45-0299 48" Tow Behind Lawn Plug Aerator with Universal Hitch; Designed to Pull Behind Lawn & Garden Tractors

OK, here is the low down. This thing Rocks! Most lawn companies would have charged me $150-200 to aerate my yard. With 1 use I’ve broke even. Hope to get many years of use from it. It’s well made. It’s does take up a lot of room so storage may be an issue. It’s also very heavy. Warning: Those tines are SHARP! Be very carful moving it around. The axel with the tines could easily be classified as a deadly weapon. First of all, the install. - Wear GLOVES! Seriously! Wear mechanic glove anytime your touching the Sharp points. I was very careful and still managed to cut myself. Wear GLOVES! Trust me, - I used an air ratchet to tighten most of the bolts. All the nuts are the type with nylon threads and using a hand ratchet would have taken a lot of extra time. You don't have to get them super tight, but believe me your wrist will be tired. - Speaking of install time, it took me about 1.5 hours. - Many of the bolts are very similar in size. Very confusing. Instruction were ok, not great. Pay attending to how the metal tray fits onto the axel. It’s a very important step and very easy to screw up. - Get someone to help you place the tray onto the axel. With those shape tines waiting to rip the skin off your hands, an extra set of (gloved) hands makes things a lot safer. Use: - I live in Central KY and we have a lot of clay soil. First time I used the aerator it had rained about 4 days earlier. I went to my local home improvement store and purchased 4 cinder blocks (under $2 each). - I have a Zero Turn 52" deck mower. My 1.8 acres is mostly flat and few obstacles such as tree and plantings. - First, DO NOT tow this around with 4 cinder blocks on it with the wheels down (when your actually aerating the wheel are retracted so the weight is on the tines). If you turn tightly or bump into something the wheels will bend (the metal bracket) and the rubber lining "tread" on the plastic tires can come off (I know, I learned the hard way, thankfully it was an easy fix). It’s ok to have 4 cinder blocks on it while aerating, it’s very well constructed but the little plastic tires really can’t take the weight. - I did a perimeter mow without the aerator attached. I mowed around trees and our fence, anywhere it’s a tight space or your maneuvering close to objects. Next, I attached the aerator and started mowing. It's best NOT to make turns any greater than 45degrees left or right. This thing is wide and a zero turn can turn on a dime and could damage the aerator. - DO NOT back up. It seems it’s not made for this. - This aerator works great! I used it 4 days after the last rain and I was getting 2-3 inch plugs. Ideally 1-2 days after the rain would be perfect as long as it’s not muddy. Anyway, I was really happy with the results. -I suggest the first time you use it, stop after 10-15 minutes and recheck bolts to make sure they are all tight. - When finished, hose it off to remove dirt and store it. Overall I’m happy with the purchase. Just wanted to let you know of my experiences so you don’t make the mistakes I made. With a few rules to follow (WEARE GLOVES) this will be another great purchase from Amazon.

Im giving this 4 stars, probably should be 4,5 but here is why I am knocking stars off. This was not an easy assembly. In fact it was a very tedious, dangerous and frankly unnecessary assembly. That box is big enough that those spines should already come pre assembled in my book. That would alleviate about half of the torture and danger of putting this thing together. With that said. I was missing 4 lock nuts in total. Want to guess where they were in the assembly of the device? The very last steps of putting the tray together. Where you have to push the tray over and tghten everything down so that when you pull the lever forward, it stays in one spot. Mine doesnt do that. At least not without a bungee cord helping to hold it in place. So, with those shortcomings, lets get on to actual use. I put 4 cinder blocks in the tray, Each was packed with dirt in them. Probably putting a total of 100-130 lbs of weight on it. Weight evenly distributed over the entire tray. We had almost 3 inches of rain and this was done about 3 days afterwards. I found one flaw to this aerator and that is it wont work evenly if your yard isnt even. Mine has a lot of bumps and dips in it so often the center was fully penetrated while the outter edges only went in half an inch or so. I think the only way to avoid that would have been with a super heavy drum that I probably shouldnt be trying to tow with my lawn tractor to begin with lol. After going over the yard in both directions, it was a sight to see all those little dirt plugs sitting on the ground. To think that if I had actually gotten to do this the day after it rained, it would have probably been even better. So for it doing its actual job, I give it a 4 out of 5 as well. Still taking points off because for me, I have to get off my tractor to be able to use the wheel lever. Another sore spot I found is not fun is storage. There is no easy way to store this thing. With that lever, it makes it impossible to lean up against a wall out of the way. For something that may only get used once or twice a year, being more storage friendly would have been a nice thing.

I’ve come to trust Agri-Fab products over the years, and this 48" plug aerator is no exception. I featured it on my YouTube channel @LawnandOrderTexasEdition, and it’s become a key tool in my Bermuda lawn care routine here in Texas. 🛠️ Assembly was very straightforward — clear instructions and no special tools needed. I even found a great way to overlap bungee cords to secure my cinder blocks for added weight. (Pro tip: only lower it when you're already on the grass to avoid scraping driveways or compacted soil.) 🔧 Replacement tines (or “knives”) are available here on Amazon, and should probably be swapped every couple of years — especially if you're hitting rocks or rough patches. 🌧️ Aerating your lawn once or twice a year makes a big difference. It allows rain to penetrate compacted soil, helps break up traffic wear (from walking or driving over grass), and promotes deeper root growth. ✅ What I Like: Effective Aeration: Pulls decent-sized plugs, even from my dense clay soil. Great spacing and depth. Durable Build: The frame is strong and handles towing well. No flimsy parts here. Universal Hitch: Hooks right up to my lawn tractor without issue. Good Value: You’d spend 3x more hiring a pro. This pays for itself quickly. Mine is priceless in my lawn toolkit. Smart Design Touches: Handle lowers easily, and the weight tray fits four cinderblocks without issue. ⚠️ Things to Know: Weight Tray Limitations: For hard-packed soil, you may need to get creative with weight. I use 4 cinderblocks, and that gives me enough depth. Tight Spaces Are Tricky: At 48” wide, it’s not ideal for small yards or areas with lots of curves. You’ll need to plan for wider turns (which also helps prevent turf damage). Check Your Tines: They’re solid, but like any aerator, they wear over time. Keep an eye on them. If you’re looking to boost lawn health without breaking the bank, this is a great tool for homeowners. It’s not commercial-grade, but for most average-sized lawns, it absolutely gets the job done. 🎥 You can see it in action on my channel @LawnandOrderTexasEdition, where I review and demo real lawn gear in real-world Texas conditions. Highly recommended. Great job, Agri-Fab. You built a winner.

I rarely write reviews but can't say enough about this product. Arrival - Package was delivered on time but when it arrived the box was ripped, taped and still had some holes. This thing is heavy and the boxing/packaging does not appear adequate for the size and weight of this item. My initial fear was how many parts were missing but in the end they were all there. This is primarily due to the nuts, bolts and most small parts are packed in plastic bags in smaller boxes. Assembly - WEAR GLOVES. Of course I did not at first because "I know what I am doing".......I made it through almost the entire assembly before I aerated my right hand....so wear gloves. As with anything you have to assemble its depressing when you see the shear number of parts but I have to say it went together fairly quickly....wrench set, pliers, and socket set made things easier. About the only problem I had was I accidently used the 5/16th bolts/nuts/washers where I was supposed to use the 3/8th inch bolts/nuts/washers so I had to go back figure out where I used them and swap them out for the 3/8ths. I would suggest just identify everything up front and put them in separate piles and you won't make the mistake that I did. Use/Performance - after all was assembled I took a quick trip to Home Depot and bought four 24" Bungee Cords and four 8" X 8" X 16" concrete blocks which are standard size concrete blocks. Hooked the Agri-Fab up to my riding mower, Put the blocks horizontally in order for the bungee cords to hold down the two right blocks and repeated the set up for the two left blocks Then I did my entire one acre lot in about 30 minutes. The soil in my area is clay-based but was moist from a recent rain. I consistently got 1" to 3" plugs and it did a wonderful job. Summary - this thing is very well built, all heavy metal (with exception of wheels). I did save some of the cardboard box and cut it to fit in the aerator tray to minimize scratching the tray with the concrete blocks. Next time I take it out I will probably just line it with some carpet or 1/4 plywood cut-to-fit. The only other thing I would mention is be aware that this is 48" WIDE and try to plan your turns when near the curb or patio/driveway. I made one turn a bit too wide and "plugged" the edge of my asphalt driveway but other than that I made no further mistakes. This thing should last for years, probably will have to sharpen the pluggers at some point but after doing two acres (lent it to my neighbor for his yard) the pluggers remained very sharp. If you hit a root or large subsurface stone it just bounced up a bit. Three times and this thing will have paid for itself as a rental was $75/Day. I highly recommend this as a solid yard implement and a good value purchase. Tom 6/3/2017

After shopping around at the local big box retailers, I decided to check this out on Amazon. Honestly, I didnt see how Amazon would be able to offer this aerator at a competitive price considering its weight and shipping costs. Boy, was I wrong. Not only was the price less than the big box stores, but using Amazon Prime, this was delivered in 2 days! As to the aerator, I have no complaints. The assesmbly did take a good hour, but if you have the right tools, its easy. The aerator is of high quality and solid construction. I have aeratored 4 lots (each over 1/2 acres) and have been very pleased with the results as well as the durability of the unit. I have hit a few trees, backed into things, turned too sharp, etc....and have had no issues with the aerator, have not broken anything or bent anything so far. I am 6'1 and can reach the control arm on the aerator without getting off the tractor. I would imagine if you are shorter, or if the tractor you are using is larger, you may have to get off the tractor to raise and lower the aerator. Even if you would have to do this, I still don't see it as an issue or a reason to decrease a star from the rating. Pros: Heavy Duty - High Quality Sharp, Core Plug Aerator Heavy Duty Wheels Easy to Assemble (1 Hour with recommended tools) No more renting and hauling back and fourth Con: May have to dismount tractor to raise and lower aerator Takes ups a decent amount of space in garage :)

UPDATED - SEE BELOW This looks like a decent unit. All the parts arrived in the box and while a little time consuming to assemble, nothing that was not expected. It is a machine with a lot of parts! It was tedious, but not hard. The instructions were not perfect, but were adequate. I used it on my 3 acres in the Fall of 2017. Several tines bent and had to be straightened. There seemed to be a lot of wear where the axles rode in the mounts. OK, it doesn't have bearings, but it looked excessive. Jump forward to the Fall of 2018. I started aerating the same 3 acres. By the time I was half done, parts were wearing out. By the time I finished, this thing was falling apart. The soil was damp, not soaked, but definitely not dry. The design is OK, it just needs to have some bearings where rotating parts are mounted to keep them from wearing out. One the "bushings" wear out, the tines start hitting the frame and it destroys itself. I only discovered it had a three year warranty when I came back this year to look for another unit. After last years's disaster, I took it to the dump! Now that I am aware of the warranty, I may give it another try and get a warranty replacement after each use… *********** 2023 UPDATE: I rented a commercial unit the last couple of years but decided to try DIY again. Because it is the best rated unit I could find, I re-bought this unit in October, 2023. Same assembly, same exact unit six years later. I stopped after about 30 minutes in to the first use, and discovered two of the spools were broken. Looking at the welds, they were totally inadequate. Where the spools attach to the shaft is a spot weld on either side. This needs to be a continuous weld 360° around the shaft. I called support. Support was GREAT! The guy I spoke with understood my issue and promptly sent out two new spools. During the discussion, I mentioned that I was a welder and these parts were inadequately welded. He recommended I augment the welds by finishing the job on the new parts, but the two that had not yet broken as well. Replacing the spools requires MAJOR disassembly alf the unit. While there are a few parts that can be left assembled (the wheel assemblies), essentially, you have to remove every nut and bolt and start over. I used. wire brush to remove the paint where the spools were assembled, fixed the welds on the old and new parts and re-painted them. After a couple of hours work, the unit is back together with reinforced welds on the spools. The new unit still uses plastic bushings on the axles that will not last. Due to the design, I cannot imagine these will last three years. Replacing those with bearings (and doing a better weld job) would fix the deficiencies of this unit. I would happily pay a little more to get audit that would last! The support guy I spoke with suggested lubricating the plastic bushings with a dry lube, but my fear is that the extremely dusty/ dirty environment an aerator lives in will negate any lubrication of an exposed plastic bushing. Overall, if you have a small yard with soil that looks like the dirt in Martha Stewart's garden, this unit is probably OK for you. If you have a bigger property and have "normal" soil, this unit will likely not last very long. *********** KUDOS to Agri-Fab support. Answered right away and were very helpful, but as good as their support is, I do not believe it makes up for the design and production issues with this model.

Directions kinda suck but if you're handy you'll figure it out. Took a little over an hour to assemble. As other reviewers have mentioned, indeed WHERE MECHANICS GLOVES OR LEATHER GLOVES! Very sharp tines!! I had to add four cinder blocks to get 3-4" plugs. Works a ton better if your grass is super wet/saturated. The aerator rolls fine on grass but on gravel or dirt it sorta pisses you off (yes I had the lever in the correct position for travel, without tines dropped) I recommend putting cardboard or something down before lying cinder blocks on it, in two seconds they had the orange paint ripped up and down to bare metal. Make sure to remove cinder blocks/weights before unhooking from lawn tractor or it will flip over. To rent a plug aerator from H*me Dep*t is $80 for four hours. I figure in the long run I'm saving money by this purchase because I intend to aerate my lawn in Spring and Fall. My yard now looks like I was attacked by a million puppies pooping in the grass :) I debated buying the cheaper one that only punctured the ground but I'm glad I got this actual "plug" aerator. It was easy to clean with a hose and nozzle on jet, I have red clay dirt that wants to be cement when it dries, I'm glad the times were easy to clean. Took less than three minutes. Now I need to broadcast some Green Maker lawn fertilizer and I'm good to go. I used a cub cadet lawn tractor and it pulled it fine on low idle. I did have to remove my grass catcher because the draw bar wasn't going to reach. Hope this is the remedy to my patchy AZ grass. Glad I made the purchase.

The instructions were pretty straight forward and simple but there's a couple parts that are slightly odd and confusing, they make you second guess yourself, but if you trust your gut instincts you'll be fine. All of the metal pieces are stamped which always causes a sharp burr on at least one side. They obviously don't deburr ANY of the parts when they're made and that leads to cuts. As for how well it works, with no weight added to the top this thing is pretty much useless. I had to add four bags of tube sand to the top to get any penetration. It works decent. Is it worth the price or would I recommend it, hmmm, I'm still on the fence. I believe it says this in the instructions so I highly recommend everyone pay attention to this but, DO NOT, back up with this when the handle isn't locked in its little notch for the wheels down position. I forgot to put it in the wheels down position and backed up with it which promptly bent the tow bar/tongue. I can 100% guarantee ever pic that shows the tongue/tow bar bent is because the person backed up without putting the lever in that notch and DID NOT have the wheels down, they just tried to back up with the spikes down. To tongue is a little on the flimsy side but it's perfectly fine and stout enough as long as you, first, put the wheels down before you try and back up with this item. Don't lie and say you didn't do that because you know you did and don't blame or give bad review to the manufacture because you were to lazy or stupid to get off and pull the lever forward putting the wheels down before you tried to back up with it. It's easier enough to forget, I did, but that isn't the fault of the company that made it.