The problems with slit seeders , first its a harder sell than aeration and seeding . The results are much , much better with the slit seeder . But customers have been conditioned to aeration and overseeding along with the cheaper price . Second is the time factor , slit seeding takes a whole lot longer and is more labor intensive therefore more expensive . Lastly , the cost of the equipment is high , takes a while to cover that cost , maintenance on the wear parts is higher . Properly done the results are superior to aeration
Agree with everything except with the time factor....our machine runs 3.5 mph and seeds 24" wide....is 2-3x more productive than whats on the market today.
Before stating my 1st company making Renovation equipment (back in 2005), I used to do this on the side....I would do 40-50 renovations a year in Louisville and absolutely cleaned up doing so...the only thing holding me back was the time and effort it takes to run the machines...so I started designing and building our own equipment to make the job easier and faster.
I personally have done probably 200 complete renovations.
But , most , not all who aerate make 1 pass at best . With the slit seeder you should crisscross pases , that doubles the time from the start . Plus depending on your timing ,if the grass is long you need to cut it first . This is where I account for more time .
Your machine sounds quick for a slit seeder . Site conditions will effect this a bit
Yes, it does take longer but it isn't 3-4x longer.
Maybe 50% longer...since you put seed down at the same time there is some savings there.
But yes, it does take longer and cost more....people will pay once they get crappy results or no noticeable results from aerating and overseeding.
I used to loose some jobs to the aerate and over seed guys and I would tell them don't hesitate to call me next year if they need help in the future knowing that most would.
When they see results in their own neighborhood or have to listen to their neighbors talk about how great their lawn is....nothing sells a job like buyers remorse.
At 55 , I still go out and do the work , I may be a bit slower , but the extra time spent lessens come backs . I am getting way more $$$ than a quick aeration and overseed .I offer both slit , and aeration, the combination of both produces the best results . I prefer the larger jobs where I can sit on the tractor with the Jacobsen slit seeder , then the walk behind unit is just for areas I cant get with the big machine . I am not competitive on the smaller properties . On the 1 acre and above properties the guys with the walk behind machines cant come close .
going back to the question on slit seeder for
Mini skid, how is it different that a 3 pt on a tractor? I guess if you turn 90* with the disks in that could be a problem....maybe I answered my own question
Aeration and seed is quick. How quick? (For instance in time per 1000 sqft?)
I just calculated that at 2 feet wide and at 4 mph--Stinger covers 704 sqft per minute.
How do you prove slit seeding is better? How much better?
Simple--start with bare soil. Side by side compare 1000 sqft aeration/seed with slit seed. Not realistic, true. Or...
Slit seed Bermuda with perennial rye on the left, and use aeration/seed on the right. In four weeks, the Bermuda will be brown and dormant from the cold. The rye will be green. It will be easy to get photographs and compare the results. Or...
Kill existing blue/rye/fescue turf with Roundup. Then slit seed and aeration/seed. Side by side. The only green will be the new seed. Compare and contrast. Use K-31 for better contrast, if necessary.
That's and excellent idea. I could probably get someone like Purdue or Ohio St turf grass school to do it too. Stay tuned. They could do a percent color analysis from the air with a drone that would remove any subjective opinions too.
To keep this simple, what would the parameters be:
Aerating - single or double pass?
Power Seeding - single or double pass?
I ask because our seeder is faster than almost any WB aerator on the market already. At 4 mph thats 42k sqft / hour. Its actually a little faster than 4 mph. We rounded down.
Both tests would have the the same mount of seed per 1000 sqft.
I would love to see this type of university testing done on overseeding and seeding. I would like to see it done more than once and under varying conditions. I would also like to see a testing of seeding without aerating or power seeding. Only universities are capable of doing this type of study fairly, but can this really be done without corporate marketing influencing the results or the publication of the results?
No offense to Stinger Equipment here, I’m very impressed with what you claim your equipment can do. I just wonder if your company or any other company would allow the publication of the results if things don’t turn out as you hoped they would.
I have personally done hundreds of lawn renovations (total kill and power seed). I got into this business back in 2005 doing side jobs for extra money. I made my own equipment because I didn't like the equipment on the market.
I started doing renovations on the side when I was and engineer at GE (General Electric) doing R&D and advanced product development. I was in my 20s with 3 kids ages 3 and under. My wife stayed home with the kids. I started doing renovations in the fall for extra money and would make $30k in just a few weeks and realized if I could do 2x as much, $60k was better than $30k. I took all my vacation time in the fall and could make 50% of my salary in a month with my own equipment.
I put in my notice the following spring and started making equipment in 2006. We made hundreds of seeders the 1st year.
So I'm very confident in the results...I have done it for quite a while.
I've got an aera-vator and love it. On bare dry soil I think it works better than a slit seeder as it mixes the seed into the soil with the vibration. We use it for aeration and overseeding existing lawns also. It vibrates the seed through the thatch layer so more seed actually touches the soil than what you would get with broadcasting seed after coring.
They are very expensive units though. The First Products 4 wheel drive stand on unit is $27,000
I've got an aera-vator and love it. On bare dry soil I think it works better than a slit seeder as it mixes the seed into the soil with the vibration. We use it for aeration and overseeding existing lawns also. It vibrates the seed through the thatch layer so more seed actually touches the soil than what you would get with broadcasting seed after coring.
They are very expensive units though. The First Products 4 wheel drive stand on unit is $27,000
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