There are several kinds of aeration methods. The two most common are solid tine and hollow tine.

1. I prefer the walk-behind machines that mechanically drive the tines into the ground. This approach provides a more even distribution of aeration and allows the depth of the tines to remain constant.
   
   
2. Other methods include solid tine or very narrow core tines on a unit pulled behind a tractor or riding mower. Usually a couple big cinder blocks are stacked on the aerating attachment to give it weight to dig down. My experience is that this does not work nearly as well as the walk-behind machines.

Suppliers I've used and am satisfied with: Home Depot Rentals, United Rentals, A Tool Shed, NationsRent, Hertz Equipment Rentals.

1. Mark your sprinklers before you aerate so you don't damage them.
   
   
2. You can also core aerate your infield dirt to loosen it up. Soak with water first so it is not hard as a rock.
   
   
3. Aerate high spots on your infield and rake cores away. The high spots will sink down. Do this again in two weeks. Rake cores away and the high spots may be level with the rest of the turf.
   
   
4. High school, college, or professional infields take 30 minutes to aerate when running the aerator on full throttle. So, get two and do the criss cross in 30 minutes rather than 1 hour.
   
   
5. Little league size infield can be done in less than 15 minutes.
   
   
6. Avoid the machines that have heavy signs of rust on the mechanical parts. They could get stuck and then you don't complete your job.
   

Mistakes to avoid

These machines are heavy. You shouldn't try to lift these in and out of truck by yourself. Get a helper... or use a trailer with a ramp.

Baseball Field Maintenance Equipment 
 Aerators  |  Edgers  |  Mowers |  Rollers |  Spreaders |  Thatchers  |  Tools  | Tractors

Home  |  Free Newsletter  |  Contact Us  |  FAQs  |  Baseball Blog