Core Lawn Aerator Version 4 Kit (3.4 Inch Standard Length Coring Tines with Soil Core Container)

Product is built sturdy and solid. Instructions for assembly and use technique are very detailed. If you follow the instruction to aerate after a heavy rain it works quite well. I had a bit of an issue with soil clogging in one of the four tines but that was alleviated with an application of WD 40 during use. As you would expect, it does take some dedicated time and effort to do larger areas with a manual device, but as I said, it works. I did encounter a problem on my second day of use where one of the tines actually broke off at the weld point. I contacted the company on their website and they responded within a few hours and sent the replacement part (plus an extra!) within a few days.....can't ask for better support.

Easy to assemble and works well and value for money!!!

Just a note on the instructions for future buyers. The instructions state wrenches needed for the bolts and nuts are 12mm, 14mm or Cresent wrench; no statement on the handle bolts except Phillip screwdriver. That is wrong use 13mm,12mm, on the main bolts and nuts; and 10mm combination wrench or open end for the lock nuts on the handle.I find the unit was well thought out in design; but short on lock nuts and flat washers(none) for the main large bolts used in assembly. The handle would be much more solid if the cutouts for the Phillip screw heads were not used. The handle assemble is only held on one side of the 2 section piece of the handle. The designer could have just drilled the holes in the handle: and used bent flat washers on each to make the handle much more solid.The Welding for the down tubes at the cart base is a machine weld and appears was well done. Takes about 30 minutes to assemble. Nice powder coating used on painting the product. I do notice some rusting taking place where the paint job did not complete cover the non galvanized steel.The plug collection box is a great feature to purchase,(keep those clay plugs out of the souls of the shoes); and seems well built and worth the extra $. Not sure how long the plug cutters are going to last since they are made of cold rolled steel, instead of case hardened steel.

I've paid a contractor to aerate our lawn the past several years. But now he's bought new equipment and can't make it through our breezeway to the back yard.As long as you follow all the directions, it will work very well. I needed less than 2 minutes aerating with one pair of tines until I was ready for the advanced two pair of tines advanced aeration.Once I used the 4 cores at once, I had to step on the aerator with my full weight and shake it slightly left-to-right to get it to enter fully through the soil.As long as you're prepared to break a sweat this is an excellent choice for small lawns. It took me 90 minutes to aerate my 5000 sq ft backyard. All for less than the cost of a single trip from my [ex-]contractor.

I did a lot of research about different manual lawn coring aerators and took a chance on this one. I'm very pleased that it works just as I had hoped. It makes perfect little core plugs just like a good powered unit (albeit not nearly as fast). The tapered coring tubes eject the cores very well and I have not experienced any plugged tubes yet. Not sure I would want to do my entire 5000 sqft yard with it at one time, but it works great for small areas as needed. Like everyone else says, make sure the ground is moist so it will penetrate. The only issue I had is a very minor one, mud will build up on the bottom after 10 or 15 plugs and you have to scrape it off so it will continue to penetrate to full depth. I would definitely recommend this unit for it's intended purpose and I am completely satisfied with it.

I got this to help the bald spots in my yard as well as help the height next to the curb.The actual operation of it works well but I think in order to to change the yard height, I'd have to do a LOT of of aeration to make any height difference, even over a year.This is really built well and works as designed but I likely wouldn't buy it again.Edit to review: This has held up well over the summer, very sturdy and well built, however it just doesn't remove enough at a time for my use case. Also, if one of the prongs gets a little dirty on the inside, it keeps getting clogged and it needs to be washed out before you can really use it again.

Out of the box, the unit was easy to assemble (basic nut-and-bolt construction, 20 minutes with a socket set). Feels very sturdy with all steel parts. After a rain the night before to ensure the soil was adequately loose for aeration, I tested the aerator in a corner area of the backyard. The tines pierced through soil easily and the curvature of the handle and rocking motion pulled out 4 perfect plugs.I quickly did a 50 sq. ft. area to continue the trial run and it only took a minute, doing the suggested spacing of 2-6 inches apart. The curved design quickly allows you to pull up the tines and get into a rhythm while being easy on your body with almost no effort honestly. Front and back lawns are 2,500 sq. ft. combined and when I go back for the full job, I believe I can do it in 2 hours no problem at all. After the trial run, I rinsed off the tines, let dry in the sun and coated with gun oil before storing to prevent rust or corrosion (didn't have WD-40 on hand but it's the same thing). I will be keeping the unit.So glad I don't have to haul those expensive massive machines from Home Depot , or shell out several hundred dollars to landscape contractors anymore, because finally there is an efficient manual machine that makes it worth the time. As is repeated in the instructions many times, the soil conditions are key to proper aeration.

This product performed exactly as described. Following the manufacturer’s instructions is crucial!