Greenkey Rolling Lawn Aerator, Manual 300mm Spiked Roller, Green, Mixed Materials, Compact Style

Took a while to put together but very easy to use and made aerating the garden much easier than with shoes

A lot better than I thought it would be! Far better than the comedy shoe attachments though a proper hollow tine machine would clearly be better but very expensive! Easy to put together but a socket set or spanner set is required - the small 'spanner' that comes with the kit is, quite frankly, a joke. In use, one does require a bit of strength as you need to push down as well as forward but that is not too hard. My soil was quite hard as it has been relatively dry but it still made decent holes. I did not need the concrete blocks as pictured in the reviews. Then instructions in the box are extremely basic - you have to decipher the picture but it is quite clear - there is a video one can download but I didn't need to do that. Once you have the handle on, the bracket which attaches to the bar that is the axis of the roller does need to be tightened so that none of the bar protrudes. This is where decent sized spanners are useful. However, as a fairly cheap form of aerator, this product is actually pretty good!

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this aerator. Once assembled, it feels very sturdy and works well on damp ground. I expect it to last for many years. Assembly requires a screwdriver and a set of ring spanners: 8mm, 11mm, 12mm, 13mm and 14mm (the small 11mm spanner supplied is not sufficient). It comes with an illustrated parts list and a load of nuts, bolts and washers all in one bag. It's a good idea to sort out all the parts and check them against the list before starting work. I found that one spike nut was missing, but I found a suitable replacement in my garage. However, it's a British company so I've no doubt they'd have been able to supply a spare if I'd rung them up. I think four and a half stars would be appropriate because of the assembly niggles, but four seems a bit mean so I've given five!

I. I hope that the manufacturer’s insurance is fully up to date because this is a dangerous piece of equipment and in the hands of an inexperienced DIYer a serious injury is waiting to happen. II. For the money this is a robust piece of equipment with the following exceptions. A) the spanner supplied is of the standard one would expect from a Xmas cracker bought from an ‘everything for a £1’ type of shop and is virtually useless. (See tools under) and - B) the slots into which the spikes locate are sometimes too big for the hexagonal spike head so tightening them without additional tools is impossible (see under). III. Tools. To assemble it properly you will need 3, different sized, open end or ring spanners one for the nuts holding the handle and axle in place, one for the lock nuts holding the spikes in place and one for the nuts used to bolt the shaft, handle and spike wheel bracket. You will also need a Philips screwdriver and long nosed pliers, the latter to locate and hold in place the bush which fits inside the bottom of the shaft at the bottom bolt position. I used two small shifting spanners for the nuts plus a pair of vice grips to hold the spikes in order that the lock nut would be tight enough. If the spikes are not sufficiently tight there is a high risk that they will wobble and snap the fittings on the wheel. May I suggest that when fitting the spikes you put the ‘protectors’ on before attempting to tighten the lock nuts. If you don’t and the spike slips it could easily cause a serious injury. IV. If you are not a DIY expert don’t attempt to build this yourself. It is relatively straightforward but, as I have said, could be dangerous so get someone to assemble it for you. V. When assembled it works very well but needs a lot of effort to push so if you are not very fit think twice before buying. Some other reviewers have suggested adding weights to it to assist it to penetrate the ground. Not a bad idea but if you have to do that you may find it easier to pull it rather than push it. It is also good idea to make sure your lawn is well watered before you try – then it will be easier to use. VI. Finally It is a good tool. The metal parts are robust enough to take the pressure needed to operate it. I have reservation about the plastic parts but if the spikes are properly tightened then they should be adequate.

It works! I tho it might be too lightweight but the spikes dig in and open up the soil a treat with the added benefit of finding larger stones below the surface of my lawn. Easy to use with little pressure, obviously works better on damp surfaces but good even dry. Easy to put together, pleasantly surprised to use! Get one!

Very difficult to assemble and get nuts tight. One use and loosened again. Hard to get spikes into soil. There are simpler and better made devices.

Well, I'd read the reviews (positive & negative) I decided to buy it anyway. So... here's my review... Arrived very quickly.. so top marks on dispatch time. I quickly unboxed it and removed all the components from the box. I needed a 14mm spanner and an 8mm spanner in addition to the 10mm spanner that is included in the box.. not a problem. Now to assembly.. I recommend you bolt the spikes on to the wheels first. That puts to bed most of the components & simplifies things. The rest is easy to work out (don't forget to fit the spacer at the bottom of the pole where the pole mounts to the brackets - this spacer strengthens the mounting. If you don't know how to change a light bulb, haven't got a 14mm & 8mm spanner or you have to 'call a man in' to assemble a your flat pack furniture then maybe you shouldn't buy this, as you'll probably be unable to work out to assemble it (it does come with instructions which are easy to follow!). So, in less than 10 minutes it was assembled.. Now on to the effectiveness.... You will need to have a bit of upper body strength to push it down & along - If your soil is like concrete then you'll have to push a bit harder. If you're less than 5ft 8", weigh less than 10 stone, physically disabled or are seriously medically unfit then give this a miss - It requires a bit of a push & physical effort to make it work. Within 30 minutes I'd completely done my lawn (which is about 20 metres by 8 metres, worked up a slight sweat and was very pleased with the results. I'll be aeriating my lawn fortnightly until I get it back to how it used to be.. This is an easy to use tool.. don't be put off by the negative reviews.... It's a great piece of kit, cheap as chips and gets the job done. Gardening isn't without a bit of work, so anyone that expects this to 'do the job for them' needs to hire a gardener. This works - period. By the way, I'm affiliated with the seller - I'm an IT guy who loves his garden and because of bad knees I can't use the spikes that fit on your boots as this would cause pain, but this requires very little pressure on the knees, as it's all about weight to push down & along (or maybe strength if you're a skinny tough guy!) So from unpacking the item, within 40 minutes I've aeriated my lawn. RESULT!!

easy to assemble. great garden tool. in use already.

Although I gave this product overall Five Stars, I gave Three for easy to assemble. Don't get me wrong because it is easy to assemble, but just time consuming install the 30 nails onto the rollers. Make sure you have a good wrench. For sturdiness I gave Four stars, but what I like is the T bar handle. Four stars for easy to use. The T bar handle does make it easy to use, but I did have to add weights, 15 Lbs. to be exact, for better traction. For best results, use this product after the ground has been wet. I used it a day after heavy rain and it worked like a champ. Okay, for full disclosure, I totally hate yard work with a passion, but I do enjoy working out and you will get a work out using this product on your yard.

Plus léger que ce que je pensais, tres efficace. Je n'exerce pas de pression particulière pour travailler mon jardin. Je l'utilise déjà souvent préparant mon gazon pour la belle saison. Livraison dans les temps et sans surprise comme d'habitude chez Amazon.

Too light to work efficiently. Added weight to help. Holes in side supports not the right size. Should have a bush to make it operate properly.

Preis Leistung stimmt ! Zur Qualität, könnte man wahrscheinlich besser machen. Die Funktionalität ist aber zu 100% gegeben. Für meine Boden leider zu leicht. Ich habe dann zusätzlich ca 5 kg kleine Hantelscheiben auf den unteren Stab gesteckt. So sinken die Zapfen bei mir komplett ein. Kann ich so empfehlen !

Easy to use for moderate 100m2 garden. Painful exercise for larger garden :)