will be even more compaction done

I can see how that aerevator aerates rocky dense soil by loosening the top the same as a rake or tines on a box blade would do to a gravel driveway.

However an aerevator wouldn't do a darn bit of good to a mostly dense clay or black soil. Vibrating penetrating tines will compact the soil further. Removing plugs and replacing with amendments like sand, fertilizer, manure or other loose organic matter will help drainage as well as promote better root growth.

Just because one thing excels at one application doesn't mean it may even be acceptable at other similar applications.

I have thick clay base with dense black dirt on top in my area that drains poorly.

I am looking for a mechanical or 3 point piston driven plug remover and nothing else.

 

[npalen]

I'm probably as guilty as anyone of derailing your thread and apologize for that. The core or plug type aerator certainly has its place and you know your soil conditions better than anyone else.
I think there is a market need for a "piston" type plugger that is of simpler and less expensive "homeowner" design. Its not an easy design criteria as achieving a true vertical motion while traveling horizontally is nearly impossible. A cam generated/spring loaded motion probably comes as close as anything to pulling a plug and leaving a cylindrical hole.