Yard Butler ID-6C Manual Lawn Coring Aerator - Grass Dethatching Turf Plug Core Aeration Tool - Grass Aerators for Small Yards - Loosen Compacted Soil - Gardening Hand Tools - Gray, 37 Inches

I bought this tool because it removes a core of soil out of the ground, doesn't just poke a bunch of little holes into the thatch like some of the other aerators do. Also I was a little wary of the shoe type aerators because of the many negative reviews. So I bought this one and I'm pleased with it.It works exactly as advertised. The tool is very sturdy, I detected no wobble or flex. The parts are welded, with nice solid looking weld beads. The spikes go into the soil with very little effort since you use your body weight. Pulling it out is where your effort will go, its not a problem at all, but for large areas break the job into sections, so you don't get sore upper arms and hands.A few recommendations after using the tool. Pay attention and make sure soil is moving up and ejected out of the holes. If it stops ejecting, your spike is clogged and should be cleared. Keep a tool handy to clear the spike. I use an old screwdriver. Working backwards prevents stepping on the ejected cores. Keep an eye out for dandelions, if you spike them dead center, you will slice and pull up the root (its not the correct tool for this task, but might as well kill a few weeds while you are at it).So far I've done about a third of an acre and find its actually an enjoyable task for a sunny spring day. I expect this tool will hold up to many years of service. Recommended.

I wasn't up for spending the money on renting a gas powered aerator, not to mention I would have had to wait for a couple weeks before one was available, so I opted for the Yard Butler coring aerator after being unable to find one in my local hardware store. The tool worked great so long as mostly clay soil that I call my yard was well soaked, but had some difficulty when the soil was dry. To get maximum results, I would run the sprinklers for about 20 minutes (until I got standing water on top of the bare spots) and then let the water soak in. Anything less required pounding the spikes in with a dead blow. Three weeks later, I can say that the results are dramatic. The patchy spots have almost entirely filled in and the already green areas are much fuller and lusher than they were previously. I attribute this purely to better water penetration and looser soil as I did not add any fertilizer to the yard despite the recommendations. It took about two hours (including watering time) to do my 2,500 square foot yard that is laden with some nasty roots that a previous owner never removed. I found that with proper motivation (that dead blow again), the aerator would make nice round root cores in addition the the the soil cores that I had left behind when done.While the results speak for themselves, the effort required to use this tool is not trivial for a moderate sized yard. I found that the clay soil would become lodged in the spikes if it was too dry which could be reduced if the spikes were slightly tapered. I am guessing that tapered spikes would probably drive the cost way up from what it is now. I also found that proper knee placement is essential to coming out of the yard bruise free (I did not), but this is subject to the operator more than anything. All in all, I can't complain though. The tool operates very well for what it is and will make your yard much more healthy than it is now. It is well constructed and take good beating (literally). I cannot recommend the tool to those that dread the manual labor involved with yard work. For those, I suggest hiring a professional who can bring out the gas powered tools or a teenager who will deal with the punishment for some spending money. For everyone else who enjoys the fruit of their labor, I can provide a hearty recommendation.

This is a great tool. I live in the desert. Our soil is rock hard, full of rocks, and very poor. It is also full of clay and highly compacted. I put a sprinkler head on the hose and let it go for ten minutes, then used the Yard Butler. After reading so many complaints, I was skeptical, but it pushed in with almost no effort.Yes, if I went outside the soaked area it was harder to use, but it should be obvious that when you want to push a steel object into your compacted lawn soil, you need to wet the ground first. If you don't, no hand tool is going to work well in hard dry soil. Just reset the sprinkler, take a break, and start again.When used properly (use your foot on the foot bar--that's what it's for) on a pre-soaked lawn, this tool is amazingly simple and easy to use. And it's fun too.Another note: I was fresh off a bad back injury (a bulged disk), but after a visit the chiropractor I decided to try the lawn butler for a couple of trial holes just to see if I could do it for a few minutes without too much pain. I proceeded to do my entire front yard in a series of 10-minute soaks, then ten minutes of aerating. Easy, simple, effective.Note too that the instructions are very clear: do not clear the holes until you are done. Just let the plugs push up through and fall out. This pulls up beneficial nutrients and microbes from root level to the surface and is like fertilizing. When you are all done, clean it thoroughly, dry, and store properly, like you should with any tool.Likewise, you do not want to torque or twist ANY tool, except maybe an Estwing. Push it straight down into your soaked lawn, using your foot, not your hands. Pull it straight back up. If you have to twist and torque, you did not wet the lawn enough, so set the sprinkler for another 5-10 minutes and repeat.Bottom line: if this can work in my hard, rocky, desert town, (and with a bad back to boot) it can work anywhere. Highly recommended! Fast shipping too.