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Old 01-10-2010, 01:57 PM posted to rec.gardens
FarmI FarmI is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,358
Default Coring v Spike lawn aerators + How effective is Mantis an aerator?

"Newbie" wrote in message
...
In article , Brooklyn1
wrote:

: On Thu, 30 Sep 2010 22:00:23 -0500, Newbie wrote:
:
: In article , Brooklyn1
: wrote:
:
: : On Thu, 30 Sep 2010 15:17:57 -0500, Newbie wrote:
: :
: : In article , Brooklyn1
: : wrote:
: :
: : : Mantis has a aerating/dethatching attachment that I'd seriously
: : : consider for a smallish lawn... every gardener needs a Mantis,
best
: : : gardening investment ever... it tills my 50' X 50' vegetable
garden
: : : more than 8" deep with as much effort as walking a small dog.
: :
: : I am seriously considering Mantis. At $500 for the tiller,
dethatching,
: : and aerator package, it is cheaper than other powered options, and
: : would be a lot more convenient than any manual options. (Our lawn is
: : small, but bodies too are not what they used to be a few decades
ago!)
: :
: : However, my one doubt about aeration is that Mantis attachment
appears
: : to be "spike" variety, not "coring". IOW it just punches holes
rather
: : than remove cores. I keep reading that coring aeration is much
better.
: :
: : If you have used both kinds, I would appreciate a comparison, if one
is
: : really better. Or, we know Mantis would be convenient, but how
: : effective it is as an aerator?
: :
: : If all you have to garden is that small postage stamp sized lawn I
: : still strongly recommend you contract a lawn service, you will never
: : amortize the price of a Mantis, a lawn mower, an edger, a blower or
: : any power lawn tools... won't even pay for you to fuel those... all
: : you need is a leaf rake (if you have any trees nearby) and a garden
: : hose (short). If you really want to do it yourself buy a bow rake
and
: : a reel type push mower. I'm serious... a 1,000 sq ft lawn is like a
: : dozen passes with a manual push mower, less work than vacuuming your
: : living room, 10 minutes tops... you can mow every day. Geeze, you're
: : really milking this... fantacizing about your Ponderosa.
:
: I have no idea why you insist on ignoring the questions asked and keep
: giving advice where none is sought. For example, watering or mowing is
: simply not an issue for us. Similarly, it should not be your concern
: whether or how I can afford power tools or the fuel.
:
: For a variety of reasons related to age, arthritis, etc, I am ok with
: manual mowing, but less with tilling/cultivating/dethatching. IOW
: pushing above ground is ok, digging not. So I am considering power
: tools. That is a function of my health, my interest in gardening, and
: my budget. None of that should be your concern.
:
: However, you have indicated that you own and use Mantis aerator. If in
: the interest of sharing the experiences we do possess, you (or anyone
: else) feels like answering the following questions, I'd appreciate
: that, otherwise please ignore me and move on:
:
: 1. If you have experience with both spike and core aerators, do you
: find one to be more effective than the other?
:
: 2. Setting aside above comparison, is Mantis spike aerator effective in
: itself?
:
: 3. As it does not remove cores, what aeration does it accomplish that
: would not be accomplished by the cultivator function of the tiller?
:
: I have attempted to make these questions as direct and clear as English
: language allows. You'd notice that they do not mention mowing,
: watering, length of hose, trimming, flushing, raking, blowing, pruning,
: vacuuming, number of passes, etc., anywhere.
:
: You were given excellent advice. Anyone querying about a 1,000 sq ft
: lawn acting like they know everything is unquestionably trolling and
: here for no other reason but to bust balls... bye.

I have received as well as given a lot of excellent information over
the 25+ years I have been active in Usenet. Of course, not every
exchange has been or can be positive. So yes, good bye; please do avoid
my threads.

To others in the forum: If anyone is in the position to comment on the
issue, I'd greatly appreciate that.


:-)) You've just been Sheldoned (aka Brooklyn1). Welcome to the group.
You ain't a regualr till Shelly has monstered you at least once.