
Typically this will be in the early spring. Using a plug aerator during the lawn growing season will yield the best results and can be the least stressful for your grass. They’re great for improving your soil’s health but can be hard on your grass. Plug aerators will pull up a portion of grass and cut the grass roots. While aerators make this more possible, it’s vital to note the different ways they might impact the health of your lawn. They’ll poke holes into your lawn whether it’s dry or oversaturated with water. Spike aerators aren’t as affected by soil conditions. You’ll have to be pretty familiar with your soil conditions when using a plug aerator or you could run into problems. If the soil is too saturated, though, it will get stuck in the aerator tines. If the soil is too dry, a plug aerator won’t be able to pull it up. It won’t lump or compact shortly after you aerate it, so spike aerators will do fine.Īnother important thing is the condition of your soil. Soil that is very loamy or sandy will be fine with a spike aerator. You’ll have to aerate your lawn much more often than if you use a plug aerator to shift the dirt and create deep holes. If you have soil that compacts or clumps very easily, spike aerators won’t be effective for very long. Spike aerators won’t prevent soil compaction in the same way that plug aerators will. For example, clay soil has quick soil compaction, whereas soil with lots of sand won’t. The composition of your soil will affect how quickly and easily it becomes compacted after you aerate it. You may also have a personal preference that comes into play when choosing. Others don’t want to aerate as often, so they opt for plug aerators.Ĭertain factors will determine whether using a spike aerator or a plug aerator is better for your lawn. Some people don’t like how hard plug aerators can be on their yards so they choose spike aerators. While they both work to aerate your soil, they do so in different ways. Spike aerators and plug aerators are two different tools. You won’t get the same benefits with a spike aerator that you will with a plug aerator and vice versa.Īdditionally, you don’t need both of them to aerate your lawn effectively. Spike aerators and plug aerators are very different, which means choosing between them is essential. Fortunately, they don’t need to be used nearly as often. Plug aerators are much more effective but are more labor-intensive. However, plug aerators dig much deeper into the ground and create larger holes than a spike aerator.īy creating larger holes, plug aerators help seedlings grow deeper, stronger roots, and better trap rain water. Similar to a spike aerator, plug aerators churn up your lawn to promote airflow and increase growth. This is because spike aerators don’t dig as deep and won’t help with compacting soil. This is because the churned yard will only remain unplugged for so long before you need to aerate it again. While spike aerators are great at promoting airflow in your lawn, they will need to be used more often. Unfortunately, this is worse for areas of your lawn that get high traffic. Spike aerators work by pushing holes into the ground. If you have freshly planted seeds, a spike aerator won’t increase the risk of rain washing the seeds downhill. Spike aerators create shallow holes in your yard with a spiked machine and provide pretty even coverage. Here’s a quick guide for deciding between a spike aerator and a plug aerator. In addition, each tool is unique so just because you’ve used one doesn’t mean you know everything about the other one. Both make your yard stronger and lusher, but they do so in slightly different ways. The penetration depth provided by the lawn aerator is ideal for this type of application.There are two main tools for aerating your lawn: a spike aerator and the best pull behind plug aerator. Alleviating compaction in the soil allows the roots to grow deeper providing a thicker, healthier lawn and grass.

However, the spike aerator can also be adapted with a tow ball hitch with minimal effort.Īerating your lawn, grass and soil allows air, water, nutrients, fertilizer and seed to reach sub surface depths and in particular the grass roots. Attachment is simple via the standard clevis style hitch and pin. The Paddock Machinery tow behind lawn aerator is designed to be pulled by small vehicles such as all terrain vehicles (ATVs), quad bikes, four wheel motorcycles, ride on mowers, Gators and the likes. Ideal for lawns, gardens, golf courses, acreages, crops, landscaping.Tow with ATVs, Quad Bikes, Ride-on Mowers.Easy to set up and use, air your soils and grass quickly and effortlessly. Use with a range of vehicles from ride on mowers to quad bikes, four wheelers and ATVs. Based on a fluid filled drum with spikes, this aerator is a great ATV and quad bike implement for the landscaper and home gardener. A rugged tow behind lawn aerator by Paddock Machinery.
