Aerator not spitting the plugs out!

[dlomb72]

Has anyone ever had the plugs get stuck in the tines of their aerator? I tried lubing the tines up with pledge but it doesn't really work too well. Any input would be appreciated.

[PSUturf]

I don't think any kind of lube would work because it would be scrubbed out pretty fast by the plugs. The only time I have had soil stuck in the tines is when I didn't clean out heavy clay plugs at the end of the day. The clay dried and hardened like cement.

[Runner]

Yeah, what happens often, is that the tines get a bit of surface rust in them, making the stuff stick. We would get this at the beginning of our aerating season in the fall, but it gets better as it goes along, because the rust get sanded off eventually. The time to lube the spoon down (inside) is right AFTER you are done using the aerator, and clean it up to store it. This will keep this from happening in the future.

[turfcobob]

they are right. It is usually rust in the barrel of the tine that is the culprit. Keep those tines clean. Do you have a sandy area you can run the unit to polish up the tines? If not try a steel bore brush for a 12 guage shotgun in a 1.4 inch drill. I have done that to polish up the inside of the bore. Another problem is when the mouth of the tine gets worn from the inside out and causes the tine to be bell mouthed. This will let the tiine take more dirt that can be forced thru the barrel. Some tines have a coined edge and they tend to wear that way. A tine has to be sharpened not coined. If you do not want them to wear into a bell mouth and plug up. Another cause is if there is a gap in the the back side of the tine where it was formed. If there is a gap the gap will fill with grass and cause plugging.