What customers need to know
about lawn aeration equipment

For lawns to be healthy, they need to be aerated. There are three basic pieces of equipment for aerating turf. Vertislicers make vertical cuts or slices. Power rakes use rotating tines to rake out thatch. Core pluggers remove finger-size plugs of turf, leaving a pattern of drain holes in the ground. Some models can either rake or slice by changing the type of blades used.

Aeration equipment may be self-powered or pulled by a lawn tractor, a riding mower or even a skid-steer loader. Large units may run off of the tow vehicle's hydraulics.

Thatch is formed from dead grass and leaves that prevent air circulation, inhibit root growth and encourage disease.

Capacity is compared in swath width, the number of tines or blades and the patterns they make.

Compact models (popular for homeowner rentals) produce swaths of 14 to 24 inches. Larger models go up to 64 inches. Depths of more than 2 to 21¦2 inches are sufficient for most applications.

Who rents aeration equipment?
Landscapers, commercial mowing contractors and homeowners who want to care for their lawns in a professional manner. Aeration equipment costs more than most homeowners are willing to invest for something that will be used only a few times a year, and vertislicers, power rakes and core pluggers can do the job for most private lawns during relatively short rentals. Lawn maintenance contractors often rent such seasonal equipment while they build their businesses. Established contractors often turn to rental centers during peak work periods and to replace their own equipment when it requires repair.

Rental centers can attract customers by preseason promotions, open houses and seminars for local groups such as garden clubs. Advertising and direct mail can reach both homeowners and commercial prospects. Telemarketing also can be effective in reaching contractors.

Safety
Rental center counter and yard personnel are responsible for providing instruction on safe operation, which should include how to stop equipment quickly in case of emergency and how to load, secure the load and unload. Some important operating and safety tips:

• Stress that improper use and failing to heed potential hazards can turn blades and tines into lethal weapons.
• Inspect the area where equipment will be used and remove rocks, branches, bones, wire - anything that could get caught.
• Operate equipment at slow, even speeds.
• If you hit something, stop and remove it.
• Do not operate equipment across gravel or paved areas.
• Use attachments only with machines of adequate size.
• Attachment units should be hitched properly.
• Do not let children operate equipment.
• Keep people and pets away during operation.
• Operators should wear safety boots and no loose-fitting clothing that could become tangled in moving parts.
• Do not make engine adjustments (except to the carburetor) while the engine is running.
• Do not put hands or feet under the deck while the engine is running; stop the engine before cleaning tines or making component adjustments or repairs.
• Wear gloves and exercise care when cleaning or inspecting tines.
• Use only approved fuel containers and stop the engine before refueling. Do not refuel hot engines.
• Do not operate equipment without all guards and shields in place.
• Use caution when operating on hills or slopes; on severe slopes, attached equipment can shift and become unstable.
• Never permit riders on towing vehicles or decks of attachments.
• Never disconnect safety kill-switch systems on equipment provided with this feature.
• Note that these guidelines are not comprehensive rules. Machines differ - understand whatever you rent and make sure your customer does, too.

Maintenance on the job
Homeowner rentals almost always are for short periods of time and equipment should not require service during the rental, other than refueling, monitoring engine oil level and keeping equipment clean and free of obstructions. Contractors renting for longer terms may need to change engine oil or replace tines. Rental center personnel should make renters aware of their responsibilities.

Opportunities for add-on sales
Rental stores may want to stock seed and fertilizers for purchase at the time aeration equipment is rented.

Comments from the industry
Brinly-Hardy Co., Louisville, Ky., Scott Whitehouse: "Mulching mowers and increasing restrictions on chemicals make it difficult to keep lawns free of thatch and clippings. Dethatchers gently comb thatch and clippings to the surface, where they can be collected, remulched or left exposed for breakdown."

Classen Manufacturing, Norfolk, Neb., Larry Classen: "Rental center people should conduct a complete run-through of how each piece of equipment is used."

EverGreen International, Lebanon, Ind., Kathy McKee: "Renters may encounter minimal tine breakage, especially if they don't follow operating instructions and run the machine over ground that has not first been checked for stones, wire and sticks. Also, an occasional small tree root can wrap around the tine reel and stall the unit."

Feldmann Engineering & Manufacturing Co., Sheboygan Falls, Wis., Daniel Redman: "Use transport wheels everywhere except when aeration is being performed."

FFC, Lee, Ill., Jerry Foster: "By adjusting skid shoes and drum speed, this equipment can [be set up to] aggressively rake and till or delicately sweep debris from soil. Improper adjustment of skid shoes may cause [excessive amounts of] dirt to be collected."

Gandy Co., Owatonna, Minn., Allan J. Roensch: "Do not attempt to turn sharp corners when tow-type equipment is in the ground."

F.D. Kees Manufacturing Co., Beatrice, Neb., George Schaeffer: "Many renters may not understand what to do with core plugs left on the lawn. Some rake them up. It's better to leave the cores on the lawn and mow over them. They become a top dressing for the aerated turf."

Turfco Manufacturing, Minneapolis, Robert Brophy: "The most common reason for problems during rentals is operator error - users don't read the book. The owner's manual and videos provide valuable information."