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lawn spreader and areator?
- Thread starter dzalphakilo
- Start date
dzalphakilo
Banned
Doc said:
Thks Doc, I owe you one. Traded up, no extra charge. Talked to a good buddy who used to work at Dew Cut (sp?) for all you guys in Ohio, and he convinced me that areating (sp?) the lawn was as important as putting chemicals on it (Brian, there is a difference between e-mail and talking on the phone) you were right in the first place, thanks.
Hoping that after I fill this with water, should be heavy enough.
Hmm, never knew trying to keep the lawn in decent shape would cost so much.
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Wow, that thing looks wicked!!! 
What size is this new one? Do they list the gross weight with water? I'm going to look into getting one, or renting one depending on price. In a way I wold like to rent it so I don't have to store it.
Be sure to let us know if this new one does better.
What size is this new one? Do they list the gross weight with water? I'm going to look into getting one, or renting one depending on price. In a way I wold like to rent it so I don't have to store it.
Be sure to let us know if this new one does better.
dzalphakilo
Banned
Doc, the Deere lawn center has them custom made locally. They have no clue as to the working weight when filled with water, I'd guess around 400 lbs or so filled. "Working" size is 36" x 12" (anyone do the math?). It was $389. Don't like the Deere green, oh well...
DZ, are you going to be able to pull that thing with your ZTR? It looks big but it just may be a perspective thing.
It's very nice and I am very jealous. If I want an aerator like that I will have to make it. I don't thin anyone locally makes them so the shipping costs make them way too expensive.
PB
It's very nice and I am very jealous. If I want an aerator like that I will have to make it. I don't thin anyone locally makes them so the shipping costs make them way too expensive.
PB
Shop around for fertilizer. I'm constantly buying it when its on sale. If you have a dry place to store it then it will keep fine.
Remember, you don't have to go crazy with the fertilizer. Use less than the package recommends and you won't hurt anything. Use more than the package recommends and you can do more damage than good.
Remember, you don't have to go crazy with the fertilizer. Use less than the package recommends and you won't hurt anything. Use more than the package recommends and you can do more damage than good.
dzalphakilo
Banned
PBinWA said:
Honestly, the picture does make it look bigger than it actually is. At northern tool, they have a swisher drum, 40" Model 11933 spike areator for $279. Per their specs, weight is around 330 lbs filled with water. Also states that you need at least 12 hp tp pull it. I might off been off with my guestimate on weight for the unit I bought (filled with water) because the dimensions look to be almost identical between the one I just bought and that one at norhtern tool. I've got 25hp, so I'm thinkning I should be ok. Something Brian pointed out was I may need a longer extention for the hookup to the ZTR to make tighter turns (wide tires may hit the areator). I didn't find this to be an issue with the smaller spiker, but first time out for a trial run I will go slow to see if this is the case.
Brian also point out some interesting points on going downhill, not up, like I was more concearned about. Again, have two sloped areas, there I will take my time. Worse case scenerio is I have my wife drive the ZTR while I stand on the front to keep the weight down on the front going up hill so I don't do any backflips
(of course I'm kidding).PB if you look around, I'm sure some enterprising lawn store would have them. Two other places had them, a little different in design, but same basic concept, different colors and different prices. The others were a little bigger and at $539, couldn't justify it (of course, at first I couldn't justify the $389). Thinking about it, you could use a basement expansion tank (used for hot water systems) already has the nipple in place for adding water, for your roller, buy the spines and make one (assuming you have the equipment). If interested, more than happy to e-mail pics so you can have a decent blueprint to begin with.
Very good points on the fertilizer, and the lime isn't that bad. Figuring since I've done nothing with the lawn since I moved here, anything is better than doing nothing.
Brian, how effective is rolling the lawn? Do have some pretty rough spots because the majority of it was used for a pasture at one point, and before we moved in, the house and land was unoccupied for six years.
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Rolling helps to flatten out the "little" bumps. Most anything that protrudes up but over a relatively small area (let's say 6x6" or smaller) should get leveled out. Basically, the roller goes over the area and when it encounters a bump, the whole roller lifts some to get over it. Once slightly lifted, the weight of the roller is all on that little bump and it flattens it.dzalphakilo said:
The best time to roll is when the ground is as wet as your machine can handle without destroying things. I pull the roller with an ATV and it's so wet a puddle forms in front of the roller as it's acting as a squeegy.
If you have bigger ruts to get rid of it's "doable" but you need a much heavier roller. I'm going to bring in a small paving roller this year. Now, using a 3000# roller is a bit harder in that you need perfect conditions. Too soft and you bury the roller. Too hard and like a tow-behind roller, it can't accomplish the mission.
Since the roller does compact the ground, aerating afterwards is recommended.
For both the areator you purchased as well as a roller, be careful when using the ZTR. Without 4 tires firmly on the ground as you would have with a tractor, control on hills will be more difficult.
I rented a big roller last year that was around 5 feet wide and filled with water was supposed to weigh over 1000 pounds. I pulled it around behind my tractor and I didn't really notice the difference that much.
I want to make a big roller aerator like what you have but perhaps a little bigger since I will pull it behind a big tractor. If I can get it to aroun 1500 pounds then I think it will be a useful tool.
I think the key to rolling is having the ground soft enough to mush but not soo soft that you get tear it up while trying to pull the roller around.
I want to make a big roller aerator like what you have but perhaps a little bigger since I will pull it behind a big tractor. If I can get it to aroun 1500 pounds then I think it will be a useful tool.
I think the key to rolling is having the ground soft enough to mush but not soo soft that you get tear it up while trying to pull the roller around.
dzalphakilo
Banned
Well, out for a quick "test run" with the plugger, thing works great. Seems to be no lag in power from the mower, and from the one pass I did, seems to do a great job (worth the money and no comparison to the spike type).
Seems that some people here mentioned that would be the case
.
Talked with a couple of local farmers, they mentioned to double up on the lime, put it in the ground, areate it, let it sit for a week, then you only need to go half with the fertilizer (if I even wanted to). Seems four or five people I talked to around here in the last couple of days feel to overkill with the lime due to the ground conditions. Month or so later overseed, and get everything done before the "first hot day" and try to do things when the ground is "moist".
Dig up the ground in the fall as well (funny, I read that somewhere else).
Will need to look at fertilizers.
Funny, I never realized all the work and science going into a lawn. I may screw it up this year, however, live and learn.
Think I'll take some other advice here and make sure I go light on it (fertilize and lime). I'm figuring even a little is better than nothing at all.
One thing that made sense to me that I couldn't get through my thick head was that a good "breathing" (areation) of the lawn is just as important chemicals (or so it was mentioned to me).
Seems that some people here mentioned that would be the case
.Talked with a couple of local farmers, they mentioned to double up on the lime, put it in the ground, areate it, let it sit for a week, then you only need to go half with the fertilizer (if I even wanted to). Seems four or five people I talked to around here in the last couple of days feel to overkill with the lime due to the ground conditions. Month or so later overseed, and get everything done before the "first hot day" and try to do things when the ground is "moist".
Dig up the ground in the fall as well (funny, I read that somewhere else).
Will need to look at fertilizers.
Funny, I never realized all the work and science going into a lawn. I may screw it up this year, however, live and learn.
Think I'll take some other advice here and make sure I go light on it (fertilize and lime). I'm figuring even a little is better than nothing at all.
One thing that made sense to me that I couldn't get through my thick head was that a good "breathing" (areation) of the lawn is just as important chemicals (or so it was mentioned to me).