Yard Butler Core Lawn Aerator #D-6C

• Core aeration reduces compaction and thatch to let air, water, and fertilizer down to the root zone. Core aeration also stimulates root growth by "pruning" the roots and deposits valuable micro-organisms on the lawn surface.
• Reduces soil compaction, water run-off and puddling. Lets air, water and fertilizer get down to the roots
• Your lawn will look better with less water and fertilizer Breaks down thatch
• Promotes vigorous root growth, strengthening tolerance to drought and heat stress Extra durable, all steel construction
• Professionals recommend using the Yard Butler Core Aerator both Spring and Fall, depending on the type of grass, but aeration is good for lawns anytime. Your lawn care professional can tell you the best times to aerate in your climate zone.

All that from something invented over 4000 years ago?:
I had a section of lawn that was put in before I moved in. The section is like clay and must be tough for the grass to get water... It runs off into other parts of the lawn... Area was always dry and barely any grass. Used this to make plug holes in the area and like magic... It looks like the rest of the lawn now. No extra watering, no fertilizers... Just a couple of holes in the ground and a world of difference. So I used it on the rest of my lawn. Now the whole thing looks like I fertilized it but I didn't. My neighbors are hammering me for what fertilizer I used.

For $10 it's great:
I took a class in tree caring and this tool is simple to use. You place it on the area you want to aerate and step on the bar at the bottom. It is suppose to cut a core in the soil thus creating more surface contact area for the air. I saw a previous review about the handle can break. I think the driving force is with your foot on the aerator and your body to weight it down. I'll be cautious about the handle now that I know it can break. I got it at Loews for less than $10. They're at a clearance sale. I wonder if they're redesigning it to have a larger diameter and longer core.

Of little use on sod over clay:
Probably a great tool if you have actual soil beneath your lawn and have patience to boot. I live in one of those sprung-up-overnight bedroom communities miles outside an urban beltway, where they cheaply threw sod over pure clay. Parts of my lawn are horribly compacted, and even after a hard rain, this tool can't get enough depth to kick out the previous core. If you're in that situation, apply the cost of this instead to a service call from a professional with a big machine.

Great if it worked:
My Yard Butler core aerator broke the first time I used it. The metal is too weak to handle hard compacted soil, even if damp. Considering I bought this exclusively to use on hard compacted soil, I was a little disappointed. The vertical metal bar bent after only a few steps. It was still somewhat usable, but just barely.

Nice Tool:
For a small lawn this works well. Soil/lawn should not be too hard before using the Aerator. I hit a hard spot while pushing down on the Aerator and it slightly bent one of the Aerator prongs. Sometimes both prongs were jammed due to small rocks in the soil of the lawn. Use of a screw driver to poke out the blocked prongs worked well. Other than that I am very happy with the tool. Overall it worked well and my grass is actually greener looking now.