Operation Tips
The aerator attachment helps develop healthy, dense
lawns by loosening the soil to contribute to better, more
vigorous root growth. The typical lawn should be aerated
once or twice a year, usually in the spring and fall. Lawns
with heavily compacted soil, or lawns with very hard soil
may benefit from additional aeration cycles during the
year, particularly during times of greatest potential growth.
•
For best results:
- Mow and rake the lawn before aeration.
- The soil should be somewhat moist or soft, rather
than very dry and hard.
- You may wish to dethatch your lawn before aeration.
The dethatcher attachment (check with your autho-
rized dealer or the Factory as to availability) works
well for this purpose.
•
The depth of cut is determined by a number of factors,
including: soil conditions, the ground travel speed, the
engine speed, and the amount of pressure applied to the
handlebars. Be patient while learning to use the aerator
attachment – you may have to experiment to find that
“just right” combination for your particular lawn and
type of terrain.
3
•
Holding the Drive Bail closed against the handlebar
engages the wheels and the aerator tines. Lift up on the
handlebars and then slowly lower them until the rotating
tines enter the soil.
•
Allow the machine to move forward while the aerator
blades slice into the lawn and soil. Allow enough time
for the tines to dig deeply enough.
•
Aerate the soil by making side-by-side passes (see
Figure 4). For more thorough aeration, you may wish to
make a second series of passes at a right angle to the
first series of passes (see Figure 5).
•
After aerating the soil, rake up any residue.
•
Following aeration is usually a good time to fertilize the
lawn. Follow application recommendations and instruc-
tions provided with the fertilizer. Or, if you have partic-
ularly troublesome spots, you may wish to reseed these
areas after aeration.
IMPORTANT: When replacing the regular tines after
removing the aerator tines, install them as shown in
Figure 2. The cutting edges of the regular tines must
enter the soil first— install the tine sets accordingly.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Figure 4
Figure 5
CAUTION
TO AVOID INJURY:
• Do not operate machine when you are barefoot or
when wearing sandals, sneakers, or similar
lightweight footwear. Wear footwear that will protect
your feet and improve footing on all surfaces.
• Always stop the engine before“freewheeling” the
machine to another location.
• Stop engine, allow it to cool, and disconnect the
spark plug wire before unclogging the tines or per-
forming any repairs or maintenance.
