# Spike vs. Plug Aerator



## grommeckdr

I am in the market for an aerator for my soon-to-be-purchased GT5000. Any thoughts on advatages/disadvantages of spike vs. plug? I have never owned one, so really don't know much about them....

Thanks


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## guest

most say the spikes are not nearly as good as the plug aerator. I own a spike aerator that also drop seeds.. (brinly hardy brand) it does ok but the spikes do not go down too deep... 
ill probably get a decent plug one in the future...


<img src=http://www.brinly.com/images/aerator/AeratorSpreader40.jpg>



brinleys page


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## grommeckdr

By the way, just wanted to thank all the posters here for the valuable insight. It has made my decision as to what tractor to buy much easier... What a great site...


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## guest

forgot to mention.. welcome to the forum... good luck with your new GT...


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## Stewart

Aw man another GT 5000.....


Just kidding welcome aboard.

I have heaed theat the plugs are better, I think that is what most of the commercial units are. I don' t have one myself, but I am going to use my neighbors spike unit here in a few weeks. It is free so I can't beat it!

See ya around!


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## MowHoward2210

I would definately go for the plug aerator. One of the main purposes of an aerator is to relieve or lessen soil compaction. With a spike aerator, you are just redistributing the soil compaction to one side or the other.


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## Live Oak

I have an Agri-Fab plug aerator and I have found from my experience that it helps to loosen up compacted soil as well as aerate. The plug holes allow much needed water and nutrients to be absorbed into the soil until they fill themselves in. Only draw back is that a good plug aerator is expensive compared to the spike aerators. The larger drum style spike aeroators do better than the small spike aerators and are not as costly. I would recomment the plug aerator. You can probably get a Brinly plug aerator at Lowes for around $150 give or take.


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## leolav

Plug is the way to go. It pulls out the soil in a plug (hence the name) vs just moving it aside via a spike. I have a tow behind that I put a bunch of weight on and it plugs well.

It is usually the perfect time to lime and fertilize right after you plug.


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## guest2

From what I understand it depends on the type of soil you have. Plug aerators are for hard compacted soil. Spike aerators are for black dirt or loamy soils. These soils aren't usually compacted but you may want to allow fertilizer to penetrate deeper to the roots and stimulate growth.


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## Chipmaker

Oh heck I thought this post was advertising a boxing match between Spike (GW) and a challenger named Plug Aerator. I was gonna put my money on Plug!:furious:


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## chrpmaster

I have a good cheap spike aerator. I bought an old 7' pull type rotory hoe for $5 from a guy who just wanted it out of his pasture. He even used his frontend loader to get into my truck. It was too big for my old mower tractor to pull so I was able to split into two pieces with each having a front and back row of spikes. I put on as much weight as needed for good penitration. Works great too. I have to be careful to not run over the same spot more than twice or it will tear it up too much. If you have any old farmers or implement dealers around you may find something in their back field sometime. I think this was in one of those free ad papers. Just my .02 worth.

Andy:cheers:


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## memmurphy

I have a 32" AgriFab spike aerator. It penetrates a couple of inches with two cement block on it. I wait till we have a soaking rain before using it. It works OK, I think the vertical cutting action helps thicken our Kentucky Blue grass. But with our clay soil I think in hindsight a plug aerator may have been a better choice. 

Mark


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## brockman

Plug is perfect for hard, compacted soils. To get the best depth you need to have the soil moist.


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## memmurphy

Welcome to the tractorforum brockman. :friends: 

Mark


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## guest2

What do you guys do with the plugs? I always leave them there to break down but find the soil is compacted again later. I was thinking of raking them up or useing the mownvac to remove them and then as the ground filled in the holes naturally maybe there would be less compaction in the future. Any thoughts?


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## William4Poole

The article describes thoughts on the advantages / disadvantages of Spike vs. Plug? If you read it carefully https://grass-killer.com/reviews/best-lawn-aerators/, then it will be clear to you whether to buy or not. I hope I helped you in this matter.


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## bmaverick

William4Poole said:


> The article describes thoughts on the advantages / disadvantages of Spike vs. Plug? If you read it carefully https://grass-killer.com/reviews/best-lawn-aerators/, then it will be clear to you whether to buy or not. I hope I helped you in this matter.


I've owned both over the years. The spike wins almost every time. The plugger just rips up the yard. And to do the plugger, you need a balance of a moist soil, not damp and not dry. Too wet and the plugs stick to the lawn tractor tires or turf tires on a compact tractor. Too dry and the plugger males the lawn into a dust bowl. My spiker looks like Ninja stars. This way, a triangle wedge fits into the soil at 3-inches deep. AgriFab makes the seeder/feeder spiker for lawns that work remarkably well. 

Also, if you spike the lawn, you can walk on it very soon. If you plug the lawn, you have to wait a long while so your shoes don't pick up the plugs.


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