[aapitten]

Hey everyone,
I've lurked for a long time but this is my first time actually doing a post.

Short version if you don't want to read the rest: is $250 for a VERY ROUGH Lawnaire 28 too much?

Read more for more details:

Based on lots of reading (mainly on LawnSite) I have decided I want to purchase an aerator. From my reading, it sounds like the reciprocating tine models are better than the drum style for the heavy clay soil we have around here. I plan to aerate my yard and my dad's yard 1-2 times per year (his yard is about .5 acre and mine is about .3 acre) but not do much else. Both yards have 'slight' hills, but nothing I'd consider steep.

I found a local guy who has a ROUGH LA28 for sale It is a pretty old model (544874). He said it ran a number of years ago but its been parked since then. I think I can get it for $250 but it is really rough. (Hood is missing, needs new tines, rubber stops are shot, belts rotted, tires rotted, and the engine doesn't run.) What is everyone's thoughts on that price?

I'm a pretty mechanically inclined guy (rebuilt several engines ranging from a car to a weedwacker) so I am confident I can get it going as long as nothing major is toast, like a gearbox.

On the other hand, I've also seen some old Lesco models that need some work for as low as $75. These things look incredibly simple compared to the LA28.

What are the thoughts of everyone? Is $250 for that aerator a good price? Or, given the limited aeration I'll be doing, would I be better served with a simpler unit.

Sidenote: I have thoroughly investigated rentals and companies in my area. Rentals are running about $70-90/ day for a LA IV and, after contacting almost 20 contractors, only about 5 replied and some were wanting upwards of $300 to do the work. I actually paid a guy $115 to do a double-pass so I can overseed and he did a single pass with 'gaps' between his passes. Currently trying to get that rectified. Based on all that, I want to be self-sufficient in the future.

 

[grass4gas]

Just came across this and I know it is a couple years old, but just curious if you went through and bought the aerator?

These things were a beast. Aerated the piss out of the soil, but hit a tree root or other hard object and it practically would break your arm or
other body part.

FWIW, $115.00 for a third acre; roughly 15,000 square feet and double pass is way to cheap, which is why he only did a single pass. $8/1000 square feet and using that machine…oh hell no

 

[oqueoque]

Just came across this and I know it is a couple years old, but just curious if you went through and bought the aerator?

These things were a beast. Aerated the piss out of the soil, but hit a tree root or other hard object and it practically would break your arm or
other body part.

FWIW, $115.00 for a third acre; roughly 15,000 square feet and double pass is way to cheap, which is why he only did a single pass. $8/1000 square feet and using that machine…oh hell no

I agree. $115.00 would be good for 1,500 sq ft. single pass, and not 15,000 sq ft. Guys were getting $10/k 8 years ago in the thread below.
https://www.lawnsite.com/threads/price-for-aeration.428360/page-2#post-5078996

 

[aapitten]

Hey gang,
I ended up not getting the Lawnaire. We couldn't come to terms on price. That was a while ago, but I want to say he wouldn't come below $300 and I just didn't think it was worth it considering it needed.... everything.

I did end up finding a 'Gorilla' aerator - it is an older model, I couldn't find a ton of info online. But it is the reciprocating style. It doesn't have driven wheels, but it seems to pull itself along pretty well with just the tines. It only has 3 tines, and was once an odd thread, but a previous owner had it retapped to take PLUGR tines, so replacements weren't an issue.

It isn't the most efficient machine in the world (only having 3 tines), but considering its just for home use, it works just fine. It takes me ~60 min to do my 1/3 acre.

It was in much better shape than the Lawnaire, I just had to put new tines on it and clean it up a bit. I did find the crankcase was FULL of gas, but after cleaning things up and changing the oil, I never had the issue again, so I assume it is a non-issue and something just one-off stuck in the carb. It does seep a little gas around one of the gaskets when running, and has some normal wear-and-tear, but for the price, I really can't complain. It's also perfect for my use case because it folds up and can be lifted into the back of an SUV by 2 people. No way I would have been able to do that with the Lawnaire.

I don't recall exactly what I paid for it, but I think it was somewhere around $100.

Sidenote - the guy I hired to do the aeration did send his guy back out to go over it again, so that was nice. He did a much better job this time, but he also ran into the PVC downspout pipe at the corner of the house and broke it. He never said a thing, but the neighbor ratted him out. I ended up having to dig up the vertical pipe and replace it with a new section. I wasn't real happy... (Its not even laying out across the yard or anything, its a vertical 4" PVC pipe that sticks up about 4" right at the corner of the house and has the aluminum downspout into it.) I guess I'm lucky he didn't ruin the siding on the house.